by Diane Bator
"You're not leaving again, are you?" Gilda winced. The last time someone died, the first thing Mick did was disappear and leave her to deal with the police and forensics.
"No, you are. I'll stay to keep an eye on things here." Mick kissed the top of her head. "Believe it or not, I've learned a little in the past couple months. I'll get Fabio and Thayer to question everyone here. I'll see if the tournament, such as it is, can go on while they talk to people. If you'd like to go home, you're welcome to, provided you grab a huge carton of coffee first. This may be an even longer day than we'd planned, seeing as how it's gone from a party to a wake."
She shivered. "I'll call Café Beanz and put in an order. Do you want anything else?"
"No, I think that'll be good." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "But I am starting to think I should get into a different line of work."
She smiled and picked up the phone. That made two of them. "Maybe I'll go drop my resume off at Happy Harvey's."
Mick kissed her. "You do and I'll come looking to win you back."
Gary del Garda, local bookie and Gilda's personal fairy godfather, met her at the front door of Café Beanz. He didn't seem to waste much time when it came to showing up where he was least wanted. He ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair as worry filled his blue eyes. "From the abundance of police cars in front of the school, I'd say you've already heard about the body they found on Ponderer's Point."
"Heard it?" Gilda winced. "I found him."
Gary covered his eyes then rubbed his face. "Oh, honey. I really wish you'd get a new hobby. For the record, Sherlock, I didn't kill Charlie Hunt. I didn't have anyone else do the deed either."
Gilda stopped to stare. "Wait. You knew Charlie?"
"It's a small world."
"Why would you even bother to say you didn't have him killed?" she asked. "Is there a reason someone would actually think you'd want him dead?"
Gary, a renowned gangster, never ceased to amaze her. Particularly when he'd taken her under his wing a couple months earlier to help protect her. Gary seemed to feel he owed it to her dad, a former cop who'd once arrested him, to come to her aid and keep her safe.
"Ah, you know, it's the whole bookie thing." He blew out a breath and straightened a lock of hair the breeze had tossed to one side. "I've heard people tell stories about me fixing fights and threatening fighters like I have some influence."
"Do you?" Gilda stared him down.
Gary shrugged. "Meh."
She walked into the coffee shop and greeted the lady behind the counter. She paid for the carton of coffee before she turned back to Gary. "Did Charlie?"
"Have influence or fix fights?" He frowned.
She shrugged. "I don't know. Both, I guess."
When Gary's cell phone rang, he glanced at the screen and swore. "His holiness, your ex-boyfriend Thayer, requests an audience at the new karate school. He must have heard I was in the area of the front door." He ordered a large coffee and grinned. "Lucky me. I'm surprised it took him this long to track me down. I thought I'd be number one on his list."
"You should bring him and Fabio coffee." Gilda said. "Butter them up."
"Great idea. What do they take?"
"Fabio takes cream." She hesitated and feigned innocence. "Thayer takes double milk, double sugar." Actually, Thayer took his coffee blacker than crude oil. Mick loved cream and sugar. Not that she wanted to get Gary in trouble, she simply had to torture Thayer for old time's sake.
Gilda picked up the coffee carton and waited out front for Gary. When he walked out the front door, she frowned. "Did you know Charlie personally?"
"Our paths have crossed several times. He made some trouble for a friend of mine a long time back. I don't know all the details. I guess they resolved the issue, because Charlie did some legwork for him a short time back, if you know what I mean."
"Not really. Spell it out."
Gary glanced around them. "Charlie became an enforcer."
She blew out a breath. "Oh, wow. Is that why people had a problem with him?"
"This was way before he started coaching fighters." Gary walked her back to the school. "He gave up the enforcer gig when he found out he could legitimately train guys to get their heads bashed in and he could screw his fighters out of money and fix their fights so he could rake in double the dough."
"Is that what he did to Kane?" she asked.
"Kane?" Gary stopped, his eyes wide. "Kane who?"
"Kane Garrick. The guy Mick hired to teach some classes at the school." She studied the wary expression that flickered across his face. "Do you know him?"
"Do I know him? I know of him. Kane Garrick's big league." Gary scanned the street. "Is he at the school now?"
Gilda nodded. "Yeah. He's been in town for a while now. Fabio and Thayer caught him swinging a sword around on the beach a couple days ago."
His eyes widened. "That was him? Wow, I thought Mick had finally snapped."
"Funny. That's the same thing Fabio said." She let Gary open the door to the school then led him inside.
"Holy crap, it smells like mangy, wet dog in here." Gary set his tray with three coffee cups on the counter and peered into the dojo.
Gilda smiled. "Correction. More like thirty mangy, wet dogs."
Thayer strode toward them. "Don't leave, del Garda, I want to talk to you."
"That makes one of us." Gary handed him a cup. "Hey, I brought you some coffee. Gilda and I thought you might need the boost today since it looks like it'll be a long one."
Thayer blinked, caught off guard. "That's very nice of you. Thanks." He took the cup and lifted it to his mouth as he walked back into the dojo. Before he could take a sip, he was chased right back out by Mick waving a shinai, a bamboo practice sword. "Great, where else am I supposed to interview people?"
"Try my office or the staff room in back." Mick growled then turned to Gilda. "Did you get coffee?"
"Here, take mine." Thayer handed him the cup Gary brought. "I've already had too much today anyway."
Mick winced and met Gilda's gaze. When she shrugged, he opened the lid and sniffed the contents then followed Thayer across the room. "Just the way I like it. Thanks, Thayer."
Thayer shot Gilda a scowl.
She averted her gaze and tidied her desk, hoping Mick would convince him and Fabio she had no idea who Charlie was. With a sigh, she waved to catch Fabio's attention. "If you don't need to question me anymore, I'm going home."
"You go on ahead." Fabio waved her off. "I'll follow up with you later since I have a feeling we'll be here for a while. I do have one quick question for you first."
Gilda glanced toward Mick. "What's that?"
"Can you dig up a list of everyone who was at the reception last night? I'm not sure I'll get the whole truth from this crowd, and that would give me a good place to start."
"Sure. I was there anyway, so that'll be easy," she said.
Fabio raised one eyebrow. "Did anyone get in a fight with Charlie while you were there?"
Gilda nodded. "Pretty much everyone and apparently it got worse after Marion and I left."
"It did?" He mused. "Interesting."
"I think you should go home now." Mick turned and walked Gilda out of the dojo, with Fabio's gaze boring into him. "You can talk to the cops later."
"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.
"No, you did fine. Just let me handle this one, okay, Sherlock?" Mick touched her cheek. "There are many things you don't know. Things you don't understand."
"You will fill me in though, right?"
"Yeah. I'll call you later when things settle down." Mick kissed her. "Why don't I send Marion with you? You two can go for a run or something and burn off some of that nosy energy that will get you in trouble otherwise."
She placed her hands on her hips. "Why are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Because I don't want you to get hurt."
Gilda huffed. "Do you think I'll get hurt if I stay?"
Mic
k's lips moved but no sound came out.
Marion barreled across the lobby and met them both at the front doors, saving him from having to answer. "Not that I want to stick around for the floor show, but that Thayer's got a lot of nerve. He told me to go home like a good little girl and stay out of the way like he thinks I'll cause trouble. Can you imagine?"
"Yes." Gilda shot one last glance at Mick. "Yes, I can."
CHAPTER FOUR
While the police questioned everyone at the school, Gilda and Marion had an early lunch at the deli and griped about the way Mick had been treating them before they went their separate ways. Gilda busied herself in the garden, weeding as she thought about Mick and his connection to Charlie Hunt. She'd heard nothing from Mick, despite checking her phone several times.
The image she discovered of Mick with Razi, Mena, Kane, and Charlie on the website earlier haunted her. She should have printed it off and researched the other two guys, Gomes and Sanchez, before she left the school.
She sat back on her heels and huffed. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier? There was obvious friction at the party between Sanchez, Gomes, and Charlie. Not to mention between Kane and Charlie, Razi and Charlie… actually, pretty much everyone and Charlie that she'd noticed.
This was one of those times Gilda was glad Mick insisted on getting a cheap laptop computer so she could work from home. She'd never really needed a computer at home until this past summer, but it had become a worthwhile investment. Too bad she'd left the laptop in the filing cabinet at work. At least she could pop into the school once things quieted down, pull up the photo, and print it off.
Mick had already asked her to go home and stay out of things because he didn't want her to get hurt. Did that mean he already knew who'd killed Charlie?
Gilda wiped her hands on her shorts. The police must have wrapped up their interviews with everyone at the school by now. She should be able to do some online research without anyone even noticing and brush up on the backgrounds of everyone who'd attended the grand opening event. Maybe a little knowledge would help her figure out who she could and couldn't trust.
Kane and Mena were definitely out. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled around both of them.
While Mick and Razi might not tell her the full truth, supposedly for her own protection, they would both make sure no one caused her any harm. Not unless she did something stupid. Did doing a little research qualify as stupid?
Gilda tucked away her gardening tools in the shed then went inside and glanced at the clock. Five o'clock. She washed her hands then reached for her cell phone. One message from Marion, probably sent on her coffee break. Two texts from Mick to let her know the police were done at the school and he was locking up for the night. While he mentioned he was heading out for dinner with Razi and Kane, he didn't extend an invitation to her to join them. Gilda was on her own, which suited her just fine. She had things to do.
She changed clothes, grabbed a sandwich, then headed out into the rapidly cooling evening. While she'd hoped not to see anyone she knew on her way to the school, much to her chagrin, she spied Gary parked near Happy Harvey's Hangover Hut. Sure he hadn't spotted her, she turned to dart across the street.
"Hello, Gilda." Gary dropped his cigarette butt onto the sidewalk and ground it out with the toe of his shoe. "I see the police have wrapped up things at the school. How did everything go? Did they get any answers?"
"I'm not sure." She walked toward him reluctantly. "Mick sent me home hours ago, right after I got them coffee."
His thick eyebrows twitched. "He sent you home? Didn't the police need to interrogate you?"
Gilda sighed. "I thought they would, especially after everything that happened at the party last night, but no one's called me so far."
"Odd." Gary frowned. "Do you think you know anything that can help them?"
"I'm not sure." She shrugged. "I really didn't know many people there, except the ones from our school. Now that Mick has it in his head he wants to offer more programs at the new school, I imagine I'll get to know more of the fighters."
"Huh." He pulled a pack of gum from his pocket and offered her a stick. "I'm trying to quit smoking. So all of this MMA stuff is new to the school? What arts did he teach before?"
"Just karate and jiu jitsu," she said. "Mick and Razi opened the Phoenix school together with the intention of offering more options. Now we have MMA, yoga, and weapons classes too. Between them they know a lot of people who are qualified to teach the classes they want to offer."
Gary unwrapped a stick of gum and popped it into his mouth. "Which is why Kane Garrick is hanging around town again."
"Yeah. Kane and his girlfriend Mena." Gilda nodded. "Kane said she plans to open a new shop in town. A New Age kind of place he calls a voodoo shop."
He glanced up and down the street. "Really? What's it called?"
"I don't know. I—" She stopped. "Wait. Did you say he's hanging around town again? When did you see him before?" And how had she missed meeting him then?
"Hello, Miss Gilda." Happy strolled out of his store, his girth filling the doorway. "I hear there was a problem at the big fight today." He shook a thick finger at her. "I told you to stay away from your Sensei Mick and come work for me, did I not?"
Gilda's face burned. "Yes, you did."
"I told her that too," Gary said. "She'd be far safer working here with you than at that crazy karate school."
Happy nodded. "Too much em perigo, this one. You see, Miss Gilda, we both agree. You tell Sensei Mick you work for me now. I take care of you. No more em perigo. You be safe here."
"Em perigo?" Gilda glanced to Gary.
"In danger." He patted her arm. "Danger seems to follow you around like a lost puppy. Your friend here is trying to protect you."
She sighed. "Look, I know you guys are trying to help, and I do appreciate it, but I'm fine. No danger."
"Uh-huh." Gary leaned against his dark blue Buick. "The Phoenix may be a new school, but there's still another body. Both Happy and I would be thrilled to see you work in a safer place, with safer people."
Gilda scowled. "Don't you think that's a little hypocritical considering you're a bookie?"
"And you are a lovely young lady." Happy pulled Gilda into a bear hug. "You come work for me and find a lovely young man who will take care of you and give you babies. Not a desordeiro like Sensei Mick, who works with lunaticos."
She needed no translations that time. Her jaw twitched. "Mick isn't a troublemaker and he hasn't gotten me into any trouble so far. In fact, he's helped make me a far stronger person than I was when I left Thayer." She couldn't speak to his comment about the lunatics Mick trained with, however.
"Eh." Happy shrugged.
Gilda snorted. "Well, I am."
"Yes." Gary patted the top of her head. "Yes, yes, you are. Why don't I walk you home? It's a nice evening and I—"
"Actually, I'm on my way to the school to check on things," she said. "I have a feeling nobody cleaned up after the police left or turned all the lights off properly."
Happy and Gary exchanged glances. After a long moment, Gary took Gilda by the arm. "Come on, I think you're better off just leaving the mess until tomorrow. I'm sure Mick took care of things. He knows you'll give him what for if he didn't."
Gilda had her doubts. She imagined the entire school was even messier than when she left. She pictured water bottles and litter on the floor. Maybe Gary was right.
"Fine. I'll go home." She turned to walk with him, back toward her house, with plans to ask about the last time he'd seen Kane and Mena. "Maybe I just need to take the evening off and start fresh in the morning."
"Wait." Happy held up a meaty hand. "Gary, I have the Scotch you asked for. I give to you—then you take her home."
Gary held up a finger to Gilda. "You wait here. I'll be right back."
As the front door of the store closed behind the two men, Gilda darted up the street toward Phoenix Martial Arts. The instant she ope
ned the door, she regretted being stubborn enough to come back so soon. The stench of stale sweat and coffee gagged her. Water bottles, coffee cups, and food wrappers lay strewn on the floor.
"You just don't listen, do you?" Gary ran up behind her, panting. "Gilda, I told you not to come here."
She glanced around at the debris and winced. "Yes, you were right. I should have gone home and not worried about things. I really didn't think… Actually, I knew it would be bad. This goes beyond bad."
She strolled around to her computer. Since someone had turned it off, she'd be too obvious if she turned the system on to do any searches with Gary standing in the lobby waiting. Any sleuthing would have to wait until after he'd gone home.
With a soft sigh, she picked up the laptop, stuck it in an attaché case, and followed him to the front door. "That's it. Let's go."
He thrust a paper bag at her. "Happy thought you could use this."
"What is it?" Gilda peered inside at a small bottle of wine and chuckled. As she closed the bag, her cell phone buzzed. She answered, careful to step a few feet away from Gary.
"Where are you, babe?" Mick asked, sounding a little panicked.
She swallowed hard, her plans suddenly even further derailed. "I came back to the school to see how much of a mess was left behind."
"Yeah, it's not pretty, is it? Sorry about that. I'll be there early tomorrow to help clean up." He hesitated. "Just so you know, Thayer and Fabio took Kane in for interrogation. I'm not sure what evidence they found, but Thayer slapped handcuffs on him."
"Wow, Thayer's wish came true already." She blew out a long breath. "I thought you guys were going out to dinner?"
Mick sighed. "Yeah, we did. They nabbed him while we were leaving the restaurant. This could be a really long night. I just called to say not to expect me."
Gilda glanced at Gary and cringed. "Are you at the police station?"
"For now, we all are," he said. "You might as well get some rest. We'll start fresh on cleaning up the school tomorrow, once things settle down. I'll call you later."
