by Vivien Chien
I shrugged at Megan and walked up to the door, taking a peek into the garage to see if anyone was there. I stood on my tiptoes and scanned the room. “Holy…”
“What?” Megan asked from behind me. “Let me see.”
On one of the lifts was the BBQ 2 Go food truck. It appeared to be in decent condition but I couldn’t tell if the front end or the other side facing away from the door had any damage.
I took a step back so Megan could look. “Well, isn’t that suspicious,” she said when she saw the truck. “Of all the places for the missing truck to be…”
I twisted the door handle and pushed. It opened, so I took a step into the garage and peeked around the corner to see if anyone was there. No one. I decided to step farther in and inspect the truck for further damage.
The garage smelled strongly of gasoline and I resisted the urge to cover my nose. Trying to hold my breath, I walked around to the front of the truck, checking for signs of an accident. Nothing.
“Excuse me!” a voice bellowed from behind me. “You’re not allowed in here!”
I whipped around to see an angry face staring back at me. It was Gene and he was not amused in the least.
I forced a smile. “Hi, Gene, I was just in the neighborhood and—”
“Wait a minute,” he said, taking a step closer. “You’re that noodle girl, aren’t you?”
I straightened my back. “Yes, I’m the noodle girl.” No sense in correcting him. By the slur in his words, I could tell he wasn’t a hundred percent sober.
“What brings you by?” His stance shifted to a slightly relaxed position and he appeared to be a little friendlier now that he recognized me. “Are you looking for my nephew?”
“Yeah…” I said, thankful for the easy cover story. “Yeah, I thought I’d just stop by and say hi. See how he’s holding up.”
“See how he’s holding? The man just lost his father. Even if he was a piece of garbage, it’s still his father. How do you think he’s holding up?”
“Sorry, I know it’s a stupid thing to ask but—”
“No, hang on, I’m sorry,” he replied. “I get a little heated when I talk about my brother-in-law. We didn’t always see eye to eye on things.”
“I can imagine that would make things hard between the two of you.”
“You don’t know the half of it. You married?” he asked.
“No.”
“You have any siblings?”
“Just one sister,” I said. “Older.”
“She married?”
“No.”
“Well, trust me when I say this. You better pray long and hard you get along with whoever she’s married to and hope the same thing for her and your future husband, because in-laws can be a pain.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.
“Well, I can tell Calvin you stopped by. But he’s off today. Won’t be back to work until Monday.”
“Oh, no problem. I can just give him a call instead,” I said. “By the way, what happened to Winston’s food truck?” I pointed up at BBQ 2 Go.
“There was a situation,” Gene said, not offering anything more. He shuffled over to a workbench and picked up an oversized crescent wrench.
“Was he in an accident of some kind? We missed him at the night market last night.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” he said.
I took a step backward. “What do you mean? What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”
He turned his head toward me, venom in his stare. “Someone cut the fuel lines. Strange, isn’t it?”
My breath caught in my throat, causing me to cough. “That is strange.”
“Although I suppose it is awfully convenient it happened yesterday of all days, what with that second explosion at the night market.”
“Oh, it happened yesterday?”
“Yup, couldn’t have happened at a better time for him.”
I took another step back. “Yeah, lucky break…”
“He was gettin’ ready to leave for the night market when he found the problem. Called Calvin yellin’ and screamin’ to come out to his place and tow the damn thing. But Calvin was manning the shop alone when Winston called in. He had a customer in the shop at the time and was working on a tire rotation and oil change. I was off the clock and over at Sandra’s house helping her with some yard work when I got the call from Calvin. Ruined my evening to tell you the truth. Here Sandra had made a big dinner as a thank-you for all my work in the yard and I couldn’t even enjoy it.
“I’ll tell ya, it’s a shame all that’s been going on over there,” he said, his eyes sliding back to his crescent wrench. “You never know when these things are gonna happen to you.”
Megan opened the door a crack and poked her head in. “Hey Lana, your sister just called, she needs you back at the restaurant, something about Lou calling in sick.”
I sighed a breath of relief as our eyes met. “Oh, that Lou. He’s always getting summer colds.” I turned back to Gene. “Well, sorry to have wasted your time … you have a nice day.”
As I walked away, I heard him drop the wrench on the table, and I jumped a little at the sound it made. “Be careful out there, young lady. Like I said, you never know when these things are going to sneak up on you. One day you’re here, and then the next day … well, sometimes there isn’t a next day, is there? Sure wasn’t one for Ronnie.”
“Thanks,” I yelled over my shoulder. I sped up a little and Megan and I rushed through the tiny waiting room out onto the street. I inhaled the fresh air. The gas fumes had started to make me nauseous.
“What the heck was all that about?” Megan asked as we walked back to the car.
“I think he just threatened me,” I told her.
She stopped. “What? Should we call the police?”
“No, just get in the car. Let’s get the heck outta here.”
* * *
Megan and I got home a little after two o’clock. We walked the dog and discussed theories. The popular one now was that Gene must have done it with Winston’s help. Maybe Calvin was involved somehow and stopped by to see me in hopes of finding out what I knew. It was plausible that they were on to me.
“But what would be the purpose of damaging his own food truck?” Megan asked. “If Winston and Gene were working together, why would they cut his fuel lines? Couldn’t he have just as easily not shown up at the night market? It’s not like every single vendor is the same from week to week.”
Kikko sniffed a patch of crabgrass, and I watched her smooshed snout wiggle back and forth with the urgency of a hound dog. “Well, for one thing, if the explosions are connected, and none of them were at this night market, the police would think they need to investigate elsewhere. And technically, we don’t know the fuel lines were actually cut,” I said. “He told us that they were, but would you know the difference? And if they were cut, it would make a more believable alibi should anyone look into it. Especially if Gene is willing to do the repair for free. Why wouldn’t Winston go along with it?”
“Good point,” she replied. “Okay, so they create this story for themselves. But who is the mastermind of the whole thing?”
“I don’t know. They both have a reason to want Ronnie out of the picture. It could be either one of them, or both of them.”
“So you think the damage done to his food truck is directly related to what happened at the night market?”
“It sure seems like it,” I said, the wheels in my brain spinning faster with each word. “Think about it. Winston isn’t at the night market, and neither are Gene, Sandra, or Calvin. And an explosion happens. They all have an alibi that protects the other and who is going to disprove it? Winston’s at home with a damaged truck and calls the shop, talks to Calvin who can’t get away because of some customer, then Gene becomes involved by being the only one who can tow the food truck. And of course, he’s at Sandra’s house while she’s cooking something up for him, thereby giving her an alibi.”
“But that doesn’t help us figure out which one of them cut the fuel lines to the truck … if any of them did at all,” Megan reminded me. “It could have happened at any time earlier that day or even the night before.”
“You’re right about the timing of the cut fuel lines. Could have been at any time prior and could have been any one of them. But the main point is, they all have an alibi for the time of the explosion at the night market, and that’s what really matters in the end.”
“This is true. If they’re all covering for each other and have the same story, then it’s like you said and the police would start searching for new suspects. But how could they be sure that the police would tie the two explosions together?”
Kikko, finished with her thorough inspection of the crabgrass, headed back in the direction of the apartment.
I thought about Megan’s question. “I think the only way they would connect the two situations is if there was a common denominator … like maybe the same materials were used in the making of the explosives or whatever.”
“So now we just have to find out if that’s what happened,” Megan said. “How are we going to find that out?”
“We’re going to ask Adam, of course.”
* * *
Megan had to work that night, and I didn’t feel much like leaving the house, although I felt kind of bad about that when it was such a beautiful evening. But I had too much on my mind. I stayed in and scribbled ideas in my notebook, trying to make sense of my theories and the information I’d obtained that day. I checked to see if anything didn’t fit in or if I’d missed a crucial element.
I did make note that Ruby had set me on the path to talk to Winston, and that she’d been strange about him not showing up at the night market last night. Maybe she suspected something as well. Or maybe she even knew more than she was letting on. I considered bringing that up during my next talk with her.
Adam was busy with work and didn’t have a chance to respond to my text messages until several hours later. I’d just woken up from a short nap when the chime sounded on my phone.
It was Adam.
The text message I’d sent earlier in the afternoon had only asked if he knew anything new about the explosion, what caused it, and if it was similar to the chemicals found in the food truck aftermath. I didn’t explain specifically why I wanted to know, but I assumed he would guess since we’d discussed whether the second bomb might be a present left for me.
His response was: Yes, similar materials. Talk more later.
The phone shook in my hand. They were similar, which meant that my theory of someone trying to link the two explosions and clear Sandra’s name was plausible. The biggest problem I had with that was now I couldn’t decide whether it made Sandra more or less guilty.
CHAPTER
24
Sunday morning I prepared for the traditional dim sum outing with my family. My mind was elsewhere, and I didn’t feel much like going. But I knew that if I didn’t, I would never hear the end of it from my mother … or my sister for that matter.
I’d toiled all night with the text that Adam had sent. Later in the evening, he called to tell me that similar components were used to make the second bomb, but it was definitely intended to be a smaller explosion. So, his guess based on proximity and my snooping was that someone wanted to scare me a little bit rather than cause any actual harm. Though it relieved me somewhat to know that it wasn’t meant to kill me, my nerves were still rattled by the ordeal.
I questioned Adam about whether the fact the two explosives were of similar materials would cause the police to connect it to the investigation of the first bomb. He said he imagined that it would but that Detective O’Neil hadn’t mentioned what the police department’s next steps would be.
While we were on the phone, I thought I should tell him about my encounter with Gene, but I knew how he’d react and I wasn’t in a state of mind to handle it. I did have to tell him at some point since Gene had basically threatened me, but I needed time to think, to calm down, and to figure out what my next move was going to be.
I also reminded myself that this was Cleveland’s case and not Adam’s. What reaction would Detective O’Neil have to my meddling in his business? Would it cause problems between him and Adam? And more importantly, could I get in some kind of trouble? I mean, the second explosion could potentially be my fault. If I hadn’t been snooping around, maybe nothing would have happened. Unknowingly, I could have caused the bomber to up their game. I was only thankful that no one was hurt in the process. Anything could have gone wrong.
I arrived at Li Wah’s on time and found my sister lingering in the parking lot. Despite everything going on, I had to laugh. “You know, if you’re going to be a big-shot lawyer, you’re going to have to work on your confrontation skills,” I teased.
“Ugh, I can deal with all kinds of chaos, Lana,” she replied. “But this stuff with Mom and Aunt Grace is just too much for me to handle. Especially after the last get-together we had. How embarrassing.”
We walked into the restaurant and found that the rest of our family was already seated. Two seats between my grandmother and father were open. I took the open seat next to my grandmother.
“Laaa-na,” my grandmother sang.
I smiled at her, and she patted my cheek as I sat down.
Anna May and I exchanged our hellos with the rest of the table and got ourselves situated.
My mother looked exceptionally agitated today. I could tell by how she was scrunching her face at the menu as if she were deep in concentration. I knew she was only pretending to read it since she knew the whole thing by heart.
“Mom, you look nice today,” I said.
She was dressed in a silver satin top with a ruffled V-neck. Both her arms were adorned with gold bracelets and she had her favorite gold necklace on with her matching earrings. I could tell she had taken extra care to dress herself for today’s family gathering.
She returned the compliment with a wide smile, her round cheeks brightened with blush raised high. “Thank you, honey.”
Honey? Uh-oh, she was really laying it on thick today. She never called me honey.
My sister tapped my leg under the table and we exchanged a brief glance.
“So,” Anna May said. “I have some great news to share with everyone.”
“Lord knows we could use some,” my dad said. “Let’s hear it.”
“My internship application was accepted at the law firm, and I’m going to be starting there in two weeks!”
“Oh, darling!” Aunt Grace clasped her hands together. “That’s marvelous news! I’m so proud of you!”
I caught my mother’s eye twitch, but she was quick to hide it and she beamed at my sister. “Anna May, Mommy is so proud of you! You are such a smart girl.”
“Well, that is great news,” my dad said, patting my sister on the shoulder. “Things are really getting started for you now.”
“Yeah, good job, sis,” I said, nudging her with my elbow playfully. “We’re one step closer to that Mercedes we discussed.”
When she turned to scowl at me, I winked.
My grandmother was completely lost, so my aunt filled her in, and when she’d been properly informed, she clapped with amusement. “A-ma is happy!” She gave Anna May a thumbs-up.
“Xie xie, A-ma,” my sister said, thanking her.
The server came around with the dim sum cart and my mother selected a variety of foods for the table. I immediately went for the shrimp noodle rolls, which were one of my favorites. Everything was going better than expected. Maybe we’d avoid a fight today. I was just beginning to relax when things took a turn for the worse.
“You know, Anna May,” Aunt Grace said. “This internship can open a lot of doors for you. They’re a pretty well-known firm, and I think a lot of places in California would love to have you work for them.”
My mother slammed her chopsticks on her plate. “Why California? What’s wrong with Anna May staying here w
ith her family?”
“Ai-ya, Bai-ling, must you always make such a fuss,” Aunt Grace clucked. “I’m only suggesting that this will open many opportunities for Anna May. Maybe she would like to live somewhere else. It doesn’t have to be anywhere in California … it could be New York … Chicago … Miami.”
My sister and I shared another glance. No one else at the table spoke. My father pretended to be preoccupied with his shrimp dumpling.
“She is happy here,” my mother said. “Is Mommy right, Anna May?”
Anna May picked up her teacup and took a long sip. “I haven’t given it much thought, really.”
My mother flared her nostrils.
I tried to think of a topic to bring up that would completely change the subject, but I was drawing a blank. The only thing that came to mind was my pending situation with Gene, Winston, and the whole Chow case. But, considering the circumstances, I didn’t see that as a good idea for a topic change. I racked my brain while the two women began bickering in Hokkien.
“I decided on the Poconos!” I yelled over their voices.
Everyone stopped and stared at me.
My grandmother giggled. “Po-co-nos.”
My dad seemed to pick up on my cue. “The Poconos sounds great for your birthday, Goober. Your mother and I have never been there, but I’m sure it’s going to be a great trip for you and Adam. Do you think two rooms will be expensive?”
“Dad!”
“What?” He chuckled. “A father can dream, can’t he?”
Aunt Grace tsked. “Both of you are too protective of these girls, they are both grown women.”
I cringed. “It’s okay, Aunt Grace, he’s just making a joke.”
