Smoldering Flames and Secrets

by Anne R. Tan

  “I wonder if Bridget intentionally introduced Arianna and Jason.”

  “Of course, it was intentional. She was playing matchmaker.”

  Matchmaking was the hobby of choice for Chinese mothers and grandmas like some women take up quilting or sewing. While these blind dates could sometimes be embarrassing, they were always arranged on the hope that their children would find love and happiness. With the Cobbs, Raina thought Bridget might be aiming for something more sinister.

  “What if Bridget knows about Jason’s jealous and obsessive behavior with past relationships? And what if she introduced the Cobbs, hoping Arianna would eventually have a miserable marriage?”

  “That is too devious.” Po Po tapped her lower lip with a finger. “Maybe she’s Chinese, so she knows how to play the long game. But I still don’t understand why though.”

  “If this were the case, then it must be something that happened between Bridget and Arianna a long time ago.”

  “And one that Arianna probably forgot about, but Bridget is still nursing.” Po Po nodded. “Sounds about right. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

  Raina snorted. “I never understood the logic of that statement. We should have Lucy run a background check on the two ladies to see if they had anything in common years ago.”

  By this time, Raina and Po Po rounded the corner to the parking lot. Parked next to her grandma’s Miata was Raina’s faded red Honda Accord with shiny new headlights. Raina could feel a silly grin spreading across her face. Her baby was back.

  As they stepped closer, and the afternoon light hit the coat of paint over the spray painted words on the hood, her smile disappeared. “The paint is burnt orange,” Raina said.

  “It’s kind of hard to color match the faded red paint,” Po Po said.

  “Yeah, I can see that.” Raina’s tone was flat. Her car was starting to have the Frankenstein look from one too many damages sustained while Raina was in the line with duty.

  Po Po slung an arm around Raina’s shoulder. “If it bothers you that much, I’ll pay for a new paint job for your thirtieth birthday.”

  A lump formed in Raina’s throat. “Yes, I would like to see her shiny and red again, just like when Dad had brought her home.”

  “Then consider it done. We’ll drop your car off at a local place when we get back home after the wedding.”

  They swapped cars and met at a local restaurant for an early dinner. While they waited for their food, Po Po called Lucy and explained the situation. Lucy replied to say she was on it for the background checks and hung up. They finished their meal and joined the evening commute back to San Francisco. By the time the two of them parked their cars and stood at the front stoop, they were both exhausted and in need of some quiet time.

  Raina opened the front door to find five women looking at them expectantly. Her heart sank. There went her evening of quiet time. They stepped through, and Po Po announced she had to lie down because she had a headache. Before Raina could even close the front door, her grandma was already stomping upstairs. The traitor.

  Raina took her time locking the front door and taking off her shoes. She left her purse on the side table but grabbed her phone. “I have to call Matthew. I haven’t spoken to him in days.”

  Mom stood up. “Can’t he wait a bit, honey?” The two aunts nodded in agreement. Ah, the Chinese politeness. A command in the form of a question.

  A corner of Lucy’s lips curled. She took a sip of tea like she was watching a movie with a bowl of popcorn. Gigi nestled on her lap. For once she didn’t yap at Raina or hump Jung-yee. Maybe Lucy was the dog whisperer.

  Raina couldn’t believe they roped in the foster granddaughter. Whatever they were doing, she wanted none of it.

  Jung-yee jumped up and grabbed her cousin’s arm. “Rainy, I’m so glad you’re back. We could use your help.” The other hand held onto a stack of paper.

  Raina groaned inwardly. Great. Wedding planning stuff. Someone should poke her eyes out right now. This explained the two bottles of wine on the coffee table.

  “We were just dividing up the names,” Lucy said. Her smile widened. “We need to call the guests who haven’t RSVPed. The caterer would like a headcount so she can put in the food order in the morning.”

  “Don’t we usually just assume they’re coming if they don’t RSVP? That’s what we did at Cassie’s wedding,” Raina said.

  “And it cost us a fortune and wasted a lot of food,” Mom said.

  Raina called her grandma a traitor again in her mind. Oh, why didn’t they stay away for another hour? “How many people do we need to call?”

  “Now that you’re here, we each need to call twenty people,” Jung-yee said.

  Raina did the math. So a hundred people didn’t RSVP. That would be a lot of wasted food if they weren’t coming. “All right, give me my list of people to call.”

  She got her list and went upstairs to her room. She flopped down on her bed and dialed the first number. She could already hear the distant relatives whining about their ailments or chattering about their children and grandchildren. These calls wouldn’t be a quick yes or no. The call to Matthew would be her treat for doing her duty.

  Two and a half hours later, Raina rubbed her temples, hoping to soothe the pounding headache. Calling distant relatives had to be a new Chinese torture device. More than three-quarters of her calls wanted to know Raina’s plan for her wedding and whether or not she would hold it in the city. After all, it would be much more convenient for her relatives to drive or fly into San Francisco than to drive to her little town.

  When Raina finished her calls, she stared at the ceiling, thinking she couldn’t do this. Her wedding was for Matthew and herself. They didn’t need or want to put on a family reunion for these distant relatives that she only saw once every few years. That wasn’t her job.

  She’d already done her duty by helping her cousin. She would not sacrifice her sanity and put this strain on her fragile relationship with Matthew. She wanted to savor the moment, not please distant relatives. Her mom would be disappointed, but she would get over it.

  Knock! Knock!

  Raina glanced at the doorway. Speak of the devil. Her mom was leaning against the doorframe and studying her.

  “Are you done with your calls?” Mom asked.

  Raina swung her legs off the bed and sat up. She held out the sheet of paper with the phone numbers and her notes on them. “Here you go.”

  Mom took the sheet of paper and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Did you get my message about your brother?” She brushed a strand of gray-streaked black hair behind her ear.

  Raina was surprised her mom hadn’t taken to dying her hair like her friends. With her barely lined oval face, a full head of black hair, Mom could pass for Raina’s sister. She snorted at the thought. Though this probably wouldn’t make Cassie happy.

  She glanced at the display on her phone. It lit up like an eager puppy for her attention, and there was a bright notification icon. She’d forgotten to check her voicemail. “I was busy making calls. What’s the message?”

  Mom sighed. “Just that he didn’t show up to work today. Your uncle called me. I thought maybe you knew what Win was up to.”

  Raina shrugged. “I’ve been busy running errands all day with Po Po. He wasn’t even home when I left the house this morning. Did you try calling him?”

  Mom gave Raina a withering look. “Of course, I did. The last time he pulled a stunt like this, he ended up in Tijuana with his friends. Uncle Anthony and I had to go down there and put up the bail money before we could bring him home.”

  Raina’s jaw dropped. “What? How come nobody told me about this?”

  “It didn’t seem like you were too interested in what’s going on in this family. You were too busy trying to find yourself in your little hidey-hole.” There was a note of bitterness in her voice.

  Raina studied her mother. Did Mom feel left out from Raina’s life? Now that was a thought that
had never entered Raina’s mind. “I thought you were too busy doing your Ladies Justice Club thingies. You know, the one that you and Cassie are members but not me.”

  She winced inwardly. Now she sounded like a jealous child because her eldest sister and their mom had a hobby in common and she got left out. Did she feel this way? Raina had always tried to push thoughts of her mom out of her mind. Po Po was mother enough for her.

  Mom stared at her for a long moment. “Baby, you’re not ready yet.” She straightened. “Now help me find your brother. The wedding is in two days, and I don’t want to have to go down to Mexico again and miss the family reunion.” She stood up and headed for the door.

  “Mom?”

  Her mother paused and turned around. “Yes?”

  Raina swallowed. She didn’t know until this moment that she still wanted her mom’s approval…very badly. “The relatives asked about my wedding plans.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I…I...”

  Mom raised an eyebrow. “The family doesn’t need another family reunion so shortly after this one. Maybe that’s something you should think about.” And she left the room.

  18

  Letting the Cat Out

  Raina was still recovering from the shock of her conversation with her mother when Po Po snuck in and closed the door behind her. “Is the coast clear?”

  “I’m not sure. Mom just left, but I think they're probably still downstairs drinking,” Raina said.

  “Back in my days, we hid the vodka in the teacups.” Po Po came and sat at the foot of Raina’s bed. “They shouldn’t have any more reason to come up here, so they won’t be able to twist my arm into joining them.”

  “If there’s a knock, do you intend to hide under my bed or in the closet?” Raina asked, smiling at the image of her grandma cowering underneath her bed. If this did happen, she might just give her bed an extra little bounce or two.

  “If it comes down to it, yes.”

  “Po Po, can I ask you something?” Raina asked.

  “Of course, Rainy. You can always ask me questions, but I might not answer you.”

  Raina chuckled. A typical Po Po answer. “Why do you feel the need to be someone else when you’re here in San Francisco? This place has been your home for decades. The people here know and love you.”

  Po Po’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. For a moment, Raina thought her grandma wouldn't answer her. “Are you talking about the little granny look?”

  Raina nodded.

  “Expectations, Rainy. I’m sure you know all about this. When I was married to your grandfather, I was a pillar of the Chinese community. I hosted fundraising parties and dinner parties for businessmen and their families. I was on the right charity committees for someone of my position. Your grandfather wanted to climb, and I was willing to help him. But this meant the nannies raised the children,” Po Po said. There was a hint of bitterness in her tone. “I did what was expected of me.”

  Raina was confused by the tone in her grandma’s voice. “And everything turned out wonderfully. Our family seemed to be thriving one generation after another.” Except for Raina. She seemed to be out of sync with success.

  “But it wasn’t until your mom moved back home with you and your siblings that I got to raise children again. It was like someone finally yanked a yoke from around my neck, one that I didn’t even know I was carrying. And when your grandfather died, moving away was the best thing that happened to me.”

  Raina blinked. She had thought her grandma had given up everything to move into Gold Springs to look after her. “And when you came back, you resumed your old clothes…and identity?”

  “My old battle armor. Do you remember the stories I told you about your Tai Ma?”

  “Yes, your mother was an opera singer who married a rice merchant in China,” Raina said.

  “She was the third wife. When I was not the much-longed-for male baby, she was ostracized when my father took a fourth wife. She stayed for six long years. I often found her crying in her room. I crawled onto her lap to comfort her, and she wrapped her arms around me and held on tight. And one day, she couldn’t do her duty anymore. And she left. It took me years to get over the abandonment, but in China during that time period, my mother would have no choice but to leave me behind. I belong to my father.”

  Raina nodded. This wasn't something she hadn’t heard before, but her grandma seemed to need to tell the story again.

  “My mother went back to the stage, and I followed her short career from what I could gather in the newspapers. And then one day, she died from an opium overdose. It wasn’t until my father died that I found the letters and the gifts she’d sent me.” There was a slight catch in Po Po’s voice. “I think she died from a broken heart. I don’t think she wanted to leave me behind.”

  Raina patted her grandma’s hand. “Good thing we live in America, huh? Cassie would fight tooth and nail if her husband tried to keep their daughter away from her.”

  Po Po gave Raina a crooked smile. "And yet she still struggles with being the perfect Chinese wife. The same struggle I had for almost fifty years. Being here, surrounded by the family, the friends, and the community, is both a blessing and a curse.”

  Raina nodded again. She didn’t know what to say. She had always assumed that her grandma had been the perfect wife, mother, and grandmother. While this revelation didn’t tarnish her halo, it sure made her human.

  “And one that I’m so glad you won’t have to deal with," Po Po said.

  “Because I moved away?”

  Po Po nodded. “Just remember, Rainy, duty is a curse when you no longer enjoy it. Don't feel obligated to do something because it will make somebody else happy. If you must do your duty, do it with a smile on your face and love in your heart. If you don’t have either one of those, then don’t. Just walk off into the sunset with your husband.”

  Raina gave her grandma a bittersweet smile. “But I am still very much Chinese.”

  Po Po reached out and squeezed Raina’s hand. “And that’s why you make me so proud to be your grandma. You know when to give yourself up for others, and when to hold back. I never loved myself enough to do so.”

  Raina blinked at the sudden tears in her eyes and threw her arms around her grandma, squeezing the bird-like bones. “Thank you.” The two most important women in her life just gave their blessing for whatever she wanted to do for her wedding with Matthew.

  Her grandma patted her back. “Now stop those tears. I’ve been dying to tell you about my pole dancing lesson. You’re not going to believe what I found out.”

  Raina used the hem of her T-shirt to dry her tears, smearing eyeliner all over it. “Please don’t tell me you want to put a pole in your living room.”

  Her grandma laughed. “Actually, I like the idea. Can you imagine the look on your mother's face?” They both burst into laughter.

  When they stopped, Raina asked, “What did you find out from Mrs. Santos?”

  Po Po sobered immediately. “Once upon a time, Blue and Arianna were lovers.”

  Raina gaped at her grandma. “What?”

  “It was five years ago. Long before Blue met you.”

  “I can’t believe he didn’t tell me this. Now I’m doubting everything Blue said. What if he had something to do with her death? He’d admitted to seeing her on the day of her disappearance.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t feel it is important to the investigation.”

  “When it comes to murder, it’s the details that solve the case. Now I wonder what else he might be hiding from us.”

  Raina paused for several long moments. She had been duped. “I feel like such a fool. What if Blue is the killer?”

  Her grandma gave her a disgusted look. “Really? You really think that boy would kill Arianna Cobb? Because he had an older woman for a lover years ago before he met your cousin?”

  “Okay, maybe not. But I still don’t like not having all the information upfront.”

  �
��How is it relevant?”

  “It’s still information pertaining to the case. It doubly links the two of them.”

  Po Po nodded. “Yeah, if we don’t find the killer soon, our groom might just end up getting married in the slammer.”

  The two of them sat in silence as the words sunk in.

  Raina’s cell phone rang, breaking up the quiet moment. From the ringtone, she knew it was from Matthew. While she had waited for his call for the last few days, this couldn’t come at a more inconvenient time.

  Po Po raised an eyebrow. “Romeo?”

  “I hope not. They were star-crossed lovers. I still want a happily ever after.”

  Her grandma patted her shoulder and left the room. “You only get a happily ever after if you work for it.”

  Raina took a deep breath and answered her call. “Hi, sweetie.”

  They chit chatted for several moments, catching each other up on the events of the last few days. There didn't seem to be any hurt feelings or resentment in Matthew’s tone, so Raina was hesitant to bring up what happened between her and Blue in the closet at the restaurant.

  But if she didn't say anything, her guilt would eat at her. “Matthew, do you remember when you found me in the closet with Blue a few days ago?” Raina asked, her voice wobbling a bit.

  There was a long pause. “I’m trying to forget about it. I’m assuming there was nothing to talk about, but maybe I was wrong.”

  “There is nothing between the two of us anymore. Blue asked me to look into the Arianna Cobb murder investigation.” Raina explained Blue’s link to the murder and how he was a suspect.

  There was a long silence. “I didn’t see this one coming. Are you sure he didn't do it?” Matthew finally asked.

  “Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn’t let my cousin marry him otherwise.” She hesitated. “But there’s something more.”

  There was another long pause. “Oookay?”

  “Blue wanted to tell you about it himself. I can’t say anything because it’s not my secret to tell.”

  “Are we hiding things from each other again, Rainy?”