by Anne R. Tan
Above her TV, the goldfish clock with gilded kois swimming around the dial said it was past dinnertime. Her failure to get her money back meant ramen until payday, and she wasn’t in the mood for another noodle meal. She shifted on the thick cushions of the sofa until she didn’t feel like she would get lost between the cracks of the padding. Raina had no idea why her petite sister, Cassie, favored furniture built for linebackers, but then an expensive new-to-me sofa was better than a cheap sagging one.
She was immersed in the world of Middle Earth when there was a sharp knock on her front door. Cocking her head, she waited, in case it was dressed up church people trying to convince her to give up her Sunday mornings. The knock came again.
Raina glanced at the gap between the closed drapes of the big window above her sofa. Her friend, Eden, peered in with her hands framed around her dark round face like a peeping Tom. No church people, but Raina wasn’t sure an inquisitive reporter who didn’t know how to leave her work at the office was much of an improvement.
“Did you get it back?” Eden bustled in and dropped a pizza box on the square Goodwill dining room table. “Got any soda? Never mind. Be back in a sec.”
Her graceful friend turned and her silky brown weave fanned out like a shampoo commercial, glittering in the dim light. The scent of lavender lingered in the air even after she hustled across the courtyard toward her apartment. Eden returned with a can of soda.
Raina told her friend everything that had happened on campus and the strange incident at the bank. “I know I haven’t seen Holden in two months before today, but he seemed diminished somehow. A little less larger than life.”
“It’s called taking off the rose colored glasses,” Eden said. “I’m surprised he didn’t shove a check in your hands and tell you to get rid of the pregnancy.”
“That’s what I was hoping for, too. He sounded almost wistful. I’m not quite sure what to make of it.”
“He’s just playing mind games with you.”
Raina grimaced. “You should have snatched those glasses from me and smacked me on my nose.”
Eden rolled her eyes. “As if you would have listened.”
“So when is Phil supposed to pick his CIE trainee?” Raina asked.
“Assistant Chief-in-Editor. Not trainee. Unofficially, the position is supposed to be his replacement when he retires. I need a story that’ll make me stand out.” Eden gave her a sideways glance. “I’m thinking about resurrecting some old gossip…about Holden and Olivia.”
Raina gave her friend a sharp look. “I just want to move on. If this fake pregnancy doesn’t light a fire under his butt, then…” She shrugged.
“This has nothing to do with you. It’s just perfect timing with the annual Christmas fundraiser coming up in a few months.”
Raina nodded. Of course it was. “I’ll bite. What are the rumors?”
“Holden spent fifty percent of this huge grant that was supposed to be divided among the other professors.” Eden wiggled her eyebrows. “He spent far too much time in the boss’s office to be strictly professional.”
“Olivia is old enough to be his mother!”
“I’m just repeating what the wagging tongues said.”
Raina’s face burned as she focused on the salty and cheesy taste in her mouth.
“This was before you came on the scene,” Eden added after glancing at her. “But that’s not the interesting part.” She paused. “Another twenty percent of the grant money grew legs.”
“And that’s the million-dollar question you want to find out. You think Holden has anything to do with the missing money?” Could he use some of that grant money to pay her back?
Eden shrugged. “But it would be juicy if he did.”
After Eden left, Raina sorted her mail. On top of the pile of junk mail was a cream-colored envelope from her lawyer. Apparently another cousin had decided to join the suit contesting the inheritance from her grandfather.
At the rate things were going, the lawyer fees would swallow up the entire three million dollars. Had Raina known in advance that agreeing to pay “a small token” amount to retain the lawyer would add up to several thousand dollars, she would have kept searching for a representative who would be willing to defer the entire payment. And to top it off, she wouldn’t even get to keep the inheritance. She was just a temporary caretaker if she decided to honor her granddad’s wishes.
Raining Men and Corpses
Available Now
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne R. Tan is an avid reader. She fell in love with storytelling in elementary school, but decided to study engineering so she could get a “real job.” Her day job is her vacation from home and she moonlights as a writer to keep the voices inside her head under control.
After years of suppressing her creativity, she wrote Raining Men and Corpses, her debut cozy mystery featuring Raina Sun, a Chinese American amateur sleuth, on the cusp of change in her life. Not only is she dealing with finding love and overcoming family betrayals, she is also solving murders.
For those of you who had read any of her work, Tan would love to hear from you at [email protected], and she would really appreciate it if you could leave her a review on Amazon.com or Goodreads.com
If you are interested in learning more about Tan and her writing process, please visit her website at http://annertan.com.
