Look but Don't Choke

Chapter 11

Recap: Evie and Jackson went to visit the strip club that Abbey worked at. There they witness a silent auction between patrons to bid for a dance with a stripper named Tanqueray. Evie questions the bartender Tia, who tells her that Abbey was not popular with the other dancers but especially with Tanqueray. Evie asks Jackson to go back alone and get a private dance.

Relevant Chapters: 1, 8, 9

Relevant Clues: Cocaine from Abbey’s apartment

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            “Are you hungry?” I said the next day as I stood on the back porch of Taste Teas.

            He meowed but kept sniffing around the bags of trash that leaned against the steps.

            “Why don’t you go sniff around on Tadd or Yuna’s stoop sometime?” I said with an undisguised coo.

            The alley cat looked up at me with big sad eyes and meowed in such a pitiful way it made me want to give him a hug. Except, you know, he’s a mangy street cat and probably has fleas or worse.

            “Oh alright, I’ll see if I can find you some food. Don’t let it be said that Evie Harper never helped a creature in need.”

            “Evie, don’t feed that animal,” Jackson said as he came down the stairs. “He’ll never go away. And if Tadd finds out he’ll kick your ass.”

            “Who’s gonna tell him?” I looked at the cat. “You gonna tell him kitty? Do you have a name Mr. Kitty?”

            “Oh Lord, please don’t name it. He’s not yours.” Jackson knelt down and hauled the bags of trash over his shoulders two at a time. He walked them to the dumpster.

            When he came back I said, “So how’d it go the other night?”

            “I did exactly what you told me to. I went alone, got in on the auction, and got into the private rooms.”

            “Evie,” Pasha said from the doorway. “There’s an old Korean woman here to see you.”

            Mama Cho? “We’ll talk about this later,” I said to Jackson.

            Why was Mama Cho here? No doubt to chew me out about the case. When I walked back up front however, the old woman waiting for me beside the counter was not Mama Cho.

            “Mrs. Seo? Hey, what are you doing here?”

            “Is that anyway to greet your Auntie? Are you not happy to see me?”

            “Well of course Mrs—“

            “Auntie. Auntie Min-Hei. I’ve known you since you were a little girl.”

            Barely. Min-Hei Seo was a notorious busybody with narcissistic tendencies. Everyone knew that she never gave much thought to you unless she wanted something. Which begged the question of why this woman I’ve only spoken to casually a handful of times is knocking on my door?

            “Of course. I’m just surprised to see you.”

            “Yes, yes I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by. Today seemed like a good day to try some of your tea. You said you had some on the menu just for me, remember?”