by Dave Sypher
The woman lunged at her, shoving her against the bars, and Shinju’s vision tunneled down to the woman, who placed an arm across her throat, pressing hard.
Shinju couldn’t breathe, and she also couldn’t easily reach the woman’s fingers to try to pry her arm off.
Remembering her combat training, she took her free hand, slapping it as hard as she could open-palmed across the woman’s left ear.
The woman squealed, releasing the pressure on Shinju’s throat enough that she could take a deep breath in.
Bracing herself against the bars, she shoved the woman away with all her strength. The woman lost her balance and fell, crying out as she impacted the concrete floor.
Assuming a fighting stance, Shinju focused on her adversary as her brain finally processed what she was hearing: shouting from the officer who was supposed to be watching them, and the sound of numerous running feet coming into the room.
She stood over the now mewling woman until the officers fumbled the holding cell open.
"You, face the bars, hands behind your head.”
Shinju did as she was ordered, listening intently as the officers removed the woman who’d attacked her from the cell.
Disturbed by the noise, the snoring drunk snorted, gagged, coughed, and then went back to snoring.
Shinju was surprised the officers didn’t cuff her again and was even more surprised to find that she wasn’t removed from the cell herself.
"Damn it, Skinner,” the supervisor said to the errant officer, "How many times have I told you that you have to actually watch the prisoners?”
"I was,” Skinner lied. "Damnedest thing I ever saw. That little thing over there took down Crazy Daisy like she was nothing.”
"You don’t say,” the other officer turned to stare at Shinju speculatively.
"Yeah, watch your shit if you’ve got to deal with her. Jordan says she’s uncooperative.”
Shinju had to bite her tongue to stop from speaking out. She finally settled for saying, "I’m still waiting on my lawyer.”
"We’re working on it. You can sit down again. I have to tell you we don’t want any more trouble out of you tonight, and if you cause it, we’re going to put you in solitary.”
Shinju thought solitary confinement would bring a welcome respite from her remaining cellmate’s snoring, but she thought better of requesting to be moved there.
Over an hour later, her lawyer arrived.
Shinju was cuffed and taken to an interrogation room to meet him.
The lawyer saw her walking in bracketed by two beefy male officers, and he waved at them in dismissal.
"Attorney client privilege,” he informed them. "You know the drill.”
"Yeah, we know it. Yell if you need help. We’ll be right outside if you need us.”
"I’m Tanner Randall, and I’ve been assigned as your counsel.”
"What are the charges against me?”
"Soliciting a minor and fighting with another inmate while in custody.”
"You need to request security video from both the restaurant and the holding cell area,” Shinju instructed Randall.
"First things first. How are you going to plea on the first charge of solicitation?”
"Not guilty. I’m a PI from Arizona, and I was hired to look into the disappearance of Logan and Trinity Thornton. The owners of the Tiger Dojo business. I asked Emiliano Mendez to meet with me so I could ask him what happened the night his best friend Mitch Landry disappeared from their tent when he was on a Tiger Dojo retreat in Yosemite several years ago. I imagine since they didn’t recognize my number his parents set up a 'sting operation’. If you get their records from that, you’ll hear that there’s no evidence of my soliciting Mr. Mendez for anything other than answers to questions I have.”
"And your charge of fighting while incarcerated?”
"It was self-defense. The footage from the holding area will show that the woman the officers called 'Crazy Daisy’ accosted and assaulted me first.”
"Have you been in jail before?”
"I was briefly detained by the Las Vegas FBI office in relation to a hit and run case, but security video exonerated me then as well.”
Randall’s eyes went wide. "I knew I heard your name somewhere before. You’re that PI from Arizona who solves cases others can’t solve. Shit, that’s why you know so much of our lingo.”
"Yes, that’s me,” Shinju told him, "But I know the lingo because my father was a cop in the Phoenix PD. I told one of the officers that, and she called me a quote 'lying piece of shit’.”
"Christ,” Randall mumbled. "What a cluster fuck. Hang on. I’ll be right back, Ms. Fujiwara.”
Shinju stared around the interrogation room, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at the one-way mirror, knowing if she wanted to get herself free of custody without any charges, she’d have to be on her best behavior.
Nearly forty minutes later, Randall came back in, accompanied by one of the two officers who’d escorted her to the room.
"I made a few calls, and I’ve reviewed the PD’s security footage, Ms. Fujiwara,” Randall told her in a formal tone. "Cassandra Nash is also here saying that she’s the one who hired you to look for her missing sister, so your story checks out. I’ve also advised the officers that they had better think twice before trying to hang assault charges on you. The audio and video recording of the holding area, which I have obtained a copy of on your behalf, clearly shows that you not only didn’t attack Daisy Kirby, but you also asked the officer for assistance before Ms. Kirby attacked you, and you were ignored by that officer who was clearly watching his phone and not doing his job, leaving you no choice but to defend yourself.”
"I need you to leave the room, officer,” Shinju told the man.
"I’m here to remove your handcuffs, as we’ve determined you’re not a danger to us,” he said.
"Thank you, but I still need to talk to Mr. Randall alone for a moment.”
"Okay,” the officer left.
"What’s wrong?”
"If you’re going to have any of this department’s officers chastised for not following the letter of the law, you need to get the security video from when I was given my phone to make my call.”
"Why is that?”
"The female officer swore at me several times and refused my demand that she obtain a search warrant for my phone. Against my will, she grabbed my hand and tried to open my phone using my fingerprints. She also waved the phone in my face trying to unlock it using facial recognition.”
"Son of a bitch,” Randall said. "Hang on. This will take a few minutes more.”
Opening the door, he said, "Officer Horn, please remove my client’s restraints. She’s going to wait a few minutes for me here before we get her processed for release.”
Horn removed her cuffs, and Shinju sat back down at the table.
She was heartily bored by the time Randall returned another hour later.
"I’ve reviewed and gotten copies of the security footage, and it’s clear that Officer Jordan Contreras violated your rights. I’ve shown and discussed the footage with Chief Peterson, and he’s promised that both the officers who wronged you will undergo additional training.”
"That’s code for 'nothing will happen unless you sue us’ if I’ve ever heard it,” Shinju scoffed.
"You’re within your rights to sue them, but I doubt you’d get very much from them since you were able to defend yourself from the other inmate. In addition, Officer Contreras was unable to illegally access your phone, so it would be hard for you to prove damages.”
"What happens now?”
"After discussing your situation with Judge Ayers, I’ve secured your release with an injunction that you don’t try to contact Emiliano Mendez again.”
"Believe me, I wasn’t planning on it,” Shinju said.
"Okay, then you’re free to collect your things and go, Ms. Fujiwara. I hope we never meet again, but should you need me, ask for me by name.”
Chapter fifteen
Shinju was handed her personal items back by a silent officer with a dour expression. Given her negative experiences with some of the other officers of this department, she opened her wallet and went through its entire contents under the station’s surveillance cameras so that she could more easily file a claim against the department if anything was missing. Her phone was covered with fingerprints that weren’t her own, and she checked to make sure that it was in working order and its SD card was still inside before signing her paperwork and being released.
Cassandra was waiting for her, though it was now quite late. Cassandra was on her phone, and she smiled when Shinju walked out.
"She was just now released. I’m going to drive her back to her car, and I’ll be on my way home soon,” she was saying as Shinju wearily walked up to her.
"Sounds like you had an exciting day,” Cassandra commented. "Come on. I’ll drive you back to the Malt Shack so you can pick up your car.”
"I had no idea asking Emiliano Mendez if I could talk to him about what happened the night Mitch Landry went missing would result in my getting arrested.”
"I think I know what you did wrong,” Cassandra told her.
"I’d love to know your thoughts on this. I’ve been wondering what I wrote that sounded like I was soliciting a minor!”
"You went to the dojo, which was an expected visit.”
"Right.”
"Then you went to visit the San Francisco dojo, and then you went back to the Sacramento dojo for an unscheduled visit. Someone there, and Mykel swears it wasn’t him, must’ve given you Emiliano Mendez’s phone number, and you contacted him out of the blue asking to meet him to talk about something that happened a few years ago. Given how traumatic the incident was for the entire dojo, I imagine that Emiliano immediately told his parents that someone he didn’t know texted him about Mitch’s disappearance and was asking to meet him on short notice. Since the press has made certain to mention Mitch’s disappearance in conjunction with Trin’s and Logan’s right after they vanished, I imagine Emiliano’s family immediately assumed that you’re just some stranger trying to lure their child based on what’s been broadcast in the media, and they immediately called the police to report what they felt was a threat to their son. As a mother, I can tell you that’s exactly what I’d do if Arya received a similar message, since it’s what I would consider an enticement text.”
"Shit, now that you put it that way, I can see why the Mendezes reacted the way they did. Hell, I should’ve known better, because I’d probably eventually come to the same conclusion if someone contacted me out of the blue.”
"Live and learn,” Cassandra said with a smile.
"Have you heard back from the police department regarding Griff’s missing persons case?”
"No. They said since he’s emancipated that there’s no hurry for them to look for him on an urgent basis, especially since we can’t tell them exactly when he was last seen. They did say they’ll contact me as soon as they find anything out.”
"Hopefully he’ll turn up soon,” Shinju told Cassandra, unwilling to complain about her experiences at this local department, as she knew that every department had its share of good, bad, and indifferent employees, just like any other business on Earth.
After being dropped off at the Malt Shack, Shinju drove back to her hotel. Knowing that she’d be sleeping in the next morning, she decided to text Chris before going to sleep.
"Tried to talk to a witness about a prior disappearance and ended up getting arrested on a charge of solicitation of a minor after contacting him without prior introduction. Some nut job in the holding cell thought she could choke me against the bars of the cell, and I took her down thanks to Mig’s training, though I was initially accused of being the aggressor. Everything eventually got straightened out, and I’ve been released. All this happened after I drove to San Fran to interview another POI. I’m tired and will be sleeping in and didn’t want you to worry.”
She waited until she got his response before retiring.
"Glad it all worked out,” Chris responded, "But I’ll worry about you until I can watch after you again myself.”
"Looking forward to it,” was all she texted back before turning off her ringer and going to sleep.
She awoke the next day to find a message waiting for her from Cassandra.
"I have several things to tell you. I need you to come to our house as soon as you can today.”
After showering and dressing, Shinju called up Cassandra to let her know she would be on her way as soon as she finished breakfast.
Breakfast turned out to be brunch, and Shinju was glad she’d checked in early with Chris. She sent him a quick text before going to see what Cassandra wanted.
"Heading out to the distillery to speak with the client who says she’s got several things to tell me, and this is just since last night after she dropped me off at my car after I was released.”
"Okay,” was all Chris wrote back.
Leaving the city with its tents and homeless aimlessly wandering around was like driving into another world. The verdant green was major eye candy for Shinju to enjoy, quite a contrast from the Arizona desert. Cattle and horses dotted many of the fields, and these beasts all sported rotund bellies, not the half-starved look of their poor desert-dwelling cousins who had to make do with much less available food. The horses had glossy coats, and a number of them were galloping around apparently for the sheer joy of it.
The grassy fields gave way to vineyards, and several large fields almost completely surrounded Nash Distillery.
Getting out of her car and looking around, Shinju was impressed.
"It’s lovely, isn’t it?” Cassandra’s voice was proud, though she herself looked tired and worried.
"The pictures on your website really don’t do it justice. I can see why you decided to live here.”
"It’s the only reason we haven’t left. It took years to get our vines completely established, and we’re not keen on the idea of starting over.
"Come on in, and we can have coffee while we talk.”
Following Cassandra into her home, Shinju looked up at the two story entry, its stone facade exterior making the house look much older than it was, and just inside was a matching two story foyer. Rather than being rustic on the inside, however, this house was completely modern with subdued paint colors, judicious use of wood accents, and easy-care tile flooring in the hallways. The living room boasted a lovely parquet wood floor with an inlaid central element of the Nash Distillery logo, the lighter elements of which glinted in the light streaming in from the large modern windows.
"Have a seat, and I’ll get us some coffee.”
Remembering what had happened when women had handled her drinks out of her sight before, Shinju said, "I’ll help you,” while following Cassandra into her kitchen without her permission.
"There’s not much help needed,” Cassandra told her. "I just need to get out the mugs, sugar, and milk, and pour.”
"Where’s Bryce?”
"He’s in the distillery buildings, overseeing our employees by himself since I was up so late last night.”
Watching Cassandra pour the coffee into clean mugs, Shinju chose one, dressing it to her liking.
"What did you need to tell me that you couldn’t say over the phone?”
"I opened the safe I got from Trin and Logan’s house. There’s an offer letter for the Tiger Dojo business, with a hand-written note on it from Logan saying that while the offer was a good one, he felt it could still be better. The amount he was offered is seven million, as long as he would be willing to surrender all rights to the properties and the name Tiger Dojo.”
"Seven million, and he felt he could get a better offer? That’s more than one million per dojo.”
"I can tell you’re from out of state,” Cassandra smiled. "Property prices, especially for four of the dojo locations, are typically in the million plus range, so that would be giving Logan
and Trin practically nothing for their built-in businesses. I was discussing it with Bryce, and he talked to a realtor friend of his who said the offer should be one and a half million per property minimum, and probably more in the one and three quarters to two million per site range, given that the people would be taking over a very successful existing business. He said since it’s a package deal that the offer should realistically be a minimum of twelve million, and possibly as high as fifteen million. If Logan and Trin are found, I’m definitely going to tell them that.”
Shinju tried to keep her mouth from dropping open as Cassandra finished her coffee, pouring herself a second cup while Shinju hadn’t touched hers. Seeing that Cassandra was willing to drink more of her coffee and since she had chosen her own mug, Shinju cautiously took a sip from her still warm mug. She held it in her mouth, trying to detect any chemical substances before swallowing.
"I see you’re the savor your coffee type. Do you like it? It’s St. Helena.”
Shinju put her cup down, her stomach churning. "It’s not that cat poop coffee, is it?”
"Oh, God, no,” Cassandra laughed. "It’s also not that elephant poop coffee, either.”
"There’s an elephant poop coffee?” Shinju was happy to hear that what she had in her mouth moments before hadn’t come out of the anus of an animal.
"Yeah, but that’s way too pricey for us. We do well enough that we could buy the occasional pound of either of those beans, but we like coffee every day, so it’s St. Helena for us. Napoleon planted it on the island our beans come from. It’s pretty remote, so shipping costs are high, but we think it’s worth it.”
"You said you had several things to tell me?”
"Logan printed several emails and stored them in the floor safe. I think you need to read them.”
Shinju looked at Cassandra quizzically, and she explained, "They’re from Griff.”
Cassandra left the kitchen, returning several minutes later with two sheets of paper, handing them to Shinju without further comment.
"Hi dad,” the first one began, "I hope you and mom are doing well. Unfortunately, things aren’t going to great for me. I got my diploma and degree, but no one wants to hire me. I was hoping since Tiger Dojo is doing so well that you could loan me some money. Love Griff.”