By the time I arrived at 888 Honjo Street, I was soaked. I went straight to the laundry room, stripped, and tossed everything inside. Then, in the nude with dripping hair, I made myself a cup of tea and carried it up to the bathroom where I filled the tub with hot water. I sipped my tea and soaked until the chill from the rain had left me. The throbbing in my cheek had dulled.
Quickly washing and rinsing, I got out and dried off deciding after I had dressed to go snoop around in Winks’ personal things. I palmed the door in my closet open and went down the basement steps. After doing a quick check for water or any dampness, I entered Winks’ bedroom.
The bedside table was full of disturbing treasures foremost of which included nude holo-images of women, but mostly of Momma. I rolled my eyes and flipped them over on the bed. I found a powerful flashlight that I decided to take upstairs, a box of condoms, and a pink G-string of unknown origins.
Under his bed was a box. Laying on my stomach, I pulled it out. It was a box constructed of the grey metal that could withstand a fire or being jettisoned out into space, and it was unlocked. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I lifted the lid. Folded neatly on the left side was a small pink baby blanket. There was a stack of sixteen holo-images all of me from each birthday. A small plasti-glass box held clippings of my hair. I wiped at my face and put everything back in the box and under the bed where I’d found it.
“There’s no doubt now Winks. Clue Forester my ass. Chloe Taylor would have been a pretty name.”
Carrying the flashlight with me upstairs, a fierce determination to discover what had happened to Winks took root deep within my soul.
Chapter Six
After the rain stopped, I put a credit chip in my pocket, took my shoes out of the cleaning unit, and walked to the diner. My usual waitress looked pissed when she saw me. “Who did that to your face?”
Lifting my fingers to gingerly touch the now purple and swollen bruise, I said, “I’m not sure, but I learned to stay out of the way when men start beating the shit out of each other.”
She gave me a knowing look. “Oh, Mr. Shimizu and Mr. Lenox. Everyone has been talking about that. Your name must be Clue. You’re Winks’ kid.”
Surprised, I said, “You knew my father?”
Nodding, she said, “He came in a time or two after he bought that building while he had it remodeled. Winks preferred Dorado down the coast to Scorpius. He said he found it more to his liking. I’m Nadia by the way.”
I held out my hand, and we shook. “As you already surmised, I’m Clue. It’s nice to meet you, Nadia.”
After a quick meal, I paid a transport driver for a ride to Dorado. It only took about fifteen minutes to get to the next town over, and the driver only had to make a few turns. “Where to?” he asked when we arrived.
“How about the most dangerous part of town?”
He turned to look at me. “I don’t feel right about that, Miss.”
With a smirk, I said, “Okay, how about a couple of blocks away from the most dangerous part of town?”
Turning the transport, he said, “That, I can do.”
I paid my slightly overweight and balding driver and got out. Winks’ flashlight was tucked into the back of my waistband. Looking up and down the street, I tried to decide where my father, the thief, would have enjoyed hanging out. I decided on a bar.
A few men loitered around outside the door. The name, Two Moons, flickered above the door. One of the men whistled at me and rubbed his crotch. Ignoring him, I entered the bar which was aptly named. The waitresses were all topless.
“Looking for work?” A black-haired woman wearing a black shirt, tiny black shorts, and thigh-high black boots asked.
“No, I’m looking for information.”
The woman looked me up and down. “What? Are you writing a paper for school or something? You’re too young to be with the law.” She moved to sit on a bar stool and poured herself a drink. “Have a seat.”
I sat beside her. She didn’t offer me a drink. I watched as a woman a few stools down let a man have a feel for a couple of credits. My companion studied my face. “You don’t seem shocked being here.”
“Not at all.”
“Don’t waste my time kid.”
Carefully keeping my hands off of the sticky bar, I asked, “Did you ever hear of a man named Winks?”
That got her attention. “Who’s asking? Hear of him? He’s had his hands full of most of the tits in here,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m trying to locate his remains, and I want to know what happened to him.”
She stared into the depths of her almost empty glass. “I wish I could help you, kid. Winks did have drinks here a few times with Eel and a guy named Cosmo. That’s all I’ve got for you.”
I held my hand out to her. “Thank you very much. By any chance, do you know where I might find Eel?”
“Yeah, he’s got a jewelry store a couple of blocks over. Watch yourself, kid.” She downed her drink and walked over to deal with a man who was refusing to pay for services rendered. I heard her saying, “It’s not her fault you’re too drunk to get it up,” as I was leaving.
Thankfully, the whistler was nowhere in sight, so I hurried along the sidewalk scanning signs as I went. Across the street, was a sign featuring a monocle and a diamond. Checking for transports, I ran across the street. A man in a light blue suit was finishing up a sale when I entered. I busied myself with looking inside of the locked jewelry cases. Everything looked newly made. Once the customer left, the man in the blue suit approached me.
“Looking for anything in particular?” he asked. He had a scar running from his forehead, straight down his temple, and to his neck.
“Yes, sir. I’m looking for Eel.”
With a blank expression, he said, “Maybe you should try the fishmongers along the wharf.”
I laughed. “I was told that a man named Eel knew my father, Winks Taylor.”
Surprised, he appraised me as he might a gem. “Winks went missing and is assumed dead. So, you’re his little girl. Winks wouldn’t want you in Dorado,” he said with a firm voice and narrowed eyes.
“I have to know what happened to him.”
Eel spread his hands wide. “All I know is the last time I saw your pops, he had the twinkle in his eyes he used to get right before a big score. I figure whomever he had targeted caught him at it and finished him off.”
When a man and a lady entered to look at rings, I thanked Eel and left. How could I find out what his last job had been? Needing to think, I decided that I would walk toward the wharf and wondered how long it would take me to walk back to Scorpius. Hard fingers dug into me and a hand closed over my mouth as I was hauled backwards into a dark alley. Struggling for my freedom, I dragged my feet through the puddles of water and twisted with all of my might. Getting nowhere fast, I tried to bite the hand that covered my mouth. The little nip I managed earned me a hard slap, and then I was slammed against the damp brick of the alley wall.
“Don’t be like that. You know you want it,” said the crotch rubbing whistler from Two Moons. He freed his erection from his pants and began trying to rip my pants off of me. With my hands free, I pulled out the flashlight gripping it tightly in my fist and slammed it into his nose. His blood dripped onto the head of his penis. “You little fucking bitch. You’re gonna pay for that. I had planned on being gentle.”
He had dropped his pants to hold his nose and had his legs spread just enough to give my foot room to deliver the most forceful kick I could manage to his balls. Then, I swung the flashlight down as hard as I could on the back of his head.
I ran from the alley, across the street, and back the way I had come, weaving as inconspicuously as I could around the people on the sidewalks. I darted down the first street I found and ran for the wharf.
Glad for all of the mandatory self-defense classes provided courtesy of Eris Station, I darted down the steps to the beach and fervently hoped that I was out of sight. Hunching down wi
th my back to the rock of the seawall, I tried to catch my breath and calm down. Drops of blood were on my jeans and shirt.
Pretty certain that I hadn’t been followed, I walked to the water. I still clutched Winks’ flashlight, and I was so glad that I had brought it with me. Carefully, I rinsed it off wincing as a small wave wetted the knuckles of my right hand.
“Well, shit. I busted my hand open on that flabby dicked fucker.”
I did my best to get his blood out of my clothing and began walking along the beach toward Scorpius. It would be best to put a few miles between that alley and me before looking for a transport. Being blood free and dry would also be a good idea. In my current state, I’d be too noticeable.
Shaking my own problems from my head, I concentrated on what I had learned. Winks had a penchant for prostitutes, Eel had been his associate and obviously dealt in stolen gold and gems, and Winks had planned a job. What had that job been? Cosmo would know.
A small group of people were knee deep in the ocean several yards away from me. As I drew nearer, I heard the chanting of the men and women. They wore robes of almost the same shade of blue as the beautiful water spirit’s hair had been.
“Goddess of the Ocean Waves, in your benevolence and beauty as boundless as the seas, hear our pleas. Protect us as we venture into your domain and accept our humble thanks for the much needed rain.”
It wasn’t my first time to see religious fanatics intent upon worshipping some deity or another. Periodically, groups had come to the station intent on saving the souls of Momma and her business associates from going to the void in the afterlife. However, in this case, I’d seen and spoken to their Goddess of the Ocean Waves.
The worshippers were stepping from the cold water, and our paths were destined unavoidably to cross. As the supplicants smiled and walked off in the direction from which I had come, one man remained. With black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, he was decidedly one of the most handsome men whom I had ever seen.
Clasping his hands before him and smiling at me with his beautiful lips, he asked, “Have you come to worship the Goddess?”
I glanced along the beach but didn’t see her. “No, I came here to clear my head, but I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing her again.”
Staring fixedly at me, he said, “You’ve seen her?”
“You have, too. Right? That’s how you know the color of her hair.”
Stepping closer to me with an expression conveying some sort of deep gratification as though I had in some way validated his beliefs, he said, “You are a believer.”
I stared off at the ocean with a thoughtful frown. “Well, I believe your ocean goddess exists. I’ve seen her with my own eyes. She was so beautiful that I don’t know if I could have willingly looked away from her. I’ve heard her voice, and it was like a caress by the wind. She was as kind as she was beautiful. You should see the shell she let me have. She’s real alright, but I’m not one inclined to do much worshipping.”
He stared at me with an unmatched intensity.
“Well, bye,” I said as I continued along the beach.
He followed me. “I’m Gregory. What’s your name?”
Sighing, I stopped and turned to him. “Look, Gregory. You seem nice and all, but I just had two guys fighting over me, and I don’t need a third.”
Gregory smiled and laughed. “Then, you have nothing to fear from me. I have devoted myself to the Goddess.” I made a puzzled face. Gregory clarified saying, “I have sworn my love, loyalty, and devotion to the Goddess of the Ocean Waves.”
“Oh,” I said as I continued walking. Thinking he might make a good alibi if the Protect and Serves came around asking questions about my bludgeoned friend in the alley, I thrust my hand toward him and said, “Clue Forester. Nice to meet you.”
Gregory shook my hand. “Do you live nearby? Perhaps I might encourage you to meet with us for services to the Goddess.”
“No, I’m just visiting.”
“A relative?”
“No, my father died, and I’m trying to locate his body.”
Concern caused his brow to furrow. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks.”
I bent down for a shell and felt the flashlight as it dug into my back. Gregory’s robes skated wetly across the sand billowing occasionally in the wind. I heard gulls crying in the distance. For a moment, I closed my eyes and inhaled the clean salty air and enjoyed the sound of the rushing waves. When I opened my eyes and looked out at the water, I saw something there and looked closer. Grabbing Gregory’s wrist, I pointed.
“There she is swimming. Do you see her?” The blue of her hair and gleam of her skin quickly vanished from sight. “Maybe she will come and speak to us. Let’s find her a pretty shell.”
I bent down to pick one up but became startled and then laughed when some small sea creature began to come out of it.
“What so amuses you?” she asked inches from my left ear. A diaphanous kaftan the color of seafoam floated around her in the wind.
Smiling, I held the creature in its shell out to her. “I think he’ll be happier with you than he would be in my kitchen.” I placed the shell in her outstretched palm.
Awestruck, Gregory had fallen to his knees at her feet. A strand of her blue hair raised up on a wind current and caressed my cheek.
When I opened my eyes, a transport driver was asking me, “Where to?”
Giving myself a mental shake, I got inside. “Scorpius, the wharf.”
Soon, I was approaching the Sea Harpy and contemplating not only how to ring for entry, but also how to get Cosmo to tell me what I wanted to know. For the first challenge, I decided to throw seashells at his boat. Sure enough, it pissed him off enough to come out on deck. When Cosmo saw me, the anger left his face, and he lowered the ramp holding his hand out to help me across.
“Clue, I’ve been so worried about you,” he said as he wrapped his arms around me. “One minute you were at the Wisteria, and the next you were gone. Where have you been?” When he released me, he made a concerned face and began prodding my cheek with his fingers.
“Ow! Stop that. Don’t touch it. Why would you poke something that hurts?” I poked at his busted lip for emphasis.
“Alright, I get it,” Cosmo said with his hands raised in surrender. “Well? Where did you run off to?”
“You got anything to drink?” Cosmo entered the cabin and returned with bottles of sweet tea. We sat on a deck bench, and Cosmo held his bottle to his eye while I downed mine. “I went to Dorado.”
Cosmo exploded with, “You what? You went where? Alone? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Angrily, I said, “No, I’m not. However, since no one is inclined to help me, I’m investigating my father’s death on my own. What job was he planning before his disappearance, Cosmo?”
He twisted off the top of his tea and took a long swig. “I don’t know. Winks never shared the details. He was always careful to never really trust anyone, but also said something about plausible deniability on my part. I help with taking jewelry apart and melting it down. Then, he’d just give me my cut. I hope it means something to you that I just admitted that to you out loud. One of our most important rules is to never admit to anything.” Cosmo finished off his tea.
“How can I find out what he may have been planning? Can you remember any details from your last conversations with Winks?”
Cosmo shook his head sadly. “I’m really sorry to disappoint you, Clue. I’ve been over it all in my head over and over.”
Closing my eyes and drawing in a deep breath, I said, “Will you at least think about it? Any detail, no matter how small, could help me.”
Cosmo gave me an unconvincing nod of his head. Handing him my empty bottle, I stood to leave.
“You don’t have to go,” Cosmo said as the waves sloshed against the Sea Harpy.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said as I walked across the ramp.
From Wharf Street, I turned onto Tortoise Stre
et. I felt eyes upon me, and then Tadashi was beside me. Silently, he seemed to herd me into the Wisteria, the lift, and then his room. He seemed charged with some kind of feral anger, and I felt compelled to do as he wished.
Once he had closed his door, he took my hand, lifted it to his nose and inhaled my flesh. Slowly, I blinked at the intensity of his eyes that for a moment had seemed almost to glow with some white internal light. It was as though his entire being was focused on my hand. Then, that same attention honed in on each of the places where my assailant’s blood had dripped on me.
Tadashi pushed me down to the floor pillows practically growling as he sniffed at my shoe. Then, he found the flashlight. Suddenly, Tadashi hid all of his feral rage from me. Lightly, he ran his fingers over my bruised cheek. He glided from me and into his bathroom where he began filling his tub. Pulling me up by my left hand and leading me into his bathroom, Tadashi deftly began removing my shoes and clothing silencing my protests with his lips to mine. It felt as though my entire body was blushing. Nobody but Momma had ever seen me naked.
“Get in,” Tadashi said as he gathered up my clothes and shoes taking them away.
I sank into the hot water and attempted to scrub the day away. I wrapped a towel around myself and did my best to dry my hair wondering if Tadashi had run my things through a cleaning unit. Instead, I found him in his main room with blankets spread over the pillows and a tray full of food on the floor beside him. Smiling, he held his hand out to me.
Careful to keep myself covered with the towel even though he had seen me and my nudity hadn’t seemed to have had much effect on him, I sat. Tadashi handed me a large glass of sweet tea which I thirstily drank. Then, we shared a platter of lobster and steak. After we had demolished it, he set the tray outside of his door.
“Stretch out on your stomach. If these knots of tension are not relieved, you will be sore tomorrow.”
Clue and The Shrine of the Widowed Bride (Clue Taylor Book 1) Page 6