by Anne R. Tan
“Off, Poe! Off,” Maggie called out from behind them.
The service dog shook his head one more time before removing his teeth from Brian’s arm. He growled and backed away from Brian. His body was alert and ready to pounce again.
Frank came up and handcuffed Brian. The villain lay on the concrete, panting.
“Search his pockets for car keys,” Raina said.
Frank rolled Brian over until he lay on his back and patted his pockets. He pulled out a set of keys and held it out. “Found them.”
Raina grabbed the keys. “Call the police. Check the trash bins. He said Po Po was in the trash a moment ago. I’m checking the parking lot for his car. She might be in his trunk.”
Raina moved toward the parking lot around the building. As she moved from car to car, she pressed the remote, listening for the chirp. After the first row, she grew worried. Wouldn’t Brian try to get a parking spot closer to the loading dock? In the second row, toward the end, a black SUV’s headlight flashed and chirped.
She ran toward the SUV and peered in through the driver’s window. There was no one in the backseat. She unlocked the trunk. It popped up on her face, and she staggered backward, clutching at her nose. Blood squirted out from between her fingers. The middle of her forehead throbbed. Now she knew how her fiancé felt when she had clobbered him.
The trunk lid opened. Po Po screamed muffled curses, swung her bound hands, and kicked her tied up legs. When she saw the blood on Raina’s face, she grew quiet and stopped her jerking motions. At least Raina could tell people her grandma wasn’t going down without a fight.
21
Wedding March
The next morning Raina woke up with a song in her heart and wings on her feet. She was getting married today. Unfortunately, she was also sharing the bathroom with another bride. Her grandma had insisted the men sleep in Raina’s suite, so the women ended up in one suite. Something about it being unlucky for the grooms to see the brides before the wedding. The plan was for the women to spend most of the day at the spa for a massage, hair, and makeup. Then they were to rendezvous with the men at the chapel downstairs at their appointed time.
The makeup lady was obviously distressed, powdering and repowdering Raina’s nose. She looked Raina in the eye and said, “Honey, if he’s already beating you like this, think about what he’ll do after he buys the cow. It ain’t worth it.”
Raina blinked. The false lashes felt weird on her eyes.
“It wasn’t my grandson who beat her black and blue. It was her grandma,” Maggie said, jerking her thumb at her best friend.
Po Po blushed, heat rising from her neck to inflame her face. “How was I supposed to know she was rescuing me?”
Raina burst out laughing until tears ran down her face, smearing the makeup. And then all four of them were laughing, undoing much of the makeup lady’s work.
Later, they returned to the suite to get dressed. Maggie put on a midnight blue satin dress with a beaded top. Her wispy white hair was brushed out. The hairdresser clipped a crystal orchid on the side of her head, adding a touch of whimsical to the outfit. Her second grandma looked beautiful.
After helping Maggie dress, Raina reached into her suitcase for her serviceable lavender dress. She had paid quite a bit of money for it a few years ago, and she had only worn it once.
Before she could slip it on, Po Po cried out, “Not that old thing, my dear girl. We got you something better.”
Maggie went into the closet and pulled out a garment bag. Both grandmas smiled at Raina, their eyes twinkling. They probably spent the last two days picking out the perfect dress for her special day.
Raina’s heart sank. Knowing her grandma’s taste, she was afraid to look in the bag. She didn’t want to walk down the aisle in a dress that bound her like a sausage and popped her girls out on top. There might be even a ventilation flap or two on the sides and in the rear to round it all up.
She couldn’t say no. If it weren’t for the grandmas, she probably wouldn’t end up getting married at all. They had booked a double wedding, which said they either had a lot of hope or faith. But she really didn’t want to look like a girl in a rock video.
Raina took a deep breath and unzipped the garment bag. Her eyes widened at the simple sleeveless chiffon dress. She could feel the burning behind her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, hoping to keep the tears from wrecking her makeup again.
Po Po beamed at Maggie. “I think she likes it.”
When the trio headed downstairs in their wedding finery, people stopped and stared. Among the rock star impersonators and tourists with their huge cameras, they were like peacocks among the pigeons.
Outside the chapel, Po Po made Maggie and Raina wait while she went in to check things out. Her grandma was taking her role as bridesmaid seriously. Either that or she felt guilty for giving Raina a goose egg on her forehead and a swollen nose. Luckily, she didn’t end up with a black eye.
“Okay, it’s showtime,” Po Po said, popping out from the chapel. She held the door open for them.
They went in and stood at the small foyer area. The “Wedding March” played from the speakers installed around the chapel. Raina’s gaze made a beeline for the wedding arch at the front of the chapel.
Matthew stood to one side in his black tuxedo with his hands clasped behind him, his feet slightly spread. With a bruised nose and a black eye, he looked more like a pirate captain than a groom. When their eyes met, his expression didn’t change, though it seemed as if his face lit up from within. Raina felt a goofy smile spreading across her face. Her fiancé could pretend to be stoic, but she knew from the twinkle in his eyes that he was smiling right back at her.
Po Po went down the aisle first. Then it was Maggie’s turn. When it was Raina’s turn, she looked straight ahead and hoped she wouldn’t trip on her heels. From the corner of her eye, she saw a handful of people sitting in the pews. She didn’t know if they were paid witnesses, wedding crashers, or tourists resting their feet away from the crowd.
Her gaze never left Matthew’s eyes. When Raina reached his side, he reached out to clasp her hands. A tremor ran up her arm. When she realized the shaking came from him, her grin widened. So the stoic face hid his nerves.
The wedding officiant started the ceremony. Raina wondered if Matthew was considering fleeing at the moment. This would be his last chance. With his grandma in attendance, this marriage wouldn’t get annulled like last time. This marriage would be forever.
Raina scanned Matthew’s eyes. He tightened his grip on her hands, and his shaking stopped. There wasn’t a hint of a shadow in his gold-flecked brown eyes. They held a depth of love that stole her breath away.
After Maggie and Frank repeated the lines that pledged them to each other, Raina and Matthew did the same.
“And now, you may kiss the brides,” the wedding officiant said.
Raina closed her eyes and rose to her tippy toes. Matthew leaned down and kissed her. A soft feather kiss that was full of promises. His sage and clean water scent filled her head with thoughts of the future.
The men congratulated and shook each other’s hands. At one point, Matthew was pumping two hands at the same time. Po Po spoke and hugged Maggie too.
Raina’s gaze shifted to the back of the chapel. She locked eyes with a Chinese man in his late fifties. He was in a white linen suit with salt and pepper hair. He raised a champagne glass as if to toast the wedding couples.
She frowned. The man looked familiar. Where had she seen him before?
“Congratulations,” the man mouthed. And the years melted away. The twinkling gold-flecked brown eyes were a mirror image of Matthew’s eyes. The man was his father.
Raina’s smile wavered, and she nodded in acknowledgement of his well wishes. So Matthew’s father showed up after all to attend his mother and his son’s wedding.
The man put a finger to his lips. He didn’t want his family to know he was here.
Raina hesitated. Maggie would welcome
her son with joy and tears, but Matthew might have the opposite reaction. Did Raina want to ruin Matthew’s memory of their wedding day? And if she kept quiet, would he be upset about it later? And why didn’t her father-in-law want his family to know he was here?
Matthew touched her arm and drew her closer by his side. She broke eye contact to look up at her fiancé’s smiling face. Frank said something that made Matthew burst out laughing. It was a rare sight to see her husband this relaxed and happy. But she shouldn’t keep his father’s presence from Matthew. This could be the start of a reconciliation.
“Matthew, honey,” Raina whispered into his ear.
He glanced down at her. Maybe she looked anxious because he was instantly alert, flipping on cop mode in the blink of an eye.
She pointed at the rear of the chapel to an empty pew.
Matthew’s gaze followed the direction of her finger. “What is it?”
Raina frowned. “There was a man in the corner. He toasted us with a champagne glass, but he’s not there anymore.”
“He must be a tourist who wants to see a Las Vegas wedding.” Matthew kissed the goose egg on her forehead. “I can’t believe we look like this on our wedding day.”
Raina cupped his face in her hands. “At least we’re evenly matched.” And she kissed him.
THE END
Chilly Comforts and Disasters
Raina Sun Mystery #9
Preorder now!
Acknowledgments
A story is a dream that a writer brings to life on paper. But a book needs a team to nurture it into an enjoyable experience.
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I want to thank my editors, Alicia S. and Brandee, for wrangling my words so they are coherent.
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And then, there are my beta-readers—Marion D., Debi P., Joyce S., Susan J., and Sharon S.—thank you, ladies, for volunteering your time to catch these sneaky typos and grammatical errors.
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And finally, thank you, Susan C. for the awesome cover.
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I wouldn’t have been able to bring this story to life without all of you.
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—Anne R. Tan
Also by Anne R. Tan
Thanks for reading Hazy Grooms and Homicides. I hope you enjoyed it!
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Want More Raina Sun?
Raining Men and Corpses (Raina Sun #1)
Gusty Lovers and Cadavers (Raina Sun #2)
Breezy Friends and Bodies (Raina Sun #3)
Balmy Darlings and Death (Raina Sun #4)
Sunny Mates and Murders (Raina Sun #5)
Murky Passions and Scandals (Raina Sun #6)
Smoldering Flames and Secrets (Raina Sun #7)
Hazy Grooms and Homicides (Raina Sun #8)
Chilly Comforts and Disasters (Raina Sun #9)
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How about another series by Anne R. Tan?
Just Shoot Me Dead (Lucy Fong #1)
Just Lost and Found (Lucy Fong #1.5)
Just Shoot Me Dead
Blurb:
While on a blind date with a doctor and his mama, Lucy Fong gets a call that her estranged mom is found shot in the stomach in her private investigation office. She returns to Morro Cliff Village to search for answers and her sister...and finds only a dead body in her sister's apartment.
When the local police chief zeros in on her sister as a "person of interest," Lucy must brush up her sleuthing skills. It's a race to find her sister before the police—and the killer—do.
She must use all her wits (and those she can borrow) to find this hidden killer before he strikes at her family again.
Don't miss this fast-paced cozy mystery—get your copy of “Just Shoot Me Dead” today!
Teaser:
As the trill of the seldom-used ring tone filled the air, Lucy Fong jerked in her seat like someone had stabbed her rear with a needle, and the dumpling squirted out of her chopsticks, smacking into her date’s glasses. It slid down his shirt before disappearing under the table, leaving a trail of grease and disappointment in its wake. She closed her eyes, wishing for a wormhole to open up beneath her feet.
In the last sixteen years, her estranged mother had only called her once, and that was when Lucy’s stepfather had died. What bad news heralded the call this time? If it were good news, her half-sister would have posted it on social media by now. The conversation in the Chinese restaurant didn’t miss a beat, and the clatter of eating utensils scraped against plates continued unabashed. Lucy’s world had tilted on its axis, and no one had noticed.
Lucy opened her eyes, smiling like Miss America on steroids. “Sorry. At least it wasn’t red wine.” She was supposed to have dinner with just her grandma this evening but had accepted the extra dinner companions—a nice Chinese doctor and his mama—with grace. This wasn’t the first set-up, but it would be the last. Her cell phone vibrated to indicate Mom had left a voicemail.
“I’ve gotten a drink thrown in my face, but never a dumpling.” The doctor wiped his glasses, smearing the grease across the lens. “I’m always up for new experiences.”
Lucy’s smile wobbled. Ah, a man with a sense of humor. A rare commodity these days. Too bad this was like everything else in her life—the timing was off. She was still working with her therapist to fix the clock. “It must be rewarding to save people every day.”
“I don’t help people because it’s rewarding. I help people because it’s the right thing to do,” the doctor said, sounding like he believed every word.
Lucy groaned inwardly. A do-gooder. He was definitely too good for the likes of her. She wasn’t a “bad girl” by any stretch, but she certainly wasn’t an ideal wife for a Chinese doctor from a long line of Chinese doctors. She snorted. She pitied the poor woman who did meet those ideals.
The doctor’s mama scowled at Lucy. She probably wanted a nice Chinese girl for her precious boy and got a half-Chinese girl instead. The woman had insisted on speaking in Cantonese during the entire meal and giving Po Po pointed looks whenever Lucy stumbled over the words with her thick American accent. “I guess you’re not much use in the kitchen if you can’t even handle chopsticks.”
“Lucy is an internet whizbang. Maybe she could help advertise your son’s business?” Po Po said.
The doctor’s mama stiffened. “That wouldn’t be necessary.”
Lucy wanted to slap money on the table for the meal and walk out the door. She didn’t need this after a full week of work. But her grandma was all the family she had left...or all the family she wanted in her life. She glanced at Po Po, and the hopeful look on her grandma’s face fizzled out.
Po Po filled the awkward silence with chatter about a murder investigation. Her grandma had recently cut off her long silver braid to favor a short pixie cut with pink streaks much like Lucy’s. When Po Po got to the car chase in her story, Lucy tuned her out. Her grandma read too many mystery books as far as Lucy was concerned. The matriarch of the Wong family should have been Irish for all the gab she spun.
Lucy snorted, earning another dark look from the doctor’s mama. Speaking of mothers, she better see what Mom wanted.
“Sorry, I need to take this call. It’s from my mother,” Lucy said, pushing back her chair.
Po Po’s eyes widened with concern, and she bit her lower lip as if to stop herself from saying something. She knew all about Lucy’s tenuous relationship with her mother and half-sister.
“It’s fine. We’re done h
ere,” the doctor’s mom said, dabbing at her lips with the cloth napkin.
Lucy thanked the doctor for a lovely dinner and shifted her gaze to Po Po. “I’ll wait for you outside.” She stumbled out of the restaurant, her heart pounding at the rejection from the doctor’s family and the bruise to her ego.
The fog snaked around the red lanterns hung on the streets for the Chinatown tourists. Lucy shivered, but not from the chilly November night. Her hands shook when she pulled her cell phone from her purse. She tapped on the screen to listen to the voicemail, but instead of Mom’s voice, the caller identified herself as Cousin Estelle.
Your mother is in the hospital. A neighbor found her shot in the stomach at her private investigation office. Lucy dear, you need to come home.
Her hands became numb, and the cell phone slipped onto the sidewalk. This couldn’t be happening...
Just Shoot Me Dead
Lucy Fong Mystery #1
Available now.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne R. Tan is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes the Raina Sun Mystery series and the Lucy Fong Amateur PI Mystery series. Her humorous cozy mysteries feature Chinese-American amateur sleuths dealing with love, family, and life while solving murders.
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