by Anne R. Tan
“The first thing I noticed was the smell. Pine-Sol, vomit, and feces. And Holden on the floor.” Gail’s chest heaved and tea sloshed unnoticed onto her lap. “I didn’t want to touch him. But I had to.” She shuddered and closed her eyes.
Raina removed Gail’s clinched fingers around the mug, setting it on the table.
Gail opened her eyes and continued. “Then I called the police and went outside to wait for them.”
Eden shifted her gaze to Raina. “Did you see the body?”
Raina recoiled. “Only for a second before the police arrived at the scene.”
“How did he die?” asked Eden, shifting back to Gail.
Gail shrugged. “I don’t know. Don’t people die from accidents in the shower all the time?”
“You think he slipped and fell?” asked Raina, frowning. Holden wasn’t much of a gym rat, but he certainly had more natural grace than her. Even if the floor was wet and she had on high heels and the sink was positioned right next to her head, she couldn’t imagine slipping to her death in a public restroom.
“Did Holden seem odd that day?” Eden asked.
Gail shrugged. “No. But he’d asked if I had something for an upset stomach after lunch. I gave him Pepto-Bismol tablets.”
“Why did he ask you instead of stopping by the Student Health Center?” asked Eden.
“Probably because he didn’t want to walk across campus in the heat,” said Raina.
“I was asking Gail,” said Eden, widening her eyes and giving her a pointed look.
Raina slumped in her chair, holding her mug of tea in front of her. What did it matter whether or not he went to the Student Health Center?
Gail shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“Did anything unusual happen recently?” asked Eden.
“No…”
“Do you know if Holden had any enemies?”
“I don’t know.” Gail averted her gaze. “I don’t pay attention to office gossip. I’ve been busy. Classes start in two weeks.”
Raina choked mid-swallow. She coughed again to dislodge the drop of tea in her throat. “The tea went down the wrong pipe.” She waved for them to continue.
Eden asked a few more questions that Gail answered halfheartedly, but Raina had stopped paying attention. When did Gail ignore office gossip? In a world where squirrels stop hoarding for the winter? Raina was willing to bet the secret stash of chocolates in her nightstand drawer that Gail knew more than she let on about Holden’s private life.
5
PEEING ON THE HYDRANT
Raina dropped Eden off at the newspaper’s office and drove to campus. After parking at the faculty lot with her homemade parking pass, she moseyed over to the bookstore, only to find it closed. Summer hours. She slumped against the shaded bench and flapped the collar of her shirt, hoping for a cool breeze.
The heat was one of the hardest things for her to get used to about Gold Springs. It was barely ten o’clock and already seventy-six degrees. Another triple-digit day. Raina sniffed her armpits cautiously and her head jerked back. Oh great! She’d forgotten to put on deodorant in her rush to leave with Eden. Hopefully her errands on campus wouldn’t take long and she could run home for a shower. In the meantime, she’d just have to keep her arms close by her sides.
She pulled a small notebook from her purse and stared at the blank page. Holden had disappeared from her life a month ago without even a simple good-bye. His sudden desire to work things out after she told him about a fake pregnancy was bizarre. And now she was the last person he’d contacted with text messages that could make her a potential suspect if his death wasn’t from natural causes. Her hands flew across the page as she re-created his day.
10 AM H AT FUNDRAISER MEETING
10 AM H AT FUNDRAISER MEETING ENDED. LUNCH?
12 PM FUNDRAISER MEETING ENDED. LUNCH?
2 PM H ASKED G FOR PEPTO
3 PM H TEXTED R TO MEET
4 PM H TEXTED R TO MEET
5:05 PM G FOUND BODY
5:15 PM R AT SCENE
What happened in five hours to cause a healthy thirty-six-year-old man to drop dead in a public restroom? What did he eat for lunch? Eden had asked about enemies. Did she have good reason to suspect murder or was that hope on her friend’s part for the big story?
Raina shivered in the warm morning sunshine. The doors clicked open behind her and she scurried inside the bookstore. The low hum of quiet conversation, the ding of the cash register, and the squeaking cart were so ordinary that she felt silly to even think there might be something nefarious afoot.
She bypassed an assortment of gifts, campus gear, and study guides and clattered down the metal staircase in the middle of the store to the basement where all the textbooks were kept. The books were cheaper on the Internet, but she picked up two used textbooks anyway. The extra ten dollars was an hour of work, but at least she was supporting the local economy. She made her way upstairs to purchase the rest of her school supplies.
As she turned a corner, Raina spotted the policewoman from the night before at the end of aisle. What was her name? Hippo? Hook? The policewoman brushed past her, flicking a glance at her without making eye contact. Raina hurried down the aisle to see who the policewoman was talking to. Cora, the blonde student assistant, stood next to the rack of study guides, twisting a tissue around her hand.
“What are you doing here?” Raina asked.
“Olivia sent me here for her fancy pen refills. And then she told the cops where to find me.” Cora’s eyes flitted from side to side like she was looking for an escape.
“Why are the cops looking for you?” Raina asked.
Cora dabbed behind her glasses at red-rimmed eyes and blew her nose. “I'm in big trouble. I know they are going to blame me.”
A hormonal teenager was no laughing matter, but she just couldn’t resist. If nothing else, it would lighten the mood. Raina mocked a gasp. “So it was you.”
“Of course not. I thought about it. But I have nothing to do with it.” Cora turned a shade resembling the underbelly of a week old bass on ice.
The smile slid off Raina’s face. What had she thought about? “I’m sure whatever it is, it’s a misunderstanding.”
“Not when you’re dead.” Cora’s eyes widened and she backed away. “I have to go pick up my nephew.” She turned and ran to a side door.
Raina pounded after her on instinct, even as her mind tried to process what just happened. Was Cora talking about Holden’s death? As Raina flew out the door, an alarm went off. Her steps slowed as she looked around in confusion. Cora disappeared around the building.
She saw movement out the corner of her eye. A strong hand clamped onto her arm and she turned to find herself looking at a pair of amused gold-flecked eyes. The textbooks slipped from her hands. Matthew!
He retrieved her books and held them out to her with a twinkle in his eyes.
Raina snatched the books and hugged them to her chest. “What are you doing here?”
He hooked his thumbs on his jeans pockets. “Police business, but arresting a shoplifter is just as good.”
Heat raced up her neck and onto her cheeks. “This isn’t what it seems.”
“Did you pay for the books?”
Raina shook her head. “I was trying to catch someone.”
“Was someone else trying to steal these books?” Matthew waited a beat for her to respond. “There is no other culprit. You went through the doors with the books. Seems like a clear-cut case to me.”
“You know I’m not a thief.”
“I haven’t seen you in a few years. I say you’re a stranger.”
Raina straightened and lifted her chin. Stranger, huh? That sounded good to her. “Have the police released information about Holden’s death yet?”
“Are you the next of kin?”
“No, but Holden doesn't have any family.”
Matthew raised an eyebrow. “When did Professor Merritt become Holden? Are things that informal on campus?”
Raina narrowed her eyes at him. Her relationship with Holden was none of Matthew's business. “I’m wondering if someone will be planning a memorial service for him.”
His jaw tightened. “Why are you in such a rush to get rid of the body?”
Raina blinked. Get rid of the body? What was he talking about?
Matthew peered into her face. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him. “He had a sister. We'll be releasing the body to her soon.”
She stiffened as a chill ran through her. Holden had told her he was an only child. Could this be a mistake? She glanced at the police logo on Matthew's polo shirt. No. The police couldn’t be that incompetent. Why had Holden lied about his family?
“How well did you know Holden Merritt?” Matthew asked.
“Apparently not very well. I didn’t even know he had a sister.”
“Then why do you care about a memorial service?”
Raina scratched her pinkie. Why didn’t she come up with something less damning to force Holden to give back the money he owed her?
Matthew held out his hands. “Let me see.”
“What?”
He grabbed her textbooks and tucked them under one arm. His warm hands enveloped hers, sending a tingle from her fingertips up to her arms. He inspected her hands. Leaning back slightly, Raina held her breath, afraid of the scent from his skin. She counted the few white hairs among the black on his head.
He gave her a soft smile. “Rough night.”
Raina nodded, not trusting her voice. Beads of sweat popped out on her forehead.
Someone cleared her throat. “Detective Louie.”
Raina snatched her hands back. Saved by the bell. Matthew turned to the speaker behind him. His broad shoulders blocked her view momentarily and she found herself leaning forward trying to catch bits of the mumbled conversation. Were they really going to press charges against her over some textbooks? By the time he stepped aside, the butterflies in Raina’s stomach had knotted into a slick clump.
Matthew gestured at her. “Officer Hopper, you remember Miss Sun?”
Officer Hopper nodded. Her flinty gray eyes ran up and down the length of her.
Raina stiffened under the inspection, fully aware that her unruly black hair and wrinkled shirt, while appropriate on campus, made her look like a slob everywhere else. She lifted her chin slightly, uncertain as to the cause of the sudden chill from the once nice policewoman.
Her gaze slid over to the brown-skinned man standing next to Officer Hopper. “Tony Fuentes. Campus Security. Thank you, officers. I’ll take it from here.”
Raina wiped a trickle of sweat running down the side of her face. Her nose twitched at the musky scent oozing from her armpits. If she stood in this sun much longer, everyone would know she didn’t put on deodorant this morning.
Matthew stiffened at the dismissal.
Officer Hopper scowled. “And what can you do about a misdemeanor? Take away her access to the campus gym?” She turned to Matthew. “I’m going to run her through the system. Make sure there are no outstanding warrants.”
Raina’s eyes widened. “I was going to pay for the books. It was more expensive on campus, but I want to support the bookstore. I swear I was going to pay. Let me pay for them now.” She snapped her mouth shut to stop her babbling.
Her Uncle Anthony had always said that only the guilty ones over explained themselves. Would she need to call her uncle to get her out of jail? A trickle of sweat worked its way between her shoulder blades and down her back. The family gossip mill would feed on this for months.
“I’m sure you were.” Officer Hopper jogged over to the police cruiser parked across the street.
Matthew handed the books to Tony. “We’ll take care of this.”
Tony straightened and ignored the books. “The police don’t have jurisdiction over student affairs on campus.”
Raina grabbed the books and hugged them to her chest. Several students stopped and stared at the commotion. She picked out Sol’s greasy ponytail glinting in the sunshine. “Could we go someplace more private to continue this conversation?”
Both men ignored her.
“Campus Security doesn’t have jurisdiction over a misdemeanor. She could be looking at six months of jail time.” Matthew shifted until he stood between Raina and Tony.
Raina curled her itching hands into fists. She wanted to laugh at the two men facing each other with spread feet. Neither man would have pressed charges on her if they were alone. But together, one of them would end up arresting her.
Glancing at the tight jaws and narrowed eyes, another bead of sweat rolled down her back. Maybe this wasn’t funny after all. What if she ended up in jail?
Officer Hopper returned, glowering at Raina. “No warrants.”
Raina blinked at the tears filling her tears. How did a simple errand to pick up her textbooks degrade into a pissing match between Campus Security and the police in front of her peers? Wasn’t it enough she found a dead body a few hours ago? She covered her face with her hands and burst into noisy sobs. The textbooks landed with a thud.
She sniffed, fumbling with her purse. “I’m so sorry.” She drew out a tissue and blew her nose. “It won’t happen again.”
The men broke their staring contest. Matthew picked up the textbooks while Tony shifted his weight from foot to foot. Officer Hopper snorted in disgust and stalked back to the police cruiser.
A red-faced Tony grabbed the textbooks. “I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. No harm done. I’ll bring these back to the bookstore.”
Matthew sighed. “You’re so much trouble.”
Raina dabbed at her gummy eyes. Red nose, puffy eyes, grungy hair, and BO. She didn’t want to be alone with Matthew looking like this. “Can I go now?”
“For now, but I’m coming over for dinner tonight. I’m in the mood for something hot.” He gave her a roguish wink and strolled over to Officer Hopper.
Did he think she would cook for him after this…this fiasco? She cupped her hands around her mouth. “No, you’re not!”
Matthew waved in acknowledgment, but didn’t turn around. Officer Hopper, who was smiling at Matthew’s approach, raised an eyebrow.
Raina had the feeling she made an enemy today.
6
THE GREAT GUACAMOLE COVER-UP
Raina stomped to the Eatery. The nerve of the man to assume she’d slave over a hot stove for him. Ha! As if she even had spare money to feed him. The man ate like a starved teenager. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything all morning. A fat overstuffed steak burrito layered with gooey cheese and creamy guacamole would hit the spot nicely.
The cafeteria-style Eatery had yellow pastel walls and gleaming wood counters. It was busy as usual. Student friendly pricing also attracted the local townspeople. All the food stations had lines, except the Mexican. The lights were off. No steak burrito today.
With some reluctance Raina paid for her iced coffee and Cobb salad from Java Java. For the same price, the Mucho Steak Burrito could be both lunch and dinner. Today was turning out to be a bad day. The floor-to-ceiling tinted windows facing the grassy quad area pulsated with trapped heat. She cringed at the thought of sitting anywhere near those windows.
“Raina! Over here!”
Eden waved at her from a table near the other entrance. As Raina weaved her way through the small café style tables and chairs, Eden spoke to a freckle-faced teen with a stained apron next to her. She slipped something into his hands. He winked at her and resumed picking up discarded trays by the trash bins.
Raina placed her tray on the table and pulled out a chair. “Have the police released any more information?” She glanced at her friend’s roast beef sandwich and regretted buying the salad.
Eden glanced at her watch. “I’ve got two hours to kill before they release a statement. They haven’t found the next of kin yet, so I don’t think it will be anything important. But I’ll be there just the same.”
“Are they l
ooking for Holden’s sister? Know her name?” Raina pretended nonchalance as she pushed a straw through the lid of her iced coffee.
“Natalie Merritt.” Eden shot her a furtive look. “Know anything about her that might interest me?”
“I didn’t even know she existed until an hour ago.”
“Then who told you about her?”
“Matthew.”
Eden straightened. “What else did he tell you?”
Did wanting to resume their dysfunctional relationship count? “Nothing.”
“How about a ride to the cell phone store? I used my twenty dollars for the week already. I need to get one of those pay-as-you go phones temporarily.”
“You need to up your weekly gas budget. Twenty dollars barely gets you to the other end of the city.”
Eden munched on a fry. “I like food on my table better. How about that ride?”
“What happened to your phone?”
“The police are keeping it. Something about preserving evidence.” Eden winked. “It’ll give me an excuse to stop by the station to harass them whenever I feel like it.”
Raina hesitated. Had Eden found out anything else about Holden’s death? Would her friend be offended if she agreed to the ride in exchange for information? “I have an appointment to get new tires after lunch. The cell phone store is a block away if you want to walk there while we wait for them to work on my car.”
“I thought you didn’t have money to replace them?”
“I needed some retail therapy after last night. They are going on the credit card.”
Eden snorted. “Most people hit the mall for retail therapy.”
“But that’s not an excuse to buy things I don’t need.” Raina tilted her head toward the freckled-faced teen picking up trays at the other end of the cafeteria. “Was that guy hitting on you? I thought you prefer guys that are…older.”
“He cleaned up Holden Merritt’s vomit yesterday.”
Raina frowned. Holden didn’t look well when he cornered her by the vending machine. At the time, she thought he was nervous about their discussion. “Food poisoning?”
“Here’s the thing. Holden came with a skinny blonde girl in a red T-shirt and glasses to pick up the lunch orders for the department. He threw up while he was picking up the lunches.”