Naked Tao by Robert Grant Page B

muttered. 
    I’m ashamed to say, I considered fleeing. I wish I could say I decided to do the right thing instead of running, but the truth is I wanted to protect myself. I knew if she called the police and told them about the bloody knife, they would lock me in the deepest hole they had.  So I went after her. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I had forgotten the murder weapon. 
    Once out of the bathroom, I scanned the hall for her. She was nowhere in sight. I couldn’t understand how she managed to disappear so quickly. She could be anywhere. I took a moment to weigh my options, but what I did instead was feel sorry for myself. I had done nothing wrong, but everything that could possibly go wrong, had gone wrong. First John and now this! What else could go wrong, I thought. The answer is plenty and it did. 
    When I regained my composure, I noticed an unmarked door standing open. I was pretty sure it was closed earlier and decided to take a look inside. There were several rows of alternating stage lights hanging from the ceiling separated by sliding curtains and open moveable wall partitions. A simple podium was the only stage prop. I could hear the buzz of the audience’s conversation.  Somehow I had managed to find the stage. 
    That’s when I remembered I was there to protect Padma. I had a job to do and that was what I needed at the moment to take my mind off of myself. 
    I didn’t have a clue what to do next. There was one thing I knew for sure…I had no training as a body guard and there was a killer on the loose.  Ch’ing would tell me to listen, not just with my ears, but with my whole being. Sighing, I wondered what that meant and decided the only thing to do was wait and see what happened next. 
    I chose a position out of the way, but with a strategic view of the podium and audience. The audience was an odd crowd…a cross section of America. For example, a hippie chick in the front row sat next to man in a conservative business suit. The rest of the crowd was equally incongruent. 
    Leaning lightly against the wall, I felt something poke me in the back and looked over my shoulder. It was a bank of light switches which must control all of the stage lights. 
    When I turned around again, a man was on the opposite side of the stage watching me. He was medium height, brown skinned, and round faced. A long blond ponytail hung midway down his back. He was wearing jeans, sandals, and a Bob Marley t-shirt. It was Pony Tail! What was he doing here and why did he have a gun tucked into his jeans? 

 
     
     
     
CHAPTER 11
     
     
    “Reverse your un-wilding way.” - Ch’ing
     
     
    The audience erupted into applause as Ginny walked across the stage. Her step had lost its spring and her eyes were noticeably puffy. At first it puzzled me to see her on stage, but then I remembered she was the CEO of the program sponsor, Emerald Allure, Inc.  Despite the bombshell good looks and the hot clothes, Ginny feels like the girl-next-door. It’s easy to forget she is a rich and powerful woman…the kind of person who can summon the police. I figured she had them searching the premises for me now. 
    The thing that upset me the most was something I had not noticed beforehand. The stage lights reflected sparks of light from a diamond ring on her left hand. It was huge…a damn boulder…unbelievable! How could I have missed that before? She was either married or engaged. I had been such an idiot. 
    I wondered if Pony Tail had anything to do with the ring and returned my attention to him. He was at Eric’s party, the office, and now here. To make matters worse, he might be the master of disguise, so I couldn’t be certain where else he would show up. The best way to be invisible is to appear ordinary. While Tibetan monks aren’t a common sight in Louisville, that disguise was a stroke of genius today. Tiny must have thought he was with Padma. 
    If Tiny had read Padma’s book, then he would have known