by Anne R. Tan
“We don’t know this—”
Po Po waved dismissively. “Pfff. Semantics. She needs a name, and Muyang Yao is as good as any.”
“And what happens if Muyang Yao is another person, and we’re focusing our energies on the mousy woman?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
“If Muyang is dangerous, we shouldn’t bait the bear.”
“She’s no match for the two of us.”
Raina clicked on the right turn signal. Unless she happened to run people over like bowling pins. “I'm open to suggestions.”
“How would I know? I’m the ideas person, Batman. You’re the details person of this team. Go figure it out and let me know what I need to do.”
Raina rolled her eyes. Geez, she’d like to be the ideas person too if it meant just showing up for the party. “I guess we can send her an invite.”
“We don’t even know where she is staying.”
“We could make her come to us. Set a trap and then spring it like you said.”
“You mean like a billboard or something?”
“Why not? We can buy an ad space in the town newspaper saying we have Sui Yuk Liang’s baby and we’re looking for information on his mother. It’s not like the hit-and-run information is public knowledge yet.”
“Matthew is going to flip when he sees the ad,” Po Po said, her eyes gleaming with glee. “Your friend Eden isn’t going to like this either. When is she supposed to be back in town?”
“Saturday. And by that time BL would be on a plane to China. Whether or not he would be heading to his biological family is up to us. So Eden’s irritation at being excluded from insider information on a story is the least of my worries.”
“But what about Matthew?”
“What about him? I’m not interfering with his murder investigation. I already told him I’m looking into the baby’s parentage.”
Po Po’s smile widened. “Right-de-o.”
Raina checked the time on her dashboard. “The newspaper office closes in fifteen minutes.” She made a U-turn, heading north on A Street.
“Muyang is going to want to meet at a public place,” Po Po said.
“How about the Senior Center? It’s your turf. And she might let her guard down if she thinks she’s dealing with a helpless elderly woman.”
Po Po straightened. “Now wait just one min—”
“I said think. I didn’t say is. You’re the least helpless person I know. But just play your part, okay?”
Po Po harrumphed. “I’m going to need a disguise.”
A few minutes later, Po Po paid for the half-page spread and they were back in the car and on their way to the Venus Cafe again. There was a sign posted on the door of the Venus Cafe. “Open until one o’clock on Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day.” They got in line.
“We might as well have an early dinner since we’re here already,” Po Po said, studying the specials written on the small chalkboard next to the counter. “What do you think—meatballs or French dip?”
“Want to do take-out? I’ll get myself something from Thai Chili.”
“Sure. What did Matthew say when you told him Aaron Wheeler is actually Eric Wagner?”
“He doesn’t know. I don’t feel comfortable just calling him like I used to.” Raina squirmed under her grandma’s steady gaze. “Things are just weird between us.”
Po Po muttered under her breath, “I’m going to have to teach that boy a lesson.”
“No, Matthew isn’t doing anything. You don’t spend most of your life thinking you’ll end up with someone and then pretend like nothing happened. I can’t compartmentalize it yet.”
“I’m sorry you can’t make a clean break.”
Raina shrugged. A clean break between them would be akin to cutting off an arm or leg. It just wasn’t going to happen any time soon. “I’m wondering if I should leave Gold Springs.”
“Are you going to let a man chase you out of town? Come on, girl. Chin up and shut up.”
Raina smiled at the gruffness in her grandma’s voice. “Thanks for the tough love. I’m not leaving, but the idea does have its appeal.”
“Good. If anyone has to leave, it should be him. You know someday he’s going to be crawling back because we all know you’re the best thing since sliced salami and pickles.”
“And when he does”—Raina struck out a fist—“ka-pow. He can eat my five-knuckle sandwich.”
When they got to the counter, Raina was surprised to see Joe working behind the cash register.
“Where is Fanny?” Raina asked. “I thought she was supposed to help out.”
“She’s in the kitchen assembling take-out orders.” He paused, frowning. “Or maybe she went to pick up supplies?” He shrugged. “She’s somewhere helping. I’m sure glad we have the extra set of hands.”
“Who is watching the baby? Is he here?” Raina asked.
“Oh, I would love to see him,” Po Po said.
“Sorry, ladies, but he’s home with my mom. She drove in early this morning and is staying through the New Year to help out with the baby.”
Raina shared a look with her grandma. The authorities would expedite the process to get BL back to the Liang family. There was no way he would stay with the Sullivans until New Year’s. She didn’t know Joe well enough to ask about his interview with the police. “Where’s Brenda?”
“She’s out picking up supplies,” Joe said.
Po Po placed her order, and they made their way to the leather armchairs in front of the fireplace. As Raina called in her order to the Thai restaurant next door, the bell on the front door jingled.
“What are they doing here?” Po Po whispered.
Raina followed her grandma’s gaze to the pair coming in to the cafe. Matthew and Officer Hopper. Both of them looked grim and serious. This wouldn’t be good news. But for whom? Officer Hopper got in line behind the last customer. Matthew strolled over to the fireplace at the same time Fanny came out from the kitchen with Po Po’s take-out order.
Fanny’s eyes lit up like a fireworks display at the sight of Matthew. Raina almost felt sorry for the girl, but then realized that she might have looked just as pathetic herself until she’d wised up.
“Hi, Matthew. Do you want to get something to eat?” Fanny said, holding the take-out bag to Raina.
“No, thanks,” he replied. “Raina, I need to talk to you. Can you come outside with me for a few minutes?”
Raina handed the takeout bag to her grandma. “Don't worry,” she whispered into Po Po’s ears, “no one is bringing sexy back.”
14
A WARNING
She followed Matthew outside and watched as he walked over to Joe’s black pickup truck. In the afternoon light, the damages to the hood and bumper were even more noticeable than the night before. She rubbed her hands on her thighs.
Matthew gestured for her to come over. “Do you know what happened to his truck?”
Raina shook her head as a sense of foreboding settled into her stomach. Please let Joe hit a deer or something. “What’s going on? Why are you so interested in the Sullivans?”
“This is just routine. We’re checking out all the vehicles that have damages,” Matthew said. “Don’t worry. A neighbor saw Joe sleeping in the living room at the time of the accident.”
Raina smiled. “That’s great news. I knew the Sullivans wouldn’t have anything to do with Sui Yuk Liang’s death.”
“The neighbor didn’t notice the truck in the driveway.”
Raina’s smile slipped. “It was probably in the garage.”
“You could be right.” Matthew’s expression told her he didn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth either.
“What about the threatening note? And there’s Eric Wagner, Cecelia’s ex-husband, pretending to be Aaron Wheeler.” She told him about her conversation with Scotty Bacon and the exploding pink slime.
He scribbled down the information in his notebook. The furrow betw
een his brows could have cracked walnuts. “We’ve already notified the feds, and an agent will be here to take over the case. If all goes smoothly, Baby Liang will be on a plane in a day or two.”
Raina’s heart skipped a beat and then sped up. She took a deep breath to calm herself. “This is so wrong, Matthew. And you know it. Everyone just wants BL to return to China. What happened to justice? What about doing what’s right?”
“The baby is not going to know any different.”
“How can you say that? This could impact BL’s entire future. What if the father starts to suspect this baby is not his son? How would the father treat him then?”
Matthew rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not my job to play God. The mayor and the Chief—”
“What if the father abandons him in an orphanage? Don't forget, you can only have one child in China. If the father remarries, his new wife might not want a child that isn’t even her husband’s.”
He averted his gaze and studied the gravel ground for several seconds. “Since he can afford to send his wife here, I’m sure he’s wealthy enough to get the exemption to have another child.”
“You’re not getting it, Matthew,” she whispered. “I have to see this through. I can’t let fate decide this poor baby’s path. I could never live with myself if there was something I could have done, but didn’t.”
“I swear, Rainy, if you interfere with my investigation—”
“What if Sui Yuk Liang’s death is not the end of this? What if whoever killed Sui Yuk goes after BL—”
“How would the killer know where to find the baby—”
“Aha!” Raina pointed a finger at his chest. “So you do believe I’m onto something.”
He sighed loudly as he ran his hand through his black hair. “Do you want to get hurt again? Or are you just doing this to get my attention?”
Raina recoiled as if he struck her. “I’m surprised your swollen head hasn’t burst yet. This is not about you. We’re just friends. Friends. What I need is for you to do your job.”
“How do you know I’m not? There are some things I can’t tell a civilian.”
Tears burned in the back of Raina’s eyes and she blinked them away. Had he always been a jerk? How could she be so blind? She swallowed at the knot in her throat. He didn’t deserve her tears. She could cry later. “So doing your job involves shoving an innocent baby—”
“I’m not the monster you make me out to be. Just have a little faith that everything will work out without your interference. It’s the season for miracles.”
Raina snorted. “Like you would know anything about faith or miracles. You’re a man who still has daddy issues—”
“Leave my dad out of this—”
“And I’m not your mom. You come at me with your fists, and my skillet is going to connect with that pea brain—”
Matthew reached up to grab her face with both hands and kissed her. A deep, thorough kiss that curled her toes. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. His clean citrus and sage scent overwhelmed her senses and caused her knees to weaken.
Raina shook as if she were standing in a thunderstorm. She shoved him away and swiped at her swollen lips. Her chest heaved, and her face felt hot and tight as if she just ran in a race. What was he doing?
His nostrils flared as if he also ran the same race, but was chasing her instead. His reddened cheek was like a beacon against his pale face. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
Someone coughed from behind them and broke the spell. She hastily withdrew her arms, and stepped aside. Po Po and Fanny watched them, one with concern and the other with irritation. How long had they been standing there? And how much had they heard?
* * *
Raina somehow managed to drift closer to her grandma and used the awkward silence to pretend to fix her curly hair.
Po Po snagged her arm. “What do you think you’re doing?” she whispered.
Raina glanced at Matthew and then back at her grandma. “That’s the problem. I wasn’t thinking,” she whispered back.
“Stop listening to those hormones. You’re not a teenager anymore.”
Raina flushed even redder. This was the source of her problem. Matthew was her first. Her body responded on autopilot whenever she got a whiff of his scent. She either had to cut off her nose or dunk him in skunk oil. “Just give me the take-out bag.”
Matthew recovered faster than Raina did. He pulled out his cell phone and snapped photos of Joe’s truck. He smiled at Fanny as if Raina were nothing more than a garden gnome, which looked ridiculous with the red handprint on his face. “Fanny, when did you first notice the damage to the truck?”
“I have no idea. It was like that when I got back from Bullseye on Saturday.” Fanny averted her gaze as if she was embarrassed for him.
“So you didn’t see the riot at Bullseye?” Po Po lowered her voice into a fake whisper, “I heard the police tased a couple of people.”
Matthew cleared his throat. “About that riot. Wong Po Po, I heard that a little old Chinese woman and her curly haired granddaughter instigated it by snatching a Jiggle Me doll from another customer.”
Po Po straightened and gave him a vague smile. A picture perfect addled old lady. “Rainy, my blood sugar is getting too low. I need to eat something.”
Raina shoved her car key and the takeout bag toward her grandma. “Why don't you take care of your business in the car? I'll be there in a sec.” She wasn’t going to miss this conversation between Matthew and Fanny because of a fake blood sugar problem.
Fanny reached out to steady Po Po. “Do you need help to the car?”
Matthew's eyes glinted in amusement. “Raina can help her feeble grandma, right?”
Raina gave her grandma a significant look. “Po Po, do you feel faint right now?”
Po Po rested the back of a hand on her forehead. “Yes, everything is spinning.”
Raina pulled out a piece of bread from the take-out bag and pushed it toward her grandma. “Here, munch on this.”
The corners of Matthew’s lip twitched. Po Po wasn’t fooling anyone.
“Where was Brenda at the time?” he asked.
Fanny looked first at Matthew and then at Raina, ignoring the question. “Are you two… dating?”
“No,” Raina said.
“No,” Matthew said just as quickly.
“Why were you kissing?” Fanny said.
“We weren’t kissing,” Raina said with a straight face, focusing on the foreign exchange student so she wouldn’t see her grandma’s eye roll.
Fanny crossed her arms. “Looked like kissing to me.” A deep flush rose from Fanny’s throat to her cheeks in a patchwork of pink and white spots like the growth on a petri-dish. “Thanks a lot for making me look like a fool.”
“We’re not together anymore,” Raina said.
Fanny slid a sideways glance at Matthew. “No one told me there would be a baby. Then, Joe’s mom showed up this morning with a suitcase. Now all this trouble with the police.” Her voice cracked. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
Raina felt for the foreign exchange student. There was nothing worse than tangling with the law while studying abroad. She shared a look with her grandma.
Po Po raised an eyebrow as if to say it was her call.
Raina tipped her chin. It wasn’t her call to make.
Po Po patted Fanny’s shoulder. “Do you need a place to stay? I have a spare bedroom that you can use until you find another place.”
Fanny gave her grandma a trembling smile. “I don’t want to impose. I made the choice to stay with the Sullivans so I have to deal with this. Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”
“It’s not a problem. If my Rainy was in a similar situation, I hope a nice person would step up to help out,” Po Po said.
Fanny twisted the hem of her shirt. “The Sullivans are good people. I don’t want them to think I’m abandoning them.”
“It mig
ht be helpful for you to move out,” Raina said. “It’s one less thing for the Sullivans to worry about.”
“Alright, you’ve convinced me. Thank you,” Fanny said.
A tow truck rattled around the corner and pulled into the parking lot. It looked like the Sullivans’ problems were only just beginning. As the tow truck driver hitched up Joe’s truck, Fanny ran back inside the café. Matthew followed after her, pulling a bunch of paperwork out from his back pocket.
Raina felt as if Altas bounced his burden on her stomach. She whispered to her grandma, “Let’s go. I don’t want to stay and watch this.”
Po Po was unusually quiet during the short drive to Raina’s apartment. Her grandma was mulling over something and wasn’t ready to share yet, which was fine by her. She wasn’t in the mood to talk either.
Raina inserted her key and opened the front door. She poked her head inside and sniffed cautiously. The air was a little stale, but not pungent or foul. She stepped inside and took another sniff. Not bad. A little more airing and it would be fine by the time she went to bed.
Po Po threw her beach-sized purse on the sofa and plopped down next to it, grabbing the remote. “I’m beat. Give me a minute, and I’ll help you set the table.”
Raina dropped her purse on the side table. “Can’t we skip the place setting…” She tilted her head, studying the pile of mismatched socks at the foot of her bookshelf. Wasn’t the yellow sock closer to the bottom of the pile before?
She’d always been a piler: mail, books, or clothes. As long as it was stackable, she made little mole hills in her living space that made her mom’s eye twitch. It could be one of the reasons she did it, but it was probably her need for a little chaos when everything else was so orderly in her previous life as an engineer. Unfortunately, the habit stuck.
Her gaze flicked to the dining nook and the hair on the back of her neck stiffened. The pile of mail on the new-to-me dining room table was too neatly stacked to be her handiwork. Someone had broken into her apartment last night and rifled through her things.
Raina cocked her head, listening to see if there was someone in the bedroom. But all she could hear was the noise from the TV. “Someone broke into my apartment,” she yelled. She didn’t fancy coming face-to-face with an intruder.
