by Vivien Chien
I was chomping on a chicken teriyaki skewer when Jackie Shen sauntered our way. She gave Adam a once-over and a smile spread over her lips. “Lana Lee, who would have thought you’d have such excellent taste in men? Sure beats that last guy I saw you hanging around with.”
Adam was mid-bite of his pork bun. He closed his mouth, placing the pork bun back on his plate. “I’m sorry, are you one of Lana’s friends? I don’t think we’ve met.” He looked at me with a question in his eyes.
Jackie smirked. “Friends? No. But maybe you’d like to be?” She winked.
I almost choked on the piece of chicken I had in my mouth. “What do you want, Jackie?”
“I came over to tell you not to get too excited that your cook impressed Norman today. It’s not going to last. My family is going to win. We got cheated last year because of Ray and his connections … but with him out of the way, the contest is ours.”
I felt that Jackie deserved an extra-large eye roll, so I made sure to lay it on thick. “Look, Jackie,” I said, pointing my skewer at her, “if you think you’re going home with first place, you’ve really lost your mind. Peter is the best cook in Cleveland, and the judges are going to figure that out real fast.”
“Whatever, Lee, you don’t stand a chance. Why don’t you step aside and let us real Asians do our thing?”
I knew that my face was turning different shades of red. I took a step closer to her, my skewer still pointed at her chest. “What did you say to me?”
She matched my step. “You heard me…”
Adam put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you really going to start a fight with the police present?” His voice was a mixture of stern and amused.
Jackie snickered. “Gee, I wish I could say I’m sorry about getting you in trouble with your boyfriend, but I’m really not.”
“I was talking to you,” Adam said to Jackie.
“Whatever. If you ever get some taste, come find me. I’ll show you some true Asian persuasion.” She winked and sashayed off to find her parents.
My mouth dropped. “I can’t believe she actually said that out loud.”
“Is that girl serious?” Megan asked, her eyes following Jackie across the room.
“Unfortunately, yes.” I polished off the remaining chicken on my skewer and set it on my plate. “I’m just glad Kimmy didn’t hear it. Jackie would have left here with two black eyes and we’d have to bail Kimmy out of jail.”
The three of us laughed, but I wasn’t kidding.
* * *
The mingling began after everyone had stuffed themselves with as much food as possible. The buffet table was nearly empty, and a few people had dispersed into the main room to sing karaoke.
Megan and I were lounging by the dessert table, finding ourselves overly interested in the tiny cream puff tray that had just been refilled. Adam had disappeared somewhere, probably to talk with Peter about whatever men talk about these days.
“You there, young lady.” Norman pointed at me, turning his finger and gesturing for me to come to his table. He sat at a two-seater on the opposite side of the room. On the table in front of him were several plates of food and four empty martini glasses. I couldn’t drink four martinis on my best day.
The few people who remained in the room turned to see who Norman was yelling to. My eyes caught Ray watching us from the side of the room. When our glances met, he smirked at me and shrugged his shoulders.
“Uh-oh,” Megan whispered. “Mr. Meanie Pants wants to talk with you. Do you want me to come with?”
“Nah, that’s okay. You go ahead and find Adam. I’ll meet up with you guys in a little bit.”
She shrugged, grabbed another cream puff, and scampered off.
I walked over to the food critic’s table. “Hello, Mr. Pan.”
With a slur, he asked, “What is the purpose of your hair?”
“Excuse me?”
He gawked with disgust at my hair. “What purpose does it serve to dye your hair this odd color?”
I shrugged. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
He scoffed. “You’re the manager at Ho-Lee Noodle House, are you not?”
“Yes sir, I am.”
“Well, let me give you a piece of advice. Don’t dye your hair strange colors. It’s not professional and does not suit the appearance of an individual in a management position. I’ve met your mother on several occasions, and I’m appalled that she would allow such a thing.”
I didn’t know what to say. If I said anything slightly disrespectful, he could end up taking it out on Peter during the contest. So, I just stood there, grinning and bearing.
He waved his hand dismissively at me. “You can go now.”
Without a word, I turned around and scurried away. I could feel my face changing colors again.
In the small amount of time that I’d spent being insulted, more of the room had cleared out to watch the karaoke performances, so I decided to head out to the main room as well.
Stella Chung had been standing in the doorway, observing my interaction with Norman. “He’s a piece of work, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, that’s a word for it.”
“Especially when he has a couple drinks. Sober he doesn’t have a filter … give him a few and multiply his rude behavior by ten.”
I looked over my shoulder at Norman as he slurped noodles from his plate. “I’ve heard stories, but this is the most interaction I’ve ever experienced with him.”
“You’re not missing a whole lot.” Stella eyed him with an air of superiority. “He’d never last a week in Chicago.” She shook her head and turned her attention to me. “I’m Stella, by the way.”
“Lana.”
“Nice to meet you. Everyone was really impressed with your cook this afternoon. I hope he takes home the win this time.”
“I hope he does too.”
“I still can’t believe that Ray Jin won last year. That guy is a complete disgrace.”
“Do you know him?” I asked.
“Nope, just from what I’ve heard. When they asked me to be on the judging panel this year, I had no idea he’d be on it with me. I might not have accepted if I’d known.”
“Well, as a fellow Clevelander, I’m glad that you did.”
She smiled. “It’s nice to be back. I haven’t been home in ages … gives me a chance to catch up with people and … tie up loose ends.”
Clapping erupted from the main room, and my attention was drawn to Rina who was bowing onstage.
Stella looked over her shoulder. “Don’t let me keep you. I think I’m going to grab another plate of pastries before heading out. Maybe I’ll talk to you later.”
I said good-bye and went out into main room to find Megan and Adam.
* * *
After scanning the crowded room, I spotted Megan and Adam at a small table off to the side of the stage.
“What the heck did he want?” Megan asked as I slipped into the seat next to hers.
“Oh, he just called me over to criticize my hair.”
Megan gasped. “What? Your hair is totally awesome. How could anyone not like it?”
I shrugged. “He’s an old-fashioned guy. I shouldn’t be too offended. But to call me over just to insult me … it was pretty low.”
“That guy doesn’t have very many friends, does he?”
Adam, who was sitting a little in front of me, leaned back, looking at me over his shoulder. “What are you two gossiping about back there?”
“Just Mr. Pan being a jerk.”
Adam shifted in his seat to face me. “He does seem to have some kind of chip on his shoulder. Is he always like that?”
“Only every day of his life,” I told him.
The song ended and everyone clapped. Nancy Huang, who was standing at the side of the stage, walked up to the microphone and spotlight. She had an amazing voice, and I was looking forward to hearing her sing.
She began to introduce herself. Her soft voice was amplified by
the microphone. “Hello, everybody, I’m Nancy Huang, and I am going to sing—”
A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the party room. Everyone turned in their chairs.
“Crap!” Adam shouted. “Now what?”
“What the heck was that?” I asked, standing from my seat.
The music from the karaoke machine started to play.
“Turn it off!” Adam yelled. He shot up and headed in the direction of the party room.
I followed behind him.
He spun around and put his hands on my shoulders. “You. Stay.”
I pouted but didn’t argue.
Megan tugged on my arm. “What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know. It almost sounded like Penny.” I searched the room for the Bamboo Lounge owner, but she was nowhere in sight.
My mother came running over with my dad and grandmother following closely behind. “Lana!” my mother yelled. “Lana!”
“I’m right here, Mom.”
“Oh good, you’re okay. I was worried you were still inside the party room eating.”
We all stared at the door in anticipation. The room was filled with whispers and people inched closer to the party room door to get a better view of what was happening. A few minutes later, Penny came out sobbing; Adam followed behind her, a grim look on his face. He shut the party room door behind him and stood guard.
I ran up to him. “What happened in there?”
He took my hands, holding them in his. “I have a team and paramedics on their way.”
“Why? What—”
“Lana … Norman Pan is dead.”
CHAPTER
6
Adam stood up on the karaoke stage. He spoke with authority to the room, scanning the crowd. People huddled around tables anxious to hear what would happen next. “Nobody is leaving until we’ve gotten a chance to speak with everyone present. Once you’ve been spoken to by one of my team, you’ll be escorted out by your interviewer. We need to keep this area contained, so there are officers posted at the entrance of the restaurant to ensure that everyone stays in or out.”
A team of three officers stood at the front of the stage below him, their eyes scanning the crowd as Adam talked.
“I would like to divide the room into two sections. Please stand on the left if you were with the contest party. If you were not with the noodle contest, please stand off to the right. We’ll try to make this as efficient as possible so you can get out of here and get home.”
After the room was divided the way Adam wanted it, he stepped off the stage and began instructing the other officers. They nodded diligently as he gave them their orders. One officer followed after Adam while the other two went to the opposite side of the room to question those who were at the lounge for a regular afternoon out.
I huddled together with my parents, my grandma, Anna May, and Megan. Peter, Kimmy, and Rina came over to join us.
“Can you freakin’ believe this?” Kimmy said with indignation. “I can’t believe it! All I wanted to do was have a couple drinks with my boyfriend before heading home. We had plans tonight.” She gave me a pointed look.
Peter pretended to be occupied with something happening on the other side of the room.
I didn’t want to guess what she meant by “plans” so I decided to pretend she didn’t say anything at all.
“Do you think he had a heart attack?” Rina asked.
My dad shook his head. “I don’t think Detective Trudeau would ask all of us to hang around if it was something like a heart attack.”
“The plaza is cursed!” my mother screamed.
My dad squeezed my mom’s shoulders. “It’s just a coincidence, Betty. Try not to get worked up.”
Penny came over to stand with us. Mascara was smeared on her cheeks, and she wiped at her face with a tissue as she stood next to me. “This can’t be happening…”
“What exactly went on in there?” I asked.
She sniffled. “I went into the party room to clear away some of the empty plates. The room was empty … or so I thought … and I wanted to get a head start on the cleanup. When I went in there though, Norman was at his table with his head down. I thought maybe he’d passed out from all the drinks he had, but when I got closer, I realized he was lying with his face in a plate of noodles.”
We all gasped in unison.
“I still thought maybe he fell asleep, but when I lifted his head up…” She started to sob. “He … wasn’t breathing! And there were marks around his neck like he’d been strangled—” She erupted into tears, covering her face with her hands. Her shoulders shook as she cried uncontrollably.
I reached out to hug her, giving her a strong squeeze. “It’s okay, Penny, the worst part is behind you now.”
She lifted her head, pushing me away. “I’m ruined, Lana. No one is going to want to eat or sing here after someone died.”
“Things will calm down,” I reassured her. “Look what happened with Ho-Lee Noodle House. And we’re fine again…”
“That’s different, Lana. Mr. Feng died in his office. Norman died in my restaurant … in the party room.”
I didn’t know how to comfort her, and to be honest, I was a little surprised with the direction of her concern.
She sniffled into her tissue. “I’m sorry, I have to clean myself up. I must look a mess.” She excused herself from the rest of the group, and I watched her scurry to the ladies’ room.
Megan squeezed my arm, and seemed to read my mind. “She’s in shock. I’m sure she’s just trying to focus on something else.”
“I guess.”
Our little group decided to sit down at one of the larger tables on our side of the room. A considerable amount of time passed, and despite the fact that I was shaken up by Norman’s unexpected death, I was also kind of restless. I observed Adam as he came out from the back office and moved through the restaurant like he’d done it a million times before. He was constantly assessing everything, and I’d noticed before that he seemed to know where every object was in a room no matter where we went.
I tried to read his face for some type of emotion, but he had his detective hat on and that meant he was damn near emotionless.
He stopped at a table and talked to someone I couldn’t see. He turned and headed back toward the office where he was conducting his interviews.
The person that stood up was Joel Liu, and his expression was much easier to read than Adam’s: satisfaction.
* * *
We didn’t make our way home until late evening, so poor Kikko rushed to the door when we finally got back to the apartment. I suspected Adam was worried that if he interviewed me first, it would seem like favoritism to the others. Also, I had been with him when the murder occurred so I probably couldn’t offer many clues. But it was protocol to interview everyone, and most importantly, no favoritism was allowed. In the end, he opted out of taking my statement at all. He made one of the other guys do it. Officer Wilkins … nice guy.
From the little I learned while there, Norman Pan had apparently been strangled with a thin cord of some type, potentially a metal wire. There were signs of a minor struggle, but I was guessing those drinks I’d seen him with slowed him down a bit. More would be learned on specific details once the coroner could examine him.
I knelt down to pat Kikko’s head. “It’s definitely tinkle time, my friend.”
She wiggled her tail in return.
“So we’re gonna get into this, right? I mean, it’s what we do now.”
I could feel Megan’s eyes boring into the back of my head as she said it.
I stood up. “I wasn’t planning on it. Adam really wants me to stay out of this one.”
After we were dismissed from the lounge, he’d pulled me aside and asked me not to interfere. There was something that bothered him about how bold the murderer had been, strangling Norman in a public area. Someone could have walked in at any time.
“We’ll be discreet. We’ve learned a lot a
bout what to do and not to do. It’ll be a lot easier this time around.”
I snorted. “Easy? Solving a murder is easy?”
“You know what I mean. We have experience now.”
Instead of answering her, I searched the living room for Kikko’s leash. Meanwhile, my dog was doing spins by the door.
“Lana.”
“Megan.”
“I’m being serious.” She crossed her arms over her chest to prove it.
“So am I.” I found the leash on the far side of the couch and held it up for Kikko to see. Her tongue flopped out of her mouth and she plopped down on her butt. “Maybe we should stay out of it.”
“Should, could, would.” She followed me out the door of the apartment.
Kikko beelined it for the nearest patch of grass, giving it a good sniff before tending to her business.
“We should at least try, don’t you think? Doesn’t it bug you that this happened to Penny?”
I couldn’t lie to her. It did. It really did.
“Plus, you have an advantage over Trudeau … people are willing to gossip with you and give you the inside scoop because you’re not a cop.”
She did have a point.
“And,” she continued. “Clearly it was that Joel guy. I mean, come on … totally obvious. Plus, how weird is it of him to have shown up at the afterparty considering the tantrum he threw after he lost today. If it were me, I wouldn’t have shown my face out of sheer embarrassment.”
Joel was the obvious choice. Maybe too obvious. I thought back to my conversation with Stella … she had been one of the last ones I’d seen in the room. When I’d left, she said she was heading to the dessert table, but maybe instead she went and strangled Norman Pan.
Now that I thought about it, I wondered how long she’d been in the room with him after I’d left. Were they ever completely alone? Who were the other stragglers? I hadn’t been paying attention because it wasn’t important at the time.
We finished a lap around the complex with Kikko, mostly walking in silence. Megan knew that once my wheels started turning, it was best to leave me be.
When we were back inside the house and all three of us were situated again, I conceded. “You’re right; we can’t let this happen to Penny or Asia Village. And, like you said, I could probably learn valuable information to pass on to Adam that will make his life easier.”
