by Anne R. Tan
“I wish I wore my ninja outfit.”
Raina glanced at the pimp cane sticking out from her grandma’s backpack. “You’re fine. If you had darkened your face, you could be mistaken for Rambo in that outfit.”
Po Po frowned, probably thinking about her missed opportunity.
The townhouses were dark when they arrived at the end of the street. Most of the residents were probably stuck in traffic, trying to get home. Mrs. Keane’s unit had a light on in the back of the house. The bright headlights of an approaching car spotlighted them for an instant before the driver passed them to pull into a parking spot on the curb.
Raina grabbed her grandma, dragging her through the gate of the townhouse two doors away from Uncle Martin’s home. She ducked down behind the hedges.
“What—”
“Shush,” Raina hissed. “That’s Smith’s car.”
A door slammed and footsteps headed toward their direction. Raina dropped into a crouch, pulling her grandma down next to her. The porch light didn’t penetrate their hiding spot, but she felt exposed all the same with their backs facing the open windows of the house behind them. If someone looked out, they were toast.
She peered through the vegetation in time to see Smith enter Uncle Martin’s townhouse. Great. Who knew how long he would be there? As she debated whether to wait the detective out or leave, another car turned into the block. The driver parked on the driveway and headed up the stairs. As he passed under a porch light, Raina gasped at the potbelly on the man.
“What is Hudson doing here?” Po Po whispered.
Raina held out her palm. “Where’s your super stink bomb?”
Po Po pulled out a snack-size Tupperware container from her backpack and took off the plastic lid. The tiny glass vials twinkled when they caught the streetlight. So innocent and so deadly. “How are you going to throw it into the house without being seen?”
Raina sometimes wondered if her grandma could read her mind. She would have to force Smith and Hudson out of the townhouse. “Wait for me here. Stay hidden.” She grabbed a handful and shoved them into her pocket.
As she trotted toward Uncle Martin’s unit, she pulled up the collar of her jacket and kept her face down. Another busy city person on a mission to go home. In front of Uncle Martin’s home, she tied her shoelaces, scanning the surrounding area. No shadows in the windows. Good.
She took one deep breath and raced up the stairs in one smooth motion. Flipping the mail slot open on the front door, she tossed the handful of stink bombs onto the tile entryway.
Clink, clink, clink.
The breaking glass was music to her ears. But there wasn’t any time to enjoy the trick. Time to get out of here before the men rushed out from the home.
Raina threw one leg over the rail and launched across the three feet into Mrs. Keane’s front yard. She landed in the raised beds of the dead vegetable garden. Something wet and squishy spread across her bottom. She scrambled up and dropped flat on the ground next to a planter, hoping the two-foot height would hide her in the dark.
The door flung open, and Smith bolted onto the sidewalk, his face twisted into a grimace. Hudson trailed after him, coughing with tears streaming down his face. Several more seconds passed while the men coughed and spat onto the sidewalk.
Raina pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud. She knew all too well how it felt. The rank skunk oil filled up a person’s throat and burned through the membranes in the nostrils as if the funk were trying to imprint itself on the brain. She’d forbade Po Po from bringing the stink bombs into her apartment after the incident last Christmas.
Smith cleared his throat. “What the heck happened? Is there another dead body in there?”
Hudson stiffened as if insulted. “What do you need me to identify? I don’t have all night.”
Smith pulled out a faded brown leather journal with the Chinese longevity character in gold lettering.
Raina’s eyes widened. This was the last place she’d expected Ah Gong’s journal to show up. How did it end up with Smith?
“Recognize this? It doesn’t appear to be in your uncle’s handwriting,” Smith said.
Hudson held out his hand. “What is it?”
“Did you know Martin Eng practiced cannibalism in China during the 1960s?” Smith ran his fingers along the edge, fanning the pages. “Martin even tried to eat the previous Dai Lo from the Nine Dragons when he was still a boy in China.”
Raina’s hands tightened around the leafy plant in front of her, crushing the leaves until it was a pulpy mess. This couldn’t be happening. Ah Gong saved the grandfather of Sonny Kwan, the new triad boss? How could her grandfather be BFF with someone like Martin Eng?
Hudson’s expression didn’t change, but his body vibrated with suppressed energy. He stiffened and stared down his nose at the shorter detective. “Who have you been talking to? That’s libel.”
Smith raised an eyebrow as if confused at the reaction. “It’s all written here. I have no idea who this belongs to, but there are sufficient details for me to know it’s not a work of fiction. Apparently the owner of this journal saved the Dai Lo. Interesting stuff. Better than any book I’ve read lately.”
Hudson glared at the detective. “My uncle was an upstanding citizen in the community. I’ll sue the SFPD for ruining his reputation if these lies get out.”
“What about Dai Lo? He had a good reason to hold a grudge against the man who tried to eat him as a child.”
“Shame on you. My uncle’s cold body is still at the morgue, and here you are spreading vicious rumors about the dead.”
A car turned onto the street. Its headlight flashed across the two men on the sidewalk. Raina shifted, wiggling her toes and hoping to keep the pins and needles sensation at bay.
Hudson took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. He jammed his fisted hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Is this all you need, Detective? My fiancée is waiting to have dinner with me.”
When did he propose to her mom? Did this mean Raina no longer had to investigate Uncle Martin’s death?
“Thank you for indulging me, Mr. Rice. Don’t plan on leaving town.” Smith crossed the street and got into his car.
Hudson watched as the detective pull into traffic, his face hidden by the shadows. After several seconds he locked up the front door of the townhouse and left in his car, unaware of his audience.
By the time Raina got her stiffened body to move back onto the sidewalk, the lights for Mrs. Keane’s place were dark. What an early sleeper. And snooping in Uncle Martin’s home wasn’t an option; it needed a good airing from the rancid odor seeping out from around the front door.
As Raina headed toward the bus stop, she huddled against the chill.
“We need to get Ah Gong’s journal back,” Po Po said, breaking the silence.
“Are you suggesting we break into the evidence room of the police station?” Raina asked.
“No, of course not, but there has to be a way. I wonder how Smith ended up with the journal?”
Raina tilted her head, trying to recall what had occurred on the day she and Smith chased after Scar Face outside of Uncle Martin’s house. By the time she had gotten to the intersection, Smith shoved his hands into his jacket pocket. Could it be possible the journal fell out of Scar Face’s pocket when he ran away from them? It was a stretch, but all she had at the moment.
She told her grandma the theory. “Do you believe Uncle Martin practiced cannibalism?” Did Ah Gong participate as well? Was this the reason he never talked about his mission to mainland China?
How did it relate to the secret wife and child Ah Gong wanted to take care of with the three million dollars he left for them via Raina?
Po Po didn’t answer. She didn’t need to.
Raina was sure both of them were thinking about Ah Gong’s journal and the answers it might hold. And now that Smith had the book, all she had to do was get the journal from the SFPD. Easy peasy. Simple as baking a cake.
9
Every Shade of Ugly
It was a little after eight when they showed up at Cassie’s front door in Daly City. She didn’t seem happy to see them, but ushered them into the living room anyway. “Is something wrong? Has something happened to Mom?”
“Nothing is wrong, honey,” Po Po said. “We need a place to stay for the night.”
Relief and confusion warred across Cassie’s face. “I don’t understand. Why are you here?”
“It’s a long story,” Raina said. Involving her sister in the investigation meant another lecture for sure. No way was she in the mood for that.
Cassie crossed her arms. “I can open a bottle of wine. It’s not like I have to wake up early tomorrow morning for anything.”
Raina didn’t know how to interpret the comment. Though she would never voice the thought, she’d wondered if her brother-in-law’s proposal to her sister was a calculated career move. Two years after the marriage, he made partner at their Uncle Anthony’s law firm.
“Is Lila in bed already?” Po Po asked.
“An hour ago. Benson is in the office upstairs reading some legal stuff,” Cassie said.
Raina’s cell phone chirped. It was Blue. “Excuse me, but I need to take this. Po Po can explain everything.” Hopefully her sister would dismiss half of what their grandma said, like usual.
She stepped into the kitchen and tapped her phone. “Hi, Blue.”
“Are you busy?” Blue asked. His voice sounded strained.
“It’s been a long day. I’m at Cassie’s at the moment.”
“I found out about Martin Eng’s death on Facebook. I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “No. I’m used to death and mayhem. You might not want to spend too much time with me. I have a bad habit of attracting dead bodies.”
She chuckled to show she was joking. Her habit of poking her nose in other people’s business might scare him off. They were still in the early stage of the relationship where she would shave her legs if she knew he was coming over.
“This isn't the right time, but do you want to have dinner tomorrow night? I want to see you again before you leave town.”
She did a little jig in the kitchen, but her voice sounded casual. “I might stick around for a few more days.”
“But what about your classes? Or work?”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “The people here need me. The professors would understand since Uncle Martin is almost family. And I'm sure my co-workers wouldn't mind picking up extra hours since midterms are over.”
They chatted for a few more minutes and said their goodbyes. She leaned her elbows on the kitchen table, wondering when she should tell Blue about her hobby. Or if she even needed to disclose this information? Most people didn’t air their dirty underwear this early in a relationship, so she might be over-thinking this whole thing. She should just have a night on the town and enjoy herself.
She called Eden, but her best friend didn’t pick up, so she left a message about needing to talk about Blue. It wasn’t until she hung up when she realized her message sounded pathetic. She finally had a nice man in her life and here she was, whining over whether or not she was ready to commit. Sometimes she should walk into a wall to knock some sense into herself.
Then she called the Victorian but ended up with voicemail. She didn’t expect her mother to be home, but she had hoped Win would work on his homework. She called her Mom’s cell phone.
“Did you find anything out today?” Mom asked.
“Where are you?” Raina asked.
“At Hudson’s. Did you find out anything today?”
“Where's Win? It's a school night. Shouldn’t he be home?”
There was a pause. “I think he’s spending the night at a friend’s house.”
Raina ground her teeth.
“I'm giving Win his freedom. He'll be on his own at college next year. This is good practice for him.”
Raina said nothing. She wasn't going down this road. It wasn't her job to be the parent.
“If you don't have any news, I do,” Mom said, not noticing the silence. “The coroner confirmed that Martin died of asphyxiation. Someone put the silk crane pillow over his face last night.”
Raina gasped at the thought of the murderer killing Uncle Martin with a gift from her grandparents. Her grandma would flip when she found out the silk pillow she’d brought from Japan ended up as the murder weapon.
“Will you calm down? It's not like Martin is really your uncle.” Mom sounded a little annoyed as if she didn’t like being upstaged. “She also requested additional lab work, so I wonder if he overdosed himself with his sleeping draught. You know how unreliable the dosage for herbal teas can be.”
“Who did you have to bribe to get this information about the lab work and the pillow?” There was no way Smith would share this information with her mom like they were schoolgirls having a chat.
Mom grew coy. “I have my sources. Now what did you find out today?”
“The sleeping draught is just overpriced Sleepy Time tea.” She summarized her interview with the herbalist.
“Is this all you found out today?”
Raina took a deep breath. She needed to stay calm or she might say something she’d regret later, especially since her relationship with her mom was precarious. She could tell her mom about Ah Gong’s journal, but this would lead into a lengthy explanation about the secret family. Po Po should be the one to break this news to the rest of the family. “Mom, does he make you happy?”
“Yes, I haven’t felt this way since your father was alive.”
“I’m glad you’re happy. I'll do my best to help sort this out for Hudson.”
“Of course you will, sweetie. I can always count on you to do what needs to be done. Good night, baby.”
Raina blinked rapidly at the burning tears behind her eyes. She was too old to be seeking her mother's approval, but it felt good to hear it all the same. If only she could hold on to this moment a while longer.
When she returned to the living room, she found Po Po asleep on the sofa with a blanket thrown over her. Cassie had gone to bed without even saying good night.
By the time Raina woke up the next morning, everyone already had breakfast and Benson had long since left for work. She shuffled down the stairs. Her backside felt like someone had stretched her over a rack overnight. So jumping into Mrs. Keane’s front yard wasn’t the smartest move, but she now knew the location of the journal.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and strolled into the living room. The scene that greeted her could be cozy—Po Po and Cassie chatted while Lila pushed a toy car in front of them on the floor—except for the white-knuckle grip her sister had around her mug. If she were holding a wineglass, she would have snapped the stem in two.
Raina returned to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal, not wanting to interrupt the discussion. Her sister wouldn’t thank her for getting involved. There was no point in hanging around here with her brother-in-law in the office. She would have to make a trip to the law office after she picked up her car. She texted her mom asking for the status of her car and got a reply that it was at the Victorian.
As she spooned another bite of Honey Nut Cheerios into her mouth, she grabbed the notepad next to the phone and scribbled down her notes. She needed a game plan if she were to stay out of Smith’s hair. She read over the list of people she needed to talk to.
Brandi Rice, niece, left off will.
Joley Mok, business rival.
Mrs. Keane, next-door neighbor
Dai Lo? Revenge for attempt cannibalism?
The list wasn’t much, but it would give her plenty of legwork. Since the Financial District was next to Chinatown, she might as well make another trip there to see if she could catch Joley Mok today.
By the time Po Po and Cassie came into the kitchen, Raina was ready to hit the road. “Mom dropped the car off this
morning.”
“Good. I need a bath and clean underwear. In an emergency situation, I wouldn’t want to embarrass myself when a hunky man carries me out. I think this calls for a red thong,” Po Po said.
“I think no one would look at your underwear when you’re slung across a pair of shoulders like a bag of rice,” Cassie said.
“Now I have the image of a bag of rice in a red thong.” Raina covered her eyes mockingly. “Let’s roll. It’ll take us forty-five minutes to get across town on public transportation.”
“I can drop you off,” Cassie said. “We can leave Lila with the nanny.”
Raina shared a look with her grandma. “That would be great.”
* * *
As Cassie and Po Po drove off, Raina hopped into her car and headed for the Financial District. She was flying solo for this interview with her brother-in-law since Po Po preferred shopping at Union Square with her sister. If Raina had a choice, she’d rather pick bellybutton lint than have this upcoming conversation.
She pulled into the underground parking, knowing full well it would cost her ten dollars an hour with validation, but for once she didn’t care. Trying to find out how Ah Gong had gained his secret family fell in the upkeep category as far as she was concerned, which meant the inheritance was picking up the tab.
The receptionist who had worked for her uncle for the last twenty years smiled at Raina's entrance into the office. “Your uncle is with a client right now.” She glanced at her computer monitor. "He will not have time for lunch until one o'clock today."
“I’ll have to catch my uncle on another day. I’m actually looking for Benson,” Raina said.
While the receptionist called Benson’s phone number, Raina glanced around the tastefully decorated waiting area. One summer working as an intern in this office was enough to convince her she wasn’t meant to be a lawyer. But it sure was nice to have one on her speed dial.
Benson Lang strolled up to the receptionist’s desk with a practiced casualness. His suit was an impeccable gray pinstripe and his full black hair was sprayed to an au naturel perfection. For someone in his late thirties, he didn’t even have a single line of crow’s feet. And since every shade of ugly could be found in his family, he must spend an extraordinary amount of time primping in front of a mirror. Unlike Raina, her brother-in-law looked like a man going places in this world.
