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“Oh, nothing, Selena. Just nice dinner party with friends.”
Selena gives a pointed look at Vera. “Why are your friends people I have spoken to about a specific case that happened two weeks ago?”
Vera returns the look with an innocent one. “Oh? What case is it?”
Selena’s jaw clenches and unclenches. Ignoring Vera, she turns to TJ and says, “Why are you here?”
TJ looks like he would very much like to be anywhere but here. He shoves his hands into his pockets and clears his throat. “I—well, Vera here invited me and my daughter for dinner.”
“Yeah, I got that. How do you know Vera?”
Vera flaps at them. “Never you mind that.”
“Never I mind that?” Selena echoes. “Vera, this is my job, and I really hope you’re not snooping again.”
“Me, snoopy? You know I am too busy to do anything like that. All day every day, I cooking for you and Tilly and Oliver and all the others, not to mention look after my tea shop. You think I have time to go snoopy everywhere? Hah!”
Selena doesn’t look fazed by Vera’s faux scolding. She raises an impassive eyebrow and says in a warning tone, “Vera…”
“Also, you should be thankful if I snoopy, because look what happen last time I snoop, eh?”
“What happened last time?” Robin pipes up.
Vera grins. “Ah! I solve murder case.”
Selena pinches the bridge of her nose. “Vera, you put yourself and others in danger the last time you did that.”
“Aiya, of course not, don’t be so drama. There is no danger, the killer is harmless old man.”
“How can a killer be harmless?” Aimes says.
“Exactly,” Selena says. “The killer was most definitely not harmless, and Vera, whatever you think you know about this case, I can assure you, you don’t.”
“Ah, so there is case?” Vera says cunningly.
Selena’s mouth shuts into a tight line. “There is no case. I donot know how you got in touch with all these people, and I don’t want to know. You all should go home.”
“Yes, officer, right away,” TJ says, already grabbing his and Robin’s coats. “Come on, Robin.”
“Yeah, I’d better get going too,” Aimes says.
Qiang Wen mumbles something under his breath and starts to shuffle out of the living room as well.
“Wait!” Vera calls after them. “You haven’t taken leftover food. Later will spoil. I cannot eat all by myself.” But with hasty murmurs of thanks, everyone leaves the room, and soon, the only ones remaining are Vera, Oliver, Emma, and Selena. Vera huffs at Selena. “You are lucky I like you so much and you are going to be my future daughter-in-law. That is very rude, ending my dinner party early. Look, I didn’t even have time to give them their goodie bags.”
“Ooh, goodie bags!” Emma says, reaching out for one.
Vera hands it to her and glowers at Selena. Then her face softens. “Aiya, I cannot stay angry with daughter-in-law. You come and take leftover food, give some to Tilly also.”
“Vera,” Selena sighs. “I’m serious, you can’t involve yourself in this. It’s dangerous.”
“But it says is suicide, so how can be dangerous?”
Selena pauses, then peers at Vera with suspicion. “How do you know it’s suspected suicide?”
Uh-oh. Vera chooses not to answer, her mind whizzing ahead to try to cover up her slipup.
“Vera,” Selena says in a warning tone. “What exactly do you know about this case? This John Doe? And how exactly did you find these people who are connected to the case?”