all securely fastened. At least the place hadn’t been left open to invasion like the last time. It was around five o’clock when Maria returned. She quietly opened the door and carefully shut it again, but spun around with a squeal of fright as I tapped her on the shoulder. Her hand automatically flashed towards me with impressive speed but I blocked her karate blow and said quickly, “It’s Kim. Take it easy , Maria.”
“Miss Kim,” she breathed. “You frighten me. Me think you burglar .”
“Yes, sorry about that,” I apologised. “I was just wondering what you were doing out at this hour.”
She hesitated and her eyes narrowed as she looked away. I knew the next thing she was going to tell me would be a lie. “Me go see friend,” she told me.
“I don’t think you did, Maria,” I disagreed. “Why don’t you tell me where you really went?”
She flushed. “ None your business,” she answered curtly. “You not master of me.”
“You’re correct,” I replied quietly, “but I am responsible for security, and I want to know where you were.”
“Me no tell ,” she stated determinedly, pushing past me.
I grabbed her arm and swung her around. “I’d advise you to tell me, Maria,” I advised. “Otherwise I’ll get mad and you wouldn’t like that.”
She immediately sprang backwards and crouched in a combat stance. “Me no tell you anything ,” she reiterated.
“Very well,” I murmured, bringing up my hands into defensive positions. “If that’s the way you want it.”
Maria circled around me and I mimicked her movements, watching her carefully. From her attack on me when I surprised her at the door, I knew that somewhere along the line she’d been given extensive training in the martial arts so I had to be wary. She kicked at me but I half turned and intercepted it with my thigh. She stepped forward and began throwing punches at my head with amazing rapidity. I backed away, blocking each punch as it neared, endeavouring to keep my balance on the slippery hardwood floor. I barely survived her attack, receiving a few grazing punches to the side of my face. She was very good, but I knew that I was better . She momentarily paused to recover from her initial assault and that's when I decided to make a move. I leapt forward and head-butted her in the face. Stunned, she fell backwards and I immediately flung myself on top of her, driving the breath from her body. I sat on her stomach and captured both her hands in one of mine. I placed my other hand around her throat and lightly squeezed.
“Don't do anything foolish, Maria,” I instructed her. “I don't want to hurt you. I just want answers.”
She tried to struggle, but soon submitted to the inevitable.
“That's a good girl,” I said. “Now, are you going to answer my question about where you were?”
“Me tell,” she said in a low voice. “You beat me fair. When shark bite inevitable, relax and enjoy.”
“ What did you just say?” I exclaimed, astonished.
“You beat me fair ,” she repeated in a puzzled tone.
“No, no, the other thing,” I said urgently.
“When shark bite inevitable, relax ?” she answered, looking up at me in a strange way.
“ Where did you hear that?” I asked, tightening my grip on her hands. “ Who taught you to say that?”
“Mother did,” she replied, bewildered. “ Always she say that.”
“Gods above,” I whispered in disbelief, staring down at her perplexed face. “There's only one person I ever knew who used that phrase and she was in a commune.” I took an unsteady breath. “Maria, what was your mother's name?”
“She called Moonbeam,” Maria replied. “Me visit sometimes. Love very much.”
I couldn't believe it. Maria was Moonbeam’s daughter ! No wonder I had felt a connection. My mind was whirling with a myriad of unanswered questions and a whirlpool of emotional longing.
“You're Moonbeam's daughter?” I asked, absolutely amazed at the turn of
“Miss Kim,” she breathed. “You frighten me. Me think you burglar .”
“Yes, sorry about that,” I apologised. “I was just wondering what you were doing out at this hour.”
She hesitated and her eyes narrowed as she looked away. I knew the next thing she was going to tell me would be a lie. “Me go see friend,” she told me.
“I don’t think you did, Maria,” I disagreed. “Why don’t you tell me where you really went?”
She flushed. “ None your business,” she answered curtly. “You not master of me.”
“You’re correct,” I replied quietly, “but I am responsible for security, and I want to know where you were.”
“Me no tell ,” she stated determinedly, pushing past me.
I grabbed her arm and swung her around. “I’d advise you to tell me, Maria,” I advised. “Otherwise I’ll get mad and you wouldn’t like that.”
She immediately sprang backwards and crouched in a combat stance. “Me no tell you anything ,” she reiterated.
“Very well,” I murmured, bringing up my hands into defensive positions. “If that’s the way you want it.”
Maria circled around me and I mimicked her movements, watching her carefully. From her attack on me when I surprised her at the door, I knew that somewhere along the line she’d been given extensive training in the martial arts so I had to be wary. She kicked at me but I half turned and intercepted it with my thigh. She stepped forward and began throwing punches at my head with amazing rapidity. I backed away, blocking each punch as it neared, endeavouring to keep my balance on the slippery hardwood floor. I barely survived her attack, receiving a few grazing punches to the side of my face. She was very good, but I knew that I was better . She momentarily paused to recover from her initial assault and that's when I decided to make a move. I leapt forward and head-butted her in the face. Stunned, she fell backwards and I immediately flung myself on top of her, driving the breath from her body. I sat on her stomach and captured both her hands in one of mine. I placed my other hand around her throat and lightly squeezed.
“Don't do anything foolish, Maria,” I instructed her. “I don't want to hurt you. I just want answers.”
She tried to struggle, but soon submitted to the inevitable.
“That's a good girl,” I said. “Now, are you going to answer my question about where you were?”
“Me tell,” she said in a low voice. “You beat me fair. When shark bite inevitable, relax and enjoy.”
“ What did you just say?” I exclaimed, astonished.
“You beat me fair ,” she repeated in a puzzled tone.
“No, no, the other thing,” I said urgently.
“When shark bite inevitable, relax ?” she answered, looking up at me in a strange way.
“ Where did you hear that?” I asked, tightening my grip on her hands. “ Who taught you to say that?”
“Mother did,” she replied, bewildered. “ Always she say that.”
“Gods above,” I whispered in disbelief, staring down at her perplexed face. “There's only one person I ever knew who used that phrase and she was in a commune.” I took an unsteady breath. “Maria, what was your mother's name?”
“She called Moonbeam,” Maria replied. “Me visit sometimes. Love very much.”
I couldn't believe it. Maria was Moonbeam’s daughter ! No wonder I had felt a connection. My mind was whirling with a myriad of unanswered questions and a whirlpool of emotional longing.
“You're Moonbeam's daughter?” I asked, absolutely amazed at the turn of
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