Sunny Mates and Murders

by Anne R. Tan

  We don’t need the official mourners, do we? Po Po asked, glancing up. That would be extra.

  Raina shrugged. Yes, we do. There wouldn’t be enough keening without them. Who’s driving to Chinatown to pick up the mourning costumes and the other ceremonial gear like joss paper?

  I can send someone, Cat said. Just give me a list of what you need.

  As her grandma proceeded to write down the items for the funeral, Raina wondered how she should broach the subject of the murder investigation.

  What are you going to do after all this is done? Raina asked Cat.

  The Nine Dragons Enforcer frowned at her. What do you mean?

  Raina ticked the points off her fingers. Jerry is dead. Lily will probably escape from the hospital so she won’t have to come back to this place. Kwan Gong is poised to have another heart attack again. He probably would have to slow down. What is to stop you from walking away from this life?

  Cat gaped at her. Apparently, this thought hadn’t crossed her mind. I can’t go. I have enemies. I need the Nine Dragons protection.

  Not if you disappeared. The United States is a big place. And with so many Hispanic people, you could blend right in.

  People like me can’t have normal lives. I’ll probably die young. I just hope I don’t see it coming.

  Raina felt bad for the other woman. You’re not a slave. You’re in control of your own destiny. There’s always hope for a better future.

  Cat sneered at her naïveté. For rich girls like you, yes, life will always get better. But for people like me, I would end up dead in a dumpster someday and nobody would even feel a twinge of sadness.

  My family is rich, but I’m not. I would feel sadness. I would never want that to happen to you. With the organization in chaos, this is the perfect time for you to disappear.

  Cat shook her head, her eyes darkening with emotion. You’re as good as rich. You’ll always have options I don’t have. You can’t go very far on a few hundred bucks.

  Po Po handed Cat the list. If money is the only thing keeping you here, then I can help.

  * * *

  On the day of the funeral, it was bright and warm by nine o’clock in the morning. It was a day made for the beach rather than funeral white. The family had to use a funeral parlor so it wouldn’t bring bad luck to the surviving elder in the family home.

  Unfortunately, this meant several armed triad members surrounded the premises. The funeral director developed a nervous throat-clearing tick when the setup party rolled in. Apparently, her grandma hadn’t warned him about Jerry’s celebrity status when she made the arrangements and rented the entire funeral home for the next twenty-four hours.

  In the viewing room, a poster-size portrait of Jerry hung on the front wall. The closed casket took center stage with white wreaths displayed next to its foot. They opted for a closed casket given the swelling in Jerry’s face. Joss

  sticks burned in an urn on the low table in front of the casket. The heady fragrance would become a bleary haze by this evening and unbearable by the morning.

  In his loose white funeral robe, Kwan Gong knelt to the left of the casket, burning joss paper and funeral money in the metal bowl in front of him. The official mourners ringed him, wailing loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to drown out every sound. It was also modulated so you could ignore them as one would a ceiling fan. Boy, they were good and well worth the extra cost.

  As predicted, Lily had hightailed it from the hospital in the middle of the night. With no wife to honor the dead, Kwan Gong had abandoned the tradition which prevented an elder from mourning his child in public. At least he didn’t put on the sackcloth hood meant for the deceased’s wife and children.

  Sonny stood at the entrance next to the funeral gong to greet the guests. Matthew had wisely opted to stay in a hotel room in town. He was only a phone call away if she needed him. It wouldn’t do to have a cop among the robbers at a highly emotional event like this funeral.

  As the mourners paid their respects by the casket, Raina studied them from her post next to the white wreaths. She handed the lit joss sticks to anyone wishing to pay their respects. Her grandma would relieve her after her errand with Cat to pick up forgotten supplies from the mansion. Somehow, Raina doubted she would see the Hispanic woman again.

  Detective Bibb showed up an hour after the monk started chanting the Buddhist scriptures by the funeral gong. He stood in the entryway, clearly out of his depth. Maybe he thought the funeral service would have wrapped up by the time he arrived.

  The chanting would go on for the next twenty-four hours. Another monk waited in one of the smaller viewing rooms to relieve his partner. When the detective glanced in Raina’s direction, she made a small bowing motion and pointed at the front. It was too late for him to back away now.

  As the detective approached the casket, the entire room focused on him. A couple triad members rested their hands on poorly hidden gun holsters. Sonny’s face became even more expressionless. One flick of his finger and Detective Bibb would become a human pincushion.

  Kwan Gong paid no attention to the rising tension in the room, dropping joss paper, funeral money, and tears into the flames in the metal bowl. Raina hoped he wouldn’t end up with a cloud of bad luck in his remaining years for loving his child.

  Detective Bibb stopped a couple feet away from the casket. He hesitated. The deep crow’s feet around his eyes tightened even more.

  Raina handed him a joss stick and pointed at the urn. If someone pulled out a gun, she would jump behind the casket. Her head throbbed from the thick fragrant smoke and rising testosterone in the room. Come on, just pretend to pay your respect…

  The detective bowed to the casket and placed the joss stick in the urn. He mumbled something to Kwan Gong and stepped aside to take a seat in an empty row.

  Sonny ignored the detective, and the mourners started to drift into groups, depending on where their loyalties lay. Even though Jerry could no longer be Dai Lo—being dead and all—the leadership position could pass on to someone else within the criminal organization.

  Kwan Gong had shown the soft underside of his belly with his mourning, and now the Piranhas were circling and waiting for a nibble. Jerry’s death made Sonny’s precarious position as Dai Lo even worse.

  If he could rally the Nine Dragons against a common enemy then maybe he stood a chance. But who could this enemy be? The Italian mob? Would helping the Black Tigers help or worsen his position? Regardless, he had to make a decision. Freddie Low was cashing in his favor, and the honor of the Nine Dragons would be questioned if Sonny did nothing.

  Raina’s head throbbed even more. She didn’t want to be involved in the Nine Dragons politics. With Detective Bibb in the room, nothing would happen beyond scheming and the making of alliances. The coup, if there would be one, wouldn’t happen until tomorrow after Jerry’s burial. Hopefully, Raina could get her answers from Sonny before then.

  Po Po came into the room, glanced around and headed straight for Kwan Gong. For some crazy reason, her grandma seemed immune to the undercurrent in the room. Maybe her grandma had it right. Once you were established as a wacky old lady, everyone ignored or dismissed you.

  Raina gestured at a henchman staring out the window to take her post. She needed some air. The tightness in her shoulder blades didn’t help with her headache.

  She strode out of the main viewing room and walked past the smaller one, which the pallbearers had taken over as a gambling hall. Since the pallbearers had an all-night vigil to watch for Jerry’s spirit, gambling was allowed to help them stay awake. Some customs were just unexplainable to an outsider.

  Raina hunched her shoulders and trotted down the street. She wanted to break out into a jog, but it would be too unseemly being this close to the funeral parlor. She didn’t know where she was going, but she needed to clear her mind.

  Since the explosion, she had been reacting to events rather than staying one step ahead of things. She couldn’t help but feel as
if someone was keeping her busy so she wouldn’t have time to think about the murder investigation.

  Footsteps pounded nearby, keeping pace with her. She glanced over to find Detective Bibb next to her. Great. She wasn’t in the mood for accusations or innuendo about her guilt. If he started that up again, he was gonna get it.

  She glanced behind her. A henchman followed them from a distance, giving them a semblance of privacy. She sighed. How did she end up being the Grand Marshall to a parade she didn’t want to be in?

  Sonny probably wanted to make sure she had a bodyguard in case the other faction or one of his enemies tried something. She understood his intentions, but it reminded her of how suffocating this kind of life could be. No wonder Lily wanted out.

  Why are you following me? Raina whispered to the detective.

  I want to thank you for your help back there, Miss Sun, Detective Bibb replied. Her earlier assessment that he liked to spend time outdoors was correct. He took wide strides to keep up with her trots. No huffing and puffing on his part. Geez, the man was in good shape despite the small paunch around his middle.

  Think nothing of it. When they approached a coffee shop, she said, This is my stop. She went in, and Detective Bibb came in after her.

  She spun around. Just spill it. What do you want? If you are planning to threaten me, save your breath. I had nothing to do with Jerry’s death, and you can’t pin anything on me.

  The henchman lounged outside the shop, leaning against a parking meter and smoking. He didn’t seem concerned with the detective following Raina into the shop. Maybe he got directions not to interfere unless it was a life or death situation.

  Let me buy you a drink, the detective said.

  Raina snorted. Seriously? Well, she could save five bucks by taking his offer.

  After they got their drinks, they found a table at the far end of the room.

  Raina sipped her iced caramel macchiato. She had no idea why the detective would seek her out, given his earlier animosity, but it wasn’t to give her a gold star.

  Detective Bibb cleared his throat, glancing at the henchman outside the shop window. Have you seen Cat Hernandez? She murdered Jerry Kwan.

  17

  A Bigger Mousetrap

  Raina choked on her coffee, spraying droplets across the small table in front of them. What the heck? Did her grandma just help a criminal escape? Even if Raina were a poor judge of character, her grandma wouldn’t have been. No, the detective had it wrong.

  Detective Bibb jerked back but calmly wiped his face with a napkin. So I take it that you know where Miss Hernandez is.

  Actually, I have no idea. Why do you suspect Cat is the killer?

  She has every reason to hate the Kwans. She was a runaway when Kwan Gong found her ten years ago and lured her into a prostitution ring.

  But Jerry Kwan rescued her from that life. Why would she turn around and kill him? Raina asked. She replayed the conversations she had with Cat. The Nine Dragons Enforcer was still a victim to the criminal organization, not the predator the detective thought she was.

  Raina shook her head. She’s not the killer. It’s one of the Lows…or both.

  He raised an eyebrow. When he replied his voice was heavy with doubt. Is that right? What reason would they have for killing Jerry?

  Raina hesitated. Her gut was telling her it had something to do with Jerry and Lily’s past. For some couples, it was hard to let go of the first love. Look at her and Matthew. In the last decade, they had reconnected several times. It always ended in blood and tears, and yet, neither one of them could let their past go.

  She glanced at the sparkling diamond ring on her hand. And here she was, once again, wearing the same ring from Matthew. Sure, it had new window dressing on it this time—rubies from his grandma—but it was still essentially the same ring. This probably meant she was engaged to Matthew again, but it didn’t bother her for some reason. What changed?

  You were saying? the detective said, interrupting her thoughts.

  You haven't touched your coffee. I don't trust anyone who would waste good coffee, Raina said, stalling to gather her thoughts. She had a feeling they would sound cuckoo to an outsider.

  Detective Bibb raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee. Happy now?

  Raina grinned. He sounded just like Matthew. Are you a romantic man? Do you believe in fate?

  The detective blinked. Raina could sense him closing in as if afraid she might ask personal questions he didn't have answers to. The silence stretched for a heartbeat. For a second, she wondered if he was a workaholic without a life outside of the office.

  What does my love life have to do with the case? he finally asked.

  Fate plays a big role in the Chinese culture. Sometimes our actions are dictated by this belief that you can’t run away from fate.

  Oookay, he said slowly. His face asked where she was going with this conversation.

  What if Jerry and Myling believed they were fated to be together, even though both of them were married to someone else? They were lovers in their teens, Raina said.

  Detective Bibb sipped his coffee. Are you suggesting the two of them had an affair?

  Not necessarily a physical one. An emotional one could be just as devastating in a marriage, Raina said, thinking about her grandfather and his secret family.

  I still don’t get it. Do we have a jealous husband who killed his romantic rival?

  Maybe. Or we could have a wife who wants out from fate.

  I’m confused. Are you talking about Lily Kwan?

  Lily wants out, but I don’t think she killed Jerry.

  So Myling did. What evidence do you have?

  None.

  But Myling was engaged to Sonny at one point?

  Raina shrugged. She probably thought it would keep her close to Jerry. Second best is better than nothing. And Sonny is a man.

  What’s that supposed to mean? The detective’s tone sounded offended.

  Wouldn’t you be flattered if an attractive woman threw herself at you? Unlike other women, Myling is vetted. She is accepted by the inner circle of the Kwan family and the Nine Dragons. It’s easy for Sonny to let his guard down with her.

  Armchair psychiatry isn’t going to convict a murderer. How can you be so sure of this?

  Because of fate. If you let it run out of control, you can hate as deeply as you love each other, Raina said.

  She told him about the satisfied smirk on Myling’s face when she told her ex-lover she was pregnant in the foyer on the night of the birthday party. Raina hadn't known the significance at the time, but it all made sense now that she knew Jerry and Myling had been lovers. Heck, she might be the mistress Lily spoke of.

  Raina took a deep breath. This would probably get her thrown in jail, but the truth had to come out at some point, and this was as good as any. Now that the Kwan family owed her grandma for arranging the funeral, Raina felt she was in a better position to ignore what Sonny wanted.

  There’s more, she said. Jerry texted someone before his death. To have a secret meeting. She told the detective the truth about Jerry falling on her lap and the cellphone in her purse.

  By the time she was done, Detective Bibb’s expression became even sterner. I know I tampered with the crime scene, but I was afraid to go against Sonny. Even now, I don’t know how he would react if he found out I told you the truth.

  Then why are you telling me this now?

  Because you wouldn’t find out about this otherwise. But please be careful with this information. Sonny’s position as Dai Lo is precarious. I don’t want him to get hurt by this.

  So you support what he does for a living?

  No, but I don’t want to be the reason he gets hurt. Once I’m out of the picture, it’s not on my conscience.

  Fair enough, Miss Sun.

  They sipped their coffee for several minutes. The normal coffee shop noise filled the space between them.

  Raina thought about Matthew and how much she wanted
to hold him at the moment. It didn’t matter how long or hard she ran. Fate had a way of mocking their efforts. A decade of running for both of them hadn’t gotten them very far from each other. And the last thing she wanted was to turn their love into hate.

  Finally Detective Bibb broke the silence. We need to build a mousetrap.

  * * *

  Raina blinked, her thoughts caught up in her own problems. What?

  The bell above the door jingled, and she glanced over to see her grandma making a beeline for them. The lounging henchman flicked a glance into the shop and tapped out another cigarette from his pack.

  Po Po pulled up a chair between Raina and Detective Bibb. What’s up, peeps? Are we forming a plan to nab the bad guy?

  How did you find us? Detective Bibb asked.

  Her grandma hooked a thumb at the henchmen. I just had to look for a Chinese youth with a shaggy goatee, sagging pants, and exposed boxers. Easy peasy. She tapped the bracelet on Raina’s hand.

  Raina had forgotten about the GPS tracker in the bracelet. Shouldn’t you be at the funeral parlor handing out joss sticks?

  Po Po waved dismissively. That’s low-level work. It’s for people like Mr. Shaggy out there. I’m meant for the big time. So what’s the plan?

  Raina gave Detective Bibb a significant look. He’d better not try to involve her grandma in this mousetrap scheme of his.

  He ignored her. "I’m trying to convince your granddaughter to help me set a trap for Jerry Kwan’s killer.

  Po Po’s eyes lit up. Of course we will do anything we can to help bring the killer to justice. So who is the killer?

  Detective Bibb repeated Raina’s theory. He even added a line about how he always suspected Raina found Jerry’s body. Yep, he certainly sounded like he’d pieced everything together well before today.

  Po Po wiggled her eyebrows at Raina. Well, now aren’t you the smart one. So what’s the plan?

  Both Detective Bibb and Po Po looked at Raina expectantly.

  Raina sipped her coffee. She could understand her grandma, but for the detective to look at her as the master schemer, now this didn’t happen every day. He was probably trying to test her. "I don’t know. We could always try