Gusty Lovers and Cadavers: A Fun Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 2)

by Anne R. Tan

  Raina shuddered. She couldn’t imagine making such a marriage. It was better being alone than to be lonely in a crowd. She pulled the condom out of her back pocket and continued talking as she tore the crackling wrapper open. “Ever hear of divorce? I can’t believe you have an arrangement with your husband’s mistress?” She unrolled the rubber, smearing the lubricant on her wrists with her fingers. Tugging and rotating, she got her hands out of the rope.

  “Not everything is about love,” Fanny said, dragging out the word love. She gave Raina a pitying look as if she were a naive child. “But the whore thought she could replace me because she can give him the child that I can’t. There is no way he would divorce me. I am his ultimate trophy wife. Without the political connections from my family, his tiny shoe factory wouldn’t have gotten the government contracts.”

  “So you killed Sui Yuk because you’re jealous she could get pregnant?”

  Fanny snorted. “What do I care about children? No, I killed her because she defied me. She thought she could replace me.”

  Po Po’s eyes tracked Raina’s movement. “Good for you. If I could do the same with my husband’s mistress, I would run her over myself. But you created a lot of trouble for the Sullivans.”

  Fanny shrugged at Po Po. “I’m sorry you and the Sullivans were caught in this. I have a four o’clock flight back to China. You two only need to stay here until then. The maid will set you free in the morning.”

  Raina patted the ground until she made contact with the condom. “Hey!”

  Fanny glanced over. “What? You can be so annoying sometimes.”

  Raina swung her hands in front of her, hooked the opening of the condom to her thumb, and slingshot it onto Fanny’s face.

  As Fanny swatted at the slippery raincoat, her face twisted into a snarl. “Ugh.”

  Raina lunged for the pimp cane, but Fanny grabbed the other end.

  “You have defied me for the last time, Raina,” she said through clenched teeth.

  “You’re probably right.” Raina pushed the balls on the horse statue.

  The lower jaw of the horse slid down. A jet of pea-green liquid squirted out between its teeth and into Fanny’s mouth. Skunk funk immediately dispersed into the air.

  Fanny gagged, dry heaving as tears ran down her face. She stumbled back and tripped over Po Po’s bound legs.

  Raina swung the cane at Fanny, and it was lights out for the killer.

  She swallowed the bile in the back of her throat and kneeled next to her grandma. She kept an eye on Fanny while she worked at the knots on her grandma’s hands. Her breaths came out in loud huffs as she breathed through her mouth.

  Bam! Bam!

  Raina’s heart leapt to her throat, and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from shrieking. She grabbed the cane and swung around.

  The door flew open, and bits of the doorframe sailed in their direction. Matthew and two other officers ran into the room with guns drawn. His gaze flicked from Raina to Fanny’s still body on the floor.

  “Does he always show up after all the action is over?” Po Po whispered into her ear.

  Raina nodded. “Pretty much.”

  “I never had much use for a man who came late.”

  Raina snorted, more in appreciation for her grandma’s attempt to lighten the mood than actual mirth. Her white-knuckle grip on the cane was the only thing keeping her hands from shaking.

  While the two police officers went to secure the suite, Matthew came over. “Where is Eric?”

  “He had nothing to do with Sui Yuk Liang’s death.” Raina pointed at Fanny. “She’s the murderer.”

  24

  TIME TO REDECORATE

  A week later, as Raina was getting ready for her date, there was a knock on the door. She glanced at the time displayed on her new cellphone. Much too early for Blue’s arrival. She ignored it and continued using the flat iron on her curly hair. If it were Po Po, she could use her key. And if it were someone else, her hair was more important at the moment.

  “I know you are in there, Rainy,” Matthew called out.

  Raina turned off the flat iron and trudged to the door. She flung it open but positioned her body so he couldn’t see the mess in her living room.

  Matthew eyed her hair. “Are you busy? I thought you might be interested in what we found out about Fanny.”

  “I’m not interested in Fanny. I already know too much as it is,” Raina said. “Who started the fire?”

  “Cecelia was shredding her second set of books when Muyang broke into the clinic. Fearing it was the private investigator snooping around the resort, Cecelia dumped everything in the trash, along with her cigarette, and emptied a bottle of rose perfume on top of it.”

  “She’s lucky she didn’t kill herself or someone else. Did she finally admit to kidnapping a baby for Sui Yuk?”

  “No, and the doctor is conveniently visiting her family in the Philippines.”

  “So Cecelia is off the hook?”

  “A package of evidence showed up at the DA’s office a couple days after the fire. I have no idea who it’s from, but there’s enough there to put Cecelia away for a good while.”

  Raina thought about Toni Moody snooping around the resort. She wasn’t the only who cared about doing the right thing. “What about BL? Is he still in foster care?”

  “The judge expedited a DNA test. Muyang is being reunited with her son even as we speak.”

  Raina smiled at the sudden weight lifting from her chest. She hadn’t realized how much she still worried about the child. “This is wonderful news.” She started to close the door. “Thanks for coming by, but I need to get back to what I’m doing.”

  He glanced above her head and frowned. “What happened to the koi clock I got you for your graduation?”

  Raina had hoped he wouldn’t notice. “I’m redecorating.”

  He studied her, his lips pressed into a thin line, for several heartbeats. “Good for you.”

  She gave him a wobbly smile. “It’s good to start something new.”

  “We never got a chance to finish that conversation of ours at the cafe.”

  “It’s okay, Matthew. I understand now.”

  He frowned. “You do?”

  She nodded. “It would make life easier if we don’t spend time together.”

  “I’m perfectly fine with the way things are.”

  “I’m sure you are. But I don’t have your self-control. If you want to help me out, let’s not bring sexy back.”

  “Not even just for fun?”

  Raina shook her head. “No offense, but I’m looking elsewhere for my fun. I need closure, and I can’t get it when you’re always around.”

  Matthew stiffened. “So this is it?”

  “Yes. You have been telling me this for years, and I’m finally listening.”

  “What convinced you?”

  “When I saw you with my cousins at the Christmas party. The Wongs are family in a way yours never was. I get it.”

  “I’m sorry your grandma left town.”

  Raina cleared her throat. “It’s just temporarily. It’s not like she sold the condo.”

  Matthew studied her face as if imprinting it in his memory. He gave her a sad smile. “Stay out of trouble, Rainy. See you around.”

  Raina leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I hope not.”

  She closed the door and leaned against it. She swallowed the knot in her throat and blinked at the burning in her eyes. Blue would be here in fifteen minutes for their date. She still had half a head of hair to straighten. This was no time to cry over what might have been.

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  RAINING MEN AND CORPSES

  Leaning against the coral restroom stall, Raina blotted the sweat off her face and wished for an attack of diarrhea or food poisoning. Anything to delay the upcoming confrontation, but delay was the last thing she could afford. She pulled her shirt away from her body and sniffed. No B.O. Just the industrial strength Pine-Sol and cloying lemon cleanser.

  While she’d eventually recover from being a fool in love, no way would Raina let herself lose two thousand dollars to learn this lesson. Not when she had lawyer’s fees gobbling up her savings and bald tires giving her heart palpitations every time she got behind the wheel.

  For the first time, Raina wished she were more physically commanding. Her petite frame wasn’t a real threat to anything larger than a pygmy goat and even then the claim was questionable. If only she were the type who walked around threatening to break people’s kneecaps as casually as some people cracked their knuckles. Holden would beg to pay her back then. It was time to up the ante and to pester him like a fly on a fresh pile of crap. She wasn’t walking out of this meeting empty handed.

  Raina splashed water on her face and toweled it off, hoping it would reduce her flush. The trek from the bus stop to the history building in this August heat had turned her curly black hair into a fuzz ball. A Chinese girl with an Afro. Not exactly the image of a ballbuster. Grabbing the curly strands and stuffing them into a hair tie, she made one last attempt to look in control.

  She glanced at her cell phone. Holden lived by his clock. He would be ruffled by the time she strolled through his office door ten minutes late. Taking a deep breath to calm her fluttering stomach, Raina banged open the restroom door in a show of bravado that echoed through the hall. A paunchy student glanced in her direction but returned to his study of the bulletin boards. She stalked into her graduate adviser’s office, prepared for a disparaging remark about her tardiness.

  Holden continued scribbling on his yellow legal pad and gestured for her to have a seat. “Let me finish this thought.” He chewed on his pencil and wrote a couple more sentences.

  Raina dropped onto the chair in front of his desk and folded her arms across her chest. So much for ruffling his feathers. The scratching of the pencil and the ticking clock tightened the knot in her stomach. She shifted in the chair, wondering how she should bring up the loan. Her upbringing had made discussing money taboo, and even as an adult she had trouble talking about it.

  Just ask for the money back, said a small voice in her head.

  Her skin itched at the neatness in his office. Books were alphabetized by subject and authors’ last names on the shelves lining one wall. No crammed volumes on the space above the shelved books like in her apartment. On the opposite wall, framed covers of his published books hung in neat lines, forming a perfect grid. As in previous visits, she resisted the urge to nudge a frame by a small degree just to see how long it would take for him to notice.

  A place for everything and everything in its place, just like the blond man with the crisp collared shirt sitting in front of her. The pale light filtering in from the dusty windows behind Holden gave him a tarnished halo. He was a tall man with strong shoulders and a confident aura. She’d once found his heavy-lidded brown eyes mesmerizing. Now he just looked tired, but he was still spit-and-polished within an inch of his life.

  Holden placed the pencil on the center of the pad and folded his hands on the desk. He cleared his throat. “Have you decided which countries you want to focus on?”

  Raina unclenched the twin fists resting on her lap. So he was going to pretend they were nothing more than professor and grad student. “Not yet. China and Japan look to be a good option.”

  “Good choice. You’ll certainly have an advantage with your background. Unfortunately, you’ll need to take beginning language classes with the undergrads. Too bad most of the classes from your undergrad engineering degree are not applicable towards your graduate degree.” He turned to open the low filing cabinet underneath the window and pulled out several sheets of paper. “We need to declare your area of focus before the end of this semester.”

  Raina scowled at his back. If he wanted to pretend nothing had happened between them over the summer, she could do the same…after she got her money back.

  She smoothed her face and tugged at her earlobe. “My car is having problems. When can you pay me back?” Darn it. She sounded like a pansy.

  Holden flashed a commercial-worthy smile. “Sorry. You’ll have to wait. I don’t get paid until the end of next week.” He scribbled on the margin on the top page of the pile and pushed the stack toward her. “Here’s the information for this semester.”

  Raina took a deep breath to calm her rising irritation. He made it sound like she was asking him for favor. “That’s what you said last time. Why don’t you post-date a check for me? I’ll deposit it next week.”

  “Sorry, I don't have my checkbook with me.”

  She forced her face into a smile, hoping it would keep the anger from her voice. “Why don't you log into your bank online and post-date a bank check? I can wait.”

  He tapped his pencil on the desk. “Look, I don’t have time—”

  “I’m pregnant. I really need my money.” Raina widened her eyes for emphasis at “really.” She sagged against the chair. The knot in her chest tightened until it strangled her voice. Where did that lie come from?

  Holden licked his lips and his knuckles whitened on the hand gripping the pencil. “I…I don’t know what to say. Are you sure?”

  Raina nodded, not trusting her voice. Press him, said a voice in her head. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth. To do what? Threaten to expose their affair or explain the lie? She closed her mouth, waiting for his next move.

  They stared at each other, and the clock leisurely swallowed the minutes and filled the silence between them.

  “The money?” Raina finally asked.

  Heels clicked on the hallway floor and someone knocked on the opened door.

  Holden jerked up like a tangled puppet, and his chair scuffed against the floor. He grabbed the pile of papers in front of her and knocked over the mahogany pencil caddy Raina had given him for his birthday.

  Raina glanced behind her.

  Gail, the history department’s secretary, stood at the door. Her thick brows were a tight line across her forehead. “Sorry to interrupt. Holden, you’re late for your meeting with the Dean. He’s waiting for you in the conference room.”

  Holden squeezed Raina’s shoulder as he stepped around his desk. “We’ll finish our discussion later,” he whispered.

  Raina stared openmouthed at his back. What was that about? The fluttering returned to her stomach. She resisted the urge to brush the feel of his hand from her shoulder.

  “Are you okay, hon?” Gail asked.

  “Yes. I…” Raina nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

  “Just let me know if I can help.” Gail left the room and the sound of her clicking heels faded in the hall.

  Raina took a couple of deep breaths, staring at the tiny window in front of her. With shaking hands, she tucked a curl behind her ear. What if he thought she still wanted him? A sudden stab of guilt twisted her gut. Why should she feel guilty about wanting her money back? Asking nicely for the last month hadn’t worked. He had this coming. This was his fault as much as hers.

  Her eyes flicked to the knocked-over pencils and the small framed photograph next to them. She turned the frame around and her eyes widened in surprise at the blonde. New girlfriend already? He sure got ove
r her fast enough. She replaced the frame facedown on the desk. Yes, it was petty, but she’d never claimed to be gracious.

  Raina left the office and trudged toward the computer labs for her shift. She didn’t expect Holden to pay up with a smile, but now things were even more complicated between them. Tomorrow‘s fundraiser committee meeting would be awkward with a fake pregnancy hanging over them. Awkwardness she could power through, but her lawyer wasn’t going to work for an IOU.

  * * *

  The sky was turning pink when she drove home through the downtown area. Most of the mom-and-pop shops were closed, but there were still people frolicking in Hook Park, enjoying the Delta Breeze after another hot record-breaking day. The strands of lights in the outdoor seating areas and the few bicycles rolling leisurely next to parked cars were part of the charm that made Raina seek refuge in the small town of Gold Springs. Far enough away from her family in San Francisco, where the two-hour drive back was a convenient excuse to skip out on birthday parties and last minute family gatherings.

  At the corner of Second and B Street, Raina slowed and squinted at the bank’s parking lot. Was that Holden? The two heavyset men on either side of him wore bored expressions, while Holden seemed to have diminished since this morning. His shoulders drooped and his wide eyes had the trapped expression of an animal in a cage. The three of them got into a shiny black SUV with chrome spinners.

  The car behind her honked, and she drove through the intersection. By the time she circled the block, the black car was gone. She shook her head. Whatever was going on was no longer her business. She needed to stop obsessing over why he left her with no more explanation than a good-bye text.

  Raina drove the rest of the way home on autopilot. She lived in a small complex on the edge of the downtown area, which consisted of two strips of four units facing each other like the little green houses on a Monopoly game. She threw her purse on the narrow side table and turned on the lamp next to her olive-colored sofa. The soft glow filled the living room and cast shadows into the breakfast nook.