Naked Tao (12 page)

Uncle Jim had a tear in his eye. “Last night you said you were done being a lawyer. You told me they were going to disbar you, maybe throw you in jail. Please tell me that was just crazy drunk talk. All of this can be figured out. As far as Ch’ing goes, he can take care of himself. You need to focus on your current predicament.” 

“Aaawk. Lawyers get to lie and cheat,” squawked Bird. “Peckerwood wants to give up all that good fun. Aaawk.” 

“Bird, you’re supposed to be guarding the perimeter,” said Uncle Jim. 

“Aaawk. Eyes and ears on it. Perimeter secured. Aaawk.” 

I shook my head at Bird. “Things can turn on a dime,” I said. “I think I’ve made some powerful enemies, either because I defended Pathogen, or because some possibly incriminating evidence has fallen into my hands. I’m not sure who the players are in all of this.” 

“Your enemies have given you the gift of change,” said Padma. 

I had a flashback of Ch’ing teaching us baguazhang, one of the internal martial arts. The student is encouraged to overcome their natural resistance to change. High-level fighting techniques can be found in the transition moves, if the student has the courage to embrace change. 

Ch’ing liked to spar ten-on-one and was always the last man standing. He moved like a whirling dervish teaching hidden techniques as he laid waste to all ten opponents. When the session was over, he’d look at our bodies on the floor and tell us we needed to do a better job embracing change. We’d ask him how to do that, but he’d just shake his head and tell us to keep our feet moving next time. 

Uncle Jim pulled me back from my reverie with a question. “Do we need to talk to someone about getting you an attorney?” 

“Probably,” I answered. “It doesn’t look good. I’m their number one murder suspect for John’s death.” 

“You would never do such a thing!” said Ginny. 

“No, but my word won’t mean much under the circumstances,” I said. “I need proof of my innocence or I’m in for a rough time.” 

“What kind of proof?” asked Ginny. 

“For starters, I need to get those documents back,” I answered. 

“Documents?” asked Uncle Jim. 

I nodded. “That’s where the disbarment comes in,” I answered. “I had possible evidence that they are involved in an illegal bio-weapons project. I disclosed this confidential information to Eric and now to you.” 

“You said you had evidence,” said Ginny. “What happened to it?” 

“No, that’s where John fits into the story,” I said. “I gave the evidence to him, and now he’s dead.” 

Uncle Jim knows me well. “You think it got him killed, don’t you?” 

I nodded grimly. 

“Do you think this has anything to do with the murder at The Center?” asked Ginny. 

“I’m not sure what the connection is, but there definitely seems to be one,” I said. 

“Wait a minute…you mentioned a gunman earlier, but you didn’t say anything about someone getting killed at The Center,” said Uncle Jim. 

“A security guard was stabbed,” I said. “He was a friend of Eric’s. A biker named Tiny.” 

“The leader of the Dragons,” asked Uncle Jim. 

I nodded. “I had a run in with the murderer,” I said. “He broke a couple of my ribs and escaped.” 

“The Dragons will be out for blood,” said Uncle Jim. “To bad he got away.” 

“I wished I had caught him,” I said. “It all happened so fast. I went after him with the murder weapon. My prints are all over it.” 

“That’s not good,” said Uncle Jim in his best deadpan voice. At this point, I don’t think anything I said could have fazed him. 

“This is bad, very bad,” I said. 

“We need to find the murderer,” said Uncle Jim. “What did he look like?” 

I shrugged. “I didn’t get a good look at his face,” I said. “He wore a hooded monk’s robe. I just saw a monk. They all look the same to me.” 

Padma snorted. 

“Ch’ing will not be happy to hear you weren’t more observant than that,” said Uncle Jim. “Have you called the police?” 

“I know I should talk to them about all of this, but I must get proof of my innocence first,” I answered. 

Uncle Jim nodded. “What were you doing at The Center?” 

“Working as a body guard,” I answered. 

He looked astonished, “Body guard…who were you protecting?” 

“Padma,” I answered. 

Uncle Jim raised an eyebrow. 

“I am a simple monk,” said Padma. “I have no need for a body guard.” 

“You didn’t request protection,” asked Uncle Jim. 

Padma shook his head. 

“Eric hired me,” I said. “The strange thing about the whole thing is that his client specifically asked for me.” 

“Who are they and why you?” asked Uncle Jim. 

I shrugged and turned to Ginny. “Since your company sponsored this event, maybe you know something about the security arrangements.” 

She shook her head. 

“Eric is looking into it,” I said. “We should know something soon.” 

There was a flutter of feathers as Bird landed softly on Padma’s shoulders. Bird looked lovingly at Padma and then gently rubbed his beak against the monk’s cheek. Padma welcomed the comforting gesture, but looked like he was exhausted and fading fast. In a tired voice he said, “It was a long journey from Bhutan and I must rest now.” 

“Not to mention your night of sexual debauchery”, I thought to myself. 

Uncle Jim turned to Padma and asked, “Do you have any enemies?” 

“Enemy…friend…two sides of the same coin,” answered Padma. 

The corners of Uncle Jim’s mouth tightened, “You don’t give straight answers to simple questions, do you? Why is that?” 

Bird inched closer to Padma’s cheek and glared at Uncle Jim. Padma reached up and gently smoothed his ruffled feathers, stroking from the back of the neck downward to the tip of his tail. 

“Easy my friend,” whispered Padma. 

Ginny reached out and placed a soothing hand on Uncle Jim’s forearm. 

“Padma came all the way from Bhutan at my request,” she said. “He planned to reveal an ancient secret. Someone tried to stop him.” 

“What secret?” asked Uncle Jim. 

Padma smiled gently before answering, “Something that will change everything.”

Uncle Jim shook his head, “You’re not going to tell us, are you?” 

“Now is not the time,” replied Padma. “Be patient. Events must run their course.” 

“Run their course…people are dead and they’re trying to kill us,” I growled. 

Uncle Jim looked thoughtful and nodded toward the house, “Padma, you can use the bedroom at the end of the hall. I’ll show you the way. I better call a few friends at the station and see what I can find out. Just sit tight until we figure out what to do next.” 

Bird stayed glued to Padma’s shoulder as he followed Uncle Jim into the house. In the fading light, he looked like a strange two headed beast. 

“Be real anyway.” - Padma

According to Ch’ing, at the end of each day, the immortals gather in the coral colored clouds to party. He promised I would see them when my heart is ready. I never watch a sunset without hoping for a glimpse of my dad. This sunset was different. On this evening, I watched the coral hues gather around Ginny. 

As the color faded in the heavens, the last of the restless birds settled in for the night. Frogs began their nightly mating ritual, croaking to each other on the banks of Harrods Creek. Crickets marked territory with dueling chirps and the bug zapper fried insects unlucky enough to be lured into its purple glow.  After all that had happened, it felt surreal to be sitting at Uncle Jim’s like it was any other day. 

When the first star appeared low in the sky, Ginny turned her glass and swallowed the last of the highball. Nodding toward the house she said, “I like your Uncle Jim. He’s good people.” 

“He’s always been there for me,” I said. “I have been blessed.” 

Ginny looked hesitant and then asked, “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” 

This question usually triggered a red flag, but not this time. I wanted to open myself to her so I answered, “I don’t mind.” 

“Will you tell me about your parents?” she asked. 

The story had been told often enough that I could detach and recite it without emotion. “My dad dreamed of buying a new Harley, but couldn’t bring himself to do it,” I began. “He would shake his head and tell my mother he had a family to think about. But, mom had ideas of her own. She scrimped and saved for it anyway. On his thirtieth birthday she fulfilled dad’s dream.” 

“She put his dreams first,” said Ginny. “Your mother must have loved him very much.” 

Ginny’s observation stopped me short. My detachment evaporated as I remembered how my mom had woken me early that morning and whispered that it was a special day. She led me down the hall to the bedroom where dad was snoring softly. Together we pounced on him while singing happy birthday. Dad growled at us for waking him, but his eyes were shining and filled with love. 

“Isn’t that how Love works?” I asked. 

“Yes,” she said softly. 

“Then Love destroyed us,” I said. “After dropping me off at school they decided to take the Harley out for her maiden ride. I never saw my dad again thanks to a hit and run driver. Mom…well, she’s never been the same.” 

Her hand went to her mouth. “I had no idea,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Grant.” 

The passage of time had dulled the painful memory, but seeing the shock on Ginny’s face made my words seem a bit harsh. For some reason I wanted to soften their sharp edge with something personal…a confession. 

“I’ve always been envious of friends with parents,” I said.  “I can’t imagine what it’s like to have a mom or dad when you need them.  Everyone complains about their parents, but even a difficult parent is better than no parent. At least you know that someone has got your back.” 

The concern in her eyes disappeared. It was replaced with something dark and terrible. Her gaze dropped to her lap. I couldn’t see her face to read it, but I sensed she needed comforting. It wasn’t my thing, but something drew me to her side. 

After a false start, I put a stiff arm around her. Unsure what to expect in return, I was relieved when she buried her face in my chest. She started to cry. I wanted to say something comforting, but nothing came to mind. Instead, I stroked her hair and just held tight until she stopped.

“You remember my mother, don’t you?” she asked. 

I shuddered. The fat lady had been an unwelcomed part of my dreams for many years. Have you ever had one of those moments when you forget who you are talking to and just stick your foot in your mouth? 

“I think she means well, but she’s a nightmare,” said Ginny. 

After my talk with Kinsey, I wasn’t sure her mother meant well. She seemed backward to me, and filled with hate. The fat lady was religious in a way that bordered on fanatical.  After hearing about the backward way the Taliban treated women in Afghanistan, I sometimes think of people like her mother as America’s Taliban. 

“Dad was nothing like mom.  Dad was warm and loving. When my mother started one of her tirades, he would find a gentle way to diffuse her anger. Soon we would all be laughing and making plans to do something silly. He was a shining light on a dark night.” 

“Was…uhh…you lost your dad?” I asked. 

“I don’t know all of the details, but they argued about a trip to the Amazon Rainforest,” she said. “My mother didn’t want him to go. Before he left, he told me he had to do something that would change everything. He promised me he wouldn’t be gone long. He lied. I never saw him again.” 

“Do you have any idea what happened?” I asked. 

“They say his plane crashed somewhere over the jungle,” she answered. “The day we got the news my mother beat me with one of Dad’s belts because my shorts showed too much leg. It was a hot day, but I changed into long pants and sleeves to appease her.” 

Beat her…Ginny’s mother sounded like she was still a nightmare. At least I had Uncle Jim and Ch’ing after I lost my parents. I couldn’t imagine what it was like for her…alone with a mother like that. To take my mind off the fat lady, I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head. Instead, I got a whiff of her scent which was intoxicating. 

“It must have been tough after he left,” I said. 

She nodded. “I wanted to placate her, so I dressed conservatively through high school. You might say even old fashioned. It didn’t work. She got worse, instead of better. Eventually, I just lost myself.” 

“Old fashioned…you’ve definitely changed,” I said. “How did that happen?” 

Ginny bit her lip. She looked torn…as if she wasn’t quite sure she could trust me. Finally, she made up her mind and answered. 

“You know, I never had a date in high school,” she said. “Instead, I poured myself into books. It did pay off with scholarships. I chose the college farthest from my mother. I figured no one would know me in California. 

“As soon as I got to Stanford, I set out to reinvent myself…to find myself.  I didn’t have much money, so I started redesigning my old clothes. My designs just seemed to get progressively sluttier and everyone started noticing. 

“The other co-eds loved them and wanted to know where I bought them.  They were trust-fund kids. I was embarrassed and didn’t want to tell them the truth about my circumstances, so I avoided their questions. At least for a while, but they wouldn’t stop pestering me until I finally confessed.

“I thought that would be the end of our friendships, but they were really cool about it. In fact, they were so impressed with my talent; they begged me to redesign their designer clothes. It surprised me. I didn’t take them seriously until they offered to pay me. 

“My slut wear was all the rage on campus. Thanks to the power of social media, it spread like a virus to other campuses. Before long, I was running a small but thriving business. 

“By my junior year at Stanford, my business had grown to the point that I employed over a hundred workers, mostly women. Emerald Allure had arrived and me…well I found myself.” 

“Sounds like you’re mother actually helped you in a back-handed kind of way,” I said. 

Ginny frowned, “I suppose so, but if it wasn’t for Marguerite, I don’t think I would have survived.” 

“Who’s Marguerite?” I asked. 

“She was my nanny” answered Ginny. “My mother wanted a good Hispanic woman to keep me on the straight and narrow while she was at work. I think she assumed Marguerite was Catholic, but she wasn’t. Marguerite followed a more ancient path. Instead of bible study, she taught me to open my mind to the mystery of nature.” 

“The mystery of nature,” I murmured. “That’s a subject Ch’ing often talked about.” 

Ginny’s smile was gentle. Her voice was soft. “Marguerite was compassionate, like dad,” she said. “She also provided a soothing buffer from my mother’s episodes. I miss her and was looking forward to seeing her for the first time in ten years.” 

“What happened to her?” I asked. 

“I don’t know,” said Ginny. “We’ve stayed in touch and planned to meet for lunch yesterday, but she never showed. That’s not like her at all.” 

“Odd, Ch’ing disappeared yesterday too,” I said. 

“You mentioned him earlier,” said Ginny. “Who’s Ch’ing?” 

“My martial arts master. He moved into the neighborhood shortly after my dad’s funeral,” I answered. “He didn’t seem to have a job. Instead, he taught kung fu for free in a small neighborhood park. Eric and I were his first students. He taught us in the traditional way. It’s more like a father-son relationship, than student-teacher.” 

“So, that’s who that was,” she said. “I saw you in the park with him many times.” 

“Were you spying on me?” I joked. 

“I thought the exercises were so graceful,” she answered. “I wanted to join in, but was afraid to ask.” 

“I never noticed,” I said. 

“You missed a lot, Grant.”

“Maybe I did,” I said. “You should have joined us. Ch’ing would have welcomed you with open arms.” 

“Would you have welcomed me with open arms?” she asked. 

“Yes, of course,” I answered uncomfortably, but we both knew that wasn’t true. I had avoided her like the plague after the incident with her mother and had slipped away as quickly as possible anytime she’d came near me. 

Ginny’s expression was inscrutable. It reminded me of Ch’ing, who had an entire repertoire of mysterious expressions. She decided to change the subject. “You are very lucky to have both Uncle Jim and Ch’ing in your life,” she said. 

“He and Uncle Jim like to slap each other on the back and tell me what a good job they did raising me,” I said. “Despite my present circumstances, I tend to agree.” 

“He seems worried about you,” she said. 

“He thinks I’ve lost my way,” I said. 

“Have you?” she asked. 

Somehow, I knew she could be trusted, so I opened myself to her, “I lost my way the day I decided to go to law school.” 

She looked surprised, but quickly recovered, “Then why did you choose law school?” 

“Uncle Jim wanted me to go to college, but he didn’t have the money to pay for it. When I was offered a scholarship to play football at West Point he was thrilled. He took to calling me General Li…sometimes General Grant. Later, it was just Generalissimo, but he always said it with pride.” 

“Thing was…I didn’t want to play football anymore and I sure didn’t want to disappoint him,” I added. 

“How did you get out of that bind?” she asked. 

“Badly…I’ll never forget the day I told him I wasn’t going to take the scholarship,” I said. “Uncle Jim looked so damn disappointed. He sat there at the kitchen table looking tired and beaten. I had never seen him like that. To his credit, he shook it off and asked me what I planned to do with my life.” 

“I told him I still planned to go to college and had even thought about going to law school,” I said. “He lit up like a Christmas tree, slapped me on the back, and told me he was proud of me.” 

“It was true I planned to go to college, but I don’t know why I said that about law school,” I said. “The thought never crossed my mind. Afterwards, he kept going on and on about law school and I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was a weird slip of the tongue.” 

Ginny looked thoughtful and said, “You did it for him and still became a rock star lawyer.” 

“It was important to him,” I said. “Like I said, that’s what Love does.” 

I grinned. “Rock star lawyer…humm…besides Uncle Jim, you might just be my first and only groupie.” 

Her face darkened, “I bet a lot of girls follow you around.” 

“None that matter,” I said. 

Ginny didn’t look convinced, “Have there been a lot of women in your life?” 

“After Cindy and before I got married, I guess I dated a lot of different women…mostly to protect myself,” I said. 

She rolled her eyes, “That’s a new one.” 

“I thought it would keep me from getting trapped in a bad relationship,” I said. “It didn’t work.  My marriage was a nightmare.” 

She softened a little. “I suppose you’ve had many lovers?” she asked. 

I shook my head. “Actually I don’t…I…umm…I don’t have much experience.” 

“What are you saying?” she asked. 

“I’ve only…err…umm…been with one person,” I said. 

She looked stunned. “You’re drop dead gorgeous,” she said. “How can that be?” 

Something lit up inside of me. “You think I’m gorgeous?” 

“Well yea,” she replied. 

I didn’t want to risk upsetting her like I did at the party, but I really needed to know what was going on with her. So, I took a deep breath and said cautiously, “You’ve changed since high school.  I’m not just talking about your clothes. You’re more open…a lot wilder. Have you had a lot of experiences?” 

She looked thoughtful, and then her face darkened. “I hated being invisible in high school. I desperately wanted to be noticed in college, so I dressed like a slut. It changed everything. A lot of guys and even a few girls asked me out. When I posed for Playboy in their “Nerdy Girls” layout, the attention became overwhelming.”