“At his crib, Russ Nolan showed me this framed picture of the sire. That’s a huge reason why I even bought Kale.”
I peeked at the image on her phone again and noticed a slight sheen. “What’s that glossy spot?”
“A reflection of the glass, I think. Or maybe it’s from the fancy photo paper. It seemed to have a slick texture.”
As I swiped the last bit of bright green on Kale, I said, “I’m really surprised the two of them hit it off. They seemed so . . . different . . . in their care of animals.”
“I don’t know. Opposites attract? Russ Nolan’s place did seem run-down, even from the porch where I met up with him. Kale looked fantabulous, though. Too bad I didn’t get a chance to see her mama.”
“All finished,” I said, showing Tammy the polished puppy nails. She oohed at them and paid me with a crumpled fifty-dollar bill.
As Tammy headed toward the door with Kale trotting and wheeling behind her, I heard Marshmallow give a loud meow. Kale stopped, turned her head, and gave a few short barks. I wondered what that back-and-forth noise was about.
“Time to go,” Tammy said to Kale. “We’ve got things to do today. Besides, it’s almost lunchtime.” She hustled her puppy out the door.
Not five minutes later, a male figure dashed into my shop. He carried two big brown paper bags in his hands. His T-shirt featured a panda wielding a skillet. “You ordered from Wok On?” the young man asked.
He spoke with a squeaky voice that I associated with a high schooler, though he seemed to be in his early twenties. Sparse black stubble ran above his upper lip, but I couldn’t tell whether he’d forgotten to shave or was going for a mustache. Facial hair could be hit-or-miss for Asian guys.
He lifted the bags in the air again, snapping me out of my reverie.
“I didn’t call for food delivery.”
He studied the receipt stapled to one of the bags. “This is Hollywoof, right?” He proceeded to read out my address.
“That’s the right contact info, but I didn’t call you.”
He dropped the paper bags down on the counter with a grumble. Grease started oozing from the bottom of one of the bags. I would have to pull out my cleaning supplies again to wipe down the leaking mess.
“Well, someone called this huge order in,” he said. Squinting at the receipt, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed. When he put the call on speakerphone, I heard a familiar voice answer.
“Hello? Who call?” Ma. But why had she asked Wok On to deliver food here instead of to her own home?
The young man said, “I have your order of shrimp fried rice, orange chicken, General Tso’s, beef and broccoli, and sweet-and-sour pork. You asked to deliver to Hollywoof, right?” Weird. Ma usually detested Americanized Chinese food. She turned her nose up at it, said the dishes weren’t authentic enough.
“Of course lah,” Ma said. “My daughter at store?”
I butted in to the conversation. “I’m right here, Ma. Do you want me to tell him your home address?”
“No need. You mamak yet?”
“No, I haven’t eaten yet. But you ordered a feast.” My jaw dropped as the realization dawned on me. Uh-oh. I think I knew why the delivery boy had shown up.
“Oh, really?” she said, her voice ringing with false brightness. “Maybe Cody also need take break. Eat, too.”
The young man fumbled his phone. “How do you know my name?”
“I’m friends with your great-auntie. We in same mahjong club. She say you come back college, but now live with parents.”
His face turned as bright red as packaged sweet-and-sour sauce. “It’s only temporary,” he told me. “I play bass in a band, and we’ll make it big soon.”
Ma pressed on with her verbal attack. “You single. Mimi, my daughter, free. Have lunch. Everyone gotta eat. Beside, already paid for.” She hung up. End of discussion for her.
She’d left me alone with a wannabe musician stranger. How could I salvage this awkward situation? “Mothers,” I said, rolling my eyes. Maybe the two of us could commiserate together, but Cody started backing away from me.
“Seriously?” he said. “You had your mom order takeout to get a date. You must be crazy desperate.”
Marshmallow hissed from his corner and started creeping toward Cody. “And what,” Marshmallow said, “you’re a great catch? Boomeranging back home to your parents?”
I took a deep breath in and blew it out. “My mother thought up this scheme on her own,” I told Cody. “I didn’t ask her to.”
Cody’s eyes started watering. Was he now regretting his rude attitude? He pointed at Marshmallow and sneezed. “I’m allergic to cats.”
Marshmallow inched closer, making Cody sneeze harder. “Good, because I’m allergic to jerks.”
Cody backed up toward the entrance. “Can you call your cat off?”
“Sorry.” I shrugged. “That cat has a mind of his own.”
Cody bolted out the front door, still sneezing.
“Good riddance,” I said. “But what am I going to do with all this food?”
I could stow some of it in the mini fridge in the back room, where I kept the extra batches of my homemade dog biscuits. It’d be a tight squeeze. Ma had definitely over-ordered.
I started scrounging in the bags, intending to make myself a lunch portion. Perhaps I could save the rest of the food and eat it across the entire week. Pushing aside the napkins and disposable chopsticks, I noticed that Wok On had also provided a dozen fortune cookies.
Those wrapped goodies gave me an idea. Like Ma said, “Everyone gotta eat . . .”
CHAPTER
nine
NOT KNOWING EXACTLY which door to station myself in front of, I’d planted myself in the center of the apartment courtyard with a checkered picnic blanket beneath me. Multiple Chinese take-out containers with their reheated contents were nestled at my side, and Marshmallow lay curled near my feet. Sixty minutes had ticked by, and I was still waiting for him to arrive.
Finally, I spotted Josh slipping through the back gate near the parking spaces. His bangs swung left and right as he hauled a briefcase, looking ready to burst, over to his apartment. Unit number one, I noticed. As in “You’re the one.” Not that I was superstitious like Ma, but it’d be easy to remember.
I waved my arms up and down. “Josh, over here.” I’d already eaten dinner, but it looked like I needed to start on my dessert now: a slice of humble pie.
He glanced at my resting spot. A small smile flickered on his face before he shut it down. Did he not want to talk to me at all after that fiasco at his office? I could only try.
“I’m having dinner alfresco tonight,” I said. “There’s plenty of food to share.”
He put the apartment key into the lock.
“I also have fortune cookies,” I said, lifting a fistful into the air.
Josh nodded and unlocked his apartment. He stepped inside, but I noticed he’d left the door open. Hope bubbled in me. A few minutes later, he reappeared without his briefcase.
“What’s your favorite Americanized Chinese food?” I asked as he sat down cross-legged on the blanket about a foot away from me. “General Tso’s? Sweet-and-sour pork?”
He took the take-out containers and peeked inside each one. “Orange chicken,” he said. “Super breaded with barely any meat. And the orange sauce is scary fluorescent. But I still like it.”
I passed him the whole container, along with a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks. “Knock yourself out.”
He chewed on the ball-like pieces of chicken. “Not really warm anymore, huh?”
I stared into his eyes, those beautiful browns I could fall into (and for). “Confession,” I said. “I’ve been sitting here for an hour waiting for you to show up. I feel terrible about barging into your workplace and surprising you with my problem the other day.
And for bringing my cat.”
Marshmallow bristled and tapped my foot with one sharp claw.
Josh ducked his head. “Actually, I’d just lost my first case and didn’t think I had the skills to help you, so I used your cat’s presence as an excuse.” He turned to Marshmallow. “Sorry about that, buddy.”
Marshmallow turned his head toward Josh. “About time somebody apologized to me. I was the one being carried around in a woman’s purse. And don’t call me ‘buddy.’”
I formally introduced the two of them by name. Josh gave Marshmallow a guy nod of recognition. Marshmallow didn’t offer up his paw, but he did relax, stretching out near my feet.
“Now that we’re back to speaking again . . .” I stacked a few empty take-out containers together. “Do you think you might take on my case? I could pay you in, say, fortune cookies.”
He smiled, making his cute dimple wink at me.
I started blathering. “But, of course, I know you have a lot of work. I saw a huge stack of folders on your desk. And that briefcase you were carrying just now looked so heavy—”
Marshmallow swiped at my leg. “Are you trying to get him to not help?”
Josh crinkled his nose. “Actually, I have fewer clients ever since I lost the case. My bosses might not be too confident in my skills right now. They keep me busy filling out lots of patent applications.” That load he had hauled into his apartment signaled less work?
With a frown, Josh began picking up and putting down pieces of orange chicken with his chopsticks.
“You know,” I told him, “I read on a wise slip of paper that a smile uses less muscles than a frown.”
His eyes widened, and he scrutinized my face. “You memorized my fortune from the other day.”
I saw a loose thread on the picnic blanket and played with it. “The strip of paper made me realize you love fortune cookies. That, and the filled glass container displayed on your desk.”
He chuckled, and a sparkle lit up his eyes. “You noticed? I collect fortune cookies to help encourage me. The sayings pick me up whenever I’m having a bad day. Silly, right?”
“No, it’s sweet,” I said.
He scooted closer to me, leaving only a few inches of space between us.
I heard a grating noise. Hack, hack. My gaze swiveled to Marshmallow in alarm.
Josh pointed at my cat with his pair of chopsticks. “Er, is your cat about to cough up a hairball?”
Marshmallow quieted after a few more choking sounds. “Sorry, false alarm,” he said. “But I sure felt like throwing up when I saw you two flirting.”
Giving Marshmallow the stink eye, I said, “I think he’s back to his usual self now.”
Marshmallow trained his gaze on Josh. “You know, lover boy didn’t actually agree to assist yet.”
“Oh,” I said, turning toward Josh. “Could you possibly help me out?”
He put away his chopsticks and held out his hand, palm up. “That will be three fortune cookies, then.”
“Here you go.” I counted out the wrapped goodies and gave them to him.
He made sure to tuck them away in his shirt pocket.
“Aren’t you going to eat one now?”
“I only crack them open when I’m having a bad day, remember?” His knee grazed mine. Was it by accident? But he didn’t move away.
He continued, “But seriously, I think I can look into this matter for free.”
“Pro bono? For me?” I placed my hand against my chest. He wanted to help me without charge. Did he like me? My heart fluttered.
He nodded, his bangs swishing over his eyes. He brushed them out of the way to gaze into my face. “I can justify it to my bosses because I’m required to take on at least one pro bono case a year.”
His kindness in taking on my case and believing in my innocence made me melt. “Perfect.” I definitely wanted Josh on my side, and free didn’t hurt. I couldn’t afford an attorney on my budget, no matter how cute he was.
Josh leaned toward me, and I held my breath. He’d gotten close. I could even see his dilated pupils. What would he do next?
Marshmallow yowled.
Josh shook his head, as though clearing it, and said, “Tell me why you’re involved in a murder case again.”
I deflated a little. Then I cleared my throat and explained my situation. I even told him about my recent interactions, like my talk with Magnus Cooper, when I’d discovered the breeder’s intense dislike of Russ Nolan.
Josh’s posture stiffened. “Be careful, Mimi. That guy sounds dangerous. You could have been walking right into a murderer’s home.”
“It turned out fine.” I played with my hair. Josh looked so endearing as he displayed concern about my safety.
I continued, “Plus, knowing that Magnus Cooper hated Russ Nolan means I could be off Detective Brown’s list. Other people have bigger issues with that shady breeder.”
Josh nodded. “Then you’d be off the hook. Or if you can show any reasonable doubt that you could have done it.”
“Too bad Marshmallow’s my only alibi.” I wrung my hands. “If I could prove someone else was there that night, it would help my cause. You know, I did go back to his house hoping to find something pointing to the real killer. It was sealed by the police, but if I could make my way in—”
Josh covered his ears with his hands. “I didn’t hear anything about you desiring to go breaking and entering.”
“There could be a missed clue lying around.”
Josh peered around the courtyard and lowered his voice. “You can’t go sneaking into other people’s homes. The police should keep it locked up tight until they find Russ Nolan’s next of kin.”
“Actually, Russ Nolan didn’t even own the house. He rented it. Take a look and see how dumpy it is.” I used my phone to search for the address online. When I found it, I showed Josh a picture of the squat house with its peeling paint.
He took his time examining the image and mumbled his agreement. Then his lips twitched. “That’s interesting.”
“What?”
Josh pointed at some fine print on the housing website. “It’s actually listed for rental right now. You can click on this link to make an appointment.”
“The owner must have opened it back up. I could go over there, pretending to be a renter, and take a peek.” I tried to grab my phone back, but Josh placed his hand on top of mine. My skin pulsed with heat.
His brown eyes bored into mine. “Don’t do it. Let the police handle the investigation.”
I lifted my chin. “As the prime suspect on Detective Brown’s list, I’m not just going to sit around waiting for him to arrest me.”
Josh left his hand on mine. “Fine, Miss Stubborn, but you don’t have to go alone. I’m coming with.”
I gulped. “Okay.”
He removed his hand, and my head cleared enough to plan things out. We settled on a time tomorrow that worked for the both of us and made an appointment online.
My heart leaped for joy when I said good night to Josh, because I now had the chance to spend extra time with him. Never mind that this “date” involved going into a house where a man had been murdered.
I hummed while I folded the picnic blanket and carried the leftovers back to my apartment. At home, I opened a fortune cookie to celebrate. I pulled out the slip of paper and read, “Someone admires you.” I nodded. That’s right.
Marshmallow nudged my leg. “Hey, Cinderella. I was going to wait until you stopped humming and pretending to be in a fairy tale, but you keep on going.”
“Can’t help it. Josh is such a dream.”
“Eh, he’s okay for a two-legger. Anyway, I wanted to tell you something Kale said to me—”
My phone rang. Recognizing the caller ID, I picked up. “Pixie?”
“Hi, Mimi. I wanted to check in wit
h you about how Hollywoof is doing.”
“Everything’s fine.” I crumbled the fortune cookie in my hand. “No need for you to worry about your investment at all.”
But Pixie could dig beyond my words. “Have you been getting the word out? Finding new customers?”
“A few, along with some browsers.”
“I see.” Pixie paused. “Maybe you need to spread a wider net. Did you hit it off with my friend Lauren Dalton the other day?”
I remembered the cute headband I’d perched on Sterling’s head. Lauren had seemed pleased by my work. “Yes, I think so.”
“How about visiting her doggie yoga class tomorrow? She’ll know everyone there and can vouch for your services. You’ll be sure to make some contacts.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea.” Lauren had shown up right before closing time when I’d first met her. “It’s in the evening, right?”
“It won’t conflict with your business hours. Let me arrange everything. I’ll text you with the details in a few.”
True to her word, Pixie soon gave me the date and location of the class. I wondered how Marshmallow would feel about being stuck in a room full of exercising dogs. When I tried to tell him the news, I found he’d already fallen asleep on the couch.
I yawned. Better get to bed myself. After all, I’d have a full day tomorrow with two important events: first, a date with a definite cutie, and then, a date with possible customers.
CHAPTER
ten
THE NEXT WORKDAY, I tried to restrain myself from watching the clock, to no avail. I still counted down the time until my lunch break and my trip with Josh to visit Russ Nolan’s house. Thankfully, a few customers trickled in and kept me occupied. I recognized them as people who’d wandered in from the beach the other day and were now bringing their pets to try out the new grooming salon. One might have even come straight from the ocean side, because his pooch looked like a comical sand sculpture of a dog due to all the grains stuck in its fur.
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue Page 7