Mimi Lee Cracks the Code by Jennifer J. Chow

Author:Jennifer J. Chow [Chow, Jennifer J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

twenty-one

I STOMPED AROUND THE store in frustration and shoved the remaining half-eaten Tommy’s chili burger into the small fridge in the back. How could I have botched up the conversation so badly?

When I returned to the front, seething, Marshmallow crept away from me. “Watch that you don’t crush my tail while you’re fuming.”

“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “I just can’t believe I made Pixie’s situation even worse. And I didn’t even get any good intel from him.”

Marshmallow put a paw up. “Didn’t you, though?”

“If only . . .” However, I stopped with my rage stepping and stared at him. “Well, the detective did mention something about self-defense. If I could narrow down what he meant by that, maybe I could figure out the means of the murder.”

“Why don’t you ask the cat?” Marshmallow said, curling up in his usual napping spot.

I tilted my head at him. “You know the answer?”

He twitched his nose at me. “Remember how I said that cats make good eyewitnesses . . . Kittens do, too.”

I slapped my palm against my forehead. “Nimbus.”

“Uh-huh. I taught her well.”

Remembering the cats’ animated interaction during my discussion with Detective Brown, I said, “She heard something?”

“Saw something.” Marshmallow licked his paw. “The detective just happened to be cuddling her while reading the autopsy report.”

“Did she see the cause of death listed?”

Marshmallow squinted his eyes at me.

“Oh, right.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “She can’t read, not like you. So no help there.”

“Au contraire,” Marshmallow said. “Nimbus peeked at the accompanying photos.”

My questions came out in a flurry. “Did she see bruises?” I asked. “Or maybe a pink ring around the neck?” I shivered, recalling how I’d been nearly strangled before due to my nosy sleuthing.

“Red markings, yes,” Marshmallow said. “Near the chest.”

Hmm. I counted off the weapons Detective Brown had mentioned on my fingers: club, mace, Taser. Which could he have been homing in on?

I pondered for a few moments. Then I had to file my questioning away when I received an SOS text from my sister.

Apparently, Ma hadn’t been satisfied with the speed dating flop. She thought the problem was a lack of strong candidates. By participating in her online Malaysian forum, Ma had lurked on the threads and found the “perfect” match for Alice. But his mom wanted to vet my sister in person, and Alice asked me to come for support.

We found ourselves in front of an impressive building a few hours later. The bronze exterior almost shimmered in the sunset rays. A biotech company.

I pulled open the heavy glass door to the building, and we headed toward the elevator bank.

“Dr. Wu,” Alice murmured, checking the building directory. “Unit 888.”

Eight-eight-eight. It sounded like the word for “fortune” times three. I pressed the up button, and the elevator slid open with a whisper.

On the eighth floor, Alice said, “Here goes nothing.” We wandered down the hallway until we located the right door. Alice knocked.

No answer, but the door was open a crack. She knocked some more and managed to widen the gap further.

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