Different Degrees a Caleb Joyner Mystery

16 the long and winding road

16 the long and winding road

I was in my office going through several days worth of mail, drinking a cup of freshly ground Peet’s French Roast, from a coffee mug decorated with Spiderman swinging through New York. I was still as tired as I was the previous day having spent most of the night watching the Toler’s wedding video, home movies and thumbing through their photo albums and address books, anything to keep my mind from dwelling on Ruth. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Ruth permeated my every thought and pore. I had just gotten her out of my system when she walks back in and fills me with her spirit.

I got the names of Jason Toler’s best man and his groomsmen from the wedding DVD; cross referenced them to Jessica’s address book and felt happy that I was making progress. But it wasn’t until two in the morning when I was flipping through a photo album that I found my first big clue. It was a picture of Jason Toler with his karate class, dressed in their white uniforms surrounding his best man who was holding a sign saying ‘Killer Karate Black Belt School’. In the corner of the photo, wearing one of the starched white uniforms was Charles Hanes’; ex-lover of Jessica Toler and the dead man found lying in Jason Toler’s kitchen.

“Ah hah!” I said out loud, and then lay back in my bed thinking about the day to come. The next thing I knew, the sun was shining through my plantation shutters coaxing me awake far earlier than my body wanted or needed to be.

I turned on my MAC laptop and drank more coffee as the computer booted up. I started up Safari and googled “Killer Karate Black Belt School Bay Area”. I was immediately rewarded with several hits. I clicked on one of the links and it brought me to the Killer Karate website with Byron Kemple Master Instructor, Jason Toler’s best man. The website had a schedule of classes beginning at 3 p.m. each day that went on until nine at night. Master Kemple was available for private lessons as well.

The other hits were articles on tournaments either won or hosted by ‘Killer Karate’. Charles Hanes even won a tournament in his weight class. Jason Toler didn’t appear in any of the tournament pages, probably too busy at Jewel Semiconductor to have time for Karate.

At 11:30 my stomach started to beg for lunch. I closed up my office and went downstairs, jumped in the GTI and drove a few blocks to Japan town. I parked in front of Gombei’s restaurant then went in and ordered Udon and a Coca-Cola. I was half-way finished with my noodles when Ray Hatagame, my old Aikido instructor, walked in. I hadn’t seen him in a couple of months, probably since the last time I had lunched at Gombei’s. Ray ate here nearly everyday, his house not far from the restaurant.

“Yo Caleb!” Ray called out. “Where you been hiding yourself?”

“Here there and everywhere,” I answered whole-heartedly, knowing Ray’s love of the Beatles with my answer. I stood up and shook hands with him then gestured towards a chair and said, “Please, join me for lunch.” He lowered his bulldog like frame into the chair opposite me.

 I started taking lessons from Ray when I was a young teen, learning not only Aikido but also a lot of common sense. Even as a teen I towered over his 5’ 4” body but never once forgot how quickly he was able to take me down on the dojo’s mats. Trying to take him was like grabbing a fire hydrant and pulling it to the ground. Just when I thought I had a hold of him he’d twist and the next moment I was on my back staring up at his grinning face.

Ray ordered chicken katsu, then we chit chatted about people we both know, how his studio was doing, his new students and politics. His food came and after he had eaten about half of it, I asked, “Teacher,” I still call him teacher even though he insists I call him Ray. “What do you know about ‘Killer Karate Black Belt School?”

He looked at me for a silent moment then started to shake his head. “Not much. I know that there are four or five of them spread around this area. I know that they sign you up like an exercise gym does, knowing that, just like a gym, most members will start out gun-ho then get distracted and not come anymore. But they still collect your fee.”

“Know anything about the head teacher?” I asked, taking a drink of my coke.

“Just what I read in the newspaper. He manages to promote himself rather well.” He paused as he chewed for a moment, then looked over at me asking, “Why?”

“A case that I’m working on.” I answered, taking one last gulp on my coke. “I plan on visiting him today to ask a few questions.”

Ray began to shake his head. “Don’t know if he’ll answer you. I heard a story once where old Tommy Lee, who use to run that Wing Chun School in the Berryessa area, he went to ‘Killer Karate’ to ask if they’d like to join a multi martial arts tournament. The head guy, I don’t remember his name.”

“Kemple, Byron Kemple,” I replied.

“Yeah him. He said that he’d think about it if Tommy would fight one of his black belt students and beat him. Tommy refused and that was that.”

“Didn’t join the tournament huh?”

“Nope, didn’t join.” Ray confirmed, taking another bite of his katsu.

“Sounds like I should freshen up on my martial arts skills before I go visit him.”

“Probably wouldn’t hurt. You still doing that mixed martial arts stuff?”

“I train some, but not like before.”

“No more tournaments for you?”

“Nope,” I answered without hesitation. Back before I was a policeman and right after leaving the army, I dabbled in some mix martial arts tournaments. I wasn’t great at it or enthralled with the idea of getting better, yet you need both to make it in any sport, natural talent and drive.

“You could have been a contender Caleb, a true champ,” Ray said. “But hey, we all take the paths that we are most comfortable with, yeah?”

For some reason it brought to mind Ruth. Was I pursuing her because she was unattainable? Did I prefer to be single? Was I most comfortable living on my own? Maybe I give off some kind of vibe that initiates Ruth’s backing away, like one of those wristbands that emit a high frequency to ward off mosquitoes. Or maybe Ruth really wants a Christian man for her husband.

“Life is full of hard choices isn’t it?” I said, shaking my head.

“Yes Caleb, life is one long and winding road,” Ray said agreeing.

“Maybe I’ll find one that gets me back to where I once belonged.” I replied.

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