by Vivien Chien
Though our differences aren’t the same as theirs, I often think that Anna May and I are also from two totally separate pea pods. I wonder from time to time how we’ll be when we’re their age, but honestly I don’t think it will be this bad. At least I hope not.
“I’ll get us some tea,” I shouted from the back of the restaurant before disappearing into the kitchen.
On top of all that, my mother and aunt came to the United States for very different reasons. My mother came first as sort of an exploratory adventure. She wanted to study abroad and she ended up meeting my dad. Her original plan was not to stay, but love will set your life on a completely different path. But my aunt … well, she just wanted to get away from what she considered a mundane life in a country that—at the time—wasn’t advancing to her liking. So she married an American man … hence the surname Richardson. She’d kept the American name and citizenship, but ditched the husband and moved on with her life, becoming the most free-spirited person I’d ever met.
As a freelance writer for a popular travel magazine on the West Coast, she’s able to spend a lot of her time jetting around the world and visiting one fabulous location after the next. Her trips’ expenses are all business-related and she’s compensated very nicely for uprooting herself most of the year. And from what we can tell, she has no intention of settling down. That drives my mother insane. She can’t stand the lack of regimen in her sister’s life and has begged her often to stay in one place, find a good man to marry. Sound familiar?
At my aunt’s age, having children is a conversation of the past, so my mother has let that part of the equation go. But she will never approve of my aunt’s carefree lifestyle.
I finished prepping the tea and brought a tray out into the dining area. My aunt and sister were seated comfortably at one of the front booths. Anna May scooted over so I could sit down next to her.
Aunt Grace grabbed for the pot and poured out three cups of tea. “Now, Lana, tell me … what’s going on in your life?”
I took a sip of the hot tea, burning the tip of my tongue. “Nothing much, really. I manage the restaurant now, and that’s about all my excitement these days. Dumplings, noodles, and paperwork all day long.”
“Oh come now,” Aunt Grace said, patting the table in front of me. “There must be something exciting going on. You’re too young a girl to work so hard and have no fun. By the way, I’m absolutely in love with this hairstyle you’ve got. It’s very in right now.”
I smiled. “Mom doesn’t like it, but she’s starting to get used to it, I think.”
Aunt Grace rolled her eyes. “Of course she doesn’t like it. Your mother has always been very traditional. A downright stick-in-the-mud sometimes.”
“Lana is dating a police detective,” Anna May chimed in.
I blushed.
“You have a boyfriend?” Aunt Grace cooed. “I bet he’s handsome. When do I get to meet this man?”
“Soon, I’m sure.”
“Ahhh.” She leaned back in the booth and smiled to herself. “It has been too long since I last visited. You girls are growing up so fast. Ooh! Which reminds me, I have gifts for both of you. They’re in the car with my luggage. I’ll have to grab them before we’re done here. Do you know when your mother is going to be home?”
I shook my head. “Not entirely sure. We just left them about a half hour ago. Why don’t you call her and let her know you’re here? She might shorten her visit if she knew you were here.”
My aunt batted the idea away. “No, it’s more fun this way. I love to see the look on your mother’s face when she’s surprised. It’s priceless.”
I could feel sweat gathering near my hairline. “Believe me, she is going to be so surprised.”
* * *
I have kept many a secret from my mother. Some of them are for her own good, and some of them are for my own sanity. But it didn’t seem right to keep this a secret. Call it growing up, but I didn’t want my mother to suffer a surprise I knew she was dreading.
While my sister and aunt shared stories about recent happenings in both their lives, I slipped away into my office and called my mom. She picked up on the second ring.
“Laaa-na, I am very busy,” she said. The agitation was thick in her voice and I hated to add to it.
“Mom … I thought you should know that when Anna May and I got to the restaurant, Aunt Grace was waiting for us.”
Silence.
“Mom?” I pulled the phone away from my face to make sure we hadn’t been disconnected. Nope. Still there. “Mom? Did you hear what I said?”
A string of swear words in Hokkien followed. I knew because those were some of the words I actually understood.
“You better not let A-ma hear you say those things,” I warned.
“Why would she come so early? Ai-ya, I do not have time for these things.” My mother huffed into the phone, and in my head, I could see her face scrunching up in dissatisfaction.
“She said she wanted to surprise you. I thought you might want to know, so I’m telling you. But you have to act surprised, Mom. I don’t want to get dragged into any arguments over this.”
“Okay, I’m coming there.”
“Mom … promise me.”
“Okay, yah, yah, I promise. I am coming there. Do not tell Anna May anything, either.”
I chuckled to myself. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who realized that my sister had a big mouth. “Hey Mom, is Calvin there?”
“No, I did not see him today. Why do you ask me this question?”
“Just curious is all. I figured he’d be there with Sandra. How about Calvin’s uncle Gene … is he there?” I asked. “Or Ruby?”
“No, it is only me and your father. Everybody already went home.”
“Is Gene Sandra’s or Ronnie’s brother?”
“Gene is Sandra’s brother … why are you so nosy today?”
“No reason,” I replied. I couldn’t exactly tell my mother that if I decided to start looking into the case, I would need more information about the Chow family. “How is Sandra doing?”
“She is so-so. She is very upset about the police coming to speak with her. The nurse had to calm her down and gave her some pills. Her burns are also bad, and she has to stay for two more days, maybe. The doctor is coming tomorrow morning to see her again.”
I could sense by the tone in her voice that she was mentally exhausted by the situation and the concern she had for her friend was evident. I chose to forgo any more questions. “Okay, well tell her I said hello.”
We hung up after that, and I sat in my office chair spinning in circles while I thought about the Chow situation. Where the heck was Calvin hiding? Was he handling the funeral arrangements since his mother was still in the hospital? I still hadn’t heard back from him on Facebook. I decided to try again. I left him a message with my cell phone number in it. Hopefully he would get back to me this time.
I knew next to nothing about these people except from way back when, and that certainly wasn’t going to help me now. I had no idea where I would even begin and I hated to ask my mother too many questions for fear of her suspecting what I was up to. I had never shown any interest in being friends with Calvin even though my mother had asked me to keep in touch several times.
I rose from my chair, feeling frustrated and tense. As I headed out, turning the light off behind me, it dawned on me just how much I was irked by the whole situation. I couldn’t stand to see how upset my mother was by all of this. And from what I could remember of Sandra, she had always been a pleasant and kind woman. Never had I felt unwelcome in her home as a child, and even though I would have rather done other things besides being carted around by my mother to visit with her friends, I always enjoyed seeing Sandra.
Yes, once I put my mother’s reunion with my aunt behind me, I would have to deliberate with Megan again. Whether it was accidental or not, we had a murder to solve.
CHAPTER
8
Entering the kitc
hen, I found Lou prepping the kitchen appliances. My mother used to help cook on the weekends, but now that my grandmother was in the picture, she only came in on Sundays. Lou and Peter were carrying most of the weekend weight all by themselves. We were contemplating hiring another cook to fill in and do split shifts, but the problem was whether or not it would work with the budget.
“Hey boss!” Lou bellowed from the grill. He waved the grill brush he was using to clean in my direction. “Surprised to see you in on a Sunday!”
“My parents had some things to handle so I’m filling in.”
“Great, great. Always good to see you.” He gave me a thumbs-up before turning his attention back to the grill.
I left him to his preparations and went back out into the dining area where my aunt and sister were deep in conversation. I caught them in mid-laugh so it seemed that my sister hadn’t spilled the beans about the recent food truck incident. It didn’t have anything to do with us, but my aunt is quick to judge, and I was sure she would make some comments bound to aggravate my mother.
Instead of joining them, I went about preparing the dining room for our anticipated customers. The Mahjong Matrons—who were put off by our adjusted Sunday hours—would be in for their usual breakfast-turned-into-brunch.
Vanessa showed up ten minutes before her shift and bebopped all over the hostess station as she finished wiping down menus. She was caught off-guard by my presence and I caught a glimpse of her stuffing a magazine back into her hobo bag.
The Mahjong Matrons filed in one by one a minute after I unlocked the doors, and marched like ducks to their usual booth. They took one look at my aunt sitting with my sister, and a flurry of whispers ensued. They recognized her from previous visits and knew what was coming. I think everyone knew what was coming. My mother and aunt had fought in public on more than one occasion. Talking in another language only saves you from those that don’t know that particular language. In this environment, you really had to watch what you said in more ways than one.
I greeted the four elderly women with my customer service smile and a mischievous glint in my eye to let them know that I was on to them. They giggled in unison, and I told them I would be back with their tea.
In the kitchen, I readied their pot of oolong and told Lou to begin cooking their meals.
I arrived back in the dining area just in time to see my mother and grandmother walk through the front doors. A triumphant expression covered my mother’s face. My father was nowhere to be seen.
Slowing my pace, I watched my mother in action. She neared the table and stopped abruptly, holding up a hand to her mouth. “Waaaa-saaaaaa! Big sister, you are here already?”
I almost wanted to put down the tray I was holding and give my mother a standing ovation. At times I think she missed her calling as an actress. I also said a silent thank-you for her actually keeping the secret between us.
Aunt Grace clasped her hands together. “Aiyaaaaa … Bai-Ling … you are looking so young. It must be that cream I sent you in the mail.”
My grandmother peeked around my mother, joyous laughter following as her eyes landed on her eldest daughter. She hugged my aunt Grace and then stepped back to inspect her. She nodded in approval and a tumble of Hokkien spilled from her lips as she squeezed my aunt’s hands.
For a split second, I saw a glint of something in my mother’s eye. I can’t say for sure what it was, but perhaps a hint of jealousy.
Continuing on my path to the Matrons, I dropped off their tea and let them know their food would be out shortly. They barely heard me, as they were completely engrossed in the reunion happening a few feet away from their table.
I resolved to join my family, acting as if it were just another day, and greeted my mother with a tap on the arm. “What are you doing here, Mom?” I asked, acting as surprised as I could, you know, for continuity.
“I was thinking I should check on you and Anna May to make sure everything was okay. And look what a surprise I got.”
“How is Sandra doing?” my sister asked.
My mother scowled at my sister and my aunt caught the interaction. Immediately, she perked up.
“Sandra?” my aunt repeated. “Who is Sandra?” She glanced between my mother and my sister, waiting for an answer.
Neither of them responded, but not to worry, the Mahjong Matrons were on it. Helen, the oldest and most active gossip of the bunch, said, “Sandra Chow’s husband was killed in a food truck accident this past Friday. But now they do not think it was an accident. They think someone did it on purpose.”
My mother cringed.
Anna May quickly chimed in with the details of what had happened, including the proximity of the Ho-Lee Noodle House stand and my involvement in the explosion. My aunt eyed me with concern as my sister rattled on.
When Anna May was finished with the story, my aunt folded her arms across her chest and glared at my mother. “See? This is exactly what I’m talking about. This city is dangerous … you’re lucky that Lana is okay. If they were my kids, I would have moved them out of here a long time ago.”
My sister and I exchanged a look. It had begun.
* * *
When I got home that evening, Megan was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, legs crossed, with tiny glass squares spilled out in front of her. Her newest crafting endeavor was creating handmade magnets out of glass and cardstock or different images she found online. She was in the middle of gluing a magnet onto the back of a glass square as I walked in the door.
She did a double take. “Is that a Coach bag that you’re holding in your hands?”
“My aunt Grace showed up today, and she brought gifts.” She’d given my sister a similar Coach bag.
“And how is your mother taking it?” Megan set the glass piece down to dry.
Kikko shuffled to the door, sniffed my shoe, and then lifted her small head, eyeing the bag I was carrying. I put it down on the floor for her to fully investigate.
“Well, it wasn’t too bad until Helen mentioned the food truck thing and then Aunt Grace insulted my parents’ decision to live in Cleveland.” Hanging my keys on the hook by the door, I left Kikko to her own devices and joined Megan, plopping on the couch behind her. I picked up one of the drying magnets and looked it over. “Then we had to hear all about Irvine, California, and how it’s one of the safest places in the country.”
“Eesh, and it’s only the first day.”
“Yeah, they went a whole five minutes without fighting. Anna May owes me money on that bet. She guessed they would go at least fifteen minutes.”
Megan snorted a laugh. “How long is she staying?”
“Not entirely sure. She didn’t say anything about when she would be leaving, but she doesn’t stay in any one place that long anyhow. I give it maybe a week.”
“Well, let’s hope for your sake that it’s a quick visit.” Megan picked up another magnet, gluing one side of it before pressing it onto the back of a glass square. “You always get caught in the middle of their arguments and then you get all cranky.”
“Tell me about it. Right now there are so many other things to focus on. Her visit couldn’t have come at a worse time.”
“Yeah, in your message you mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about the Chows … what’s going on with them?”
“My dad told me there’s an insurance-money angle involved. The police think there’s a possibility that Ronnie and Sandra were trying to run some kind of scam and it went south.”
Megan turned around to face me. “Oh really? That’s interesting, don’t you think?”
“I do, but…”
“But?”
“My mom thinks the whole thing is a mistake. She can’t see them doing something like that. And if the police think Sandra was acting alone, she can’t imagine Sandra would do anything to hurt Ronnie. And really, I can’t see it either. But clearly someone is responsible if it wasn’t an accident.”
“Lana, I know you were wishy-wa
shy about this the last time we discussed it, but I already told you, if you want to get to the bottom of this, I’m on board with you one hundred percent.” She turned back around and focused on the glass square in her hand. “Just say the word.”
“You really don’t think I’m crazy for wanting to get involved?” I asked.
“Lana, I think you’re crazy for a ton of reasons, but this doesn’t happen to be one of them.”
CHAPTER
9
I woke up that Monday morning determined and anxious to start my day. Which is an unusual occurrence considering I loathe Mondays almost as much as going to the dentist. But there was lots to do and no time to waste. Not only did I have a ton of paperwork to catch up on at the restaurant, but I needed to dig up information from the Mahjong Matrons and talk to Adam about whether or not he’d learned anything from his good ole buddy, Detective O’Neil.
It was a long shot that he would tell me anything, but it was worth a try.
I caffeinated myself to the best of my ability and dressed for work. It was going to be a warm day so I opted for a black skirt and wedged sandals. My mother had recently been making some noise about all of us wearing matching uniforms, but I’m guessing with my aunt’s sooner-than-expected arrival, that idea would be put on hold. Small favors.
I prepared a fresh pot of coffee to brew for when Megan woke up, took Kikko for a quick tinkle time, and was on the road fifteen minutes earlier than I needed to be. I felt surprisingly put together considering everything that was going on around me.
When I arrived at the plaza, I ran into Kimmy in the parking lot. “Can you believe what’s going on?” she asked without saying good morning.