Chapter 26
I clicked the little doohickey on my keychain and my car merrily beeped at me. I let out a groan as I saw that there was a parking ticket sitting on my windshield. Why is it every time I try to save a buck and park at a meter instead of the garage, I end up having to pay $40?
I leaned over and shoved the ticket in my purse.
“What’s that?” asked Killian.
“Just a donation request to support the brave public servants of Los Angeles during this time of budgetary shortfalls.”
In the Other Side, they knew me well enough to let it slide. Note to self: get snuggly with local law enforcement. Or just the meter maids.
I revved up the car and looked in my rear view window, noticing a navy blue SUV pulling out. I waited for it to go around, but the driver waved me to cut in front of him. Evidently, there were such things as gentlemen in Los Angeles.
A couple miles down the road though, I realized that the SUV was following me turn for turn. I slowly wove around the blocks and side streets until we were back by Xiaoming’s. The SUV stuck two cars behind me the whole way.
“Hey, Killian?”
“Yes?” he said as he flipped through my CD collection. The man had trouble sitting still.
“Look in the rear view. You recognize that blue SUV?”
Killian readjusted my mirror so that he could get a good look without having to turn around, “No.”
The driver was completely non-descript. White guy, brown hair, sunglasses. I’d have trouble picking him out of a lineup.
“Thoughts?” I asked.
“Outrun him?”
I looked at the wall-to-wall car bumpers and their red flashy brake lights in front of us as far as the eye could see.
“Let’s try Plan B.”
I pulled over to an empty space and turned off the engine. I saw the blue SUV scramble and pull up at a red curb. Amateur.
“Stay,” I commanded Killian. And he did. If only commanding human men was usually as easy…
I got out of the car and walked back to the SUV. The guy tried to turn on his engine and pull out, but I decided to stand in his way.
I knocked on his window and he rolled it down.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“I’m just an ordinary citizen. You should get out of the street before a hazardous situation unfolds,” he stammered.
I folded my arms and leaned on his windowsill, giving him a good ol’ look down my shirt. He gulped uncomfortably.
“Now, don’t be like that,” I smiled. “I caught your tail fair and square. Now, why don’t you tell me what I can do for you?”
“I… uh… I thought… Want to go out on a date?” he offered lamely.
“Listen, I’m asking really nicely,” I said as I reached into the car and grabbed him by both lapels. “You seem like you’re new to all this and stuff. Why don’t you just tell me why you’re following me and I won’t reshape your nose into something with a bit more character.”
He sighed and pulled out a badge, “We received a tip that an international smuggler of rare antiquities resided in that building and that we should monitor it. I saw you go in and come out, but I did not see an exchange take place so… I thought maybe I should follow you.”
I smoothed out the guy’s shirt, “Agent…?”
“Agent Hogs.”
“Wait, really?”
He blushed bright red, “It was a thing at Ellis Island when my family came over…”
I was getting sidetracked, “Listen, Agent Hogs, I am not a member of an international smuggling ring, nor is the man who resides there. Xiaoming is an historian and a scholar. That’s it. Whoever gave you this information was lying.”
Agent Hogs protested, “He has a whole lot of trips to China...”
I pulled out my business card and handed it to him, “He deals in antiquities, Agent Hogs. He doesn’t steal.”
At least I hoped that Xiaoming didn’t steal, but the agent looked utterly defeated, so rock on with my bad self for hitting a plausible truth with a shot in the dark.
“We have reason to believe that Xiaoming’s safety may be at risk,” I continued, trying to assure the rookie. “You staking out his house is probably a great idea. Just let me know if there is any trouble or if any suspicious characters go to visit, okay?”
“Okay.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Agent.”
“Likewise.”
I walked back to my car and watched as Agent Hogs pulled out a cell phone before driving down the street. I opened the door and climbed inside, “Well, that’s handled. Let’s find ourselves a diamond lion statue.”
Unfortunately, the search was momentarily delayed as my car and the cars around me were thrown thirty feet.