by Vivien Chien
“Oh sure,” he responded. “Vic was part of our business crew. They hung out almost every day, but his parents didn’t approve of her. They thought she was too wild for him, and maybe she was. They had an arrangement with their parents to marry off their eldest or something like that.”
“Hm, I see,” I said, mulling this over. “That’s interesting that kind of thing still happens.”
“You’re telling me! Needless to say, that’s not something you’d want to put in your story,” he said with a laugh. “Speaking ill of the dead and all.”
“Of course,” I replied.
“Oh, he had a thing for cards,” he told me. “He loved to gamble. He’d go to the frat houses and spend all his money on game nights.”
No surprise there, I thought. “Did he win?”
“I’d say it was about fifty–fifty. A lot of times he’d let his arrogance get in the way.”
“I see.” He didn’t seem to have any information that I didn’t already know myself. Aside from the fact that his and Victoria’s interest went farther back than I’d originally thought. “Well, I think I have everything I need,” I told him. “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me.”
“Hey, sure, no problem. If you have any other questions, just let me know.”
Feeling disappointed that I had learned nothing new, I did another search through Brandon’s list of friends on various social media accounts. My hope was to find the elusive Captain Kirk.
No dice.
Maybe this guy didn’t exist online. And if he was a hit man, he definitely wouldn’t be advertising himself on the Internet.
Even though it bothered me to do it, I clicked on Isabelle’s name. This would be the first time since she’d been gone that I’d visited her page. Much like Brandon’s, her wall had turned into a memorial. Family and friends left post upon post filled with memories and prayers.
I chomped on the pizza crust, trying to push back the tears that were welling in my eyes.
To torture myself even further, I went through her pictures. Her smiling face stared back at me as I scrolled through the happy images. What a tragedy for such a young life to be taken. And on top of that, she had been such a good person. She didn’t deserve for things to end this way.
Ugh, I couldn’t look anymore! I was driving myself crazy with this. It was time to call it a night.
Sitting there going through her pictures made me realize just how much this meant to me. I was going to figure this whole thing out and find their killer. I would find justice for them no matter what I had to do. Whoever was responsible for this wasn’t going to walk away.
Before I closed the page, I typed a message. It read: Miss you, dear friend.
CHAPTER
18
Asia Village was hopping with customers rushing in and out of stores purchasing last-minute items or getting their hair done at Asian Accents. The breakfast rush continued until eleven. I had never served so many steamed buns in my life. The brief moment I had to look out into the plaza, I even saw a line coming out of the grocery store.
Nancy and I worked the tables as fast as we could, but it was hard to keep up. I was actually looking forward to my sister coming in for the day. If that wasn’t a sign of the apocalypse, I didn’t know what was.
There was a lull in the traffic coming into the restaurant and a flow of people ready to cash out at once. Nancy cleared the emptying tables while I worked on getting customers paid up and on their way. Anna May strolled in while I was cashing out a family of three at the register.
She scanned the restaurant. “Wow, this place is packed today. I almost couldn’t find a parking space.”
I gave the family in front of me their change and wished them a good day. “It has been nonstop since we opened,” I said to my sister. “Since you’re here now, I’m going to hurry and get the bank deposit ready and head out. I have a lunch appointment, too, so I might be gone for a little longer than normal.”
“You’re going to leave me and Nancy to handle this rush?”
I surveyed the now half-empty restaurant. “You’ll be fine. We had it way worse than this most of the morning.”
“You know, I think you’re taking this ‘in charge’ thing a little too far. You can’t just run off every day because you’re the boss. You’re not Mom.”
“Oh whatever. You need to get over the fact that Mom and Dad left me in charge already. It’s been a week since they left. And besides, I’ve been working ten-hour days and the only day I’ve cut out early was yesterday. So just calm down and go help Nancy.”
We stood staring at each other in defiance until Nancy came up to see what was going on. “Is everything okay?” she asked, looking at my sister and me. She had that tone in her voice that said things better be okay, or else we’d have to deal with one of her lectures on sisterhood.
“Fine,” I said, keeping my icy stare on my sister. “Anna May is just about to take over. I’m going to lunch.”
Without saying anything, Anna May stormed off into the kitchen.
* * *
I got to Starbucks a little after noon; Rina was already there, sitting at a table by the window. She waved at me as I walked in. I returned the wave and pointed toward the line, letting her know I was going to place my order.
After I had my coffee and cranberry-orange scone, I made my way over to the table she’d gotten by the window. “I hope you weren’t waiting long. I had to drop a deposit off at the bank and it took me a little longer than I thought.”
“No problem, I kept myself busy with this Scene magazine.” She pointed to the free local magazine spread out in front of her. “I’ve never been to Cleveland before. There’s so much to do here, I had no idea.”
“Never?”
“No. Even though Izzy and I sort of kept in touch, she never invited me to come see her. We were never right again after I gave her such a hard time about Brandon. Our relationship had become very … civil. Of course there were the regular check-ins with each other, but we didn’t get too detailed. We sounded more like old acquaintances than sisters.”
“It’s too bad their marriage took such a toll on you guys.” I took a bite of my scone. “I don’t blame you, by the way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I didn’t really care for him, either. I mean, he was never rude to me personally or anything, it’s just … I don’t know, I didn’t like the way he treated her most of the time. It was almost like she was his maid or something,” I said, putting down my scone. “But I’ve also been known to be a bit of a feminist at times. Maybe I’m not the right person to judge.”
She slapped the table. “Yes! Oh my God, he always treated her like a servant. I saw it, too, and I couldn’t stand it. She didn’t seem to mind his demands, but every once in a while she’d get this look on her face, almost like she was going to snap. She never did, but I was always waiting for it to happen.”
I thought back to her face on the night that Brandon told her he needed to leave again. I wondered if that was the same expression Rina was thinking about. “Did you ever notice anything else strange about him?” I prodded.
“Like what?” She sipped her tea, peering at me over the mug.
“Did he happen to disappear a lot when they lived in New York?”
She nodded. “Oh yeah, absolutely. He’d run off constantly. And sometimes he wouldn’t come home all night.”
I shifted to the edge of my seat. “Do you know where he’d go when he didn’t come home?”
She rolled her eyes. “To the casino, of course. He’d gamble all night long. I don’t want to know how much money he lost in the process.”
“So this gambling problem has been long standing?”
“He swore to Isabelle up and down that he quit cold turkey, but—” She shook her head. “—someone like him doesn’t just stop on the drop of a dime. Gambling is a serious addiction for some people. He had it too bad to just give it up completely without seeking some kind o
f professional help. He would win thousands of dollars a night and then lose it all before he came home. At that point, you’re just doing it for the adrenaline rush.”
Losing all of his money … it lined up. It would explain his nightly disappearances and why he had nothing to show for himself. He must have lost all the money he should have been paying to Marcia. But what was different about that last night? He’d told Esther his plans for the money. Something must have changed for him. “Do you think it could be possible that’s what got them…” I paused, looking down at my coffee. “… into this mess?”
“What do you mean? His gambling got them killed?”
“Maybe…?”
Rina tilted her head. “Why would you think that specifically?”
I informed her on my trip to the casino and running into Carmen.
She sat back in her seat and spread her hands out on the table as if to steady herself. “Do you think it could have been this woman from the casino?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. She seemed sincere when she was telling me her story. I’m not completely convinced she’s telling the whole truth. But either way, Brandon could have been involved in something that led to him and Isabelle getting killed.”
She drummed her fingers on the tabletop, staring at the magazine in front of her but not really looking at it. She was off somewhere and I wanted to know what she was thinking. She started to say something but then stopped herself, focusing her attention out the window instead.
“Rina … if this is too upsetting to discuss, we can talk about something else. I know you wanted to catch up on what was going on with your sister’s life since you last saw her. We don’t have to talk about this.”
“No, it’s okay, it’s not that. I’m just thinking if this is plausible or not.”
“I know, I’m sorry to spring this on you.”
“I’m glad you brought it up actually. It gives me something to think about rather than just feeling sorry for myself. I’ve tried to avoid thinking about the details of the murder. But maybe that’s been a mistake. Maybe I should be thinking about what really happened.”
I leaned forward. “What can you tell me about Constance?”
“Constance?” She laughed. “Like if she’s capable of murder?”
I nodded.
“It’s possible, I suppose. If she was pushed enough that it would be justified … at least to someone like her.”
I leaned in. “After Constance’s outburst at the memorial reception, I had a few words with her sister, Victoria. She admitted to the affair and that Brandon was involved with other women. Did Isabelle know about all of this? I’m assuming someone tried to warn her?”
With a sigh she said, “Yes, I did. Numerous times. Izzy never wanted to believe it. Anytime I brought it up, she’d tell me that we didn’t know the whole story and that it should be left in the past. People deserve second chances and all that.”
“How bad was it? I mean, how many women are we talking?”
“More than I care to think about. Brandon was a womanizer, through and through.” She took a deep breath. “Like I told you the other day, he was forced to marry Constance, and I think that made everything worse. His parents thought she could straighten him out, and they offered him a considerable inheritance if he agreed to it. So naturally, he did. He probably thought it would get his parents off his back, and he could have an unlimited source of money in the process. But he couldn’t help himself. He had a thing for Victoria, and those two ended up having an affair within months of him and Constance tying the knot. I don’t know how differently things would have turned out had he just been allowed to marry whoever he wanted to begin with.”
I leaned back in my chair and mulled this over. How could Isabelle marry someone with such a terrible track record with women? What could have been his redeeming quality? If it were me, I wouldn’t have been able to look past it all.
Rina rested her head in her hands, shaking her head back and forth. “I still can’t believe that my little sister is gone. All because of that good-for-nothing jerk. I know we don’t know anything for sure, but I feel like it was his fault. It had to be.”
“How are you holding up, by the way?” I asked.
“As you’d expect. Some moments are harder than others. Like I said, I’ve been trying not to think about it. I’ve been keep myself busy with as many distractions as I can find. My parents asked me if I would clean out Izzy’s things from their apartment. Constance called them and asked if someone would take care of my sister’s things, which I was really surprised by. I thought we’d have to fight to get her stuff back. So I told them to head back to New York and I’d take care of any loose ends around here.”
“That was really nice of you,” I said. “I’m sure your parents appreciate it.”
She sipped her tea. “I think staying in this city was making things harder for them. It’s better for them to be back in New York … somewhere familiar.”
I shimmied in my seat, thinking about what I wanted to ask, and I hated to even bring it up.
Rina seemed to pick up on my uneasiness. “Lana, what is it?” she asked in a gentle voice that reminded me so much of her sister. It was amazing to me how much they were alike and how different Anna May and I were.
“When you go to clear out her things from the apartment … if you find anything that might be suspicious, would you mind letting me know?”
She contemplated my question and slowly began to nod. “Of course. Anything I can do to help.”
For a while after, we switched our conversation to her sister and how life had really been for her in Cleveland. I told her about the pride that Isabelle had in running the store, and how her cheerful demeanor spread to everyone who came in contact with her. I told her about our weekly bookstore trips and casual dinners at the Bamboo Lounge. And despite the secrets that were beginning to surface, I told her that Isabelle had seemed truly happy, finding the good in every day.
We should all be so lucky.
As we left Starbucks and said our goodbyes, I felt a tinge of guilt flow through me. I hated to involve Rina in my suspicions, but I wanted her to know about the possibilities. She promised that she wouldn’t share what I’d told her with anyone. And even though I didn’t know her that well, I knew I could trust her.
* * *
When I got back to the restaurant, most of the tables were filled. Nancy and Anna May wove in between tables, dropping off platters of food and pots of tea. I fell right back into work and didn’t stop moving until almost four o’clock.
The busy environment kept my mind off everything else in my life. Which, for once, was a welcome relief. Matter of fact, it wasn’t until I was totaling receipts in my mother’s office that the outside world came back into existence.
My cell phone chirped, jolting me from my accounting zone. It was Adam, and seeing his name light up on my screen sent my stomach into roller-coaster mode.
“How’s my little restaurant manager holding up?”
I laughed. “Oh, fine. Just adding up receipts from today’s day shift. It’s been nonstop all day.”
“Glad to hear that business is good and it’s keeping you out of trouble.”
My face went flat. “So good to know that you have confidence in me.”
“Oh, don’t be sensitive, I’m teasing you … you know, like you tease me.”
“That’s fair,” I said, not wanting to admit that he was right. I did like to tease him. It was too easy.
“Anyway, I just called to make sure we’re still on for our date tomorrow night? You’re usually done with work around five or six, so I was thinking we’d head to dinner around eight if that works.”
“Tomorrow night?”
“You didn’t forget, did you?” he asked, sounding disappointed.
“No, no, definitely not.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up at eight then.”
Truth was, with everything going on, I had forgotten. The days
were meshing together and I didn’t know which way was up.
I scrambled to finish the receipts and pack up for the day. My next priority was to find something suitable to wear that would be sure to catch Adam’s attention. Our dates—and me out of my work uniform—had been few and far between. I had to make every night count.
CHAPTER
19
Friday morning, I got to sleep in. Anna May had an afternoon class and needed to work the morning shift. I gladly complied. Not only because I wanted some extra sleep, but also because Lou was working that morning. Peter needed the day shift off so he could attend some painting seminar they were having at a local community college. It was one of those specialty adult classes where you show up three times and pay a reasonable fee.
Peter had been spending a lot more time on his art since he’d found out that Mr. Feng had been his real father. He had gone his whole life not knowing about his mother’s affair with someone else’s husband. Being creative with his art was a good way for him to deal with the emotions that came with learning the truth. He’d been to two of the three classes so far, and both times he had returned seeming a little more at ease.
When I finally stumbled out of bed, I took my time walking Kikko and lounged over morning coffee. Megan had worked the late shift at the bar the night before, so I had the kitchen all to myself. I squeezed in a chapter of my new book before heading into the shower.
In true Betty Lee style, I strolled into the restaurant at eleven a.m., my face crunched up in scrutiny as I walked in. Anna May was perched at the hostess station, and Nancy was at a table taking someone’s order.
“How’s business today?” I asked, imitating my mother.
Anna May spread out an arm. “Take a look for yourself. The lunch rush is starting early.”
I noted that the dining room was getting full and nodded in approval as my mother would. “I’ll be in the back handling the books until you leave.”
My sister gave me a flat stare and I broke character, beaming back at her with satisfaction, before heading to my mother’s office.