The Japanese Masseuse – Chapter 17

        

Ivy Kim (Detective, Austin Police Department)

Craig and Victoria Mooney  (Ivy Kim’s ex-husband and step-daughter)

Kelly Turner Jones  (Craig Mooney’s fiancee)

       

Cile Cook  (Model, D’Almagro Fashion and Talents)

Tiffany Kammer  (Cile Cook’s friend)

Bee  (Homeless woman)

       

Kristy Chaviers  (Starbucks employee)

Leonardo D’Almagro  (CEO, D’Almagro Fashion and Talents)

David J. Hernandez  (Business partner, D’Almagro Fashions and Talents)

CHAPTER 17

 

Macy’s in Barton Creek Shopping Mall was busy like a railway station. The sale in the women’s department with promises of 50% savings had awakened the urge to spend in almost every woman born with a shopping gene. Including Detective Kim.

She had finally managed to escape from her duties for an hour or two to find the perfect birthday present for Victoria. Craig and Kelly were undoubtedly going to buy her a car, so she could start her driving lessons. She really wants a horse.

They had not even asked if she had plans to buy a car for Victoria. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I showed up with a car, too? Ivy couldn’t help but smile. She could easily picture Craig’s and Kelly’s faces when they opened the door to present Victoria with a car and saw another car parked next to it. I so wish I could do that! But that wasn’t the situation.

It wasn’t difficult for Ivy to imagine the comments from Victoria’s friends.

“Wow! A brand new sports car!”

“Your dad must be a millionaire.”

“Oh, is that gift card from your Mom? One week of free gasoline. Nice…”

Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll married an outrageously rich man and then buy Victoria a horse. She snorted at her own fairy tale.

Next to Ivy, two young women in their early twenties were working their way through a load of tank tops in all different colors and designs. They couldn’t help overhear her outburst. They looked up, each still holding onto several spring-sale bargains.

“Oh nothing,” Ivy said when they looked at her in wonder. “I do that now and then…Snort, I mean. It has absolutely nothing to do with your tank top search. I’m not in any way competing with you! I’m just trying to figure out where to buy a horse for my daughter’s birthday.” I can always pretend I can afford a horse. Ivy opened her wallet and showed them a picture of Victoria with her long, golden hair.

Both women looked at the photo and then back at Ivy with puzzled looks.

“Adopted! Pretty obvious, right? We don’t exactly look alike. I know!” Ivy raised her eyebrows. “Normally it’s the other way around.”

The two young women now gave her blank stares.

“Americans adopt children from Korea. People from Korea do not adopt children from America,” the detective said. Duh! There are too many one-way streets in this world. Amen!!!

“And your daughter wants a horse?” one of the young women repeated. She was a Texas beauty, tall, with long, platinum-blonde hair and a model’s figure. “I doubt Macy’s has horses. They do have almost anything, but horses…?” She smiled and turned to her friend who was almost her complete opposite: short, auburn brown, and plump but still with a very pretty face. “What do you think, Tiff? A goat perhaps?”

Tiffany Kammer, who knew exactly what embarrassing episode her friend Cile Cook was referring to, didn’t answer. Instead, she took a step behind her friend to hide her blushing cheeks.

“I don’t think a goat will do. I’m talking about a horse for horseback riding. Not a pet.” Ivy smiled and began her own search through the tank tops.

“A pet-friend perhaps.” Cile winked at Tiffany.

“I really need to leave, Cile. I have an appointment.” It was obvious that Tiffany wasn’t enjoying the conversation.

“Oh darn. Really? I was just about to tell this lady about my practical joke.” Cile presented a proud smile.

Tiffany looked surprised that her friend would share that humiliating episode with a total stranger. “Your practical joke?” With a surprised and questioning expression, Tiffany looked at Cile, who didn’t respond.

“Sure. I love that story!” She dropped the tank tops she had in her hand to get ready to share her story. “In high school some of us organized a so-called charity drive for the benefit of ‘Lonely Tiffy’ to provide Tiffany with a true friend.” She nodded towards Tiffany. “You see, Ma’am, Tiff didn’t have many friends; and she comes from a, let’s say, low-income home where her mom and dad always have struggled to make ends meet.”

She searched for approval of her observations, but her friend looked away, embarrassed.

Ivy wasn’t sure what kind of story she was listening to but felt intrigued enough to stick around to hear more.

The young woman continued. “The new high school that was part of the new development plan for the county had been built right between the trailer park and the nice new homes the county planned to encourage more of.” Cile looked at her friend then Ivy. “Tiffany lived in the trailer park, and most of her high school friends lived on the other side. You see, Ma’am, Tiff has always been a good kid and an A student; but that didn’t help much when it came to making friends. Right, Tiff?” The young woman sent Tiffany a questioning look.

“On Tiffany’s birthday, our ‘benefit’ group showed up with a goat. A cute little mountain goat. With a red bow around its neck.” She giggled. “So what do you think? A goat? For a birthday gift? Gosh, I think that has been one of the most embarrassing moments in Tiff’s life. Am I right, Tiff?”

Tiffany reluctantly nodded.

“Almost the entire school was gathered around Tiff and the goat. Some found it a bad joke. I don’t know why. It was just fun! We didn’t wanna hurt anybody and definitely not the cute goat. Others were confused, surprised, or simply felt pity for her. But most of us organizers were laughing. So were you, right, Tiff?

Tiff was about to nod but didn’t. Again she looked away with tears in her eyes. Her friend didn’t notice.

“The principal took the goat into custody in his office. It was hilarious! We later learned it consumed several of the school’s important files.” She snorted and looked with excitement at Ivy. “Good ol’ Tiff knew her parents never would allow her to keep the goat when it was released after school, so she gave it to one of the students who lived on a small cattle ranch.”

Cile looked proud after having finished her story.

“A goat?” Now it was the detective’s turn to be surprised.

“Well, yeah…just a practical joke thing. Good luck with your horse hunt.”

She turned away, chuckling. Together with hundreds of other women, the two young women moved further into the clothing sale.

Ivy followed the odd pair as they were about to disappear into the swarm of people, wondering what had brought those two very different women together. She noticed that the taller young woman continued to be amused after her recap of this scene from her friend’s life.

“Hah, a horse! I think my idea with the goat was better, for sure. Don’t you?” Cile was waiting for Tiffany’s agreement.

“Your idea?” Tiffany repeated. “Was it your idea with the goat, Cile?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know.” She examined her friend’s face with disbelief in her eyes. “What! All this time, and you didn’t know?” She cackled.

The detective’s view was temporarily obscured when a group of three young men passed the girls, all the while giving Cile hungry looks.

Tiffany had seen those looks a million times. Guys would always do that, and she knew that Cile looked even more astonishing next to her. She trailed along after the woman she always had thought of as a friend.

With the crowd closing in, Ivy lost sight of the women and determined, I need some help with the birthday present, a defeat she hated to admit. She just couldn’t spend the whole day searching for the perfect gift. She felt very fortunate having a cell phone. She had no recollection of what the days had been like before the invention of this key communication device.

“Victoria! It’s Mom. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Mom. You know something? Can I call you back? I’m about to start tennis practice, and coach is already waiting for me.” She sounded well, her crisp and happy voice sparkling through the line.

Would it always hurt whenever she had something more important to do than talk to her mom? “Sure, Sweetie, I just have one quick question. What would you like for your birthday?”

“I don’t know, Mom.”

“How about a red tank top?” She was staring at a red tank top she held pinched between two fingers.

“I already have a red tank top.”

“Well, how about a blue one?”

“Mom! I have fifteen tank tops, and I really have to go now.”

“Cash? Would you like cash? That way you can buy whatever you like.”

“Sure, Mom, cash would be nice. I gotta run. Love you!”

The conversation was over all too soon. Why am I always behind? she tortured herself. With an unpleasant feeling of being a bad mother, she maneuvered through the crowd of shoppers till she was back in the parking lot.

Not having to deal with the birthday present problem anymore, Ivy could do what she originally had planned. Earlier this morning, she had called D’Almagro’s receptionist and requested a meeting with her. Now will be as good a time as any other, she told herself.

 

***

 

Ivy took Mopac Expressway from Barton Creek Mall to get to the office of D’Almagro Fashion and Talents. She had another hour before the receptionist would lock the doors. During the day, that would be plenty of time. However, around four, traffic would pick up, and the short ride could easily require double the time.

I really need a strong cup of coffee. The receptionist will just have to wait for me.

A parking spot became available as Ivy arrived at Starbucks on Congress Avenue; a plus—the store was close to the D’Almagro Agency. Despite the place being full of customers, it wouldn’t take long to get her coffee.

In the parking spot in front of Ivy, a red Mini Cooper with a white roof was parked. A young girl walked up, unlocked it, jumped in, and started the trendy car.

Ivy stood for a moment to watch her quick departure. Too soon, Victoria would turn 15, and Ivy would not even be there to bestow her gift. She had asked Victoria if she wanted her to be in New York for her dad and Kelly’s engagement party or if she wanted her there for her own birthday party. She had chosen her dad’s engagement party. I know she did it for him. She’s always so thoughtful. I really can’t get more days off. I feel so bad about that.

“Why do you look so sad?”

Ivy turned around and faced her homeless friend Bee.

“Jam-bam, Bee! Is that you? I haven’t seen you for a while.” She gave Bee a friendly pat on her arm. “I’m not sad. I’m just thinking.”

“In that case, don’t think too much!”

Nobody knew Bee’s last name, but they knew she was the happiest homeless woman they had ever met. It was uncertain where she came from, what kind of past she had, even her age. What people knew was that she had an accent and made her living by telling stories.

The morning sun struck coppery sparks from Bee’s shoulder-length gold hair; it needed a wash and trim. However, her clothing looked nice and clean even it was pretty worn. Jeans, a loose brown blouse, and jogging shoes.

“Want a cup of coffee?” Ivy hoped she would accept her offer. Bee knew what was going on in the city if anybody did. She always had stories for kids as well as grownups. “Life is the story you create for yourself,” she would say, “so you better make it a good one!”

Bee nodded, pleased with the thought of a nice cup of coffee. It wasn’t every day she was offered such an expensive beverage. She tagged along with her small backpack over her shoulder.

“Where have you been?” Ivy wanted to know. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’ve been on vacation,” she replied with a contented smile. “It was about time.”

“Vacation?” Ivy raised her eyebrows. “Where did you go?”

“360 and 2222.” Bee was referring to a highway overpass in Northwest Austin. “I got new shoes, too.” She proudly showed her new jogging shoes. “They’re a little tight, but they will be fine.”

“I like white sneakers.” Ivy pointed to her own white running shoes, indicating they had something in common.

“I prefer brown or black. You don’t see the dirt.”

They entered the café, lined up, and waited for their turn at the counter. Bee put down her backpack on the floor, then felt her sore shoulder.

“Heavy?”

Bee nodded. “Some days it’s heavier than other days. It depends what I put in it. What did you put in your backpack today? It looks heavy, too.”

“I don’t have a…oh…” She shrugged. “It’s a little heavy these days.”

“Have you checked it recently? Sometimes, I forget to check my backpack. When I do, I often realize I have been carrying around some heavy, stupid things for the longest time that I don’t even want.” She felt the weight of her backpack, lifting it with one hand. “I think mine is okay.”

The two women were next in line.

A young woman in her early twenties wearing a cap with the shade to the back and sunglasses was ready for their orders.

“Double tall latte with non-fat milk,” Bee rubbed her hands together in expectation of her hot drink.

“Absolutely, Bee,” the young girl behind the counter said and pushed a cookie across the counter to Bee. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Thanks, Kristy! You’re always so kind.”

“And for you, Ivy? The usual?”

“Yes, please! Black coffee. Grande.”

Kristy Chaviers was aware of who the two women were. Both were known for their stories, and yet they were so different. “I read in the paper that you’re on the D’Almagro case. What a story!”

“Yep, I’m the lucky winner of that problem.” Ivy replied and felt the weight of her personal backpack.

The two women sat at a small, round table. Bee sat quietly for a moment, both hands on the cup, smelling the coffee. She closed her eyes and smiled.

“Are you hungry?”

Bee opened her eyes and smiled even wider. “You are the sweetest thing, Detective. Thank you, but I just had some fries from MacDonald’s, some drumsticks from KFC, and an apple from somewhere. Plus this cookie from Kristy. People have been so nice today. Coffee and this cookie is good. And your nice company.” She broke the cookie into two pieces and pushed half over the table to Ivy. “I saw D’Almagro the other night.” She paused. “And what’s-his-name, his business partner.”

“Hernandez?”

“Yes, him. They came out from The Rain Bar…well, D’Almagro came out with some guy, and Hernandez showed up but left again without talking to anybody. Strange behavior.”

“What exactly did you see?” Ivy set down her coffee cup and munched her half-cookie.

“Well, Mr. D and another guy came out. Dark hair, slim, young. Hard to tell from the distance. The guy left in his car, and Mr. D started walking. Mr. H showed up, walked towards the club, stopped when he saw them leaving, looked at Mr. D, then turned around and left.”

“Strange.”

“That’s what I told you!”

“And then what?”

Bee sipped the hot coffee. “I don’t know. I left. I had an appointment with my attorney.”

Ivy sent her an acknowledging beam of a smile. “Thanks! Let me know if you hear anything. Where do you live these days?” Ivy stood ready to leave.

“Here and there. Don’t worry. I’ll find you!