Read Online Raining Men and Corpses: A Fun Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 1) by Anne R. Tan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anne R. Tan
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ghost town.”
“Why wouldn’t I be here? This place would fall apart without me.”
Raina rubbed her sweaty palms on her shorts. “I had the impression you and Holden were close. I thought you’d be too upset to come to work.”
Olivia spun around and stared at her with a blank expression. “What are you implying?”
Raina coughed as fear rose to clog her throat. Keep the bimbo act. She wrinkled her brow and hoped she sounded mystified. “Holden often spoke highly of you. I thought maybe you were his mentor.”
Olivia stared at her for another heartbeat. “No. I wasn’t his mentor.” She slammed the cabinet shut and turned to her computer. Several clicks later, the printer whirled to life and spat out several sheets of paper.
“I would tread carefully if I were you. You know what they say about curiosity and the cat.” Olivia looked pointedly at Raina and held out the stack from the printer.
Raina stuffed the sheets of paper into her purse and mumbled thanks. She made her way to the main hall. A knot settled in her stomach. Why would Olivia warn her unless she had something to hide? Her steps faltered when a new thought struck her like a squirt gun to the eye.
She recalled Sol’s words. Ex-girlfriend killed boyfriend over other woman. What if Olivia thought Raina was the other woman? Wasn’t poison the weapon of choice for scorned women? She shivered at the thought. No, Holden had died from natural causes. She refused to jump at shadows because of Eden’s bogus theory for a front-page story.
Raina waved to two students chatting in front of Gail’s empty desk. Snatches of their conversation included “bathroom” and “police.” They gestured for her to join them, but she shook her head.
She trudged toward the west wing, arguing with herself the entire time to turn around. The time to investigate the men’s restroom would have been a couple of days ago.
If she’d needed more convincing there was something strange about Holden’s death, she didn’t need to look further than the crime scene tape blocking access to the men's restroom. The yellow tape contrasted with the pale blue wall. The police would have removed the tape by now under normal circumstances.
And no one cared. The only thing missing from this wing of the building was tumbleweeds. Where were the flowers and candles marking his passage? Where were her flowers? Raina couldn’t breathe as a wave of sadness hit her. She leaned against the opposite wall, taking loud breaths through her flared nostrils. Holden just died and the only thing marking his passing was some yellow tape and the scent of Pine-Sol. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer.
As she straightened, the fine hairs on her arms moved. Someone ducked into a room at the end of the hall. Was someone in Holden’s office? Maybe she should call Matthew, but she just as quickly dismissed the idea. The last thing she wanted was to become one of those women who ran to a man at every shadow.
Her shoes squeaked against the floor, giving fair warning to anyone hiding in the room. She drew her pepper spray from her purse and held it in front of her in a show of false bravado. Flight had always been her best survival tactic.
Raina grabbed the doorknob and flung open the door. It rebounded and bumped into her shoulder, sending the pepper spray flying.
Time slowed and the pepper spray took an eternity to land next to a pair of brown sandals. Her gaze traveled up a pair of thick hairy legs and into the shocked eyes of Sol Cardenas.
“What—”
“You!”
As Raina’s hand flew to her racing heart, she stumbled backwards. Sol’s arm snaked out and grabbed her wrist, pulled her into the office, and kicked the door shut. She opened her mouth to scream, but her stomach lodged in her throat. The only sound she made was a pathetic eek.
Sol folded thick arms over his paunch and rested his back against the edge of the desk. “This is not what it seems.”
Raina cleared her
“Why wouldn’t I be here? This place would fall apart without me.”
Raina rubbed her sweaty palms on her shorts. “I had the impression you and Holden were close. I thought you’d be too upset to come to work.”
Olivia spun around and stared at her with a blank expression. “What are you implying?”
Raina coughed as fear rose to clog her throat. Keep the bimbo act. She wrinkled her brow and hoped she sounded mystified. “Holden often spoke highly of you. I thought maybe you were his mentor.”
Olivia stared at her for another heartbeat. “No. I wasn’t his mentor.” She slammed the cabinet shut and turned to her computer. Several clicks later, the printer whirled to life and spat out several sheets of paper.
“I would tread carefully if I were you. You know what they say about curiosity and the cat.” Olivia looked pointedly at Raina and held out the stack from the printer.
Raina stuffed the sheets of paper into her purse and mumbled thanks. She made her way to the main hall. A knot settled in her stomach. Why would Olivia warn her unless she had something to hide? Her steps faltered when a new thought struck her like a squirt gun to the eye.
She recalled Sol’s words. Ex-girlfriend killed boyfriend over other woman. What if Olivia thought Raina was the other woman? Wasn’t poison the weapon of choice for scorned women? She shivered at the thought. No, Holden had died from natural causes. She refused to jump at shadows because of Eden’s bogus theory for a front-page story.
Raina waved to two students chatting in front of Gail’s empty desk. Snatches of their conversation included “bathroom” and “police.” They gestured for her to join them, but she shook her head.
She trudged toward the west wing, arguing with herself the entire time to turn around. The time to investigate the men’s restroom would have been a couple of days ago.
If she’d needed more convincing there was something strange about Holden’s death, she didn’t need to look further than the crime scene tape blocking access to the men's restroom. The yellow tape contrasted with the pale blue wall. The police would have removed the tape by now under normal circumstances.
And no one cared. The only thing missing from this wing of the building was tumbleweeds. Where were the flowers and candles marking his passage? Where were her flowers? Raina couldn’t breathe as a wave of sadness hit her. She leaned against the opposite wall, taking loud breaths through her flared nostrils. Holden just died and the only thing marking his passing was some yellow tape and the scent of Pine-Sol. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer.
As she straightened, the fine hairs on her arms moved. Someone ducked into a room at the end of the hall. Was someone in Holden’s office? Maybe she should call Matthew, but she just as quickly dismissed the idea. The last thing she wanted was to become one of those women who ran to a man at every shadow.
Her shoes squeaked against the floor, giving fair warning to anyone hiding in the room. She drew her pepper spray from her purse and held it in front of her in a show of false bravado. Flight had always been her best survival tactic.
Raina grabbed the doorknob and flung open the door. It rebounded and bumped into her shoulder, sending the pepper spray flying.
Time slowed and the pepper spray took an eternity to land next to a pair of brown sandals. Her gaze traveled up a pair of thick hairy legs and into the shocked eyes of Sol Cardenas.
“What—”
“You!”
As Raina’s hand flew to her racing heart, she stumbled backwards. Sol’s arm snaked out and grabbed her wrist, pulled her into the office, and kicked the door shut. She opened her mouth to scream, but her stomach lodged in her throat. The only sound she made was a pathetic eek.
Sol folded thick arms over his paunch and rested his back against the edge of the desk. “This is not what it seems.”
Raina cleared her
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