CHAPTER

thirty-nine

WITH THE BOOST of adrenaline, I snatched the bag off the bench and swung it hard at Tammy’s knees. The combo of Marshmallow’s clawing and my smacking pushed her off balance. As Tammy stumbled, I threw all my muscle into whacking her in the middle of her stomach.

She doubled over in pain, dropping the water bottle. It rolled away, out of her reach. Thank goodness for her own bag’s hard metal studs. They must have made strong contact with her body, because Tammy lay on the floor, groaning.

I heard the wail of a siren approaching. Tammy continued to moan and curled herself into a fetal position.

A few moments later, the door burst open. The shop bell jangled with fury.

A man’s figure filled the doorway. “Miss Lee, are you all right?”

I knew that voice. “Twisted my ankle, Detective Brown. But still alive.”

He tried turning on the lights but couldn’t. After cursing under his breath, he used a mini penlight to shine a faint beam around. Maybe he kept the small tool handy in his magical jacket pocket.

“What happened here?” he asked.

I pointed to Tammy and said, “She tried to attack me, to kill me the same way she did Russ Nolan.”

Detective Brown strode over to Tammy and handcuffed her. “Sounds like you and I need to have an in-depth conversation.”

First, though, he called for extra police. Once he’d finished talking to headquarters, an insistent meowing filled the air.

Detective Brown swung his light in the direction of the sound. Marshmallow sat near a tube-like item: a medical syringe. The cap at the end of the needle looked exactly like the one I’d discovered in Russ Nolan’s backyard.

“What do we have here?” Detective Brown bent over it and read the label. “Ketamine. The autopsy report finally came through and showed the very same chemical in the victim’s body.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, not disguising the I-told-you-so tone of my voice.

He cleared his throat. “I was in the process of following up on ketamine prescriptions, I’ll have you know. That doctor-patient confidentiality is a tough nut to crack.”

All of a sudden, the lights came back on with full force. Backup must have arrived, and somebody had restored power to the store.

Detective Brown turned toward Tammy, who still remained in a huddle. “Time to take your statement.”

Her eyes grew wide. “If I confess everything, the judge will be lenient, right? After all, I didn’t mean to hit Russ Nolan so hard. And I didn’t actually kill Mimi or anything.”

“The police department will value your full cooperation,” Detective Brown said. Which really didn’t promise her anything, but Tammy nodded at him. She let Detective Brown haul her up from the floor.

He pivoted to me. “Miss Lee, I’d advise you to get some rest. You’ve had a rough night.”

“I have a question for you, Detective,” I said, searching his face. “How’d you realize I was in danger so fast?”

“I didn’t. But your mother kept calling the station, wanting us to check on you. She said you weren’t answering your phone and hadn’t told her you’d gotten home safely tonight.” He gave me a wry grin. “When I heard your name being tossed around, I volunteered to check Hollywoof myself to see what trouble you were causing.”

Huh. Ma’s constant worrying had come in handy for once.

Before we could leave, a few paramedics checked out my foot. Diagnosing it as a mild sprain, they provided me with an ice pack.

Then they proceeded to fuss over Marshmallow, who hissed at them.

I patted his head. “After your paw-some attack, they’re just making sure you’re fe-line okay.”

He groaned. “That fall made your sense of humor get even worse.”

Although the paramedics had cleared us to leave, I didn’t want to drive home. Besides, I had zero desire to be alone. I asked an officer take me to my parents’ place.

When the patrol car approached the house, the lights inside my childhood home glowed bright, like a friendly beacon guiding me to safe haven. The door flung open even as we eased onto the driveway.

Three faces peered into the car’s headlights from the doorway. When I got out and placed Marshmallow onto the paved ground, Ma rushed to check on me.

She inspected me at arm’s length to make sure everything was okay and then hugged me. Alice soon ran over and added to the huddle. Finally, Dad lumbered over and crushed us all in his signature bear hug.

They spoke at the same time:

“Make me worry to dead. Sei-ah,” Ma said.

“Glad to see you safe and sound, Princess One.”

“Mimi, what happened?” Alice asked.

Dad ushered me inside and insisted I sit at the dining table. Ma brewed me a mug of strong oolong tea.

I sipped it as I figured out how to answer Alice’s question. With my family crowded around me, I tried to summarize my experience at Hollywoof. Of course, I downplayed the danger.

I rushed over the details of Tammy’s attack and sped straight to the police arriving on the scene. Everyone stared at me, aghast. Why had a customer tried to threaten me?

I didn’t tell them about the murder case or how I’d gone snooping to clear my name. Why had Tammy come after me, then? I spun a story about how she’d entered my shop to chat. Overwhelmed with taking care of her sick dog and angry about her looming divorce, she just snapped. They shook their heads at me.

Finally, Ma tutted and said she’d fix me some herbal chicken soup to restore my scattered energy. Dad slung a comforting arm around my shoulder. Alice held my hand.

At my sister’s gentle touch, I said, “Alice, why are you here, anyway? Was Ma so worried that she called you when I didn’t answer?”

A sweet smile appeared on my sister’s face. “Oh no, I was already here. I came over to tell Ma and Dad some good news from Roosevelt Elementary.”

“Tell me, too.” It’d be nice to hear something positive for a change.

“Principal Hallis resigned.”

I squeezed my sister’s hand. “It will be a less toxic environment for you to work in now. I don’t understand, though. I figured she’d want to rule the school a long time with her iron fist.”

Alice wrinkled her button nose. “Somehow the school receptionist convinced her to leave. Said Principal Hallis and her pet hedgehog might enjoy life better in a different state.”

I thought back to when I’d threatened Principal Hallis in her office. I’d deposited the exotic pets brochure in the recycling bin in full view of the receptionist. She must have picked it up and read it. Then she had continued the good fight. Well done, her.

Ma deposited a bowl of soup before me. “Drink.” Then she wagged her finger at me. “If no help, you no go back store.”