“James called me, and he was super sketchy sounding,” Dante said. “He wanted to know where you were. I didn’t tell him.”
I paused. Fuck.
“Don’t come back. Not until I speak to your attorney and figure out what he wants us to do.”
“Bye,” I said and hung up.
I cranked the stereo for the rest of my drive back to the city.
Before she disappeared, Rose had gotten me hooked on hip hop, which was something that I hadn’t paid much attention to in the past. I knew it was slightly ridiculous for a woman my age to be singing along at the top of her lungs to Kanye West’s song “Monster,” but something about Nicki Minaj’s badass rapping and animalistic growls in the song sent chills through me. She was magnetic. Listening to loud music made the drive back go quickly.
By the time I got back to my hotel room, I was ready to fall into bed and sleep for ten hours. I was ignoring the fact that the police wanted to arrest me for murder. I just couldn’t deal with it right then. I’d get a good night sleep and figure out what to do in the morning. They weren’t ready to arrest me yet. At least I hoped not.
The next morning, I woke to brilliant sunlight streaming in through the skylight above the bed. I yawned and did some stretches and then some sit-ups and pushups.
They hurt. I was incredibly out of shape.
But that would change. I decided that, rather than sit around and wait for the cops to arrest me, I was going to go about my normal life until the attorney told me not to. That meant to continue the plans I’d already made.
Part of my plans involved catching up with all my old friends. This morning, I was visiting my good friend and sensei Kato. He would kick my ass back into shape quickly.
Besides, I needed a distraction from worrying about a possible murder rap. After my workout, I’d go visit Danny again. See if he had any luck with the Deepfake video of me.
I couldn’t wait to see Kato.
Many years before, when I was just a kid who had moved to the big city and was drowning my grief over my parent’s death with booze, sex, and other unsavory behavior, Budo Karate via Kato, had saved my life.
I tugged on some leggings, a hoodie, and my sneakers and ate some hard-boiled eggs I’d ordered from room service. I left the hotel incognito, with dark sunglasses and my hoodie pulled up over my head, and ran to Chinatown, arriving sweaty and breathless at the door to the Dojo.
I leaned down, putting my palms on my knees to catch my breath before I rang the doorbell.
“Looks like we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The familiar voice brought a smile to my face.
Standing up, I saw Kato there before me, holding the keys to the Dojo.
He still wore his sleek, black hair longer in the back, and his toned and fit body would still put Michelangelo’s David to shame
I squealed and grabbed him in a bear hug. He was a little stiff, but that was his nature.
“Gia San, it’s been a long time, my friend,” he said.
“Kato! I can’t fucking believe it. You haven’t aged a day, you bastard.”
“Nice to see you too,” he said and chuckled as he unlocked the door. “When did you get back to the States?”
“Just the other day,” I said, grinning. “How’s Susie and the kids?”
He shook his head. “Susie is the same. My princess. The kids? Oh boy. Teenagers are hell on earth.”
“That’s a fact,” I said, following up the stairs to the main room of the Dojo.
“Let’s get right to work,” he said as we entered the room and he dumped a water bottle and duffel bag on a small table. “My first class is in an hour. We can catch up over lunch or something soon.”
I smiled. I didn’t tell him I was a murder suspect and could end up in jail any second. Still in denial, I guess.
We spent the next hour working out and catching up during pauses. His youngest son had just graduated from high school and was getting ready to start his freshman year at college. His oldest had just graduated from college.
“I can’t imagine them as anything but little kids,” I said, shaking my head.
His eyes met mine. “You’ve been gone a long time.”
I frowned. He was right. Sometimes my former life in San Francisco felt like a dream and other times, like seeing Kato again, it felt like yesterday.
Hair damp around my face from my sweaty workout, I grabbed my hoodie and headed for the door.
“I expect you here tomorrow at six.”
“At night?”
“Ha ha, Gia. A.M.”
I nodded. “Deal. Only if you let me take you and Susie out to dinner soon.”
“Deal,” he said and smiled back. Just then, a half dozen students rushed past me, coming up the stairs into the Dojo. They were all speaking at once. I gave Kato a salute and jogged down the stairs, even though my thighs were killing me.
My phone dinged.
Dante.
“Your attorney called. It’s not good. Thank god you’re staying at Darling’s place for a few days.”
Oh fuck.
“Um, I’m actually back in the city.”
“Jesus.”
I cringed.
“You need to turn around and go back there right now.”
“I was just at the dojo with Kato. My car’s at the hotel.”
“Don’t go back to the hotel. They just had a squad parked out front. I’m pretty damn sure it’s for you.”
Alarm zinged through me. “So, there is an arrest warrant?”
“Not yet. They called your attorney. They want you to stay in town. And he thinks they want to pick you up and put some more pressure on you. Keep you for as long as they can without actually arresting you. Squeeze you. Try to get you to confess.”
“Good fucking luck.”
“Unless you want to spend the next twenty-four hours in a little interview room, I suggest you call Tony and ask him
