Raining Men and Corpses: A Fun Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 1) by Anne R. Tan

into a mute din. No, she couldn’t let this happen again.
    “How long have you been living in Gold Springs?” Raina asked. “It’s a strange coincidence we both moved to this town. I can’t imagine you being a small town cop after shooting and exploding things for the feds.”
    “Almost two years.”
    She slumped in her chair. He’d known she was in town and the fact he’d never bothered to look her up pricked at her pride. Not that it would have made a difference.
    Matthew smirked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you moved here on purpose.”
    “What purpose?”
    “Me.”
    “Get over yourself.”
    “You tracked me down by talking to my grandma and moved to town hoping to run into me. And waving a dead body in front of me?” He winked. “That’s prime. You’re good. Real good.”
    Raina burst out laughing and shook her head. She had forgotten he could always make her laugh. “It was the cheesecake.”
    Matthew leaned back and smacked his lips. “My grandma always had a sweet spot for you. It’s been a while since I had your cheesecake.”
    “It’s been ten years.”
    “What about Rome?”
    Raina scratched her pinkie. “What about it? You left me tied up and naked in a hotel room.”
    “You made me do it. I told you not to follow me.”
    “I was trying to help.”
    “And I didn’t want to see you covered in blood again. I am trained to take care of myself in dicey situations.” He pointed at her. “Don’t make me drag you pregnant and naked back into the cave.”
    The jovial mood vanished. The hissing espresso machine and someone’s laughter filled the silence between them. Raina stared at the painted gyrating nymph on the wall closest to her. She needed to stop. There was no point in rehashing old wounds.
    Brenda slid a club salad in front of her and a cheeseburger with fries in front of Matthew. The whiff of grease made Raina’s stomach churn. For the next few minutes, she picked at her salad and watched Matthew devour his food with gusto. His appetite hadn’t changed. Good thing her cooking had improved.
    Her fingers curled as she fought the urge to reach across the table and wipe the ketchup off his chin. He’d left her brokenhearted one too many times. Melodramatic? Yes, but she couldn’t let the man in front of her charm his way back into her life again. She stabbed at a piece of spinach, twisting the fork until the leaf shredded.
    He wiped his mouth and crumpled the paper napkin in his hands. “How well did you know Holden Merritt?”
    “He was my adviser for my graduate studies.”
    “What were you doing in the building after hours?”
    Raina wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts. Matthew would find out when he checked the phone records. She blinked, regretting the third pass with the mascara wand. “Holden texted me. He wanted to talk.”
    “About what?”
    She licked her lips. Stick to the truth. “He owed me money. I’d asked for it back the day before when we met to go over my coursework.” Good thing no one could verify the amount.
    “Why did he owe you money?”
    “What do you mean?” She shifted in her seat and bumped into his knees. “He needed cash and didn’t have time to go to the ATM. And I had a twenty.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.
    Matthew stared at her for a long moment. His face became professionally blanked. “How well do you know Gail Drakos?”
    “Why would she poison Holden?”
    He dipped another soggy fry into his pool of ketchup. “That’s not my question.”
    “We’re friends.” She left off the “sometimes.” He didn’t need that information. “What was Natalie’s reaction to her brother’s death?”
    “She answered our questions and then closed the door.”
    Raina rubbed her hands on her shorts. “Do you think it would have mattered if he didn’t stay late to meet me?”
    He studied her expression and his eyes softened. “Rainy, someone was out to get him. Whether he stayed late or went home wouldn’t change the outcome,