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  For dogs both big and small:

  May your lives always be filled with a sense of mischief.

  Chapter 1

  No sooner had I walked five hundred feet into Asia Village, than I hear a voice yell from behind me, “Megan Riley!” Without looking, I knew—based on the sheer volume alone—that the voice belonged to Kimmy Tran, my best friend’s other best friend. I groaned as I came to terms with having unsuccessfully dodged a run-in with Lana’s childhood playmate. And then immediately began calculating the probability that I could pretend as if I hadn’t heard her. The enclosed Asian shopping plaza was busy with people in search of the perfect holiday gift, but by no means was it packed. The likelihood of me escaping sight or getting lost in the crowd was less than feasible. Shame on me for thinking I could pass Kimmy’s family shop, China Cinema and Song, without being spotted.

  “Megan!” she called again, this time with more gusto. “Hey, Blondie!”

  Kikkoman, Lana’s black pug, wiggled in my arms. Her little pup and I were out galivanting to the groomer’s while Lana was basking in sunshine over on the West Coast in Irvine, California. Meanwhile, I was stuck bracing myself against the bitter winds of a December in Cleveland, Ohio.

  Granted, she was there on business for a restauranteur convention, and she was stuck with her older sister, Anna May, who was no doubt nagging her every step of the way, so in that sense I wasn’t jealous of her trip. But if I told anybody just how long it took me to shovel my car out after the apartment property’s plow services buried my sedan, I think they’d agree that Anna May was the lesser of two evils.

  Realizing there was no way out of talking to Kimmy, I turned around and put on my best Huh? Is someone calling my name? face.

  Her thick, dark hair was swept together in a sloppy bun that wobbled as she walked. She always swore her carefree hair wasn’t intentional, but I’d caught her watching YouTube videos a while back on how to achieve the look. It always amazed me how much work us ladies put into appearing as if we hadn’t put in any work at all. “Geez, Blondie, I’ve been calling you since you passed the shop. You didn’t hear me?”

  I raised a brow. “Oh, you were? I’m a little preoccupied, sorry.”

  Kikko wiggled again in my arms, butting me in the chest with her head. She craned her neck forward and sniffed Kimmy, who extended a hand to help move along the process. Kikko sniffed her palm, gave it a lick, then grunted.

  Kimmy snickered, wiping her palm on her pant leg. “Well, now that we’ve got the pleasantries out of the way, what are you two doing here?”

  “Took a trip to see the groomer to get Kikko’s nails trimmed,” I said, holding up one of Kikko’s paws. “Thought I’d stop by Asia Village to get us out of the house for a while. We’re both starting to get cabin fever.”

  Kikko snorted, and I took that as a sign of agreeance.

  Kimmy curved her glossy, burgundy-painted lips in a sly smile. “Yeah right, cabin fever. I bet you’re really here for the massive end-of-year sale that Rina is having at the Ivory Doll.”

  Unlike Lana, I had a great poker face and I imagined a halo of innocence hovering delicately above my blonde head of hair as I replied, “No, I didn’t even know about the sale. Plus why would I bring Kikko with me if that were the case?”

  Okay, truth was, the dog-sitting thing hadn’t been going all that well. Kikko wasn’t very happy with Lana’s absence and had been leaving land mines of poop bombs all over our apartment. I’ve never seen a little dog poop with such resentment. And coming home after work to that scenario two nights in a row wasn’t exactly my idea of a relaxing evening. Since I had the day off, I figured it would be best to take Kikko with me and keep her occupied as best I could. But Kimmy wasn’t wrong, I really did come to the plaza for that makeup sale. Pft, as if I’d miss it.

  I didn’t want to admit the real reason why I had Lana’s dog in tow though, so it would remain Kikko’s and my little secret. If I mentioned even a drop of it to Kimmy, no doubt before I could get to the Ivory Doll, she would have texted Lana about the whole ordeal. The last thing I wanted was for my best friend to worry about her little bundle of fur while she was away. Or for her to think I couldn’t handle a simple task like dog sitting.

  I was preparing my excuse to slip away when I heard another familiar voice call out my name: “Megan, is that you?”

  Nancy Huang, Lana’s mother’s best friend—and split-shift server—had slipped out of Ho-Lee Noodle House, Lana’s family’s restaurant, and snuck up on us before I had realized she was approaching.

  When I turned to the window of the restaurant from where she had clearly spotted my arrival, I noticed four wrinkled faces peering back at me. Their lips moved hurriedly as they talked to one another, pointing and obviously sizing me up. Based on some previous, albeit short, run-ins, I knew they were the Mahjong Matrons, four widowed seniors who visited Lana’s restaurant every day. They were also the eyes and ears of everything that went on in Asia Village.

  “Hi, Mrs. H,” I said with a smile.

  “Oh, please call me Nancy.” Her petite hand wrapped around my bicep, and she gave my arm a gentle squeeze. She then patted Kikko’s head. “Hello, little friend.” Looking up at me, she asked, “What brings you by the plaza today? Missing Lana?” Her brown eyes were gentle and soft—as a mother’s should be—and it made me want to confide in her.

  “It is kind of lonely at home without her, but we’re managing.” I hugged Kikko closer and prayed she wouldn’t tinkle all over my winter coat.

  “Come inside the restaurant for a little while; sit and have some tea to warm up. You must be cold, your cheeks are still pink.”

  My eyes traveled to the Ivory Doll, where the makeup lived and where Rina was surely waiting to take all my hard-earned money. “I don’t know, I probably should be on my way. Kikko’s going to have to use the bathroom soon.”

  Kimmy caught my earnest gaze and smiled. With a little bit of drama, she wrapped an arm around my shoulders, shaking me while she squeezed me playfully. “Come on, Blondie, what’s a few minutes going to hurt?”

  Chapter 2

  Upon entering the Ho-Lee Noodle House there was a delightful commotion from the Mahjong Matrons at the sight of Kikko’s presence. I hadn’t been too sure how they’d feel to have a dog in the restaurant, but they took very affectionately to Lana’s fur baby.

  They cooed over her floppy ears and her delicate puppy-esque paws. Kikko had been the runt of her litter, so not only had she stayed smaller than the others, she also looked much younger than her years.

  Nancy disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a tray of tea service and her son, Peter, who was the head chef. Not only was he Kimmy’s current beau, but he was also another one of Lana’s closest friends. He had become one of mine as well and in some ways, he was the guy version of me. Except for the heavy metal music thing … and that whole video game thing. I will say he did try to teach me how to play Fortnite one time in the recent past, but it was an epic fail.

  Peter, dressed in his usual all-black ensemble, gave me a casual nod. “Hey, what’s up? You here for the makeup sale?” He removed his ball cap, smoothed his overgrown hair, and replaced the hat on his head in one swift movement.

  “Why does everyone keep saying that?” I asked.

  “Because it’s you,” Peter replied with a smirk. “I’ve never known you to pass up a sale of any kind.”

  Kimmy snickered under her breath.

  Nancy placed the teapot down on the table across from the Matrons. The restaurant was empty except for us, so we had free reign. She pulled out a chair. “Please, sit. I’ll pour some tea.”

  My arms were starting to get heavy from holding onto Kikko. I hadn’t planned on this taking all that long.

  Nancy seemed to notice my discomfort. “You can set her down and let her stretch her legs. The door to the restaurant is closed, so she can run around a little bit. Perhaps use up a little of her energy.”

  Kikko yawned, her tongue curling out and up. She would probably just fall asleep under the table like she often did at home.

  Gingerly, I set her down. “Okay, little dog, you be good and don’t pee on anything.”

  Kikko snorted in return.

  I sat down and flipped over my teacup, allowing Nancy to fill it. “So how’s it been at the restaurant without the boss lady around?”

  Nancy shrugged her shoulders. “It’s been going okay. We do miss having her here. But there is nothing exciting to report.”

  Kimmy flopped into the chair across from me. “It’s been a total snoozefest without Lee around. Not even a pickpocket to speak of.”

  I snorted. “You sound disappointed.”

  Kimmy brushed her bangs away from her eyes. “I. Am. Bored. I need some excitement in my life. I’ve gotten so used to playing good cop, bad cop.”

  Peter rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. Give me a break. The less you get into trouble, the better for me. I’m still trying to recuperate from your last bout of shenanigans.”

  The bells above the door tinkled, and Nancy perked up. Not many people came into the restaurant this early in the day, but despite that, Lana’s mom always made a point to be open for the older customers who liked to stop in and be social.

  “Excuse me,” Nancy said with a gentle tip of her chin.

  Kimmy wiggled in her seat, leaning forward, one hand on her teacup. “So what’s the juice with Lana? Anything I should know about?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could sense the Matrons eavesdropping. I slid my eyes in their direction, and they turned away, chattering about something they pretended to see out the window in the plaza.

  I turned my attention back to Kimmy, lowering my voice. “No. Why would you think there’s anything to tell?”

  Kimmy smirked. “Because if I know Lana, there’s always trouble lurking around some shadowy corner. Give me something—a crumb, a nugget, whatever it is, I’ll take it.”

  Peter rolled his eyes again. “Dude, you’re outta control. I love you, but I’m going back to the kitchen. I have to clean the grill again.” He kissed the top of her head, gave me another casual nod, and disappeared back to his post.

  “Kimmy Tran,” I said in my best authoritative voice. “You are going to drive that man to drink.”

  “I’m bored, Blondie,” she said with a huff. “The highlight of my day is ringing up Chinese soap series and explaining to people that BlackPink is a K-pop band and I don’t know what they’re singing about as much as the next non-Korean.”

  I chuckled. “You love BlackPink.”

  Kimmy pursed her lips. “That’s beside the point. I still don’t know what they’re saying.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “You and Lana crack me up.”

  “Out with it, Blondie. What do you have for me?” She sipped her tea.

  Again, I sensed the Matrons had an ear to our conversation. “There’s nothing to tell. Well, one thing. Lana did mention that she witnessed a catfight between a vendor and some journalist lady. She said like a hundred people stopped to stare at the scene the two women caused.”

  Kimmy straightened in her seat. “Oh yeah? And?”

  “And nothing,” I replied. “That was it. Security broke it up and Lana went on her way. Their aunt Grace surprised them with a cocktail party event. Got them dresses and everything.”

  Kimmy’s shoulders sank. “Oh.”

  I clucked my tongue. “I thought you’d be happy with the fact that Lana is getting a break. It’s been nonstop for that girl since … well, you know, the whole breakup with Captain Jerkface.”

  Kimmy batted a hand. “She’s fine with Detective Hottie Pants. She probably doesn’t even think about ole what’s-his-name.”

  Nancy returned to the table, hands on her hips. “That was Talia Sun, the young lady who will be opening that new shop, Eastern Enchantments. She told me there is another storm coming our way later today.” She shook her head. “Sometimes I don’t know why I didn’t move to Florida when I was younger.”

  “Because you would miss Betty too much,” I said. “The two of you are practically inseparable.” Betty was Lana’s mom, and the two women had been friends since the moment they’d arrived in the United States. Both had come from Taiwan around the same time on student visas and ended up getting their citizenship instead of going back.

  Nancy nodded. “This is true. Life wouldn’t be the same without her.”

  Kimmy glossed over the conversation and groaned. “Another storm? We’re still recovering from the last one.”

  I decided to use that as my opportunity to leave. I emptied my teacup and set it resolutely on the table. “Well, I better hustle and get going before I get stuck driving in a whiteout.” I rose from the table. “Come on, Kikko, let’s go,” I said, flinging my cross-body bag over my shoulder.

  I didn’t hear the little tinkling of Kikko’s collar charm. She must have fallen asleep. Peeking under the table, I called her again. “Kikko, time to go home.”

  But when I looked, there was nothing under the table except for Kimmy’s legs.

  “Kikko?” I stood up straight and scanned the dining area, feeling a sense of frenzy take over me. “Kikko?”

  The Matrons twisted in their seats and craned their necks to search the restaurant from where they sat.

  Helen—who I’d heard Lana refer to as the matriarch of their little group—said, “Perhaps she is hiding below a different table and taking a nap in peace.”

  Kimmy rose from her seat and we did a lap around the dining area together, checking under tables and beneath booths.

  “Kikko!” we both called.

  My heart sank, my stomach dropped, my teeth clenched. All the symptoms of panic flooded me as I returned to where we’d been sitting and double-checked beneath the table one more time just to be absolutely sure. It had to be a mistake. It had to be.

  But, just as before, no cute, smooshy face stared back at me. There was nothing but carpet and table legs.

  As I straightened, my eyes met Kimmy’s. “Oh my god, I lost Kikko!”

  Chapter 3

  Kimmy shook her head, making a tsking sound. “If anything happens to that little dog, Lana will have your head on a platter.”

  I could feel my teeth grinding against each other, my fists balling up as I watched Kimmy’s bun bobble on top of her head. “Don’t you think I know that?”

  Nancy still searched the restaurant, her eyebrows scrunching together. “Where could she have gone?”

  Kimmy gasped. “Omigod! When what’s-her-name came in, I bet you Kikko slipped out into the plaza.”

  Nancy pursed her lips. “Do not call people “what’s-her-name,” Kimmy, that is rude. Her name is Talia.”

  “Sorry, I have a bad memory,” Kimmy replied in a soft tone. “But it’s probably when she came in.”

  If I wasn’t so preoccupied by the fact that Lana’s dog was missing, I might have fallen over. I’d never seen or heard Kimmy be that docile before. I’m sure it had something to do with her hoping that Nancy would be her future mother-in-law.

  “We have to find her right away,” I said, wringing the strap of my purse. “ASAP. Lana will be calling for her daily check-in and I don’t want my voice to give me away.” While I had a poker face—and voice—on lockdown, Lana knew me better than anyone else in the world. She’d know something was up.

  “We?” Kimmy asked.

  “Yes, you have to help me,” I pleaded. In some ways the desperation in my voice made me a little nauseous. I wasn’t in the business of asking Kimmy Tran for favors. “We can cover more ground that way. If she gets totally outside of the plaza, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  Kimmy lifted her chin. “Well, lookee here at Blondie, needing little ole me for a favor.”

  I grunted. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll owe you, okay?”

  Kimmy extended a hand, a sly smile creeping over her lips. “Deal.”

  I returned the gesture, applying pressure to her hand as I shook. “And we both agree not to tell Lana.” Then looking around the room, I said, “All of us.” I held my gaze on the Matrons the longest, knowing that this situation was cannon fodder for their rumor mill. “We tell no one that doesn’t need to know, okay?”

  The Matrons nodded in unison. “Of course,” they all chirped.

  Nancy agreed as well. “Yes, we wouldn’t want to worry Lana. We will keep this secret among us.”

  I had my doubts whether the Matrons could help themselves, but I didn’t have time to worry about it, especially when Nancy added an extra layer of urgency.

  “I must also warn you,” she began, “that Betty and her mother are both due in for lunch today. You must find Kikko before they get here. Betty isn’t exactly the best at keeping these things to herself and she will be sure to tell Lana, even if by accident.”

  In the background, I saw the Matrons nodding in confirmation.

 

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