by Anne R. Tan
I need to stop enabling Natalie. I’m letting her ruin everything. Now I have thugs following me around, pulling me into dark corners for a chat about payment. This isn’t the life I signed up for.
Did Holden break things off with her because his life was unraveling? Would Raina stoop to blackmailing in a similar situation for one of her siblings? She shook her head. No, she wasn’t an enabler.
But hadn’t she enabled Matthew by letting him dictate the terms of their relationship? If Eden knew the extent of her non-relationship with Matthew, she’d say Raina was just his booty call. Even her mother had made disparaging remarks about her eggs shriveling into oblivion while she waited for him to stop saving the world.
If her feelings had been one-sided, then she could talk herself out of the leftovers he dished out to her. But they weren’t, and that was the problem. Every time they’d gotten together in the last decade it was like the clash of Titans. All naked flesh, blood, and tears. It’d always been exhilarating and life had seemed dull afterwards.
A knock on her front door jerked Raina out of her thoughts. For the first time she regretted making plans with Eden. Her emotions were too raw and unsteady for company.
Raina swung open her front door and smiled. “Thanks for picking up the pizza.” She hugged Eden’s stiff body and closed the door. She hurried to the kitchen to grab utensils and drinks.
When she came back to the dining room, Raina wiggled the soda can in her hand. “Look. I stopped by the gas station for a Diet Pepsi.” She’d done this on the way to the casino yesterday, when her world was still a safe place. “Here’s the money back for the pizza.”
Eden hung back, shifting her weight from one foot to another. “Um, thanks.”
Raina pulled out her good chair and held it out for her friend.
Eden strolled over and enveloped her in a bear hug, releasing her just as quickly. “You’re the best.”
Raina smiled. “I’m sorry. I was unfair and as Po Po says some cans of worms shouldn’t be examined in any lighting.”
“Your grandma is one wise old lady. I’m sorry, too.”
The unanswered questions about Matthew hung in the air, but Raina busied herself dispersing plates and napkins until the moment passed. She wasn’t ready to share her feelings about him when she was still thinking about Holden’s journal entries.
Eden flipped her weave over one shoulder. “Ever get around to looking at Holden’s tablet?”
The salty bite Raina swallowed stuck to the back of her throat. She gulped water from her glass. “I hate it when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“Read my mind. And how come you didn’t think I just bought a tablet?”
“You were searching Holden’s house. Then you showed up with a tablet. It’s not rocket science.”
Raina licked her lips. “Holden kept a journal in his tablet. It’s more like notes. I haven’t gotten a chance to read through all the entries yet.”
“And?”
“I’ve come to the conclusion that Holden might have been a decent guy who had made some very bad decisions.”
Eden gestured with her pizza slice. “Come on. Really?”
Raina shrugged. “He paid child support for a child that was not his. He paid his sister’s gambling debts. I’m not saying this justified the way he went about getting money, but there is something sad about the whole situation. He probably felt he couldn’t make a different choice.”
“We’ve all been in tight situations. It’s how you react to it that makes you the person you are. He chose to lie and blackmail others. To me, his questionable morals made him a bad person.”
“You’re right,” Raina said. “But murder?”
Eden chewed and pondered the question. “I’m not saying murder was right either.”
For the next few minutes, Raina ate and chatted with her friend about the suspects on her list. It was like old times, except she tiptoed around the subject of Sol and her friend did the same for Matthew. The discussion didn’t lead to more than what she’d considered on her drive back from the casino before the car accident.
“I know you’re wondering.” Eden took a deep breath. “Sol and I are still together.”
Raina forced a smile on her face. “That’s good. I’m glad things are going well for the two of you.”
“I’ve been helping him search for the material he gave to Holden.”
Raina nodded. This wasn’t news.
“We’ve gotten close and I’ve met his sister, Sonia.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“On the morning of Holden’s murder, she confirmed that he was at the florist with her and then met up with her after the meeting for more wedding planning.” Eden beamed. “He has an alibi.”
Raina bit her lip. What if Sonia was lying?
“She wasn’t lying. It came out naturally in conversation. She made the offhand comment that Sol would be a big help when we get married.” Eden reddened. “I also called the florist.”
Of course her friend would call. “Now that’s my girl.”
They both laughed, and the mood brightened.
“Okay, the smell is killing me. What did you make? Any samples?” Eden asked.
Raina got up and grabbed the plate she’d set aside in the kitchen. “Half a dozen for you.”
“Where were we?” Eden’s eyes lit up when she grabbed an oatmeal cranberry cookie. “The suspects.”
“After we eliminate everyone, there’s only Olivia left,” Raina said. For some strange reason, she hoped it wasn’t her.
“And Andrew Rollinger.”
“The white noise machine?” Raina didn’t see how he fit into everything, but Cora had mentioned Holden’s interest in him. “If the Dean asked him to investigate Holden’s involvement with the missing grant funds, shouldn’t he be the victim?” And yet, there was Andrew’s dossier in Olivia’s office.
Eden gave her a sharp look. “He filed for Chapter 13 a month ago. His credit cards are maxed out. He’s desperate for money, too. Holden and Andrew could have both been siphoning money from the grant.”
“But I saw Lori at the mall, buying expensive things.”
“What if she doesn’t know?”
“We should get our hands on that file in Olivia’s office.”
Bam! Bam!
“Police! Open Up! We have a warrant,” called an unfamiliar male voice from the other side of the front door.
24
WORKING THE RUMOR MILL
Raina stared into Eden’s wide eyes, her pulse racing. “I better answer before they kick it in.” She was proud her voice didn’t wobble.
She opened the front door, leaning against the doorframe to block entry to her apartment. With Eden standing behind her, the police shouldn’t be able to see inside. “What’s this about?”
A short, middle-aged man, with jowls that could give a Pug a run for the money, scowled at Raina. Officer Hopper slouched against the column from the overhanging roof.
“Detective Youri Sokol, Criminal Intelligence and Organized Crime.” He held up some papers.
“You’re the officer who confiscated my cell phone,” Eden said. “When did you become a detective?”
“Promotion,” Detective Sokol said.
Eden raised an eyebrow. “Permanent or temporary?”
“We’re not here to go through my entire resume, Miss Small.”
“Is this part of Holden Merritt’s murder investigation?” asked Eden. “Where is Detective Louie?”
The detective smirked at Raina. “Someone has tipped off the Chief that he might have been too lax in his investigation.”
Raina schooled her expressive face. Someone had complained about Matthew? She flicked a glance at Officer Hopper. She wouldn’t. So who then? Natalie? Olivia? Or the killer?
“Have more things gone missing from the evidence room?” asked Eden, pushing herself forward until she stood in front of Raina.
The detective straightened, the t
op of his head skimmed her friend’s shoulder. “You’re interfering with police business again.”
“Can I see the warrant?” Raina asked. She thumbed through the pages and stopped at the part describing the property to be seized. A gun. “When did Olivia report her missing gun?” She had it with her yesterday at the casino.
“Did Olivia Kline accuse Raina of stealing her gun?” Eden asked.
Officer Hopper leaned forward. “How did you know it was Olivia’s gun?”
The only person Raina knew who had a gun was Olivia. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out, but a snarky comment might make the situation worse.
The detective held up a hand. “You should leave, Miss Small. This has nothing to do with you.”
Eden locked eyes with the detective. “You’re out in public. I have every right to be here.”
Officer Hopper smirked and fingered the handcuffs clipped to her belt. “Should I cuff Miss Sun?”
The detective flicked a glance at his partner. “I don’t think it’s necessary. Why don’t you just wait here?”
Raina handed the warrant back to him. “Have fun. I’ll be counting my underwear after you leave.”
Detective Sokol chuckled and ducked inside her apartment.
Raina was worried about the tablet she’d left on her bed, but there wasn’t a sign that screamed it’d belonged to Holden. The police didn’t have the right to flip through the apps to confirm ownership. Her apartment wasn’t spanking clean, but she was sure they’d seen worse.
Eden continued her rapid-fire questions at Officer Hopper. Raina smiled at the mumbled “no comment” replies. She had a feeling the officer was thrown off balance by her friend’s presence. By the time the detective came back out, Officer Hopper was no longer smiling. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and she’d crossed her arms.
“Find anything?” Officer Hopper asked.
Detective Sokol shook his head. “Where’s your car?”
Raina raised an eyebrow. “You’ll have to get another warrant if you want to search my car.”
The detective studied her. “What are you trying to hide?”
“The warrant specifies my apartment. My car is not within its scope.”
“Are you trying to bully a private citizen into forfeiting her rights?” Eden asked.
The detective grunted, thanked everyone for their cooperation, and left with Officer Hopper.
Eden bounced on her toes. “That went well. I can’t believe Olivia accused you of stealing her gun.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Raina said. “It could be anyone.”
“Someone seems to be out to make trouble for you.” Eden regarded her. “I think we’re closing in on the killer. You should give Matthew a call, to ask how he’s doing.”
Raina gave her a bemused smile. “And to charm more information from him?”
“Hey, why not kill two birds with one stone.”
Raina rolled her eyes. “I say we get to campus. We need a better look at that file on Andrew.”
Until she had more control over her reactions toward Matthew, she didn’t want to risk another encounter. A part of her wished she cried instead so he would have an excuse to hold her. It wasn’t lost on her how lame it was to have this damsel-in-distress thought, especially since she was done waiting for him.
Once they got to the history building, Eden took off for Olivia’s office with the key for the filing cabinet while Raina made her way to the front counter to collect department gossip.
Gail glanced up from the stack of paper in front of her and waved to Raina. She slid open the glass partition. “You okay? Your face looks… puffy.”
Raina planted her elbows on the wood counter. “Minor car accident yesterday.”
“Oh, you poor girl. But everything is okay?”
Raina nodded. “I don’t want to talk about it. Here are the fundraiser files from Olivia.” She handed the folders to Gail.
“Thanks for picking up these folders. How is Olivia doing?”
“She looks like Hollywood’s version of trailer trash. Bad sunburn, flaky skin, and her roots were showing. I feel sorry for her.”
“What’s the big deal? It’s a few paid days off.” Gail lowered her voice. “She’s coming back next week.”
“I thought the Admin Leave was indefinite earlier this week. What changed?”
“The Dean got a phone call this morning from Natalie Merritt.”
So Natalie decided to play nice with Olivia after all. “How is Andrew taking the news? He was in hog heaven the last time I spoke with him. He was convinced he’d just slide into her role.”
“I don’t think he knows yet. Actually nobody knows yet.” Gail scratched her head. “I forgot to disconnect when I transferred the call.”
Raina glanced at her shoes to hide her smile. So this was how Gail found out about everything in the department. Should Raina stir the pot? Oh, why not? A hidden spider was doing the same with her life.
She looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone. “Gail, I need to ask for a favor. I want to tell Andrew that Sol would be substituting for Holden. I want you to say you heard the same rumor.”
Gail raised an eyebrow. “What are you up to?”
“Can’t tell you right now. But if it turns into something big, I’ll tell you all about it before the newspaper gets wind of it.” Raina shrugged. “And if it turns out to be nothing, well, no harm done right?”
Gail tapped her pen on top of the counter. “Before the newspaper?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t know. I’m not the gossiping type.”
Raina bit the inside of her cheek to stop a laugh from escaping. Gail not gossip? When did pigs start swinging from the trees? “Do you still need help with your daughter’s bake sale? It’s in two weeks, right?”
Gail chewed her lower lip. “Yes, we still need more donations. I was going to pick something up at the grocery store.”
“Cupcakes or cake pops?”
“How about both?”
This time Raina did laugh. She’d asked for it. “Not a problem.”
Gail studied her for a moment longer. “You sure this is harmless?”
“Yes. I want to see how he’ll react to the news.” Raina shrugged. “It’s just a rumor. What harm could come from this?”
Gail glanced over Raina’s shoulder and nodded. “Here he comes.” She resumed her filing, looking busy.
Raina spun around and waved. “Hi, Andrew, how are things going?”
Andrew faltered as if he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to stop and chat. Raina took a step toward him. If he wasn’t willing to come to her, then she’d go to him.
“Busy. I finally finished shifting the teaching assignments for the grad students.” His voice droned in her ear, rhythmic like a swirling overhead fan. He continued for another five minutes about how he brilliantly shifted everything around like pieces of a puzzle until it all sorted out.
Raina blinked. This man couldn’t be the killer. Not only did he not sound like someone with the passion or the imagination to kill someone, why would he need to use poison when he could put them to sleep with his voice?
All the same, she was committed to shaking the tree. She wasn’t going to let a mysterious person throw coconuts at her without making trouble for someone else. Misery loved company and all. Besides, Po Po would say the least likely suspect usually ended up being the killer.
“Then it’s a good thing the department hired Sol on a limited term basis for the rest of the semester. He should be able to take some of the load off your back,” Raina studied his face. “And part of his duties includes checking up on the missing funds.”
Andrew frowned. “Hired him? But there are no open positions other than…”
Raina’s chest tightened with guilt. “Are you okay?”
“Is this confirmed?”
“Rumor mill.” Raina shrugged, hoping she appeared nonchalant. “Gail heard the
same rumor.”
Andrew glanced at the front counter and licked his lips. “I don’t get it. Why would the Dean want to give him the position? The police detained the man for the murder.”
“How do you know he is a suspect?”
“What else could it be?”
“A witness. Maybe he saw something. He always pops up like a pimple before prom around here. I’ll bet the police are trying to protect him until they make an arrest.”
Andrew paled and beads of sweat formed on his upper lip. “A witness.” He repeated the words like a toddler learning to form his words.
“They can do amazing things with forensics these days. If half the stuff on TV is true, they would have collected enough evidence to determine the killer. They are probably waiting for the right opportunity to make an arrest.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Andrew looked at Gail over the front counter. “I need to pick up medicine for the baby so I’ll be gone for the rest of the day.” He rushed out the main doors without waiting for a response.
Raina tingled all over. This was it. She dialed Eden’s number as she followed Andrew out of the building. “Meet me at the car. Andrew is making a run for it.”
Raina parked under the tree across from the Rollinger’s house. Andrew had hurried inside a few minutes ago without any side trip to a drugstore. Medicine for the baby? Right.
The two-story house was a cookie cutout of all the other homes in the subdivision. If not for the vividly colored flowerbeds and the thriving potted plants on the porch, she wouldn’t be able to pick the house out among the others on the street. Either someone in the family had a green thumb or they had a good gardener.
Eden sat in the passenger seat, flipping through the folder she’d gotten from Olivia’s office. “The newspaper clippings are from a few years ago. There was a scandal where several large gift accounts disappeared after a professor’s plagiarism was exposed. He resigned even though nothing was proven. No names were given, but I’ll make a phone call to the school later. Bet it’s safe to assume the professor in question was Andrew.”
Raina bit her lower lip. “What are the chances that Holden might have been planning to blackmail them next? This isn’t something you want your co-workers and friends to find out.”
