by Vivien Chien
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Kimmy replied. “I say we do more snooping. I didn’t come out to Parma just to have a disappointing conversation in a broom closet. I want some action, Lee.” She glanced around, hyper mode returning.
“I hate to break it to you,” I replied, trying to usher her toward the exit. “There’s not much we can do at this point. We came here to talk to Robert Larkin, and we did that.”
“Didn’t you tell me that Margo’s sister said something about Margo having some teacher friends? Let’s find them and see what they know.”
“I only have their first names, and I didn’t get to search the directory for who they could be.”
“So, let’s do it now.” Kimmy said, clapping her hands and rubbing them together with enthusiasm. “This could be our lucky ticket to the missing clue.”
I was beginning to regret bringing Kimmy with me, but maybe she was right. If I wanted to get the answers I was searching for, then I needed to try a lot harder.
We grabbed a program from one of the acrylic displays sprinkled around the learning center and found an empty couch that was out of the way.
Kimmy skimmed the left-hand pages, while I scanned the right side. Joyce had told me earlier that day that Margo had talked a few times about a woman named Melissa—which was an extremely common name—and then mentioned another woman by the name of Phyllis, which thankfully wasn’t that popular of a name and would be easier to spot.
I found Phyllis listed under the arts and crafts section, which brought Kimmy a little bit of amusement.
Kimmy slapped the page with the back of her hand. “Well, looks like Phyllis teaches good ole water-coloring.”
“We’re not actually taking a class, Kimmy,” I reminded her.
She snickered. “Speak for yourself. I can’t let my boyfriend have all the talent in the artistic department. Maybe I’ll sign up for this.”
“Lana?” a feminine voice asked from behind us.
I shifted on the couch and saw Bridget smiling at me.
“How funny running into you here!” she said with a laugh. “Are you here to sign up for the new cooking class?”
“Uh, hi Bridget,” I said, trying to gather my thoughts. What were the chances of me running into her today of all days?
“Well hey there, Bridget,” Kimmy said with a hint of sarcasm, extending a hand. “I’m Lana’s friend, Kimmy. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, nice to meet you too,” Bridget replied, slightly taken aback by Kimmy’s tone. “I hope I didn’t disturb you two, but I just had to come over and say hi. I didn’t think you’d be back here.”
“I … didn’t think so either,” I said, unsure of how to explain myself. I definitely couldn’t tell her the truth. “What’s this about the cooking class being back on?”
Bridget gestured to the administration office. “Yeah, I just got done signing up for it. I assumed that’s why you were here.” Her eyes fell to the open course-listing program in our laps.
“Absolutely,” Kimmy said, again beating me to the punch. “Me and Lana are going to take the class … together.”
The excitement on Bridget’s face dissipated. “Oh, well I was hoping that we could have been partners. But it’ll still be fun to have some friendly faces in the class with me. I wonder whether many people will be repeats from the last class. I hope I don’t get stuck sitting next to that dull guy again.”
As much as I was mad at Kimmy for volunteering us to take the class, what Bridget said did spark an interest in me. Could that mean the killer might be back too? I mean, if they wanted to look innocent, then they would be hiding in plain sight if they continued taking the class. Assuming that the killer had been in the class to begin with. I still wasn’t sure what I felt about that. Right now, a majority of my suspicions were falling on Anthony. He was the last person I’d seen with Margo while she was alive. Which made me wonder … why wasn’t that a concern of Detective Bishop’s? I’d told him that I’d seen a man with Margo before I left. Had he even bothered to look into it? Perhaps now that I knew who Anthony actually was, I should relay that information to Detective Bishop. It was an adjustment to my original statement, after all.
“Lana?” Bridget asked, bending down. “Are you okay?”
“Huh?” I sprang back to the present. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking about the class.”
“Yeah, the administration office is getting ready to close in thirty minutes; if you want to sign up and make it to tomorrow’s class then you guys better get in there fast.”
“Good idea, Bridget!” Kimmy said. “We’re gonna head there now. So nice meeting you.”
I cleared my throat, giving Kimmy a pointed look.
Kimmy pursed her lips. “Sorry, I’m a little hyper tonight.”
Bridget smiled, though it didn’t appear genuine. “No problem. I’ll leave you guys to it, and I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
We watched Bridget walk away and when she was out of range, I smacked Kimmy on the arm. “What the heck is wrong with you? Did you have to be so rude?”
Kimmy jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “That girl is weird, Lana … capital W. Something is totally off about your little friend there. It was like rolling off her in waves. Didn’t you feel it?”
“She’s a little overly friendly, but that’s about it. Maybe she doesn’t know a lot of people,” I replied.
“No way, there’s definitely something off about her.” Kimmy stood up, knocking the program to the floor, and craned her neck to see if she could still spot Bridget, but she was long gone. She plopped back down, disappointed. “She’s for sure weird. Capital W and then underline it.”
“Adam thinks she’s harmless. He called her a ‘rubbernecker’.”
Kimmy tilted her head. “A rubbernecker?”
“Yeah, you know, when people see an accident and they crane their necks to gawk at it.”
“Oh! Okay, well whatever; he didn’t meet her, right?”
“No, you’re the first person to meet her. Although, Megan did have some suspicions about her, too.”
Kimmy cringed, but didn’t comment on her and Megan both having the same viewpoint. “Well, okay then. Your boyfriend is hot stuff and everything, Lana, but it doesn’t mean he’s always right about everything. And trust me when I say that girl is strange.”
“Fine, fine. I can see your point. It’s very possible that her coming around is a little too convenient.” I started to think back, remembering my encounters with Bridget, and how she seemed to always show up at opportune moments. I thought about the conversation we’d had the day she popped up at Asia Village and her insistence that I wanted to get involved and all the unknown variables that existed. At the time I had brushed it off as morbid curiosity, but maybe there was something to all of it that I hadn’t acknowledged completely.
Kimmy tucked her hair behind her ears. “Great, I’m glad you agree with me on something.” She leaned forward to grab the discarded program, and then stood up. “Now come on, we have a class to sign up for.”
* * *
We left the school after both of us registered for the cooking class that would start back up the following day. Thankfully the evil woman who’d given me my refund wasn’t working that evening, but neither was my intern friend Sabrina. Only one older lady was in the administration office, and I was relieved to find that she was quite the pleasant employee. Kimmy had worn herself out by then, but she did ask the woman behind the desk if Phyllis Ubert was teaching a class that night. When the woman told us no, Kimmy finally agreed it was time to call it a night.
I dropped her back off at Asia Village where she’d left her car in the parking lot. It was already past eight o’clock, and I couldn’t believe how much time that whole thing had taken. It was a good thing I hadn’t waited on Megan after all.
Before pulling out of the plaza’s parking lot, I took a moment to text Megan and see where she was and if she’d been able to leave work. A few minutes later she replied and told me
that she was still at the Zodiac and I should stop by to fill her in on what happened at Barton’s.
I was feeling hungry and didn’t see myself cooking any dinner when I got home, so I decided to head straight over to the bar and get myself a big fat cheeseburger.
The bar was virtually dead when I got there, so I had my pick of seats. I chose my usual stool at the end of the bar anyway. Megan came out of the kitchen just as I sat down.
“You gonna eat?” she asked, plucking a liquor bottle from the shelf display that lined the bar.
“Yeah, I wanted a mushroom cheeseburger with extra pickles, and lots of curly fries with Cajun seasoning.”
“Man, you really worked up an appetite, didn’t you?” Megan returned the liquor bottle back on the shelf, and chose another to add to the drink. I had no idea what tonight’s concoction would be.
I rested my head in the palm of my hand. “Dealing with Kimmy tonight was a lot. Normally she’s not this amped up right out the gate.”
Megan snickered. “That’s what you get for taking her and not me.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice,” I replied. “You’re stuck here, and I really needed to get there tonight. It’s a good thing I did too. Wait until you hear this.”
She finished making my drink, which turned out to be something called a Lavish Libra. It could only be described as sipping on liquid cotton candy. Though it was quite delicious, it wasn’t something I could continue to drink all night unless I wanted to be picked up off the floor.
Once I’d tested her new experiment and given it my stamp of approval, I went through the details of my day, giving her the extended version of what happened with Joyce and then my adventure with Kimmy at Barton’s.
“I hate to admit that I agree with her,” Megan began. “But from the beginning I have thought there’s something odd about that girl.”
“Like I’ve said before, she is a decent-sized woman,” I said. “And could easily overpower someone of Margo’s size. But as far as motives go, I still can’t come up with one to save my life.”
“Well, you’re gonna have to get to know her better is all, Lana. It doesn’t seem like she plans on going away anytime soon, so that’s something in our favor. And then if things get too weird with her, you can always sic Kimmy on her.”
I laughed. “It was a good move on Kimmy’s part to have us join that class. I don’t think I would have done it had she not been with me. Especially risking the fact that my mother or Peter will find out about it. Kimmy better not blab, that’s all I’m saying.”
“So, the girl was good for something tonight after all,” Megan smirked. “She’s still not my favorite person, though I will say she’s good at keeping a secret when it counts. I don’t think you have to worry about her telling Peter anything. She’ll probably get a kick out of keeping it from him.”
“You know, one of these days you guys are gonna have to get over it and make nice with each other.”
“One day…” Megan agreed. “But not today. Anyways, let me place your order. It shouldn’t take long since no one has ordered food in over an hour. Dean is probably asleep back there.”
I let my mind wander while Megan was away. There were two guys at the other end of the bar and neither one of them was talking. Both had their eyes fixed on the TV above them, and if I had to guess, they were probably watching the basketball game. One of the channels was set to the QVC channel and I doubted they had any interest in buying a floral-patterned silk scarf that the woman on the screen was currently modeling.
My food was ready in under twenty minutes, and I dug into my burger like I hadn’t seen food in a decade. One of the guys who had been concentrating on the basketball game glanced in my direction for a minute, and I had a moment of self-consciousness, wondering what his inner dialogue might sound like. I imagined him thinking to himself, “Wow, look at that little Asian girl go.”
Once I finished my food, cleaning my plate completely except for the decorative piece of parsley that came on every dish they served, I found myself sleepy and ready for bed. I only stayed for a few more minutes after I’d finished eating. I paid my bill and left my best friend a generous tip before heading out the door.
When I got home, I took Kikko out for her final tinkle of the evening, showered, and stuffed myself into my pajamas. I pulled out my notebook from under my mattress with the full intention of filling out the day’s events, but I was so tired, I dozed off with the pen in my hand. I didn’t realize it, of course, until I woke with a start around three o’clock from a nightmare. I’d dreamt that everything surrounding me was covered in black shadows, and when I called for help no one could see me, even though they were standing right next to me. As far as nightmares go, it was a pretty tame one for me, but it still left me sweaty and filled with a sense of dread.
I switched on the light to gather myself and tucked the notebook back under my mattress. The sooner I solved this case, the better. I enjoyed sleep too much to let it be ruined by my overactive imagination.
CHAPTER 24
When I woke up Tuesday morning, the remnants of my nightmare mid-sleep seemed like a distant memory. It’s so interesting how fear seems more pressing in the early morning hours, and then with the light of day, safety and a sense of security return.
I dressed for work, made coffee, took Kikko on a short walk around the building, and then hopped into my car wondering what the day would bring.
The Matrons arrived on time, and reported that they had found nothing of use but were still on the case. At this point, considering how little everyone seemed to know about Margo, I wasn’t holding out much hope. If someone wasn’t friends with her directly, I didn’t see anyone knowing anything much of use.
Our mailman, James, arrived as the Matrons were heading out. He said hello to all of them, and the group spent a few minutes chitchatting before the ladies continued on their way.
James greeted me at the hostess stand. “Good morning, Lana. I’ve got a special delivery for you today.” He followed his announcement with a prideful smile as though he was just about to make my day.
“Morning, James,” I replied. “Whatcha got for me?”
He handed me a square envelope that looked to be the size of a greeting card. “I thought it might be your birthday or something. They made sure to write your name in big bold letters.”
I inspected the envelope. There was no return address or any marking to identify where it came from. It was postmarked as being sent the day before. “Thanks, James…” I mumbled, preoccupied by the envelope. “It’s not my birthday though, it’s already come and gone.”
“Oh well, happy belated birthday, if that’s the case,” he said in a chipper tone. “You don’t look a day over twenty-one to me.”
I glanced up and smiled. I wasn’t quite at the age yet where I wanted to look younger than my years, but from what my mother and her friends told me, that time would be coming around soon enough.
“Here’s the rest of your mail,” James said, handing over the remaining stack of envelopes. “Not a lot more excitement going on today, just looks like more bills.”
We said goodbye, and I was left alone with an envelope that was beginning to make me anxious. I grabbed for the letter opener I kept stashed under the cash register and slid it through the slender gap to break the seal.
It was some type of greeting card. The card was facedown as I pulled it out of the envelope, and as I flipped it over, whatever had been stuck in the middle fluttered out onto the ground. The front of the card showed three giraffes with party hats, and a speech bubble that read SURPRISE!
I hopped off the stool and reached for what had fallen. It was a photo, and as I stared at the picture, trying to make sense of what I was looking at, a chill ran down my spine. It was Sabrina and me sitting at the bar on Sunday hovered over the pictures and the note she’d received in her work locker.
Forgetting my surroundings, I was completely caught off guard when the bells above the
door jingled and I jumped backward, dropping the card and photo onto the ground while also knocking over my stool.
It was Ian Sung, the property manager, who was staring back at me. “Lana, are you all right? I didn’t mean to startle you.” His eyes traveled down to the card and photo, which was facing backside up. “Here, let me—”
“No!” I yelled, maybe a tad too aggressively. “I’ll get it. It’s fine.”
He furrowed his perfectly arched eyebrows at me. “Okay…”
Bending down as gracefully as I could in the knee-length skirt I’d chosen to wear that day, I picked up the card and photo, making sure not to expose the picture in the process.
Ian watched me with intrigue. “Is everything okay with you? You look a bit rattled.”
In truth, I felt like a mess. I wanted to run and hide in my office, call Adam, and not come out until he came here fully armed. This meant that someone was watching me … and Sabrina. I needed to talk to her. But I couldn’t exactly tell any of this to Ian.
“I’m fine,” I replied, falling short of sounding truthful.
“If you’re sure.” He looked so composed compared to how I felt. Though Ian was always put together well in his fancy French suits and polished Italian shoes. His raven black hair was usually slicked down and combed to the side with a distinguished part off to the left. He kept the sides short and faded, and apart from his thin sideburns, he never entertained anything besides a clean-shaven face. Everything about him reminded me of a classic 1930s gangster sans fedora—which he did own and often sported during the colder months.
I stuffed the card and photo back into the envelope and shoved it underneath the counter. I’d noticed some writing on the inside of the card, but I’d have to wait until Ian left before I could look at it. “Really, I’m okay. What can I help you with?”
He held out a hand and moved around me, picking up the stool and setting it back down properly. “I just wanted to swing by and see how you were. I haven’t seen you in a few days and got a little concerned. You missed a board meeting the other night.”