Raining Men and Corpses: A Fun Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 1) (10 page)

R
aina slammed
on the brakes when another impatient driver cut in front of her on the off ramp for the Arden Fair Mall. Did shaving off two seconds from his travel time warrant the possibility of getting into a car accident? There was plenty of room for him to merge in safely behind her.

She sneaked a glance at her grandma. Po Po stared out the window, tapping her fingers on the door to an internal beat. Her grandma’s love life sizzled, but hers was colder than the mystery meat in the back of her freezer. Raina shook her head. Something must be off with her juju. Maybe she needed to pray to the kitchen god and sacrifice her faculty parking pass to get her mojo back.

Po Po towed Raina into Macy’s before she had a chance to adjust to the crowds and buzzing conversations. A hop and skip later, she found herself in a large dressing stall glaring at a pile of dresses and her grandma perched on the stool in the corner.

Raina gawked at her reflection. Her underwear peeked out from the high side slits of the red sequined dress. She exhaled and looked at the ceiling, praying for patience.

Po Po beamed and clapped her hands. “Oh, Rainy, you look fabulous. I love how the dress makes your girls pop out.”

“If I sneeze, I’ll have a wardrobe malfunction.” Raina tugged at the skintight material. “I look like an escort.” The extra padding on the bodice made her chest look two sizes larger.

“Then I suggest you hold your breath.” Po Po sifted through the pile and held up a slinky gold dress. “I love how girls today don’t have to be covered up all the time. We had to wear potato sacks when I was your age.”

Raina pressed the heel of her palms to her forehead. A potato sack was looking more appealing by the minute. She groaned when her grandma stroked the ripple openings on the back of the gaudy gold dress, which would flaunt a tramp stamp if she had one. “I don’t think these dresses are my style.”

Po Po wiggled her eyebrows. “Nonsense. That red dress shows off your figure. Bet you Matthew would drool if he saw you like this.”

Raina slipped back into her clothes. “Thanks, Po Po. But I got this. See you at the food court later.”

Outside the store, she squinted at the fluorescent tubes above her while revising her game plan. The chattering crowd shifted around her. Her sister, Cassie, had been a pro at picking dresses to flatter Raina’s boyish frame, clearly a skill which she didn’t get from their grandma. A personal shopper would have to fill in for her sister today. She weaved through the crowd to another anchor store.

Forty-five minutes later, she trudged toward the food court dragging two fancy paper bags. The new clingy lavender dress cost half her rent, but at least she didn’t have to worry about her butt falling out while burping. She would have to adjust her food budget this month. No more Gouda or pine nuts. The gift-wrapped pair of silver-plated nestling doves salt and pepper shakers would be a worthwhile investment if she gleaned information to prevent Sol from blabbing her pregnancy lie to Matthew.

At least she didn’t have to give a red envelope to the couple, as she would have done at a Chinese wedding. The cash in the red envelopes from four hundred guests had paid for Cassie’s wedding reception. So the salt and pepper shakers could be considered a bargain.

In front of the pretzel stand, three elderly women clucked and pointed at a redheaded woman bouncing a screaming baby clawing at her chest. Poor Lori! Professor Rollinger’s wife seemed frazzled by the audience.

Raina darted between two middle-aged women and picked up the stroller from the floor. She knelt and dumped the spilled items back into the shopping bags and purse. Baby T-shirts, chewed pencil, pink panties, cell phone, a pink bra, socks, and a snack cup with animal crackers.

“She’s fine.” Raina made shooing motions with her hands at the gathered women. “Nothing to see. Just a crying baby.”

As the crowd dispersed, the baby calmed and snuggled under her mom’s neck. The strawberry blonde baby stared at Raina with wide eyes and stuck her index finger into a nostril.

Lori brushed her auburn bangs off her face. “Thank you.”

“My niece freaks out in a crowd, too.” Raina pushed the stroller over and held the shopping bags with the other hand. “Think she’s ready to get back in yet?”

Lori nodded and buckled in her daughter. She placed the snack cup with animal crackers in her daughter's eager hands. “I need caffeine. Care to join me?”

“Sure. My grandma is still shopping.” When she handed over the bags, she noticed the brands for the first time. “You must be a good bargain shopper. My aunts are like that, but I never mastered the art.” Raina rattled her two bags. “I just spent my entire month's income on a dress.”

After giving the barista their order, they waited at the other end of the counter. The hiss of the espresso machine competed with the happy gurgle of the baby examining each cracker before jamming it into her mouth.

Lori pushed the stroller to a nearby table. She pulled out a baby wipe and cleaned the child’s hands. “Are you going to Sol’s sister’s wedding?” She settled into her chair, pushing the stroller back and forth with her foot.

Raina nodded and sipped her coffee. “Are you going?”

“No, just heard it through the rumor mill.”

The baby’s head dipped and her eyes closed. A thumb found its way to her mouth. Lori pulled out the canopy and placed a blanket over it, dimming the interior of the stroller. Her moss green eyes widened in exaggeration and placed both hands to her heart. “I love nap time.”

Raina chuckled. “My sister says the same thing.”

“Are you going to the wedding with a plus one?”

“I’m Sol’s plus one.” Raina hid her grimace behind her coffee cup. She’d rather be Matthew’s plus one, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Would it be too nosy to ask about the Rollingers’ relationship? They had all the trappings of a happy marriage.

Lori raised an eyebrow, but thankfully kept silent.

“What’s the secret to a happy marriage?” Raina asked.

Lori stared at the stroller, her knuckles whitening around her coffee cup. “The life I’m living is very different from the one I envisioned for myself.” She forced a chuckle and gestured at the extra fifteen pounds on her stomach. “And now I’m your typical soccer mom, complete with the requisite mini-van. Thank God none of my exes can see me now.”

Raina frowned. What did it matter what her exes thought about her marriage?

“Daddy didn’t like Andrew because he didn’t come from the right family, didn’t go to right school, and didn’t have the right job. If only Daddy liked Andrew…” Lori’s voice trailed off.

“I know what you mean. Some fathers don’t think any man is good enough for their daughter.” Raina shrugged. “In my case, my grandpa filled that role.”

Lori looked up sharply. “So what happened?”

Raina told her how she’d initially thought Ah Gong paid Matthew off, but it turned out he was entitled to the money and used it to buy his granny a condo.

“The sad thing is, I don’t think either of us ever got over it.” Surprisingly, it was easier to tell an acquaintance her feelings about Matthew than her best friend. Eden would have judged.

“Are you sure it’s not wishful thinking on your part?”

Raina shook her head. “I don’t know. Every time we got together in the last decade, it was like a glimpse of what we could have been. Tantalizing and seductive. When he leaves, I feel like a fool for waiting and hoping. No wonder my other relationships never worked out. They just filled the time until Matthew appears again.”

“You can’t change what’s in front of you. Believe me, I’ve tried.” Lori’s shoulders drooped and she stared at the other shoppers in the food court. “Daddy could make things bearable for us.”

Raina flicked a glance at the shopping bags hanging off the stroller. How unbearable could things be if Lori could afford those items? “At least Andrew is getting a temporary raise for taking over Olivia’s duties, right?”

“Yeah, right.” Lori studied Raina’s face. “Andrew said you’ve been asking a lot of questions about Holden’s death. I know you dated him briefly—”

Raina held up her hands. “Wait a minute. How did you know?”

“Rumor mill. I don’t remember.” Concern filled Lori’s eyes. “Just be careful. Whoever killed Holden might decide you’re a threat.”

Before Raina could reply, Po Po sauntered over and dropped her bags on the table with a thump. The baby whimpered at the noise and Lori gathered her things and left with a hurried good-bye.

Raina lugged Po Po’s loot to the car, listening with half an ear to her grandma prattle about the shopping deals. If her relationship with Holden wasn’t that big of a secret, did it also mean everyone knew about her fake pregnancy? How could she stop the fingers pointing at her as the murder investigation dragged on?

L
ater that evening
, Raina inspected her grandma’s black silk pajamas in her bedroom. When she gave the thumbs up for a stakeout, she’d assumed her Po Po would be wearing something similar to her own black T-shirt and black shorts. She stared at the blackened orthopedic shoes beneath the pajamas and bit her lip to keep the laughter from escaping.

“The silver stitching on the back of your top is too reflective,” Raina said.

Po Po twisted in front of the full-length mirror and eyed the dragon on her back. “Got a long sleeve black shirt?”

Raina dug in her closet and handed one to her grandma. Po Po swung the shirt over her shoulders and knotted the sleeves around her neck. Great. Now her grandma had a cape over her pajamas.

Po Po tilted her shoes to show them off. “I used your black permanent marker. Not bad, huh.” She beamed at her shoes like a kindergartner showing off her art work.

“There are still white spots on the shoes.”

Po Po wrinkled her nose. “Why are you always so quick to zoom in on the details?” She shrugged. “The marker ran out of ink.”

“Are you planning to wear those to the senior center tomorrow?”

Po Po chewed her bottom lip. “What size do you wear?”

“I don’t wear custom orthopedic shoes. My shoes are going to hurt your feet.”

“I'm not wearing these ugly things to see my friends.” Po Po glared at her shoes. “I’m giving you fair warning. Tomorrow I’m raiding your closet.”

Raina sighed. Apparently vanity didn’t disappear with age. “How come you didn’t buy black shoes at the mall?”

“I didn’t know I needed ninja clothes. You should have told me earlier. I would have picked up a baton or nun chucks.”

“You’re right. It’s my fault.” Raina shook her head. “Let's roll.”

She parked the Honda under a tree across the street from Sol's two-story apartment complex. She turned off the engine, cracked the windows, and leaned the seat back. Po Po pulled out a small pair of binoculars from her purse.

“Where did you get those?” Raina whispered.

Windows glowed along the street and many were opened to the cool evening breeze. Clinks of silverware on dishes and snatches of conversation drifted toward them. Raina wished they were at a restaurant ordering their dinner now, but her grandma had promised to take her to a nice dinner after an hour of surveillance work.

“These are my bird watching binoculars.” Po Po looked through them. “Which one is his unit?”

Raina had dropped off some research material for Sol once when they were still friendly. “Top floor. The second door from the left.”

“Drat! He closed his blinds. I can't see a thing. Not even a shadow.” Po Po tossed the binoculars on the dash. She grabbed her purse and pulled out a bag and a can.

Raina squinted in the dim light. Doritos and Red Bull? She cleared her throat. “Po Po, you are not supposed to eat junk food.”

Her grandma opened the bag and stuffed a handful of chips into her mouth. She crunched and swallowed. “Don’t you start, young lady. Your mom nags me enough as it is.”

“When did you start drinking Red Bull?”

“The volunteers at the senior centers drink them all the time. They tell me it's like drinking ten cups of tea. Except I won't have to go to the bathroom as often.” Po Po bounced on the seat. “I thought I could use the extra caffeine in case we get into a car chase.”

“We’re not going to get into a car chase. He's probably going to spend a quiet evening at home.” Raina checked the time on her cell phone. “One hour and then I want the dinner you promised me.” She yawned.

Po Po shook her head. “Young people these days have no stamina.” She popped the top of the can and took a big gulp. “Look!” She pointed to Sol's apartment. “He is leaving.”

Raina slumped deeper into her seat, hoping he didn’t see her as he got into a green beat-up Ford Taurus. She pulled away from the curb to follow the grad student. She couldn’t believe she was driving twenty-five miles an hour with a seventy-five-year-old chugging Red Bull on a Friday night. Some social life. The only thing that could make this evening worse would be for Matthew to miraculously appear in the backseat. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror and she let out a sigh when she saw the passing street reflected on it. So her world wasn’t completely crazy yet.

Po Po leaned out the passenger side window, her binoculars glued to her eyes. “I told you there’d be a car chase.”

“He's probably just picking up something from the drugstore.”

A few minutes later, Raina parked half a block from Olivia’s house. She watched as Sol jumped out of the Ford in the driveway and rapped on the front door. The single bulb on the porch gave enough light to silhouette his paunch. When the door opened, he slipped inside.

Po Po bounced out of the car and bolted for the house. A sense of unease filled Raina. This was supposed to be a simple surveillance mission where she would be stuffing her face with Moo Shu chicken an hour later.

“Stop!” Raina whispered. Things always derailed whenever Po Po was involved. She fumbled with the seatbelt and half fell out of the car in her rush. She winced as she clicked the door shut.

A light flicked on and spilled into the darkened yard. Two shadows appeared on the curtained side window and disappeared. Probably Olivia and Sol settling into the room. Po Po tiptoed across the fresh-cut grass like Sylvester going after Tweety and crouched below the window. Her grandma was a shadow, blending with the night, except for the white reflective strips on her shoes.