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Peter Van Sant
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Michael Oakes
Can I help you?
Peter Van Sant
In August 2009, an anonymous man called the Skagit County Sheriff's Office 911 hotline.
Mark Stover
There's a crime that's going to take.
Peter Van Sant
Place in the morning. It involved a dangerous drug dealer.
Mark Stover
There's going to be a van transporting.
Peter Van Sant
Some drugs from the anacortes area to I5 and then to Seattle. The dispatcher then asks the caller for the person's name. And do you know the name? His last name is Stover. S T O V E R Stover, as in Mark Stover, the dog trainer to the stars who had moved to Anacortes, Washington.
Michael Oakes
Okay, and is somebody there with you or why are you whispering?
Peter Van Sant
Yeah, it's something that's very delicate.
Mark Stover
I have to not be found out about this. He's very dangerous, perpetually carries a gun.
Peter Van Sant
It's a little tough to hear, but he's warning them that Mark carries a gun. He said, this is very dangerous.
Mark Stover
I wish you guys would do something.
Peter Van Sant
Before he kills somebody. He says, I wish you guys would do something before he kills somebody.
Michael Oakes
Alrighty. Well, I've got the call in and we'll pass it along to the deputies for you. Thank you.
Peter Van Sant
The following day, Mark Stover was pulled over by sheriff's deputies.
Mark Stover
He was asked if they could search his car. He refused.
Peter Van Sant
This is Lee Herron. She's a private investigator Mark hired after the incident. Lee said when Mark refused to cooperate, the officers wouldn't let him leave.
Mark Stover
A search Warrant was obtained.
Michael Oakes
K9 was brought to the scene and.
Mark Stover
There was a positive hit.
Peter Van Sant
The dog detected some drugs.
Michael Oakes
The police found a small metallic box.
Mark Stover
On the undercarriage of Mark's vehicle which contained a couple of marijuana cigarettes and some very low grade cocaine.
Peter Van Sant
Mark. Mark told the deputies the box had been planted. They let him go, but from then on, Mark watched his back.
Mark Stover
It was such a deliberate act.
Peter Van Sant
It said, we're setting you up.
Mark Stover
We want you to go to jail. I think Mark had a very real fear of what Linda was capable of doing to him.
Peter Van Sant
I'm Peter van sant from 48 hours. This is train to Kill, the Dog Trainer, the Heiress and The Bodyguard episode 3 secret meetings at the time Mark Stover was pulled over by police, Linda Updike said she had moved on from her ex husband.
Michael Oakes
I just wanted to go on with my life with Michael and I wanted Mark to go on with his life.
Peter Van Sant
Michael was Michael Ochs, a security expert. We spoke back in 2010.
Mark Stover
I remember at that time thinking this can't be real because no woman alone could go through this amount of harassment.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said they met at a Starbucks and quickly connected over their love of books. By the fall of 2008, Michael said their business relationship turned romantic.
Mark Stover
I said to her, I think we have a connection that could go beyond friendship and is that something that you're open to? And I think she, as you may know, she's almost six feet tall and I'm five foot six. She's never had children. I have four children so it was an unlikely romance. But she said, you know, I have gone through a lot of things in my life and I'm open to considering that.
Peter Van Sant
Linda was impressed by how dedicated Michael was to his family. After getting a divorce from his first wife, Michael took full custody of their kids. He even treated the kids of his second wife as his own.
Michael Oakes
Everything he did took into account of his children. He worked at home so he could be there for them. He was a full time single parent. He drove them to school every morning. He, he made sure he had Friday night movies, time with them or game evenings. The family was a priority to him.
Peter Van Sant
Michael described himself as a self taught security specialist, skilled in firearms.
Mark Stover
I ended up training with a lot of the Alphabet soup of government agencies and SWAT teams and so on. It's what we call force on force training. I owned a small company in, in Seattle here and I managed to get some training equipment and figure out how to use it.
Peter Van Sant
People have said that you are a gun enthusiast. Is that true?
Mark Stover
Yes, I am a gun enthusiast. I've taught all my kids from the earliest age that they. I felt they were safe gun safety. And I have shot competitively for some years.
Peter Van Sant
You've been described as Linda updike's bodyguard as well as boyfriend.
Mark Stover
Right.
Peter Van Sant
Is that accurate?
Mark Stover
I don't believe it's accurate. Let's put it that way. She never paid me to be a bodyguard. I did a little bit of research, and I did an analysis of sort of her home security situation and what the steps she was taking, Looked into the people that she was working with and made some suggestions on that front. And that was the extent of what I would consider My professional interaction with her.
Peter Van Sant
And did she pay you for that consulting?
Mark Stover
You know, she paid me. She wrote me a check, but it was just for my expenses, and it was a minimal amount of money. I don't even remember now what it was, but less than $1,000. So, I mean, it was minimal.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said that by the spring of 2009, he and his kids started spending a lot of time at linda's house in winthrop, which was more than 200 miles north from michael's place in kennewick, washington.
Michael Oakes
It's a beautiful love. It's, in my opinion, it's legendary. It's something that you read about in romance novels or movies.
Peter Van Sant
Their relationship deepened. What seemed to make it even better Was that Linda said she hadn't heard from mark since he had been arrested for stalking and theft.
Michael Oakes
I was believing and hoping that that had enough impact. And he recognized that this behavior was unacceptable and that he would be moving on with his life. And we went for many months where.
Peter Van Sant
Nothing happened to her. The nightmare finally felt over.
Michael Oakes
I really started feeling more at peace in my life and more at ease and really felt that he was moving on. And I was able to move on into a new relationship with nothing from the past hampering that.
Peter Van Sant
But according to michael, the past roared back into the present when mark stover unexpectedly re entered their lives.
Mark Stover
Mark stover sought me out one day out of the blue and told me that I would do what he wanted. And from that point, for almost six months, I lived in constant fear.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said that mark hadn't stopped stalking. He just found a new target. The mark stover you got to know. Was he a frightening man?
Mark Stover
Very intimidating, Very much so. Threatening, constantly with me. Hey, it's me, Paige desorbo.
Michael Oakes
And I'm so excited to share my.
Mark Stover
New shoe collection at dsw filled with my favorite styles and trends for spring.
Michael Oakes
Because if you know me, you know.
Mark Stover
I'm kind of obsessed with shoes.
Michael Oakes
And by kind of obsessed, I mean head over heels. You're going to love these shoes.
Mark Stover
So snag super cute styles like cute flats, fun heels and cool sneakers from the Paige DeSorvo Collection right now at your DSW store or dsw.com if you.
Michael Oakes
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Peter Van Sant
Experience that may someday disappear.
Michael Oakes
Join us for a documentary journey to.
Peter Van Sant
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Michael Oakes
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Peter Van Sant
Now on the WCCO YouTube channel. Michael Oaks said the first time he encountered Mark Stover was a real shock. It was around Memorial Day, 2009. Michael and Linda had been in a romantic relationship for about nine months.
Mark Stover
I think it was a, it was a weekday morning. I had just dropped my kids off at school.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said he then made a stop at Costco and went to the store.
Mark Stover
When I came out, he was standing by my car. And because I had done research for Linda Updike some months previously, I'd seen a picture of him. I immediately recognized him.
Peter Van Sant
Mark Stover is standing next to your car.
Mark Stover
Next to my car in the parking.
Peter Van Sant
Lot in Kennewick, Washington, which is on the other side of the mountains from, from where we are now.
Mark Stover
Yes.
Peter Van Sant
The drive from Mark's home in Anacortes to this Costco in Kennewick, Washington would have taken about five hours. Yet there he was, according to Michael, menacingly standing by Michael's car.
Mark Stover
He's very icy, actually. He said that he had been listening to our calls and he knew all about me and he knew that I was in a relationship with Linda. He said his wife. He didn't say his ex wife. He said his wife. And he, he said that there was something of his that she wouldn't give back and that I was going to get it for him.
Peter Van Sant
Michael couldn't remember if he said anything to Mark or if he just gave him a confused look as he waited to hear Mark's demand.
Mark Stover
He said that Ms. Opdyke would not give back their wedding photo albums. And he said I was going to get them back for him. And then he went on to, he went on to describe what my daughters were wearing that morning, what they'd worn to school, and there's no way he could have seen.
Peter Van Sant
What did you realize at that moment?
Mark Stover
He had been following us a whole time. And he said that he told me the details of what they're wearing, Their backpack, colors, everything.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said that Mark told him to bring the wedding photos to the Northgate mall in Seattle on July 14, 2009. He said he agreed. Why didn't you at that moment, simply look him in the eye and say, mark stover, or whoever you are, get away from me. I don't ever want to speak to you again. If you get anywhere near my children, I'll call the police?
Mark Stover
I'm not a confrontational person at all. That's not my mode. I felt very much off balance in that meeting. And I think it's one of those things where once I'm driving away thinking I should have said this or I should have done that. There was something about him that was chilling to me, and I felt I kept trying to talk myself out of. Can't be real. It can't be real. He has to be fooling.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said at first he was going to call the police, but then decided against it, worried about getting Linda involved. Did Michael tell you that Mark Stover approached him and demanded wedding photos?
Michael Oakes
No.
Peter Van Sant
Why wouldn't he share this vitally important information with you?
Michael Oakes
My guess in knowing Michael is he really did not want to stress me out more.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said that when July 14 rolled around, he went to meet Mark at the Nordstrom store at the Northgate mall, just as he said Mark demanded. Michael said that since he didn't tell Linda about this meeting, he arrived empty handed. No wedding photos. Michael said Mark got angry and scolded him. What was his obsession with these wedding photos?
Mark Stover
Well, I'm not a psychologist. I'm not a psychiatrist. It enraged him. I believe, in retrospect, that she chose not to continue the marriage with Mark Stover, to continue to do what he wanted. And yet she retained something that he felt was part of him.
Peter Van Sant
A couple of weeks later, Michael suggested to Linda that they leave and go on a trip out to whitefish, Montana. That's where Linda's father, Wally Updike, had a house.
Mark Stover
We were going to stay there and stayed at their vacation home.
Peter Van Sant
En route to Whitefish, Michael remembered making a stop so Linda could take her dog for some exercise and he could pick up some snacks. But Michael said when he got in line to check out, he spotted a familiar face standing near the front door.
Mark Stover
And I'm in line minding My own business. And look across the way, And I see Mr. Stover standing by the entrance to the store, staring at me.
Peter Van Sant
And what was that moment like for you?
Mark Stover
Very similar to the first time that I saw him. It's just a shock of recognition in a place you don't expect to see somebody.
Peter Van Sant
Michael, why didn't you just say to him, you get away from me? If you get anywhere near me and Linda again, I'm calling the cops?
Mark Stover
There's at least two reasons. One of them is I do know enough about protection to know that there's no way for me to. I mean, this is why the president has so many people. That protects him from potential threats. One man cannot protect three children 24, seven. And for any time that I could enrage or outrage Stover, it was putting a gun to the head of my children, in my opinion.
Peter Van Sant
You felt if you confronted Mark Stover, you'd be putting yourself in more danger instead of dealing with the threat that he posed to you.
Mark Stover
Absolutely. And I'm certainly not the first person.
Peter Van Sant
To feel that way by now. Michael said Mark's uncanny ability to find him and Linda wherever they went made him realize Mark posed a real danger to his family.
Mark Stover
Mark Stover was remarkably sophisticated in some ways. He had managed to penetrate Linda's computer prior to meeting me. He managed to tap a phone. Finding us in Montana was impossible, and I took tremendous steps not to be followed. And yet, there he was. How did he find us?
Peter Van Sant
By late September of 2009, Michael said that Mark demanded that they set up another meeting after he and Linda were back from Montana.
Mark Stover
He was getting progressively less patient with.
Peter Van Sant
Me, this time at a church in Anacortes. By now, Michael decided to wear his kevlar vest to the meetings. He said that he drove west across the state to the church parking lot not far from Mark's house and waited, still unable to find the wedding photos. Michael said he brought two pictures of Linda with her horse so Mark would have something to look at. But Michael said he didn't show up. And Michael felt helpless.
Mark Stover
And the thought of just at any given one of these meetings that we had just telling him, I'm done. Take a hike, and don't come looking for me, you know? And every time, the reality of knowing that there's no way I can keep my kids, myself, and Ms. Opdyke safe if he decides he's gonna go for it, Pulled me back from that brink.
Peter Van Sant
But were all these stories Michael was telling me true? Some people who knew Michael well said he had a darker side to his personality. A potentially violent, violent side.
Michael Oakes
During the course of our marriage, he told me that he was capable of killing without remorse. Climate change is threatening the polar bear.
Peter Van Sant
Capital of the world, but there is hope for the people and polar bears.
Michael Oakes
Of a warming Arctic. Watch the WCCO original On the Edge, now on the WCCO YouTube channel. Do you have a dark curiosity? Heart starts pounding Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries is a weekly podcast hosted by me, Kaylin Moore. Each week, I'll take you on a dark journey through terrifying true urban legends, bizarre true crime cases, chilling tales of backwoods horror, and more. So if you're looking to join a passionate community of the darkly curious, check out Heart Starts Pounding on the Free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. And remember, remember, stay curious. Michael Oakes had a dual personality. He was a family man by day and tried to live up this action hero Persona in the background.
Peter Van Sant
That's Jennifer Thompson. She knows Michael Oakes as well as anyone. Jennifer was his second wife. I talked to her in, you know, we eloped.
Michael Oakes
It wasn't a wedding.
Peter Van Sant
She said they were married. When Michael first met Linda, Jennifer said that she loved him, but that Michael had an insecure side. Is he a tough guy?
Michael Oakes
Well, no.
Peter Van Sant
An action hero kind of guy?
Michael Oakes
No. He thinks he is.
Peter Van Sant
How do you mean?
Michael Oakes
He wanted to be. He wanted to be. He idealized that. He read about it. He aspired to be that.
Peter Van Sant
According to Jennifer, Michael thought part of being tough meant being armed.
Michael Oakes
Michael Oakes was very infatuated with guns, weapons, and I think they made him feel powerful, strong, capable.
Peter Van Sant
There was one book Jennifer said Michael referenced.
Michael Oakes
It's called On Killing, and it's a book about the psychology of killing.
Peter Van Sant
The book examines how people learn to kill in war. Jennifer said that Michael zeroed in on a part that described how one small sliver of the population could be vicious.
Michael Oakes
Michael Oakes told me that he was in the small percentage of people who could kill without remorse.
Peter Van Sant
She said that over time, Michael's fascination with killing and his tough guy Persona rotted out their marriage.
Michael Oakes
Michael had a really strong sense of righteousness, and he believed that bad people should be taken out so that the good people can not be harmed. The problem is he decided who was bad and who wasn't. And he felt that he. He had the right to just take a bad man out. And we would argue about that. We argued about that for years. Right and wrong. Can you kill? Can you not kill? And it was a. It was a point of contention in our marriage.
Peter Van Sant
Jennifer told Me that the final straw came when verbal tensions between them turned physically abusive.
Michael Oakes
I remember his hand coming up and slapping me across the face. And I remember it very clearly. And I was expecting. After feeling it, I was expecting the oh, my God. I'm sorry. Oh, my God. And he didn't. He said, get the out of my house. And he chased me down the stairs. And I could feel his breath on my neck and his body behind me. It was horrible. It was horrible because I trusted him. I trusted him. And he had never. He had been angry before. He had shown aggression before. Never at me.
Peter Van Sant
Michael told us no one should believe Jennifer's allegations against him. In July of 2008, a year after they tied the knot, Jennifer left with her two biological kids.
Michael Oakes
And I went to my mom's and I spent two weeks, just took my kids to Disneyland, went to the beach, just got away from it, and then decided that I needed to get an apartment somewhere as I couldn't go back to the house. On August 15, he said, if you can't give me a date that you're coming back, we're done. And so he told me he wanted a divorce.
Peter Van Sant
Soon after, Michael Oakes and Linda Updike set up their first in person meeting.
Michael Oakes
I think he's a very insecure man, and I think that he musters up confidence really well. He's an excellent salesman. He's an excellent presenter of images.
Peter Van Sant
As the fall of 2008 began, Jennifer faded from his life. As Michael, the action hero wannabe, now had a new woman in his sights. And as Michael's relationship with Linda grew deeper, he said Linda's ex husband, Mark, became obsessed, constantly calling him on the phone, asking for meetings. By October 2009, it's become very, very.
Mark Stover
Clear to me that in my mistaken belief that I could appease or satisfy Mark Stover, I did become yet another person who was doing exactly what Mark Stover wanted.
Peter Van Sant
He had reached a fateful breaking point.
Mark Stover
I kept thinking, if I can just. This is the one thing he wants that Linda Opdyke won't give him. And if she just gives him what he wants, he'll leave us alone, Michael said.
Peter Van Sant
The two men finally agreed to meet again on October 24, 2009, at that same church in Anacortes. There is surveillance video from Linda's house showing Michael packing up his car to head out that day.
Michael Oakes
It appeared that he was taking off for a fairly serious journey.
Peter Van Sant
That's Lee Herron again, Mark's former private investigator. She examined the video herself.
Michael Oakes
He was loading a number of items into his car, including a rifle bag.
Peter Van Sant
As Michael is packing, you can see Linda come out onto their deck. They touch hands, and then Linda wraps her arms around Michael. They share a long, heartfelt embrace, the kind that suggested to me that something important lay ahead. Something serious. Here's Lee again.
Michael Oakes
The long, passionate embrace that was captured on Linda's surveillance cameras indicates that Michael Oakes thought of himself as the prince who was out to slay the the dragon. His perceived dragon for the damsel in distress. And his perceived dragon was Mark Stover.
Peter Van Sant
Michael and Linda kissed and he drove away. Hours later, Michael claimed he came face to face with Mark Stover in that church parking lot.
Mark Stover
He was extremely agitated. Not cold and calculating, not controlled like that first meeting. He was erratic.
Peter Van Sant
Michael said Stover once again demanded those wedding pictures. So did you give him those photo albums that he wanted?
Mark Stover
I never found them.
Peter Van Sant
Late that night, Michael is seen returning to Linda's home. But is it possible this entire story was all a ruse for a failed murder attempt? Because four days later, at 2:30am on October 28, Michael is again seen on surveillance video driving away from Linda's house. This time, Michael said the two men would meet in private at Mark Stover's house in Anacortes. Michael claimed that Mark had told him this was his last chance to turn over those damn wedding pictures.
Mark Stover
It was put up or shut up time.
Peter Van Sant
But what really happened when they met remains a mystery. Only those who saw the bloody aftermath can express what they felt. I can only describe it as evil, something horrible, something terrible. From 48 hours. This is trained to kill the Dog Trainer, the Heiress and the Bodyguard. Produced by Sony Music Entertainment. I'm your host, Peter Van Sant. Judy Tygart is the executive producer of 48 Hours. Original reporting by 48 Hours producers Ryan Smith and Liza Finley. Jamie Benson is the senior producer for Paramount Audio and Maura Waltz is the senior story editor. Recording assistance from Alan Peng and Reginald Bazile. Special thanks to Paramount Podcast Vice president Megan Marcus. It is written and produced by Alex Schuman. Stephanie Serrano is our editor. Our executive producer is Shira Morris. Our associate producer is Zoe Kulkin. Theme and original music composed by Hansdale Shih. Cedric Wilson is our sound designer and mixed the episodes. We also use music from APM and Epidemic Sounds. Fendel Fulton is our fact checker. Our production manager is Tamika Balance Kolasny. I'm Peter Van Sant. If you're enjoying this show, be sure to rate and review. It helps more people find it and hear our reporting. You can listen to Train to Kill early and ad free right now by subscribing to 48 Hours plus on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening.
Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress, and the Bodyguard Episode: Secret Meetings Release Date: April 23, 2025 Host: Peter Van Sant, CBS News
In the gripping episode titled "Secret Meetings" from the six-part series Trained to Kill: The Dog Trainer, the Heiress, and the Bodyguard, 48 Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant delves into a complex and dark love triangle involving Mark Stover, Linda Updike, and Michael Oakes. The story intertwines themes of obsession, betrayal, and hidden dangers, unraveling the mysterious disappearance of Mark Stover and the subsequent investigation.
The narrative begins in August 2009 with an anonymous 911 call to the Skagit County Sheriff's Office, alerting authorities to a potential crime involving a dangerous drug dealer. The caller, revealing the suspect's last name as "Stover" (00:30), inadvertently identifies Mark Stover, a renowned dog trainer in the Pacific Northwest.
Mark Stover (01:55):
"We want you to go to jail."
During a subsequent traffic stop, Mark refuses a car search. Private investigator Lee Herron, hired by Mark, explains that his non-cooperation led to a search warrant being executed.
Lieutenant Michael Oakes (02:58):
"K9 was brought to the scene and..."
The police discover a small metallic box containing marijuana cigarettes and low-grade cocaine (03:03), which Mark claims were planted to frame him. This incident heightens Mark's paranoia about his ex-wife Linda Opdyke's capabilities to harm him (03:30).
Amidst these tensions, Linda Updike enters a new romantic relationship with Michael Oakes, a security expert. Their bond is portrayed as the "knight in shining armor" dynamic, with Michael dedicating himself to Linda and her family.
Michael Oakes (05:20):
"Everything he did took into account of his children. He worked at home so he could be there for them."
Michael describes himself as a "self-taught security specialist," with extensive training in firearms and protective measures (05:40). Despite being characterized by others as Linda's bodyguard, Mark clarifies that his role was limited to security consulting, receiving minimal compensation (06:27).
As Michael and Linda's relationship flourishes, Mark Stover's obsession intensifies. In Memorial Day 2009, Michael encounters Mark menacingly standing by his car at Costco in Kennewick, Washington—a location over 200 miles from Mark's residence (10:22).
Mark Stover (11:10):
"He said that I was in a relationship with Linda. He said his wife... and that I was going to get it for him."
Mark's demands center around retrieving wedding photo albums, a fixation that indicates deep-seated grievances from their past marriage. Michael attempts to placate Mark by agreeing to a meeting at Northgate Mall in Seattle on July 14, 2009, but arrives empty-handed, escalating Mark's frustration (12:19).
Interwoven into this saga is Michael Oakes' troubled past. Jennifer Thompson, Michael's second wife, reveals a darker aspect of his personality, describing him as having a "potentially violent" side intertwined with his obsession with firearms and the psychology of killing.
Jennifer Thompson (20:13):
"It's called On Killing, and it's a book about the psychology of killing."
She recounts instances of physical abuse and Michael's belief in his right to eliminate "bad people" without remorse—a trait that raises red flags about his true nature.
Michael Oakes (20:45):
"He had the right to just take a bad man out."
These revelations cast Michael in a complex light, questioning whether his protective instincts were genuine or driven by his violent inclinations.
By October 2009, tensions reach a boiling point. Surveillance footage captures Michael preparing for a significant journey, loading items including a rifle bag (24:25). The couple shares a heartfelt embrace, symbolizing Michael's resolve to confront Mark as a protector.
Lee Herron (25:04):
"The long, passionate embrace... indicates that Michael Oakes thought of himself as the prince who was out to slay the dragon."
On October 24, 2009, Michael and Mark meet at a church in Anacortes, Washington. This final showdown remains shrouded in mystery, as only those who witnessed the aftermath describe it as "evil" and "horrible" (26:35).
The episode leaves listeners pondering the true nature of the relationships involved and the identities of the hunter and the hunted within this dark triangle.
"Secret Meetings" masterfully unpacks the tangled dynamics between Mark Stover, Linda Updike, and Michael Oakes. Through detailed accounts, interviews, and surveillance evidence, Peter Van Sant paints a vivid picture of obsession, fear, and the lengths individuals will go to protect their loved ones—or their own dark agendas. The unresolved confrontation leaves room for speculation, setting the stage for the subsequent episodes in this riveting series.
Notable Quotes:
Mark Stover (02:03):
"I have to not be found out about this. He's very dangerous, perpetually carries a gun."
Michael Oakes (07:19):
"It's a beautiful love. It's, in my opinion, it's legendary. It's something that you read about in romance novels or movies."
Jennifer Thompson (21:35):
"I remember his hand coming up and slapping me across the face... He had never at me."
Timestamps Referenced:
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key points, discussions, and insights from the "Secret Meetings" episode, providing a clear and engaging overview for those who have yet to listen.