by JJ Chow
Occam’s Razor. It was like he’d told Gaffey. The simplest solution worked the best. Who would stand to gain if those two died?
Orchid kept talking. “Why can’t the medication list be on paper? Everyone always adds to the Google doc, changes stuff. It messes everything up—”
Winston gripped her arm. He had a hunch about the killer’s identity, and this would confirm it. Pointing to Orchid’s phone, he said, “Can you access that Google doc for me?”
She pulled it up, and Winston saw the list of medications for the previous week. In black and white, the blood thinner had been moved over to the end of the week. It’d been recopied repeatedly. And the document had tracked the user who’d changed the medication distribution.
Winston showed the person’s name to Orchid, and she blanched. “But that says—”
The door burst open.
CHAPTER 28
TAL STOOD IN THE RESTROOM’S doorway, his frame more upright than usual. Where was his usual muscle soreness that required a perpetual tube of smelly ointment?
Tal’s eyes widened at the sight of Orchid. “Ah, the wicked stepmother, always overworking me until my body feels like it’s broken. Well, all the better. Two for the price of one.” After Tal marched in, he slammed the door shut and locked it.
“Why are you trapping us inside?” Orchid asked. She looked back and forth between Winston and Tal as if waiting for an explanation.
Winston pointed at Tal. “Your stepson, he’s responsible for Ming’s death. Didn’t you read the spreadsheet?”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Orchid rubbed her forehead and peered at Tal. “You’re not ambitious. You always complain about the business.”
Tal sneered at his stepmother. “This was my golden opportunity to stop the work abuse, to change things.”
Winston could feel Tal’s anger at Orchid and tried to shift the focus from her. “Why mess with the pills?” he asked Tal. “You could’ve won the competition and took control of the company fair and square.”
Tal shook his head. “That would take too long. Ba didn’t want to retire. And besides, Fort was always his favorite, so big and strong. The contest would’ve been rigged.”
Winston could see how Tal might feel overshadowed by his older brother. Although Tal seemed quite the leader now.
Winston tried to reason with him. “Why don’t you let Orchid go? She’s old—”
Orchid shot Winston a dirty look, but he didn’t care. He’d play the age card if he needed to. Besides, if Tal freed Orchid, she could alert the authorities.
“I can’t release her,” Tal said. “She knows too much and will tell on me. Besides, she’s the reason we were pushed to work so hard in the first place. When Ba remarried, he gave us a ton more to do—because he had to support his new wife.”
As Tal rifled through his murse, Winston tried to calm him down. “Don’t do anything rash. I’m sure you can explain everything away to the police. After all, you were under a lot of stress.”
Winston saw Tal pull out a familiar bottle. The baijiu he’d ordered at Sambal. Was he going to break it over Winston’s head? Had Winston unwittingly paid for his own instrument of death?
Tal gestured with huge hand motions. The contents of the full bottle sloshed around. “You couldn’t leave things alone, could you? Even after I gave you a warning with the van—”
“It was you who tried to drive into me?” Winston backed up against the counter. The edge of the sink dug into his hip.
“Who else? But you didn’t take the hint. Kept on investigating.” Tal growled out the next words. “Even left a message with the motel that you’d found something at the Mystery Shack. I thought I’d been so careful, too. What was it?”
Winston gulped. “It was . . . nothing, unimportant.”
“Yeah, right.” Tal twisted off the bottle cap. “Was it the muscle rub? Too much on the staircase?”
Aha. Tal’s greasy ointment. That had made the stairs super slippery.
“The pills weren’t enough for you to mess with . . . You had to ensure your dad fell,” Winston said.
“I couldn’t rely on his weak heart. Needed to up the stakes, so I made sure to grease the steps right before Ba climbed them. I pretended I was putting on my muscle rub ointment but added some to the stairs when the rest of the family wasn’t looking.”
That explained the lingering sharp odor in the Mystery Shack. “And how did you get rid of Fort? There were so many witnesses at the restaurant.”
Tal pulled out his handkerchief and stuffed it into the mouth of the bottle. “Ha. Lots of people eating, chatting, fighting. It was super easy to slip peanut sauce into Fort’s dessert.”
Orchid sat down in the corner of the bathroom and started rocking. “You killed Ming. And then Fort. To take over the family business.”
“Now you get it, dear stepmother.” From his murse, Tal retrieved a book of matches.
Orchid stopped rocking and looked at Tal’s hands. “What are you going to do with those?”
But Winston knew exactly why Tal had alcohol, cloth, and matches. And it wasn’t any kind of cocktail Winston wanted to taste.
It’s now or never, Winston thought. He had to find something in the bathroom to help him. Too bad old Mrs. Chan looked useless curled in the corner.
But she surprised him. As Tal lit his match, Orchid let out a blood-curdling scream. Shocked, Tal dropped his match onto the checkered floor, where it sputtered out.
Meanwhile, Winston found a weapon. He launched at Tal with the potted flower in his hands. Aiming for the base of Tal’s head, he swung hard. A resounding thud. Then Tal crumpled to the ground.
Orchid screamed again, a piercing shriek that wouldn’t let up. It was so loud he missed the pounding at the door. He only knew others had come to check on them when the door splintered open.
CHAPTER 29
ALEX CAME RUSHING THROUGH the broken door, wielding an axe. “What happened? I heard screaming.” His head swiveled, looking around the room.
Winston knew the scene would appear odd. He himself held up the potted orchid like a shield. Orchid had stopped shrieking, and her mouth now hung wide open. Tal lay on the floor, unconscious, a broken bottle in his hand.
“Tal tried to attack us,” Winston said. “But I got him good.” He patted the flower pot with affection.
“Looks like it.” Alex lowered his axe and stepped over to Orchid. “Are you all right, ma’am?”
Orchid closed her mouth and nodded.
A commotion sounded from the hallway. Winston heard loud clomping footsteps before Gaffey burst into the bathroom—with the officiant in tow.
Gaffey flashed his badge while the celebrant cowered in a corner. The cop’s eyes narrowed at Winston. “What trouble have you stirred up now?”
“I was defending myself,” Winston said, pushing the flowers in front of Gaffey’s face.
The cop sneezed. He looked over at Tal’s unconscious body and back to the plant in Winston’s hands. “You used that as a weapon?”
“There’s not much else in here,” Winston said, placing the pot back on the bathroom counter.
Gaffey put his forefinger and thumb up to his forehead and squeezed. “And exactly why would Tal be attacking you?”
“I solved the case. He murdered his dad and Fort.” Winston tried to strut, but it wasn’t as meaningful in his Space Invaders shirt.
“Those are very strong accusations. Do you have any proof?”
Orchid straightened up and said, “I heard Tal confess. He tried to kill me, too.”
Winston pointed to the broken bottle. “If the Molotov cocktail isn’t enough to show you his killer nature, maybe you should check out the Google doc for Ming’s medications. Tal changed up the pills.”
Orchid’s brow furrowed as she added, “And he greased the steps in the Mystery Shack with muscle rub. Maybe you can check for fingerprints.” She patted her purse. “Plus, I have the peanut sauce container he used to poison F
ort with as more evidence.”
Gaffey’s eyes goggled with all the information. He pulled out a notepad and started jotting everything down.
The doorbell rang then, loud and strident. A barrage of voices and footsteps headed their way. The entire Chan clan soon craned their necks around the bathroom door.
Viv squeezed inside and threw her arms around Orchid. “Mom, are you okay?”
The two seemed super close. No wonder Orchid had tried to cover for her baby girl. Winston was glad he’d kept the old lady safe and unscorched.
The other Chans tried to budge in but got stuck in the narrow doorway. They murmured at seeing Tal’s prostrate body.
“What happened to Tal?” Lyle asked, even as he lifted his camera above his siblings’ heads and snapped photos.
“This is official police business.” Gaffey lifted his badge high in the air. “No bystanders.”
The Chans’ voices grew more animated.
“I’ll tell you everything,” Orchid said to them as she motioned her family away. The other siblings disappeared from the doorway, but Viv remained.
She stopped before Winston and said, “Excuse me, but I think you found something in the shack? Could it be . . . ?”
Winston reached into his pocket and pulled out the rose brooch. “All yours,” he said.
“Thank you. It’s a family heirloom.” She pinned it on. “Now I’m ready for your wedding.”
The wedding! Winston hardly noticed Viv excusing herself as he turned his attention to the officiant in the corner. “And why are you so late?”
Pointing to Gaffey, the celebrant said, “He pulled me over and started questioning me.”
“You stopped my officiant?” Winston asked Gaffey.
The cop shrugged. “Doing my job. Kristy told me about that van following you. And this man was driving a gray-colored car.”
“A sedan,” the celebrant said, scratching his bald head.
A suspicion surfaced in Winston’s mind. He stood eye to eye with Gaffey. “Was this really about helping me—or hindering my wedding?”
A flush bloomed on Gaffey’s cheeks. “Well, I had to try, didn’t I? Delay the inevitable somehow.”
“You are definitely not invited to the ceremony,” Winston said as he grabbed the tux from the back of the door. “But in the meantime, you can arrest Tal.”
Alex piped up. “What a mess,” he said as he surveyed the room. “I’ll have to pay the maid double.”
“Oh, the problems of the rich,” Winston said. Which reminded him . . .
“Here are the rings,” he told Alex. “Courtesy of your girlfriend who happened to ‘find them’ in her purse.”
Alex gave him a puzzled look. “Huh. Guess I didn’t look there. Well, you can change upstairs,” he said to Winston. “I’ll let the crowd know we’ll be starting soon.”
Winston began heading out, but Gaffey called him back. “Congrats,” the cop said.
“Yeah, I’m glad to put this case to rest.”
Gaffey pulled at his earlobe. “I meant you deserve your detective title . . . and the girl.”
Winston nodded at Gaffey’s compliments. “Don’t worry. Your time will come.” Then he hung his tux over his arm and left to get ready for what would be an insanely great wedding.
CHAPTER 30
STANDING NEAR THE GAZEBO, Winston thought he didn’t look half bad in his rented tux with the Sherlock cufflinks. He fidgeted with them as he watched the bridesmaids glide down the runner lying on the vibrant green grass.
He hadn’t known what he was missing until Kristy walked into his life. Or rather, he stumbled into hers after somebody had fat-fingered his ad and introduced a typo in it. His new “seniors’ sleuth” title gave him a case at the local retirement home where she had been working.
An indignant yowl brought him out of his reverie. Blueberry was led down the aisle on a leash by the ring bearer, Kristy’s genius toddler nephew, and her sister-in-law. The little boy kept yanking on the line, and Blueberry protested every move forward.
Blueberry didn’t appreciate his role as flower cat, as it required a silk bag stuffed with rose petals attached to his collar. But as he jerked forward, the cat shook his body and deposited the petals everywhere. At the end of their stroll, the boy’s mom picked up both the toddler and the cat and deposited them in the front row.
Finally, the strains of the “Wedding March” started, and Winston took a giant gulp. Kristy soon came into view and looked amazing in her formal gown. Swaths of sheer fabric enveloped her, enough to satisfy even Anastasia’s taste. A long train trailed behind Kristy, and she wore a glittering tiara on her head. A delicate veil attached to the headpiece fell behind her chestnut locks.
The rest of the ceremony proceeded with Winston in a daze. He even had to be prompted by the celebrant to take the ring and slip it onto Kristy’s finger. He just remembered staring into her warm brown eyes, which felt like home, and disappearing from the rest of the world.
Only after the sweetness of their kiss and the pronouncement of “Mr. and Mrs. Wong” did Winston finally notice the gathered crowd. While Jazzman played “Chances Are,” friends and family clapped and beamed as he and Kristy made their way down the aisle.
Then he and his bride (!) stood in the back to receive the guests as they exited. Everyone wished them well and gave them compliments on the wedding.
The Chan family was the last to congratulate them.
Standing before Kristy, Orchid wiped away a tear. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you.” Kristy planted a kiss on the older woman’s cheek.
“Your joy today reminded me of my own wedding with Ming.” She turned to Winston. “Thanks for figuring out what really happened to my husband . . . and to Fort.”
He looked over the rest of the Chan family. Their faces appeared mixed with emotion as they clustered around Kristy. Though they gave her hugs and warm wishes, he knew it was a bittersweet day for them. How would the family function without Ming and the two oldest sons?
“I hope you can all move on and go forward from here,” he said to Orchid.
She clasped his hand with both of hers. “Yes. I’m going to burn more incense to Guanyin for greater mercies in the afterlife. And plead to the god of war to wreak havoc on Tal.”
“Oh. Er, may Ming and Fort rest in peace. And justice be done through the judicial system,” Winston said.
Orchid motioned for Viv to step forward. “We have a gift for you, Winston.”
The youngest Chan daughter carried a giant bag in her arms: a neon-orange briefcase done up with sequined tiger stripes. “For you,” Viv said, running her fingers across the smooth part of the bag’s surface. “The finest in pleather.”
“Uh,” Winston said.
Kristy saw him floundering and gave the Chan family a sweet smile. She adjusted Winston’s hands around the briefcase. “This could be useful for holding your detective gear.”
Winston averted his gaze from the garish orange color and mumbled, “Yeah, thanks. Very thoughtful.”
After he shook each of their hands, the Chan family filed out of the clearing. Then he turned to his bride.
“Business is officially done,” Winston said. “Time to party.”
They had booked a fancy ten-course banquet at a nearby Chinese restaurant. And after eating, they’d go straight to the airport. Winston couldn’t wait to start their honeymoon.
AFTER THE DELICIOUS banquet reception, Winston and Kristy changed from their fine attire and went to the airport. Their flight was delayed, but they spent their time chatting about the wedding banquet. In the middle of a detailed description of the succulent roast duck, Marcy and Gary appeared at their boarding gate.
His sister hugged them. “Congratulations again.” Then she plopped her luggage next to their seats. Gary stood behind Marcy, his hand resting on the handle of his rolling bag.
“What are you doing here?” Winston asked. Had she finagled a special gate pass to say
goodbye? Or maybe she was waiting for a show of gratitude for her help. She had booked the honeymoon trip to Tahiti, he remembered. “Thanks again for making the arrangements.”
“Yes, it’ll be so fun to explore Tahiti together.” She looked over at her husband and held his hand. “Our hut isn’t too far from yours, Winston.”
Kristy’s eyelids fluttered. “Really?”
Winston groaned. “Marcy, it’s a honeymoon.”
“Gotcha!” Marcy laughed and started gathering her luggage. “You should have seen the look on your face.”
Gary shook his head but smiled. “She wanted to play a joke on you. Saw your flight was delayed and decided to sneak up on you.”
Marcy pointed down the corridor. “Our gate’s that way. Direct flight to London.”
“Let’s go home,” Gary said, placing his hand on Marcy’s shoulder.
They left Winston and Kristy with a cheerful wave, Marcy still letting out a few chuckles.
The gate attendant informed them that their flight was now boarding. Winston and Kristy walked over to the scanner and passed over their tickets. Two boarding passes. He loved seeing Kristy intertwined with Wong. The pair of them together for life.
Kristy tugged on his sleeve. “Come along, Winston. You don’t want to miss our honeymoon.”
“Yes, Mrs. Wong.” He linked arms with Kristy as they moved onto their next adventure.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THANK YOU FOR READING Wedding Woes. If you enjoyed this book, please leave a kind review online.
Make sure to check out my other writing at www.jenniferjchow.com/books. And you can sign up for my author newsletter for additional updates at http://eepurl.com/Y52yj.
Again, I’m grateful to Linda G. Hatton for her eagle eyes and honed editing skills. Much love to a supportive creative community, particularly my writing group, Sisters in Crime, and Crime Writers of Color.
Thank you goes out to my family for inspiration and encouragement. Also, hugs and kisses to my groom, Steve, who has supported my writing from the very beginning.