The stunned line of people jerked away from the scene with normal outcries of surprise and fear. Nick walked forward, and kicked the knife away from the wielder.
Nick made placating gestures. “I’m sorry for this unanticipated happening, folks. I see my agent, Cassie hurrying toward me. Everything’s okay, and unless the police haul me away, our book signing will go on. Hey… I see my partner Gus approaching with a restraint for our bad guy. Let’s have some applause for the ever ready Gus.”
People applauded on command as Gus restrained the hooded would be killer with a plastic tie, one of a bunch he never left home without anymore. He stared at Nick with growing dread.
“You saw this?”
“I knew it was a possibility,” Nick confided as he helped Gus pick the guy up. “Better here on the sidewalk where people could run. There wasn’t any way to tell if he had a gun or even a grenade. I spotted him, and it played out as I figured.”
“You freaky son-of-a-bitch,” Gus whispered as they waited with Nick’s potential murderer where they were. Sirens wailed, heralding police already called onto the scene. “Do you want to walk him to the store front?”
“No. We’ll stay here without touching the knife he was going to use. Let the police bag the knife, and check our buddy for an ID. You wouldn’t want to tell us what your name is would you, Mac the knife?”
“I am hurt. I need a doctor.”
The people near enough to hear what the man said booed. A squad car drove next to them. The two officers, both men in their thirties, medium height and build, approached carefully with hands on the butts of their guns. Nick and Gus kept their hands in plain sight.
“What happened here?”
Nick pointed at the knife on the sidewalk. “My name is Nick McCarty. This guy attacked me with a knife in front of all these people. I kicked him in the ribs, and my partner restrained him with a plastic tie. I’m at the store for the book signing.”
The officer who asked the question received affirmation from the line of people as he placed the knife into an evidence bag. Gus took off the plastic tie, and the other police officer handcuffed the knife wielder. “Any idea who this guy is?”
“Never saw him before today,” Nick answered.
The officers frisked the man, checking for identification. The officer who had put on the handcuffs read the name. “Alex Kader. Does the name ring a bell?”
“Oh boy… yeah it does, officer.” Nick could see the resemblance now.
*
Five hours later, Nick and Gus sat at his signing table. Nick had sent everyone else back to the hotel, and told his agent and editor to go home too. After the police report delay, Nick signed and greeted nonstop without any breaks. There were only two more people in line. The store manager made the cutoff mark an hour earlier, in spite of Nick’s insistence he would stay. The second to the last reader was a woman in her mid-thirties, carrying a hard bound copy of ‘Caribbean Contract’.
She shook hands with Nick, but with a frowning look of disapproval. “I didn’t like this one, Mr. McCarty. It was way over the top, and simply unbelievable.”
Gus, who had lived part of ‘Caribbean Contract’ with Nick, excused himself.
“Call me Nick. I’m sorry you didn’t like it. It wasn’t believable enough for you to suspend belief, and get into the story, huh?”
“Not at all. Please sign it to Carrie.”
“Sure.” Nick did as he was told, and handed the book back to her. “Did you like any of the other Diego novels?”
“I never read any of your other novels in the series. Are you ever going to get away from this Diego character? I enjoy some of the humor you bring to the dialogue.”
“I’m enjoying my character Diego too much to stop at this point, Carrie.”
“What inspired you to write such a horrible character?”
Gus should have hung around for this, Nick thought. “My Diego adventures aren’t for everyone. I’m more of a pulp fiction writer, and Diego is pure pulp. Maybe my novels are not to your taste, Carrie. There are a huge number of novels being written because of the ease in self-publishing nowadays. Thanks for giving Diego a try though, and it was nice meeting you.”
Carrie nodded, but seemed reluctant to leave. “Please try writing something more literary.”
Nick watched her exit from the area for a moment with a grin. The last one in line was a tall, lean looking older man. He watched Carrie walk away too, but with shaking head. “I’ll never understand the way people think anymore.”
He stuck out his hand, which Nick shook. “I’m Kipp Po Speicher. May I sit down, Nick?”