Can't Keep a Brunette Down

by Diane Bator

  In the center of the dojo, Yoshida frowned. "I cannot do that. Since I now own the building, I need to pay the mortgage. I also need to support my fiancée as well as her children."

  "Your fiancée?" Mick asked. "Don't you mean Walter's widow? Is that why you killed him? I get the katana, but poisoning him seems like overkill. Even for someone like you."

  "Perhaps, but as much as his wife no longer wanted to be with him, she did not wish him to suffer. I respected her wishes." Yoshida sank gracefully to his knees and sat with his body at a forty-five-degree angle to Gilda. "Walter never appreciated her. I lavish her with gifts and keep up with her in ways her husband never could."

  Mick continued to pace. "The way I hear it, she's got a lot of boy toys. What makes you think she'll give up her house and life here to go anywhere with you?"

  Yoshida's back stiffened. "You are a bad liar."

  "Am I?" Mick asked. "Ask around. You're not her only boyfriend. I guarantee it."

  The Zen calmness was gone in a huff as Yoshida let out a slow, shaky breath. "If you will not cooperate with my wishes, I do have other ways to deal with you." He slid something out of his shirt sleeve.

  Over in the next stall, Fabio made a small noise. Gilda was sure it was all he could do to hold back from running out and tackling Yoshida.

  "A blowgun." Mick's voice wavered. "Am I supposed to be your next victim? Time, right? What exactly does time have to do with me?"

  "Ah, you figured it out." Yoshida sounded genuinely pleased. "Clever, but too late."

  Gilda sucked in a squeak, and her entire body tensed. She'd been right. Yoshida was the killer. Mick was about to die, and it was far too late for an "I told you so."

  "Walter's past made him dishonorable, plus he was in your way with Jade," Mick said. "Erik was about to turn his back on you and all your training. Since he showed a lack of integrity, you literally stabbed him in the back. Xavier has me stumped, though. What did he ever do to you?"

  "He wanted to be your equal and have a school of his own. I was reluctant." Yoshida frowned. "When he poisoned my tea and made me very ill, I lost patience with him and wanted to banish him."

  Yet a third victim of Xavier's rash of cyanide poisonings.

  "Which made him no longer loyal, so you killed him," Mick said. "The third possession."

  Yoshida smiled. "You are smarter than I gave you credit for."

  "Actually, Gilda—Miss Wright—figured it out. She's the smart one." Mick glanced toward her desk rather than toward the curtain she hid behind. "It wasn't wise of you to make her your enemy when you tried to beat her to a pulp in class."

  She smiled, face warm. While grateful for the compliments, she wasn't sure Mick giving her credit for solving the puzzle was such a good idea. If their plan didn't work, Yoshida would come after her and Razi next. Where was Razi? Why wasn't he here to watch Mick's back?

  "The receptionist?" Yoshida snorted. "Her friends are gangsters who could cause us trouble. She is weak and not worthy of your loyalty."

  "You thought she suspected you all along, didn't you?" Mick went on. "That's why you went after her in the workshop. You thought if she was afraid of you, she'd never tell anyone."

  Yoshida snorted. "You would listen to a silly girl's flights of fancy rather than believe in me? I am your Sensei. She is nothing."

  Gilda held her breath.

  "You're wrong," Mick said. "She's the backbone of this school, and I do believe her, especially since it appears she was right."

  "That is of little consequence." Yoshida raised the blowgun to his mouth.

  "I never took you for a coward." Mick shook his head. "A true goju karate master would stand up and fight like a man with his bare hands, empty hands, not resort to blowguns and weapons. Of course, he'd also never kill his students out of jealousy." Mick held up a hand. "Not that it matters but, just for the record, what are you using? Rat poison?"

  "Suitable, but too obvious." A sly smile slid across Yoshida's face. "A neurotoxin not tested for in North America. Within minutes you will stop breathing. Then your heart will stop. The poison will spread even after your body dies. No one will know what hit you."

  "In other words, cobra venom," Mick said. "Just like you used on Walter."

  Yoshida's back stiffened. When he raised the blowgun to his lips, Gilda gripped the curtains and longed to burst out of the changing room. If he heard her, he'd shoot her instead. Mick and Razi would be safe. Had she become that fearless?

  Across the dojo, something clicked, and her blood ran cold.

  Thayer, in his socks, crept across the mats behind Yoshida and pointed a gun to his head. "Put the weapon down."

  Gilda sucked in a sharp breath. She wanted to close her eyes and lay her head against the wall, but she wasn't so sure it was over. Yoshida's chest expanded, filling with air as his mouth opened so slightly Thayer would not have seen the motion. Yoshida had too much to lose.

  Her muscles tensed before the bamboo reed blowgun even touched his lips. She shoved the curtain aside, aware of nothing and everything all at once as her feet touched the puzzle mats a heartbeat before Yoshida let out a sharp puff of air. Her shoulder connected with Yoshida's torso, and she shoved him to the ground. Two solid thuds vibrated the mats before everything stood still.

  Fabio's and Razi's shouts froze both her blood and her breath. Beneath her, Yoshida lay sprawled facedown, the blowgun on the mats in front of them. Gilda lay on top to pin him to the floor like she'd seen Razi do to bigger men in jiujitsu classes. Yoshida could probably hardly breathe, let alone move, yet she had no sympathy for him.

  Yoshida glanced up at her and smirked. "You are too late, Miss Wright."

  Across the room, Mick lay on his side and dripped sweat onto the mats, his eyes wide and mouth agape. His body motionless.

  Gilda's vision swam, and she screamed.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Unable to move, Gilda lay sprawled on top of Yoshida and stared at Mick. Her breath came in short, frantic gasps. "If he's dead, you'll never leave prison alive."

  "It no longer matters, does it?" Yoshida said. "I already got what I want. This school will close, and Mick Williams will never teach again."

  "Gilda, what were you thinking?" Thayer asked. "Were you trying to get somebody killed?"

  "Somebody call an ambulance and get Yoshida into the backseat of a car before I shoot him." Fabio directed traffic, trying to keep everyone away from Mick until someone grabbed Yoshida to snap on handcuffs.

  Razi knelt next to Mick and rolled him onto his back. Beside his knee, the feathers on the blow dart fluttered from the breeze blowing in the back door, the tip embedded in the mat.

  Gilda's jaw dropped and tears leaked from her eyes. "You missed?"

  Yoshida cursed for the first time she'd ever heard when an officer pulled him to his feet. "No thanks to you."

  "Is Gilda okay?" Mick asked.

  "I thought you were dead." Gilda fought to rein in her tears. Mick was alive.

  His gaze met hers as he struggled to his feet with Razi's help. "Me too, babe."

  Fabio picked Gilda up and gave her a hug. "Lady, you're amazing. Did you see the way she flew out of the changing room, knocked him off balance, and saved your sorry neck. Didn't you see her in action?"

  "No, I kind of had my eyes closed," Mick said. "I was a little worried about dying."

  When Gilda blinked back tears and stumbled toward Mick, he caught her in a bear hug that nearly knocked them both to the floor. She pressed her head to his bare, sweaty chest in relief. He held her tight and didn't seem about to let her go.

  "Miss Wright." Razi flashed a smile. "While I wish you were not here, I am glad to see you are okay."

  She willed her hands to stop shaking. "Why weren't you here earlier?"

  "Actually, he and I were here all night," Mick said. "Razi's the genius who set up the sensors in the vent and wired the doors. No one could get into this place without us knowing."

  Gilda clenched her
jaw. "Why couldn't you have done that a month ago and saved us some stress and trouble?"

  "Forgive me, Miss Wright." Razi bowed. "I told you Sensei Mick knew all my secrets. I was a secret agent with the Israeli government until I was exiled. I am an expert at surveillance and infiltrating spy networks."

  "Which is why you walked right into Jade's Levy's house," she said. "She thought you were her friend."

  He smiled. "In truth, I have been her friend for many years. She gave me the information we needed to catch Yoshida. She is afraid of him and recorded every conversation they have had since Walter's death. He is one crazy dude."

  Dude? She never thought she'd hear Razi, of all people, use that term.

  "The good news is, we got Yoshida's full confession on tape." Thayer handed Fabio his phone. "There's no way he's getting away with anything."

  As the police presence subsided, Gilda's heart rate gradually slowed until she sighed.

  "Are you okay, Sherlock?" Mick sat next to her near the shrine and reached for his gi jacket while managing to keep one arm around her.

  "Yeah, I'll be fine." Gilda blinked furiously. "I was really afraid I'd lost you."

  "Aww, you do care." He leaned over to kiss her. "Did you think about what I said earlier?"

  "About spending some time alone together?" she asked. "I'm in."

  Thayer snorted. "Oh, please. Save it. Everyone knows Mick Williams will never settle down for any woman. He'll dump you as soon as the next princess in distress comes along."

  "Maybe," she said, "but that's a chance I'm ready to take."

  Razi rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. "Thank goodness. It is about time."

  Gilda met Mick's gaze and smiled. "Time."

  "The last kanji actually was mine all along. Guess you just won twenty bucks, Razi."

  Gilda's jaw dropped.

  GLOSSARY

  Do

  Empty hand way

  Dojo

  Training hall

  Karate-Gi

  Karate uniform

  Goju

  Hard/Soft

  Goju-ryu

  Hard/Soft style

  Hajime

  Begin

  Hie

  Yes

  Karate

  Empty hand

  Karate-do

  Empty hand way

  Karate Ka

  Karate student

  Kata

  Forms

  Kiai

  Meeting of the spirits

  Kime

  Focus

  Kumite

  Sparring

  Mawatte

  Turn

  Mukso

  Meditate

  Naotte

  Return to a formal (upright) position

  Obi

  Belt

  Osu (Os)

  I understand

  Rei

  Bow

  Ryu

  School or Style

  Seiza

  Kneel

  Sempai

  Senior

  Sensei

  Teacher

  Shihan

  Master instructor

  Taikyoku

  Universal

  Tate

  Upward, stand up

  Yame

  Stop

  Yoi

  Ready

  * * * * *

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Diane Bator is an avid hiker, yoga enthusiast, Reiki Master, wannabe runner, and martial artist, who loves to make a mess in the kitchen and putter in the garden. Moving across the country with three boys and a cat, then joining a writing group, was the catalyst for coming out of the creative closet and writing her first murder mystery series. Hard at work on her second series, she lives in Southern Ontario, Canada with her husband, three teenagers, and a cat who thinks he's a Husky.

  To learn more about Diane Bator, visit her online at: http://penspaintsandpaper.com

  * * * * *

  BOOKS BY DIANE BATOR

  Gilda Wright Mysteries:

  Can't Keep a Brunette Down

  Hardheaded Brunette

  * * * * *

  SNEAK PEEK

  of the next Gilda Wright Mystery

  by Diane Bator

  HARDHEADED BRUNETTE

  CHAPTER ONE

  When Sensei Mick Williams dreamed, he dreamed big—much to the chagrin of his receptionist Gilda Wright. After spending a late night designing fiery logos for the new Phoenix Martial Arts school and printing off scorecards for Mick William's MMA extravaganza, Gilda had fallen asleep on top of her covers with nightmares of martial arts clip art coming to life and chasing her through the new training hall.

  Mick had finally texted at two in the morning to apologize for being tied up. By then, Gilda was no longer concerned with where he was any why he hadn't bothered to shop up. She needed sleep more than snuggling up to her handsome boyfriend. Well, that was only partially true. While she would have loved to fall asleep with his strong arms around her, rebuilding the school had taken him away from her several evenings lately.

  So had dozens of mysterious phone calls that he'd taken behind his closed office door. Practically everyone in town had warned her against falling for her boss and sensei, but she'd convinced herself they didn't know him like she did. After working alongside him for over two years, she was sure his womanizing and secrecy were things of the past.

  Tired and grumpy, Gilda got up early and shuffled into the kitchen to stare at the screen of the laptop she'd borrowed from work. No fresh ideas. No motivation. Just a stiff neck and deep frustration. She needed fresh air and something to get her blood circulating.

  Since the old Yoshida school had shut its doors over the summer, Mick and his good friend Razi Mauli were determined to build an even bigger and better martial arts school to attract more students. Working on the new school side by side with Mick was fun at times. When they weren't painting walls and building change stalls, however, Gilda was glued to the computers redesigning all the invoices and other stationary they'd soon need.

  She ate a banana then called her best friend. "You want to go for a run?".

  "Are you crazy?" Marion Yearly snorted. "I want coffee and a couple Danish."

  Gilda sighed. "Come on. You keep saying how much you want to get in shape. This would be a great morning to get started. Meet me at my place, we'll go for a run on the beach."

  "In view of handsome hunks in Speedos? Don't you have somewhere no one would see me flopping and jiggling? A big-boned girl like me might scare people."

  "You'll be fine." Gilda smiled as she poured a glass of water. "Come on. We'll go slow and easy."

  Fifteen minutes later, Marion arrived on the front porch. Baby-faced and built like a fifty pound overweight linebacker, she grimaced. "You know you have a warped sense of fun, right?"

  "I know, but you keep showing up for karate classes so I guessed you were somewhat serious." Gilda led Marion out the back door, cutting through her garden toward the shores of Lake Erie. "You ready?"

  Marion scowled, then nodded. "Let the fun and torture begin."

  The beach was so close to Gilda's house the ground had barely changed from rock to light sand before Marion puffed, wiping a hand across her pasty forehead. "Can you slow down a little? I'm getting a side cramp."

  "Seriously?" Gilda rolled her eyes. She and Marion had left her house only three minutes earlier, including the time it took her to lock the door. "You know you should drink more water."

  Marion wheezed. "Don't need it. I think I'm dying."

  "You'll be fine, just slow down a bit.""Nope." Marion gasped. "Not going to make it. Go on without me. Tell Razi..." She wheezed and clutched her chest. "Tell Razi I tried my best."

  Gilda sighed. If she forced Marion to run any farther, their fri
endship might be short-lived. "We've only run a hundred yards. You can't be cramping up already. Besides, you were the one who wanted to get in shape to wow Razi so he'd ask you out."

  Marion doubled over in the middle of the path still wheezing. "I know, I know, but that was before I thought things through."

  "What do you mean?" Gilda hopped up and down on the spot to warm up. Her usual five mile run might have to be postponed due to her best friend's change of attitude.

  "Well, if I run, I'll lose weight." She paused to cough. "If I lose weight, all my clothes will be too big." Another pause to suck in a deep breath. "Then I'll have to go shopping then..."

  Not adverse to the occasional shopping trip, Gilda shrugged. "What's so bad about that?"

  Marion didn't answer. She seemed to look past Gilda toward the beach. Her jaw dropped, and her unblinking eyes widened. It was the same look she got when faced with a buffet dinner.

  "Are you okay?" Gilda knitted her eyebrows together and waved a hand in front of her friend's ruddy face. "Marion?"

  She released a long, slow sigh. "Oh, Gilda. I think I'm in love."

  "Yeah, with Razi. I know. We've had many wine-fuelled, in-depth discussions about how you imagine your future together."

  "No." Slack-jawed, Marion shook her head and pointed. "Him."

  Gilda spun around so fast she tripped over both feet then lay sprawled in the sand with her eyes wide. A brilliant flash of light briefly blinded her. As the spots faded from her eyes, she made out the figure of a half-naked man, with loose, long blond hair, swinging a sword on the beach ahead. Her arms twitched, and she fought the urge to make sure her head was still attached to her shoulders. The bare-chested man wielded his weapon well over a hundred feet away.