Balmy Darlings and Deaths: A Chinese Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 4) by Anne R. Tan Page A

Po! She’s on a walker.”
    “It’s all an act. If you watch her, you’ll see she doesn’t use it for support. She’s worse than those handicap parking abusers.”
    Raina held open the lobby doors. “Walt is one of my suspects. So think of this as reconnaissance. I need to get close to a suspect. What better way to do it than through a proud grandmother like Mrs. Tally?” She gave her grandma a pleading look. “Say yes, Po Po. You’re the only one who can take this on.” Did she lay it on too thick?
    Po Po puffed visibly, straightening to her full five feet. “You’re right. I’m the only one who can handle the old crank. What do you need me to find out?”
    She told her grandma about the false alibi Walt provided for Myra Jo. “Other than his job, I’m not sure why he would lie to protect her. And by the time I was done with my shift, they finally collaborated on their story.”
    “Very sloppy.” Po Po shook her head in disgust. “Amateurs.”
    “Exactly. And there’s something else, but I’ll tell you over dinner so Eden can hear it too. I don’t want to repeat myself.”
    They chatted about Louie Po’s condition during the short walk to Pasta Romano. When they arrived, they told the hostess their friend was already seated at a table. The dining room was divided into two sections, a bar area and the main dining room. With good pricing and large portions, the restaurant was filled with other early bird diners.
    Po Po jabbed an elbow in Raina’s side. “What’s he doing here?”
    Raina followed the direction of her grandma’s gaze. Eden waved to them from a corner table. And next to her was Taylor. If he was the killer, the last thing Raina needed was for him to know she was poking her nose in his affairs.

10

Monkey in a Tea Shop
    A s they approached the table , Taylor stood, and Eden closed the notebook in front of her. The two of them shook hands like polite strangers, and he left. Raina and Po Po sank onto empty chairs. Their eyes met above the menus, and Po Po gave her the eye wiggle.
    Raina cleared her throat. “I thought the two of you were taking a break from the relationship.”
    “We are, but I need to apologize for my behavior…” Eden’s voice trailed off.
    Raina turned, following her friend’s gaze. Dale Sprint stood next to the hostess podium. His angry gaze swept the room and focused on Eden. He stalked over and stood in front of them.
    “Problems in the newspaper office?” Eden asked. She looked nonplussed, even managing to sip from a glass of water without spilling any on herself.
    Dale slapped a newspaper on the table. “What is the meaning of this?” He stabbed a finger at the front page. On it was a large photograph of Eden with the headline: Local Reporter Murder Suspect. The byline had her name on it.
    Raina wanted to grab her friend and shake her. Eden couldn’t possibly be this stupid? The police would have to thoroughly investigate her now.
    Eden gripped the tablecloth over her lap, but the angle hid this from Dale’s view. She shrugged. “It’s an expose. I interviewed myself.”
    Dale stared at her like she’d grown another head. “I always knew you weren’t qualified for the Assistant EIC position, but I didn’t know you were the village idiot. You’re turning the paper into a tabloid? Does Phil know you’re putting this trash above the fold?”
    Raina sneaked a sideways glance around her. Several diners watched them with vivid interest. As the only two reporters, Dale and Eden were minor celebrities in their small town.
    Eden leaned forward, whispering, “This isn’t the time or place for this conversation. People are listening to us.”
    “Setting yourself up as a murder suspect to sell ad space is lunacy,” Dale said.
    “I’m doing what the boss wanted. Before Phil left for his vacation, he asked me to come up with something so we could do more special editions.”
    Dale leaned back, resting his folded hands on his paunchy stomach. “Look,