Death of a Jaded Samurai Read Online Free Page A

wouldn't put it past you to stab a man in the heart."
    "Nope." Her face and temper were on the verge of bursting into flame. "I'd just throw him into a fifty-pound bag of coffee beans and leave him lying half naked on the floor with a cheap floozy and a mild concussion."
    Thayer reddened. "I told you. That was all a misunderstanding. You overreacted and embarrassed me in front of the whole town."
    "Whatever you say. Your girlfriend was the one who talked to the newspapers, not me."
    When he stormed away, Gilda tried to focus. On the student list, there were almost a hundred names, including hers. Her gut told her the perpetrator was on the short list. There were five names on the black belt list: Sensei Mick, Walter Levy, Xavier Wyndham, Razi Mauli, and Erik Cadell. She shuddered as she contemplated drawing a line through Walter's name, just to save the police—in this case Thayer and Fabio—the trouble. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to do so.
    She drew in a deep, bracing breath, and with her hands shaking, she took a copy of both lists to Thayer. "Do you need anything else? Coffee? Tea? An attitude adjustment?"
    "Yeah. What time do you normally start work?"
    "Eleven thirty. We have classes at noon every day. I missed class today because I had brunch with Marion, then a doctor's appointment that ran late. I called to say I would be here by one, then grabbed a tea at Café Beanz before I came in, which is still probably sitting outside the front door because I forgot about it when I realized the door was unlocked."
    "Fascinating." Thayer ran a hand through his hair. "Who answered the phone?"
    "No one. Class had already started, so I left a message. SenseiMick checks the machine all the time anyway." Great. Now she'd made Mick look guilty just for listening to her phone message. "I mean, I don't know who actually heard it."
    Anyone who was in the school, within ten feet of the phone, who was looking for an opportunity, and had a motive.

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Hours later, Gilda rambled around the front lobby, gnawing on her fingernails. No one nail in particular; they were all fair game. The police were gone, their evidence and half the school bagged and tagged.
    Who would want Walter dead? Such a quiet, middle-aged, unassuming man. Sure, he'd made his share of mistakes. Everyone had, but what could he have done that was so bad someone would kill him?
    Marion had called several times during her shift to make sure Gilda was okay and offered to bring dinner, but nothing she mentioned sounded remotely edible. Gilda's stomach still struggled to digest the weak tea with sugar Fabio got one of the younger officers to bring her.
    Doc Graham, who said he was reluctantly taking over in the medical examiner's absence, certainly hadn't looked too happy to be there either. Surrounded by the aroma of pipe tobacco, he gave her a one-armed hug and told her to call if she needed a friend, the name of a therapist, or some antidepressants.
    She'd finally managed to convince Thayer and Fabio she'd be fine to wait alone for the cleaning crew. She promised not to touch anything, and no one would hurt her, especially since she had a half-dozen black belts on speed dial. Of course, that hadn't helped Walter, who was gone with help from the coroner and a thick, black body bag, which had finally hidden his earthly remains from her view.
    "Where is everyone?" Mick strode through the front door.
    She wiped away her tears. "They just left. Didn't you see the parade? Walter caught a lift with the guys from the morgue. Where were you? I've been texting you all afternoon." She sounded crass but no longer cared. How dare he leave her alone to deal with the police and a hundred parents' calls? Wasn't this his school? His business? After all, he was part owner and ran the day-to-day operations.
    He flinched. "Your buddy Thayer grabbed me in the coffee shop and locked me in a room the size of a shoe box. My cell phone was detained by some lab guy, who now