Beowulf stood at the end of a dock, looking out over the waters of Elliott Bay, as the last light of a winter day began to fade.  The day had been cloudy, but for the first time this week, the rains had not come to Seattle.  While the task at hand was a necessity, his mind drifted to an upcoming vacation that was only a few weeks away.

He imagine what the warm sand would feel like between his toes.  He anticipated the rum cocktail with a small umbrella that he would be sipping as he sat in the lounge chair by the pool.  He could see the colorful fish swim by as he snorkeled in a lagoon.  He could see his girlfriend with lei’s around her neck as they danced the night away.  As he daydreamed, a smile crossed his face and he could actually smell the perfume on her neck.

Startled at the sound of a man’s voice behind him, he heard “Boss, we’re ready”.  As Beowulf turned, he saw two of his family members standing on either side of his “target”.  The “target” was Andrew Wiggins, accountant for the family.  And from the swollen eye and blood running down from a cut in his lip, Andrew was obviously having a bad day.  The man was silently weeping, trying to maintain some dignity, yet knowing that his end was near.

Beowulf stepped forward and said “Look at me”.

The man looked up with pleading eyes and said “Beo….You don’t have to do this.  I learned my lesson.  I promise it will never happen again.  I’ll repay every penny and what ever more you want.  Just give me a second chance.”

The smile on Beowulf’s face was gone, replaced with an expression of a seasoned poker player, showing no sign of what was running though his mind.  “Andy, Andy, Andy….Did you really think the family wouldn’t notice the missing funds?  There is a reason we use two different accountants….so that anomalies can be identified.”  Beowulf pulled a stick of gum from his pocket and popped it in his mouth and began to chew then continued “And, you really decided to put on a extravagant wedding for your daughter.  I loved the Seafood Buffet.  Damn, I bet that must have cost a fortune.  I bet it cost about $25,000.  That’s the same amount that seems to be missing from the books.  And funny thing is, it disappeared the week before the wedding.”

“I’ll pay it ba….” Andrew attempted to plead once more but was cut off by Beowulf.

“Shhhh.  Not a word Andy” said the mobster continued to chew his gum.

Beowulf waited a few seconds, then said “Ok Boys….Let’s finish this” and stepped to the side.

The two family members grabbed Andrew’s arms as he struggled, but he could not run.  Andrew was screaming out “No, Please no” over and over.  The men drug Andrew forward, toward the end of the dock with the concrete block around his feet sliding along the damp wood.  Andrew struggled to pull his arms away from the two men to no avail.  As they approached the end of the dock, the last words Andrew screamed were “I hope you rot in hell Beowulf”.  And then there was a splash and Andrew fell into the water, quickly disappearing from sight as the concrete block pulled him to the bottom of the bay.

Beowulf turned and a smile crossed his face as he reconsidered having his first drink served in a coconut while he reclined in the beach lounger.