by Vivien Chien
“This is true. What could you hope to get out of the conversation anyway?”
“I know, I just have this weird feeling about Ruby. I mean, given the relationship between her and Sandra, and now learning about her past, it makes me question whether she’s involved somehow. I mean, suppose it was you and me. How would you deal with me being physically abused?”
“I see your point,” she replied. “So who is left to talk with?”
“Not Sandra that’s for sure. I can’t ask my mother anything. Maybe I’ll talk to Esther again.”
“If you ask me, it’s a shot in the dark. Anyone you have access to will most likely tell you negative things. She is not a fan favorite in this crowd.”
“True.” I huffed. “Ugh, this is so frustrating. I’m ready for the whole thing to be over with. Adam’s right. We are in desperate need of a weekend getaway.”
“I know, but you’ll figure it out one way or another. It’s like we’re just missing one piece. Once that’s figured out, it’ll be smooth sailing.”
My aunt walked into the restaurant with a sad smile on her face.
“Hey Megan, Aunt Grace is here. Can I call you back later?”
“Give me an hour, I’m going back to sleep,” she said before hanging up.
I set my phone down and stood to hug my aunt Grace. “Hi, what brings you by today? Want me to have Peter make you something?”
She hugged me and squeezed. “No, dear, I only wanted to stop by and let you know that I’m going to be leaving the day after tomorrow.”
“Why so soon?” I asked. It felt obligatory to say that. Of course, I knew why she was leaving.
“I think your mother and I have bickered enough, don’t you?” She sighed, walking farther into the restaurant. After looking over the tables, she finally chose the booth closest to the hostess station and sat down. “I always hope that our visits are going to turn out better, but they never do.”
I sat down across from her. “I don’t want this to come out the wrong way, but why do you give her such a hard time about her decisions?”
She chuckled. “Your mother is a great woman, and she has always been a good sister to me. But I hate that she thinks her way is the only way to live. Her type of lifestyle is not for everyone, and she will never recognize that.”
I took a deep breath. Maybe now was the time to finally be honest with my aunt—she seemed like she might be willing to listen. “Well, maybe instead of fighting against her, consider things from her point of view.”
My aunt looked taken aback by my answer. “What do you mean?”
“The same applies to you, Aunt Grace. Your lifestyle doesn’t necessarily fit everyone either. Did it ever occur to you that we’re all happy living here just the way we are? Sure, traveling all over the world is great, but there’s also something nice about having roots.”
She looked down at her hands. “What you’re saying is that I’m just as bad as your mother.”
“Well, I wouldn’t actually say it…” I smiled.
She glanced up at me and started laughing. “I suppose you’re right, Lana. I think I’ve been so busy trying to prove to your mother that my life is worthy of her approval that I lost myself and the entire point of the argument. Truth is, I don’t disapprove of your mother’s choices as much as I seem to. I guess I just wanted to even the score a little bit.”
“Maybe explain to her that you want her to accept your life even though it’s different from hers … see what happens.”
“I think I will,” my aunt said with renewed confidence. “By the way,” she said as she stood up from her seat. “We’ll be having one last family dinner tomorrow night, and of course, you and Anna May are both invited to join us.”
I stood up with her. “Required, you mean.”
She laughed. “Would your mother have it any other way?”
“I’ll be there,” I said, as we walked back to the lobby. “Just let us know the time and place.”
Aunt Grace gave me another hug. “You know, Lana, I really am proud of you. You’re so grown-up now.”
I hugged her and gave her a squeeze. “Thanks, Aunt Grace. Just don’t tell anyone else that. They’ll expect me to be mature all the time.”
* * *
When I left work that evening, I was in a state of flux. I felt surrounded by loose ends and I didn’t know what to do with myself. I didn’t know if I could trust Calvin and thought I had made a mistake by confiding my theories to him. If Calvin were involved in some way or wanted to protect his uncle, things could get difficult for me. I was beginning to regret my decision to tell him so much.
Though he had told me where his father planned to buy the food truck: at a used commercial truck dealer on Brookpark Road.
With no plans in mind for the evening, I found myself heading toward the dealer to see if Calvin’s story checked out.
Twenty-five minutes later, I sat in the guest parking area of the dealership. I turned the engine off and got out, bypassing the showroom. A few salesmen watched me from the window and I pretended not to notice them.
I passed a row of vans and saw a used food truck sitting at the end. Okay, so the food truck existed at this dealership. At least that part checked out.
Before I could head back to the showroom to talk with someone, a salesman in a light blue dress shirt and khaki pants came sprinting toward me. “Well, hello there, miss.” He stretched out a hand.
I did the same and he gave me a hearty shake that shook my entire body. “Hi.”
“I see you’re interested in this food truck,” he said, releasing my hand. “As luck would have it, it’s back on the market.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with exaggerated enthusiasm. “And it’s ready to be driven right off the lot. You’ll of course have to do some superficial repairs, but there isn’t a lick of rust on this thing.”
“What happened to the previous buyer?” I asked.
The salesman glanced around to see if anyone had come out onto the lot. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but he passed away before the sale could be finalized … if you can believe it,” he said. “His wife called to tell me about it, and I’ll tell ya, that was an awkward conversation if I’ve ever had one.”
“I can imagine,” I said, looking the truck over and pretending that I was interested. I noted the price sticker on the window. “This thing isn’t cheap.”
“I’m sure we can make you a great deal,” he said, rushing to stand next to me. “How’s your credit?”
“Mediocre to fair,” I said noncommittally, continuing my investigation of the truck. “And what about these propane tanks?” I pointed at the large tanks on the back of the truck. I wanted to sound like I knew what I was talking about.
“They are up to code, I can assure you of that. I’ve got all the appropriate paperwork.”
I nodded as if the information were satisfactory. “Well, I have to discuss it with my business partner. You see, I’m just here to do a bit of scouting for us. I can’t make any decisions without her present.”
“Completely understandable,” he said, pulling a business card out of his pocket. “Here’s my card, don’t hesitate to call with any questions you may have. I’m here six days a week.”
I took the card and gave it a quick glance before sticking it in the side pocket of my purse. “I’ll be in touch,” I said, beginning to walk away.
“I wouldn’t wait too long,” he said, falling into step next to me. “There is another potentially interested party. I don’t want you to lose out on this deal if they happen to come back before you make your decision. Try finding a truck in this condition at the same price. Won’t happen in this town.”
“Oh?” I stopped and turned to face him. “Another interested party?”
“Yeah, they stopped by a few weeks ago, but I was already in the process of selling it so I couldn’t help them with this particular vehicle, but I never give up on a custom
er. I assured them I’d find them a truck in no time. But now that this one went back on the market, I gave them first dibs on it if the price is right. They were having a hard time deciding between a concession stand and a food truck … these damn propane tanks have everyone on edge these days. So I could understand their hesitation … but you’re here now, so if you make me an offer, I guess it’s their loss for not responding faster.”
“I’m sorry? What’s that you said about understanding their hesitation?”
“Oh, the propane tanks … my customer was worried about them. Much like you are, I’m guessing. They had all kinds of questions about what would happen if they exploded. If it would be like what you see on TV and all that jazz. Which come to think of it is kind of a bizarre coincidence considering what happened the following week.” He snorted. “Although I suppose that explosion validated their concern.”
“Yeah, I suppose it would…” Part of me had mentally left the conversation. He kept saying “they.” Who was “they”?
The salesman was still yammering on about the propane tanks and I cut him off, “‘They’ … you said ‘they’ … is it more than one person interested in the truck?”
“What?” he asked, looking at me in confusion. “Oh no, for privacy. I can’t very well tell you who’s interested in the truck, now can I? I could get in serious trouble if I said the wrong thing.”
“Gender wouldn’t hurt, right?” I asked, shrugging my shoulders. “Besides, you already told me what happened with the previous buyer. What would be the harm in sharing another secret with a potential buyer?”
“Uhhh, I can’t do that, ma’am, sorry.” He rubbed the back of his head and smiled at me awkwardly. His eyes scanned the lot again. He appeared a little paranoid, and I began to wonder if he thought I was a secret shopper. “But you let me know as soon as possible if you’re interested, okay? I’ll see what I can do about making you a great deal.”
Dissatisfied with his unwillingness to tell me more, I shook his hand in thanks and hopped back into my car.
In my mind, I imagined two puzzle pieces trying to work themselves together, but they didn’t quite fit. What the heck was I missing?
CHAPTER
28
The next morning, while I readied myself for work, I caught myself tuning out from the present several times. The answer was there, I had it. My problem was the Winston angle. I didn’t know how to get at him, and my only option was to wait for Calvin. Once I got to work, I’d give him a call and see if he’d learned anything new that could help. He had promised to call if he learned anything crucial, but again, I didn’t know that he could be trusted.
When I arrived at the plaza, I hurried to the restaurant without stopping to say hello to Kimmy or any of the other shop owners like I did on most mornings. I was all business.
Peter and I barely spoke while we prepped the restaurant for opening. He asked me a couple of times if I was all right, and I did my best to assure him that I was just preoccupied with family matters. I made a production of telling him about the conversation I’d had with my aunt the day before and that seemed to pacify him.
The Mahjong Matrons filed in promptly at nine and I brought their tea out and scurried into the back to call Calvin from my office. He didn’t answer so I left a message asking him to call me back as soon as possible.
When I returned to the dining area, I saw that Esther had stopped by and was standing at the head of the Matrons’ table. They were speaking in hushed tones.
As I approached the table, Helen caught sight of me and seemed to hush the others. I stood next to Esther and smiled. “Hi, Esther, what brings you by?”
Helen spoke before Esther had a chance to reply. “Will our food be ready soon? We are all very hungry this morning.”
“Should only be another fifteen minutes or so,” I said, turning my attention back to Esther. “Can I talk to you about something?”
“Yes, of course,” Esther replied. She bowed her head politely to the Matrons before turning around and signaling me to follow her. She chose the same booth my aunt had chosen the day before.
I told her I’d be right back before hurrying into the kitchen to grab some tea for our table. I also checked on the status of the Matrons’ food to see just how much time I would have before being interrupted. I’d guessed right and there looked to be about fifteen minutes left before everything was done, so I rushed back out into the dining area and sat across from Esther.
“I’m glad that you stopped by because I’ve been meaning to come see you at the store,” I said while pouring her a cup of tea.
“Oh? Is everything okay?” Esther asked. She nodded a thanks as she slid the teacup closer to herself.
“Esther,” I began again. “I was hoping you could tell me a little bit about Ruby and her ex-husband David Yang.”
Her body went rigid. “Why would you want to know about this?” She turned and glanced across the aisle at the Matrons’ table, but they all remained seemingly oblivious to our conversation.
I knew better though. I knew they were trying to listen in.
I shifted in my seat. “I know this is kind of awkward, because of your past history with Ruby, but I wanted to know a little bit more about her … what kind of person she is. And what exactly happened with her ex-husband.”
She leaned forward. “Why? Are you getting into trouble again? You know that your mother will worry about this.”
I didn’t know how to answer that question. I knew that whatever I said would result in some type of lecture on how I should mind my own business. Esther was a firm believer in leaving the past in the past, and though she had provided information to me from time to time, I didn’t know how far I could push the envelope. And that’s when it hit me. I decided to take a different approach … one that involved her beliefs about the past.
“Well, I guess what I’m wondering is that if you’re willing to leave the past behind you, then why do you refuse to sell any of her jewelry now?” I asked this as innocently as I could so Esther would know that there was no malice behind the question, just sheer curiosity.
She regarded me with confusion. “Her jewelry? What does this have to do with her ex-husband?”
“Well, uh, nothing really. I guess I was just wondering about him separately because I hadn’t realized she was married before,” I explained, laughing nervously. “You know how sometimes I get hyper after too much coffee…”
“I see.”
I had a feeling that Esther could see right through my cover story, but she didn’t say so, and decided to entertain my question.
She sipped her tea, focusing on the black lacquer tabletop. “I have forgiven Ruby for her mistakes, but I do not wish to bring her back in my life. Some people are too much trouble and not worth the headache.”
I nodded. “I can understand that. It’s just a shame, I guess. Her jewelry is so nice and it would look great in your shop. I know there were several pieces I would have liked to buy myself.” I opted out of telling her that I’d bought earrings from Ruby for Aunt Grace since this would probably hurt her feelings, and she’d want to know why I hadn’t bought them from her store.
My hands were starting to get clammy. I knew this whole line of questioning wasn’t going to get me the information I wanted to know. What I really needed to know was what happened with Ruby’s ex-husband, David Yang.
She checked her watch, shaking her jade bracelets out of the way. “I should return to the store now. I will need to open soon.”
My pulse quickened. I needed an answer and I didn’t know how to get it from her. There was only one thing left to try and it was a low blow, but I had to do it. “Do you think that my mother would know what happened with Ruby and David?”
Esther eyed me with suspicion. “Lana Lee, do you think I was born yesterday?”
I batted my lashes. “I don’t know what you mean.”
She huffed. “If I tell you this, will you promise to stop asking questions? Your m
other is already unhappy.”
I held up my right hand. “I promise that if you tell me what I want to know, I’ll stop asking questions.”
She tapped the side of her teacup, and then leaned over the table. “I am surprised that you do not already know.”
“I know some details, yes,” I admitted. “But I don’t know the full story.”
“David Yang is not a good man. He is selfish and difficult and he made Ruby act crazy.”
“What do you mean, ‘act crazy’?”
“David was hardworking, he loved money too much. He would work late almost every night, but Ruby did not believe this. She would think he was sleeping with other women, but could not prove it. One day, she could not take it anymore and tried to make them get in a car accident.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
Esther nodded. “This changed them. After that, he became mean and she became more crazy. She started to follow him to work and sit in the parking lot, waiting to catch him. Then they began to fight. He hit her a couple of times and then the real trouble began.” She waved her hands around as she listed what happened next. “Fighting all the time, then divorce papers, then she went to his work again and told everybody what happened. He almost lost his job. Many of us did not approve of her acting this way, but we also felt sorry for her.”
“I can understand why,” I said, attempting to imagine what it would have been like for Ruby. No one knew what truly went on behind closed doors, and how bad things had gotten between the couple. What drew these emotions out of her to begin with? What part did David play in creating or reinforcing these insecurities? “So how did it get resolved?”
Esther sighed. “David paid her a lot of money to be quiet. She did not want the money at first, but her lawyer told her this was the best thing for her to do. She needed to move on and begin a new life. Now she is married to a new man and she seems to be happy.”
Esther’s story had left me with a mix of emotions I couldn’t identify. The situation was definitely not black-and-white, and I felt myself settling into a muddled gray that made my head hurt. This wasn’t what I had expected to hear from her. Then again, I didn’t know exactly what I’d expected to hear.
