Robert Charrette - Arthur 01 - A Prince Among Men by Robert N. Charrette Page B

himself that the past was behind him, he gathered his stuff. He noticed that the two men finished looking at the magazines about the time he went past the concession stand. They didn't buy anything.
    They walked on past when he entered the Dunstan Building. Though they had apparently gone on about their business, they stayed on John's mind throughout the lab. After he'd turned in Ms assignment, he decided he wouldn't go out the usual way. He took the side door he used on rainy days; the cut across to the trolley station was shorter that way. Before leaving the building, he took a look around. He didn't see anyone.
    While he was waiting for the trolley, the two men showed up again, one at a time. Neither approached him and neither paid attention to the other, but they both boarded the trolley when John did. To see what would happen, John got off before his regular stop. The two men got off as well.
    The men of grim intent stay on your trail.
    That was obvious.
    He headed up the street toward Stetson Mall. There were always a lot of people at the mall. Bad guys didn't start trouble around lots of people.
    What was he expecting from these men? He didn't even know who they were. Why was he assuming they were the bad guys?
    Pretending to make a phone call just outside the mall gave him a chance to look them over. They were nondescript fellows: average height, average build, ordinary haircuts, regular features, and simple, slightly conservative suits. One was a blond Caucasian, the other an Asian. The suits were (he only thing that made them stand out on campus. John couldn't remember seeing either of them before.
    Were they cops? Mitsutomo men checking on him? Associates of the mysterious Mr. Bennett? Did it matter who they were? Of course it did, especially if it involved Winston's death. The only safe assumption seemed to be that they were not thugs out to rob him; thugs didn't wear tailored suits.
    So why were they following him? The answer would be intimately tied to who they were, the one answering the other. Whoever they were and why ever they were tailing him, he didn't like the idea of strangers following him around, watching everything he did. There wasn't much he could do about it without knowing who they were. There might not be anything even he could do if he did know, but knowing was better than not knowing.
    There was no one available to ask about these guys except the guys themselves. Confronting them in the middle of the street seemed inappropriate; this was some sort of cloak-and-dagger game. John started looking for a suitable place. As he approached the mall entrance he remembered a serviceway that ran behind the Lechmere's. It was a narrow place, usually Ml of trash, private but still near enough to the crowded bus stop at the mall entrance that any shouts for help would be heard.
    He passed the mall entrance, checking in the glass to see if they were still following him. They were. The walk along the wall under the Lechmere sign seemed longer than usual. He spelled out the store's name, whispering each letter as he passed under it. Two steps past the last "e" and a couple yards from the entrance to the serviceway, he started to sprint. Three strides put him in the alley, moving at speed, but instead of racing down the lane, he kept turning, fetching up against the wall of the building.
    Stay still.
    Okay.
    He leaned against the wall, folding his arms and adopting a casual posture. The shadows should hide him from immediate discovery. The guys came around the corner, moving faster than he had seen them do so far. They slowed and stopped just inside the alley mouth. They scanned their surroundings, looking for their quarry. For him.
    He kicked his heel against the wall to attract their attention. "Nice day, guys. What brings gentlemen like you to this part of town?"
    They started. The Asian started to reach under his jacket, but aborted the action. The looks on their faces were priceless. Surprise, anger,