Balmy Darlings and Deaths: A Chinese Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 4) by Anne R. Tan
Authors: Anne R. Tan
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huh?”
Myra Jo closed her eyes, keeping perfectly still. A hair dryer went off in the next room, and someone laughed off-key in the treatment room. “Thank you, Raina. We’re closing early today. Apparently, I need to kick his gay as—”
The bells above the front door jingled, and Detective Sokol came in with Officer Joanna Hopper a step behind him.
* * *
R aina tried to linger , but the three of them turned and stared at her until it became obvious no one would speak until she cleared out of the room. She went through the beaded curtain and lingered in the lounge, straightening out magazines like her life depended on it, and strained her ears.
“…relationship with LaShawna?” Detective Sokol asked.
“…mother of my nephew…good,” Myra Jo answered.
“…where…time of death…”
Raina lost interest when it became clear the police were covering information everyone already knew. They probably had no new leads and were covering old ground to see if something would shake loose. She didn’t think they would get the alibi snafu between Myra Jo and Walt though. This wasn’t good. Shouldn’t they be looking into the beauty salon LaShawna ran out of the shed in her backyard?
Should Raina volunteer the small tidbit of information she’d gathered from interacting with the suspects? She snorted. Right, like the police would really be interested in her hunches…
She went into the back room and got her purse from the locker. When she came back to the receptionist area, the three of them were no longer there.
She texted her grandma.
There’s a showdown coming between Myra Jo and Walt. Want to come?
A reply came back before she even got to her car.
Yes!!! I have the perfect disguise.
Po Po was already waiting for her outside the senior condo complex. Between the big white hat and Jackie-O sunglasses, all Raina saw was her grandma’s chin. The Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts completed the outfit, except the closest beach was at least two hours west, and even then it was too cold for a tropical outfit. Her grandma never quite got that a disguise was meant to blend in with her surroundings.
Raina sighed. At least she didn’t have to wear a matching outfit.
Her grandma hopped into the car and pulled out a fake lei from the big straw beach bag. “Here, Rainy, I got you something for your disguise.”
Raina eyed the plastic orchids. “I don’t know. It doesn’t match my outfit.” She had on wrinkled capris and a T-shirt. The ability to look put together in all situations bypassed her. Her curly black hair wasn’t the only thing she got from her dad’s side of the family.
Po Po dropped the lei on her lap and rooted around in her bag. “Maybe I have something else in here.”
Raina pulled out and circled back to the parking lot at the day spa. Sure enough, Myra Jo’s car was still next to the police cruiser. She drove past the day spa and pulled into a parking spot a block away next to the bank. From this vantage point, she could easily make a left or right depending on which direction Myra Jo went.
Po Po pulled out a Hawaiian sundress. “Look what I got on clearance. Just your size. Come on, honey, put it on.”
“I can’t wear that,” Raina said. Good heavens, she could get a citation for soliciting in that dress. It was a hand towel with spaghetti straps and a slit that stopped at her underwear line. “Nope, sorry. I have on my granny panties.” She shook her head and added for emphasis, “It has holes in it, and the seam is unraveling.”
Po Po sat back, pulling out her lower lip. “You should have told me. I got some lacey purple thongs for you, too. They’re sitting in my closet.”
“Next time, Po Po. I’m sure we can find another situation for this disguise,” Raina said. Maybe she could wear it to a Halloween party and win a prize for the sluttiest costume. “What else do you have in that bag you call a purse?”
“Not much. Binoculars, my bird book, a paintball
Myra Jo closed her eyes, keeping perfectly still. A hair dryer went off in the next room, and someone laughed off-key in the treatment room. “Thank you, Raina. We’re closing early today. Apparently, I need to kick his gay as—”
The bells above the front door jingled, and Detective Sokol came in with Officer Joanna Hopper a step behind him.
* * *
R aina tried to linger , but the three of them turned and stared at her until it became obvious no one would speak until she cleared out of the room. She went through the beaded curtain and lingered in the lounge, straightening out magazines like her life depended on it, and strained her ears.
“…relationship with LaShawna?” Detective Sokol asked.
“…mother of my nephew…good,” Myra Jo answered.
“…where…time of death…”
Raina lost interest when it became clear the police were covering information everyone already knew. They probably had no new leads and were covering old ground to see if something would shake loose. She didn’t think they would get the alibi snafu between Myra Jo and Walt though. This wasn’t good. Shouldn’t they be looking into the beauty salon LaShawna ran out of the shed in her backyard?
Should Raina volunteer the small tidbit of information she’d gathered from interacting with the suspects? She snorted. Right, like the police would really be interested in her hunches…
She went into the back room and got her purse from the locker. When she came back to the receptionist area, the three of them were no longer there.
She texted her grandma.
There’s a showdown coming between Myra Jo and Walt. Want to come?
A reply came back before she even got to her car.
Yes!!! I have the perfect disguise.
Po Po was already waiting for her outside the senior condo complex. Between the big white hat and Jackie-O sunglasses, all Raina saw was her grandma’s chin. The Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts completed the outfit, except the closest beach was at least two hours west, and even then it was too cold for a tropical outfit. Her grandma never quite got that a disguise was meant to blend in with her surroundings.
Raina sighed. At least she didn’t have to wear a matching outfit.
Her grandma hopped into the car and pulled out a fake lei from the big straw beach bag. “Here, Rainy, I got you something for your disguise.”
Raina eyed the plastic orchids. “I don’t know. It doesn’t match my outfit.” She had on wrinkled capris and a T-shirt. The ability to look put together in all situations bypassed her. Her curly black hair wasn’t the only thing she got from her dad’s side of the family.
Po Po dropped the lei on her lap and rooted around in her bag. “Maybe I have something else in here.”
Raina pulled out and circled back to the parking lot at the day spa. Sure enough, Myra Jo’s car was still next to the police cruiser. She drove past the day spa and pulled into a parking spot a block away next to the bank. From this vantage point, she could easily make a left or right depending on which direction Myra Jo went.
Po Po pulled out a Hawaiian sundress. “Look what I got on clearance. Just your size. Come on, honey, put it on.”
“I can’t wear that,” Raina said. Good heavens, she could get a citation for soliciting in that dress. It was a hand towel with spaghetti straps and a slit that stopped at her underwear line. “Nope, sorry. I have on my granny panties.” She shook her head and added for emphasis, “It has holes in it, and the seam is unraveling.”
Po Po sat back, pulling out her lower lip. “You should have told me. I got some lacey purple thongs for you, too. They’re sitting in my closet.”
“Next time, Po Po. I’m sure we can find another situation for this disguise,” Raina said. Maybe she could wear it to a Halloween party and win a prize for the sluttiest costume. “What else do you have in that bag you call a purse?”
“Not much. Binoculars, my bird book, a paintball
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