Smoldering Flames and Secrets

by Anne R. Tan

It took twenty minutes for Raina to inch her way inside the structure. She looped around twice and found a spot on the third floor. She got into the elevator and squeezed herself into a small corner as more people got on at each level. When they got to the plaza square, everyone burst forth. There was already a line waiting to fill the elevator for the trip back below ground. She hurried out and moved out of their way.

  “Raina! Over here.”

  She turned to see her grandma sitting with the other senior citizens playing Chinese chess underneath a cherry blossom tree. The city plaza was a gathering place for both locals and visitors alike. Surrounded by skyscrapers, there were several pagodas with tiled roofs and cherry blossom trees scattered about the square. While the children played in the fenced in playground area, their parents could watch the elders facing off at the Chinese chess tables, join a tai chi class, or listen to a musical performance from Chinese instruments. There were always comings and goings at the plaza.

  Raina waved to her grandma and hustled over to join her. “You didn’t have to come here. I could have walked to the apartment.” Her grandma had spent the morning with her friends playing mahjong.

  Po Po said a phrase in Chinese that translated to: by the time you get here, the flies would be asleep. In other words, it was quicker for her grandma to walk the three blocks than to wait for Raina to park the car.

  “Patience is a virtue for big city living,” Raina said, grinning even though she knew it probably irritated her grandma. Po Po approached life like she had a rocket strapped to her backside. “What are you in the mood for?”

  “The Golden Gate Bakery?”

  Raina shook her head. Her grandma’s favorite bakery had a line even longer than the one for the parking garage. She gestured at the restaurants across the street. “How about some noodles? Wonton mein or pho?”

  “I’m not in the mood for Chinese food. So let’s have pho.”

  They made their way to the Vietnamese restaurant, jaywalking like everybody else. A car honked at them, a quick beep to let them know the driver was there. Po Po waved at him and picked up her pace.

  Unlike the other parts of the city, cars rarely went through the narrow streets of Chinatown faster than ten to fifteen miles an hour. Everyone dodged in and out of the vehicles whenever they stopped at a red light. For the people who grew up here, jaywalking was a way of life.

  After they placed their order, Po Po asked, “How did it go? Did the husband break down into tears and confess that he killed his wife?”

  “Nothing that dramatic. However, Arianna Cobb was the one having an affair. Not her husband.”

  Po Po rubbed her hands together. “I can tell this is juicy.”

  The corner of Raina’s mouth twitched, and she took a sip of water to hide her smile.

  “Well?” Po Po said. “Don’t leave me in suspense.”

  “He seems to be in shock over his wife’s death. He’s sitting in his office with an open sign on his front door, but I don’t think he’s capable of seeing any patients right now.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  Raina wrinkled her brow, mentally reviewing the interview again. “He put on a good show. I would have believed him if he didn’t mention her affair.”

  12

  A Train Wreck

  Po Po leaned in. “You’re killing me, Sherlock. Get on with it.”

  Raina took a sip of water, enjoying the moment. She could tell her grandma was biting her tongue. “Like I said, I believed him until he told us about the rumor of his wife’s affair. His vehement denial made me wonder for a minute if he could have killed her because she’d planned to leave him.”

  “Who is her lover?”

  Raina shook her head. “I don’t know. We’ll need to talk to the people who knew her. This would be difficult because I don’t have any authority to investigate her death.”

  “That hasn’t stopped you before.”

  “Blue gave me the Starbucks address, and Lucy found two yoga studios within walking distance. Stopping by the two places might take up most of tomorrow morning.”

  “Mrs. Santos and I will be taking a pole dancing class on Wednesday. It’s a long shot, but maybe she might know something.”

  The food arrived, and Raina dug into the beef noodle soup. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

  “Lucy was able to track down a handful of the reviewers who posted negative comments about Bridget’s wedding planning company,” Po Po said. “They came from a former client who felt that Bridget ruined her wedding by not double-checking the food menu. The caterer served something the bride’s mother was allergic to. Sent the poor woman to the hospital."

  Raina nodded and continued eating. She would give Bridget a call after they were done here.

  Po Po slipped a sheet of paper across the table. “Here is her name and contact information.”

  When Raina was satiated, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her stomach with a sigh of contentment.

  Po Po was still munching on her first pork spring roll. “That took you less than fifteen minutes. You’ll end up with a stomach ache.”

  “Don’t worry. I have Pepto.” Raina took a sip of water. “Good job on tracking down the negative reviewer. I forgot to tell you who showed up after our visit to Jason Cobb.”

  “The Dalai Lama? How would I know?”

  Raina gestured at the spring roll. “Keep eating, Miss Cranky Pants. It was Smith.” She tapped her fingers on the tabletop, trying to order her thoughts. “There’s something about him that’s bothering me.” She told her grandma about Detective Wise’s appearance and the comment on the internal affairs investigation on Smith.

  “Sounds like they’re on opposite sides.” Po Po bit into the spring roll. “No one takes you seriously when you’re a cute little thing. Detective Wise probably felt like she had to prove herself.”

  “I don’t know if that’s exactly the case in this situation. Even if they were bickering over jurisdiction, a professional would not do this in front of a citizen. And if Smith is suspended, then why would he show up to take a police report on a break-in and to visit Jason Cobb? It’s not adding up.”

  “How do you know you can trust Detective Wise?”

  Raina shrugged. “I don’t know. Hal likes her. He’s the salt of the earth type, so his good opinion means something. Although, I do plan to call the San Francisco PD to see if Smith is on duty.”

  “Trust, but verify?”

  “You got it.” Raina signaled to the server for their bill. “And I also plan to call Smith to suggest we team up like last time.”

  “I see that twinkle in your eyes. You’re up to no good.” Po Po winked. “This sounds like fun.”

  Raina laughed. She didn’t have a clue what she was doing, but her grandma only saw what she wanted to see.

  “I think we should set up a surveillance on Jason Cobb,” Po Po said. “Then we can see if he’s a grieving widower or not.”

  “And how do you propose we do this? There’s only the two of us here. Okay, three, if you count Lucy.”

  Po Po wiggled a finger in front of Raina. “Nah-uh-uh. Have you forgotten that this is my city? My network of friends is even bigger here than in Gold Springs. I’ve already told the mahjong ladies about needing their help with some surveillance work. They’re more than ready to step in.”

  Raina returned to her noodle soup rather than to argue with her grandma. The last time the senior citizens helped out, everyone spent several meetings planning the operation and eating cookies. And on the day of the operation, there was a lot of back and forth on the walkie-talkies, but they didn’t have anything to report.

  This surveillance on Jason Cobb might prove to be much of the same. But it made her grandma feel like she was in charge, so there was no harm in this. And maybe it might just get rid of the little old granny look. Seeing her grandma with half-moon reading glasses and a shawl around her shoulders made Raina feel like she was in the Twilight Zone.

  As Po Po p
lanned the surveillance out loud, Raina’s mind drifted to the victim’s method of death. A bullet between the eyes and the body dumped at the winery meant this was a premeditated murder. And for the killer to leave the body in a public place indicated he or she wanted to sensationalize this death. But why? And why the winery? Did the location mean something to the victim or the killer? Raina probably needed to return to the crime scene and have another discussion with Hal to see if his venue ever hosted an event for the Cobbs. Everything about this murder screamed for attention. But whose attention?

  And if Arianna was indeed drugged by the time she met Blue at Starbucks, how did the killer get the drug into her system? This person had to be someone she trusted. Raina wished she could ask Detective Wise to confirm or deny this theory.

  And if Arianna’s impairment was noticeable, how come she didn’t ask Blue for help? What if he made this part up? Blue was a good guy, but good people when pushed to their limits had committed horrible crimes. Could Blue have killed Arianna?

  Raina frowned. It had never once occurred to her that Blue could be the killer. Like Hal, her former boyfriend was the salt of the earth type, working hard through his apprenticeship and saving up to buy the construction business. Yes, repaying the loan would hurt, but it wouldn’t bankrupt him. Murder was for people who felt like they had no options, and Blue still had options.

  And what about this mysterious lover? If he wasn’t the murderer, wouldn’t he have known about Arianna’s death by now? It was all over the news. If he was in love with Arianna, wouldn’t he start asking questions about her death much like what Raina was doing?

  Raina's eyes widened at a sudden thought, and a noodle went down the wrong pipe. Her face felt hot, and tears streamed down her eyes, but she couldn’t stop coughing. The rest of the noodles squirted out of her mouth but somehow one got into her nostril. When she finally stopped coughing, she wiped her face, thankful that her fiancé wasn’t here to see her.

  “Are you okay, Rainy?” Po Po asked, still holding a napkin in front of her face and peering around the side.

  “I’m…I’m okay,” Raina croaked. She reached for the glass of water and forced herself to sip rather than gulp it down.

  “What happened? Did you have a sudden flash of brilliance?” Her grandma knew her too well.

  Raina took a deep breath. “What if our mysterious lover is Smith?”

  Po Po gaped at her. “I said a flash of brilliance. This is like digging in the clogged toilet and pulling out used toilet paper.”

  “Hear me out. It makes sense. He’s on administrative leave. He has no professional reason to continue investigating Arianna’s death. Yes, I know he’s tenacious, but he’s only like this when he is personally invested like the last time with the Martin Eng case.”

  Po Po nodded slowly. “Go on.”

  “And short of being the victim’s husband, you can’t get any more personal than the victim’s lover.”

  “If your theory is true, now what?”

  “It looks like Smith and I would need to meet at our old stomping ground.”

  Po Po lit up. “And I need to change into a different outfit. I wouldn’t want to have Smith pick out my presence among the tourists.”

  Raina grinned. Looked like she had her old grandma back. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Raina paid the bill, and they went back to the Portsmouth Square Plaza. She called Smith but got his voicemail. She left a message, saying she had vital information on the Arianna Cobb case, but she must speak to him in person about it. The last thing she wanted was to have a cell phone conversation where she couldn’t see his body language or facial expressions. Besides, her grandma would have more fun if they met in person.

  After Raina hung up, she called Bridget Harker. The wedding planner said she would be in her office until five o’clock, but didn’t promise she would wait for them.

  “What did she say?” Po Po asked, punching the call button for the elevator. The doors opened almost immediately. “Must be my lucky day. I should buy a lottery ticket.”

  “Lottery tickets are worse than gambling. The State always wins,” Raina said, hitting the button that took them down to the level where she’d parked her car. “She’ll be there until five, but I have a feeling she would wait for us.”

  A few minutes later, she paid the four-dollar fee and exited the garage. During the forty-minute drive to the Serramonte neighborhood on the border of Daly City and Colma, Raina and her grandma talked about everything and nothing in particular. The only topic they avoided was Raina’s upcoming wedding plans.

  Bridget rented office space from a bridal salon in a strip mall across from the Serramonte Shopping Center. Raina parked next to Bridget’s white minivan, and they went in the bridal salon. When they stepped through the entrance, they were greeted with a large twenty percent off sign on their left for wedding planning services. Beyond the poster were a glass panel and a door leading to Bridget’s office.

  The wedding planner was hunched over a design board on her desk, sticking on fabric samples. The brown hair with golden highlights hid her triangular face. She glanced up when Raina knocked on her door and gestured for them to come in, moving the design board to another spot on her L-shaped desk. When seated, the wedding planner's height seemed less intimidating.

  Raina closed the glass door after Po Po and joined her grandma at the chairs in front of the desk. “I’m glad you’re still here, Bridget. We want to talk to you about the negative reviews.”

  Bridget raised an eyebrow. “Did Jung-yee confess to the deed?”

  Raina shook her head, and Po Po slipped the note across the desk.

  Bridget glanced at the paper and frowned. “What’s this? A referral?”

  Raina almost snorted at the cheek. Did Bridget think the family would refer her to anyone else? “My cousin has nothing to do with the negative reviews,” Raina said. “This is the contact information of the real culprit.”

  Bridget glanced at the email address and name on the slip of paper. Her eyes widened in recognition, but she quickly hid her surprise. “How do I know this is legit? For all I know, you could have made this whole thing up.”

  Po Po straightened in indignation. “I don’t care if you believe me or not, but I have no reason to lie. But you better watch your words against my granddaughter. Even a frivolous lawsuit has legal fees. You wouldn’t want to lose that new minivan to defend against a libel suit.”

  Raina gave her grandma a sideways glance. The matriarch of the Wong family could be quite terrifying when someone messed with her flock. Luckily, Raina knew her grandma was more hot air than anything else. She would never subject the wedding planner to a court case that would bankrupt her.

  Bridget was silent for a long moment. She had nerves of steel. “How would I get this person to remove these negative reviews?”

  “That’s above my pay scale.” Po Po glanced at Raina. “Sherlock, do you have any ideas?”

  Raina didn’t know how this was their problem. If Bridget was any good at her job, then she wouldn’t have put the former client’s mother in the hospital by forgetting to check for food allergies on the menu. But Raina also knew that information, no matter how minuscule, might prove to be valuable in a murder investigation.

  “We would need Uncle Anthony’s help,” Raina said. Her eldest uncle was a criminal defense lawyer.

  “Ah, I see. It’s a good plan,” Po Po said.

  Bridget’s eyes shifted between them. “What plan?”

  “I think the question here is how can you help us?” Po Po said. “My son doesn’t work for free. He bills at five hundred dollars an hour.”

  “I’m a single mom. You think I can afford five hundred dollars an hour?” Bridget said, her tone full of astonishment.

  “My plan won’t cost you a penny. We can get you a letter from a prestigious law firm’s letterhead asking this person to remove her negative reviews. We’ll let her know we plan to pursue legal proceedings if she does not co
mply,” Raina said. She shrugged. “And if this does not work, there are other avenues we can try.”

  Bridget narrowed her eyes at them. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. What do you want in exchange?”

  Raina suppressed the urge to grin. Bingo! “Let’s start with the last time I saw you at the winery. My grandma saw you hand a packet to a field hand. What’s in the packet, and what did you ask him to do for you?”

  Bridget flushed and sat back in her chair as if to put some distance between them. “If I tell you, and it’s something bad, would you rescind the offer for the letter?”

  Raina blinked at the reaction. The only bad thing she could think of was the murder, but she didn’t think the wedding planner had anything to with Arianna Cobb’s death. “Short of killing somebody, whatever bad thing you did is between you and your maker.”

  Bridget lowered her eyes. “You probably know about the cardboard cutout by now. I paid the field hand to put it in Jung-yee’s closet.” The words came out in a rush like she was happy to unburden her conscience. “I’m sorry. I only meant to scare her.”

  Po Po stiffened and pressed her lips into a thin line.

  Raina placed a reassuring hand on her grandma's forearm. She turned toward Bridget. "How did he get into her condo?"

  "I don't know. He named a price, and I paid him. I didn't ask too many questions,” Bridget said.

  "How did you solicit his help in the first place? I'm assuming you didn’t walk up to the first person and offer him money to do your dirty work," Raina said.

  “Jose usually helps me when I need someone to move things for an event at the winery. He gets to make extra money on the side, and I get the help I need.”

  “Does Hal know about this side gig?”

  "No, and please don't say anything. Jose supports his family in Mexico with his wages from the winery. If he loses his job, I’m not sure what would happen to his wife and children.”

  Raina didn’t think the wedding planner cared one iota whether Jose’s children had food in their bellies. She was probably more worried about her professional relationship with Hal. This conflict with the Wong family would blow over once Jung-yee was married. Bridget should have taken Hal’s advice and left well enough alone.