by Vivien Chien
“The cleverest minds usually don’t show their hand, Lana. They generally want you to be fooled.”
“Care to make a friendly wager?” I asked with a sly smile.
Leaning further forward, he wiggled his eyebrows at me. “What did you have in mind?”
I rolled my eyes. “You wish. I was thinking more along the lines of … whoever’s right gets to pick all the date nights and movies for the next month.”
He flopped back, disappointed. “Oh.” He patted Kikko on the head and shrugged. “Fine … I’ll take it. I hope you’re ready to do the most ridiculous stuff I can think of because clearly I’m right.” He offered his hand.
I grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake. “We’ll see, Detective. We’ll see.”
* * *
Monday morning had finally arrived. Normally I wouldn’t be caught saying something so absurd, but I was, in fact, excited for it to be Monday. It meant that I could make my planned trip to Barton’s and hopefully speak with the janitor, Robert Larkin.
Now that I had a little bit more info about Margo, I felt more prepared to ask questions with a sense of direction. My only concern now was if I could trust Mr. Larkin, or if he was someone I should be wary of too.
Armed with a full face of makeup and determination, I set out to begin my day at Ho-Lee Noodle House. I’d have to make it through an entire shift before I could get to the part of my day I was really anxious for. I only hoped that time would move quickly.
The Matrons arrived at their usual time, and I went through the motions of getting them situated with tea and placing their order with Peter. When I returned with their food, Wendy stopped me before I left again.
“Lana, how are things going with finding Margo’s killer?”
“Nothing much has happened yet,” I said. I was apprehensive to tell them about the photos and note left in Sabrina’s locker. “What about the four of you? Have you learned anything that might help me along?”
Helen shook her head, her lips curved down in disappointment. “So far nothing that would be useful to you. We have tried asking many questions about her with other mahjong teams, but it doesn’t seem many people knew her well. She was a very quiet person and liked to ask questions about other people.”
So far everything that I’d learned about this woman had led to that same point. She loved to ask others about themselves, but never divulged anything about herself. Was that the sign of a person who kept lots of secrets? It was sure starting to feel like it to me. Which made me wonder about the person who left her the note. If they really knew her, would they ever think she’d be quick to tell on anyone about what she’d seen that night in the parking lot?
Pearl broke me from my thoughts. “We will keep trying, Lana. We all have hair appointments tomorrow.” She gave me an encouraging smile.
“I tried that already. Her hair stylist, Nicole, didn’t know anything helpful either.”
Opal held up a finger. “Ah yes, but that does not mean another customer did not know a secret or two. Let us see what we can find with the older ladies. People often like to talk to older ladies … we are everybody’s grandma.”
I smiled at that. She did have a point. Maybe Margo wanted some grandmotherly advice at some juncture and opened up to someone in the senior population. Especially in Asian communities, there was a respect for the older generation and all the wisdom they held. I know that on several occasions in the past, I had often looked to Mr. Zhang at the Wild Sage herbal shop to impart some wise words to me whenever I was feeling truly lost.
“Do not lose hope, Lana,” Helen said. “One way or another we will find answers.”
* * *
After the Mahjong Matrons left, I became extremely bored. Mondays weren’t typically a busy day for us, and I’d already straightened up the dining room and checked it three more times before finally giving up and returning to the hostess station. There was still about a half hour left before Nancy showed up. I thought about bumming around in the kitchen, but Peter had been in a mood since he came in that morning, and I figured it was best to leave him alone. When he’d arrived that morning, he’d mentioned to me that he hadn’t slept well and didn’t feel much like talking to anyone.
I opted for tinkering on my phone and indulging in some hidden-object games to help pass the time. I must have lost track of the world around me because I heard the bells jingle above the door, and when I looked up, Nancy was staring at me with an amused grin on her face.
“Now the boss is guilty of playtime at work.”
I could feel my face turning pink and quickly set my phone down. I was always giving our teenage employee, Vanessa Wen, a hard time about messing around with her phone or whatever object she brought to work on any given day to distract herself. And in turn, Nancy liked to tease me any time I was caught red-handed. “I am so bored today,” I admitted. “We haven’t had any customers all morning … just the Matrons.”
She glanced around the empty dining room. “Pretty soon the holidays will be coming and we will be really busy. Enjoy this quiet time.”
I let out a sigh. I knew she was right. Once holiday shoppers started coming, there’d be no time for me to waste during the day searching through cluttered photos in my favorite hidden object games for random pieces of pie and mismatched shoes. And our shopping rush didn’t end with the traditional holidays that everyone thinks about. We also had Chinese New Year to contend with, and that was always a busy time around here.
Once Nancy got situated, I told her that I’d be in the office prepping the bank deposit and taking care of some loose ends. I said hello to Peter on the way back to my office, and he grunted in return.
Shutting the door, I stared at the stack of paperwork on my desk and groaned. I still had to file invoices and pay bills before the growing stack got out of hand. I felt tired just thinking about it.
I forced myself into the chair and decided to start with the cash deposit since that definitely needed to get to the bank by the end of the day. It took me about twenty minutes to get everything finalized, which wasn’t bad considering I drifted into a daze at least twice.
Just as I was lifting the first invoice off the top of my stack, there was a soft tap at my office door. I already knew it was Nancy because she was the only person with that delicate of a knock.
“Come in,” I shouted.
Nancy barely opened the door and poked her in head. “There is a woman here to see you.”
A woman? Now what, I thought. Had Bridget decided to stop by for another unannounced visit? “Did she give you a name?”
Nancy shook her head. “No, she just said it was very urgent she speak with you. I told her to wait at the front booth.”
I sighed. “Okay, I’ll be right out.”
Nancy nodded and shut the door.
I huffed, and placed the invoice back on the top of my stack. It had only been a few days since I’d last seen Bridget. I didn’t think she’d be back this soon. But maybe she’d scheduled a hair appointment for today that had brought her back to Asia Village.
However, when I got out into the dining room, I was more than surprised to find out that it wasn’t my former classmate waiting for me. It was Joyce Han, Margo’s sister.
My stomach dropped, my mouth dried, and my heart pounded. The way we’d left things at the dry cleaners, I didn’t think I would be hearing from her, much less seeing her any time soon.
I attempted to gather myself as I approached the table. Thankfully Nancy had already brought tea service, and I found Joyce sipping on some tea and staring out into the plaza watching the sparse shoppers make their way to the various shops.
I cleared my throat so as not to startle her. “Hello, Ms. Han.”
She turned slowly to face me and when she did, I could see the exhaustion and sadness in her eyes. It had only been about four days since I’d seen her last, but she looked as though she aged a year since then. “Hello, Miss Lee.”
“Please, call me Lana,”
I said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the booth. I placed my hands in my lap. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
She inhaled deeply. “I wasn’t expecting this of myself either. But I needed to talk to you in private. I figured if you were at all smart you would not try and reach out to me again. So, I knew it was up to me to find you.”
I leaned forward, and gave her a sympathetic frown. “I’m sorry if what happened at the dry cleaner upset you. That was not my intention at all.”
“Then what was your intention?” She pushed her teacup to the side. “That’s why I came today. I want to know what you’re up to.”
Choosing my words carefully, I explained to her what happened and how I’d come about finding Margo’s body after the class was over. I included the information about seeing the dimple-chinned man right as I left the first time, and that the janitor had come to my rescue. I left out my involvement with the administration office, and that I had met with Sabrina Hartford. I hadn’t yet decided if I wanted her to know about the photographs and the cryptic note.
She didn’t say anything right away, and I gathered that she was trying to make sense of everything I’d told her. After a few minutes of awkward silence, she said in a hushed tone, “I believe you.”
Relief washed over me, and I exhaled a deep breath, leaning backward in the booth. “I’m so glad to hear you say that,” I said. “I really just want to help find out what happened to your sister. She seemed like a genuinely kind person, and I think the police are looking at this all wrong.”
“I agree with that,” she said, reaching for her teacup. “Detective Bishop stayed to speak with me for a while after you left. It does not seem as though he is thinking about this clearly. When he left, I found myself becoming concerned that justice would not be found for my sister.”
“I can understand that,” I replied.
She held my eyes with hers, staring at me with what appeared to be contempt. But I couldn’t tell if it was directed at me or at the situation we found ourselves in. “I know, Miss Lee, I have done some of my own detective work and looked into who you are. I am aware of your past and your experience with these situations.”
I found my mouth beginning to dry again and wished that I could have some tea too. Under the circumstances, I felt like it would be rude to help myself. “I can assure you that—”
She held up a hand. “Please, you do not have to explain.”
I closed my mouth and let her continue.
“I came here to tell you that I understand what you are trying to do. I will not stop you from looking into what happened. You seem to be good at this. But, please, do not get in the way of anything the police may find. I don’t know if they will find anything, but you have to be careful. And you must not tell anyone that you spoke with me.”
“Of course,” I said. “I won’t breathe a word to anyone about this.”
She seemed to relax after I agreed to keep quiet.
“Can I ask you something though?”
She nodded for me to continue.
“What concerned you about the visit with Detective Bishop?”
Picking up the kettle to refill her teacup, she said, “He seemed very interested in you, and the janitor who was there that evening. He didn’t seem to think anyone else could be guilty.”
“I thought they were looking into the students and staff?”
She didn’t ask me how I knew this information; instead she scoffed at my question. “He says that, but I can tell that he is already convinced it is you and this man. I don’t even know this man. Margo never talked about him or anyone at the school besides a couple of women she had made friends with. I find this very dangerous to think so close-minded of any situation without having more proof.” She lifted the teacup to her lips, but before taking a sip, she asked, “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Of course. He couldn’t be more wrong,” I said. “I can promise you I had nothing to do with this.”
“As I’ve said, I believe you,” she replied. “What convinced me most was your business card.”
“My business card?”
“Yes, it was found in my sister’s back pocket. That’s when I knew something must be off.” She paused. “If you were guilty of murdering her, why would you have been stupid enough to give your business card to her that same evening?”
I’d forgotten all about that, and now that Joyce had brought it up, I was glad that I’d done it. Too bad that Detective Bishop didn’t see it that way.
We chatted for a few more minutes, and she gave me the first names of the women she thought might have been friends with Margo. I walked her to the door of the restaurant, and before she left she turned to me and said, “Be careful, Miss Lee. This Detective Bishop could be a lot of trouble for you.”
CHAPTER 21
It was getting close to five o’clock. The rest of the afternoon had flown by after my visit with Joyce, the lunch rush—I use the word “rush” loosely—and my managerial duties. I’d managed to go to the bank and get some of the bills paid and put in the mailbox before calling it a day.
Around four forty-five, Megan called my cell phone. “Hey, I’m sorry to have to do this to you, but I just got called into work. I can’t come with you to interrogate Robert Larkin.”
I held in a whine. “Ugh, of all nights to get called in.”
“Cassidy is sick, and we haven’t been able to get ahold of anyone else to come in. I might be able to leave early if someone calls us back, but that isn’t really going to help us get up to Barton’s at a reasonable time. It could take hours.”
“I really don’t want to wait,” I said, and proceeded to tell her about my visit with Joyce Han and what she’d said about Detective Bishop. “Would you be mad if I went without you?”
“I mean, I’m disappointed but I completely get it,” she replied. “I thought you didn’t want to go alone though? Who on earth are you going to get to go with you?”
I could only think of one person—aside from Megan—who was willing to go along with my harebrained schemes. “I’ll think of someone,” I mumbled.
Megan was silent for a few seconds. “Oh my god, you’re going to bring Kimmy, aren’t you?”
“She might have crossed my mind,” I said, noncommittally.
“Lana, come on. Maybe you should wait for me.”
“It’s gonna be fine,” I reassured her. “I’ve taken Kimmy places with me on a few occasions.”
“Yeah, and she’s a big mouth,” Megan replied. “Ugh, fine. Call me when you’re done. If I’m still at work, I want you to come by so I can hear everything that I missed out on.”
We hung up and I let out a heavy sigh. Megan was not a fan of Kimmy and the feeling was mutual. Even though the two girls were my closest friends, they did not see eye to eye on basically everything in existence.
Vanessa Wen walked through the door at exactly five o’clock, out of breath and scanning the restaurant nervously, most likely for me. She bounced over to the hostess booth where I was waiting not so patiently with my purse. “Hey boss, sorry to keep you waiting. I hit a ton of traffic coming into the plaza. There was a four-car pileup down the road.”
“Okay, well, you’re here now,” I said, slinging my purse over my shoulder. “Gotta go.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” my teenage helper said, holding up a hand. “Where’s my lecture on coming in at the last minute and how there probably wasn’t even an accident and I’m being dramatic and stuff?” She chomped on her gum. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m just in a hurry,” I replied over my shoulder. “I have to catch Kimmy before she leaves.”
Vanessa shrugged. “Cool. See ya, boss.”
I flew out the door, giving Vanessa a casual wave without turning around and made my way over to the Asian entertainment shop. Kimmy was no doubt getting ready to leave for the day. She usually worked the day shift since both of her parents had part-time jobs at local factories to help make ends meet. Though busine
ss had picked up for them in recent months with the surge of interest in Asian film, they were still trying to get themselves back in the black.
Kimmy moonlighted as a waitress at a gentleman’s club on Brookpark Road, and it was probably the best kept secret at the plaza since only Peter, myself, Megan, and Adam knew about it. If the Matrons ever got a hold of that information, it would be all over the plaza in no time, and the next thing you’d know, Kimmy would be shipped off to a Buddhist monastery in the most remote mountaintops that China’s landscape could provide.
I found my friend behind the sales counter, chatting with her mother, Sue. Kimmy stopped mid-sentence as they both noticed me approaching.
“Hi, Mrs. Tran,” I said, walking up to the counter. “Hey, Kimmy.”
Sue gave me a big smile; her plump cheeks rising with the gesture. “It’s so nice to see you, Lana. How is your mother? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
I shrugged. “She’s okay. Busy with my grandmother and making sure she stays out of trouble.”
Sue laughed. “When your parents get older, they can be a handful. My mother was the same way.”
“What’s up, Lee?” Kimmy said, breaking through the formalities. “Finally come to clear your conscience and fess up?”
Sue turned to her daughter. “What are you talking about, Kimmy? You are always giving people a hard time.”
“Ugh, don’t worry about it, Mom. I’m just teasing Lana. She can handle it. Can’t you, Lee?”
I played the good-natured roll in front of her mother. “Of course. Just girls being silly with each other.”
Sue seemed to approve, and nodded her consent. “I suppose it is good for young ladies to be playful. Just remember to be respectful.”
Kimmy clucked her tongue. “Yeah, yeah. Come on, Lee, I’m outta here.”
I said goodbye to Mrs. Tran, and we headed out into the plaza.
“So, what’s up? You need me for something?” Kimmy asked once we were out of earshot.
I was just about to tell her the reason I’d come to see her when Peter approached. “Hey, ladies,” he said, wrapping an arm around Kimmy’s shoulders and planting a kiss on her cheek. “What are my two favorite troublemakers up to now?” He appeared more lively than earlier in the day and seemed to have caught a second wind.