chapter 175

word count: 1426

mr. yoo had called tiffany to meet him at the jewelry shop, as he had received a most disconcerting call while he was relaxing and enjoying the better part of a bottle of plumb wine with mr tsung..  it had been from an associate of the big guy requesting not only his presence at the compound at precisely 2 am,, but also demanding that he bring the stone with him.. 

at first glance, he firmly reprimanding her for her style of dress,, she was not, as he reminded her,, “a common street whore!! why would she disgrace him and dress in such a way?”

despite his disgust,, he went on to confide his plans for the evening in tiffany,, just in case something went awry during his meeting with mr. big,, and he suddenly disappeared..  tiffany was the only one in the family who knew where the vast storehouses of money mr. yoo had amassed over his extensive fencing career were hidden,, and he wanted to make sure she was ready to put all safety measures they had previously discussed in place should he meet with an untimely demise.. being the only child in a chinese family carried much responsibility.. she had been groomed for a moment such as this her entire life.. but somehow when it was really happening it felt surreal.

he firmly reprimanded her once again on the slut like quality of her chosen clothing,, and told her to go home immediately and change out of the unacceptable dress,, and to wait to hear from him there.. 

tiffany accepted her father’s reprimand and direction without question or any visible emotion,, bowed honorably and then left him alone in the shop.. as mr. yoo watched tiffany exit the premises via one of the many security cameras he had in place,, he could not help but notice the unmarked crown vic, most often utilized by the upper echelon of the new albany police department, pull away from the curb across the street from the shop,, and follow her at a safe distance.. 

how had he allowed himself to be so involved in his own set of circumstances that he had failed to notice that tiffany had been followed?? and not only followed,, but by a detective?? he cursed his own selfish distraction loudly,, and placed a call to tiffany.. with his own future obscured at present by the urgency of this clandestine meeting with the big guy,, it would not serve his purposes to have his daughter,, his only child,, in whom he had placed all of his trust,, to be in such a precarious position as well.. 

“tiffany?”

“yes father.”

“i observed a police vehicle follow you as you exited the shop. under what circumstances are you being followed?” mr. yoo demanded.

“oh that.” tiffany tried to play it off like she had known about the tail all along.. “that is just some guy that followed me from the tea room.. american man..  big tipper.. you know…”

“i have not raised a daughter that cannot tell the difference between an amorous man,, and a police detective. i give no credit to your explanation!! as you know i have a prearranged meeting of great importance i cannot see to this matter on my own.. you are not to go home.. to do so would put your mother in much danger..  i shall place a call to mr. tsung at once.. you are to go directly to his home and place of business and stay there until i either come to collect you,, or you hear otherwise. i have put my trust in you. do not dishonor me.” with that,, he disgustedly clicked off the call.. he had no time for such folly.

as he readied himself to leave the shop, he placed a call to mr. tsung.

我的女兒是她的方式給你。周圍的情況非常可疑。我是業務上的問題。我不應該回來，她立即被殺死。我相信你會按照我的訂單隱式。

(“my daughter is on her way to you. the surrounding circumstances are very suspicious. i am off on a matter of business. should i not return, she is to be killed immediately. i trust you will follow my order implicitly.”)

it was not a question.. it was an order,, and he waited not for mr. tsung’s reply.. with that well defined order in place, he collected the diamond and placed it safely in a steel briefcase that he secured to his wrist with a hand cuff, to which only he and mr. big had a key,, locked the safe securely, turned off the lights and entered the well-lit alley behind the store.

***

“fuck, fuck, fuck!!” tiffany beat her hands against the steering wheel as she drove toward the tsung’s. this evening had not turned out the way she had planned at all..  first the little misunderstanding with steve.. then this cop picking up her trail at the tea room?? she was not so naive as to believe that could have been a coincidence.. 

then the most unusual meeting with her father, that not only made it clear she would not have access to the diamond as she had planned,, but caused her to believe mr. big had already gotten word about steve’s untimely demise.. he would not be pleased,, as steve was a man in whom he had put great trust.. what if he had already made the connection??  

now she was being sent into exile at the home of her father’s faithful business associate knowing that she was to be held there under mr. tsungs watchful eye,, and in the event that her father did not return,, he would most certainly be under orders to kill her.. she had seen it done too many times to believe the unwritten law would not apply to her.. such determinate fate went hand in hand with knowing too much.. and she definitely knew too much.. way more, in fact, than they even knew she knew…

she wanted to hit the gas,, lose the cop and just take off.. but she also knew to do so would have not only mr. big,, and the cop’s, but all of the chinese underworld gunning for her.. she decided to take her chances and do as her father had instructed her to do.. for the time being she would be safe with the tsungs.. her mind was quick,, she would think of a plausible excuse while she was there.. she had to.. her very life depended on it..

her mind was a hailstorm of questions.. ‘did they know about steve?? if so,, who knew?? mr. big?? her father?? this fricking detective that had somehow tracked her to the tea room and then ended up  following her to her father’s shop??’ 

no one at the pizzeria knew her name.. sure,, they had briefly seen her face on many occasions over the course of the last few years, but to those white people, all chinese girls look alike.. no one was going to be able to give a detailed enough description of her,, and even if they did,, she had never been arrested.. they would have no mug shot with which to compare the sketched composites.. no fingerprints on file to compare, even if she had carelessly left one or two in the room.. certainly that pig sty of a room was ravaged with fingerprints, making hers indistinguishable anyway.. 

“fuck, fuck, fuck!!” she screamed out at herself as she pulled up the narrow alleyway to the back of the tsung’s restaurant.. “how could you be so stupid??”

as she prepare to exit the car she reminded herself to put on her most honorable face.. she checked her make up in the rear view,, and watched closely as the white crown vic passed slowly by the entrance way to the tsung’s narrow driveway.. 

tiffany stepped from the car,, tried to pull her clingy black dress into as modest a position as it could possibly stretch,, assumed her most innocent smile and approached the rear entrance of the tsung’s.. 

she didn’t even have to ring the bell.. mr. tsung was already standing in the doorway in anticipation of her arrival. he too greeted her with a look of extreme disapproval when he saw how she was dressed.. without saying a word,, he  ushered her in the door,, and up the stairs that lead to his families humble living space..

Chapter 174

word count 1167

Algernon settled at the table, making a conscious effort to stir his tea until the sugar dissolved. “Well, Ms. Trudy,” he said. “I've noticed your frequent outbursts, and I find them disconcerting to say the least.”

She looked back, red-faced. “Algie, I've tried everything,” she said. “I even spent time livin' with nuns to learn to be more patient and humble. Nothin' works!”

“Even the holy sisters couldn't calm you down?”

“No. In fact, I think they was relieved to see me go. I think they were ready to give up their vocations by the time I was done with 'em.” She blushed.

“Ah, I see. So you are a woman of definite passions. To be truthful, Trudy. I can't find fault with that. When you feel something, you feel it good and strong and it bursts out of you of its own accord.” He stirred his tea for a moment and then leaned forward. “You are a human dynamo.”

“Well, a lot of people don't care much for it. The outbursts, I mean.”

“You just need a way to channel your energy.”

“Oh, look! I've already been through relaxation crapola with Dr. Beauregard. It doesn't work for me. I just blast out what I'm thinkin' and that's that. There's no channelin' it.”

“Would you let me teach you some things from the martial arts? I can teach you to respect and harness your inner energies and project them in a controlled fashion.”

“Well, first of all, like what? Martial arts? What the hell do you know about martial arts? You're like, somebody's butler, aren't you?”

“Well...ahem, sure. But I uh...took a course. I can teach you. I earned the highest belt.”

She studied him in earnest. He was sort of cute in a cuddly sort of way, but maybe he really did know how to do that kung fu crap. She was desperate, and if she didn't get her shit together soon, she'd lose Buzz. As it was, he was only tolerating her by a thread.

“Okay,” she said.

“Splendid. I have a little walk-up not far from Buzz's place. Keep two hours free every morning to meet me there, and we'll start your training. In the meantime, let me give you a mini-lesson.” I hope I'm doing the right thing, he pondered...putting the power of the arts into the hands of a hot head. This could be the making or breaking of her. With a sigh, he got up and motioned for her to join him in the middle of the room.

Trudy nodded, but her eyes revealed she was doubtful. She joined him.

“I would like you to think of your energies as sacred, like a white light at your core. Close your eyes and think about it. Take some deep breaths.” He watched quietly. “Do you see the light?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “Pretty.”

“Well, it's more than just pretty. It's you, my dear, you at your very best. You need to love it and respect. When you lash out in an angry outburst, you puncture and wound it. If you must be angry, join with the light and let it temper you. It's your life force.”

Trudy stood silently with her eyes closed. Algernon walked closer and spoke quietly in her ear, taking steps all around her as he spoke. “It's like a weapon, but you only want to use it in the most dire circumstances. Most of the time, you should choose to dance with the light, to let it guide you, and never, ever disrespect it or insult it by wasting its strength on petty out bursts. If you disrespect the light, you disrespect yourself. If and when you must react, you and the light can be one.” He put a hand on her shoulder to nudge her eyes open. “Allow me to demonstrate.”

He took a can of soup off the counter and laid it on its side on the table. Pausing to close his eyes, he stood with his hands clasped in front of his mouth, concentrating. Then without warning, the side of his hand slammed down on the can, denting it as he cried out “Eeeyah!”

Trudy stood by in shock. The can had been transformed into a mangled mess, with green pea soup oozing from a crack in the metal where his hand hit. She looked from the can to him and back again.

“Now you try it,” he said, grabbing another can of soup and laying it in front of her on the table. She looked at him deer-in-the-headlights style.

“Go on!” he said.

She closed her eyes, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet at first. She settled and stood. Then, even to Algie's surprise, her hand suddenly flew through the air and smashed down on the can, hitting every bit as hard as Algie had. He stared wide-eyed at the mangled mess that remained.

“Not bad, Ms. Trudy. Not bad at all.”



* * *
Stephanie poured Hank a cup of coffee and sat back in her chair to study him. Normally, in the morning he liked to chat. She was thankful he wasn't one of those guys who buried his face in the paper while shoving in spoonfuls of cereal. Hank was a social creature, around her anyway, and he seemed grateful they'd found each other and savored every moment they had together. But today, he sat quietly, stirring his coffee as though she wasn't in the room.

“Honey, are you okay?”

“Hmmph, yeah.” He shot a smile but went back to being listless again.

On top of this, last night was the first time in ages they didn't even kiss, let alone anything else. He'd just crawled into bed and barely mumbled good-night.

“I have to leave for work soon. Can I get you something to eat?” she said.

“No...not hungry.”

“Hank, what is going on with you? You're acting like you lost your best friend.”

“I did,” he replied. He launched into an elaborate explanation of all that had happened with Gil.

She listened, her eyes widening when she heard how off the mark Gil's behavior was. “Are you sure he is all right, physically I mean. I mean, he was kidnapped and drugged. Maybe it did something to him.”

“Well, just try to get that crazy Latino to see a doctor.”

“Well, maybe you can't, but a pretty girl can.” Stephanie's eyes lit up as her thoughts ran wild. “I have a friend. She's a doctor, and a beautiful woman. I could point her in his direction, and let her do some magic.”

“Well, she'd have to meet him on her own. I can't introduce them. He's not speaking to me. In fact, he put in for a new partner yesterday.”

“What? Oh Hank!” Stephanie knew how crushing that must be to her man. She grabbed his hand and patted it. “Don't worry. We're going to bring him around. You'll see.”

chapter 173

word count: 1370

buzz hadn’t mentioned to hank and gill that he was planning on stopping in at the tea room owned by mr. gong  yoo’s brother on his way to the precinct.. he also had no idea that the sweet young thing that was currently pouring him a tiny little chinese cup of tea was the daughter of mr. gong yoo himself..  

had he known,, he may have taken her up on her advances, in order to get  a little pillow talk out of her,, above and beyond all the other things he sat there imagining he could get out of her.. 

the proprietor of the shop, mr..hung yoo,, was the younger brother of the notorious fence,  mr. gong yoo.. and as this would not be buzz’s first encounter with the infamous mr. gong yoo,, he had thought it much safer to sneak in the back door so to speak,, and drop in on the tea room as compared to the jewelry shop mr. gong yoo actually used as the front for his fencing operation.. 

as he was sipping on his tea,, and fantasizing about all the indescribable things he would like to do to the sweet young thing that served him his tea,, she was called to the phone by the proprietor,, the conversation was in chinese,, so he had no idea what was being said,, and at this precise moment in time,, given that she was preoccupied and wouldn’t notice as he probed every inch of her firm young body with his eyes,, could really have given a damn who she was talking to or about what.. 

as tiffany hung up the phone,, she consulted with her uncle in chinese of course,, and advised him that her father required her services,, and she needed to leave immediately.. mr. hung yoo,, protested loudly,, as he needed her there,, his regular girl had called off,, and without her there he would be left to service the whole tearoom on his own.. 

little did he know that his brother was deeply involved with the underworld,, and the business at hand was life or death.. in his eyes,, it was just his brother making it even more difficult for him to make a living,, as his older brother took such great pride in being ever so much more successful than he..

buzz watched as tiffany grabbed her coat,, and a black sequined clutch and headed out toward the back door.. 

“hey wait a minute!!” he called out after her, “at least let me give you a tip before you take off..” he stood and reached into his pants pockets for a few crumpled bills.. he found a five,, and handed it off to tiffany,, who proceeded to set her coat and sequined bag on the counter top next to buzz,, as she seductively tucked the fiver in her (as buzz imagined it to be black lace) brassier.. 

for a moment all he could think about was how deliciously warm it must be there,, where she had just tucked the money that had only  moments before been in his pants pocket.. in fact it was not until she slipped on her coat,, and grabbed her black sequined clutch that he realized the sequins on her bag greatly resembled those that had been found at the crime scene just hours before.. 

despite his whole hearted desire to believe there was no way that this luscious little number could have been involved in the murder of steve shingle,, his gut told him he had to follow up on it anyway.. 

he allowed her a few moments to go get in her car,, which was evidently parked out back,, as she took the rear exit,, before he headed out the front door and fired up the crown vic.. he let her get a full four car lengths ahead of him before he began to tail her.. and it was when he saw her turn into the back alley of none other than mr. gong yoo’s jewelry shop that he started to put two and two together.. 

if he could have reached around and patted himself on the back he would have.. “i think i just might have found my way in the back door..” he said to himself as only his self-congratulatory beaming outweighed the bulge that grew ever more prominent in his pants.. yes,, it was true.. nothing quite set buzz off like a volatile mysterious woman.. .

“oh my god!!” he exclaimed out loud as he realized he had forgotten all about leaving trudy alone with mrs. dunn and algernon all night without even calling to make sure they hadn’t killed each other yet..  he found a dark spot on the street across from mr. yoo’s establishment where he could watch the comings and goings even if he could not see what was going on inside the store.. he yanked his cell out of his pocket and placed a call to the house..  

“miller residence winnifred dunn speaking..” winnie immediately assumed her position as housekeeper extraordinaire,, even though she knew that detective miller now knew her true identity as well as her real mission here in the united states.. 

“mrs. dunn, buzz here.. how are things??” he asked hesitantly. quite afraid of what she might have to report.. 

“well all in all i would say tonight has been an unexpected success,, in fact as we speak algie has taken your mrs. hunt over to her home to pick up some more suitable clothing to tide her over while she stays here to accommodate her proximity to her poor ailing son.."

“trudy and algernon in the same car at the same time??” buzz didn’t know whether to laugh or be afraid for algie’s life.. 

“yes, as a matter of fact the two of them seem to get on quite well.. i am in awe myself.. more importantly, detective miller,, any word on priscilla,, i am just on pins and needles here awaiting word.”

“i am afraid i was called out on yet another homicide tonight,, and haven’t had a moment to look into it.. i assure you tho,, it is high on my list of priorities.. i am not at liberty to go into any details of course,, but i have a feeling the case we caught tonight is in some way connected to priscilla’s disappearance…” 

just then,, buzz saw tiffany’s car coming out the alley way,, "gotta go.. tell trudy i will be there as soon as i can..” he said before he abruptly clicked off the call,, and fell in behind tiffany’s car.. the streets were nearly empty.. it was well after midnight,, and he really had to work at staying  out of her rear view mirror.. after all,, if she was who he thought she was,, she was far more adept at losing a tail than the average every day tea room server.. 

***

as algie put the kettle on,, and discovered trudy had nothing but pre-bagged tea to offer,,  she went in her old familiar room to pack a few things to tide her over till buzz could help her move all of her things over to her new abode with him.. 

as the kettle came to a whistle,, trudy emerged with a huge suitcase,, something that resembled an airline carry on, and what could easily have been a hatbox at one time,, all filled to overflowing with clothing, toiletries, and god only knows what else.. 

“well,, i must say you are especially efficient at packing!” algernon complimented her,, even though he noticed stray pieces of garments sticking out from the closures on the bags as if they had been flung together hither, thither, and yon,, and sealed up just as abruptly..

“yeah,, you could say i have done my share of moving in my day.. pretty good at throwing together a few things spur of the moment..” trudy answered as she set her baggage down,, realizing there was  no way she was gonna escape this house without a lecture on her behavior from algie.. 

not looking forward to it,, but realizing that he really was a sweet man at heart,, she sat down as he poured and joined her at the table.. 

“alright” she said, “let ‘er rip!!”

Chapter 172

word count 1099

Hank had no sooner got the words out questioning him on why he didn't acknowledge knowing the victim than Gil exploded.

“WHY DIDN'T I? Who the hell are you to question my motives?”

“You said that guy gave you a lift to the precinct after they dumped you on the highway. Why would you not acknowledge you knew him today?” Hank tried to sound calm, but Gil's incendiary response was a tough thing to stay cool about. He'd seen the Latino angry before, but this was over the top.

Gil ran a hand through his hair and inhaled deep. “Look, I don't know what I was thinking. It was just a split second decision, one that I could regret, I know. But what's done is done. Now quit bugging me about it. Okay?”

“Gil, if anything goes awry, you could end up looking guilty of this murder, just by virtue of the fact you withheld information.”

“Don't you think I know that? Look, I made a mistake! Alright?” Gil's head was spinning. What was wrong with him? Ever since he'd been doped into unconsciousness in that van, his thinking was murky at best. He had a huge empty spot in his head where he had no idea where he was or what he was doing. Truth be told, he wasn't certain at the time that he didn't kill that nurse, just because he'd had amnesia. It was a tremendous relief to find his gun hadn't shot the fatal bullet. Even so, he was a blubbering idiot who couldn't make sound decisions and doubted himself at every turn. For an inkling of a second, he realized how right Hank had been to doubt him. But he quickly cast the thought aside. Instead, he got furious with his partner again, his blood rushing in a crescendo of fury.

“Yeah, well, you know what? I'm not guilty. And I'm sick of you accusing me of every crime under the sun. You know what, Bower? I don't want to work with a man I can't trust and who doesn't trust me. I'm putting in for a new partner as soon as we get back to the station.”

Hank bit his lip and pounded his fingers on the steering wheel. “Gil, you don't trust me. I don't trust you, at least not at the moment. You do what you want. But you might find out at some point I'm the best friend you could have.”

* * *

Tiffany Yoo was back at the tea room, cool, undisturbed by the fact she'd just gunned down her secret lover in cold blood. It wasn't the first time she'd killed a man. It wouldn't be the last. Her most recent victim before Steve had been a patron at the tea room. He'd gotten too seductive, cupping her buns when she leaned over the table to serve him tea, his eyes riveted on her breasts as she worked laying out a cup and saucer. She was offended by his predatory nature, his demeaning treatment of her. When he'd paid his bill and left the establishment, she followed him to the parking lot, pulled out her tiny pistol and went up behind him, issuing the fatal bullet at point blank range. When the police came, she acted the hysterical woman, feigning shock and horror at what happened. No one ever suspected her.

Tonight she regretted losing Steve, but he simply got in the way of her plan to steal the gem from Father's safe and strike out on her own. She'd have done that already, but Mr. Yoo was lingering in his office tonight. She'd miss the rolls in the hay with Steve, wished she could have included him in her plans. But he'd been an idiot. Licking her lips remembering, she next shrugged her shoulders to forget him and move on.

To take her mind off the lost lover, she directed her attention to a new customer coming through the door, a big fellow, dressed sort of all business. His look was sour, but she spied a sensuous mouth that could just as easily emit a resounding, hearty laugh. This was a man of healthy appetites, a man with hungers, a man with needs. She turned her head slightly to study deeper. Yes, she could see it. He could also be a man of danger.

Immediately she wanted him. Her blood pounded with that addictive mix between fearing the unknown and wanting, dying--to rush forward and leap free fall into dangerous fires, to burn, to fight for survival wrapped in flames...the ultimate kick in the ass. Yes, she wanted him. She wanted that ride, that raucous journey...

“Would you like a pot of tea?” she asked.

“Yes, thank you,” replied Buzz Miller. He studied her without holding back, eyes traveling from her perky bust down to a well-rounded butt. His lower regions tingled, but he fought it. Keep your eye on the job, he thought. Mr. Yoo was the most prominent fence on the east coast. He just had to keep his cover and try to do a little business.

* * *

“I don't think I'll ever get used to driving on this side of the road,” mused Algernon as he pulled in front of Trudy's house to be faced with a single empty spot in a row of already parked cars. “Oh dear, parallel parking now.”

“Let me in the driver's seat. I can do it,” Trudy said. She made the offer in a weary tone, as though he were the biggest imbecile on earth.

Such a disagreeable creature, he thought, opening up and getting out of the car while Trudy scooted over to take the wheel. But he wanted to have a talk with her, and the only way to accomplish that was to park and go inside. He stood watching, impressed at her obvious skill behind the wheel.

Once secure in the tight spot, she jumped from car, slamming the door on your way out. “I don't know where ya got that jalopy, but ya oughta get a new car.” She paused to eye him up critically. “Ya look like a well-to-do SOB. I think ya could afford it!”

He cringed at her offensive language. “Perhaps inside you could make a spot of tea so we can settle and have a little chat.”

She stood hands on hips, staring at him. “I don't understand what the hell ya could want to talk to me about. What's this all about, Algernon?”

“It's about your bloody behavior, my dear.”

chapter 171

word count: 1245

gil made a knee-jerk decision to initially not let on that he knew the victim.. a decision he would live to regret.. 

instead he flew into full cop mode.. he and hank working together like the well-oiled machine they had always been in the past.. all differences put aside,, at least for the moment.. 

within seconds, they had uniforms cordoning off the scene,, they had the entire staff separated,, awaiting questioning,, and they had uniforms taking statements from the customers who were in the pizza shop at the time the murder occurred.. 

by the time the crime scene investigation unit appeared on the scene they had the victims i.d. and were running a NCIC background check,, they had come to the conclusion that the shooter had policed his/her own brass,, and they had bagged and tagged the only trace evidence that was visible without disturbing the scene,, three tiny black sequins,, and several jet black, long, straight hairs from the bedspread, that most definitely did not belong to the victim..  

hank headed back down stairs when the CSI team arrived to get the report from the first responders,, as gil signed off the chain of evidence for the items they had collected and gave explicit instructions to the CSI team that he and hank were first on scene and therefore expected full disclosure as soon as any further information became available.. 

buzz joined them,, just as the coroner was removing the body,, and as a team, they collected a detailed witness statement from each of the segregated employees. the initial interrogations took upwards of four hours.. all of those questioned had been notified to be ready at any point in time to be called in for further questioning,, as well as advised that no one was to leave the city.. they left the witnesses in the hands of a couple of sketch artists,, and with the prelim’s under their belts the three of them agreed to meet  back at the precinct to compare notes,, create a timeline,, as well as a list of possible suspects as soon as the sketches came in.. 

one thing they knew for certain before they left the scene.. the perp was an asian female,, and had been seen a number of times in the company of the vic..conveniently though,, no one had any idea what her name was...

no sooner had hank sat down behind the wheel of the crown vic and gil taken his place shotgun,, when hank fired away at gil. “why would you hold back pertinent information?? why would you not disclose that you know the victim?? he was your alibi on the o’houlihan hit before we had the ballistics’ back on your piece!! gil!! what the fuck is going on here???”

***

as the clock struck twelve, trudy grew livid.. she kept on repeating to herself the relaxation techniques that dr beaureguard had prescribed for her when she felt herself going over the edge,, but at this point,, they were becoming all but useless.. and sitting at the kitchen table being stared at by the housekeeper from hell and priscilla’s unlikely looking little husband didn’t help at all.. 

mrs. dunn,, still in a state of utter dismay over detective miller’s having allowed trudy to move into the house, “to be closer to elliot”,, was using every bit of her proper british upbringing to try and maintain her own composure,, and truly if it hadn’t been for algernon,, she doubted she could have contained herself as well as she had so far this evening.. 

algie,, doing his best to mask his own insecurities about just being in the same room with two such potentially explosive women,, did his best to distract them from their lingering hatred for each other..  

“well,, i for one,” he stated as he stood up and made his way to the stove to put the kettle on,, “could do with a spot of tea and some sweets.. have you anything to fit the bill, winnie??”

mrs. dunn stood up from the table and approached the bread box. “well there are a few bickie’s here that i had intended for yesterday’s tea..”

trudy inhaled noisily,, and gave mrs. dunn a piercing look before she blew her breath out with a ‘whoosh’.. 

“cookies,, then mrs. hunt.. would you care for a cup of tea and some cookies while we wait?? it has been a very trying couple of days for all of us…”

“i don’t need you to tell me what a ‘trying couple of days’ it has been.” trudy said in her most mocking british accent.. “in case either of you have forgotten,, i have a son in the hospital having just undergone a serious surgery who i cannot even visit because the stupid security at that hospital has banned me from doing so.. i have been wearing the same clothes for two days,, as i have nothing to change into,, and it seems as if my buzz is more interested in finding that wife of yours than he is in ever coming home to take me to collect my things!!”

“how ungracious it has been of me not to think of it before!!” algie exclaimed, putting his distaste for the bitter remark trudy had just made about priscilla behind him for the greater good.. 

“why don’t you allow me to take you round and collect a few of your things?? it might be just the ticket to get both of our minds off the tragic situation that  has overtaken our worlds.. you with your son,, and me,, with my beloved priscilla…” he looked sternly at mrs. dunn as he said the words ’beloved priscilla’ as in her current state he was quite unsure she would not announce to god and everyone that priscilla was in fact not his wife,, just to incite further distress in mrs. hunt here.. 

“that would be a delight!! a sheer delight!! i do so need a breath of fresh air.. and perhaps winnie here can keep the kettle on,, and i’ll pick up a round of what you americans call donuts so that we can have them with our tea when we return..” he said with a gracious bow,, as he extended his small, soft hand to trudy in hopes that she would be carried away with his extravagant attentions,, and accompany him out of this volatile situation without any further disturbance.. 

“well it couldn’t hurt..” trudy responded begrudgingly,, as she took algernon’s outstretched hand in hers.. 

‘sure,, he’s a nerdy looking little fellow,, but he has the manners of a true gentleman.’ trudy thought to herself as she stood up and hand in hand accompanied algernon to the door.. 

as algie opened the door and gestured for her to please go ahead,, trudy looked back at mrs. dunn as she stood dumbfounded, in front of the stove, amazed by the chain of events as they had just played out before her..

“and you!” trudy said as she pointed her finger at winnie accusingly,, “you be sure to let buzz know if he calls or shows up while i am gone, that not only have i been here all night waiting on him,, but i will be right back as soon as i pick up a couple of things to wear!!”

“ugh!!” winnie sighed aloud, as algie quickly closed the door between them.. 

“what on earth will the two of them find to talk about?” winnie asked as she shook her head a bit and proceeded to pour just enough hot water over the loose tea she had placed  in the pot to make herself a cuppa, to stew over while the most unlikely pair were gone…

Chapter 170

word count 1296

Tiffany Yoo walked through the door of the pizza shop and into another world profoundly different from her own. A whiff of marinara tickled her nose while at the same time the stench of cheeses sickened her. These westerners eat such heavy food, she mused while walking to the spot where she always met Steve. A tiny, wooden table and two chairs were set off in a distinctive corner, making it seem a special setting and not open to everyday customers. On the dingy wall above, a photo of Sinatra hung, dangling there like a patron saint while diners ate.

She nodded to a black-haired Italiano twirling pizza dough before seating herself at the table. He smiled back as though she were a regular. The girl sat facing the dining area which was sparsely populated at this time of day. The front door opened and Steve walked in. He saw her and shot Tiffany a lascivious grin, striding over to sit opposite her.

“Hi doll!” he said, grasping one of her hands in his. “You ready?”

“I'm always ready.”

He jumped out of the chair and pulled her along to a door in the back. Once through it, they ran up skinny steps to arrive on the second floor. Doors with numbers lined each side of the hallway. The couple fumbled down the hall while clawing and kissing, falling through door number six.

They hurled across the room, pouncing on the bed. His tongue pushed between her teeth and met hers to mingle in passion while his hands tore at the lady's clothes, pulling her tiny black dress off her shoulders revealing a black lace bra. By this time, she'd clawed his shirt off him, and they were on their way.

They did this every chance they got—stole away to the crazy Italian restaurant where he rented the room just for their trysts. There was nothing in number six but the furniture that came with it. No one lived here. It was simply their meeting place, the hideaway they'd come to for the last year after first meeting in her father's tea room. He'd come in alone and Tiffany served him tea. And at his request, she read his tea leaves, an extra gimmick they offered in the tea room. Once seated so close to him, their hands touching, she couldn't resist his charms.

She had no romantic notions about love at first sight, but lust at first sight was another matter. What was not to lust? Tall, rugged, dark-haired and blue-eyed with a chest so wide she couldn't help wanting to fall into it. Steve was nothing like the short, frail, Asian men her father tried to match her up with. So many meals with dates arranged by her parents when she was in high school--it practically gave her a complex. Then she got older and took control of her life. Father wasn't pleased, but he gave up trying to match up his renegade daughter. Nonethless, if she brought a non-Asian home, she knew her father would probably kill him. And Mr. Yoo of Chinatown was not someone to anger. There was no choice but clandestine affairs. No problem, she loved the danger.

They finished and held each other in a blissful silence until his cell phone rang. He lifted it to view caller ID, then hesitated.

“Go ahead and answer,” she said. “You know we don't stick to formalities.”

Steve nodded and put it to his ear.

“Shingle.” He said it without his usual bark, still feeling the calming after effects of Tiffany. “Hi, Gil. What can I do for you?”

He paused and listened. “Diana diamond? Yeah, I've heard of it. Didn't I read it's gone missing?...Uh huh...Uh huh...”

As soon as he said “diamond” Tiffany sat up at attention, clinging to his every word.

“Sure, Gil. Count me in. When and where do you want to meet?...good, okay, see you then.” Steve hung up and turned to the hovering girl, arching one eyebrow at her sudden interest. “What's up, babe?” he asked.

“I think I know where the “Diana diamond” is. My father has it.”

“What? Are you shittin' me?”

“No, I saw him with it this morning. Oh Steve, it's huge, very valuable.”

“Well, the cops are looking for it. That guy I was talking to is ...”

Tiffany broke in before he could finish. “Steve, if we had that diamond, we could go wherever we wanted. Just the two of us. It would give us freedom at last.”

“Honey, I'm already free. And what is this? You've never expressed interest in that kind of relationship before. I thought we just have sex, shake hands, and go our separate ways.”

“Yeah, right,” she replied. Shit, she thought. What was I thinking? I don't even need him. I could take the diamond from the safe and head out on my own. But you fool, she thought. You've already told him you have it. He'll tell someone, or maybe even try to take it for himself. You know what you have to do now.

She got up and pulled her dress on, then crossed the room to pick up her tiny, sequined bag off the floor. It landed there, tossed aside when they rushed in the room.

She reached in the purse and turned to Steve. Before he knew what happened, he had a bullet in his skull.

* * *

Gil was back at the precinct, but he wasn't happy about it. He'd tried to nap, but after decking Hank, his nerves were on edge. How in the hell had things come to this? The guy had saved his life more times than he could count, and vice versa. And now, they no longer trusted each other and had come to blows. Well, that was life. Piss on Hank Bower as far as he was concerned.

Hank's desk was empty. Thank Gawd for that, Gil mused. He no longer had made the observation when Hank stepped off the elevator, an angry red bruise on his chin. He spied Gil and turned away, heading for his cubicle.

“Suits me fine,” Gil mumbled, noticing his aloofness. He hit a few keys on the computer and quickly realized he couldn't concentrate. He heard a shuffle and looked up to see Buzz who had been behind closed doors in his office. Now he poked his head out.

“Gil, I just got word there's been a homicide in little Italy. Get on it!” He paused with a thoughtful expression. “Hank, you go with him!” he said. Before anyone could object, he closed the door.

“I'll drive,” Hank said without making eye contact. “Wouldn't want a hot head like you behind the wheel.”

Gil stared him down but didn't reply. They loaded up the car in silence while Gil felt relief it was only a short trip to the Italian neighborhood. Sitting in the car with Hank took everything he had. The tension within the tin can of an auto was unbearable. No one dared speak or even look in the other guy's direction, and yet they sat so close they practically touched one another. Gil knew he couldn't work like this, and felt determined to get assigned to a new partner as soon as they got back.

The throngs of people clustered in front of the restaurant pushed that thought from his mind as his cop persona went into full gear. He and Hank rushed in, flashing badges and headed up the back stairs to the second floor. When they saw what was in room number six, it blew Gil away. Dead on floor with blood draining out of him was Steve Shingle. The same Steve Shingle he arranged to work with not an hour before.

chapter 169

word count:  1437

the florescent bulbs hummed back to life,, as steve shingle flipped the switch and stepped out onto the tarp, to make sure his hit had done the job.. he kicked at manny's body,, and even tho there was no signs of life,, he put another one at close range right between his eyes.. just to be sure.. then very calmly,, as if he did this kind of thing every day,, he kicked the tarp over mannys robust figure and hit the intercom.. 

“can i get a cleaner down here?”

almost instantaneously he heard two sets of heavy footsteps making their way down the steps that led to the basement garage. as the door opened and nick, ‘salami’ solumbrino, and lenny  ‘the puck’ moskowitz, entered the garage to do the cleanup (one of the most shameful tasks that had fallen to them after that total cluster fuck with the schoolboys and their cooking oil),, steve gave them the nod,, closed the door behind him,, and ascended the stairs.. 

he entered what they commonly referred to as the ‘mud room’ where he was carefully given the once over,, patted down, disarmed and sent on his way to the sitting room where he was to await the call from the big guy inviting into his inner sanctum.. 

the door buzzed,, and steve was on his feet.. the door buzzed again,, only this time a little longer,, to allow him time to turn the handle and slide in behind the 10 foot high solid mahogany door.. 

the big guy was settled in behind his sprawling mahogany desk, chewing on one of his best cuban cigars.. “cigar?’ he offered.. 

“no thanks boss,, i do however really appreciate the offer.”

“come closer..” mr big instructed him,, motioning for him to take one of the bomber jacket leather, studded, wing chairs directly across from his perch behind the enormous desk.. 

“i appreciate your willingness to take care of that little matter for me before we had this little talk..” mr. big said as he took his time lighting his cigar and blowing carefully configured smoke rings into the air.. “it’s a damn shame when a guy finds himself surrounded by a bunch of numb nuts,, and has to call in a favor from a friend to get a job done, and done right..”

“always happy to help a friend.” steve said emotionlessly as he took a seat facing the big guy and awaited his permission to discuss the business at hand.. 

“word on the street, stevo, is that you have made a new friend.. possibly an important friend.. one that could be of much use to us in the future.. that is if things are handled properly..”  the big guy exhaled a smooth cloud of smoke,, that had steve had had a weaker constitution would have had him gasping for air.. 

“tell me a little something about this new friend of yours…”

***

mr. yoo walked the crowded streets of chinatown alone, head held high.. he was a well-respected member of the chinese community.. he owned a prosperous jewelry store and was looked up to as a man of great honor.. he bowed graciously to little known passerby’s that bowed to him with reverence.. he shook hands with shop keepers and street people alike.. 

finally he came to the door of small family owned chinese restaurant,, known only to the chinese locals.. it served traditional chinese dishes prepared as if they had come from one’s own mothers kitchen,, not the popular americanized chinese so many had reverted to in effort to attract the many wealthy american tourists.. 

no one in china town would ever have suspected that such a revered member of their own society would have had any ties with the international underworld.. no one that is,, accept mr. tsung the proprietor of the small dark eatery that served only the finest traditional chinese specialties..  as mr. yoo entered the establishment he was met with much praise,, everyone bowing,, or vying to shake his hand.. 

after having exchanged pleasantries, he took his usual table quite near the noisy kitchen so that conversations were less likely to be over heard.. one of the waiters ran quickly to the basement office of mr. tsung,, at advise him of mr. yoo’s unexpected presence.. 

as the wait staff fawned over him,, bringing him a fresh pot of tea and a sampling of the days special dish,, mr. yoo simply smiled and graciously acknowledged each courtesy..  he was growing quickly impatient,, but maintained a pleasantly contented appearance.. 

soon mr. tsung appeared from the recesses of the kitchen,, approached mr. yoo,, bowed respectfully and sat down across the table from him, that is, when mr. yoo directed him to do so..  mr. tsungs presence was a signal to the wait staff that they were not to be bothered.. that included seating no one in the general vicinity of their table together.. 

once secure in the fact that they were going to be left alone,, mr. yoo wasted no time getting directly to the heart of the matter.. 

“我碰見了深不可測的價值的一些東西。我在找一個好地被取得資格的買主方面將要求你的協助

(i have come across something of unfathomable value. i will require your assistance in finding a well-qualified buyer.)

我會被尊敬協助你。如何願我有服務     

 ( i would be honored to assist you. how may i be of service? )

  將對你是必要的聯絡 triad，最特別地在團結的王國做生意的那些。我相信我們從他們將取得我們的最大的價值

(it will be necessary for you to contact the triad,(the chinese underground) most specifically those that do business in the united kingdom. i believe we will get our greatest value from them.)

   

將是我的榮譽要這樣做

(it would be my honor to do so.)

with at mr. tsung raised his hand, thus signaling those in his employ that it was time to bring the specially prepared food to the table..  in a moment a virtual feast was laid out before them.. the two men laughed and cajoled each other which was the chinese custom among honored friends..  today was indeed a day for rejoicing,, and mr. yoo was only too happy to have his respected friend and only confidant, with which to share it.. 

mr. yoo’s daughter tiffany was american born,, and although she had never given her father any reason to question her adherence to the traditional chinese family values,, she had a bit of a secret life,, which up until now she had been thoroughly successful in hiding from her family,, most importantly her father.. 

as was her duty when her father left to an undisclosed location,, (and she knew he would be gone well beyond closing) when the time came to close up the shop she expertly locked the doors and secured the iron bared door over the entrance.. she then proceeded to stow away all the precious gems, in the safe,, lock all the cases,, and see to it that the safe was double checked to make sure it was securely locked.. 

the hour was late,, and tiffany knew,, that as was her custom, her mother would be long asleep at this hour. she was equally as certain that her father would be late in returning to the family home,, as whenever he set off on a lone mission,, he tended to celebrate well into the night.. 

as soon as she had secured the iron security door in the well illuminated alleyway exit from the jewelry shop she got in her car. securely locked the door,, started the engine and placed a call to a gentleman friend of hers.. a gentleman friend her family would never have approved of.. a gentleman friend that should her father ever catch wind of her association with him,, would most certainly result in her gentleman friends permanent disappearance.. 

but young tiffany yoo had a taste for danger,, and the fact that she knew this illicit liaison could very possibly end in death,, made it all that much more intriguing.. 

“shingle.” steve barked into his cell..

“shingle make me tingle…” was tiffany’s whimsical schoolgirl response. as well as her signal to him,, that she had a couple of hours for which she would not have to account..

“baby…”  steve moaned into the phone,, his man parts already on high alert..