Hello, Are You Chinese?

"Hello, are you Chinese?"

"Not at all."

"So, what or who are you?"

"My name is Maggy."

"Hello, Maggy, " I observe you have a darker complexion and dark brownish-red eyes like those in the desert."

"Is it important to you, I look this way?"

"Oh, honey! I don't care how you look as long as you enjoy partying. Can you score for me?”

"Coke?”

"Fuck you! Whoop! Every day, that's all we do here. Let it slide, sister," the seller said.

“I’m in. Please give me anything you have," Maggy said. "It's all business now."

"OK, but you're not ready for that yet," the merchant taunted, attempting to persuade Maggy to purchase the greater quantity.

"I don't care if I fall, sloppy! Give me all you've got!" Maggy shouted in desperation.

"All right, here you go; good luck!"

Maggy took the drugs, cleared her mind, and lifted the darkness within after hearing case after case, she held her own. She jumped, danced, and sang, her dirty world problems and outlook on life gone. She floated back to her house and talked to her husband, Gerry.

****

"How about we go for a walk, hon?" she exclaimed, acting like a giddy puppy.

"Not now, honey; I'm exhausted, Maggy."

"OK, then I'll go by myself. Bye!"

Maggy left her house and walked the trail near their house, smelling the wet muckiness of the ground after a rain. Her feet became caught halfway in her steps because of the trail floor's moisture and muckiness, and the wind's wispiness chilled her cheeks.

The intruder sprang out of nowhere! He put her in a chokehold and pulled her into the bush. Laying limp, she kicks, punches, and scratches when he relaxes. The assailant's tenure is over.

"CUNT!" shouted the aggressor before spitting on her.

She jumped up to chase after the perpetrator, but she was unsuccessful; the perpetrator vanished. She returned to her house and placed her sweater in a Ziploc bag, recalling the moment and writing her attacker's sounds, smells, and approximate weight. I smelled Old Spice, but the assailant used a familiar soap. Maybe Irish Spring?

"I could use your help, Shirl; may I come in on official business?"

"Of course, Maggy. Come on in. I just returned from an errand, so I'm delighted you caught me!"

She told her former partner of sixteen years, Shirley Valentine, about her near-violent incident. Shirl is one of the greatest in the business—a pit bull with a steak regarding cases.

"So, let me guess: you suspect this perp is a cop or a border patrol agent, and that's why you came to me?" Shirley asked.

"All right, Shirl."

"Fine, I comprehend; however, this assistance concludes my help."

"Thank you, Shirl; you're the best!"

"Oh, yeah, the assailant left me a calling card. The perp spat on the back of my sweater after calling me the C-word. I pissed the perp off and surprised him with my counterattack. Here it is. I put it in a baggie and wrote this to you when I got home, like an impact statement."

"Wow! That's fantastic news—a significant lead. Our database has two types: law enforcement and criminal. I'll run it and see what happens, but it will take some time. In the meantime, walk with Gerry and never go outside alone. When you get home, lock the doors well and tightly lock your windows; you never know."

"Got it. Thanks again, Shirl. The four of us should make time for supper. It's been a long. Bye now."

Shirl shook her head. That woman had balls. She slept with my husband, Dan, as my partner, and we remained best friends. She wants to go out for dinner with her husband, and me, and my husband. I am hesitant, and she doesn't understand why.

Gerry hung up the phone and ordered a security system for the house, focusing on the judge. He wanted her to be safe when his job required him to be in Toronto three nights out of seven. The job was great, and the condo they put him in had lush decorations and an exercise facility. His spare time was often spent there.

"Hey, honey. I have court this afternoon and am headed to a private Pilates class; do you want to join me?" She offered, attempting to normalize their relationship despite what had happened earlier in the day.

"I'll meet you there. You are so beautiful, sweetie! I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. Please be careful. Maybe we should hire a driver or security guard. What do you think? We can afford it, for heaven's sake!" She kissed him, and they took their kisses upstairs for more intimacy. Their sex became more delicate and deliberate. There were no guesses or awkward movements.

"I only have two years left on my job till I can retire," she said, "and I think I'll be able to do so on time."

"I am eligible next January, and I believe I will go; I'd like to work on a few projects before you retire."

She emerged upstairs in a beautiful Coco Chanel suit, Jimmy Choo shoes, and a purse, her flawless makeup making her look ten years younger than her actual age. Maggy Litton is a stunner.

Gerry, complete with shoes, emerged from his Harry Rosen suit and inquired, "How do I look?"

"Ravishing, dear, of course!" she replied, smiling.

They had a service drop Gerry off at the airport, and took Maggy to the courthouse. Gerry's flight left at 2:15 p.m., and Maggy had court from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., so she hired the service to pick her up and drive her home.

Maggy got in, the driver shut the car doors and windows and offered to wait until Gerry arrived; she declined.

Tempting as it was, she believed the chances of the attacker knowing her were remote—a random attack. Get a grip, Maggy; Gerry will be home on Friday, and everything will be fine.

"No, that's OK; I'll be alright; thanks, Rod."

"Gerry predicted you'd say that, and I'll escort you home; if you need me, ma'am, I'll be right here. Good evening."

"Oh, he did, didn't he? Well, I haven't eaten yet, have you, Rod? Let's eat some pasta and have a glass of wine, shall we?" "Oh, he did, didn't he? Well, I haven't eaten yet, have you, Rod?"

"That sounds wonderful, ma'am, but I've already eaten; I will accept your scotch offer. Thank you."

The two sat at the dining room table, talking about their days, and the judge, who was keenly interested in what Rod had to say because he drove important people around, gave him her undivided attention; he, too, knew secrets.

Dan realized his plan to assault her for the entire evening when the guard foiled his plan to stay in the house for the evening. I needed to leave before discovery. But how? They've got this place locked up like Fort Knox! Dan shifted from one foot to the other as he stood in the coat room that Maggy said a long time ago, they never used.

The festivities finished around 12:40, with Maggy tipsy and Rod as sober as a church mouse. Dan ran from the kitchen for the sliding door, ready to ditch his gloves if necessary.

He had to remove his gloves, and he was about to clear the lock when he heard, "Hey, what the fuck are you doing?"

Dan had to kick the foot lock—that damn foot lock—in time to get out and slam the door quickly. His adrenaline was on high alert as he hopped a fence and then another and miraculously zig-zagged into a maze of back alleys and backyards. The trail is just up the way; I could go through the brush. Dan's distance from Maggy and Gerry Litton's place tonight would be so great that nobody would believe he was there.

He smiled as he slowed down and returned to his house across from Gerry and Maggy's.

Shirley was wide awake when Dan entered, watching the late show with Jimmy Fallon on DVR.

"Oh, hello, hon; I didn't realize you'd be up," he murmured hesitantly.

Seeing you away for an extended period, I got up and found the reason for your prolonged absence.

I'm collecting items from the nighttime trails; come look if you like. Others excelled, though tonight held potential.

Shirley took one look and remarked, "That's wonderful, darling. Keep up the great work." He walked her to the garage, where he had scorpion-like figures in a terrarium.

"Thank you; I'll just make some notes on what I've already discovered; goodnight, honey."

"Then good night, Dan."

***

He wouldn't leave Maggy alone after the second fence.

When he returned to the house, Maggy was pacing with the door closed. When she saw him, she smiled and hugged him. He got a whiff of Givenchy Live Irresistible, enticing him. He fought it hard but managed to escape unscathed by her womanly charms.

Rod joined her as she had another scotch. They called the police for fingerprints from the closet and the sliding glass door. They picked up three partials that were decent enough for matches and ran them as soon as they returned to the station. A copy of the prints was given to Maggy because of her status and the police's respect for her. I'll take these to Shirl tomorrow.

Rod appeared exhausted after 4:30, when the last officer rolled out of her house, while Maggy sat awake, primed on adrenaline and laser-focused.

"Get some rest, Rod. I've had a week off since this dreadful event occurred to me, and you must thoroughly vet all of the cleaners I use. I'll need you later today, okay?"

"Yes, Maggy, of course! If you need anything, ring me; I'm simply in the next room," Rod sought to reassure her.

Maggy called Gerry, telling him she had a week off and asking if he wanted company in Toronto, he replied, "Hell you!"

Shirl swung around, took the fingerprints, and dropped Maggy off at the airport because she knew Shirl would be up early getting ready for work.

She boarded a 6:30 a.m. After the Toronto lunch, he guided her to his car.

"Why are you crying so much, love?"

"Oh no, Gerry. I am being pursued. A random attack in the park? No way. Someone is aware of my routines and patterns. When I got home from court last night, the guy was waiting in the house; thank goodness you told Rod to stay in the guest bedroom downstairs; otherwise, I might be dead or, worse, the victim of assault and abuse at the hands of a sicko!"

"Yes, Rod and I often work that way, and you'll see that when I'm away from now on," he said with a tender smile. "Hell, I wouldn't know what to do without you, AND I couldn't bear the thought of what I might do if someone assaulted you in any manner."

She grinned through her tears and exuded sexiness despite her red, tear-soaked cheeks.

"Do you want to get a bite or return to the hotel, love?" he inquired.

"Let's go to the hotel and order in so I can be close to you."

It was a beautiful week in Toronto, and the pair couldn't have been more in love; their lovemaking exceeded their expectations of one another, and they were both overjoyed.

When they returned home, the alarm firm had already installed the alarm system, and cameras were everywhere. Impassable fencing and a card gate now protected the driveway.

Rod's calls eased Maggy's anxiety while Gerry was gone. Rod went everywhere with her, so how could I get my hands on that filthy cunt? Dan watched them walk past his house and toward the street to return to Maggy's house via the sidewalk.

Shirly called Maggy and Rod and asked them to come in, then she asked when Gerry would be home because she thought he might. Meanwhile, she called for backup, suspecting who attacked Maggy.

Gerry arrived that evening, and at 4:30, he and Maggy sat in Shirley's office, where she appeared to have been crying for most of the day.

"The saliva and prints returned rather quickly, Maggy, and you were correct. The person is in law enforcement, and his name is Dan. By Dan."

"What?" Gerry inquired.

"Why would he do that? He called me a C U the next Tuesday!" screamed Maggy.

Gerry said, "He's a dead man! That son of a bitch!"

"I know, folks. I feel the same way, which is why I brought in outside law enforcement to take him in, and I even told them he'd never leave willingly," Shirley said matter-of-factly.

"Is he at home now?" Gerry inquired.

"Oh, but not for long; he'll be arrested any minute now," Shirley replied.

"Why is he acting this way toward me after all this time? What is this about?"

"It didn't sound like his voice at all. I suppose I would have recognized my ex-lover's voice. We were lovers for six years."

"Please don't remind us; you can't change the then and now with the here and now," Gerry yelled.

What should we do, Shirley? Go home and wait. Did you want to come home with us? You need a place to stay.

"Sure, I'll clock in for 30 minutes and meet you at your house. Thank you."

"Oh, yeah, Shirley, you'll need this. We've got fancy security measures in place now. Everywhere. It's burglar-proof—tighter than Fort Knox burglar-proof," Gerry said as he handed her his card to open the front gate.

"All right, Shirl, see you later; we'll eat fish with a bottle of white wine. Sound good?"

"Yes, it does; see you then; I can't wait!" Shirley said.

Shirley began as they left: "Those fools handed me the key card to get into their driveway undetected, so I had to produce another key card. I'll have to finish it because I don't have much time. I'll ask the men in the lab."

But impulsiveness leads to mistakes, and she'd made plenty of them. For starters, she hadn't disposed of any evidence that Maggy had handed her, instead leaving it in the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet, where someone had to access it and remove the carefully wrapped parcel, which only needed a bow.

Gerry, Maggy, and Rod themselves, preparing dinner, singing, and engaging in a conversation focused solely on having fun. Maggy taunted Rod, saying Shirley could be his type, to which he simply rolled his eyes and flushed.

Shirley rang the doorbell 45 minutes later, and Gerry danced to the door as laughter erupted.

"Hey, Shirl, come on in! Here's your drink. Drink up; there's plenty more where that came from," Gerry said as he greeted her at the door.

"Thanks, Gerry. Don't mind if I do," she said, grabbing the drink and gulping it down. "Am I caught up with you guys yet?" she chuckled.

Shirley jumped between them and said, "Hi, my name is Shirley Paquette; good to meet you."

"Hello, my name is Rod Jacobs, and it's a pleasure to meet you," he said.

They arranged the table, and the four dined as if they were on a double date at a fancy restaurant. Everything seemed great—too perfect. Maggy suggested they go to the living room, and she would prepare some Earl Grey. Shirley hung back to chat with her as the tea boiled and steeped.

"What are you doing now, Shirl? Do you have any imminent plans?"

"No, for now, I'll only divorce his ass, and then I'll separate everything else," she said quietly.

Shirley had one chance, and she took it. She grabbed Maggy and put her in a chokehold. Maggy gasped for air but pulled her feet up and kicked the teapot off the counter. Then she banged her feet off the counter. Both men heard enough going on in the kitchen and came in.

"Stay back, or I'll choke her out and snap her filthy neck. Imagine flirting with Rod while Gerry and I were standing here, then always bringing up the affair with Dan. You knew I couldn't go home and talk to him about it, and I couldn't speak to you, so I internalized those dark feelings. They boiled inside me so much that I wanted to kill or at least scare you and frame Dan.

Her eyes glistened as she spoke, and despite the alcohol, she was in command of the situation; she didn't notice Gerry's cameras in the kitchen, which would inform the security company, who would dispatch the police; in cases like these, prohibitive measures are taken to keep people out.

Gerry and Rod kept her talking as men appeared in the garden and quietly unlocked the sliding glass door, capturing Shirley before she realized what had hit her.

Shirley was arrested for conspiracy to cause bodily injury and frame-up charges, and Maggy stood in the doorway in tears as she saw her closest friend get handcuffed and placed in the back of the cruiser. This is strange. I can't believe it—how could I not notice Shirley appeared different?

Gerry, Maggy, and Rod debriefed; Rod volunteered to be their bodyguard and locate another for days when he wanted time.

****

The following morning, Maggy visited her store and got into the same old conversation.