by Vivien Chien
I nodded. “Sure … yeah. I could use some water.”
“They have a little beverage station set up in the hallway.” She thrust her purse at Peter. “Hold this, we’ll be right back.”
I followed Kimmy out into the hallway, spotting the table she was referencing. There were two coffee urns and a pitcher of water placed next to stacks of Styrofoam cups.
“I figured you had to get out of there. I know how you hate this kind of stuff,” Kimmy said as we made our way to the table.
I reached for a cup. “Yeah, seeing the … them … there—it makes it more real, I guess.”
“For cripe’s sake, Lana, we’ve already seen more than most in this situation. It can’t get much more real than that.” Kimmy blew out a puff of air. “At least here, the caskets are closed.”
I filled my cup with water and took a healthy swallow. “I know, but this is … more permanent.”
“Okay, let me take your mind off the whole thing.” Kimmy sneaked a look back at the doors to the viewing room. “Peter and I were the first ones here outside of family, and we happened to overhear some of the drama going on between a few of them.”
“Kimmy, this isn’t really the place—”
“The hell it isn’t! What else are we going to talk about? The weather?” Kimmy asked with a challenging look.
“It’s disrespectful,” I whispered, looking around. No one was in earshot, but I still felt our conversation was inappropriate.
“Oh please.” Kimmy waved her hand, dismissing me. “Anyway, so the ex-wife is here, that one from the other day with the chubby lawyer, and she got into it with Brandon’s parents because they went and did everything without consulting her first. She told them it was her responsibility and they should have stayed out of it.”
“Constance Yeoh started a scene already?” I shook my head. That woman was unbelievable.
Kimmy nodded with satisfaction. “Hell yeah she did. And what’s worse is that Isabelle’s family heard about it and her sister came over and yelled at all of them saying that it was totally inappropriate for them to have this conversation.”
“Sister?” I asked. “Isabelle has a sister?”
“Yeah, and it’s super creepy because they look so much alike. You can’t miss her. She’s sitting right up in the front row if you want to have a look.”
“Uh, maybe later…” Tugging at the collar on my dress, I sipped my water.
“Oh right.” Kimmy said, nodding. “So anyway, none of them have said a word since the sister put them in their place. They’re all just staring straight ahead like they’re mannequins or something.” She gasped. “Oh! And, I heard something else!”
“Kimmy!” I hissed. “Lower your voice!”
“Sorry, sorry.” She hopped from foot to foot. “Okay, so anyhow, I heard that Constance Yeoh’s sister is here. And she supposedly had an affair with Brandon and that’s why Constance and Brandon split up.”
“Where did you hear this?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“The Mahjong Matrons.”
“Of course.”
When Kimmy was satisfied with the gossip she’d passed along, I refilled my water cup and we headed back to the viewing room.
People were starting to meander up front, chatting with the family. I stayed toward the back, hunkering down behind Anna May who was talking with Peter about law school. The look on his face told me that he wasn’t listening and wouldn’t have understood what she was talking about if he were.
My eyes traveled up front, avoiding the two caskets that were larger than life. They had been centered in the front of the room, and I managed to let my eyes drift past them, focusing on the floral sprays that stood on either side.
I noticed Constance sitting up front behind an older couple that must have been Brandon’s parents. I tried to pick out which one was her sister, but I couldn’t guess. I was afraid asking Kimmy might draw attention to us, so I decided to wait it out.
I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell Ian about Adam telling me that Constance was the real deal, but he’d find out today on his own. Where was he? I looked around the room but couldn’t see him anywhere.
I also skimmed the room for Marcia, wondering what her interactions with the families and Constance would be like, but she, too, was nowhere to be found. And I kept an eye out for the mysterious Captain Kirk, but so far, he was a no-show.
On the right side of the room, Isabelle’s family sat in the front row, nodding at those who walked by. That’s when I caught sight of Isabelle’s sister. From the back, I would have mistaken the two, and even when she turned ever so slightly to greet another group of people, I had to look really hard to notice the subtle features that made them different.
While I waited in the last row by myself, Anna May, Peter, and Kimmy went up front and knelt down by the caskets, stopping to say a few brief words to the family. Everyone nodded politely, shaking hands as they moved from person to person. Feeling disrespectful, I decided it was a good time to use the ladies’ room and escape for a few minutes. Maybe when everyone was done talking with the family, we could go.
The bathroom was at the end of the hall near the beverage station, and I was contemplating more water when I ran right into Isabelle’s sister. I gasped, taking a quick step back. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
Her smile was the same as Isabelle’s, and a pang jolted my heart. “It’s okay; everyone’s a little preoccupied today.”
“You’re Isabelle’s sister, right?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m Rina,” she answered, brushing the bangs away her eyes. “Actually, Catrina, but I hate it … sounds so formal. And you are?”
I couldn’t help staring at her. She looked so much like her sister it was unreal. “Oh, right,” I extended my hand. “I’m Lana, Lana Lee.”
She took my hand with a firm grip. “Nice to meet you, Lana.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” My eyes shifted to my water cup to avoid staring further. “I didn’t know Isabelle long, but she was a great person. I’ll miss her very much.”
“Thank you. It’s hard to lose a little sister.” Her sigh was heavy. “How did you two know each other?”
“We met in the bookstore at Asia Village. Your sister was standing next to me in the Mystery aisle and we both reached for the same book.” I smiled at the memory. “We got to talking about books and became instant friends. After that, we went to the bookstore every Tuesday without fail.”
Rina returned the smile. “I’m happy that my sister had someone to do those types of things with. I worried that moving away from home, and our parents, would be hard on her.”
“I’m guessing she was close with them.”
She nodded, her eyes drifting to the room where her parents stood grieving the loss of their youngest. “Incredibly close. They’re taking it pretty hard. You’re not supposed to see your kids die.”
“I can’t imagine what that would be like.”
Rina turned back toward me, her face sadder than before. “Do you have a sister?”
“Yeah, one older sister.”
“Being an older sister is tough, I’ll tell you that. There are so many things I didn’t get to say, you know?” She appeared thoughtful as if she were reciting all of those unspoken words in her head and I wondered if she would always carry that around with her. “We left on bad terms. The last time I saw her, I told her off.”
That explained at least why Isabelle had never mentioned her. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure she knew that you didn’t mean it … whatever it was about.”
“No, I meant it.” She shook her head with disappointment. “I didn’t approve of Isabelle’s choice of husband, and it put a rift between us. But she was head over heels for the guy. And look where it landed her.”
“Not a fan of Brandon, huh?” I asked.
“Actually, no one in my family liked him. My dad isn’t the happiest man about them being buried together
. But my mother insisted that it be done this way because they were husband and wife and it was the right thing to do, especially since the police found out that he was murdered.”
“Your dad doesn’t think he’s innocent, does he?” I asked.
“Not in the least. He thinks it’s Brandon’s fault that any of this happened to begin with. And I can’t say that I blame him. They say never to speak ill of the dead, but he was not a good person. He had this weird past with that terrible ex-wife of his, and a gambling problem that was probably the basis for Gamblers Anonymous to start their group.”
Ah, so Brandon had a gambling problem. Maybe his reasons for going to the casino were not what I’d originally thought. Maybe that’s why the store wasn’t making any money. He was spending it all.
“Wow, I had no idea. I didn’t even know he was married before. They never mentioned it.”
Rina smirked. “Isabelle was a little embarrassed about it, but mostly she just wanted to brush it under the rug. I don’t think she liked the fact that he had been with other women before her.”
“I met both of them this week,” I told her.
“Really? You met the other ex-wife?” Rina asked with surprise. “I was starting to think she was a myth. No one in my family has ever met her or even knows what she looks like. Not even Isabelle. The last thing we knew about her was that she lived in Nevada.”
“Nevada?” My eyebrows furrowed. “She mentioned living in New York.”
She shrugged. “She might have moved for all we know. It’s not like we kept tabs on these people.”
I tucked that away in my memory to research later.
“Brandon was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and I think it rotted him from the inside out. He was a good actor, though. Had Isabelle fooled, that’s for sure. But the rest of us could see all of his problems like he had them out on display. He was forced into marrying that snake in there. And yes, I said snake. She’s just as awful as he is.”
“I have to agree. She didn’t seem very nice when I met her.”
“Well, in my opinion they were probably perfect for each other. But he didn’t want to live that life, I guess. After cheating on her several times, she finally ended it. He left and latched on to some other poor woman … I’m guessing that’s the other woman you met. I don’t know what happened with them, but soon after he found my little sister and they moved out to Ohio.”
“Do you know why they came out here?”
“I’m guessing the economy was something they could afford. I know Isabelle always wanted to move to Chicago when she was younger. We went to visit some family there when we were little kids and she fell in love with the architecture. I’ll never forget the expression on her face when we went to the Sears Tower. But with the little money they had, it wasn’t going to happen.”
Confused, I asked, “I thought you said he came from money?”
“He did until he decided to marry my sister. His family treated us like peasants and they were not happy with his decision at all. So they took away his trust fund and told him he could have it back if he decided to leave her, but not a minute sooner.”
“Then why did they arrange all of this?” I asked, gesturing to our surroundings.
“Guilt, maybe? If there was any trouble in their lives, I think they know it came from Brandon. They may not like us, but they know what kind of people we are. We’re honest and keep our heads down. We’ve never had any trouble, and I don’t think I could name you one enemy. Now, Brandon on the other hand … he made problems for himself left and right.”
Like the Matrons, Rina had suspected guilt from the parents. Without knowing what exactly had happened to them, everyone seemed to agree on one thing: It was Brandon’s fault. I contemplated that for a moment while Rina filled a Styrofoam cup with coffee.
“Sorry to go on like this with you. You’re the first person I’ve talked to since this whole thing happened that isn’t family.”
“Don’t mention it,” I said, with reassurance. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know.”
“I can agree with you on that.” She smiled. “I really have enjoyed talking with you, but I should probably get back in there. My parents are going to wonder where I’ve been.”
“I completely understand. It was so nice getting to meet you.”
“Hey, I’m going to be in town for a little while after the funeral to tie up some loose ends for my parents. Would you want to get coffee or something? Maybe you could tell me a little more about how Isabelle was doing and what her life was like here. It’s been a while since I knew what was really going on with her. I feel like she hid so much from us.”
“Sure…” I slid a hand into my purse and pulled out one of my business cards from the restaurant. “You can reach me here. I’m running my family’s restaurant for my parents while they’re in Taiwan. I’m there mostly all day.” I took out a pen and scribbled my cell number on the back. “If I’m not there, you can reach me at this number.”
She took the card and gave a little laugh. “Ho-Lee Noodle House. How cute.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, it worked out well.”
“I’ll give you a call in a few days. See you at the funeral tomorrow.” She raised her cup to me and then headed back into the viewing room.
On our way back from the funeral home, Anna May and I drove without speaking much. I was exhausted and my mind was going back and forth between my conversation with Rina and what Kimmy had told me about the outburst with Constance and Brandon’s parents.
When we pulled into the parking lot of my complex, I turned to Anna May. “Do you approve of Adam?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, putting the car in park. We had reached my building and I took off my seat belt, keeping an eye on my sister’s facial expressions. Much like me, her face gave her away.
“Do you think he’s okay for me to date?”
My sister snickered. “Lana, if he can put up with all your weirdness, and that crazy blue hair of yours, I think he’s the perfect guy for you.”
CHAPTER
13
The next morning, Anna May and I attended the church services and followed the procession to the cemetery, where I stayed in the back behind the mass of people that had gathered. The group shielded the caskets from view, and I made it a point to study the intricacies of my shoes along with everyone else’s.
The sermon at the church had been difficult enough. While the priest talked about the precious state of life and how wonderful these two young people had been, my eyes couldn’t help falling back on the caskets every time he mentioned them by name.
Neither Isabelle nor Brandon had been religious, and from what I heard, the ceremonies were the wishes of Brandon’s parents. I was impressed with the ease and familiarity the priest used to speak of them.
After the service was over, the families had invited the attendees to have refreshments in the lounge in the basement of the funeral home. I had wanted to skip the whole thing, but Anna May insisted that it would show bad character.
By the time we got there, the low-ceilinged room was packed with people wandering from group to group, catching up with one another or giving condolences.
Kimmy and Peter were standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, huddled closely to each other and eyeballing their surroundings. After Anna May and I got coffee, we decided to join them.
Peter gave us a nod of acknowledgment.
“What are you two doing?” Anna May asked. “You look like you’re up to something.”
Kimmy nodded. “We’re watching the show.”
I groaned.
“Don’t get like that, Lana,” Kimmy said with a nudge to my arm. “I have to do something to take away this depression.”
Peter remained silent.
“So what’s the show?” Anna asked, peering around the room. “I don’t see anything.”
Kimmy leaned in. “You see that woman over there?” Discreetly, Kimmy point
ed to a woman standing by the banquet table that held various finger foods. She was a thin woman with shoulder-length hair, apple cheeks, and a very tiny waist. “That is Constance Yeoh’s little sister.”
I whipped around trying to get a better look. “Where?”
Kimmy pinched my side. “Don’t look!”
Anna May huffed. “What’s the big deal with that?”
Kimmy filled in Anna May on the same information she had told me the day prior.
“Figures,” Anna May said, her jaw clenching. “The little sister is always causing problems.”
I elbowed my sister in the rib.
“Ow!”
Kimmy ignored the exchange and went on with her story. “Well, they’ve been mean, mugging each other ever since they walked in the door, and Constance mumbled something under her breath as they passed each other. The younger sister stopped and stared, but didn’t say anything … but I’m waiting for something to happen. I can feel it. Between the parents, and now the sisters—and you two—there is so much tension in this room, you could cut it with a knife!”
“You are getting way too excited about this, Kimmy.” I said with a shake of my head. “This is a time for grieving.”
She turned to me, free hand on her hip, the other waving a half-empty coffee cup at my chest. “Yeah, I know about the grieving already, can you just—”
“You need to leave … you … you harlot!”
A collective gasp filled the room. Constance had approached her sister and they stood head-to-head in front of the banquet table.
“Why should I leave?” the sister shot back. “I have as much right to be here as anybody else!”
“How dare you!” Constance said, her face inches away from her sister. “After what you did to my marriage … and you think you can just waltz in here like you had a place in his life?”
“I had more a place in his life than you did!” As she said it, she took the tips of her fingers and pushed Constance’s shoulder, making her stumble back.
Constance huffed audibly, straightened herself, took a step forward, and slapped her sister across the cheek. Hard.
