Raining Men and Corpses: A Fun Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Anne R. Tan
gripped Gail under her elbow and half supported her toward the lobby.
Raina stumbled after the two women, touching the walls occasionally to keep from floating away. Holden just died. She tripped and fell on the tiled floor. The sharp pain from her knees was an improvement to the numbness in her body.
The policewoman asked if she was okay, and Raina nodded mechanically. At the lobby, the policewoman opened the office door and helped Gail into a chair. She huddled underneath a blanket, moaning as tears continued to run down her face.
Raina leaned against the front counter in the lobby. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Her heart rate had returned to normal during the walk, but she still felt chilled to the core. Someone pushed a warm mug into her cold hands. Her nose twitched at the burnt day-old coffee scent. She inhaled it greedily. This was something she understood.
She opened her eyes to thank the person, expecting the policewoman. A jolt went up her spine and Raina stiffened. A tall Asian man in a knit polo with an embroidered badge stood in front of her. Their eyes locked and a low buzzing sounded in her ears. Little spots of light danced before her eyes as her brain registered who she was seeing.
E. Matthew Louie?
He gave her a curt nod. “Rainy.”
The coffee mug slipped from her hands and clattered on the floor. Her eyes followed its downward descent. She stared in horror as the dark liquid spilled across the floor, splattering brown droplets against Matthew’s brown dress shoes and khaki pants. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her, digging up her past at this stressful moment. She glanced at her hands. No hives yet.
Raina stared at the golden flecks in the familiar warm brown eyes. His expression was no longer as carefree as she remembered. A dead body had a way of doing that. His lips were pressed into a thin line and the furrow between his eyebrows reminded her the years apart made him a stranger.
“Matthew?” She crossed her arms to stop her hands from shaking. The police officers milling around the hall were unaware that her world had stopped spinning. A shudder overtook her as gooseflesh popped up on her arms and shoulders.
He grabbed the blanket and tucked it more firmly around her. “Did you find the body?”
Raina shook her head.
Matthew wrapped her hands around the ends of the blanket. His warm hands sent another jolt down her spine. He was real.
“Please don’t leave before an officer gets a statement from you.” He walked away without a backward glance.
A police officer greeted Matthew. They conferred and disappeared around the corner. To everyone else he might look normal, but Raina noted his ramrod straight back and stiff walk. He was just as disconcerted at seeing her again.
Raina picked up the pieces of the mug and placed it on the front counter. The sour scent of vomit made her swallow the bitter tang in the back of her throat. She peered into the interior of the office. Gail hunched over a wastebasket and dry heaved. Raina backed away and fought for control of her stomach.
She shifted her weight from foot to foot. What if Matthew came back to take her statement? What if he left without talking to her? Her heart skipped a beat at the thought.
“Raina!” Eden stood on tiptoes, trying to get around a pug-faced policeman blocking her entrance to the lobby.
“No reporters. This is a crime scene,” said the policeman.
Eden grabbed her swinging press pass and stuffed it in her pocket. “I’m here to take my friend home. She called to say she needed a ride.”
“You can wait here. She’ll come over when she is allowed to leave.”
Eden pushed against the policeman’s extended arm. “Look at her. She needs me.”
“Stop. Or I’m going to have to arrest you for obstruction.”
Eden dropped her arms and stalked over to the benches next to the wall. “Raina, I’ll wait for you here.” She pulled out her cell phone and ignored the chaos in the hall, but
Raina stumbled after the two women, touching the walls occasionally to keep from floating away. Holden just died. She tripped and fell on the tiled floor. The sharp pain from her knees was an improvement to the numbness in her body.
The policewoman asked if she was okay, and Raina nodded mechanically. At the lobby, the policewoman opened the office door and helped Gail into a chair. She huddled underneath a blanket, moaning as tears continued to run down her face.
Raina leaned against the front counter in the lobby. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Her heart rate had returned to normal during the walk, but she still felt chilled to the core. Someone pushed a warm mug into her cold hands. Her nose twitched at the burnt day-old coffee scent. She inhaled it greedily. This was something she understood.
She opened her eyes to thank the person, expecting the policewoman. A jolt went up her spine and Raina stiffened. A tall Asian man in a knit polo with an embroidered badge stood in front of her. Their eyes locked and a low buzzing sounded in her ears. Little spots of light danced before her eyes as her brain registered who she was seeing.
E. Matthew Louie?
He gave her a curt nod. “Rainy.”
The coffee mug slipped from her hands and clattered on the floor. Her eyes followed its downward descent. She stared in horror as the dark liquid spilled across the floor, splattering brown droplets against Matthew’s brown dress shoes and khaki pants. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her, digging up her past at this stressful moment. She glanced at her hands. No hives yet.
Raina stared at the golden flecks in the familiar warm brown eyes. His expression was no longer as carefree as she remembered. A dead body had a way of doing that. His lips were pressed into a thin line and the furrow between his eyebrows reminded her the years apart made him a stranger.
“Matthew?” She crossed her arms to stop her hands from shaking. The police officers milling around the hall were unaware that her world had stopped spinning. A shudder overtook her as gooseflesh popped up on her arms and shoulders.
He grabbed the blanket and tucked it more firmly around her. “Did you find the body?”
Raina shook her head.
Matthew wrapped her hands around the ends of the blanket. His warm hands sent another jolt down her spine. He was real.
“Please don’t leave before an officer gets a statement from you.” He walked away without a backward glance.
A police officer greeted Matthew. They conferred and disappeared around the corner. To everyone else he might look normal, but Raina noted his ramrod straight back and stiff walk. He was just as disconcerted at seeing her again.
Raina picked up the pieces of the mug and placed it on the front counter. The sour scent of vomit made her swallow the bitter tang in the back of her throat. She peered into the interior of the office. Gail hunched over a wastebasket and dry heaved. Raina backed away and fought for control of her stomach.
She shifted her weight from foot to foot. What if Matthew came back to take her statement? What if he left without talking to her? Her heart skipped a beat at the thought.
“Raina!” Eden stood on tiptoes, trying to get around a pug-faced policeman blocking her entrance to the lobby.
“No reporters. This is a crime scene,” said the policeman.
Eden grabbed her swinging press pass and stuffed it in her pocket. “I’m here to take my friend home. She called to say she needed a ride.”
“You can wait here. She’ll come over when she is allowed to leave.”
Eden pushed against the policeman’s extended arm. “Look at her. She needs me.”
“Stop. Or I’m going to have to arrest you for obstruction.”
Eden dropped her arms and stalked over to the benches next to the wall. “Raina, I’ll wait for you here.” She pulled out her cell phone and ignored the chaos in the hall, but
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