by Anne R. Tan
The jangled keys grated on her strung nerves and slipped from her slick fingers. Her fingers patted around the floorboard and made contact with the keys. She jammed the key in the ignition and roared off the curb. Her tires squealed as she tore away from Holden’s house.
Raina turned right and left, and left again, hoping her random turns would make it difficult for her attacker to follow her. After several minutes, she parked in front of a stranger’s house and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. The adrenaline had worn off and she trembled like the last leaf on a barren tree. Blood stained her left hand. With a grimace of distaste, she wiped it on her torn dress. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.
“Matthew,” Raina said in a clogged voice. She cleared her throat. “Sol Cardenas just attacked me.”
17
EDEN IS NO PARADISE
After a brief conversation with Matthew, Raina turned off the engine but kept the keys in the ignition. She took inventory of her injuries. More purple bruises blossomed over the fading yellow ones Gail had left on her arms last week. Her right knee ached. The heel had broken off her sandal. The scrape on her knee had a smear of dirt in it and the darkening bruise promised more pain to come. She must have fallen in her haste to the car and not even noticed it.
Raina smoothed her hands over her dress. The unraveling seam on her side bothered her. She pulled at it and opened a bigger gap. She stared at the exposed flesh and chuckled. What would be Matthew’s reaction when he showed up to find her entire left side exposed, flashing her yellow bra and panties?
A shrill laugh rose from her throat. Her eyes widened at the sound of her panic and she slapped both hands over her mouth. Her nostrils flared when she attempted to breathe deeply to calm down. Her entire body trembled and everything started to spin. Her vision turned foggy and sound disappeared.
Raina gripped the steering wheel and squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” She repeated the mantra until her heart rate slowed. Her body relaxed. Birds tweeted. A breeze rustled leaves. A car rumbled past. Taking one final deep breath, she cracked open an eyelid. Sunshine. A leaf spun in the air and landed on her windshield. She was okay.
She frowned at the dried blood on her hand and dress. The blood wasn’t hers. How come Sol didn’t throw her against the wall or hit her? He was big enough to do more damage than just give her bruises on her arms. Heck, she probably broke his nose and turned him into a eunuch.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Raina jumped at the noise. Matthew stood next to her car, frowning at her. She couldn’t see his eyes behind his dark sunglasses, but his stiff posture meant he wasn’t happy. She opened the door and shuffled out.
Matthew exhaled sharply at his first sight of her full appearance. He turned and headed back to his car, slamming the door.
Raina blushed and attempted to pat her hair back into place. She couldn’t hear what he said in the radio, but the furrow between his brows could crack nuts. Like she’d cracked Sol’s nuts. She laughed and turned to hide her face. Stop it, cried the logical side of her brain.
She shifted her weight to the opposite foot. A flash of pain ran down her right leg. Ouch! Her darn busted knee.
A hand steadied her. “The EMT is on the way,” Matthew said.
“I’m fine. I just need ice and ibuprofen.” Raina gave him a weak grin. “But you should see the other guy.”
He stared at her and his lips thinned. His fingers tightened around her arm.
“Ouch!” She jerked her arm from him. She propped herself against the side of her car. “I have enough bruises already.”
“Sorry.” Matthew ran a hand through his black hair. “What were you doing at Holden’s house?”
Raina licked her lip. “Ah…” This was it. Time to confess everything. “I was collecting his mail.” She knew she wasn’t behaving rationally, but she couldn’t stop poking the bear. “What were you doing at Eden’s house this morning?”
“Where’s the mail?”
“Are you trying to find me a babysitter?”
“What were you looking for?” he asked.
“I thought you said I couldn’t trust her.”
“And you shouldn’t.” Matthew crossed his arms. “I can arrest you for trespassing and interfering with a police investigation.”
“I had a key and how was I interfering when I’m just picking up his mail?”
He raised an eyebrow and held out his hand. “What were you looking for in his house?”
Raina dug around her purse and dropped the key into his palm. “His safe.”
“Where is it?”
“Take me with you. Please.”
“No.”
Another police cruiser pulled up. Officer Hopper sauntered up to Matthew. Her eyes lit up when she glanced at Raina.
“Looks like someone got herself into a pickle,” Officer Hopper said.
“Anyone at the house?” Matthew asked.
Officer Hopper shook her head. “Looks like Miss Sun was the only one doing some B&E.”
“She was collecting his mail,” Matthew said, through gritted teeth.
Officer Hopper gave him a sideways glance but kept silent.
An ambulance pulled up and parked in front of Raina’s car.
“Please give Officer Hopper your statement after the EMT checks you out.” Matthew stepped closer and whispered into her ear. “I’m going to make you squeal one way or another about the safe.”
Raina whispered back, “Not unless I make you squeal first.” She caught the tail end of his citrus and sage scent when he stalked back to his cruiser and took off.
Officer Hopper gave her a chilly smile and pulled out her notebook. She waved off the approaching EMT. “So tell me what happened.”
Four hours later, Raina stood in front of her apartment and hunted for her keys. Her fingers brushed the tablet she’d forgotten about. Giving her statement had taken much longer than she thought necessary.
Officer Hopper had grilled her the first hour before allowing the EMT to check her out. After the EMT had left, she’d asked the same questions in a handful of creative ways.
Raina limped to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. She grabbed a bottle of Tylenol from a drawer and checked the expiration date on the bottle. The pills had expired a year ago. She shrugged and swallowed two pills. They couldn’t make her feel any worse than she did now. And the EMT did say she could take some if the pain medication he’d given her didn’t help.
Bracing a hand against the counter, she retrieved a plastic bag from under her kitchen sink. She placed the plastic bag under the ice dispenser on her refrigerator. Ice cubes clicked against each other as they fell into the bag. The humming refrigerator was a balm to her eventful morning. She tied off the homemade ice pack.
“Your front door is open again!” called out a familiar voice.
Raina jerked and the bag fell from her hands. It crashed onto the grungy orange linoleum. Blood rushed to her head and she swayed until she gripped the edge of the countertop.
Eden stood with her mouth hanging open at the entrance to the kitchen. When their eyes met, she snapped her mouth shut and swooped the ice pack off the floor. She gave Raina a gentle hug and helped her to the sofa. Her face was hard as a boulder and she pressed her lips into a thin line.
Raina placed the icepack on her knee and relaxed for the first time today. Her breathing slowed. She closed her eyes as she stretched out on the sofa.
Eden clattered in the kitchen and someone opened the front door. The whispered conversation of the familiar voices was calming.
A cool hand brushed her forehead. She sighed and fell asleep.
Raina roused to the smell of fresh coffee and greasy takeout. Her stomach growled, but she showered and changed first. A few minutes later, she huddled over a steaming mug of coffee at the dining room table. Po Po propped her booted foot on the extra chair, while Eden twisted a strand of hair around her finger. The koi clock t
icked while Raina wolfed down a cheese and spinach omelet covered in mushroom sauce from the Venus Café.
“I vote you stop looking into Holden’s death,” Po Po said. “Eden agrees with me.”
Eden averted her gaze. “I think Raina should be more careful.”
Po Po glared at Eden. “My granddaughter is not risking her life just so you can get a promotion.”
“You really think this is about me?” Eden frowned. “It’s Matthew. It’s always been about Matthew.”
Raina rubbed her temples. “This is not about Matthew.”
Po Po and Eden both stared at her.
Okay, it was about Matthew, but Raina wasn’t going to admit it. It bothered her. This pull and push nature of their relationship. At some point they would have to make a decision about where they were going. She couldn’t force the issue, not while she was a murder suspect and he was the detective, but once the case was over…
Her shoulders dropped. His parents had made him afraid of tethers, but she relished the idea of growing deep roots that would weather any storm. So for the last ten years, they had clashed, clawing clothes and skin off each other at every encounter. He’d disappeared, only to turn up every time she thought she’d gotten him out of her system.
“So what happened?” Po Po finally asked.
Raina described the attack.
Eden paled and licked her lips. “Why would Sol hurt you?”
Raina glared at her. “Why not? He’d been acting suspicious since Holden’s death. Maybe he is the killer.”
Eden shook her head.
Po Po cocked her head, watching the two of them. “What’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing.” Raina crossed her arms. “She’s just not welcome here.”
Eden pleaded with her eyes. “Please let me explain. I knew Matthew was the guy you’ve been hung up on all these years. Even a blind person could feel the chemistry—”
“I don’t care about that. I told you Matthew is none of your business. What was Sol doing at your apartment this morning?”
Eden averted her gaze. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Raina slammed her mug on the table. “You were wearing your peacock silk robe with half your ass hanging out.”
Po Po gasped.
Eden blushed. “It was a regular length robe.”
“Yeah on a normal person. The robe ended halfway up her thigh on this Amazon here. I guess you’ll do anything for a story,” Raina said.
“Raina!” admonished Po Po.
Raina ducked her head to stare at the table. What was wrong with her? She normally didn’t get this angry.
“I have a confession to make.” Eden took a deep breath. “I’ve been dating Sol.”
Raina’s jaw dropped as if her friend had socked her in the stomach. Eden and Sol a couple? Was her friend the special someone Sol had mentioned at the wedding?
Po Po scowled at Eden. “You’re dating the guy who just attacked my granddaughter?”
“It must be a big misunderstanding. You said yourself that he didn’t seem to want to hurt you,” Eden said.
“How long has this been going on?” Raina asked.
“After he blackmailed you for a date. I confronted him about it.” Eden gave her a sheepish smile. “Things just took off from there.”
Raina kept her tone neutral. “Is it possible he’s trying to distract you from the murder investigation?” And it’d worked since her normally terrier of a friend hadn’t gotten around to asking her hard-nosed questions.
Eden’s face flashed through several emotions, but settled on a pinched expression. “My instinct says he’s not.”
Raina wanted to shout that her friend’s instinct was blind when it came to men. The scruffier they were, the more Eden thought she could save them. While the men eventually turned out to be decent guys, it didn’t mean Sol was part of that camp. “Then why the big secret if there’s nothing wrong with the guy?”
“I didn’t say there’s nothing wrong with Sol. He has some anger to work through, but it has nothing to do with the murder. And you’ve met his sister, Sonia. I’m not ready for that kind of reception yet.”
Her friend was hiding something. “Did you find anything in Holden’s office?”
“How—”
“The coffee cup with ‘Lois’ on it. What did you find, Ms. Lane?”
Eden smacked her forehead. “Does anyone else know about that?”
“I don’t think so. The janitors empty the trash in the offices every other day. The coffee cup should be thrown out by now.” Raina slid a sideways glance at Eden. “Sol pulled me into the office on that particular occasion. Said he was looking for a recommendation letter.”
“I honestly don’t know what Sol was looking for.” Eden squirmed and blushed. “We’ve been too busy…you know, doing other things…to talk about the murder.”
“Uh-huh.” Raina had a feeling Eden wasn’t telling the whole story. They might have been too busy to talk, but she was sure her friend could make an educated guess. So technically, she wasn’t lied to. “Where does your loyalty lie? With me or with Sol?”
“You!” Eden shook her head. “I can’t believe you had to ask.”
“Sorry. I need to be sure our conversations stay between us. We’re either a team or we’re not. It’s better to clear the air.”
“Okay.” Eden drew out the word. “Then let me flip the mirror. Is your loyalty with me or with Matthew?”
Raina squirmed. “That’s unfair. I’ve known him since I was a kid.”
Eden shrugged. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Matthew has never once lied to me in the twenty-one years I’ve known him. Nor has he betrayed my trust. You’ve done both in less than forty-eight hours. What am I to think?”
Eden’s face collapsed. The tears and the look of admonishment on her grandma twisted the guilt in Raina’s gut. She should apologize, but it’d sound hollow when her heart ached. Instead, Raina stumbled into her bedroom with tears of her own. What did this final nail mean to their friendship?
18
DEADLY FROU-FROU DRINKS
Instead of her usual morning run, Raina drove out to Hook Park to hide until her grandma left for the senior center. Po Po’s hovering last night was bad enough. She limped over to the wooden bench under an ancient oak tree in front of Mildred’s Pond.
Ducks lined the pond, some with their necks tucked in their chests. The water rippled as fishes glided underneath. The tranquility of the place didn’t mirror the turmoil in her heart. She didn’t know what to make of Eden’s relationship with Sol. Or her own quasi-relationship with Matthew. And then there was her grandma.
When Raina had checked the mailbox this morning, she’d found a letter from the executor of her grandfather’s estate asking for the lawyer’s fees she’d paid to date. This meant someone had contacted the executor on her behalf. And the only person who would care enough to do this would be her grandma. So did Po Po come to Gold Springs to confront Raina about Ah Gong’s secret family and her role in the fiasco?
A twig snapped behind her and she turned to find Matthew juggling two coffee cups and a white pastry bag. Her moment of Zen was over for the day.
He handed her a cup as he sat. “Po Po said I’d find you here. Raised crumbs or chocolate glazed?”
“Surprise me.”
He gave her the raised crumbs. How could she let go of a man who could guess her donut mood? She sighed. Love shouldn’t be this complicated. They sat in silence, sipping and munching.
“Sol claimed you attacked him.” Matthew leaned forward and shot the balled white bag into the trashcan next to her. “He’s pressing charges.”
“Of course he is. I need to talk to him.”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“Did you find out what he was looking for in Holden’s house?”
“Apparently, you’re not the only one who wants to remain silent.”
Raina rolled her eyes. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Elliot. He might talk to me.”
“Matthew. You know I hate my first name. Unless you’re planning to charm his pants off in a holding cell, that’s not going to happen.”
She sat back down, her mind racing. Matthew might not let her talk to Sol at the station, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t find another way in.
“What does Joanna think about you not bringing me in?” She couldn’t help dragging out Officer Hopper’s name. It was petty, but Matthew always made her do stupid things.
He grimaced. “She trusts my judgment.”
Right. Office Hopper wanted her butt in a sling and he was too male to notice it. “So what were you doing getting cozy with a reporter yesterday morning?”
“Are you jealous?”
Raina wanted to smack him. “No.” She forced herself to smile at him. “I just don’t want to be excluded from pillow talk.”
Matthew snorted and looked amused.
“It’s not fair for you to share insider information with…” She hesitated. A reporter? A lover?
“Relax. Eden isn’t my type. She’s too high maintenance, especially that hair of hers.”
The knot in Raina’s chest loosened.
“I like a girl who’s not afraid of rolling out of bed looking like an Asian version of Carrot Top. Kind of like you.”
This time she did smack him on the arm.
Matthew cleared his throat. “I asked Eden to keep you out of trouble. In exchange, I’d give her information about the case the day before it would be made public.”
“Really? A babysitter?”
Matthew gave her a bemused smile. “Well, last time you were handcuffed to a hotel room bed, but that didn’t work. I thought having someone to distract you might do the trick.” He glanced at the Ace bandage on her knee. “But trouble always seems to find its way to you no matter what.”
“This is bordering on stalker behavior.”
“Good thing we understand each other. It’s not like you didn’t stalk me before either.”
