by Anne R. Tan
“Rainy, whatever happens, I want you to stay in the car,” Matthew said. “I don’t want to find you bleeding and cut up again. Promise me.”
“I can take care of myself,” Raina said.
His voice softened. “I’m sure you can. Just not tonight, okay?”
“All right. I’ll just be the designated driver.”
Lori pulled into the driveway of Sol’s apartment complex. The vehicle’s headlights disappeared around the back of the building where the residents parked.
A bolt of energy ran through Raina’s body. Were Lori and Sol co-conspirators to Holden’s murder? She glanced at the rearview mirror. Eden’s face was tight and her eyes looked worried. Raina hoped there was an explanation for Lori’s late night visit to Eden’s boyfriend.
Raina slowed the car and parked where the streetlight ended. She turned off the headlights but kept the car running. “Now what?”
“Stay in the car.” Matthew took off for the back of the apartment with Eden hot on his trail.
“Wait!” Raina called out, but the two disappeared into the darkness. She dialed Eden’s phone number and after a second of delay, music played in the backseat. Eden had left her purse behind.
Raina drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Crickets chirped and someone opened a window curtain. What if someone sneaked up to the Jeep? She glanced at the rearview mirror as she clicked the locks.
Movement on the other far driveway caught her eye. The glow of headlights became brighter as a vehicle rounded the opposite side of the apartment complex. The white SUV turned back onto the street. She couldn’t even tell if there was more than one occupant in the car.
Raina dialed Matthew’s cell phone and got his voice mail. “Where are you? Lori just left the complex. I’m following her and heading north.” She kept an eye on the sidewalk for her friends, but after two blocks, she realized she was on her own.
When the SUV hit the main thoroughfare, it zipped through the light traffic and pulled into the hospital parking lot. Lori jogged to the side door and disappeared inside.
Raina parked behind a large van and jumped out. She speed dialed Matthew again while she sprinted after the woman. “I’m at the hospital.”
She hoped she wouldn’t be too late. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know Lori was heading toward her husband’s room. Andrew had become a liability. Either he was a co-conspirator or he’d found out about Lori’s extracurricular activity. Whichever the case, things would get worse for him before the night was over.
The side door opened easily in her hands. Someone had taped the latch on the doorknob. Lori made a left through a set of doors before the empty nurse’s station.
Raina ducked through and lost sight of her. The corridor had floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and a row of doors on the opposite wall leading to patient rooms. She glanced at the ceiling, but there didn’t appear to be any video cameras. Some security. Anyone could walk off with a patient.
Her nose burned from the lemon scented antiseptic cleansers. The dimmed lights and the whirls and clicks of medical machinery made her skin crawl. Even amid these miracle makers, how many people checked into hospitals and never checked out?
Raina removed her pepper spray from her purse and slipped it into her shorts pocket. Tiptoeing down the hall, she placed her ear against door after door. What was Andrew’s room number?
Someone snored in door number one.
The TV chattered in door number two.
Silence in door number three.
At the fourth door, she made out Lori’s faint voice.
“You sure you don’t want any water, honey?”
“Where’s the baby?” Andrew asked between coughs.
“With my mom. Here, take a sip.”
Something dropped on the floor.
“Andrew! Why did you have to knock over my purse?” Something rustled and clattered. “Here’s another cup.”
He coughed. “I don’t want anything from you.”
“You know, things didn’t work out between us as I envisioned it.”
He laughed, harsh and desperate.
“You were supposed to take care of me. Instead, the bank will foreclose on our tiny shoebox of a house. I slept with my godfather to get you a job. I even got rid of the blackmailing jerk. But you still manage to screw things up. How are we supposed to come up with the money to replace the missing grant funds? I just can’t do this anymore.”
Raina’s heart sank. Why did love flip into hate like this?
“Fine. Divorce me,” Andrew said.
“Call the nurse and I’ll make sure you’ll never see the baby again. Now drink the damn water.”
Raina jumped at the ringing and vibrating sound coming from her side. Sweat beaded on the small of her back as she clawed at her purse, her clammy hands squirting the phone onto the floor. It slammed against the tiled floor and echoed in the empty hall. Scrambling on her knees, she lunged at it, hitting the ignore button just as it rang again. The call was from Matthew.
A cloying gardenia scent made her head swim and her eyes water. The fine hair stiffened on the back of her neck and gooseflesh peppered her forearms.
She pasted on a weak smile and turned to stare into the dark barrel of a gun.
27
BROKEN
Raina lifted her gaze to Lori’s calm face.
She was a dead duck.
Lori gestured for her to get inside the room. Raina glanced at a pasty Andrew ineffectively reaching for the call button on the raised hospital bed. If she stalled, he might come through or a nurse would make her rounds. Rancid fear filled the small space, rolling off Andrew in waves.
Raina gripped her purse. “Detective Louie knows I’m at the hospital with Holden’s killer.” Her voice wobbled. She wasn’t fooling anyone.
Lori narrowed her eyes and her lips tightened into a thin line. She grabbed Raina’s arm and jerked her inside the room.
When the latch clicked home, Raina broke out into a cold sweat. Why didn’t she stay in the car? She wiped her clammy hands on her shorts.
Lori held out a hand. “Give it to me!”
“What—”
“Your cell phone.”
Lori snatched the phone from her hands and clicked on the screen to check the last call. “Crap!” She threw it on the floor next to the lip gloss, pencil, keys, and snack cup from her knocked over purse. The display screen cracked and the battery and back cover flew in different directions. “No more fun and games.” She shoved Raina towards the hospital bed.
Andrew’s shaking hands broke her fall, but in the split second that their eyes met, Raina knew she was on her own. He was in no condition to help her. Even hoping he could get to the nurse button was a stretch.
“Drink the water, Andrew,” Lori said through gritted teeth. “Or I’ll make sure the baby does.”
Raina gasped. She had to be bluffing.
Lori swung her gaze to Raina. “Daddy was right. Andrew wasn’t man enough for me.” The corners of her lips curled. “Lucky your granddad took care of your problem, huh?”
Raina jerked her head in the semblance of a nod. Agree to everything and stay calm. Stall until Matthew gets here. “Where did you get the black hellebore?”
“My garden. It’s my only joy in this marriage,” Lori said. “It was featured on the Garden Club’s newsletter.”
Andrew swatted at the plastic cup on the tray. Liquid ran down the sides and dripped onto the scratchy fleece blanket. He flopped back onto the bed, drained, and triumphed as he smirked at his wife.
Lori made a guttural sound that was more animal than human. Her eyes widened as her pupils dilated. Her flushed face matched her red hair. She lunged for Andrew.
Raina leapt back until she was sitting on his feet on the bed. The cloying gardenia scent floated like an A-bomb cloud next to her head.
Lori grabbed his mouth, forced it open, and tipped the remaining liquid in. He coughed and batted at her hands. She slammed his h
ead on the tray.
Raina jerked the pepper spray from her pocket and swept her arm like she was holding a fire extinguisher. She held the other arm over her face. Her eyes stung and watered, but she kept her finger on the button. The spray ricocheted off Lori’s back and hunched shoulders.
Lori spun and smashed the cold barrel of the gun on Raina’s hand.
The pepper spray slipped from her numb fingers and clacked onto the floor. Another blow caught Raina on the side of the face and she fell onto the floor. Her arm landed on a sharpened pencil and pain shot up her arm.
Lori shot out a foot and kicked Raina in the stomach. She grunted, clutching her stomach, as she curled into a fetal position under the bed. Her vision blurred and tangy bile rose in her throat. She swallowed and focused on her breathing.
When Lori’s foot shot out a second time, Raina grabbed the ankle with slick hands, twisted, and rolled further underneath the bed. Lori crashed onto the floor.
Raina clamped the foot between her thighs and pulled the pencil from her arm. She stabbed Lori on the side, jamming the pointed tip into the soft flesh. The gun clattered to the floor.
Lori screamed and bucked. Her foot jerked roughly against Raina’s thighs.
Raina kicked the gun across the room. She yanked the pencil out. Warm blood ran down her hands.
The door banged open. Several pairs of feet came into view. A pair of hands helped Lori off the floor.
Raina clutched the pencil to her chest. Her breaths came out quick and unnatural. Her tight muscles shook with fatigue. Friend or foe? Should she crawl out or stay hidden?
Matthew’s face came into view. He moved his mouth and held out his hand
She couldn’t understand what he was saying. The room spun alarmingly. This was not the time to pass out. Deep breaths. She blinked, but he was still holding out his hands.
“Give me the pencil, Rainy.” His voice was soft and gentle. The tone an adult would use on a frightened child.
Raina glanced down at her hands. Blood covered her arms and her shirt. She held out the pencil.
He handed it to someone and held out his hands again. “Come here, honey. It’s okay.”
The touch of his warm hands drained the tension from her body. She was safe. His fingers curled protectively against her clammy hands. She held onto his hand as she crawled out from underneath the bed.
Raina blinked at the too bright scene in front of her. Officer Hopper held onto a handcuffed Lori in the far corner. She held a bloody towel against her side. Another officer bagged the gun. Eden yelled and pushed against an officer blocking the doorway.
A beeping noise from the machinery cut through the din.
Matthew moved her away from the bed. Raina swayed and he tightened his grip. He led her outside as a team of medical staff rushed in. Their white coats and colorful scrubs looked like macaws among the dark police uniforms.
He wrapped his arms around her. “I hate finding you covered in blood.” His voice trembled, but his hold was steady.
She laid her head on his chest and cried.
* * *
RAINA WOKE to the aroma of fresh coffee and bacon the next morning. She winced as she sat up in bed. Bracing her hand against the side table, she slowly straightened and hobbled to the bathroom. Her body felt old and her mood wasn’t any better. What she needed was Po Po’s elephant tranquilizer.
The long shower helped and she almost felt her age again. She wiped the steam from the mirror and jerked in surprise at the sparkle in her wide brown eyes. The bruises on her body were superficial and would disappear with time.
Matthew’s reappearances had always heralded the next phase in her life. This time was no different. This past two weeks had brought purpose and excitement to her dormant year of hiding in Gold Springs. She should have known better than to stick her head in the mud.
Her dysfunctional family finally caught up with her when Po Po arrived on her doorstep with her red suitcase. She could have dealt with the demands of the other family in China and her cousins. It was the fear of losing her grandma’s love that had weighed down her heart. Now that Ah Gong’s secret was out, having Po Po at her side was like a jolt from a Red Bull.
Raina opened the bedroom door to find Po Po looking expectantly across the dining room table at her. Eden popped her head out from the kitchen, disappeared, and returned with a plate of food and a mug of coffee.
She cradled the mug her friend handed her. “Thanks for making breakfast, Eden.”
“Hey, how did you know I didn’t make breakfast?” Po Po asked.
Raina raised an eyebrow. “You call the gap between the fridge and stove The Grand Canyon.”
Po Po harrumphed. “A woman’s place is not in the kitchen.”
Raina shoved a piece of scrambled egg in her mouth. It was too early to argue that cooking was a survival skill.
“Andrew is alive but still in critical condition.” Eden glanced at the koi clock. “Lori’s in a holding cell. I need to leave in a few minutes to see if the judge would let her post bail.”
Raina flinched. “I feel responsible for Andrew being in the hospital. I thought the white lie about Sol investigating the grant fund would light a fire to get him to do something stupid.”
“I don’t think the outcome would’ve changed, just the timing. Lori was a walking time bomb,” Po Po said. “She already thought her husband has failed to live up to his promises.”
Raina gave her a sideways glance. Her grandma would know about failing husbands. “The gun was Olivia’s?”
Eden nodded. “Lori even tried to frame Sol by leaving traces of the poison on his car and throwing the rest in the trash bins. She was planning on calling in an anonymous tip later.”
A weight lifted from Raina’s shoulders. She wasn’t a fan of Sol, but she didn’t want him to have anything to do with the murder. Her friend was dating the guy after all.
“How’s this for poetic justice? The pencil you used to stab Lori? It belonged to Holden,” Eden said. “Of course, I can’t publish this detail. It’ll get my source into trouble.”
Eden left shortly after. Po Po hung around the apartment, clucking at Raina and fluffing imaginary flat pillows. After lunch, her grandma left and Raina finally felt like she could breathe again. She was watching her sixth episode of Big Bang Theory when someone knocked on the front door.
Raina opened the door to find Matthew holding out a blackened orthopedic white shoe. She sighed and invited him in.
“Where’s Po Po?” he asked.
Raina settled into her sofa. She glanced at the koi clock. Her grandma had left three hours ago. Plenty of time to get into trouble. “What happened?”
“Someone called in that a bunch of senior citizens locked a police officer in a portable potty.”
The beginning of a smile tugged on her lips. “Please don’t tell me there was a stink bomb involved?”
His eyes sparkled. “There were multiple stink bombs. I’m assuming they meant to throw it inside the portable potty. But the peanut gallery ended up setting it off among themselves. One of the men screamed, ‘Abort Operation Code Red’ into a walkie talkie.”
“Was the caller able to identify anyone?”
Matthew shook his head. “No, but he gave a good description of the little old Chinese woman who lost this shoe.”
They both laughed.
“Po Po is planning to move across from your grandma,” Raina said.
“Things are going to get mighty interesting in this town.” He tugged his collar. “I found a hood in Sacramento. It’ll take a little while, but your car can be fixed.”
Raina blinked at the tears welling up in her eyes. She reached over and squeezed his hand. “Thank you,” she whispered.
The fact he knew how much her dad’s car meant to her said more about his feelings toward her than what was not said. But it wouldn’t change her decision to let him go.
Not one bit.
THE END
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GUSTY LOVERS AND CADAVERS - AN EXCERPT
Raina was smart enough to know a Jiggle Me doll for the baby of the family wasn’t enough to ease her cousins’ animosity over the lawsuit contesting their grandfather’s will. After all, it wasn’t her fault the cousins only got one dollar each, but she had to try. For her grandma’s sake.
She glanced at the sliding glass doors to the entrance of Bullseye. The Christmas music piped through hidden speakers grated on her nerves as she waited by the display case between the restrooms and the Starbucks. The yuletide song didn’t appear to make the shoppers any less desperate for the hot gift of the season. In fact, it probably just reminded everyone this was the last shopping weekend before D-day.
“Oh Raina, you don’t have to. It’s not our tradition to give presents, and money is tight for you,” said Cassie over the phone.
“I have this housekeeping gig at a fancy resort for winter break. I’ll be fine. Besides, Lila is my only niece. I’m here shopping with the foreign exchange student anyway. Or I will be when she gets here.”
“Alright, but that’s it. She has more than enough toys. See you at the Christmas dinner.”
Raina hung up and glanced at the entrance of the store again. She normally wasn’t a stickler for punctuality, but Fanny was forty minutes late and hadn’t even bothered sending a text message. She’d given up Saturday morning brunch with her grandma to take the foreign exchange student shopping.