by Anne R. Tan
Her thumping heart kept pace with the ticking clock. Four minutes had passed. Someone eventually would notice the partially closed door. The serenity of the Lake Tahoe poster on the wall mocked the tension in her body.
Raina inserted the key into the filing cabinet. Bingo! She fingercombed through the files as she read the names on the tabs. A blank tab was wedged between the thick files of “Undergrad Requirements” and “Welcome Week.” She pulled out the file and rifled through the contents. Why would Olivia have a file on Andrew Rollinger? Resume, job application, and newspaper clippings. Nothing out of the ordinary, except there weren’t any files of the other staff in the locked cabinet.
Heels clicked outside in the hallway, each step louder than the one before. Raina’s hands turned clammy and a bead of sweat rolled down her back. In one swift move, she shoved the file back in and locked the cabinet. She pocketed the key and rifled noisily through the files in the inbox of the desk.
“Now where did she put the list?” Raina sighed, hoping her pretense at frustration sounded natural.
Someone tapped on the door. The door swung open. Gail frowned, her unplucked eyebrows in a tight V across her forehead. “Hello?”
Raina gestured at the piles of folders on the inbox tray. “Hey, Gail. Any idea where Olivia put the confirmed donor’s list? I gave it to her before she went on leave. I saw her tuck it in one of these folders.”
Raina sighed again. Was that too trite? She concentrated on slowing down her breathing. “I can’t find anything in this mess.”
Gail glared at the desk. “Hurricane Kline probably took it with her. Come on, we have to go. We’re late for the meeting as it is.” She turned and strolled down the hall.
Raina sagged with relief but trotted after the secretary, babying her right knee. The Ace bandage was visible below her shorts. She was surprised Gail didn’t make a comment about it.
“How are you holding up?” Raina asked.
“The Admin staff always end up picking up all the pieces,” Gail said. “Olivia is setting me up to fail. She took everything home. The donors list. The vendors list. The decorations list. Everything. What sane person would take that stuff home?”
Raina’s shoulders relaxed. She nodded and smiled with sympathy like a puppet on cue, tuning out Gail’s list of complaints. In the past year, she’d learned the secretary’s monologues didn’t require any participation on her part.
At the entrance of the conference room, Gail paused and straightened her shoulders. “Thanks, Raina. I knew I could count on you.”
Raina gave Gail a sideways glance. What had she just agreed to?
Gail sailed into the conference room and slid into the mesh chair opposite Andrew and Lori. The group had shrunk. It made the conference room appear even larger and colder than last week. The space between Andrew and Lori could have fit another person. Andrew’s shoulders appeared even droopier than the last time. His chin dipped close to his chest. Lori gave Raina a tight smile when she sat down.
Raina wondered if she’d just walked in on an argument. She sighed. No snacks and an hour of sitting across from a couple shooting snide remarks and dark looks at each other wasn’t her idea of a good time.
Gail glanced at the clock on the wall. “Olivia took all the files for the fundraiser home with her. Raina volunteered to drop by and see if she could get them back before the end of the week.”
Raina gave herself a mental head slap. So that was what she’d agreed to. At least it would give her an excuse to snoop around Olivia’s house again.
“Want me to come with you?” Lori asked. “I might be able to help since she likes me.”
“Tomorrow morning? Nine o’clock?” Raina asked. “I have a shift at the computer lab after this meeting.” Perfect. Someone to distract Olivia while Raina snooped under the guise of a diarrhea attack. No one would dare question how much time she was taking in the bathroom.
Lori nodded. “Sure. Meet you at her house.”
“Is the lodge in the arboretum available for the event?” Gail asked.
“Is it possible to turn this into something simpler? A buffet, perhaps? It’ll be less work for everyone,” Raina said.
Gail grimaced. “I wish, but the Dean has already approved Olivia’s plans. The Titanic has left the dock; we’re just steering at this point.” She looked at Lori.
Lori cleared her throat and spoke about the rental options.
Andrew watched his wife from the corner of his eyes, fiddling with the sleeve on his coffee cup. When he pulled the cup out for the fourth time, Lori shot him an angry look.
Raina wanted to snicker. Somebody was in the doghouse.
Gail looked down at her notebook and made a couple of marks. “Thanks, Raina. I’m glad you’re going to take care of those details. Moving on. Andrew, did you call the campus printers for the pricing on the flyers and posters?”
The smile slid off Raina’s face. What did she volunteer to do again? There was an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. No more nodding and smiling. At the rate she was agreeing to things, she’d end up planning the entire fundraiser.
As late as it was, the police station had its own mute hum of activity from the rolling wheels of the janitor’s cart somewhere down the hall to the whirling overhead fan. A bench lined one wall in the waiting area behind her. A snoring, slack-jawed man lay at one end. The lights were dimmed, as if to discourage miscreants from committing any crime until morning.
Raina shook the bag of cake pops she’d made for the visit. “I call them Chocolate Dirt.”
Donna's eyes lit up at the sight of the gummy worms wrapped around the chocolate coating. “My boys would love these. Mind if I take a couple of them home?”
“Sure. Take as many as you want.”
The front desk clerk grabbed a half dozen of the cake pops from the bag.
Raina suppressed the urge to grin. “Is Officer Hopper free? She’s expecting me.”
“Let's see.” Donna spoke into her phone and hung up. “She's out back in the warehouse.” She lifted the hinged counter top. “Said you can wait at her desk.”
Raina followed Donna to the unoccupied office space behind the front counter. All the desks looked the same: overflowing inbox trays, battered filing cabinets, and thick folders. There wasn’t much in the way of personal items other than the nonstandard issued coffee mug or desk lamp.
Donna gestured toward a desk in the far corner and went back to the front desk.
Raina took a deep breath when she sat. She’d no idea what to say to Officer Hopper. At least Matthew was at home. If she was lucky, he wouldn’t even find out about her visit.
Her gaze drifted to Donna’s back and the bitten cake pop in one hand. The desk clerk didn’t have a malicious bone in her body, but she did like talking about her food. All it would take was one mention of the cake pop at the water cooler. Well, she’d worry about Matthew later. He’d understand once she explained her suspicion. She just needed Sol to confirm what she’d seen in the photos of Holden’s safe.
Officer Hopper strolled through an archway in the opposite corner of the room and sat behind her desk with steeple fingers in front of her. She didn’t wear her usual scowl, but why should she? She knew she had the upper hand at the moment.
Raina shifted in her chair, wishing she’d taken a lesson on groveling. The steely gaze of the woman was unnerving. “I need to talk to Sol Cardenas. Can you please ask if he’s willing to see me?”
Officer Hopper raised an eyebrow. “If I had my way, you’d be in the holding cell next to him. You could talk to him all you want then.”
Raina’s mouth went dry. “I’m sorry.” She’d no idea what she was apologizing for, but it seemed like a safe comment.
Officer Hopper blinked and a slow smile spread across her face. “How about I put you in the next holding cell? Just until morning.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s only six more hours until the morning shift. Matthew wouldn’t even know you’ve been here.”
<
br /> Raina wiped her hands on her shorts. She didn’t trust the woman. “No, thanks.” She stood. “I’ll try to catch Matthew at his home.”
The smile disappeared from Officer Hopper’s face. For a fraction of a second, Raina got a glimpse of the nice woman she’d met at the crime scene behind the stiff façade in front of her. With those round cheeks and blonde curls, Joanna Hopper could have her choice in men. Instead, she had her sights on the same emotionally unavailable one that Raina did.
“You’ll be listening in,” Raina said. “I plan to ask him something about the murder case. And if you get something from the conversation, you can relay it to Matthew.”
Officer Hopper nodded. “I’ll let you have twenty minutes with Sol, but only if he wants to talk to you.”
This was more generous than Raina expected. She held up the bag. “Cake pops?”
20
I'D RATHER SHOOT HIM
Raina sat on a hard chair with her hands folded on the small table in the interrogation room. The industrial lemon scent irritated her nose, but didn’t hide the fear and sweat permeating the space from its previous occupants. Her scalp prickled at the bright fluorescent lights and bare walls. She glanced sideways at the large darkened window. Officer Hopper was on the other side, watching her every move and listening for an excuse to arrest her. Oh, happy thoughts.
Sol sat across from her with swollen red eyes and a badly bandaged nose. His hair looked even greasier and hung lifeless around his face. The new growth of hair on his jaw line made him look like a one-eyed alley cat.
Raina cleared her throat. “I’m sorry about…” She touched her nose.
“Sonia has been hysterical since my arrest.”
“Eden told me the two of you are…dating.”
He sneered. “Let me guess. You don’t approve.”
She studied him until he looked away. “It’s not up to me who Eden dates. But if you make her cry, I’m coming after your kneecaps.”
“I’m sorry. You looked so panicked at the house. I thought you were going to scream.” He gave her a ghost of a smile. “I didn’t want to be caught.”
In hindsight, Raina’s wild bucking did more damage to the garage and herself than his bear hug. And he looked far worse than she felt, but he wasn’t getting off easy. “How are your boys?”
“I know who to blame if I don’t have any kids in the future.”
She shuddered at the thought of mini-Sols. “I heard you were going to press charges.”
“I wanted to talk to you and it was the fastest way to get you here.”
“What were you looking for? Three spiral notebooks?”
Sol leaned forward in his seat. “Do you have them?”
“They’re in police custody.”
He sank back into his chair with drooping shoulders.
“It wasn’t Holden’s handwriting. They looked like research material for his last book.”
“That’s my book. I wrote it.”
“I figured as much. He gave you the money for Sonia’s wedding reception.”
His eyes widened. “How did you know about the money?”
“Girl talk. You know how it is in the restrooms. Sonia thought you got the money from me.”
Sol half rose, the palms of his hands pressing against the table. The handcuffs clinked as he strained against them. “What did you tell her?”
Raina held up her palms. “Nothing. She still thinks we’re an item, but how are you going to explain Eden?”
He settled back into his chair. “I already told her I dumped you and found someone else.”
She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. As if his sister would believe he was a ladies’ man. “About the book?”
“The money was a loan. The manuscript and research material were collateral. I was supposed to have a year to repay him.”
“But he published it.”
He nodded glumly.
“And you went to see Olivia a few nights ago to see if she could help you.”
“So it was you! You’re so damn lucky.”
A chill ran down her back and Raina shivered. Yes, she’d been lucky so far. A drunken Olivia waving a gun around in the dark wasn’t an experience she wanted to repeat. “I have to go. I’m sorry you’re in here. You’ll be out tomorrow?”
Sol eyed her. “We’re even if you help me get my notebooks back.”
“Sorry, no can do. It’s evidence now.”
“I heard you’re chummy with the detective. I’m sure you wouldn’t want him to know you faked a pregnancy before Holden died. It might complicate things for you.”
Raina clenched her jaw. “You’re dating my best friend. You’re supposed to be nice to me.”
He scratched his paunchy stomach. “It was worth a try, just in case the friend card didn’t work.”
She gave him a disgusted look. The man was incurable. Who would threaten a potential ally “just in case?”
The light clicked on behind the darkened window. A signal her time with Sol had run out. Her gaze slid sideways to the window, expecting to see Officer Hopper.
Raina’s heart stopped. It was Matthew. His face was tight, the golden flecks in his eyes were dull, and his lips were pressed together. She forced herself to breathe again.
Officer Hopper stood behind Matthew. She gave Raina a cocky smile and held her hand to her ear to signal she’d called him.
Raina crossed her arms to hide her trembling hands. She should have known better than to trust a romantic rival.
A few minutes later, Officer Hopper and Matthew stood outside the opened door of the interrogation room. Officer Hopper grinned as if she’d won the lottery and glided off with Sol as if she had wings. Matthew cocked his head and marched down the hall to escort her out.
The walk to her car was the longest journey Raina had ever taken. The hall was dimmer than a few minutes ago. The air stale and quiet. She would have wrung her hands if she were that type of woman. Instead, she held her head high and stared at a spot between his shoulder blades, concentrating on keeping her tears at bay until she could be alone. His steps punched the floor and tightened the knot in her shoulders.
Once outside, Matthew stalked over to the Honda and glared at Raina while she fumbled for her keys. The street lamp spotlighted her car and darkened the rest of the world around them as if they were actors on a stage. If only they were actors.
Raina swallowed several times before she found her voice. “It was the only way I could get my money back from him. I’d asked for it several times before. Please understand. You weren’t even in the picture then…” Her voice trailed off when she realized he wasn’t even listening.
He studied her face as if memorizing her features.
She pressed her trembling lips together and held onto to her stomach as if she was going to be sick. Her heart galloped in a race she didn’t want to be in. He was saying good-bye again without saying anything. She’d seen the expression before. But she’d be damned if he’d see her cry.
Matthew jerked his chin. “Good night.” He stepped back into the shadow as if exiting the stage and left her exposed in the harsh light.
A tear slid out. Raina swiped at it as she turned to open her car door. Her hands shook and the keys jangled as they fell to the ground. Tears blurred her vision and it took her several seconds of patting blindly to find them. She stifled the urge to pound her fists on the car. What if he was watching from the shadows? She drove for three blocks and pulled over.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel as fresh tears warmed her numb face. Her heart squeezed tighter and tighter until her breaths came out in rapid heaves as if she were buried alive. Raina had known she’d pay the piper at some point. She just didn’t know at the time the price would be so high.
The world became silent as she replayed the scene by her car. It blended with their other good-bye scenes until she couldn’t tell if she was crying because of tonight or the other times he’d walked out of her life. She leaned her fo
rehead on the wheel and sobbed harder as her heart broke.
She’d wanted Matthew all her life, but everything she did only made him slip further away.
Raina patted more powder on her blotchy skin. It was the best she could do given the circumstances. When she’d stumbled into the bathroom an hour ago, she almost fainted at the sight of the puffy eyes crusted over from last night’s tears.
A few minutes later, she pulled out of the driveway. She’d love nothing more than to stay in bed, but life didn’t stop just because her heart did. She needed to pick up Po Po and then meet Lori at Olivia’s house to get the missing files for the fundraiser. As she drove to the senior center, she replayed last night’s scene in her mind again.
Matthew hadn’t exactly said it was over between them. There was no reason for her to think last night’s good night held more meaning than just good night. It rankled that it’d always been his choice to leave her.
In the last decade, they ran into each other more times than it would have been possible under normal circumstances. Had he been toying with her affections all these years? Somehow he always tracked her down, probably through the grandmas, like some broken record that couldn’t get past the introduction.
But then, why did she always wait around like a groupie, happy for scraps? Wasn’t she worth more than the leftovers he gave her? Maybe last night was a sign to finally move on.
Po Po hopped into the car, humming off-key. She glanced at Raina’s face and reached across to hug her.
Raina relaxed into the familiar arms and tears welled up in her eyes.
“What happened, honey?” asked Po Po.
Raina told her grandma everything that had transpired after dropping her off with Mrs. Louie. “Officer Hopper played me. I actually felt sorry for her.” She pulled away from her grandma and reversed out of the parking spot.
“Of course, you wouldn’t think anything of it. You’re not that kind of person. If Mathew doesn’t realize his time is running out, then he doesn’t deserve you.” Po Po patted her shoulder. “Are you still dropping me off at Starbucks?”
