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Authors: J.A. Kazimer
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time and again.
“So your brothers brought their families down for Sunday dinner. I
told them about your new job and they are thrilled. Just think, my son, a
Homeland Security agent.”
I smiled into the phone. Close enough. “Mom, I really have to go.” I
added, watching Mary bend to pick up a broken glass, “I’ll call you on
Saturday.” But we both knew I wouldn’t.
“I love you, Jace. Be safe.”
“I love you too, Mom.” I hung up the phone and glanced at Mary.
“You don’t have to clean up.”
She straightened, brushing off her jeans. “Why would someone do
this to you?” She waved her hands around the trashed apartment. “First little
J.C., and now this. I’m scared for you.”
“Don’t be.” I reached for her hand. “I have to go, but I want to make
sure you’re all right.”
“Oh, Jace, I’m scared. Please stay.” Her eyes lit with passion, and
need. I wanted her. Wanted her like never before, but I had to track down the
kid, and the treacherous bitch, Lilith before someone, namely Mary, ended
up dead. I stared into her beautiful face, and said, “I can’t.” I pulled away and
headed for her apartment. “Lock yourself in your apartment and don’t open
the door to anyone unless it’s me, and even then keep the chain on.” At her
50
apartment door, I kissed her quickly.
“Be careful,” she whispered as she disappeared inside her apartment.
I nodded, listening for the telltale click of her deadbolt locking.
Satisfied she was as safe as she could be, I headed for the stairs. My stomach
rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten in two days. I’d kill for a Big Mac, but
I had more important matters to attend to.
Halfway down the hall, the stench of dead fish so vile the wallpaper
peeled from the walls, struck me, knocking me back a step. Sid was making
sushi again. I rolled my eyes and detoured to his apartment.
“Sid, open up.” I banged on his door, rattling the tiny gold numbers
affix to the wood by a screw.
After a few seconds, Sid did as I demanded but didn’t look happy
about it, his too small shirt covered in blood and guts. “Who speaks the
sound of an echo? Who paints the image in a mirror? Where are the
spectacles in a dream? Who knocks on my door? And what does he want?”
“Listen Sid, someone broke into my apartment. I was hoping you
saw who it was.” I waved a hand in front of my nose to dispel the fishy odor.
He scratched his nuts and replied, “Past mind can't be seized. Present
mind can't be grasped. Future mind can't be sensed. With which mind will
you drink the tea?”
“What?” I scratched my head. “I don’t want any tea. Did you see
anybody or not?”
“You will find what you seek.” He nodded to himself. “Go and find
what you desire.”
“Go where?” Did he know where the kid was? “For once, man, say
what the fuck you mean.”
He frowned, rubbed his fat tummy, and repeated, “Go, and find what
you desire.”
I glanced at his hand on his stomach and the t-shirt stretched tightly
across it. Heavenly Grace Buddhist Temple. Got it. “Thanks, Sid. I owe you
one.”
“I leave, circle, stick, stone. The game of life, of chance, of faith.”
“Yeah, same to you.”
Sid shook his head and slammed the door in my face. So much for
the kindness of neighbors, but I had a lead. Things looked up, that was until
my cell phone rang again.
“Mama take this badge off of me …” I pressed the silence button
sending God to voicemail.
51
Fifteen
The Heavenly Grace Temple sat a few blocks from Chinatown on the
Lower East Side. It didn’t look like a temple, but my frame of reference for
what a temple actually looked like, came mostly from cheesy 1970’s police
detective shows.
A brick veneer covered the building, and a small, unobtrusive sign
hung over the door. I rang the bell and waited. Minutes passed. Maybe it was
prayer time, or head shaving day. I rang the bell again.
A short, serene
“So your brothers brought their families down for Sunday dinner. I
told them about your new job and they are thrilled. Just think, my son, a
Homeland Security agent.”
I smiled into the phone. Close enough. “Mom, I really have to go.” I
added, watching Mary bend to pick up a broken glass, “I’ll call you on
Saturday.” But we both knew I wouldn’t.
“I love you, Jace. Be safe.”
“I love you too, Mom.” I hung up the phone and glanced at Mary.
“You don’t have to clean up.”
She straightened, brushing off her jeans. “Why would someone do
this to you?” She waved her hands around the trashed apartment. “First little
J.C., and now this. I’m scared for you.”
“Don’t be.” I reached for her hand. “I have to go, but I want to make
sure you’re all right.”
“Oh, Jace, I’m scared. Please stay.” Her eyes lit with passion, and
need. I wanted her. Wanted her like never before, but I had to track down the
kid, and the treacherous bitch, Lilith before someone, namely Mary, ended
up dead. I stared into her beautiful face, and said, “I can’t.” I pulled away and
headed for her apartment. “Lock yourself in your apartment and don’t open
the door to anyone unless it’s me, and even then keep the chain on.” At her
50
apartment door, I kissed her quickly.
“Be careful,” she whispered as she disappeared inside her apartment.
I nodded, listening for the telltale click of her deadbolt locking.
Satisfied she was as safe as she could be, I headed for the stairs. My stomach
rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten in two days. I’d kill for a Big Mac, but
I had more important matters to attend to.
Halfway down the hall, the stench of dead fish so vile the wallpaper
peeled from the walls, struck me, knocking me back a step. Sid was making
sushi again. I rolled my eyes and detoured to his apartment.
“Sid, open up.” I banged on his door, rattling the tiny gold numbers
affix to the wood by a screw.
After a few seconds, Sid did as I demanded but didn’t look happy
about it, his too small shirt covered in blood and guts. “Who speaks the
sound of an echo? Who paints the image in a mirror? Where are the
spectacles in a dream? Who knocks on my door? And what does he want?”
“Listen Sid, someone broke into my apartment. I was hoping you
saw who it was.” I waved a hand in front of my nose to dispel the fishy odor.
He scratched his nuts and replied, “Past mind can't be seized. Present
mind can't be grasped. Future mind can't be sensed. With which mind will
you drink the tea?”
“What?” I scratched my head. “I don’t want any tea. Did you see
anybody or not?”
“You will find what you seek.” He nodded to himself. “Go and find
what you desire.”
“Go where?” Did he know where the kid was? “For once, man, say
what the fuck you mean.”
He frowned, rubbed his fat tummy, and repeated, “Go, and find what
you desire.”
I glanced at his hand on his stomach and the t-shirt stretched tightly
across it. Heavenly Grace Buddhist Temple. Got it. “Thanks, Sid. I owe you
one.”
“I leave, circle, stick, stone. The game of life, of chance, of faith.”
“Yeah, same to you.”
Sid shook his head and slammed the door in my face. So much for
the kindness of neighbors, but I had a lead. Things looked up, that was until
my cell phone rang again.
“Mama take this badge off of me …” I pressed the silence button
sending God to voicemail.
51
Fifteen
The Heavenly Grace Temple sat a few blocks from Chinatown on the
Lower East Side. It didn’t look like a temple, but my frame of reference for
what a temple actually looked like, came mostly from cheesy 1970’s police
detective shows.
A brick veneer covered the building, and a small, unobtrusive sign
hung over the door. I rang the bell and waited. Minutes passed. Maybe it was
prayer time, or head shaving day. I rang the bell again.
A short, serene
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