Dojo Double

by Dave Sypher

Lora shrugged. "I think of it as the new tennis, though some of the men around the office are calling it 'tennis for geezers’, since it’s easier for older people to play.”

  "Sounds like some of the men at your office are dicks.”

  "Yeah, but what can you do? I avoid getting together with them outside of work, and they all know under no circumstances will I tolerate being asked out during work hours, so they have at least learned to act like decent human beings around me.”

  Shinju laughed. Lora was outspoken and fiercely independent, which she said often got her called a bitch behind her back, but nothing could be further from the truth. Lora was kind, loving, and giving if you weren’t trying to treat her like a piece of meat.

  "Tell me about this case of years,” Lora said. "I hope it's nothing like the rest of your out-of-state cases!”

  "So far, it looks like a missing persons case. The family of one of the missing people has hired me to see if I can turn up any more information because the authorities have stopped looking for the missing woman and her husband. I've asked them for the original police reports and I'm going to speak to a few people, look at their house, and I'm going to visit the area where they were last seen. That last one is going to be the most interesting. It's inside Yosemite National Park, so I'm going to have to do some hiking in Northern California. I've got a satellite tracking device and I will also be taking bear spray with me.”

  "Bear spray? You might be running into bears?” Lora’s face showed her distress.

  "No, I probably won't see any bears, but given how things have gone on my other out-of-state cases, I'm not taking any chances. I imagine I'll end up with this canister of bear spray sitting in my closet for the next couple of years. Of course, if I enjoy camping out, I might start doing that here in Arizona. If I do, you'll have to come with me.”

  "As long as you're not dragging me out to the middle of the desert in the middle of the summer I'm in. We could spend some time up at the Grand Canyon. It should be much cooler up there, and of course it's so beautiful.”

  "Yeah, a girls' trip to the Grand Canyon sounds like a great idea. Keep that in mind, and remind me after I get back. I've got some paid time off coming, and it will be nice to get away from the valley for a few days.”

  As Shinju took a drink of her beer, she noticed a man staring intently at her from across the bar. She sighed as a man got up and began walking in her direction.

  "You're that woman,” the man said, shaking a finger at her, "The one that they were talking about on the TV. You've been helping out the FBI.”

  Shinju wasn't sure if the man was pleased or displeased by her involvement with the FBI. She chose to act as though he was pleased, and she smiled up at him, saying, "Yes, that was me. I helped them with one case in another state. I’m a private investigator, and the family of the victim asked me to look into her murder, and after I turned up some new evidence, the FBI asked me to participate in their joint task force which consisted of their agents and also members of the local police department. I thought it was very nice of them to recognize me for the small part I played in their operation.”

  Another man overheard their conversation, and butted in, saying, "You should really mind your own fucking business. You and them damn feds and them damn stinking pigs should all just leave the rest of us the hell alone!”

  "I was involved in the case already,” Shinju explained to the man. "And I feel it behooved me to help bring a murderer to justice. Therefore, when the FBI asked me to join their task force, I agreed. I didn't do it for the feds and I didn't do it for the 'damn stinking pigs’ as you call them. I did it for the family of the victim. They now know who killed their daughter and why, and that is a lot more than many other people get when their loved ones are murdered. And by the way Mr. Nosy Buttinsky, if I were you I would think twice before calling the police names in front of people I don't know. One of those 'damn stinking pigs’ is my father, and I don't appreciate hearing someone I don't know call him names. So why don't you piss off, asshole.”

  "Fuck you, you crazy narco bitch.”

  "Hey, there's no need for you to be such a bitch, Noah. She was just doing her job.”

  Now that Shinju knew his name, Noah looked uneasy. She watched him slink off through the crowd.

  Turning to the man who defended her, she smiled, "Thanks for the bail out. I don't know why, but once you've been on TV, a lot of people think you're a celebrity or a pariah, and like you said all I was doing was my job.”

  The man nodded to her. "Keep up the good work. I found out someone I used to go to school with was murdered when I attended the reunion. That case remains unsolved, so I have an idea of what families go through,”

  "I'm sorry to hear that happened. Hopefully, someday evidence will come to light that will solve that case.”

  The man left, and Shinju and Lora spent the remainder of their time catching up on each other's personal lives.

  When it was time for her to go, Shinju visited the bar.

  "Hey, Andrej, I'm off in another case, so you won't see me in here for a few weeks. Keep the Flying Skirts cold for me until I get back.”

  Andrej reached out, squeezing one of her hands. "You've got it, Shinny.”

  Chapter five

  Shinju was tired by the time she reached Sacramento. Her flight plan had routed her through San Diego, where she had an hour layover before traveling on to Sacramento.

  She was surprised when the clerk at her rental car agency gave her some unsolicited advice.

  "Is this your first time to Sacramento?”

  "Yes, it is,” Shinju smiled at the woman.

  "I'm not supposed to say anything, but since you're alone, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, I don't recommend you carry a purse. Keep your money in your front pocket, and leave your wallet locked up in your luggage unless you think you'll need your identification. Park as close as you can to any building that you're going to enter. Keep your doors locked until you're ready to leave the car, immediately lock your car after getting out, and walk straight into any building. When you get accosted, and you will, tell anyone who is demanding money from you that you're sorry but you don't have any cash on you. Don't just ignore them and walk on. Doing that will piss them off, and they are more likely to continue bothering you. If they ask why you don't have any cash, point to the rental car and say your car was destroyed in an accident, and all your money is going to repairing your car and paying for the rental that you need for work. Try not to hold your nose when you walk out of any restaurant, and whatever you do, try not to get stuck in a window seat anywhere that you eat around here.”

  Shinju shook her head. "Are things really that bad here? I thought that was only going on in LA.”

  "Unfortunately, all the large cities are being inundated with the dregs of society. Some of them are honestly homeless due to no fault of their own, but the majority of them, even if they became homeless through no fault of their own, have gotten so used to handouts that they refuse to do anything to better their situations. There is also an enormous population of drug users. I don't know which group is responsible for starting the whole using public streets as bathrooms situation, but it is completely out of control. As soon as my lease is up, I'm getting the hell out of California. I see from your license that you're from Arizona, and if you're thinking of moving here, I have to say I don't recommend it. The crime rates have skyrocketed, you can't walk through downtown areas without running into homeless and/or drug users demanding money, and our taxes are always increasing so that we can pay for services for the people who aren't contributing anything positive to our area. If you came here on vacation, let me apologize in advance for some of the things you're going to see.”

  "Actually, I'm here on business. However, I'm grateful for your advice, and I'll do my best to follow it until my business is done.”

  Activating GPS on her phone, she followed the directions to the hotel where she would be staying. Looking around
the parking lot, she didn't see anyone loitering, but she made sure she grabbed her suitcase and went into the hotel as quickly as she could.

  When she was in her room, she pulled out her phone, calling Cassandra's number.

  "Nash Distillery. This is Cassandra speaking.”

  "Hi, Cassandra. It's Shinju, and I just checked into the hotel. I'm going to rest for the rest of the day, but I'd like to get an early start tomorrow. Were you able to get copies of the police reports?”

  "Yes, the police were happy to give me both reports. I'll give them to you tomorrow. I'd like to meet you at Trinity and Logan's house tomorrow morning. I want you to walk through it and tell me if you see anything out of place. The police have already gone through the house, and they took their computers and took a lot of pictures, but I want you to see if you think anything else looks out of place.”

  Cassandra gave her the Thorntons’ address. Booting up her laptop, Shinju looked up the address. Their house was in a newer development, and looking down at it from a satellite’s view showed Shinju that had the Thorntons disappeared from their home that there was a good chance that they were taken by someone their neighbors wouldn’t have noticed, as their yard was surrounded by what looked like both trees and bushes.

  After saving the address in her phone, Shinju looked up the local newspapers. Pulling up articles relating to the disappearances was difficult, but Shinju finally found an article from two days prior stating that a prominent local couple had gone missing in Yosemite Park.

  "Logan Thorton, owner of the Tiger Dojo karate school here in Sacrament, along with his wife Trinity Thorton were reported missing several weeks ago both by members of the Tiger Dojo and one of Mrs. Thornton’s relatives. The Thorntons are the latest two people to go missing in Yosemite National Park, and after several extensive searches were performed around the area where the Thorntons were last seen, the park rangers and the police have given up searching after finding no trace of either of them. Anyone with any information or who might have seen the Thorntons in the park on June 9th just prior to noon is being asked to call the police to tell them what they saw.”

  The article included older pictures of Logan and Trinity that had been used in an article in the same paper when Logan opened his first dojo in Sacramento.

  Performing a Google search on their names turned up the occasional mention of Logan in conjunction with the activities of Tiger Dojo’s students, mentions of martial arts tournaments, and not much else. Trinity was only mentioned in the article about the opening of Sacramento’s Tiger Dojo and the article stating she was missing.

  Searching Cassandra Nash’s name turned up her published marriage announcement and included a professional picture of her in her wedding dress, posing with her husband, Bryce, and links to Nash Distillery’s web page.

  Looking over the distillery’s site, Shinju found herself smiling. Apparently, the Nashes didn’t take themselves too seriously, as the names they listed for their brandy flavors were humorous.

  "Monster Nash,” Shinju read one description aloud to herself, "Is a blend of our premium brandy and pumpkin pie spices, and makes a perfect gift to take to a Halloween party, or the perfect drink to serve at your own ghostly celebration. Sounds good to me.”

  The distillery’s site further stated it was located 'a short drive south of Sacramento’ and that owners Cassandra and Bryce Nash lived in a house built on the same land as their two distillery buildings. They had started out small but as their business grew, they had expanded so they could meet the demand for their popular flavored brandies.

  Making notes on the couple, Shinju added her private observations. "Despite the fact the Nashes hired me to look into the disappearance of their relatives, I knew I had to look into their financial status, as cases like these are often motivated by greed. However, the Nashes appear to own a very successful brandy distillery, and as such should have as much, if not more, money coming in as Logan and Trinity Thornton. At this time, I don’t believe either Cassandra or her husband are behind the disappearance of Cassandra’s sister and her husband.”

  Her research over for now, Shinju decided to go out for an early dinner.

  Driving south from her hotel, she saw a small place named 'Lindsey’s Diner’ which had a 1950s look to it. Knowing that such places generally had good food, she pulled in.

  The inside was brightly lit, and music from the 50s era greeted her. Most waitresses were zooming around on rollerskates, though the servers delivering platters of food and drinks to tables were not.

  "Hiya, hon,” the hostess greeted her. "We’re not busy at the mo, so sit where you like, and someone will be with you in a jiff.”

  "Thank you.” Remembering the rental car clerk’s advice, Shinju chose a two-seat table near the back of the restaurant. Menus were available at the table, and she opened one up while waiting for her water to arrive.

  "Can I get you a milkshake?” Shinju looked up from her menu to watch a waitress skid her skates to a stop next to her table.

  "No, thanks. Water would be nice.”

  "You got it. I’ll be back to take the rest of your order in a few.”

  A server hurried up with her water a minute later.

  "Are you out of straws?”

  The server laughed. "You’re from out of state, I knew it! No, we’re not out of straws. They’re illegal in the state of California due to the negative environmental impact they have.”

  "That’s right, I forgot,” Shinju said. "Never mind.”

  Cautiously sipping her water, she found it to have no foul taste or odor, unlike the nasty water she’d encountered in Denver. Looking over the menu, she finally opted for a toasted turkey sandwich. Her choices for side dishes were onion rings or french fries, and since she was not planning on eating anything else that day, Shinju opted for fries.

  It wasn’t long before her meal came, and she ate it while watching the other people in the restaurant. There were a number of tense-looking men in business suits, a few couples, and several other singles in the dining room now, and a line was forming outside.

  Conscious that others were waiting to eat, Shinju ate half her sandwich and all her fries, then asked for a box to go.

  She was waiting for traffic to clear before pulling out when she saw several people who looked homeless circling the parking lot. She had rolled the window down, but upon getting a whiff of the body odor rising from the homeless, she rolled it up as soon as she pulled out of the lot.

  A group of homeless was wandering around the parking lot of Shinju’s hotel when she got back, and she was shocked when she saw a man take down his pants so he could squat and defecate in the street running behind the hotel.

  Averting her eyes, she parked and hurried inside to her room.

  Making sure her travel alarm doorstop was on and placed in front of her door, she turned on a movie after putting her leftovers in her room’s fridge.

  Waking up hours later with her lights and TV still on, Shinju turned everything off and went back to sleep.

  Chapter six

  Shinju arrived at the Thorntons’ house the next day to find four police cars parked outside.

  Six officers were surrounding a group of five shouting people. Two of them were well dressed, and the other three, who were handcuffed, looked less than disreputable.

  Getting out of her car, Shinju double checked that she had the right address. Listening to the hubbub, she quickly got up to speed on what was happening.

  "We’ve established residence! This is our house now, and this woman has no right to kick us out!”

  "You can’t invoke squatters’ rights when you haven’t been on the property for more than a couple of hours, you lying bastard! Our security video shows you only broke in four hours ago!”

  "She’s lying, officer! We’ve been here two days! She erased all the other footage to make it look like we just got here!”

  "Everyone shut up!” The officer in charge bellowed, projecting his command with im
pressive volume.

  "You three are under arrest for breaking and entering, burglary, theft, destruction of property, and making false statements to officers of the law. No, you can’t claim squatters’ rights OR that the woman in charge of this property is lying; the security company monitoring this property is the one who recorded the evidence and informed us of the crimes you committed on this property. You,” he pointed to the well-dressed woman, "Need to re-secure the residence. No, we don’t need a list of the items that are damaged and missing; the security videos from each room show what the burglars carried off or vandalized.

  "All right, boys, let’s take these three in and process them.”

  The disheveled people, two men and a woman, continued struggling, yelling, "We have rights!” as they were placed into the backs of police cars and taken away.

  As the police left, the woman pressed her head to the man’s chest, and he wrapped a comforting arm around her. Shinju knew from the pictures she’d seen online that they were the Nashes, but she decided to be discreet when introducing herself.

  "Excuse me,” Shinju approached the couple. "Are you Cassandra and Bryce Nash?”

  "Yes,” Cassandra sniffed, wiping away tears. "You are Shinju. I remember your face from the TV. I’m sorry I’m such a mess, but we woke up this morning being informed that three people had broken into my sister’s house and were burglarizing and vandalizing it. We arrived at as the police were hauling those lowlifes out of my sister’s home.”

  Bryce gave her a grim smile. "I’m Bryce. We’re so glad you would take on our case.”

  "Since the house has been compromised, I don’t know if I’ll find anything significant,” Shinju pointed out, "But I’m still willing to do a walk-through.”

  "We can get you copies of the security videos,” Cassandra assured her. "That way, you can see what the house looked like after Trin and Logan went missing and before those jackasses tried to move in this morning. We’re with the same security company, and I know they keep all recordings for ninety days before purging them. Damn those idiot laws declaring squatters have 'rights’ to a house after they’ve 'established residence’. They should be struck from the books.”