by Anne R. Tan
“We’re not going to get into a car chase. He's probably going to spend a quiet evening at home.” Raina checked the time on her cell phone. “One hour and then I want the dinner you promised me.” She yawned.
Po Po shook her head. “Young people these days have no stamina.” She popped the top of the can and took a big gulp. “Look!” She pointed to Sol's apartment. “He is leaving.”
Raina slumped deeper into her seat, hoping he didn’t see her as he got into a green beat-up Ford Taurus. She pulled away from the curb to follow the grad student. She couldn’t believe she was driving twenty-five miles an hour with a seventy-five-year-old chugging Red Bull on a Friday night. Some social life. The only thing that could make this evening worse would be for Matthew to miraculously appear in the backseat. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror and she let out a sigh when she saw the passing street reflected on it. So her world wasn’t completely crazy yet.
Po Po leaned out the passenger side window, her binoculars glued to her eyes. “I told you there’d be a car chase.”
“He's probably just picking up something from the drugstore.”
A few minutes later, Raina parked half a block from Olivia’s house. She watched as Sol jumped out of the Ford in the driveway and rapped on the front door. The single bulb on the porch gave enough light to silhouette his paunch. When the door opened, he slipped inside.
Po Po bounced out of the car and bolted for the house. A sense of unease filled Raina. This was supposed to be a simple surveillance mission where she would be stuffing her face with Moo Shu chicken an hour later.
“Stop!” Raina whispered. Things always derailed whenever Po Po was involved. She fumbled with the seatbelt and half fell out of the car in her rush. She winced as she clicked the door shut.
A light flicked on and spilled into the darkened yard. Two shadows appeared on the curtained side window and disappeared. Probably Olivia and Sol settling into the room. Po Po tiptoed across the fresh-cut grass like Sylvester going after Tweety and crouched below the window. Her grandma was a shadow, blending with the night, except for the white reflective strips on her shoes.
Raina ground her teeth and ran after her grandma. She held her breath, expecting the curtain to open and the occupants to catch them skulking outside. The chirping crickets competed with her pounding heart as the muscles on her shoulders tensed. The house next door was dark so at least the neighbors wouldn’t be witnesses.
Her gaze scanned the yard for cover as she crept toward the window. There! Next to the trash and recycle bins was a small shed set back from the house. Raina touched her grandma's shoulder and pointed at the shed. “Hiding place,” she whispered.
Po Po nodded. Raina pressed her ear next to the opened window.
Ice clicked against a glass from inside the house.
“Want one?” Olivia’s question came out in a slow slur. “I hate to drink alone, but that seems to be what I’ve been doing a lot lately.”
“Sure,” Sol said.
Raina couldn’t believe she morphed from an amateur detective to a peeping Tom in less than half an hour. The voices were low inside the house. It might have been considered intimate if not for the mismatched duo. Good thing the street was quiet. Glass clinked against glass. Someone sighed.
Raina rubbed her nose. Her allergy medication was no match for the fresh cut grass. She pulled a tissue from the pocket of her shorts and blotted her nose. Would they get on with it?
Po Po rose to her feet and peered in the crack between the window and curtain.
“I need your help,” Sol said.
Olivia laughed. A low cackle that sounded more witch-like than it should. “Why should I help you?”
The fine hair on the back of Raina’s neck stiffened. She blotted her nose again and peeked into the house.
Sol leaned one hip against the kitchen island, one hand swirling the dark amber liquid in a glass tumbler. If he had been more suave, the move would appear less calculated. As it was, he looked like he didn’t get enough practice as the liquid sloshed high up against the glass. Olivia sat opposite on a bar stool, her back to the window. The pendant lights above the kitchen island left the rest of the room in shadows.
Sol smirked. “Because by helping me, you’d be helping yourself.”
Olivia grunted, tossed back her drink, and slammed the glass on the granite counter top. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Natalie owes me.”
Olivia jerked, knocking her glass off the counter. The glass smashed against the tiled floor and shattered. Sol leapt back, surprisingly quick for a man his size.
Raina’s nose twitched again and she sneezed. The tissue shot from her hands and landed somewhere in the darkened yard. She held her breath as her mouth went dry.
“Damn raccoon! I swear this is the last time he comes into my yard,” Olivia said.
“Sounds more like a person,” Sol said.
A cabinet banged open and several items clattered to the floor.
“What the—” Sol’s voice came out in a squeak. “Put that gun away!”
Raina grabbed Po Po’s arm and pushed her toward the shed. Her heart slammed against her chest, but she kept a step behind her grandma even though she wanted to sprint ahead. The once soothing cricket chirps became a countdown to D-day. The weak moonlight became a spotlight for that shot in the back that her itching shoulder blades were anticipating.
Po Po tripped over a tree root and fell with a thud. Raina couldn’t stop in time and crashed on top of her grandma. Her butt landed on something squishy and a flash of pain went up her spine. She gritted her teeth and stood.
The light flicked on by the back door.
Raina lifted her tiny grandma and threw her like a sack of rice over her shoulders. There were only three feet between them and the welcoming shadows behind the shed. She sprinted.
The screen door banged open.
She slid Po Po off her shoulders. Her grandma whimpered, but tucked herself further into the space.
Muttered curses came closer.
Raina gulped air as her heart galloped.
Po Po clutched Raina’s arm with clammy hands.
The trash bin lid rattled less than a foot from her hiding spot. A whiff of rotten trash made Raina want to gag. She pressed her lips together in a tight line.
“Damn raccoon!” Olivia said.
Raina held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.
Fading footsteps. A door slammed. A car roared off the driveway.
Silence.
It took several heartbeats before Raina peeked around the shed. “She’s gone,” she whispered, dizzy from relief.
Another half an hour passed before Raina deemed it safe to leave their hiding place. She helped her limping grandma to her car, half expecting Olivia to pop out of her house waving her gun.
Raina drove across town to the twenty-four-hour urgent care center. Po Po grunted from time to time, but didn’t otherwise complain. By the time the doctor had given her some pain medication and strapped a boot on her ankle, she was back to her chipper self.
“So how did you get hurt?” the medical assistant asked as he collected the co-pay.
“Spy work. We were listening in on a shady deal and we had to make a run for it.” Po Po gave her a loopy smile. “Yep, we were almost in a shoot out.”
The medical assistant glanced at Raina.
So Raina did the only thing she could think of at the moment. She pointed to her head and circled her finger. “Crazy,” she mouthed.
It wasn’t that she wanted to mock her grandma, but seriously, no one could find out what they had done. It was supposed to be an hour of listening to jazz music in her car while Po Po spied on Sol with her binoculars. Her stomach rumbled in protest at the missed dinner.
Raina ran a shaking hand through her hair. Must be her low blood sugar. There was nothing to fear. She glanced at Po Po, who continued to chat as if she had all the time in the world. Deep breaths. She needed to send her grandma
packing. Things were getting out of hand.
14
SOL'S PLUS ONE
When the alarm went off the next morning, Raina wanted to throw it against the wall. Po Po’s soft snore on the other side of the bed was soothing. Last night must have worn her grandma out since she usually left for her exercise class long before the alarm went off.
Raina started the coffee maker and jumped into the shower. For once, her curly black hair cooperated, allowing her to tuck it into a neat chignon at the back of her neck. She smoothed her hands over her clingy lavender dress. Too bad Matthew wouldn’t get a chance to see her like this.
By the time she was on the road to the wedding reception at the Indian casino’s banquet hall, she had enough caffeine to feel human again. The forty-minute drive wound through farmland and open fields on the back roads of Yolo County. The homemade signs on the side of the road for this season’s last crop of peaches and nectarines clamored for her attention. If only she had time to stop.
The bright sunshine warmed the skin on her arms while the chill of the air conditioner froze her face and hopefully reduced the puffiness around her eyes. Cool cucumber slices would have been ideal, but she couldn’t spare the time. After a few minutes, she pushed the air vents up to thaw her head.
Raina daydreamed about Matthew begging her for another chance when she unveiled the real murderer. She knew her skills at detection fell on the amateur side of the line, but there was nothing that said daydreams had to make sense.
The jazz music faded and the disc jockey made jokes about deadly burritos. Raina’s amusement over her daydreams disappeared as the host made disparaging remarks about pimple- faced teenagers running the Eatery without proper food handling knowledge. So it appeared the police hadn’t made the announcement that they suspected foul play.
Her mood plummeted even further when she pulled into the crowded parking lot of the Indian casino resort. She stared at the huge stone-faced building. The warm stone, the tinted glass, and dark wood trim blended in with the surrounding landscape. The manicured parking lot with blooming plantings between the rows of cars wasn’t cheap to maintain. The place reminded her of a massive squatting spider in the middle of rolling green fields.
Raina trudged toward the massive entry as if she had concrete blocks tied to her feet. She clutched the wrapped gift and the silver-colored shawl in front of her like a talisman, but the darkened interior still beckoned like a siren. Smiling people walked into the gaping mouth with a bounce to their steps, unaware of the hidden danger awaiting them. Even from where Raina stood, the pulsating energy of the cheering crowd and the clanging slot machines pumped unwelcome excitement into her veins.
Gambling was widespread in Chinese culture, where every occasion was an excuse to open the card table. She had grown up watching families destroyed by this acceptable recreation and her family hadn’t escaped the destruction. She hadn’t seen one of her aunts and her family since they ran from loan sharks over two decades ago.
Raina straightened her shoulders and relaxed her grip on the gift. One fingernail had pierced the paper. She’d be spending her entire day inside this building. First the wedding reception and then dinner with Eden. She was looking forward to touching base with her friend. There were a million questions whirling around her head.
Even after last night, she was sure Sol wasn't the murderer. Not that she’d want to be alone with him. She regretted her decision to wear three-inch heels since running in these shoes was out of the question. At least she could do some damage if she aimed them at the right body parts, but that would mean the other person would also be close enough to do damage to her. Not exactly the comforting thought she needed at the moment.
Raina squeezed through openings in the crowd, following the signs to the banquet room and squinting at the smoky interior of the casino floor. A couple of men at the Blackjack table smiled in appreciation when she walked past them. One man took a step in her direction, but stopped when his friend called him back. She hurried past, wishing she'd packed a change of clothes for the evening.
The welcome line for the reception was a mile long. Wonderful. This meant she could take off her heels as she waited in the back of the line.
“Raina!” Sol called from behind her.
She turned and her mouth fell open.
Sol strolled towards her, tugging at the collar of his white shirt. His clean black hair fell to his shoulders and reminded her of a hero in a romance novel cover. The structured black fabric and the solid color silhouette of his tuxedo hid his paunchy stomach and emphasized his height. When he stood next to her, she stared at his face in confusion. His vivid hazel eyes bore little of what transpired last night at Olivia’s house, unlike her supersized eye bags.
“Your eyes are different. Did you put on colored contacts?” Raina asked.
He laughed. “I’m wearing contacts, but not colored ones.” He held out an arm. “Ready?”
Raina’s stomach fluttered and she didn’t know whether it was from fear of the man or anxiety for her assigned role as his girlfriend. Eden would have loved to see this transformation. It certainly was more dramatic than the losers her friend picked up at the bar. She never understood her friend’s obsession with turning frogs into princes.
As he led her over to the newly married couple, Raina had to trot to keep up with his longer legs. He waved to several people in the receiving line with a goofy grin on his face like he just got lucky, but didn’t stop even when people signaled for him to come over.
“Sonia!” He gave his sister a big hug that lifted her off the ground. “Miguel.” He shook his brother-in-law’s hand and slapped his back. He beamed and brandished his hand in her direction. “And this is my Raina.”
Sonia gave a loud squeal, bounced on her toes, and hugged her. “It was too bad you had to miss the ceremony at the church this morning.”
Raina pasted on a wide smile and returned her hug, confused at the warm welcome. “Congratulations, Sonia.” She gave Miguel a finger wave from over Sonia’s shoulders and stepped back. “Congratulations, Miguel.”
“Thank you so much for the reception.” Sonia glanced from Sol to Raina and tears welled up in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, fluttering her gloved hands next to her face. Miguel handed her a tissue and she wiped at the corner of an eye. She grabbed Sol’s hand and one of Raina’s, beaming at both of them.
Raina sneaked a glance at Sol. He had on a jack-o-lantern smile and his puffed chest looked as if he were wearing one of those padded superhero Halloween costumes little boys liked to wear. How did he have the money to pay for this reception as a teaching assistant? Of course, his verbal invite at the grocery store wasn't exactly brimming with details on what to expect.
“Honey, we have other guests,” Miguel said, gesturing at the long receiving line.
Sonia nodded and let go of their hands. “Go inside and have a drink. I hope we get a chance to chat later, Raina. Sol told me so much about you.”
Sol blushed and hustled Raina into the banquet room, guiding her to the table closest to the wedding table and pulling out a chair. “What do you want to drink?”
“Isn’t Sonia a little too excited about meeting me? I mean, she knows this is our ‘first date,’ right?” Raina asked.
He grimaced. “I might have exaggerated our relationship.”
Before Raina could ask him to clarify, he scurried to the bar. He moved fast for such a big man. She glanced at the dozen of formally dressed servers, fragrant flowers, festive balloons, and live band. She’d expected an informal buffet lunch, where she’d be able to mingle with others at the food tables and gather dirt on Sol.
Sol returned and handed her a glass of chardonnay, taking the chair next to hers. “Figured you’re one of those white wine types. I told Sonia we’ve been dating for a while.” He twirled his beer bottle in his meaty hands. “That wasn't one of my best decisions.”
Raina snorted. “Thanks for the wine.” Time to get cracking. The status of
their fake relationship wasn't why she was here. “The detective questioned me yesterday about my relationship with Holden.”
His eyes widened and he held both his hands up in the air in the universal surrender sign. “It had nothing to do with me. I didn’t tell anyone. I just needed a date for today.” He lowered his voice and hands. “I’m just sick of being the loser without a girl.”
Raina raised an eyebrow. “And you think blackmailing me into being your date would solve your problem?” If he didn't squeal, then who did? But then again, he could be lying.
He shrugged. “I thought it might be worth a shot in case you didn’t want the attention of the police.”
Raina sipped from her glass. Uh-huh. Did he think she was born yesterday? Time to turn up the heat. “Did you ever get that recommendation letter?” If such a letter even existed.
Sol averted his gaze. “Yes. Olivia wrote one for me.”
Raina studied him. Right. “Olivia and I had a talk. We came to an understanding.” The lie slipped out of her mouth with ease. Wow, practice did make everything better. At the rate she was going, she’d be able to pass a lie detector with flying colors.
He eyed her while tapping his fingers on the neck of the bottle.
Raina gave him a tight-lipped half smile, hoping she looked crestfallen. “And she told me about Natalie, but I don’t know what I could do to help.”
Sol took a long swallow and belched. “There’s not much anyone can do at this point. Natalie had emails documenting the affair.”
Raina straightened. Bingo! Was Natalie blackmailing Olivia about her relationship with Holden? But this didn’t make any sense since they were engaged. Did this have anything to do with her taking Admin Leave? “Olivia didn’t tell me about that part. The proof, I mean. Can you help her?”
Sol stiffened and his fingers tightened around the neck of the bottle. “What makes you think I can or want to help?”
Raina shrugged in pretend nonchalance. She was fishing in the dark, but sometimes it was worth the risk. “You were Holden’s assistant for the last few years. I thought you might know his sister well enough to ask.”
