by Anne R. Tan
Raining Men and Corpses
A Raina Sun Mystery
Anne R. Tan
Copyright © 2014 by Anne R. Tan
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Anne R. Tan
www.annertan.com
Author’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
When it rains, it pours … and this amateur sleuth may be in over her head.
Graduate student Raina Sun is trying to keep her head above water as the bills roll in when her dashing college adviser cons her out of several months of rent. Her quest to retrieve the money sets in motion a streak of even worse luck.
First, she stumbles on her advisor's dead body and becomes a suspect in his murder. Next, the only man she's ever loved reappears as the lead detective to the case. Raina's having trouble interpreting his signals--does he want to reignite their passion, or just stay close to his prime suspect?
Her life careens further out of control when her grandma shows up at Raina's postage-stamp-sized apartment, dragging a red suitcase and trouble of her own. As Raina summons her sleuthing skills, she discovers that when it comes to murder, there may be no place for an amateur.
For readers who like cozy mysteries, quirky characters, and a dash of humor.
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Want more Raina Sun?
Raining Men and Corpses (Raina Sun #1)
Gusty Lovers and Cadavers (Raina Sun #2)
Breezy Friends and Bodies (Raina Sun #3)
Balmy Darlings and Death (Raina Sun #4)
Sunny Mates and Murders (Raina Sun #5)
Murky Passions and Scandals (Raina Sun #6)
Smoldering Flames and Secrets (Raina Sun #7) - coming summer 2018.
How about another series by Anne R. Tan?
Just Shoot Me Dead (Lucy Fong #1)
Just Lost and Found (Lucy Fong #1.5) - coming July 24, 2018. Preorder now for $0.99 for a charity boxed set (12 stories from various authors). All proceeds will go toward 2 no kill animal shelters.
To Emma,
for reminding me that dreams can fly,
but only if I give them wings.
Contents
1. PANTS ON FIRE
2. FLY CAUGHT IN A WEB
3. CAT IN A TREE
4. NO NEWS IS BAD NEWS
5. PEEING ON THE HYDRANT
6. THE GREAT GUACAMOLE COVER-UP
7. A RED SUITCASE OF TROUBLE
8. TWITCHING SPIDER LEGS
9. FORK WITH HAIR ON IT
10. SEX, MONEY, AND LIES
11. SECRETS DON'T DIE WITH THE DEAD
12. A DONUT WITH MY NAME
13. PAJAMAS NINJAS
14. SOL'S PLUS ONE
15. SWIMMING WITH SHARKS
16. POLYESTER CLAD THIGHS
17. EDEN IS NO PARADISE
18. DEADLY FROU-FROU DRINKS
19. SHIFTING CURRENTS
20. I'D RATHER SHOOT HIM
21. FOLLOW THE MONEY
22. GRANNY PANTIES
23. TRADING SECRETS
24. WORKING THE RUMOR MILL
25. ANOTHER VICTIM
26. DAMSEL IN DISTRESS
27. BROKEN
Also by Anne R. Tan
Gusty Lovers and Cadavers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
1
PANTS ON FIRE
Raina Sun studied her flushed face in the mirror of the restroom, hoping for an attack of diarrhea or food poisoning. Anything to delay the upcoming confrontation with her graduate advisor. She pulled her shirt away from her body and sniffed. No B.O. Just the industrial strength Pine-Sol and cloying lemon cleanser the janitor had used to clean the place.
She splashed water on her face and toweled it off. The trek from the bus stop to the history building in this August heat had turned her curly black hair into a fuzz ball. A Chinese girl with an Afro. Not exactly the image of a ballbuster.
While Raina would eventually recover from being a fool in love, she wasn't willing to lose two thousand dollars to learn this lesson. Not when she had lawyer’s fees gobbling up her savings and bald tires giving her heart palpitations every time she got behind the wheel.
For the first time, Raina wished she was more physically commanding. With her petite frame, she wasn’t a real threat to anything larger than a pygmy goat. But it was time to up the ante and to pester Holden like a fly on a fresh pile of crap. She wasn’t walking out of this meeting empty-handed.
Taking a deep breath to calm her fluttering stomach, Raina banged open the restroom door in a show of bravado that echoed through the hall. A paunchy student glanced in her direction but returned to his study of the bulletin boards. She stalked into her graduate adviser’s office, prepared for a disparaging remark about her tardiness.
Holden continued scribbling on his yellow legal pad and gestured for her to have a seat. “Let me finish this thought.” He chewed on his pencil and wrote a couple more sentences.
Raina dropped onto the chair in front of his desk and folded her arms across her chest. So much for ruffling his feathers. The scratching of the pencil and the ticking clock tightened the knot in her stomach. She shifted in the chair, wondering how she should bring up the loan. Her upbringing had made discussing money taboo, and even as an adult, she had trouble talking about it.
Just ask for the money back, said a small voice in her head.
Her skin itched at the neatness in his office. Books were alphabetized by subject and authors’ last names on the shelves lining one wall. No crammed volumes in the space above the shelved books like in her apartment. On the opposite wall, framed covers of his published books hung in neat lines, forming a perfect grid. As in previous visits, she resisted the urge to nudge a frame by a small degree just to see how long it would take for him to notice.
A place for everything and everything in its place, just like the blond man with the crisp collared shirt sitting in front of her. The pale light filtering in from the dusty windows behind Holden gave him a tarnished halo. He was a tall man with strong shoulders and a confident aura. She had once found his heavy-lidded brown eyes mesmerizing. Now he just looked tired, but he was still spit-and-polished within an inch of his life.
Holden placed the pencil on the center of the pad and folded his hands on the desk. He cleared his throat. “Have you decided which countries you want to focus on?”
Raina unclenched the twin fists resting on her lap. So he was going to pretend they were nothing more than a professor and grad student. “Not yet. China and Japan look to be a good option.”
“Good choice. Unfortunately, you’ll need to take beginning language classes with the undergrads. It’s too bad classes from your undergrad engineering degree don’t apply towards your graduate degree.” He turned to open the low fil
ing cabinet underneath the window and pulled out several sheets of paper. “We need to declare your area of focus before the end of the semester.”
Raina scowled at his back. If he wanted to pretend nothing had happened between them over the summer, she could do the same…after she got her money back. She smoothed her face and tugged at her earlobe. “My car is having problems. When can you pay me back?” Great. She sounded like a pansy.
Holden flashed a commercial-worthy smile. “Sorry, I don’t get paid until the end of next week.” He scribbled on the margin of the top page of the pile and pushed the stack toward her. “Here’s the information for this semester.”
Raina took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe this. He made it sound like she was asking him for a favor. “That’s what you said last time. Why don’t you post-date a check for me? I’ll deposit it next week.”
“Sorry, I don't have my checkbook with me.”
Her forced smile became brittle. “Why don't you log into your bank online and post-date a bank check? I can wait.”
He tapped his pencil on the desk. “Look, I don’t have time—”
“I’m pregnant. I need my money.” Raina sagged against the chair. The knot in her chest tightened until it strangled her voice. Where did that lie come from? Nothing good could come from this.
Holden licked his lips, and his eyes couldn’t meet hers. “I…I don’t know what to say. Are you sure?”
Raina nodded, not trusting her voice. Press him, said a voice in her head. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth. To do what? Threaten to expose their affair or explain the lie? She closed her mouth, waiting for his next move.
They stared at each other, and the clock leisurely swallowed the minutes and filled the silence between them.
“The money?” Raina finally whispered.
Heels clicked on the hallway floor, and someone knocked on the opened door.
Holden jerked up like a tangled puppet, and his chair scuffed against the floor. He grabbed the pile of papers in front of her and knocked over the mahogany pencil caddy Raina had given him for his birthday.
Raina glanced behind her.
Gail, the history department’s secretary, stood at the door. Her thick brows were a tight line across her forehead. “Sorry to interrupt. Holden, you’re late for the meeting with the Dean. He’s waiting for you in the conference room.”
Holden squeezed Raina’s shoulder as he stepped around his desk. “Let’s talk later,” he whispered.
Raina stared openmouthed at his back. What was that about? The fluttering returned to her stomach. She resisted the urge to brush the feel of his hand from her shoulder.
“Are you okay, hon?” Gail asked.
“Yes. I…” Raina nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“Just let me know if I can help.” Gail left the room and the sound of her clicking heels faded in the hall.
Raina took a couple of deep breaths, staring at the tiny window in front of her. With shaking hands, she tucked a curl behind her ear. What if he thought she still wanted him? A sudden stab of guilt twisted her gut. Why should she feel guilty about wanting her money back? Asking nicely for the last month hadn’t worked. He had this coming. This was his fault as much as hers.
Her eyes flicked to the knocked-over pencils and the small framed photograph next to them. She turned the frame around, and her eyes widened in surprise at the blonde. New girlfriend already? He sure got over her fast enough. She replaced the picture frame facedown on the desk. Yes, it was petty, but she’d never claimed to be gracious.
Raina left the office and trudged toward the computer labs for her shift. She didn’t expect Holden to pay up with a smile, but now things were even more complicated between them. Tomorrow‘s fundraiser committee meeting would be awkward with a fake pregnancy hanging over them. Awkwardness she could power through, but her lawyer wasn’t going to work for an IOU.
The sky was turning pink when she drove home through the downtown area. Most of the mom-and-pop shops were closed, but there were still people frolicking in Hook Park, enjoying the Delta Breeze after another hot, record-breaking day. The strands of lights in the outdoor seating areas and the few bicycles rolling leisurely next to parked cars were part of the charm that made Raina seek refuge in the small town of Gold Springs. Far enough away from her family in San Francisco, where the two-hour drive was a convenient excuse to skip out on birthday parties and last minute family gatherings.
At the corner of Second and B Street, Raina slowed and squinted at the bank’s parking lot. Was that Holden? Two heavyset men in dark suits with bored expressions held Holden by the elbows between them. Holden's wide eyes had the trapped appearance of an animal in a cage. The three of them got into a shiny black SUV with chrome spinners.
The car behind her honked, and she drove through the intersection. By the time she circled the block, the black car was gone. The two men had to be thugs even though they were too well dressed for your average street gang.
Should she call the police? But what would she tell them? Her ex-boyfriend got into a car with two big men? She shook her head. This was none of her business. She needed to focus on how to get her money back and tell Holden the truth without coming off as some desperate girl trying to hold onto an ex. The pregnancy lie was just plain stupid in hindsight.
Raina drove home on autopilot. She lived in a small complex on the edge of the downtown area, which consisted of two strips of four units facing each other like the little green houses on a Monopoly game. She threw her purse on the narrow side table and turned on the lamp next to her olive-colored sofa. The soft glow filled the living room and cast shadows into the breakfast nook.
Above her TV, the goldfish clock with gilded kois swimming around the dial said it was past dinnertime. Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it. She could always fix a sandwich later.
Raina shifted on the thick sofa cushions. She had no idea why her petite sister, Cassie, favored furniture built for linebackers, but an expensive new-to-me sofa was better than a cheap sagging one.
She was immersed in the world of Middle Earth when there was a sharp knock on her front door. Cocking her head, she waited, in case it was dressed up church people trying to convince her to give up her Sunday mornings. The knock came again.
Raina glanced at the gap between the closed drapes of the big window above her sofa. Her friend, Eden, peered in with her hands framed around her dark round face like a peeping Tom. No church people, but Raina wasn’t sure an inquisitive reporter who didn’t know how to leave her work at the office was much of an improvement.
“Did you get it back?” Eden bustled in and dropped a pizza box on the square Goodwill dining room table. “Got any soda? Never mind. Be back in a sec.”
Her graceful friend turned, and her silky brown weave fanned out like a shampoo commercial, glittering in the dim light. The scent of lavender lingered in the air even after she hustled across the courtyard toward her apartment. Eden returned with a can of soda.
Raina told her friend everything that had happened on campus and the strange incident at the bank. “I know I haven’t seen Holden in two months before today, but he seemed diminished somehow. A little less larger than life.”
“It’s called taking off the rose-colored glasses,” Eden said. “I’m surprised he didn’t shove a check in your hands and tell you to get rid of the pregnancy.”
“That’s what I was hoping for, too. He sounded almost wistful. I’m not quite sure what to make of it.”
“He’s just playing mind games with you.”
Raina grimaced. “You should have snatched those glasses from me and smacked me on my nose.”
Eden rolled her eyes. “As if you would have listened.”
“So when is Phil supposed to pick his CIE trainee?” Raina asked.
“Assistant Chief-in-Editor. Not trainee. Unofficially, the position is supposed to be his replacement when he retires. I need a story that’ll make me stand out.” Eden gave her a si
deways glance. “I’m thinking about resurrecting some old gossip…about Holden and Olivia.”
Raina gave her friend a sharp look. “I just want to move on. If this fake pregnancy doesn’t light a fire under his butt, then…” She shrugged.
“This has nothing to do with you. It’s perfect timing with the annual Christmas fundraiser coming up in a few months.”
Raina nodded. Of course, it was. “I’ll bite. What are the rumors?”
“Holden spent fifty percent of this huge grant that was supposed to be divided among the other professors.” Eden wiggled her eyebrows. “He spent far too much time in the boss’s office to be strictly professional.”
“Olivia is old enough to be his mother!”
“I’m just repeating what the wagging tongues said.”
Raina’s face burned as she focused on the salty and cheesy taste in her mouth.
“This was before you came on the scene,” Eden added after glancing at her. “But that’s not the interesting part.” She paused. “Another twenty percent of the grant money grew legs.”
“And that’s the million-dollar question you want to find out. You think Holden has anything to do with the missing money?” Could he use some of that grant money to pay her back?
Eden shrugged. “But it would be juicy if he did.”
After Eden left, Raina sorted her mail. On top of the pile of junk mail was a cream-colored envelope from her lawyer. Apparently, another cousin had decided to join the suit contesting the inheritance from her grandfather.
