Josh Sticks and Murder
Chapter 3
1
Chong was completely silent on the trip home. Kwangsoo knew he was in big trouble with her and he knew why. He objected to her being adopted by Robert Ironside. He already had too much influence with her. If he was officially her father instead of just her foster father, who knew how much more influence he would have. Maybe it was time they moved out of San Francisco. If he could put some distance between them, then maybe he could stop this American influence. He did not like the way she was adjusting to American customs.
He had moved here for the opportunities, not to change his way of life. Kwangsoo had known he could get a better education in America. Never could he have had the opportunity to go to school in his home country. He would have had to follow in his father's footsteps and work for him. Kwangsoo could not face doing what his father had done all his life. He wanted to build things. He came to the right country, but he did not want to be American. Their customs did not respect the man being in charge of his family, and he wanted to be in charge.
Right now, it seemed Robert Ironside was in charge of his family. He should have known if he stayed here, the detective would have a profound effect on Chong. Yet, he was at a loss to know what to do about it. Kwangsoo wanted to finish his education, get a job and support his own family. He wanted a family and he knew Chong would never agree to it until he was established.
Kwangsoo pulled into the alley behind their apartment. He got out of the vehicle and went around to open the door for his wife. She was already out of the car and headed for the steps they had to climb to get into there apartment. At least this was one place Robert Ironside could not come. The stairs were the only way up to the apartment. Kwangsoo did not have to endure evenings with him visiting them. It simply was far too difficult for him to get up those stairs, even with help.
Once they climbed the stairs, Kwangsoo reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. After unlocking the door, he opened it, stepped back and let Chong enter in front of him. The young man watched as she headed right for the bedroom. Kwangsoo stood there for a minute and then decided he might as well get it over with. There was going to be an argument; there was no avoiding it.
He walked through the kitchen, went down the hall and entered their bedroom. Chong was already out of her clothes and wearing a nightgown. It amazed him how fast she could change her clothes. "Chong, what is wrong?"
She turned quickly towards him. "How can you ask that? You know very well what is wrong. You treated Father terrible."
"I did not. I don't understand how you can say that."
"I am not surprised." She turned her back on him again.
"Chong, we promised we would not go to bed angry with each other. Please talk to me," Kwangsoo pleaded.
Looking at her husband, she said, "How could you object to my father adopting me? He has done so much for us."
"I don't want him doing anything for us. I am the head of the household. I will provide for us. I just don't see the reason for him adopting you, you are not a child. It simply is not necessary, that's all."
"He wants to become my legal father. I thought it was very thoughtful of him. Then you had to go and spoil it for both of us," she said, her voice raising with every word.
"Spoil it? I don't see how. Am I no longer permitted to voice my opinion in front of your father?" Kwangsoo complained.
She looked at him, but did not answer his question. "What did my father say to you when the two of you went over to the window?"
Turning away from her, he replied, "That was between your father and me. It did not concern you, Chong."
"I don't believe that, not for a minute. Did he offer to help you again?"
"It doesn't matter. I will provide for this family. It is not his place, it is mine," he snapped, not meaning to. He did not want the argument to escalate.
"He did, didn't he? Did he offer to provide the money for your education? He did, I can tell. What is wrong with you? You claim you want to be the provider, but you won't let him help you to become so. You would not have to take classes one at a time if you would let Father help you."
He turned on her quickly and snarled, "I don't want his help. If he had given us a dowry when we were married, we would not be in this position in the first place."
"How many times are you going to bring that up? It is not the custom in this country."
Kwangsoo decided it was as good a time as any to bring up moving. "Chong, I want to move out of San Francisco. There are plenty of schools that I can go to. We would be much happier if we did not have the influence of your father with us constantly."
Her face turned red. "How can you say that? You are just trying to keep me from seeing my father. I am not going to let you do that. We are not moving. I am going to allow my father to adopt me. He is the only real family I have ever known. I am not going anywhere. If you want to go, then you will go without me."
"You must go where I do. That is the way of our people. I make the decisions for this family," he responded.
Chong reached into the closet and pulled out a blanket and a pillow. "This is one decision you have no choice in. My father will adopt me and I will stay in San Francisco." She pushed the blanket and pillow at her husband. "I want to be alone. You can sleep on the couch."
Chong opened the bedroom door and pushed her husband through it. Slamming the door, she ran over to the bed. She fell into the pillow and began to cry. Why was her marriage falling apart? Why did Kwangsoo resent her father so? She could not understand why he could not adapt to America.
Chong closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep
2
Donnie Walker studied the books in front of him. He had been successful in collecting from several people who owed money from the previous owner of the books. He studied Kwangsoo Yung's record. It was clearly marked paid. There was also a note that said not to try to collect anything extra. The name IRONSIDE was written in capital letters. Donnie knew the man was simply scared of Ironside. Walker had come to San Francisco from Chicago. No one there had ever scared him the way Ironside seem to instill fear into the crooks in San Francisco. Donnie had known and heard the name. After Ironside had done the investigation for President Whitmore's murder trial, everyone in the country knew who the man was.
Walker did not care who Ironside was or how good he was; he had not met a cop he could not outsmart. He would still be in Chicago collecting if it were not for the damn winters. He was getting too old to put up with the snow and the cold. When he learned the loan shark in San Francisco had been taken down by Ironside, he packed up and left Chicago without hesitation. Since he had been here for a while now, he knew he had made the right decision. The climate was much more suited for arthritic bones. The city could get chilly in the winter, but nothing like Chicago, and they never saw any snow in San Francisco. This is where he belonged, and after all, he had to make a living. Loan sharking had always been his occupation and he had no intentions of giving it up. Donnie could not make a decent living doing honest work. That was for weaklings, and there were a lot of them in the world.
Ironside was a perfect example of that. Certainly with his rank, he would be at the top of the pay scale at the police department, but so what? How much could that be a year? No doubt it was well under $100,000 a year. There was no way Donnie was going to settle for that. It was peanuts compared to what he made collecting from the poor schmucks, that could not live on the pennies they made in jobs considered honest.
Who decided what was honest anyway, politicians in Washington? Ironside and Mason taking down dozens of them when they cleared the President of murder, which he probably committed, proved Washington was full of crooks. Most of them got away with being crooks as they protected their own. The only reason they got exposed that time was because of Ironside and Mason. Well, Donnie was smarter than all of them put together, including Ironside.
Walker never allowed himself to be tied to the business. He ran a legitimate business. This time he bought a nightclub. It made a modest amount of money, nothing compared to what loan sharking made him. It was nothing more than a front, and of course, it provided him with endless beautiful women. He never hired the ugly ones. Every woman that worked for him was a potential sex partner, and who wanted to take an ugly woman to bed? Not Donnie!
Brian James entered his office behind the club. "Boss, we have a problem."
Walker looked up. "Yeah, and what might that be?"
"Kwangsoo Yung had dinner with Ironside last night," James reported.
"Did his wife go with him?"
"Yeah, she was there."
"She is Ironside's foster daughter. What is unusual for them to have dinner with the cripple?" Donnie asked.
"You don't know Ironside like I do. The man is like a bulldog with a bone. How do we know Yung didn't tell him about us ruffing him up?"
Donnie shook his head. "You are creating a problem before one even comes up. He is not going to tell Ironside. He didn't tell him last time, now did he?"
"No, but this time it is different," James said.
"How is that?" Donnie was beginning to show signs of irritation.
"Ironside helped him out of the mess he got himself into. What's to keep him from running back to him this time?"
"You don't understand the traditions of these people, do you? He will not go running back to Ironside. These people don't like anyone interfering with their personal business. He won't go to the cop, believe me. That is why I decided to squeeze him. Stop worrying, I have everything under control. You just make sure you pay him a visit if he doesn't come through with the money. Don't leave any visible marks on his body. Is that clear?"
"It's clear."
"Okay, then get out of my office."
Brian James stared at him for a moment, then turned and left. This guy was asking for trouble. You just didn't mess with Ironside. Every crook in the city tried to stay under his radar, and this moron was going to wave a red flag in front of an angry bull. Brian wasn't sure he wanted to stick around and continue working for him. The problem was, he had no other source of income and Donnie Walker did pay him quite well. He guessed he would just have to ride it out and hope Walker was right that Yung would not talk to Ironside.
3
Robert Ironside completed his shower and headed for the bedroom to get dressed. Mark appeared in his doorway.
"Do you need any help, Chief?" Mark asked.
"Thanks, Mark, but I can manage," the chief responded.
Mark turned and left. He headed for the kitchen. Robert Duvalier came out of Mark's bedroom. Sanger had given up his room for their guest. "Breakfast is almost ready," Mark informed him.
"What's for breakfast?" Robert called out as he headed for the table.
"Bacon and eggs, but don't tell the chief; he always complains when I serve him eggs," Mark said.
"So then why do you fix them for him?" Robert asked. "They are not good for him anyway. Cholesterol infested. Bad for the heart."
"I can't feed him the same thing every day or he complains about that too."
Robert grinned. "Is there anything he doesn't complain about?"
Mark grinned back. "Bourbon. He never complains about being served bourbon."
Robert got up and went over to where he knew the alcohol was kept. He pulled out a bottle of bourbon, then went to the kitchen and took out a juice glass. Robert took the glass and the bottle over to the table, set the glass down and poured it full of bourbon. He returned the bottle to the cupboard he found it in. Turning to Mark, he grinned again. "I am betting he complains about bourbon today."
Mark shook his head, but had a smile on his face. He was not about to make that bet. "No way, I don't have much money in my pocket now." Mark thought Robert better learn not to push his father's buttons. He said nothing. He dished out the bacon and eggs and placed them on the table. "Chief! Your breakfast is ready!"
Ironside wheeled into the room and took his traditional place. He looked down at his plate. "Eggs again? Don't we have anything else in this place?"
"You had pancakes yesterday and waffles the day before. Today, it's eggs," Mark said.
"I don't like eggs." Ironside reached for the juice glass in front of him. Raising it to his mouth, he smelled it. "Bourbon for breakfast?"
"We figured it would be the only thing you would not complain about," Robert said.
Ironside put the glass back down. "Mark, get me a glass of orange juice."
Mark grinned at Robert. "That's why I would not bet."
Robert could only laugh. He sat down where Mark had set a second plate of bacon and eggs and began eating. He watched his father as he began eating his breakfast. "I thought you didn't like eggs."
"I don't," Ironside growled as he continued to eat the eggs. "I'm hungry." He looked at the table. Something was missing. "Mark, where's the coffee?"
"Coming right up," Sanger called out from the kitchen.
The door to the office opened. Ed and Fran entered at the same time. They walked down the ramp and sat down at the table. Mark brought over a pot of coffee and set several mugs on the table. Fran and Ed helped themselves to the cups and poured coffee into the mugs.
Ironside just stared at his staff. "This is my office, isn't it?" Robert had a smile on his face.
"Sorry, Chief," Fran said as she poured coffee into a mug and handed it to her boss.
"Ed, I want you and Fran to shake down the loan shark that took over the local business. Donnie... Walker. I want to know if Kwangsoo has borrowed any money from him lately. Don't take his word for it. Find a way to threaten him into talking."
"Yes, sir," Brown answered.
"Robert, you are going to take Chong to lunch today."
"Yes, I will call her. I believe she said she got an hour for lunch."
Ironside continued to eat his breakfast. He looked up at his officers and son who were still sitting at the table. With sarcasm he barked, "If it is alright with you good people, I would like it done some time today."
Fran and Ed recognized the tone of the boss's voice. It meant 'Get Moving!' They immediately put their coffee cups down and stood up. Fran dropped her car keys on the table.
"On our way," Fran said. She and Ed were out the door as fast as they could move.
Ironside looked at his son. "Aren't you supposed to have lunch with Chong?"
Robert smiled. "Relax, Pappa, it is a long way from noon."
"Mark, let's go!" Ironside pushed his chair back. Sanger grabbed his jacket and headed for the ramp.
"Where are you going?" Robert called out.
"I going to see my son-in-law and make another attempt to get him to listen to me," Ironside said.
"How am I going to meet with Chong if you take the van?"
"Take Fran's car. The keys are on the table." Ironside said no more as his son watched him leave the office.
After his father left, Robert picked up the phone and called Ted's Restaurant. He waited until the call was answered. "This is Robert Duvalier. I would like to talk to my sister, Chong Lee Yung."
A moment later, he heard the voice of his foster sister. "Hello."
"Chong, this is Robert Duvalier. I was wondering how long you have for lunch?"
"One hour," Chong told him
"Great! How would you like to have lunch with me?" Robert asked.
A very excited Chong exclaimed, "I would love to!"
"What time is your lunch?" "I can take it any time," she responded.
"Then I will be there at noon. See you then," Robert said and hung up the phone.
4
Sergeant Ed Brown and Officer Fran Belding pulled into the parking lot of the Walker Nightclub. Ed shut off the engine and the two of them got out. They headed for the front door. Brown opened it and allowed Fran to enter in front of him.
As all night clubs were, this one was rather dark. Ed wondered why they kept the club so dark during the day. She would think it would be much easier to clean if they could see what they were cleaning.
They entered the main bar and looked for someone to help them. An elderly man was in the corner with a broom. He was moving rather slowly, but seemed to be sweeping up all the dirt in the area.
Ed and Fran walked over to the man. Brown pulled out his detective's badge, opened it and showed it to the gent. Not that it would do much good in this lighting. Ed doubted he could read it anyway. "I'm Sergeant Brown of the San Francisco Police. This is Officer Belding. We would like to see the owner, Donnie Walker."
"He's in his office where he usually is." The old man pointed towards the back of the bar.
The detectives left him to his work and headed to where he indicated they would find Walker. As Fran walked past the bar, she swiped her hand across it and then looked at it. "They certainly would not pass the white glove test." Using both hands, she brushed the dirt off her hand.
"Keep that in mind. We can threaten him with the health department if he gives us any trouble," Brown suggested.
They arrived at the door in the back. Brown turned the knob. It was not locked. He opened it and they entered the back. It was every bit as dark as the rest of the bar. Ed looked at Fran and shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't pay the light bill."
"From the looks of this place, he apparently doesn't believe in spending any money on the business," Fran noted.
"Probably because this is nothing but a front for the real business he carries on."
They continued down the hall until they spotted a door with light underneath it. Brown knocked on the door.
From the other side, they could hear a voice. "For God's sake! Can't you do anything for yourself!" The door was pulled open quickly and a man, with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a face that supported a beard and a mustache stood there . "Who the hell are you?"
The sergeant pulled out his badge and showed it to the man. "Donnie Walker?" Ed asked.
"Yeah, what the hell do you want?"
"I'm Sergeant Brown and this is Officer Belding. We would like to talk to you."
"So, get a warrant because I don't want to talk to you," Walker snarled before attempting to close the door in their face.
Brown stepped forward, using his body to block it from being shut. "Maybe you would like to talk to the health department, and maybe we can get your liquor license pulled."
"Why don't you guys go and bust criminals and leave us businessmen alone?"
"Come on Walker, we know you took over the loan sharking business when Chief Ironside arrested McCandle. So why don't you do yourself a favor and cooperate," Ed told him.
Walker stood there for a moment, but finally relented. He opened the door to allow them to enter his office.
Fran noted the office was just as dirty as the bar. There were papers all over the desk, not appearing to be in any kind of order. The drawers of the filing cabinets were open and the files were in disarray It was a wonder he could find anything.
"I don't have all day. I am a busy man. Say what you came here to say and then get out." Donnie went around and sat down behind the desk. He reached over, picked up some papers and turned them up-side-down so the detectives could not see what they were.
"Mister Walker, we work for Chief Robert Ironside," Fran said.
Walker turned around quickly to look at them. "What does Ironside want with me?
"You took over McCandles loan sharking business," Fran said.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I run a night club, strictly legitimate," Walker said.
"Right," Ed said sarcastically. "Look, Walker, we know you took it over. What we want to know is whether Kwangsoo Yung has come to you for money."
"I told you, I have no idea what you are talking about. I don't loan money; I run a night club, nor do I know any Kwangsoo Yung."
"Well then, let us give you a message from Chief Ironside. You stay away from Kwangsoo. He paid up that account. If you try to squeeze him for any more money, you are going to have a problem with Chief Ironside. A problem with the chief means jail. You got that?" Ed got directly in his face.
"I told you, I don't know your man, nor do I loan money to anyone," Donnie pushed his face closer to Ed's. "In fact, I just may file a complaint with the police department. This is nothing but harassment."
"You do that, Mister Walker," Fran said. "We spotted more than one violation in your bar. We will have this place crawling with health department officials. A bar is not of much use without a liquor license."
"The chief just might do it anyway when we tell him what we saw," Ed added. Ed stared Walker directly in the eye before turning around. He headed for the door. Fran followed him. Before they left, he turned back and looked at Walker. "Stay away from Kwangsoo, and you might stay in business a little longer, at least until Chief Ironside catches you at not loaning money," he said with sarcasm. Ed and Fran left his office.
Donnie Walker sat there stewing, getting more angry by the minute. Suddenly, he shouted, "Brian! Get in here!"
A moment later, the door opened and Brian James came through the private entrance. "Yeah, Boss?"
"I just got a visit from Ironside's officers."
Panic showed on James's face. "Didn't I tell you to leave his son-in-law alone? Forget the kid, Boss. Believe me, you don't want to mess with Ironside."
"Shut up! Ironside is nothing but a cripple. Yung was warned about running to him. Apparently, he didn't listen. I want him sent a message. Rough up the wife."
"Are you crazy? She's Ironside's daughter. He will come after us!"
"He can't do a damn thing if it can't be traced back to us."
Brian started shaking. I can't do it, Boss. I can be traced back to you."
"Hire out-of-town talent and make sure they don't know who you are. Got it?" Donnie said.
"Boss, you're playing with fire. Forget it. Let's not mess with Ironside."
Donnie lost his temper and backhanded Brian across the mouth. "Do as you are told! I don't want to hear any more about Ironside. He's a cop. All cops are stupid or they would not be cops. So, do it and do it immediately."
Brian stared at him for a moment and then said, "Alright, but you are going to learn the hard way, you don't mess with Ironside." Before Donnie could react, Brian turned and hurried out of his office.
