Read Online Death of a Jaded Samurai by Diane Bator - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diane Bator
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Gilda's stomach lurched. She'd seen movies about people who hired hit men to do away with troublesome spouses. While she didn't know anyone in Sandstone Cove capable of such a thing, she imagined someone could. For the right price.
She shivered. Actually, she did know someone. The same man who had business to discuss with Mick—Gary del Garda.
She struggled to remember what Walter had told her about his family. Jade was from New York City, the daughter of Japanese immigrants who ran the restaurant where she and Walter supposedly met. He'd forgotten to mention she was a high school senior and he a married father of three. If Jade's parents still held a grudge, they could hire a hit man…
Gilda blew off that thought. Walter and Jade had been married fifteen years. If Jade's family wanted him dead, he wouldn't have lasted so long. She focused on watering the plants and let each tiny drop of water mesmerize her and take her worries into the ground.
"Gilda? Are you here?" Mick called from around the house.
Her worries practically climbed back up her legs to cower behind her knees. "In the backyard."
"I rang the doorbell. I guess you didn't hear it." He fumbled with the latch on the gate, swearing once. "Why do you have a Chinese puzzle lock on your gate?"
"Just lift the latch." She turned off the water. "What's up?"
"What makes you think something's up? Can't I just come by to visit?" He sat on the steps and sighed. "You have a really nice yard."
"Thanks. What do you want?" she asked. "You've never come over to my house before."
"Nothing. I've been locked in Thayer's interrogation room again for the past two hours. I needed a friendly face and some fresh air. That place reeks worse than the school. I wonder if they've ever heard of air fresheners. We should send over a case."
She sat on the stone bench near the lavender. "Not that I mind the company, but why didn't you go see Chloe?"
"She's at work." He hesitated. "She doesn't like me stopping by when she's busy."
Gilda raised her eyebrows. Chloe was a customer service representative at the bank. "What did Thayer want now?"
"Hair, skin cells, blood. Everything but my firstborn." Mick basked in the sunshine. "He used the old standby about trying to eliminate people, but when he asked for a semen sample, I wondered what was really going on."
"Semen?" Gilda asked, mouth and eyes wide.
"That's pretty much what I did. I guess it has something to do with the torn-down changing room curtains, which I do not want back now, by the way."
"Eww!" She scrunched up her face.
Mick laughed. "I think I had that look too."
"Does he want to talk to me?"
"No, just the black belts. Personally, I think he has it out for all of us except you."
"Funny," she said. "I thought I'd be the biggest target on his hit list."
"Nah, he has a soft spot for you. He doesn't think you're capable of anything like this. Face it, Sherlock. You're just too nice."
"I am not." She folded her arms and sat back. With nothing to stop her, she toppled into the huge pink peony behind her.
Mick flew across the grass and caught her before she could land in the dirt. He pulled her upright until their faces were scant inches apart. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks for grabbing me." A surge of heat swept through her. "I mean, for not letting me fall." That didn't sound any better.
"My pleasure." He sat beside her, one hand around her waist. "You got new nail polish. I've never seen your toenails pale green before. They look like mint chocolate chip ice cream. My favorite."
"Thanks."
"Actually, ice cream sounds good." As he moved an inch closer, his grip tightened on her waist. "I might stop for some on my way home."
"It does sound good." So did a cold shower.
He cleared his throat and suddenly became all business again, moving his hands to grip the bench on either side of his legs. "You called everyone to cancel classes tonight, right?"
She focused on a multilayered red poppy. The heat off his hand
Gilda's stomach lurched. She'd seen movies about people who hired hit men to do away with troublesome spouses. While she didn't know anyone in Sandstone Cove capable of such a thing, she imagined someone could. For the right price.
She shivered. Actually, she did know someone. The same man who had business to discuss with Mick—Gary del Garda.
She struggled to remember what Walter had told her about his family. Jade was from New York City, the daughter of Japanese immigrants who ran the restaurant where she and Walter supposedly met. He'd forgotten to mention she was a high school senior and he a married father of three. If Jade's parents still held a grudge, they could hire a hit man…
Gilda blew off that thought. Walter and Jade had been married fifteen years. If Jade's family wanted him dead, he wouldn't have lasted so long. She focused on watering the plants and let each tiny drop of water mesmerize her and take her worries into the ground.
"Gilda? Are you here?" Mick called from around the house.
Her worries practically climbed back up her legs to cower behind her knees. "In the backyard."
"I rang the doorbell. I guess you didn't hear it." He fumbled with the latch on the gate, swearing once. "Why do you have a Chinese puzzle lock on your gate?"
"Just lift the latch." She turned off the water. "What's up?"
"What makes you think something's up? Can't I just come by to visit?" He sat on the steps and sighed. "You have a really nice yard."
"Thanks. What do you want?" she asked. "You've never come over to my house before."
"Nothing. I've been locked in Thayer's interrogation room again for the past two hours. I needed a friendly face and some fresh air. That place reeks worse than the school. I wonder if they've ever heard of air fresheners. We should send over a case."
She sat on the stone bench near the lavender. "Not that I mind the company, but why didn't you go see Chloe?"
"She's at work." He hesitated. "She doesn't like me stopping by when she's busy."
Gilda raised her eyebrows. Chloe was a customer service representative at the bank. "What did Thayer want now?"
"Hair, skin cells, blood. Everything but my firstborn." Mick basked in the sunshine. "He used the old standby about trying to eliminate people, but when he asked for a semen sample, I wondered what was really going on."
"Semen?" Gilda asked, mouth and eyes wide.
"That's pretty much what I did. I guess it has something to do with the torn-down changing room curtains, which I do not want back now, by the way."
"Eww!" She scrunched up her face.
Mick laughed. "I think I had that look too."
"Does he want to talk to me?"
"No, just the black belts. Personally, I think he has it out for all of us except you."
"Funny," she said. "I thought I'd be the biggest target on his hit list."
"Nah, he has a soft spot for you. He doesn't think you're capable of anything like this. Face it, Sherlock. You're just too nice."
"I am not." She folded her arms and sat back. With nothing to stop her, she toppled into the huge pink peony behind her.
Mick flew across the grass and caught her before she could land in the dirt. He pulled her upright until their faces were scant inches apart. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Thanks for grabbing me." A surge of heat swept through her. "I mean, for not letting me fall." That didn't sound any better.
"My pleasure." He sat beside her, one hand around her waist. "You got new nail polish. I've never seen your toenails pale green before. They look like mint chocolate chip ice cream. My favorite."
"Thanks."
"Actually, ice cream sounds good." As he moved an inch closer, his grip tightened on her waist. "I might stop for some on my way home."
"It does sound good." So did a cold shower.
He cleared his throat and suddenly became all business again, moving his hands to grip the bench on either side of his legs. "You called everyone to cancel classes tonight, right?"
She focused on a multilayered red poppy. The heat off his hand
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