Page 81

Vera looks sharply at Julia. “Embellish? I don’t even know what that is meaning, so how can I do it if I don’t know what it is?”
Julia looks like she’s about to argue, but then thinks better of it.
“So, some guy actually went into your shop and threatened you?” Riki says.
“That’s supercool!” Adi says. Sana pulls his ear, and he says, “Ow! I’m just saying.”
“Yes,” Vera says. “It is exactly like in the movies. Like a James Bond villain, so big and strong. I thought surely he is going to kill me.”
“Oh, Vera,” Sana says, “you must’ve been terrified.”
Vera takes a casual sip of her tea and hopes that her hand doesn’t tremble. “Oh, you know, take a lot more than that to scare me.”
“I would’ve been shitting my pants,” Oliver says.
“Me too,” Riki says. “You’re really brave, Vera.”
Vera has the grace to blush a little at this display of admiration. She deserves it, obviously, but also she recalls with perfect clarity just how terrified and helpless she had felt during the attack. “Yes, I am very heroic, I know that. We move on. What we are going to do?”
They all stare at her. “What do you mean, Ma?” Tilly says.
“Well, we can’t just sit here when poor Millie might be in trouble!”
Oliver leans toward Tilly and asks in a soft voice, “She’s told Selena about all this, yeah?”
“Yes,” Tilly says flatly, “and Selena told you expressly, Ma, to let the police handle it.”
“She did,” Vera agrees.
“And?”
“And I disagree with her. And as her elder, she should defer to me.”
Tilly smacks his forehead. “As an officer of the law, she definitely does not need to defer to you on this, and she’s right, Ma. Look what happened to you today. You’re sitting there with a busted head, for god’s sakes.”
“Aiya, you make big fuss out of nothing. This is just scratch, the doctor say it’s nothing.”
“You got literal stitches,” Tilly says.
“Anyway, maybe Selena is officer of law, but she’s not here, and you are not officer of law. You are my son, so you need to listen to me.”
Everybody looks at Tilly with bated breath, wondering what he’s going to say. And also probably feeling grateful that they are not him.
Tilly looks around the table. “Can one of you please talk some sense into her?”
They all shake their heads vigorously. “Sorry, bro, you’re on your own here,” Oliver says.
“Plus, I kind of want to get involved?” Sana says.
“Babe, it doesn’t sound safe,” Riki says.
“No shit,” Julia says. “I had to leave my house because this guy knows where I live. It’s not safe.”
“Okay then, Sana, you can be my helper.”
“I’ll help too,” Oliver says. When Julia glares at him, he shrugs. “Might give me ideas for my next book.”
Riki sighs. “Fine, I’m in.” Adi’s eyes widen with glee, and Riki adds, “But not you, kid.”