by Diane Bator
Marion’s mouth dropped open. “You woke up with Mick Williams in your bed and you didn’t do anything about it?”
She winced. “I kicked him out.”
“Honey, that man is hot.” Both her eyebrows shot upward. “Are you nuts?”
Gilda sipped her wine. Apparently, she was.
“I thought I was seeing things at first, but I saw the way he looked at you in the café today,” Marion said. “He is crazy about you. He doesn’t want you around to get hurt, but he doesn’t want to let you go either. That’s why he won’t let you quit and won’t let you go. You’re more than just some boring old receptionist.”
Gilda’s phone buzzed. Mick. You ok? Less than a minute later, another text. Call me when she leaves. We need to talk.
“Is that Mick?” Marion asked. “Text him back. You need to tell me if it’s juicy though.”
Five more texts in the next two minutes to say he wanted her to join him at the school to either train or just hang out. She guessed he either wanted a distraction or ideas of what they could do about Yoshida. Mostly, it seemed he wanted to spend time with her.
She punched him up on speed dial on the way to the kitchen, her fingers too clumsy from the wine to text back. “I’m drinking wine with Marion. Copious amounts of wine. I’m not going anywhere tonight. As a matter of fact, I’m never setting foot in the school again. Ever.”
“You don’t mean that,” Mick said. “You’re still just mad.”
Gilda huffed. “Darn right I’m mad. You and Razi treat me like a little kid even though I’m the one who put all the clues together.”
“Either you’re in or you’re out. Are you quitting or do you want to help us solve our friends’ murders?” he asked.
He had a good point. She quit her job then showed up at the school anyway. She’d kicked Mick in the groin then sent him mixed signals. While she was determined to avoid Mick, Razi and the police, they’d all encircled her like beefy, egotistical planets.
Mick broke the silence. “We need to pull together to stop Yoshida. Help me catch him and I’ll make sure you and your job are safe.”
Gilda leaned against the cupboard, no longer able to keep the tears at bay. “You want to keep the school going in spite of everything?”
“Yes, but I can’t do it without you and Razi,” he said. “Do you want to keep your job at the school with me?”
“No. How many times do I need to quit before you get that?” She threw up her hands. “You’re just as dense as Thayer.”
He chuckled. “At least thirty more before I’ll actually believe you. I have to make some calls tomorrow morning, then we can work out or go for a run. Come to the school at ten.”
She hung up and bowed her head to hide her tears.
“We need refills. Are you okay?” Marion paused in the doorway with both wineglasses. “I was right, wasn’t I? He’s crazy about you. Did he profess his undying love to you?”
“Worse,” Gilda said. “He wants me to meet him at the school tomorrow to train or go for a run. How am I supposed to do that when I have a nasty hangover? He’s such a jerk.”
“Sounds like that’s an actual option.” As Marion topped off their glasses, she sang, “Mick loves Gilda. Mick loves Gilda.”
“You say that like it’s a good thing.” She grimaced.
“Oh, give the guy a chance. Go train with him tomorrow.”
Gilda reached for the wine bottle. “What if I do and he’s the next to die?”
Marion shrugged. “At least Thayer still won’t suspect you.”
Chapter 38
Gilda woke that morning with her phone clutched in one hand. The screen showed she’d received four texts in a row from Mick in the past ten minutes. She buried her head beneath the pillow while her phone chimed three more times. When she still didn’t reply, he called.
She grabbed the phone and snapped, “Go away.”
“Meet me at the school,” he said.
“Why?” She pulled the blankets over her head, but kept the phone to her ear.
“Because you and I both need to vent. We could spar or go for a run or something.”
Gilda rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling afraid of what “or something” meant. “I vented last night.”
“I meant physically.” The way he said it sent a pleasant chill over her body. Within seconds, her entire torso tingled.
“No.” She hung up and burrowed beneath all the blankets and pulled the pillow over her head. Again, the phone rang.
“Gilda? Are you sure you’re okay?” Mick asked.
She huffed. “Stop calling me. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Come to the school. We don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.”
More shivers. What was he trying to do to her?
“You’re not helping.” She hung up again.
When he called the third time, he didn’t give her a chance to speak. “What is wrong with you, lady? Get your sorry butt over to the school or I’ll knock your door down, throw you over my shoulder and haul you out like a caveman.” This time he disconnected first.
She let off a string of expletives. “He is such a jerk.”
All the way over to the school, Gilda’s head pounded and her eyes throbbed behind her sunglasses. Her feeble attempt to keep up with Marion drink for drink last night hadn’t paid off. She needed a vat of coffee far more than she wanted to train.
She tugged on the front door of the school, dismayed when it opened. After their earlier conversation, she prayed he’d invited other students as well or things could get weird. From the lack of voices, she guessed she was the first to arrive.
Either that or there was another dead body in the dojo.
Her stomach lurched and bile rose in her throat. “Mick? Are you here?”
“Yeah.” Already dressed in his gi, he sat behind her desk with his head in both hands. His hair was disheveled like he hadn’t slept all night.
“You look like crap.” she said.
His bloodshot eyes answered her question. “No one else will be here. I should’ve told you not to come, but I wanted the company.”
She frowned and set her duffle bag down. “Who else did you call?”
“Everyone. They think I’m crazy and this place is cursed. Even Razi. Too much bad karma.” Mick sighed. “You should go home.”
“Okay.” Gilda picked up her bag and turned to leave. That notion suited her just fine. She desperately needed a pot of coffee and a lot more sleep. “See you later.”
“Wait. I didn’t mean it.” Mick leaped to his feet and sent the chair flying back into the wall. It left a dent in the drywall. “You’d leave because no one else showed up?”
“You told me to.”
He came around the desk and pulled her toward the dojo. All the tatami mats had been replaced by thin puzzle mats. “That doesn’t mean I want you to go home.”
Gilda removed her sunglasses. “When you said I should go home, I took that to mean I didn’t have to stay.”
“You look like hell.” Mick pulled her against him.
She gave him a half-hearted push. “Too much wine with Marion. What’s your excuse?”
“I got jumped by a bottle of scotch.”
“Looks like the scotch won.” She glanced around. The others were right about the eerie, cursed feeling in the school. “I thought you didn’t drink.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, well, recent events have made it a necessity.”
Gilda nodded. “True.”
“Just because no one else is here, doesn’t mean we can’t train. Right?” Mick asked. “Give me one hour then we can get some breakfast. We’ll both have an appetite by then. I promise I won’t push you so hard you puke.”
She studied his rumpled hair and bloodshot eyes and took pity. “Only if you’re buying breakfast and all the coffee I can drink.”
“That’s my girl.” When Mick threw his arms around her, she fought the urge to push him a
way. “You’re a trooper.
“Maybe, but I’m not your girl.”
“You’re also not Thayer’s girl.” He winked. “That’s good enough for me.”
She headed to the change room, thinking Mick was right. Maybe training would shift her attitude, even though she’d prefer not to train where three men had been murdered.
“We should go train on the beach. Being in here so much isn’t healthy.” Actually, it was downright creepy and she had no idea how he could live in the school and stay sane. Maybe that’s what the scotch was for.
Mick knelt in the dojo facing the birch wood shrine. “I don’t want whoever is doing this to win. If I leave, he wins.”
Gilda bowed in then stood behind him. “No one will judge you if you get out of this place now and then. You didn’t kill anyone.” When he didn’t reply, she knelt beside him. “Did you?”
“No.” His eyes were closed as if in meditation. “Did you?”
“You know I didn’t.”
Mick opened his eyes. “Good enough for me. Let’s warm up then do some sparring and katas. If you work hard enough, I’ll feed you.”
“Sounds good.”
He nudged her arm. “Does this mean we’re friends again?”
“As long as you don’t make me throw up.”
“You’re the one who came to train.” Mick’s grin was the largest Gilda had seen in weeks. “I can’t make any promises.”
She got to her feet and ran slow circles around the dojo. Even that motion was enough to make her nauseous. Mick ran with her and dispensed with the ceremonial formalities. After half an hour of focus and exertion, the fine hairs on Gilda’s arms rose and she became conscious of a third person in the school.
Thayer stood in the doorway, his eyebrows low and his gaze on Mick while he corrected Gilda’s stance. For the first time in weeks, he wore his full uniform, rather than a suit and tie.
“Are you here to sign up for classes or just snoop?” Mick asked.
“Neither.” Thayer’s jaw hardened like cinder blocks. “I’m here for Gilda.”
She broke the stance she’d held so long her thighs quivered. “I didn’t do anything.”
Thayer grimaced. “I’m not here to arrest you.”
Mick placed his hands on his hips. “Then what do you want with her?”
The tense silence sent a shiver up her arms and she looked to Mick. A crowd would make Thayer seem less intimidating.
“She’s busy.” Mick moved between them, shielding her from the darkness in Thayer’s eyes. “We’re training.”
“Is that what you call it?” Thayer asked. “How convenient. You teach karate classes and women flock straight to you, hoping they can spend a night with you.”
Mick’s back stiffened. “At least I don’t have to handcuff my dates.”
Thayer flinched. “You’d better watch your mouth. I know all about you from Fabio. You’re nothing more than a muscle head who couldn’t make a go of it in the big city because of your reputation for messing around with students.”
“Thayer, go home before you say something you’ll regret.” Gilda warned.
“Let him say his piece,” Mick said. “I’d kind of like to hear what he thinks he knows. I’m up for a good fight today.”
Thayer’s lip twitched. “You might not want Gilda to hear what I have to say. From what I’ve heard, you’ve played the bad boy role to the hilt. She’s not into guys who play the field.”
“Like you?” she asked.
Mick didn’t bother to hide his smirk. “Sounds like the playing field’s pretty level then. There’s nothing I haven’t done that you haven’t equalled or bested. You’re not the only one Fabio talks to. I’ve known him since we were toddlers.”
“Maybe you and I should step outside,” Thayer said.
Gilda groaned. “Oh, that’s mature.”
Mick placed his hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t public, Thayer. This is personal. I see no reason why you and I can’t settle things right here and now.”
“On your turf?” Thayer didn’t look convinced. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to take you on with all your weapons within your reach?”
“I have all the weapons I need right here.” Mick held out his hands. “What are you so afraid of? You have a gun and a baton.”
“And handcuffs.” Gilda hoped they weren’t serious. She held her ground, uncertain what to do next. Should she lock them inside to beat each other senseless or call Fabio? He’d probably handcuff Mick and Thayer together and tell them to work things out.
Thayer took off his shoes and set his utility belt in the dojo against the wall.
Mick cleared his throat. “Out of respect, I’d rather you leave the gun outside.”
“Right,” he said. “With my luck, Gilda will shoot me in the back.”
“Why would she do that?” Mick grinned. “Unless you’re afraid she’d want revenge.”
Gilda held her hands up. “Oh no, do not drag me back into this.”
“You’re already involved. He’s beating his chest because he doesn’t want you anywhere near me.” Mick untied his black belt and folded it neatly. “This isn’t about finding a killer. This is about Thayer’s pride.”
“I don’t see you backing down,” she said.
“And look like a wimp?” He set his belt on the floor near the shrine and took off his gi top. “I have pride too.”
Gilda threw up her hands then headed for the change room.
Thayer stared. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Home. You’re both being childish.” She turned to bow at the door.
“He’s the one trying to impress you,” Mick said.
“And you’re not?” Gilda rolled her eyes and closed the dojo door behind her so she didn’t have to witness the battle. Why should she care if the two of them killed each other?
She winced. Bad choice of words. She should call Fabio to come settle things, but it sounded as though he’d already fed both men stories about the other to fuel the feud. He’d probably referee the fight before he’d mediate.
Mick and Thayer barked insults and accusations for several minutes before the school grew quiet. Gilda froze to listen as their voices faded then the lights went out inside the dojo.
“Oh, no. What are they up to now?” She changed fast then rushed down the hall and around the corner.
The men’s voices were a dull hum behind the closed office door. She knocked then stepped back when Thayer opened the door with a wry smile. No bruises. No red strike marks.
“What happened?” Gilda looked from one to the other.
Mick grinned. “You mean why aren’t we beating each other senseless?”
Thayer hitched up his utility belt. “I’m a cop. I’d have to arrest him for assault.”
“Hey, buddy.” Mick held up a finger in warning. “I told you the other night, once you put on sparring gear, anything that happens in the dojo is perfectly legal. Including beating your ass.”
And including Yoshida trying to beat her senseless for no reason. Gilda shuddered and threw her bag over her shoulder and shook her head. “Whatever you say. I’m leaving.”
When she got halfway to her desk, Mick called out, “Don’t you even want to know what we’ve decided?”
She blew out a long breath then turned to study both men. “Nope.”
“Mick and I have decided to team up.” Thayer followed her. “The more I’ve talked to Mick and Razi and thought about your suspicions about Yoshida, the more I think you’re right. He’s got the most to lose if this place fails and the most to gain if it goes up in flames. We’ll set a trap for him with Mick as bait.”
“It won’t work.” Gilda hesitated. “If Yoshida’s the killer, do you honestly think he’ll fall for such a blatant trick? He’s a smart man.”
Mick joined them in the lobby. “A smart man who seems awfully desperate to be rid of this school and to get out of Sandstone Cove. I think he’ll bite.”
“Sure, he will,” Gilda said. “Unless it’s Razi he’s after, not you.”
Mick shook his head. “Not a chance. Yoshida and I have butted heads a lot lately. Razi keeps to himself and doesn’t step out of line. He’s a much bigger asset than I am.”
Thayer shifted his weight. “But what if Razi’s the murderer?”
“He wouldn’t be dumb enough to kill me in front of a school full of cops,” Mick said.
Gilda sat on a plastic chair. “Either way, things won’t turn out well.”
Thayer frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The killer has nothing left to lose.” She stared into the dark dojo. “Mick’s the last black belt, aside from Razi. Since Yoshida and Razi were trained to go down fighting, it could become a fight to the death.”
Mick sat and entwined his fingers with hers. “Either way, things won’t turn out well. You were right, babe. I’ve been selfish. Go home and update your resume. You need to be safe.”
Thayer rubbed the back of his neck and shuffled his feet. “Um, I’ll be right back.” He headed off down the hall to the washrooms.
“There has to be another way.” Gilda blinked back tears. “Did the police get the results back from the lab? Did they search the vent? ”
Mick touched his finger to her lips. “Those tests take time, Gilda, which is one thing we’re running out of. I don’t want anyone else to die.”
“Isn’t there some other way we can catch him?”
“If you have a better idea, I’d love to hear it.” He gave her hand a squeeze then kissed her. “Razi and I don’t have a Plan B. This is it. Are you in?”
Chapter 39
As Gilda left the school, she realized she still hadn’t had coffee or breakfast. Her hands shook and her knees were weak. The shaking was partially from the workout and mostly from the mere thought of Mick and Thayer teaming up to catch a killer. At least Fabio would keep them focused on practical ideas for a trap, because if their ideas didn’t work...
