3

Chapter 531 He's an Idiot

"

Eric called Dr. Namid insisting they needed to talk. Dr. Namid told him to meet him outside on the cafeteria patio. He didn't like being seen with Eric, but this was the last time he intended for it to happen especially since that bitch Knowles had seem them together.

It was her damned day off, Carl thought. What kind of sick person comes to work on a day off? And it was just his luck that she caught them together.

The day was overcast and chilly surprising weather for late summer in Charming. No complaints from him. It was convenient because it discourage the use of the patio. He and Eric would have it to themselves.

"Are you sure Knowles isn't lurking around somewhere?" Dr. Namid asked looking over his shoulder.

"I watched her get in her car and leave."

"Subtle," Dr. Namid said sarcastically.

"I don't think she saw me," Eric said huffily. "I tried to sweet talk her. I apologized for not calling her. She wasn't having it. She blew me off and told me not to talk to her again. Said she blocked my calls," Eric added sounding insulted.

Carl rolled his eyes and shook his head. The quality of criminal henchman was definitely on the decline. He would have to make do with Eric at least until they had dealt with Knowles.

"So you don't have to fake a romance with her," Carl said with a shrug. "You ought to be happy."

"You don't get it," Eric hissed. "I think she's on to us."

"On to us how?" Eric had Carl's attention now.

"I don't think she bought your genius excuse that I was looking for X-ray. Kept making snotty references to it."

He was paying the price for not coming up with a better reason for him to be talking to Eric. It suddenly hit him that he didn't even need a reason to be talking to Eric. There wasn't anything wrong with him talking to someone.

This is what happens when you are committing crimes, panic and make stupid mistakes. He had attracted Knowles' suspicions when he should have just kept his mouth shut. Seeing her had thrown him off balance. He had made a very stupid mistake. Now who was the idiot, he thought.

"We've got a plan to take care of Dr. Knowles. You're going to help."

Eric thought about that for a few moments wrinkling his freckled nose.

"I'm not killing her. She's a bitch, but I'm not going down for murder. Guys like me don't do well in the joint."

"Guys like you are very popular in the joint," Carl Namid said. "It isn't going to come to that. We're going to fake a kidnapping attempt on Knowles, smash her hand in a van or car door and let her escape. Her hand prevents her from being a surgeon and our problem with Knowles is gone."

Eric's eyes narrowed as he looked at Carl. He caught the "we" in his sentence and he didn't like it.

"I'm not kidnapping anyone."

"Find someone then. You will need to steal a vehicle and get at least two people to grab Knowles; one person to drive the vehicle and at least one person maybe two to take Knowles."

"You expect me to get these people?" Eric demanded indignantly. He wasn't a hoodlum. He didn't know the kind of people for a job like that.

"Yeah, I damned well do. I pay you a hell of a lot of money. Start looking around for the people now. We're going to need them in a couple of weeks."

"You gonna pay them too?"

"Yeah, five grand each and an extra two grand for the vehicle."

"I'll see what I can do," Eric said.

"And stay away from Knowles," Carl said. He left Eric staring after him on the St. Thomas cafeteria patio.

For a moment, Carl Namid felt a wave of apprehension. This plan could go badly wrong. He was at heart an optimist. He was certain the plan would succeed and Tara's career as a surgeon was about to come to an end.