” I volunteered to teach karate two nights a week at the women’s center. They signed up for my Wednesday night class.”
“I find it hard to believe that Maggie really wants to learn karate.”
“Well, it’s mainly self-defense, but I like to add some of the discipline of karate. I think it makes the students take it a little more seriously.”
“I see.” Alex turned to examine Teren’s profile. “Speaking of karate, did you have to beat up Mark yesterday?”
Teren glanced at her. “Who’s Mark?”
“Mark Garnett. He was in your class yesterday afternoon. It appears you used him for a punching bag.”
“Oh, him.” Teren’s voice expressed her distaste. “Yeah. I took offense at something he did in my class. He became a demonstration piece.”
“He says he didn’t do anything. First you asked him to work with a person, and the next thing he knew you were throwing him around the room.”
“And of course you believe him.”
Alex paused. There had been no inflection in Teren’s voice, and she knew that her reply would probably set the tone for their working relationship, if they were to have one.
“I saw you when you were using Tony Lewis to demonstrate a point,” she began. “I went to the academy with Tony. He had a tendency then to think he was better than everyone, and if he began to lose a fight, he’d lose his temper. You were right, if you do that, it can kill you. I thought the lesson you taught him was appropriate.”
Teren nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“When Mark told me he was in your class, I warned him. He likes to play around a lot, and I didn’t think you’d appreciate that, so I told him not to mess around. He told me he wouldn’t. And today, when I spoke to him, he said he didn’t.”
Alex turned back to Teren. “So, I guess I’m confused. I believe Mark in that he didn’t do his normal clown act. But, based on what I know about you, I don’t believe you’re the type to just pound on someone without a reason. So, I’m asking. What happened?”
Teren nodded again. “You know, if you ever get tired of the FBI the state department could probably use your diplomatic skills.”
Alex chuckled. “No thanks.”
Teren sighed. She took a breath and let it out before she started speaking.
“There’s this person I’ve been working with. She’s in the Records Department, and she wants to be a field agent.” She glanced at Alex. “I guess you know what that’s like, huh.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, the only thing that’s really stopping her from even applying is that she has no defensive skills whatsoever. So, she asked me for help. I told her that I’d help her if she met some conditions. First, she had to show up at three classes a week. Second, she had to follow a nutritional and conditioning program. And third, she had to do everything I told her to. She agreed. We’ve been working together for nearly six weeks, and she’s getting better.”
She shrugged. “Yesterday, I paired her with your friend Mark because I thought he’d help her without getting too macho and really pounding on her. I was right, he worked well with her.”
“So what happened?”
“I told them I wanted to see them work on her attack. She’s a soft hearted person, and it’s hard for her to actively strike at someone. So, she was to attack, and he was to defend. They were to keep practicing until the end of class, or until she got a punch through his guard.”
She stopped talking for a moment. Alex waited.
“He dropped his guard.”
“What?”
“He dropped his guard. Purposefullly. She was getting a little tired, and so he thought he’d take pity on her and let her hit him. She was happy. I was furious.”
“Because he let her hit him.”
“Yes.”
They were both quiet for a few minutes.
“I don’t get it, Teren.”
“Don’t you? Look, Alex, if she’s on the street, there’s no way in hell her opponent is going to say, ‘Oh, you’re getting tired, so, here, I’ll just let you hit me.’ Instead, their going to take advantage of it, and kill her. It does her no good for someone to ‘let’ her hit them. It teaches her nothing, and gives her a false sense of her ability. It’s wrong, and no one in my class will do that again, or I’ll make an example of them as well.”
Alex was beginning to realize that, despite what she knew of Teren’s previous occupation, she was beginning to really like the dark haired woman. There was sense of honor about her that Alex would never have expected an assassin to have.
“I understand.” She paused. “So, what did you end up doing with your student after Mark headed for the ice bag?”
“I paired her with another student. They worked until the end of class, and then Melissa and I stayed there and worked some more. I told her she wasn’t leaving until she landed a blow. I meant it.”
Alex stared at her. “Melissa. You mean Melissa Hendricks?”
Teren grinned. “Yeah. I take it you know her?”
“We worked together in Research. Nobody could believe she even made it through the Academy.”
She paused. “So, how late did you keep her there?”
“‘Til she hit me.”
“You mean she actually got through your guard? Either you’re one hell of a teacher, or we’re not talking about the same person.”
“Yes, she hit me. She was exhausted, hot, sweaty, and she was sporting a fat lip from not ducking a counterpunch. But, out of desperation, she lunged forward after I threw a punch, and she clipped me on the side of the head. It wasn’t pretty, and it didn’t have much power behind it, but she did it. And that was the whole point.”
“And then you let her go home.”
“Yes.”
Alex shook her head. “Damn. I’m glad you were’t my instructor at the Academy.”
“Don’t be so happy. I probably will be the person you face in your test.”
“I know. I’d ask you to go easy, but you’d probably take it the wrong way, and I’d end up in the hospital.”
Even Teren chuckled at that.
Alex noticed they were just outside the DuPont neighborhood. It wouldn’t be long until they reached her home, and there were several things she still wanted to talk to Teren about.
“I don’t suppose you need my address, do you.”
Teren flashed her a smile. “No.”
Alex nodded. “Look, Teren. We need to talk.”
“I thought that’s what we’d been doing.”
“I mean about the case. I know you have information that can help me.”
Teren didn’t say anything.
“I remember you telling me there was a reason you thought the same person or persons were behind the death of your partner and the murders I’m working on. If it’s something you absolutely can’t tell me, I’ll accept that. But you even agreed earlier that we’re on the same side. If you have any information, I really need you to share it with me.”
“You’ve been doing very well on your own, Alex. Why would you need me?”
“Everything I’ve found has simply confirmed what you told me Monday night. George Mather and Darryl Wilford killed several people. Now their dead. I need to find who killed them.”
“Why? I thought they did you a favor.”
“Because whoever killed them also ordered the murders. They’re the ones I want.”
Teren stayed quiet.
“You told me you wanted them, too.”
“I do.”
“Then help me.”
Teren sighed. “Look, I already told you, when I get the word on Mather’s apartment, I’ll let you know.”
“Teren, —”
“Alex, stop.”
They were both quiet for a moment. Teren glanced at her passenger.
“How do I know I can trust you, Agent Reis?”
Alex tilted her head. “I could ask you the same question, Agent Mylos.”
A nod. “So, it looks like we’re at an impasse.”
“Looks like.”
Teren pulled the car over to the curb in front of Alex’s apartment house. She dimmed the lights, but didn’t turn the engine off.
“Teren, I know the killings were probably ordered by the Klan, but I can’t prove it.”