* * *
17
My freshman year of high school, I had spent two months at a dojo in Cleveland with a boy who was determined to die by my hand. He had delighted in jumping out and trying to scare me. Somehow he had survived. My brain registered the serious intent of my attacker. He wasn’t as lucky as that kid had been. I didn’t hold anything back.
I slammed my head back into his face and used his moment of pain to twist and duck. I planted a punch in his groin and spun away as he doubled over. I crouched in a deep ready stance and heard the next one coming. He reached for me. I shifted sideways and planted my elbow in the side of his head. A change in air patterns alerted me to another one. I swiveled to a back stance and blocked with a knife hand then grabbed his wrist, twisted it, and took him down to his knees. I kicked his shin and flipped him over.
I could hear the sirens now. They were still distant. I glanced back to where Max was struggling with two opponents. I had another one coming at me down the alley. I did a round-off back handspring and got out of his way. He barreled into another guy who was trying to get up. I whirled, my momentum landing a punch in another one’s face. I grabbed one of the guys fighting with Max and tossed him into the pile. The remaining assailant looked toward the advancing rotating lights and took off running.
I grabbed Max’s arm. “Are you all right?”
He leaned heavily on me. I could hear him struggling to breathe. I helped him toward the door of the dojo. Steven and Ryan had come out. They were both looking around, trying to figure out what had happened. I started to push Max toward Ryan but he hung on to me. “No, Erin. Let the police deal with them.”
I was worried by the sound of his voice. The first car skidded to a stop and an officer jumped out. I whistled to get his attention. “Do you have medics on the way?”
“We do. Who’s hurt?”
I recognized the voice. “O’Brian? Max is in rough shape. There still might be a couple of them in the alleyway.”
He shown a flashlight on me and gasped. “Erin! Holy shit! Are you okay?”
“I’m more worried about Max right now.” I could hear the other siren in the distance. It sounded different.
O’Brian listened to his radio. “The medics are almost here.” He looked at Max. “Come on over here and sit down.”
I glanced back toward the alleyway. Other officers had several of the men in handcuffs. One of them shook his head. “This guy is hurting.”
O’Brian pointed to the curb. “Sit him down. We’ll have the medics look him over before we haul him off.” He went back to examining Max. He pulled open Max’s shirt and shown his light on his chest. “Oh, man. You’ve had some serious surgery.”
Max managed to grin. “A triple bypass fifteen years ago.”
“Damn. And you’re doing this? That’s crazy!”
The medics rushed over and I stepped out of their way. Steven put his arm around me. Are you okay, Erin?”
I nodded. “I’m just worried about Max.”
Everyone else was gathered by the door. Yan scowled at me. “More trouble. You’re like a magnet for it.” He pushed away and disappeared inside.
Steven hugged me. “Don’t listen to him. I don’t know what his problem is lately.”
O’Brian came over. “Come have a look at these guys. I need to know if you recognize any of them.”
I followed him over and looked at them as he shown his light on them. “I don’t know any of them.”
He motioned for the officers to put them in the cars. He leaned close. “I called Palmer. He’s on his way over. He’ll think of some excuse to get you out of here.”
It took me a moment to realize he was talking about Tony. “I’m going to be in so much trouble. The foster care center takes curfew seriously.”
O’Brian put a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll deal with Ms. Auger. Don’t worry about that.”
I glanced toward the medics working on Max. Yan was right about one thing. These guys had been after me and I had put Max in danger. I moved closer and got the attention of one of the medics. “How is he?”
“Considering everything, not too bad. His ribs are bruised but nothing looks broken. We’re going to take him in, just in case. There’s concern because of his medical history.”
Susan’s car pulled up across the street and she got out. The officers let her pass the barricade they had set up. She rushed to Max’s side and hugged him. “What happened?”
Max leaned into her embrace. “Some men jumped us when we came out.” He looked up at me. “Are you all right?”
I hadn’t given it any thought. I’d been more worried about him. I did a fast assessment. “I think so. I’ll probably feel it in the morning.”
The medic I’d been talking to looked concerned. “Were you attacked, too?” He shown his light on me. “Let’s get a set of vitals on you, too.”
I knew better than to argue. He decided I wasn’t hurt bad enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. They loaded Max into the ambulance. Susan leaned inside. “I’ll follow you.”
Max looked up at her. “No, see to the dojo first and make sure Erin is safe. You know how long it takes to get through everything at the hospital.”
Susan nodded. “I love you, Max. I’ll be there in a while.” She backed out so they could shut the doors. She put her arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, Erin. He’ll be okay.”
I could hear the tremor in her voice. She was shaking. “This is my fault. They were after me. And now Max is hurt.”
Susan pulled me toward the dojo. “You can’t think that way. You didn’t make those men attack Max.” She hugged me tightly. “I used to get angry a lot. Life sometimes seems so unfair. But we have to be honest with ourselves and sort out what is our own doing and what is beyond us. You are surrounded right now with a lot of things beyond your control. I don’t know what was going on with your mom but that wasn’t something you did.”
I glanced in the direction of the police cars that held some of the men who had attacked us. They didn’t look like the type my grandfather would hire. “I don’t know if this has anything to do with my mom. I’m worried this has something to do with what’s going on at school. And that would make it my responsibility because of a choice I made. I thought I was just protecting another student.”
Susan smiled at me. “That’s the kind of person you are. Max knows that and so do I.”
O’Brian came up to us. He looked uncertain. “Your lawyer is here. She wants to assign you to protective custody.”
I didn’t know what that would entail. I looked at Susan. “I don’t know if I should come back to the dojo. I don’t want to put anyone else in danger. I just hope Max will understand.”
“I’ll talk to him about it.” She pulled a card out of her wallet and handed it to me. “Call my cellphone tomorrow morning and I’ll let you know what he thinks.”
I took the card, hugged Susan, and followed O’Brian toward a group of officers. They parted as we approached. Diana, David, and Tony were with them. David was frowning at Tony. “Are you sure these are the same guys?”
Tony had his hands on his hips. “We’ve been working this case almost two months. At least two of them are known members of the No Names. The others look older. They could be part of the outside source.” He looked over at O’Brian. Our eyes met. “Erin! Are you okay?”
“I’ll live. I’m more worried about Max right now.”
Tony’s face creased. “How bad was he hurt?”
“They aren’t sure. They’re taking him to the hospital for x-rays.”
Tony hung his head. “I should have stayed. I should have known there would be retaliation.”
Davy scowled. “So you want to drag Erin even deeper into this by hanging around her? These guys aren’t messing around. She has enough problems right now.”
O’Brian cleared his throat. “Speaking of, I’ve talked to Ms. Auger. She wants to know if we’re bringing Erin back to the center.”
Tony put his head up. “No.”
David looked surprised. “What? Why not?”
“Because at least three members of the No Names are there. These guys are serious. They don’t take failure lightly. If she goes back there, not only will she be in danger, but others around her could be, too.” He looked at Diana. “What will it take to get her set up in a safe house?”
Diana glanced at her watch. “Considering how late it is and that it’s a weekend, it could take me a while.”
“Fine. I’ll keep her with me until you have things arranged. My cover will be a good alibi. Call me when you’ve got it all set up.” He held out his hand to me. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.”
David grabbed his arm. “You’re on the line, man.”
Tony glared at him. “Have you forgotten who actually cracked our case for us? It’s our fault she’s in this mess and I’m going to keep her safe.”
David backed down. He gave me a look. I had a pretty good idea what it meant. I looked at Diana. “Is this going to be a problem?”
“No. I’ll talk to both Captain Hagen and Captain Pierson. We’ll keep you safe.”
Tony moved past David and put his arm around my shoulders. “My bike is parked on the side street.” He led me away from the group.
I could hear David questioning his sister’s sanity. I was worried. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
Tony sighed. “I’m the one who got you in trouble.” We stopped beside a motorcycle. He opened a compartment in the seat and pulled out a helmet. “Put this on. I’ll help you adjust the straps.” He pulled his own on.
I tightened the straps of my backpack and got on the bike behind Tony. I’d never been on a motorcycle before. It was a little unnerving. He started the engine. I put my arms around his waist and hung on.
I had no idea where we were going. The world flashed by around us. There was no protective layer of metal between me and everything else. I trusted him. He obviously knew what he was doing. I just couldn’t make myself relax. We got away from the business district and drove down streets lined with houses. He eventually pulled into a driveway and shut off the bike.
Tony pulled off his helmet and helped me off. I was trembling. Was is from the vibration of the motorcycle? He led me toward a door on the side of the building. “This is my cover house. Supposedly, the Jensen’s live here with me and my mom taking up residence in the converted space behind the garage.”
I followed him in. “So who really lives here?”
He grinned. “A few officers stay in the main house. I crash here when I’m on duty.” He turned on a light to illuminate the small space. “It’s not much but it’s a place to hang out until Diana can get a safe house lined up for you.”
I sank down onto a warn couch. My watch told me it was already well into Saturday. “I don’t know what to do. Just when I think I might be able to finally stop running, I find something else chasing me.”
Tony sat down next to me and pulled me close. “I’ll find a way to get you out of this. I got you into it.”
His arms around me were reassuring. I was finally able to relax a little. “What do the No Names want?”
He let me go and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. “When Davy and I started working this case, we had no clue what kind of drugs we were dealing with. There had been a bunch of overdoses at the end of the last school year and two more before we were dropped into it near the beginning of this one. We assumed it was a new party drug and we were trying to find the entry point. That’s usually how it works. There’s an outside source that supplies dealers in the school so the challenge is to figure out who the dealers are and work in toward the source.”
“So sometimes it looks to others like you’re a drug dealer.”
He got a quizzical look. “I suppose so. Why?”
“One of the other Junior Masters at the dojo recognized you and warned me that you were a drug dealer.”
Tony closed his eyes. “I’ve worked in a lot of schools in this area. I’m starting to run out of places that don’t recognize me.”
“But that works to your favor. Doesn’t it? I mean, it’s part of the reputation thing. The No Names probably have connections beyond Hamilton. You said they have a source. That source wouldn’t just supply them but also other dealers who might be working other schools. So, as the old saying goes, your reputation precedes you.”
He studied me. “That’s very observant. Which is why I have to work so hard to keep up that reputation. Some of the guys in my division actually have female officers that they work with. They get dropped in at a different time so suspicion won’t be raised.”
“And so you won’t have to deal with issues like Rita.”
“Yeah. And Rita is still an issue.” He massaged the bridge of his nose. “I had hoped she would back off if I focused on you. I didn’t expect her jealous kickback. That girl is really messed up.”
I curled into the corner of the couch. “I wonder what causes Rita to act the way she does. Actions are often the visible effects of hidden causes. Like falling objects. We see the actions of their fall but the real cause is something that has pushed them into the pull of gravity.”
He looked over at me. “I have to keep reminding myself that you’re only seventeen. You’re smarter than a lot of much older people I know.”
I closed my eyes. “I don’t feel smart. If I was smart, I’d be able to figure out what my grandfather is really up to.”
Tony reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around mine. “We’ll sort that out. Don’t give up. Diana is a good defense attorney. She’s helped a lot of people who were in tough situations get everything straightened out.”
I needed to think about something else. “Did you and David get your list organized?”
It took him a moment to catch up with my change of topic. “I think so. We’ve got over a hundred kids on the list. Some get pink pills, some get blue, and a few get green, purple, and yellow. I haven’t seen any of those yet. By what I can tell, the blues are downers and the pinks are uppers. I have no idea what the other colors might be for.”
His fingers were rubbing mine. It made me feel odd. I wasn’t sure why. I tried to focus my tired mind. “Were you able to get a copy of the book with the equations in them?”
“It’s out of print but I ordered an electronic copy.” He let go of my hand and got up. He shuffled the contents of the coffee table by the couch and uncovered a laptop. The electronic glow highlighted his face. He spent a moment tapping keys. “Here it is.”
I sat up and moved next to him so I could see the screen. “Start with the table of contents.” I studied the list. “Try that section.”
Tony manipulated the document. “What are you looking for?”
“I know which drugs the chemistry class was making. By reading the descriptions of each one, we should be able to narrow down what the other colored pills are for.” By process of elimination, we found the answers. I was puzzling over all the details in the book when Tony’s phone rang.
Tony looked at the number and answered. “Hey, Diana. What’s the scoop?”
“Are you and Erin in a safe place right now?” Her voice sounded strange through the phone’s speaker.
“Yeah. We’re at my cover location. The lights were on in the main house so I’m pretty sure at least one of the other officers is here.”
“Good. Keep her there.”
Tony looked puzzled. “What’s going on?”
“While I was getting papers filed, some things came in. One of them was a call from a detective in Los Angeles. He’s been trying to get an indictment on Johnathan Harmond for the past couple years. He’s filled in some missing pieces. Bring Erin to my office in the morning. Oh, and let her know that Max is okay. Nothing is broken. They released him about an hour ago.”
Tony relaxed a little. “Good to hear.” He looked at me. “What time do you want us in your office?”
“Let’s make it ten. I don’t know about you but I need to get a little sleep.”
Tony glanced at his watch. “Sounds good. We’ll see you then.” He ended the call and slipped the phone back in his pocket. “We should wrap this up for now. Diana’s right. Sleep is a good thing. I’ll set an alarm.”
“I’m not sure I can sleep. It’s already almost five in the morning.”
Tony closed the computer. He set the alarm on his watch and grabbed a blanket that had been draped over the back of the couch. “Come here. You look tired.” I leaned against him and he tucked the blanket around me. I rested my head against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat. He kissed the top of my head. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Just close your eyes.”
His voice had become very soft. I could feel the gentle rise and fall of his chest and hear the air moving through his body. I thought about David’s warning. Just how far over the line could Tony go without getting into serious trouble? The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt Tony. Philip had been seriously hurt because of me. I closed my eyes and felt the warm trickle down my cheek.
Tony’s gentle whispers roused me. “Hey, sunshine. It’s about time to roll. I need to get you some food before we hit Diana’s office.”
I tilted my head and looked up at him. “I don’t even remember falling asleep.”
He grinned. “Well, now if Rita asks if you slept with me, you can honestly answer yes.”
I felt my cheeks getting warm. I sat up and looked around the room. “There isn’t much to this place. Does it have a bathroom?”
“That door right there. I’m going to throw on some clean clothes so give me a moment before you come back out.”
I went into the bathroom. It also contained a stacked washer and dryer and a unit I supposed was a furnace. I waited a few minutes and opened the door a crack. “Is it safe?”
“I’m decent.” Tony was lacing his boots. He stood up. “My turn. I’ll be out in a moment.”
I looked down at my wrinkled clothes. It was all I had besides my gee and leotard. Tony came back out and zipped up his coat. I picked up my backpack. “Is there a way I can at least get my clothes from the center?”
“I’m betting Diana can do something about that.” He opened the door and looked around carefully before stepping out. He motioned for me to follow. “I don’t know how many people know where I go after school. That’s the whole reason we set this place up. I found out last year that my own place was compromised when a drug dealer had me followed.”
I looked around the quiet neighborhood. The sun had actually broken up the clouds for a change. “Would they try something here?”
He handed me the helmet. “I hope not but I don’t like taking chances.” He straddled the bike and held out his hand. I got on behind him. We drove down toward the area of town I had become familiar with. He leaned back at a stoplight. “I’ll take you to my favorite morning hangout. Not only is the food good but some of the boys hang there and it will help our alibi.”
He parked by a small restaurant. He put his arm around me and led me toward the door. I could see at least three familiar faces. “Looks like some of the guys.”
He opened the door for me. “Tyco, Willie, and Josh at that table.” He pointed to the other corner. “Rambler and Jacks over there.” He guided me to a booth away from them.
A waitress came over. She paused and stared at me for a moment. “And here I thought the boys were exaggerating. This has got to be your Dragon Lady.” She put menus down in front of us.
Tony pushed them away. “Don’t need those. My regular and the morning house lite for my Lady.”
I didn’t say anything. I trusted Tony. She wrote something on her pad and looked at me. “Want some coffee?”
“No. Hot water and tea, please.”
Her eyebrows arched. “Well, that’s different.”
Tony gave her a look. “You got a problem with that?”
I put my hand on his arm. “Be nice.”
He picked up my hand and kissed my fingers. “Anything for you.” The waitress escaped and Tony chuckled. He leaned across the table. “You know, she’s probably twice my age but she’s made some very obvious suggestions to me.”
I glanced at her retreating back. “My mother would have never done anything like that.”
His face softened a little. “I doubt your mother would have worked in a joint like this.”
I looked around. “I don’t know. It doesn’t look all that different from some of the places she worked at. There were times when we couldn’t afford to be picky.”
The waitress returned with a cup of coffee for Tony and a teapot for me. She also had a basket with assorted teas. “Your order will be up in a few.” She moved on to another customer.
Tony was struggling to hide a grin. “The boys are watching us.” He captured my hand again. “This will definitely solidify our story.”
I glanced at the reflection in the window. I could see them trying to get a better look. We were on display. I thought about the couples I’d seen. My expression was probably wrong. I pulled Tony’s hand closer. “Do you know how much I hate having people behind me?”
He leaned over the table enough that our foreheads almost touched. “That’s why I’m watching everything behind you.”
The waitress returned with our food and we had to back away so she could set it down. My plate was sufficient - a couple of scrambled eggs, a couple pieces of toast, a small dish of yogurt, and a nice portion of fresh fruit. Tony’s was considerably more. We ate in silence. Tony made sure no one disturbed me until I’d finished eating. He paid for our meal and we rose to leave.
One of the guys moved in our direction. Tony put his arm around me and guided me toward the bike. The guy followed us out. Tony looked back over his shoulder at him. “You got a problem, Jacks?”
“I guess I’m just a little surprised to see her with you this morning.”
Tony growled. He swung away from me and caught Jacks around the neck, smacking him against the corner of the building. Tony got in his face. “What do you know about what happened last night?”
The kid looked terrified. He was struggling to breathe. I moved forward and grabbed Tony’s arm. “If you kill him, you’re not going to get an answer.”
I could see the boy’s eyes expand with terror. Tony relaxed his grip a little. “I asked you a question.”
“Just what I heard. The No Names wanted to hurt her. They wanted to get back at you for some dropped deal.”
Tony’s face tightened into a snarl. “Maybe you should tell me who you heard it from. So I can rearrange his face.”
“Jawbreaker. He and Frankie were talking in the lower hallway after school. You was already gone.”
I put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Let him breathe.” I glanced around and dropped my voice. “We have an audience.”
Tony let him go. “Fortunately, I went to pick up my Lady. The cops showed up and picked up the pieces. Nobody messes with my Lady.” He straightened his jacket, cracked his knuckles, and turned away from the trembling kid. He handed me the helmet and put on his own. We got onto the bike and pulled away.
I didn’t say anything. He parked next to Diana’s car and looked back at me. “Thanks for not countering me back there. I have my reasons.” We pulled off the helmets. “They don’t know how good of a fighter you are and that’s an ace in the hole.”
I wondered how he knew. “How long have you been doing this?”
He shrugged and led me toward a door. “Since I graduated from academy. They said I looked too young to be taken seriously as a beat cop and I ended up in the juvenile narcotics division. I think I’ve been there four years now.”
I looked at him. “How much longer are people going to believe that you’re a teenager, especially if your reputation is so widespread?”
He opened the door to an office. Diana was talking to Captain Hagen as we entered. They both paused and looked at us. Tony’s expression
was serious. “You ask some really tough questions. I’ll have to think about that one.” He looked at Diana. “Sorry we’re a little late. I wanted to make sure Erin ate breakfast and we ran into an issue.”
Captain Hagen grinned. “I heard. The unit pulled in shortly after you left. Everyone knows you there.”
“That was the idea. I’m trying to set up a cover for Erin. Jacks confirmed that it was a planned hit to get back at me for dropping the deal. I’m going to have to talk to Pierson and find out how he wants me to handle that.”
I was watching Diana. Her expression was tight. She handed Tony a file. “Detective Owens from Los Angeles had this delivered by special currier this morning. Interestingly enough, he’s familiar with the Gordon case. It made the news across the state when it happened. He’s going to look into some of the details because he believes it might be connected.”
Tony flipped through the file and stopped on a picture. “Fernando Lopez? Holy shit!” He pulled out his phone.
Diana and Captain Hagen both looked puzzled. I watched the play of emotions across Tony’s face as he waited for someone to answer. Diana motioned for me to join her on the other side of the room. “Did you feel safe last night?”
“With Tony? Yes. Why?”
Tony sighed. “It’s about time. Before you say anything, I need you to look up a name. Fernando Lopez. I think it was the Northside High School case last year.” He paced a short track.
Diana looked puzzled. “Is this guy connected to something up here?”
Tony held up his hand. He listened to the response. “Yes! I knew the name was familiar. You’re never going to believe this. He just showed up. He’s connected to Erin’s grandfather.”
Diana’s face wrinkled with worry. She waited for Tony to finish his call. “How do you know this guy?”
Tony flicked the edge of the picture. “Because a source dealer gave up the name in a reduced sentence plea. This guy is the big leagues. Not just interstate but international. We could never pin him down. How is it that LAPD is just sitting on him?”
“Detective Owens said they didn’t have enough evidence to take the case to the DA. But I don’t think he was working on a drug connection.”
Tony went back to the file. He studied several of the pages. His breathing became faster. I watched his eyes track across the words. He finally looked up at me. “Remember the men in black a few days ago? I can almost guarantee they work for this guy.” He looked at Diana. “According to this, Jonathan Harmond borrowed a large sum of money from Lopez to fund a major corporate merger but the deal went bad and Harmond lost a lot of the money. I’m betting Lopez hired those goons to grab Erin as collateral.”
I shook my head. “But why? He doesn’t even believe I’m his granddaughter?”
Diana went to her desk and picked up a collection of paper. “But Mr. Harmond has been financing the search for you and your mom with his own funds. Maybe Mr. Lopez figured that made you important enough to use as a bargaining chip.”
I thought about Mr. Craig’s lectures on investments. “That doesn’t make sense. What good would I do as collateral? If he lost the money, what would he use to pay a ransom?”
Diana leaned against her desk. “Desperate men do desperate things. Maybe Lopez figures that getting you back would be important enough for Mr. Harmond to do whatever it took to come up with the funds.”
Tony gave the file back to Diana. “So, now what? Erin could still be a potential target for Lopez and now, thanks to me, she’s in danger from the No Names.”
I looked at my watch. I doubted there would be a Junior Master’s class this morning. Would Max want me to stay away from the dojo? I looked over at Tony. “I need to call Susan and see what Max decided.”
He pulled out his phone. “About what?”
“If I’m still teaching there or not.” Tony handed it to me. I pulled out Susan’s card and dialed the number of her cellphone.
She answered. “Erin, are you safe?”
“I’m okay. I’m at my lawyer’s office right now. How’s Max?”
“Worried about you. Are you going to be able to come this afternoon?”
“Does he still want me to?”
“Of course he does.”
Tony grinned at me. “Looks like I’m going to come take classes and learn some Kung Fu fightin’.”
I managed not to laugh. I looked at Diana. “Is it okay with you?”
She glanced at Captain Hagen. “I think as long as Tony is with her, she’ll be safe.” She looked at Tony. “Do regular check ins. Let the department know when you get ready to leave so they can increase patrol coverage.”
Tony chuckled. “She’s probably safer there than anywhere else. She’s surrounded by a flock of martial artists.”
I assumed that meant yes. “Sounds like we’ll be there. See you in a while.” I hung up and handed the phone back to Tony. “You’re going to have to stay in character. Several of the Junior Masters know you from other schools.”
“I can do that.” His words were slurred.
Captain Hagen nodded. “Press the panic button if you have any trouble and I’ll roll units.” He said good bye and left.
I looked down and remembered my clothes. “Diana, how long am I going to have to be in protective custody? The few things I have left are at the center.” I looked at Tony. “And it’s not exactly a secret that I’ve been staying at the center. How are we going to explain where I’ve been?”
He smiled. “Well, you know how you’ve tamed me? Maybe I’ve had a bit of influence on you, too. I convinced you to run away and stay with me.”
That worried me. David’s warning about crossing the line echoed in my brain. This could seriously get him in trouble. “I’ll go along with that only if your Captain agrees.”
He frowned. “I’ve got to check in with him anyway. When does your first class start?”
“Twelve-thirty.”
“Noted.” He glanced at his watch and pulled out his phone.
Diana pulled me over to her desk. “I’ve been going over the investigation reports that Mr. Hart presented at the trial. There are a lot of interesting holes.” She held up an envelope. “This could end that entire controversy on the spot.”
“What is it?”
“The records I asked Valley Hospital for. Not only does this include their copy of your birth certificate but also the medical files from your mom’s delivery and post care. Interestingly enough, she also has a month of maternity care from this doctor, which wouldn’t support your grandfather’s statement.” She handed me a document. “And it seems you spent a few days in infant critical care because of jaundice. According to this record, you were transferred there from the delivery room, which also doesn’t fit the report findings.”
I felt a sense of relief. Tony came over and sat down beside me. He was containing a grin. “I think Pierson wants to hire you.” He started laughing. “He told me to extend his personal thank you for the work you did on the drug identification.” He leaned on Diana’s desk. “Since Erin is so vital to the case we are working on, I have been instructed to make myself available to you as needed in her protection.” He said it like he was repeating a rote phrase.
Diana burst out laughing. “You imitate him so well.”
Tony glanced at his watch. “So, I need to get Erin to the dojo and figure out a good cover to make her fellow masters accept my presence.” He looked over at me. “Any suggestions?”
“I don’t know who all knows you. At least Yan and Steven do.”
Tony got a quizzical expression. “Yan? As in Asoko?”
“Yes. Do you know who he is?”
His face seemed to melt. “Yeah, I know him.” The abrupt change in his tone startled me. Tony got up. “He goes to Shoreview.”
I rose and followed him toward the door. I put my hand on his shoulder. “What is it?”
Tony paused at the door and slowly turned back. “Davy and I had been sent in to shut down a party drug
ring. There’s a lot of rich kids in that school.” He sighed. “Yan was going out with this pretty blond. Her name was Sarah. She saw one of her friends being pressured by one of the dealers and tried to intervene. The dealer stabbed her and she died.”
I staggered and Tony caught me. I tried to wrap my mind around that. “What nationality was the dealer?”
Tony pulled me into his arms. “He was Caucasian.” His voice was soft.
“Maybe that’s why he thought Philip and I shouldn’t be friends. Because of what happened to her.”
Tony’s breath was ragged. “We wrapped the case and the dealer tried to slip away. I was posing as a rival dealer. I went after him on the pretense that he owed me money. He had more than enough on him for a conviction to stick so I called in back-up. But we got into a fight and I couldn’t slip away so they ended up having to arrest me, too.”
“Which is why Yan thinks you were arrested for dealing drugs.”
“Yup.” He hugged me. “Maybe I should just drop you off. You could call me when you finish up tonight and I’ll come pick you up. I don’t think the No Names are crazy enough to try to do anything to you in the dojo. Even Lopez isn’t that stupid. You’ll be surrounded by your friends and they can all kick ass pretty well. You’ll be safe.”
Diana had come over to us. “I feel like I missed something.”
Tony told her briefly what had happened to Philip. Charlie McCribbon is back in jail. He’ll probably be tried as an adult this time because he’s been in juvi more than three times and he’s seventeen.” He let me go. “Let’s get you over there.”
We got to the dojo and Tony parked his bike behind Max’s car. He walked in with me, his arm tight around my shoulders. I led him to Max’s office. Max looked up as we entered. He tried to stand but Tony held up his hands. “Don’t get up on my account. Erin said you took a serious beating last night.”
Max settled back into his chair. “Nothing’s broken.”
I looked at the bruises on his face. I felt horrible. “I’m so sorry, Max. The last thing I ever wanted to do was bring trouble to you.”
Max managed a slight grin. “It wasn’t your fault, Erin.”
Tony sighed. “No, it wasn’t. It was mine. Those guys went after Erin to get back at me. I backed out of a deal. Erin saved me twice from one of the dealers and they planted a pipe bomb in her locker. I managed to get two of them arrested. This was payback. I’m sorry.”
Max shook his head. It was your…”
I saw Yan out of the corner of my eye. “Protective nature.” Both of the men looked surprised. I nodded toward the doorway. “Max, I know that Tony has had his issues in the past but he really is trying to clean up his act. Training in the martial arts teaches control. I think it would benefit him.”
I watched Yan out of the corner of my eye. He was watching us from the other side of the kitchen. Max leaned over and looked out the door. “Did you need something, Yan?”