by Diane Bator
Gilda glanced at Mick. “Thanks.”
“Let me know if he bothers you.” He opened his cup and took as sip. “I’ll convince him to come into adult class later. If he’s really annoying, you can spar him. That’ll teach him.”
Unconvinced that was a good idea, Gilda logged onto the computer and wrote down a list of tasks. The phone rang before she could tackle the first item on her list. She hesitated for three rings, afraid to get one more caller asking about the murders. “Yoshida Martial Arts.”
“Hey, Gilda. It’s Gary. Meet me out front.”
She shook her head. “No way. It’s raining.”
“I never took you for a wimp,” he said.
“What do you want?” Her question prompted Thayer to stand and peer over the counter. She waved him off and lowered her voice. “What’s going on?”
“I hear Chloe stopped by to see Mick earlier,” Gary said. “He tried to beat her up then kicked her out of the school.”
Gilda blew out a long breath. “I wasn’t here, but he looks like he tangled with a wild cat.”
“Sounds right.” He chuckled. “Mick would never tell me anyway. What did my spoiled little princess do this time? Did she provoke him?”
“That was my impression.”
“Oh, crap.” Gary groaned. “Thanks for your honesty. Let Mick know I’ll come by tomorrow so we can settle things.”
When he hung up, Gilda frowned. Getting back into a regular routine wasn’t going to be easy. Not with people breaking into the school and the local bookie’s daughter making threats on Mick’s life.
Chapter 33
Gilda longed to sleep in Thursday morning, but her head still pounded. Wednesday night’s adult class had drained every ounce of energy she’d managed to retain from dealing with curious parents, both in person and on the phone. She’d had to answer a barrage of questions. “Why are the police here?” “Who gave Sensei Mick a black eye?” “Who was the guy in the dark car parked out front earlier?” “Do you think there’ll be another murder?”
By the last class, she was ready to snap.
Things only got worse when Mick invited, lured actually, Thayer into class.
She pulled the blankets over her head to block out the memory, but the thumps persisted. The pounding wasn’t in her head after all, it was at her front door. No sleeping in today. Someone had other ideas.
“Coming.” Gilda’s throat ached and her voice rasped like she’d done nothing except scream all night, which was close enough. She swung her legs out of bed and sighed. Clad in nothing more than her long T-shirt and pajama shorts, she opened the front door.
Marion stood on the porch with two gigantic paper cups of coffee. “You look awful. I figured you could use this after class last night. I’m glad I stayed to watch since things got more intense. I’m seriously thinking about signing up after watching you in action.”
Gilda groaned.
Marion handed her one of the cups. “You’re one scary little lady. I’ll bet Thayer had nightmares after that sparring match. He’ll never cross you again.”
Which was exactly why Mick had paired them in the first place. Payback.
Gilda motioned her inside and flopped onto the far end of the couch. “Probably. You know he deserved every shot I gave him.”
“Especially that last one,” Marion said. “When you left, he was still lying on the mat seeing stars. On the upside, no man in that class will ever tell anyone they hit like a girl again. Honey, I know you and Thayer have a nasty history, but what was all that about?”
She flared her nostrils. “He shouldn’t have called me a wimp. Do you know he and Fabio have never even took me seriously as a murder suspect?”
“And that bothers you?” Marion rolled her eyes skyward. “Are you nuts? Be glad you’re not under surveillance twenty-four seven and being dragged down to the station to answer questions about everything under the sun.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I just hate that he never takes me seriously about anything.”
Marion chuckled. “Thayer will now. At least Fabio gave you a police escort home. Actually, that wasn’t the reason I came over. I was in Café Beanz last night and overheard Chloe tell some guy she needed some muscle to convince Mick to sign his condo over to her.”
Gilda gagged on her mouthful of coffee. “Who was she talking to?”
“I’ve never seen the guy before,” Marion said. “I assumed he was one of Gary’s goons. He’s got people everywhere, the way I hear it.”
Possibly, but Gary wouldn’t let anything happen to Mick as long as he owes money. Chloe, on the other hand, wouldn’t hesitate to use whatever means it took to get Mick’s condo and maybe even his businesses.
“Are you okay?” Marion waved a hand in front of her face.
She rubbed her eyes. “I should warn Mick and Gary she’s up to something.”
“Let’s go.” Marion headed for the door. “I’m off today. I’ll tag along for support.”
“I’ll just text them.”
Marion peered out the window. “You could, but Gary’s parked out front. You want him to join us?”
She dropped her head back. “Not until I have a shower and get dressed. Do you want to go for a walk? I need to get out of here.”
Marion took a long drink of coffee. “Just keep in mind I’m not in great shape. If you make me walk too far, I’ll probably collapse. I think I need to start a diet tomorrow.”
Gilda smiled. “No torture. Just an easy walk to clear my head and avoid Gary, Thayer, Fabio, and Mick. Maybe we could go for walks instead of for brunch.”
“What’s wrong with brunch? I need my weekly dose of bacon.” Marion stretched her legs. “If I lose too much weight, I’ll have to buy a whole new wardrobe and I don’t have the money for that.”
Gilda chuckled then glanced out the front window. Smoke curled out the driver’s window of Gary’s car as he sat back against the leather upholstery. Good thing there was more than one way out of her house. Once she got dressed, she led Marion out the back door. They snuck through the dew-covered garden and toward the beach while breaths of wind swirled off the lake and dried the fear from her forehead.
“You’re a sneaky girl.” Marion grinned. “I’m glad we’re friends, I’d hate to be on your bad side, especially after I saw you in action last night.”
Gilda glanced over her shoulder, watching for any of the current men in her life. “Thanks. Thayer always made me feel so incompetent. Mick pushes me. He seems to know I can do things long before I know I can.”
“Like beat up police officers, hold together the karate school, and solve crimes?” Marion raised her eyebrows. “Thayer will think twice about bothering you now. Plus you’ve got the local bookie on your side and have Mick falling head over heels for you. Honey, when you step up to fix things, you go totally overboard.”
Gilda agreed then spotted Gary up the beach. “How on earth did he find us?”
“Ignore him,” Marion said. “Just pretend we’re out for a normal walk on the beach.”
“We are out for a normal walk on the beach.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Then why did we have to sneak out the back door?”
Gilda winced. “Because I feel like a fugitive.”
Marion let out a loud laugh. “And that is why we’re such good friends. Don’t worry, I’ll run interference for you. If he gets out of control, you can take him down.”
“How’d you sneak past me?” Gary, still wearing his dress shoes and socks, ran toward them. “I was waiting for you.”
“We ducked out the back door.” Gilda frowned. “How did you find us?”
“I know people,” he said. “People who tell me I need to talk to you because you’re one tough little cookie who can kick my butt if I step out of line.”
“Yes, she can.” Marion grinned. “I watched her throw Thayer to the ground and knock him around in class last night. She convinced me to sign up for karate classes.”
; Gary studied both women then shook his head. “Is Mick still living at the school?”
“As far as I know,” Gilda said. “Why?”
He grasped her arm and steered her toward the street. “You and I are going to talk to him and get him to settle up his debt with me.”
“What? Why do you need me?” She shoved his hand off and stood her ground. “I have nothing to do with your problem with Mick.”
“Leave her out of this,” Marion said. “She’s not involved in your shady gangster crap.”
“Yes, she is.” Gary grabbed Gilda’s arm again. “She works for Mick and can get me through the front door. We’re going to get this cleared up before I have to get tough.”
Gilda stopped on the sidewalk and yanked her arm out of his grip. “What are you going to do, use the same muscle-head Chloe hired?”
“What goon?” His gaze darted from Gilda to Marion.
“The one Marion overheard her talking to in the café last night. The same one you’re going to foot the bill for whether you know it or not,” Gilda said.
He raised his eyebrows. “You’re shrewd.”
“I’m serious.” She clenched her teeth. “I’ll help you, but you have to tell Chloe to leave Mick’s condo and get out of town.”
“Or you need to spar Gilda in karate class.” Marion nudged Gilda’s arm. “And trust me, you don’t want to do that.”
“Done.” Gary stuck his hands in his pockets. “I’ll ship my little princess off to New York. My brother can set her up with a job or something. Anything else?”
Gilda shook her head. “Nope. I’m good. Let’s track down Mick.”
They discovered him in front of the school, unlocking the front door. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, took one look at them and groaned. “I’m hot, I’m sweaty, and I’m not in a good mood. Can we save the intervention for later?”
“No intervention.” Marion held the open door. “Just some problem solving.”
“Great.” He led the way into the lobby then met Gilda’s gaze. “Gary, I didn’t know you hired female bodyguards. That’s an interesting concept, even for you.”
“You know why I’m here,” Gary said. “Do you have my money?”
Mick stood in the middle of the lobby. “I’ll give you the money. You need to get Chloe out of my condo, away from my Ferrari, and out of town. Do we have an agreement?”
Gary winked at Gilda. “I understand the problems you’re having with her and wholeheartedly agree. I thought I’d like having her around, but she’s turning into her mother. I’ll send her to New York and line her up with some rich plastic surgeon she can ruin.”
“So far, so good,” Marion said. “Gilda, let’s get out of here.”
“Don’t leave just yet. I want witnesses.” Mick led the way to his office and handed Gary a small canvas bag. “I trust cash will be fine.”
“Done.” Gary took an envelope out of his pocket. “I’ll trust all the money is here since your life’s on the line. Gilda says I can count on you, so I will.”
Mick met her gaze. “Good to know.”
The men shook hands then Gary left. Once the door closed, Mick slumped into one of the plastic chairs lined up for parents to watch their kids in classes and let out a deep sigh.
“That’s it?” Marion asked, shaking her head. “No shoot out? No fist fight? I was looking forward to a little more mayhem. All you two did was exchange packages. I had more fun watching Gilda try to take out Thayer last night. Call me if you need backup, Gilda. I’ll talk to you later.”
Once her wannabe bodyguard left, Gilda sat beside him on a flimsy chair and frowned. “I agree with Marion. That was too easy. What was in the bag? It looked too light for cash.”
“Newspaper,” Mick said.
She sighed. “What did he give you?”
“A plane ticket.” He opened the envelope and let her take a peek. “Chloe’s coming by later. I’ll give her the ticket to New York and convince her to leave town before the trouble between her dad and me escalates and she’s caught in the middle.”
“What do you get in return?” she asked.
“He moves her out of my condo and changes the locks.” Mick tapped the corner of the envelope on his leg. “He came in after Fabio took you home last night. We had a couple drinks, I settled my debt, and we both decided it was best if Chloe was gone.”
Gilda narrowed her eyes. “So what was the whole duffle bag exchange about? Gary grabbed me off the beach and freaked me out for nothing.”
He shrugged. “In his line of business, it serves him well not to trust people and there are people around you right now who bother him.”
“You and Thayer mostly.”
“Mostly.” Mick chuckled. “Fabio and Razi among others.”
She smiled. Gary was just like her father. “In short, he doesn’t trust anyone.”
“He trusts you, which is why he wanted to put your mind at ease.”
Weird to think she felt all warm and fuzzy that a known bookie thought of her as a step up from his daughter. “I need a shower. You people make me feel dirty.”
Mick winked. “If I wasn’t expecting company, I’d go with you.”
As flattered as she was by his offer, she cringed. “Who are you waiting for?”
“Relax.” He pulled her close and kissed her. As he moved away slowly, his lips brushed hers as he spoke. “Chloe should be here soon then Xavier’s coming by to train. After that, we’ll go for lunch. What could go wrong?”
Chapter 34
Gilda replayed her discussion with Mick while she burned off her nervous energy ripping out weeds so many times since she was no longer sure what was fact and what was fiction. Something just felt wrong. Mick and Xavier trained at the school where two other men died. Was one of them the murderer or did the murderer know they were there?
Wine would be the best antidote to calm her irrational thoughts, but she settled for hot tea with honey. All her frustration bubbled beneath her skin until tears burned her eyes. She didn’t want to run down to the school to check on them and look like a fool, yet she couldn’t sit and do nothing. The phone rang behind her as she poured boiling water into her cup. Her hands shook as she set the kettle aside and let the machine pick up the call.
“Gilda. It’s Marion.” The panic in her voice was palpable and filled the room like bubble wrap. “Whatever you’re doing, drop it and get to the school.”
She bobbed the bag in the hot water and struggled to ignore the pressure rising in her chest. Afraid of what she’d hear if she answered the phone, she shook her head. “No way. Mick can take care of things without me.”
When the phone rang again, Marion shrieked into the answering machine. “Answer the bloody phone, Gilda. Now.”
Alarmed, she picked up. “What’s going on?”
“I’m at work and I don’t have time to explain. Just go to the school. It’s an emergency.”
Lately, the only emergencies at the school seemed to involve dead bodies. She set her cup near the sink. Had Mick discovered one of the other black belts dead?
“Oh, crap.” Her throat tightened.
What if Mick had been murdered? She’d never forgive herself for leaving him alone. She bolted out the door then returned for her purse, in case she needed her keys to lock up. She brushed off half the morbid thoughts and raced out the front door.
Gilda spotted the police cruisers from two blocks away and broke into a sprint. This was no prank. Something was definitely wrong. People milled around outside the front door, trying to get a glimpse of what had happened inside.
“Get out of my way. I work here.” She shoved through the crowd and flew past the officer who guarded the door. “What’s going on? Where’s Mick?”
Fabio and Thayer stood over a figure seated behind the front desk. Her desk. Drops of blood dotted the floor. Her heart hammered in her chest as she tried to get a better look at the person in her chair.
“Who let you in here?” Thayer lunged t
o stand between her and Fabio. “You have to leave now. Go home. We’ll talk to you later.”
“Let her stay,” Mick said.
At the sound of his voice, Gilda’s heartbeat slowed enough for her to catch her breath. “What’s going on?”
Fabio’s cavernous nostrils flared, then he and Thayer moved aside.
Mick sat in her chair covered in gobs of blood. When his gaze met hers, he frowned and swallowed hard. Combined with the black eye and contusions from Chloe, at first glance he looked like he’d murdered someone.
Gilda swallowed past the fear her first impression was right. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything stupid. What happened?”
“Don’t know yet,” Thayer said. “Neither of them are talking.”
“Neither of them?” she asked, her eyes widening and her stomach sinking.
On the tatami mats beneath the shrine, Xavier lay on his back, arms and legs sprawled wide. The handle of a dagger stuck out of his chest. The ornate Japanese dagger Mick kept on his desk. A prized gift from Yoshida when they first opened the school.
Footprints had thinned patches in the pools of congealed blood nearby. Mick must have arrived shortly after the murderer left and checked Xavier for a pulse. There was nothing anyone could do now except call his family.
Thayer towered over Mick and put on his tough guy act. Apparently he’d forgotten Mick could knock him to the floor with a flick of his finger. “If you don’t tell me what happened, I’m locking you up for the rest of your miserable life.”
“Maybe you should let Detective Wright take a bash at him,” Fabio said. “I’ll bet she has less abrasive ways to make him talk.”
“More than you know,” Thayer growled.
Gilda stared at Mick. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear the truth, especially not after Xavier tried to poison both of them. She had as much reason to want him dead as anyone.
“Sit,” Mick said.
Her hands shook and her knees weakened. “I can’t do this anymore. First Walter, then Erik, now Xavier. I’m going home and locking my door. I quit, Mick. For real this time. You can deal with things by yourself this time, I’m done.”
