I finally tear myself away to look at DJ. “Is that okay with you? Murph won’t be here much before then, anyway. We can check out the exhibits while Jeannie takes care of business.” I turn back to look into her violet eyes.
“Sure,” he says, “Maybe you can teach me something new while we wait. Something that’ll impress the kids.” He turns to Jeannie, “Anything on Ninjas here?”
She laughs and shakes her head as I give her my cell phone number so she can text me when her meeting is finished. She leans into me and kisses me on the cheek. Is it my imagination or did she let her lips linger on my cheek a little long? She hurries away, quickly rejoining her group. I stare after her.
“Earth to Bobby.” DJ says.
“I can’t believe this just happened,” I say.
“Yeah, apparently she’s not mad at you anymore. C’mon. Stop staring at her and help me get some culture. How smart can I get in an hour?” He turns me toward a kimono framed behind Plexiglas.
◆◆◆
He walks around the museum, pausing at different exhibits, blending in with the crowd. Nothing here he’d want in his living room, that’s for sure. Just a bunch of dusty old crap somebody should have thrown away years ago. He watches as the beautiful Asian woman crosses the room to greet Paladin and Frasier. She looks like she must work here or something. Is that a coincidence or is she involved in this thing somehow? She sure is a looker.
Maybe this was where the answer would be found. If this works out, he can retire to an island in the sun. Hell, he can buy one, that’s how bad The General wants the information Mick Webber had stolen.
The lady rejoins her group, and Paladin and Frasier turn to look at a ratty old bathrobe behind a glass case.
Chapter 22
Jeannie takes a little more than the hour and a half to complete her business; but finally, just when I think DJ is going to fall asleep on one of the museum benches, she texts us to meet her in her office. As we’re about to ask the security guard for directions, Murphy walks in the door.
“Murph! Over here!” DJ yells and is immediately shushed by a matronly patron. She looks as old as some of the museum pieces. We apologize to her for being loud as we head across the lobby to meet Murphy.
“You’re never going to believe our luck, Murph!” I tell him, “Jeannie Franks, she’s here! She’s in charge of this exhibit.”
He looks at me, opens his mouth to say something but just stares over my shoulder down the hall. I turn to see what he’s looking at. I turn to see Jeannie walking up the hall toward us. She smiles and hugs me. I know this one is real this time. She steps back and turns to Murph. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” She looks to me for help.
“Allow me,” I say. “Dwayne Murphy, may I introduce you to Jeannie Franks, the Exhibits Director and expert in Japanese myth and religion. Jeannie, this is Detective Dwayne Murphy, a friend of ours from San Clemente.”
She shakes his hand, “Detective?”
“Murph is an Orange County Sherriff’s homicide detective.” I lower my voice.
“Is there somewhere we can talk in private? We need some help with something in your area of expertise.”
Her eyes search my face and finally she says, “Sure, Bobby. My office is this way.” She slips her arm through mine. She leads us to a door marked Staff Only, lifts the key card from around her neck and slides it through the lock. The door releases and she holds it open for us to enter a long hallway. We hear the whirr of the lock as the door closes behind us. Jeannie leads us to her office, located at the very end of the hall.
◆◆◆
He watches from behind a program as Murphy, Paladin, and Frasier are led into the administrative wing of the museum by the woman. There’s nothing he can do now. He can’t get in there without a key card. Do they have the puzzle box or not? He must now assume they do.
He’d like to leave, but he knows he should be patient and wait for the group to come back out. He pulls out his Blackberry and accesses the museum building’s floor layout. He sees a security door with the access to the staff areas. On the other side of the offices, he sees a door that leads out of the building and directly to the parking lot. A staff entrance he guesses. Even if they leave the building without coming back through the main part of the museum, he’d still be able to track Paladin’s van. Should he wait? He’d like to see if they come back out with the backpack. He really wanted to just grab it and run, but there was too much security here. He wanders back into the exhibit room to wait, and to think about his next move. He’ll probably wait by the staff entrance and if the opportunity presents itself he’s going to go for the backpack.
◆◆◆
Jeannie leads us into a large office. “Welcome to my home for the next three months.” She walks around the far side of the desk and sits in her office chair. “Pull up some chairs and make yourselves comfortable.”
We spend a little time catching up, but finally Jeannie asks, “Now, what is all this about? Why all the mystery?”
I don’t want to go into too much detail. The less she knows, the safer she’ll be. I tell her about Micky’s death and that we have something of we need her help opening. When I’m done, I pull the puzzle box out of my backpack and its water-tight container, and set the box on her desk.
She gasps and carefully picks it up. “Remarkable,” she says as she turns it to look at all sides, “A beautiful piece. Japanese, of course, but you knew that. I’m not a true expert on these, but I’ve seen a few of them.” She gets up and opens a box that is sitting on the floor. It’s full of heavy-looking books. She lifts one out and after a few minutes of thumbing through it, she finds what she’s looking for and sits back in her chair, spreading the book open on her desk. “My guess, from the looks of it, is that it’s a Hakone Himitsu-Bako. It appears to be from the Meiji period. As I say, I’m not an expert on these, but they’re made by a master puzzle box maker.”
“That’s a job?” D.J says, “You can be a master at making boxes for people to hide stuff in?”
She looks up from the book, “Not just anybody, DJ, royalty. When you run an empire, you have all kinds of secrets. These boxes were how the Emperor sent out messages or orders, the things they wanted to be kept secret.”
“Can you open it, without destroying any of the contents that are inside the box?” I ask.
“No, I can’t. That isn’t to say that no one can open it, but I can’t. These puzzle boxes are unique that way. This one looks like it will take a lot of moves to open,” she says while gently turning the box to look at all sides.
“Micky said that this one might explode,” says Murph, grimly.
Jeannie sets the box down quickly, but gently. “I’ve read about that happening in ancient times if they weren’t opened correctly, but I doubt that would happen today,” she says. “Most likely there are different powders inside that, when mixed together, would destroy the contents of the box. Please tell me that you have the codex to open it.”
“The whatex?” asks DJ.
“Codex, it shows you the exact moves you need to make to open the box,” she explains.
“No, but we’re trying to find it.” I say. “That’s why we came here, to see if there was an expert at the museum who might know how to open it. I called you in Hawaii too, and left a message on your work phone. It’s just a weird coincidence that you happened to be working here.”
“Well, there is no way to open this box until you find the codex. Until that time, I suggest keeping it in a safe place.”
“So you don’t know anyone who can open it?” Murph asks Jeannie.
“No, sorry, I don’t. This particular type of box could have over one hundred and sixty-six moves that need to be made in the exact order to safely open it. Do you have any idea what’s inside?”
“We think its papers. Important papers” Murph says.
“Pretty important papers, I’d say, if someone went to this much trouble.” Jeannie says. “If not done it the exact seque
nce you will destroy everything inside, and the box itself. In ancient times these were like a modern-day bank vault. Even if you brought me the codex, I might be able to open this box, but it would be iffy at best. Micky was very smart to put whatever it is that’s in there because it’s perfectly safe. I’m so sorry I can’t help you. I don’t know anybody on this side of the Pacific who can.”
“What if we tried drilling into it?” DJ asks her. “Do you think that would work?”
“It would trigger the device, mixing the chemicals together, and destroy everything inside. It’s a secure system.” Jeannie answers, “You just can’t tamper with these things without messing up the contents.”
Murphy stands up and says, “Bobby, I really have to get back to work. Walk me to my car, okay? Then you can come back and finish up here. It’s been nice meeting you, Jeannie,” He extends his hand towards her and she stands and shakes it.
As we get to the parking lot, Murph turns to me and says, “You need to get this figured out and quickly, Bobby, before this thing blows up in my face. I just turned in the paperwork that the captain asked for. Withholding major evidence is a crime, and falsifying reports could cost me my badge, and my pension. So get on it. Fast. She has to know someone who can help us figure this thing out. And we need to find the other clue.” I nod at him and turn back toward the museum.
“Well,” I say to Jeannie and DJ as the guard lets me back into her office. “It looks like we’re back to square one.”
“Nobody ever solved anything on an empty stomach,” DJ says. “Who’s hungry?”
“I am,” Jeannie says, her eyes bright, “but I still have a little work to do here. I can be done in a half hour.”
“Okay, let’s go San Clemente and have dinner at Iva Lee’s. How’s that sound?” DJ says.
“Sounds like fun to me.” Jeannie smiles. “Bobby, will you be able to drive with me? I don’t know the way.”
“Sure,” I say, “looking at DJ. “Do you mind driving the van back to San Clemente? That way I can wait for Jeannie to finish, and make sure she doesn’t get lost. We'll meet up with you at Iva Lees in a bit, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan.” DJ says, and I toss him the keys. He heads out to the parking lot and I walk back into the museum to look around some more while I wait for Jeannie to finish her work. I stand in front of the drum, thinking about how crazy life is.
◆◆◆
“So, Bobby Paladin, we have a lot of catching up to do.” Jeannie says as she turns onto the southbound 5 Freeway on-ramp forty-five minutes later. “Tell me what you’ve been up to since you ditched me in Hawaii.”
“Is it okay if we don’t talk about that right now?” I say. “I’m just so happy to see you again. Can we start fresh?” She smiles as she checks her driver-side mirror and merges into traffic. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m glad to see you, too,” She says, keeping her eyes straight ahead. “I don’t know how you people over here on da mainland deal with all of dis traffic. I thought da traffic on Oahu was bad,” she says tossing in a little pidgin.
I laugh and start to catch her up, not knowing how much detail to go into. I don’t want to talk about Micky anymore, so I tell her a bit about my time on the LAPD. However, I get the distinct feeling that she knows all about my leaving the police department. I don’t want to spend too much time on that either, so I tell her that I’m now working for DJ, and about his family. “Sounds pretty dull when I say all this out loud,” I say, “but I’m doing fine and I like the work.” I’m just about to change the subject over to her when my cell phone rings. It’s DJ.
“What’s up, bro?” I ask him.
“I’m just calling to let you know I’m going to head home and let you two have a nice, romantic evening together. Who knows? You might even get lucky tonight. You could sure use it. Make up a believable excuse for me,” he says with a laugh and hangs up.
I glance over at Jeannie, afraid she may have heard him—he’s always been really loud—but she’s just looking straight ahead, paying attention to the early evening traffic.
“Oh,” I say into the dead phone, “Sure. I understand. You’ve had a rough couple of days. Go on home and get some rest. We’ll catch up with you another time. I’ll tell Jeannie. Later.” I put my phone in my pocket and turn to Jeannie. “DJ says he’s tired and is just going to go home to rest. It looks like it’s just you and me for dinner.”
“Why are you grinning like you just won the lottery, Bobby Paladin?” she says with a laugh. “This sounds like a setup to me. But, I really am looking forward to having dinner with just you, but don’t think I’m that kind of girl.”
“You’re going to love this restaurant, Jeannie.” I say, changing the subject, “The owners are good friends of mine and the food is amazing.”
We spend the next half an hour chatting and before we know it, we’re in San Clemente.
I direct her into Iva Lee’s parking lot and we walk into the restaurant. Lisa is at her usual spot at the hostess station, and her husband, Eric, is behind the bar. They opened this upscale Cajun style restaurant ten years ago, in a town that was desperate for more good places to eat. The original Iva Lee was Lisa’s grandmother and pictures of her grace the restaurant. It’s become a huge success in San Clemente, mostly because of their hard work and dedication to their customers. Great music and service haven’t hurt, either.
“Bobby! It’s good to see you. Where have you been keeping yourself?” Lisa gives me a quick hug.
“Lisa, I’d like you to meet a dear friend, Jeannie.” Lisa gives Jeannie an approving look.
“Jeannie, it’s nice to meet you,” Lisa says with a warm smile, and they shake hands.
“I’d stay away from that guy if I were you,” Eric calls from behind the bar. “He’s been in a lot of trouble lately.” I catch his eye over Jeannie’s head and give my own head a quick shake. He picks up on my signal. We cross over to the bar. “Jeannie Franks, this is my good friend Eric Wagner.” He shakes her hand and then smiles at me.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jeannie, how do you two know each other?” he asks. “It’s not like Bobby brings many dates in here.”
“We go way back, Eric. We actually met in a museum when Bobby was in Japan for a surf contest,” she gives me a fond look. Bonus!
“You have a beautiful restaurant. It feels so comfortable and intimate.” She looks around, taking in the tin ceiling, copper bar and deep, banquette seating in the back.
“Thank you. We’ve worked hard.” He turns to look at me. “Would you like to eat at the bar, Bobby, or would you like a table?”
“If you could find a table for us, Eric, that would be great.” I say.
“Just give me a minute. Grab a seat at the bar and have a drink while I find out what’s available.” He signals to Lisa and she checks the reservation book and says something to one of the servers.
I find two open stools, and we each order a glass of wine. The musicians are just starting to set up in a corner of the lounge. Suddenly, I can’t think of a thing to say to her. I can’t believe how nervous I am. I guess when I thought DJ was going to be our buffer I hadn’t let myself think about how much I’d missed her. We sit there for a few moments, just smiling and looking away, like two teenagers out on their first date.
“Excuse me, Bobby,” says Lisa. Thank God. I was on the verge of making a fool of myself. “I have a table all ready for you out on the patio. We’re not super busy tonight so I set you up out there for some privacy.” She gives us a knowing smile and turns to lead us through the dining room and out on to the patio. She seats us a table with a view of San Clemente’s main street, El Camino Real. There must be a classic car show in town this weekend. We watch as an old woody and a bright red ’67 Chevy Corvette drive down the street.
“Thanks, Lisa,” I say as we sit down, and she hands us menus. She lights the candle on the table and says, “The first two are on the house.” She nods at our wine glasses. “Michelle will be right out t
o tell you about tonight’s specials.”
“This place is so beautiful.” Jeannie says. I’m relieved she’s starting the conversation. I’m trying not to gulp my wine to calm myself. “I was thinking back to when we first met in Japan” she says, “We had a quiet dinner at that little restaurant by the museum. It was so long ago.” She sips her wine.
I start to say something but she interrupts me, “I couldn’t believe that it was you standing right there in the museum today. I felt like it was just yesterday that I’d last seen you, not nearly ten years. I’m still in shock.” She reaches over and lightly strokes my hand.
Suddenly, Michelle is beside our table. Crap. Things were just starting to get interesting. I stand up and give her a quick hug. “Michelle, this is my friend Jeannie from Hawaii.” Michelle is working on her nursing degree, raising a precocious four-year-old, and working at Iva Lee’s part-time. I don’t know how she does it. Her husband and she make a pretty good team, but they both work really hard. Michelle tells us about the specials and we tell her we need a few more minutes to decide. She offers to bring us wine refills and hurries back into the restaurant.
I pick up our thread of the conversation from where it was before Michelle appeared. “It was a long time ago, Jeannie. So much has changed in my life since the Pipe Masters wipeout.” I’m not as nervous now—probably because of the wine—and we settle in to comfortable conversation. Our dinners are brought to the table, along with another glass of wine. As we eat, talk and sip wine, we tell each other the high and low points of our lives.
Danger Point Page 11