Raining Men and Corpses: A Raina Sun Mystery by Anne R. Tan

Author:Anne R. Tan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub

16

POLYESTER CLAD THIGHS

By the time Raina slid into the chair across from Eden, dinner service was in full swing. A third of the restaurant spilled out to a roped off section on the main casino floor. Matthew had disappeared after a phone call an hour ago. Not that she’d expected a resolution between them, but she did hope for something more than a quick peck on the cheek.

She squinted against the flashing neon sign above a grouping of slot machines behind Eden’s head. Great. She’d be dining with the casino’s version of a Christmas light display guaranteed to short circuit a few of her optic nerves.

After a bit of small talk, the server left with their orders. Raina had long since lost her enthusiasm for the dinner date. The block sitting on her stomach grew heavier the longer she pretended she was fine. She still didn’t understand why Eden would tell Officer Hopper about her relationship with Holden.

Eden’s eyes glowed. “Didn’t Sol look great?”

“Were you spying on Sol?” Raina gave her a sidelong glance. “Or were you spying on me?”

Eden tried to hide her blush by taking a sip of soda. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“And then you what? Left afterwards?”

“What is this about?”

“So have you found any new information since Friday?”

Eden set the edge of her glass on her fork and soda spilled onto her half of the table. She jumped off her chair. “Fu—”

The server appeared with a pile of napkins as if he’d been buzzed on the intercom. Eden made a big production of wiping and dabbing long after the server moved to another table. When her friend settled down, an awkward silence lengthened the distance of the table between them. The murmurs of conversation, the occasional shriek of excitement, the clang of slot machines, and the clink of silverware on plates. Everyone was having a good time, except at their table.

Raina crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair. “What were you doing with Officer Hopper at the Venus Café on Thursday? Share any secrets?”

The server slid their plates in front of them. Eden squirted ketchup, laid her napkin across her lap, and sliced the steak like this was her last meal.

Raina’s chicken marsala could’ve been made of cardboard for all the attention she gave it. The muscles in her shoulders tightened with each passing minute and the scraping of Eden’s fork grated on her already strung nerves. “Why did you tell Officer Hopper about my relationship with Holden?”

Eden choked, spraying pieces of mashed potatoes across her steak. Raina pounded on her back. When Eden whispered that she was fine, Raina gave her an extra thump. Just to be on the safe side.

Raina settled back into her chair and watched Eden gulp soda. She blinked rapidly as the block in her stomach spread to her chest. She ran through the multiplication tables in her mind. Her best friend had betrayed her.

“It’s not what you think,” Eden said after an eternity.

Raina swallowed and her voice was flat when she said, “I can’t believe you’d betray me for a story.

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