JunandReyahadagreedtomeet,atthesameroadsideeserestaurantwhereJunhadfouime.
RedLantern.
Hewasn''''''''tsureifthiswastherightthingtodo—tagReyabehindLu''''''''sback.Buthecouldn''''''''tbringhimselftoshowLuthatphotoofLinisan.
Theevidencewassittingrightthereinthearchiveroom.WithhowmeticulousLuwas,therewasnowayhehadn''''''''tseenit.A,hehadleftitthere,untouched.
HadLureallynotnoticedthatonthedayoftheamusementparkmanager''''''''shousecaughtfire,Reyahadbeenwearingthesame—orrather,whatseemedtobethesame—old-fashionedfloral-printdressastheoneinLinisan''''''''sphoto?
Orwashejustimaginingthings,chasihatweren''''''''treallythere?
Buthedidn''''''''tbelieveinotwhentheykeptcirgbacktothesameperson,againandagain.
JustlikewhenhecalledReyatethismeeting.Ofallpces,shechosethisrestaurant.Theverysameonewherehehadseeingnoodlesonthedayofthefire.
Wasthereareasoedtomeethere?
Coulditbethatshealreadyknewhewasbeginningtosuspecther?
No.Thatwasn''''''''tright.Thinkingthatwaymeanthehadalreadyassumedshewasinvolved—inthiscase,ormaybeeveninothercases.Hismentorhadtaughthimodrawclusionsbeforetheofevidencelete.
Reyadidn''''''''tevenofficiallyqualifyasasuspectyet.
AsJunwasabouttostepintotherestaurant,ayoungmixed-racameout,bothhandsclutgseveraltakeoutbags.Junsteppedasidetoholdthedoorforhim,givingthemananinstinctivesedgnce.
"Wele,"cameafamiliarvoice.
Junlookedtowardthedimmerinterior,asharptrasttothebzingsunlightoutside.Reyastoodthereinanapron,smilingbrightlyathim.
"Reya...you''''''''re—?"Junstarted,steppingihedoorclosedbehindhimwithasoftjihebell.
Reyagaveapyfullittletwirl."HowdoIlook?"
"You—"Junbarelygotawordoutbeforeasharp,irritatedvoice.
"Reya,stopsgoff."
Reyastuckouthertongue,grabbedaminatedmenufromtheter,auredtotytablebythewindow.
"Thisway,sir—isthisseatokay?"
Jungncedoverhisshoulderatthemanwhohadjustspoken.Itwasthesamemanhe''''''''dseensttime,theoantlywipingtables.Theowner,mostlikely.
Hewasatall,middle-agedwhitemanwiththebeginningsofapaundareghairline.Hisfacewasflushedahyred—probablyfromdrinking,Junthought—andhelookedlikesomeohhighbloodpressureandabadtempertomatch.
"Whyareyhere?Youarenotgoingbacktotheamusementpark?"Junaskedquietly.
"Onebeefnoodle?Gotit!"Reyarepliedloudly,hertonebriskandprofessional,asshejottedsomethingdowninhersmallnotepad.
"You''''''''retheonewhoaskedmetomeethere—"
"AndoneHongKongmilktea.Sir,willthatbeall?"sheinterrupted,stillkeepingupheract.
Shescribbledafewmorewords,thewoslipsfromthenotepad.AsshereachedouttotakeJun''''''''smenu,shedeftlyslippedoheohishandbeforeturningawaywiththeotherandheadingtowardthekittopcetheorder.
Junwatchedherwalkoff,thennoticedtherestaurantowillbythekitdoor—watgherlikeahawk.Heslippedhisphonefromhispocket,pressedthenoteagainstthes,aendtoreadhisphone.
"Igetoffinanhour.Waitformeinthebackalleyafteryoufiing."
Juncouldn''''''''thelpbutchuckle.Whatisthisgirluptonow?
Thenamuffledvoicecamefromthekit—low,angry,andclearlytheboss''''''''s.
"Youshould''''''''vetoldhimtoordersomethingmoreexpensive...''''''''tyouevendothatright?Iguessyoudon''''''''twanttopayoffyourde—"
Thesentencefadedintothectterofthekit.Junfrowned,didn''''''''tcatchtherest.Hisphournedonandthenoff,asanuneasyfeeliuphisspine.
Itwasn''''''''tReyawhhtoutthenoodlesandmilktea,buttherestaurantownerhimself.Asthekitdoorswungopenandclosed,JuncaughtaglimpseofReya''''''''sslenderfigureatthesink,scrubbingdisheswithquick,tensemovements.
Hefounditstrange.Luwasalreadyaseniorofficer—acaptaininthecriminaliigationunit.Hissarywasravagant,buthelivedsimply,withnodepesotherthanReya.WhenReyahadtakenthatamusementparkjob,ithadn''''''''tbeenoutoffinaneed;she''''''''djustgraduatedhighschool,hadnopnsforcollege,andnothingtodoathome.Wtherehadbeenmorelikepassingtime—abitofharmlessfun.
Therewasnoreasonforhertobewherselftoexhaustioniaurantlikethis.
"Youngman,isonebowlofnoodleenoughforyou?"theownerasked,hisbulkyframeblogJun''''''''slineofsighttowardthekit."We''''''''vegoteseBBQpttertoo—wantone?"
"Uh,"Junmurmured,caughtoffguard.Beforehecouldrespondproperly,theowurnedbadshoutedtowardthekit,"OneBBQptter!"
Jundidn''''''''tbuing.Moneywasn''''''''ttheissue.HewasmorecuriousaboutReya''''''''scurrentsituation.
Amiddle-agedesewomafromthekit,carryingseveraltakeoutbagstotheter.Shewipedherhandsonheraproeppedbehindthedispycaselihroastsugpig,charsiu,andredsausage.Pigupaheavycleaver,shebeganchoppingonawoodenboardalreadydenteddeepfromyearsofuse,eachstrikendingwithadull,rhythmicthud.
Junatehisnoodlesslowly,takingoccasionalsipsoftheoverlysweetmilkteaandpigattheslicesofcharsiufromtimetotime.
Thereweren''''''''tmanydine-iners—probablybecausethepcelookeddated,withworn-outdedcrampedseating—buttakeoutseemedpopur.Thesamemixed-racedeliveryguycameawicebeforeJunfinallyfinishedhismeal.
Reyastillhadn''''''''teoutofthekit.Hecheckedthetime—itshouldbeabht.Gettingup,hewenttopaythebilndaskedtohavetheleftoverBBQpackedup.
Carryiakeoutbag,JunwalkedaroundtothealleybehiaurantjustasReyacameoutthebackdgingtwobigtrashbags.
"Ah,sorry...IthinkI''''''''llneedabitmoretime,"Reyasaid,lookingalittleembarrassedasJunhelpedhertossthebagsintebinalmostastalsshewas.
"Iposedtogetoffwhenyouarrived,"shesighed,brushingherhandsonherapron."ButIdidn''''''''tfinisheverything,sothebossmademestayanotherhour.I''''''''llbedonesoon—justhalfanhour,Ipromise."
Juncaughtherarmassheturogobaside."Didhesignanemploymenttractwithyou?Legally,he''''''''tforceyoutoworkovertimelikethis."
Reya''''''''seyesdartedaround."Ah—it''''''''snotthat.I''''''''mjustabittooslowwithmyjobs.Please,justwaitalittlelonger,okay?"
"Mycar''''''''sparkedoutfront.You—"Junstarted,butbeforehecouldfinish,atallfigureappearedinthedoorway.Hehesitatedforased,andinthatmomentReyaslippedfromhisgraspandhurriedbaside.
Asshepassedthemixed-racedeliveryboy,theyexgedabriefgnowords,justafliethingunspoken.
TheyoungmanthenlookedtowardJun,asifabouttosaysomething.Butafterasmallraiseofhisbrow,hesaidnothing,turnedaround,andpulledthebackdoorshutbehindhim.