on a new job. It wouldn’t be fair to you…or me.”
“Well, if you change your mind, the offer is always on the table. I would consider myself lucky to work with you again. In the meantime, is there anything I can do to help? Where are you staying?”
“I got a room over at Mae’s Boarding House.” Jake shrugged. “It’s comfortable enough.”
“Hell, I can do you better than that. How’d you like a room at the best hotel in San Francisco?”
He laughed at the chief’s absurd question. “I’d have to say I can’t afford it.”
“I can get it for you free of charge. The hotel manager owes me a favor.” The chief winked. “It’s the least I can do, considering you saved my life.”
“I guess if you put it that way, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Good, then when we’re done here, we’ll move your belongings over.” The chief raised his glass to Jake. “To old friends.”
He didn’t return the toast for a long moment. Instead, he let the faces of the many that had died flash through his mind. Finally, he echoed, “To old friends” and then drained his glass.
Chapter 8
After Jake parted ways with the chief of police, he headed to Cera’s Place for some answers. Over the past few days, he’d been spit on, beat up, and thrown in jail. He deserved to know why. A light rain fell as he walked, dampening any remains of his good humor.
Stopping outside the swinging doors, he shook the water from his hat. The sound of clinking glasses mixed with piano music spilled into the street. Across the smoky room, Ginger was running a high-stakes game of Faro for half a dozen men. Grabbing her arm as she collected the losers’ money, Jake raised his voice above the noise, “Red! Where’s Cera?”
Ginger’s face flushed and her eyes darted around the room like a cornered fox. “Cera? Oh goodness, she was here a minute ago. Maybe she’s in the kitchen. Why don’t you go wait at the bar? Have a shot on the house. You look like you could use one.” Ginger turned back to the card game, but Jake held on to her arm. She tugged at it, trying to break his grip.
“You’re a terrible liar,” he growled. “I haven’t had the best of days and my temper is running short. Now tell me where she is.”
“Aww, Jake, don’t be that way. She’s my boss and gave me strict orders not to tell anyone, not even Isaac.”
Impatient with the delay of the card game, the man nearest to Jake slurred, “Hey, mister, why don’t you find your own girl? This one here is with us and we want her back.”
In one quick move, he let go of Ginger’s arm, grabbed the man by the collar, and lifted him off the floor. “I got business with this girl,” he said through clenched teeth. “You can have her back when she tells me what I need to know.”
Ginger pushed her shoulder between the two men. “Lord Almighty! What’s gotten into you, Jake? Put that poor man down.” She called out to the men at the table, “It’s all right, everyone, I’ll be back in a jiffy to win the rest of your money.” She laughed gaily, pushing Jake toward the bar.
Before Ginger could say another word, he held up his hand. “I can pretty much figure out Cera is off doing something she shouldn’t be. So let’s skip the rest of this conversation. Tell me where she is so I can go save her—again.”
Ginger braced her hands on her ample hips. “Well, aren’t you the smart one and arrogant to boot.” They stood nose to nose, but then her shoulders sank and she covered her face with her hands. “Oh, I don’t know what to do.”
He pulled her hands away. “Tell me. You know it’s for the best.”
“But she’ll kill me,” Ginger moaned.
“Not if I do it first.”
With a rush of words, Ginger gave in. “Biggs is meeting the leaders of the Chinese Tong at a restaurant on Jackson Street between Stockton and Grant. He’s been buying girls stolen in China from the Tong and kidnapping Chinese girls here in the city. He sells
“Well, if you change your mind, the offer is always on the table. I would consider myself lucky to work with you again. In the meantime, is there anything I can do to help? Where are you staying?”
“I got a room over at Mae’s Boarding House.” Jake shrugged. “It’s comfortable enough.”
“Hell, I can do you better than that. How’d you like a room at the best hotel in San Francisco?”
He laughed at the chief’s absurd question. “I’d have to say I can’t afford it.”
“I can get it for you free of charge. The hotel manager owes me a favor.” The chief winked. “It’s the least I can do, considering you saved my life.”
“I guess if you put it that way, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Good, then when we’re done here, we’ll move your belongings over.” The chief raised his glass to Jake. “To old friends.”
He didn’t return the toast for a long moment. Instead, he let the faces of the many that had died flash through his mind. Finally, he echoed, “To old friends” and then drained his glass.
Chapter 8
After Jake parted ways with the chief of police, he headed to Cera’s Place for some answers. Over the past few days, he’d been spit on, beat up, and thrown in jail. He deserved to know why. A light rain fell as he walked, dampening any remains of his good humor.
Stopping outside the swinging doors, he shook the water from his hat. The sound of clinking glasses mixed with piano music spilled into the street. Across the smoky room, Ginger was running a high-stakes game of Faro for half a dozen men. Grabbing her arm as she collected the losers’ money, Jake raised his voice above the noise, “Red! Where’s Cera?”
Ginger’s face flushed and her eyes darted around the room like a cornered fox. “Cera? Oh goodness, she was here a minute ago. Maybe she’s in the kitchen. Why don’t you go wait at the bar? Have a shot on the house. You look like you could use one.” Ginger turned back to the card game, but Jake held on to her arm. She tugged at it, trying to break his grip.
“You’re a terrible liar,” he growled. “I haven’t had the best of days and my temper is running short. Now tell me where she is.”
“Aww, Jake, don’t be that way. She’s my boss and gave me strict orders not to tell anyone, not even Isaac.”
Impatient with the delay of the card game, the man nearest to Jake slurred, “Hey, mister, why don’t you find your own girl? This one here is with us and we want her back.”
In one quick move, he let go of Ginger’s arm, grabbed the man by the collar, and lifted him off the floor. “I got business with this girl,” he said through clenched teeth. “You can have her back when she tells me what I need to know.”
Ginger pushed her shoulder between the two men. “Lord Almighty! What’s gotten into you, Jake? Put that poor man down.” She called out to the men at the table, “It’s all right, everyone, I’ll be back in a jiffy to win the rest of your money.” She laughed gaily, pushing Jake toward the bar.
Before Ginger could say another word, he held up his hand. “I can pretty much figure out Cera is off doing something she shouldn’t be. So let’s skip the rest of this conversation. Tell me where she is so I can go save her—again.”
Ginger braced her hands on her ample hips. “Well, aren’t you the smart one and arrogant to boot.” They stood nose to nose, but then her shoulders sank and she covered her face with her hands. “Oh, I don’t know what to do.”
He pulled her hands away. “Tell me. You know it’s for the best.”
“But she’ll kill me,” Ginger moaned.
“Not if I do it first.”
With a rush of words, Ginger gave in. “Biggs is meeting the leaders of the Chinese Tong at a restaurant on Jackson Street between Stockton and Grant. He’s been buying girls stolen in China from the Tong and kidnapping Chinese girls here in the city. He sells
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