Falafel Jones - The Kewpie Killer by Falafel Jones Page A

included tiny hot dogs wrapped in dough. They reminded me of Eddie and how much he wanted one when we first met. Kara, Andre and I worked our way down the menu until we came to dessert. Kara chose the house specialty, the same as Eddie when he took me here for dinner. To make matters worse, on the way out of the restaurant, I passed the table that Eddie and I shared. A happy couple sat holding hands and laughing in the candle light.
    We exited the restaurant where Tommy waited in his car to drive Kara home. He got out to greet us and when he hugged and kissed Kara, I decided I couldn’t be more miserable.
    I focused on my job to keep Eddie and Mom off my mind. As a result, I made important contacts and wrote some good stories. Robby and Crystal started dating and we spent less and less time together. Then in July, Robby phoned to tell me he passed the Detective exam.
    “Didn’t they post the results of that a while ago?” I asked.
    “Yeah, but I didn’t want to say anything till I got my gold shield.”
    “Robby. That’s wonderful. Congratulations. I’m very happy for you. You deserve this.”
    “Thanks. Last year, a lot of guys scored high but got nowhere because there were no openings. Cavanaugh’s retiring so there’s a slot and they needed someone to pick up his cases.”
    Robby’s career wasn’t the only one advancing. The week before, the Boss summoned me to her office. When I arrived, I found an open door. Mom and Uncle Bill sat inside talking.
    “Am I interrupting something?” I asked
    Uncle Bill waved me in, “No. C’mon in. Shut the door. Have a seat.” He patted the chair next to him, facing Mom’s desk.
    I did as he asked and looked at Mom. She didn’t look upset. I could tell. I’d seen her that way often enough.
    “Raquel,” she said, “Uncle Bill and I have been reviewing your work.” Then she paused for effect. Mom was nothing if she wasn’t dramatic. I knew her act by now so I just sat there expressionless. She knew me well enough to know that I would react this way but sometimes, you just have to play out your role.
    Uncle Bill said, “Oh, come on, Isobel. Get to it. This is Raquel.”
    Mom smiled and continued, “Raquel, your work is good, in fact, very good and not just for a new reporter. You’re holding your own with seasoned pros. We’re promoting you from probationary employee to full staff. You’ll no longer be limited to working on assignments and you’ll be able to start developing your own story ideas, not that this ever stopped you in the past. Oh, and you get a pay raise and an expense account.”
    Uncle Bill added, “But get receipts or the paper’s not paying.”
    This was nice news. I worked hard to prove myself. Probably harder than I would have had to work for someone who hadn’t known me since birth. “Thanks, Mom.”
    “You’re welcome, Dear. As your mother, I’m very proud of you.”
    Uncle Bill said, “Me too, kid,” and patted me on my shoulder.
    Then Mom’s smile faded, “Raquel. This has always been a family paper. We’re glad to have you involved. You’re getting to be a good reporter and we know how much you like that part of the business, but Uncle Bill and I aren’t going to be around forever. We’d like you to think about learning the management end of things.”
    I always wanted to be a reporter, like Dad, but I didn’t think I’d be happy stuck inside an office dealing with the aggravation and nonsense like Mom and Uncle Bill. I wanted to say, “No, thanks.” Instead, I said, “Sure, Mom. I’ll give it some thought.”
    “I know that look,” she said. “I’ve been seeing it since you were three. It means that you don’t want to do what I asked but you don’t want to discuss it either. Do you really think I don’t know by now when you’re blowing me off?”
    I don’t know why but instead of getting angry, I laughed. Uncle Bill gave me a puzzled look. So did my mother. Then she broke into a smile. “You’re right,