by Anne R. Tan
He studied her for a long moment. “I was at Olivia's last night and I heard someone sneeze outside her kitchen window.”
A bead of sweat rolled down the small of her back, but Raina forced herself to return his stare. There was no way to prove she was at Olivia's.
“You have a cute button of a nose,” he said. “It'll be a shame if something happens to it because you're sticking it into business you don't fully understand. Be careful.”
Raina lifted her chin. “Is that a threat?”
Sol laughed. “Heck no. You're like one of those pygmy goats that’ll chew my ass off for looking at you cross-eyed.” He shook his head. “There's someone I care about who cares about you. I just don't want her unhappy.”
Raina couldn't follow the hamster wheels in this man's head. Who was this mysterious person? “How come I’m in her place instead?”
“Timing. It was off.”
“What—”
“Sol!” called out a gravelly voice from across the room.
A full figured, elderly woman flapped one hand and dragged her husband to the table. She pounced on the empty chair next to Raina and stared at her with interest. “Aren’t you a pretty little thing? Sol, you didn’t tell me you have a girlfriend.”
Sol cleared his throat. “Aunt Bee—”
“Henry, look at Sol’s girlfriend. Isn’t she a pretty little thing? Why I remember when I was a young slip of a gel.” Aunt Bee patted her silver frosted beehive hair. “Henry here couldn’t keep his hands off me.” She reached over and patted her husband’s hand.
Raina glanced at Sol. He shrugged and nursed his beer. Looked like their cozy little chat was over for now.
Aunt Bee swung her head from side to side, waving at people sitting at other tables, and launched into the tale of how Henry battled her other suitors to win her heart. Henry slouched in his chair and closed his eyes. By the time Aunt Bee got to the duel in the soccer field, his soft snores became a dull chainsaw ripping through hardwood, so she spoke even louder.
Raina rubbed her temples. It was going to be a long lunch. Sol already had the glassy-eyed look men wore outside the dressing room while waiting for their girlfriends.
One of the bridesmaids had to rearrange the seating chart to accommodate Aunt Bee’s refusal to leave their table. Aunt Bee’s chatter dominated the entire luncheon. She pecked at her food, unlike the others eating as if this was their last meal. Another couple finally joined them, after standing at the doorway scanning the crowd. Raina hid her smile behind her napkin when the wife gave Aunt Bee a limp hug but sat so she didn't have to make eye contact without turning her head. Theirs was the only table with empty seats.
An hour later, Raina excused herself and went to the restroom. A quick glance at the mirror showed dull eyes. She applied a fresh layer of pink lip balm, pressing her lips together to distribute the color. If she pretended to have a massive diarrhea attack, could she hide here during the rest of the reception? Better to embarrass herself than to have to jab a dessert fork in her eye to stop the stream of Aunt Bee's “young slip of a gel” stories.
Sometimes it felt like her ancestors were slacking on their job. Shouldn't they send her a spiritual guide from the great beyond like the ancestors did in Disney's Mulan cartoon?
A toilet flushed and Sonia emerged from the handicap stall. She washed her hands and fluffed already puffy hair. She made eye contact with Raina’s reflection in the mirror. “I’m so glad you made it today. Sol said you’ve been too busy to come to the pre-wedding parties.”
“The reception is wonderful. Sol must have saved a long time to pay for it.”
Sonia gave her a puzzled look. “I thought you loaned him the money. He said he got the money from a co-worker. I thought he just wanted to downplay his relationship with you.”
Raina shook her head. “Not me.”
Sonia licked her lip and fluffed her hair again. “Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Sol said that he didn’t have to repay the loan. I thought maybe you guys got engaged and he didn’t have to pay you back.” She blinked rapidly and averted her gaze. “I guess you guys aren’t engaged after all.”
Raina forced herself to smile. She wanted to kick in Sol’s teeth for putting her in this awkward position. “Sol and I are enjoying each other’s company for now. You know how it is when you're still at the honeymoon stage in a relationship.”
Sonia brightened. “That’s true. You never know with these things. And my brother is a great catch. It sounds like they are starting the karaoke.” She gave Raina a mischievous wink. “Wait until you hear Aunt Bee on the mic.”
15
SWIMMING WITH SHARKS
After wishing the couple a happy life together, Raina hightailed out of the reception just as Aunt Bee finished her second solo. She had another three hours to kill before meeting Eden for dinner. The casino lounge was as good a place as any for serious thinking about what she’d learned. She pulled her wrap closer and stepped inside the dim and smoky room.
Standing in front of a booth in the far corner, two aging men with bellies that hid their rhinestones belts tried to impress four young women by flashing a lot of bling. One man slouched with bejeweled thumbs hooked in the belt loops on his jeans while the other hovered with an arm on the backrest. From the eye rolls and bored expressions on the women’s faces, the men needed to work on their pickup lines. Women could tell real diamonds from cubic zirconias.
Raina slipped onto a stool at the bar opposite another three men huddled with their backs to the entrance, angling her body so she could see everyone in the room. Three hours to people watch was an improvement over listening to Aunt Bee yowling and Henry doing the Electric Slide in the background.
A skinny man with adult acne and rimless glasses came over and asked for her drink order in a deep baritone.
“Do you have any coffee?” Raina rubbed her temples. “And Tylenol?”
The bartender didn’t even blink. He slipped a single dose packet of extra strength Tylenol across the polished bar and pulled a mug from underneath, holding it out to a passing waitress. She came back and gave him the steaming mug, which he placed in front of Raina along with a small tray filled with an assortment of creamers and sweeteners.
The bartender glided over to the three huddled men. When the dark-haired man turned to look at the bartender, Raina’s heart skipped a beat. What was Matthew doing here? Checking up on her? Or Sol?
He briefly scanned the room; his gaze slid past her, and jerked back. His eyes widened in surprise. He nodded with an appreciative smile at the corners of his lips.
Raina finger waved and purposely turned her back on him to stare at the couples swaying to the smooth jazz music and the faint clang of “winning” slot machines. She hid her grin behind the coffee mug as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She had gotten her wish after all. It appeared Matthew liked the dress as much as she did. Her wrap slid off one shoulder and she ignored it.
Tucking a curly strand back into her chignon, she peered behind her bare shoulder. Where did Matthew go?
The three men had disappeared. A blonde sat two stools over, leaning over the bar and whispering to the smiling bartender.
Raina scanned the lounge, but she didn’t see Matthew. Her shoulders drooped. It looked like he wasn’t going to come over. Darn! Why did he always seem to be in a chatty mood when she was sweaty, with wrinkled shirts and her hair frizzed into a rat’s nest, but never when she actually looked pretty?
The murmurs next to her got louder. Raina turned to study the bartender and the back of the blonde. He poured shots into the glasses. When he placed them on a tray, he knocked over a drink.
“Come crash at my place. You’ll be safe there,” he said.
The blonde shook her head. “I can’t let you get involved.”
Raina rolled her eyes. The blonde meant “of course I want you involved, but I’m going to let you convince me.” The bartender probably had no idea he was be
ing played. Men usually didn’t when they had that puppy dog look on their faces.
The bartender slid a drink in front of the blonde. “I’m already involved whether you like it or not.”
The blonde dropped her head and whispered, “Okay.”
The bartender patted her hand and shuffled over to get orders from the waitress. The blonde turned to watch him.
Raina gasped when she saw the familiar face. Natalie! The blonde was several years older than the photograph on Holden’s desk, but there was no mistaking the striking resemblance between the siblings now that she knew they were related. Was Matthew looking for Natalie?
Natalie’s blood-shot blue eyes narrowed in recognition. She sauntered over to Raina, eyeing her up and down. She tossed back her drink and slammed the glass tumbler on the bar. “I know you. You’re the slut who dumped my brother because he had to drive me to rehab.”
Raina stared at her with wide eyes. “Excuse me?”
Natalie leaned forward. “You’re that slut who cleaned out his checking account. You look just like your picture.”
Raina’s nose wrinkled at the stale breath and musky body odor. “Are you sure you have the right woman? Last I heard I wasn’t his only girlfriend. And don’t forget, he was engaged to another woman at the time.”
Natalie picked up the tumbler and held it in the air. The bartender replaced her glass with another drink. He refilled the peanut bowls, one nut at a time, in front of them.
“I know your type. Dressed to get a man hot and bothered. Was it fun making my brother beg?” Natalie asked.
Raina flushed. She flicked a glance at the deep cleavage on Natalie’s red halter top and skintight black leather pants with no panty lines. Where did the woman shop? Sluts R Us? She took a deep breath. Antagonizing Natalie wasn't going to help the situation. “I don't want to fight with you. Let me buy you a drink.”
Natalie glowered at her, hands on her hips.
“Please.” Raina held up open palms. “I'm trying to figure out what happened to Holden.”
Natalie froze, but her face registered several emotions before settling on a grimace. She jerked her chin and slid onto the barstool next to Raina. A new drink appeared on the bar and the bartender pretended to polish a spot next to Natalie.
Oh great, an audience. “I have no idea what Holden told you about our relationship. He dumped me by sending a text message that said it was over.” Raina’s voice cracked. “Didn’t even explain why.”
“A gold digger like you doesn’t need an explanation. He probably got tired of giving you money.”
Raina flushed. Was that the official story from Holden? “He owed me money, not the other way around. He was always broke. I thought he had massive student loans.”
Natalie shook her head. “Yeah, right.”
“I have the cashed checks. I figured that was why he dumped me. I’d stopped giving him money.”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Raina took a deep breath. “I’m a murder suspect because we had a relationship. Just like you’re a murder suspect because you’re related.”
The blood drained from Natalie’s face.
The bartender’s eyes widened. “Now, wait a minute—”
“We’re having a private conversation, Kendall.” Natalie waved him off. “Go. I’ll holler if I need anything.”
Kendall glared at Raina and drifted to the opposite end of the bar.
Natalie tossed back another drink. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Raina winced. By her count, Natalie should be sliding under the table by now. Instead, the red-eyed blonde pulsed with suppressed energy.
“Who has the most to gain from Holden’s death?” Raina shrugged. “It’s not me. I’m never going to see my money again. That kind of leaves you and his son.”
Natalie spat on the floor, the spittle dribbled unnoticed on her chin. “If that rugrat is even his son. The whore.” She grabbed her silver sequined purse and tottered out of the lounge on her four-inch stilettos.
Raina let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. Natalie hadn’t even blinked when Raina had mentioned murder.
Kendall glared at Raina. “She would’ve been safer in here where I could keep an eye on her. If anything happens to her, it’s on you.” He slapped her tab on the bar and stomped over to other customers.
Cheeks burning, Raina propped her face on her palms, ignoring the cloying cigarette smoke and the sudden tears in her eyes. Her mind tried to make sense of everything she’d learned about Holden since his death. What did he do with all the money? As an associate professor, he made a decent living. She closed her eyes and massaged the side of her head. Her hands shook and she couldn’t tear open the Tylenol.
“Let me help you.” Large, warm hands enveloped hers.
Raina glanced up to meet gold-flecked brown eyes. Matthew tucked her wrap back on her shoulder. She twisted her body toward him and slipped her arms around his waist for a hug. He wrapped both arms around her and tucked his chin on top of her head. She relaxed at his clean scent, a breath of rolling country in a congested city.
Matthew pulled away. “Let’s go someplace quieter.” He tore open the package and dropped the two pills onto her palm.
Raina popped the Tylenol in her mouth and chased them with cold coffee. She put five dollars under her mug and slid off the stool. “You lead, I’ll follow.”
Matthew stared at her for half a heartbeat, a smile tugging at his mouth. “I remember the last time you said that.” He winked. “You almost got me killed.”
“I can be quite dangerous.”
He laughed and held her hand while leading her out of the lounge. She sneaked glances at his profile, barely noticing the passing earth-toned hallways or the plush carpeting underneath. At a quiet alcove off the now empty banquet room, he sat on the wooden bench and tugged her onto his lap, draping his arms around her.
She rested her head on his shoulders, settling her legs more comfortably on the bench. “Why does it always have to be this way between us? This push and pull. Why can’t we just be happy together?”
Matthew sighed. “I’m sorry about the other day. I thought… I don’t know what I was thinking.” He gave her a squeeze.
Raina lifted her head and looked into his eyes. “You’re thinking that I would be here waiting all these years.”
He blushed. “No. Of course not. That would be ridiculous.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. There’s rational thought and then there’s hope. At first I thought we might pick up where we left off.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Not as long as you're a murder suspect.”
Raina smiled and stroked his cheek. “I know the timing is off.” She grew serious. “I wouldn’t kill Holden for another woman. I didn’t love him enough for that kind of passion…” Her voice trailed off. It had always been Matthew.
His grip tightened around her.
She lowered her gaze and stared at her hands. Had she said too much? Did she sound too clingy? She scratched at the scabs on her hands. At least the hives were disappearing.
“Stop scratching. You’re only going to make it worse.”
“I just can’t seem to stop.” She didn’t mean the scratching.
“Me neither.” He kissed her forehead and sighed. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question. I came for a wedding.”
“Ah yes, the sister. Any idea how Sol got the money to pay for it?”
“Are we talking shop now? I’m not sure I can do it in this position.”
Matthew unceremoniously pushed her off his lap and onto the bench. “Better?”
Raina adjusted her dress, making sure he got a quick glance down her chest. She was a tart all right, but only with Matthew. She gave him a saucy wink. “Yes.”
He smiled and shook his head. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
The fine hair on her neck stiffened. Her pl
ayful mood vanished in an instant. “I hope not.”
He frowned. “You okay?”
“The air conditioning is always too cold.” She pulled her wrap closer. “No idea, but the sister is under the impression he got it from a love interest.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to stay out of this, are you?”
“Of course not. I’m your secret weapon. My track record on your previous investigations speaks for itself.”
Matthew stared at her and nodded reluctantly as if he came to a decision. “Swear to me you won’t say anything to your reporter friend. She can’t be trusted.”
“Eden?”
“How do you think I found out about your relationship with Holden?”
Raina froze and an icy knot settled on her stomach. The image of Eden and Officer Hopper chatting at the Venus Café whirled into focus. No! She shoved the memory away. Eden wouldn’t betray her. She glanced at Matthew. But he wouldn’t lie to her either. She jerked her chin in a stiff nod and crammed thoughts of Eden into a box marked for later. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
“I heard that Natalie practically lives at the casino and I also wanted to check out the wedding.”
“You just missed her at the lounge.”
He frowned. “I’ll have to send Joanna here tomorrow to track her down.”
“Did the lab results come back yet?”
“The victim was poisoned by black hellebore. There is no injection site.”
“What’s black hellebore?”
“It’s a garden plant. Looks like a dark purple buttercup. You can find it at most nurseries. The toxin is most concentrated at the roots.”
“What happens now?”
“We have to look at who has a grudge against Holden and knows his habits.”
“You mean like his pencil chewing habit.” She frowned and tilted her head considering. “You don’t think …”
“Your guess is as good as mine. He picked up lunch, but he didn’t appear to eat any.” Matthew pulled out his notebook and made a note. “I’ll have someone test his pencils. What do you know about Holden’s enemies?”
