Page 32

VERA

“Aiya, not to the left! You covering up the word ‘teahouse’! Right a bit. Too much! Okay. Yes, there. Good.”

“I still think this is a terrible idea,” Selena says.

“Terrible,” Tilly agrees.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Robin says.

“Yeah, and we’d be helping her on the tech side of things,” Adi adds.

“That’s what I was worried about,” TJ mutters.

“I mean, she did uncover an entire human trafficking ring,” Aimes says, “so you should give her some credit.”

“Thank you, Aimes,” Vera says.

“Suck-up,” TJ says, without any real bite.

“I’m the suck-up?” Aimes says. “Who made her the sign?”

TJ stuffs his hands into his pockets and shrugs. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Riki and Oliver finish sticking on the sign and climb down their ladders. The group gaze up at the sign.

Vera clasps her hands to her chest. “Ah,” she says, “isn’t it beautiful?”

Above her shop, the sign now says:

Vera Wang’s World-Famous Teahouse and Private Investigator (Certified)

“Bit of a mouthful,” Winifred the jealous grouch says.

“Jealousy not look good on you,” Vera says tartly.

“Why would I be jealous? I have long line of customer every day coming in for my kimchi cheese croissant. I think if anyone is jealous, is you.”

Vera shoots her a dirty look, but before she can come up with a sharp retort, Sana says, “Well, good job, everyone. Time for some tea?”

“And maybe some of those kimchi cheese croissants?” Penxi says.

Vera glares at her. “Traitor.”

“Sorry. But they’re so good.” She turns to smile at her parents. “Right, Mama, Baba?”

“Yes,” they say. Their arms are linked with hers, as though they can’t bear to let go of her even for a second.

Winifred’s face is seventy percent grin. “I’ll go get them. Don’t you worry.”

Vera harrumphs. “All right, we best go inside then.”

The group, consisting of Vera, Penxi, Penxi’s parents, Sana, Riki, Julia, Emma, Oliver, Selena, Tilly, TJ, Qiang Wen, Robin, Adi, and Aimes, barely fits into the teahouse, but Oliver has brought extra tables and chairs, and they set them up outside. Winifred brings over tray after tray of pastries, and soon everyone is eating and chatting.

“You know,” Oliver says, “this case has grown so big I saw it on the front page of the New York Times website.”

“You do have to scroll down a bit,” Sana says.

“Well, yes, but it still counts as the front page.”

“What is headline?” Vera says. She can already see it in her mind’s eye: “Vera Wong, Owner of Famous Teahouse, Solves Another Murder Case!”

Oliver’s forehead scrunches as he tries to remember. “It was something like ‘Married Couple Arrested in Bay Area Human Trafficking Ring.’?”

“What?” Vera snaps. “Not even mention me?”

Oliver, who’s only now seemed to realize that he’s somehow landed himself in hot water, gazes back at her with wide eyes. “Um.” He looks at the others, wordlessly pleading for their help.

“The article mentioned you a lot,” Julia says. Oliver mouths thanks to her.

“Oh yes? What it says about me?”

“That you’re a super sleuth,” Aimes pipes up.

Vera isn’t quite sure what a “sleuth” is, but from the way Aimes says it, she reckons it’s a good thing, so she settles back in her chair with a smug smile.

“And they called you a ‘TikTok personality,’?” TJ mutters.

“Who is represented by you, Dad,” Robin says. “He’s gotten more business because of it.”

“The TikTok personality?” Vera echoes. She likes the sound of that. She gives TJ a Cheshire grin. “I tell you I am a star, didn’t I?”

“Okay, Vera, you were right. Thank you for saving my business.”

“You are welcome,” Vera says magnanimously. “And what will happen to these…human traffickers?” The two words are spat out with distaste.

At this, Selena says, “Well, we won’t know until their trial, but my bet is they’re going to be in a maximum security prison for the rest of their lives.”

Penxi gives a grim smile. Vera reaches out and grasps her hand, giving it a tight squeeze before letting go. “I’m okay,” Penxi says, but Vera knows that both the physical and mental scars that Penxi’s captors have inflicted on her will be ones she carries with her forever. But she’s got a strong support system now, and she’s through the worst of it. Vera makes a mental note to ply Penxi with extra delicious food for the next two decades.

Clearly wanting to change the subject, Penxi turns to TJ. “So, your business is back up and running? That’s amazing.”

“Well, not quite. I don’t have the funds to reopen the office just yet, so we’re working out of my house right now, which is kind of chaotic, but also—”

“It’s been awesome. I love having everyone over all the time,” Robin says. “And I get to spoil Elsie’s baby. She’s such a cutie.”

TJ gives Robin a tired smile. “It’s…something all right.”

“That sounds really great,” Aimes says.

“Yeah,” TJ says. “I’ve actually been meaning to reach out to you to see if you’re looking for representation.”

“Oh!” Aimes looks surprised, then she laughs. “I…you know what, I would’ve jumped at that before, but I’m actually taking a break from social media.” She glances at Julia and Sana, and they give her an encouraging nod. “I think I need time to figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“And that’s okay,” Julia says.

“Yeah,” Aimes says.

Vera pats her on the arm. “You will be okay, Aimes, you a bright girl.” Privately, Vera starts a list of careers she will suggest to Aimes in the coming weeks. A psychologist. A lawyer. A wedding planner. She’s going to have to brainstorm this. She looks around the tables and wonders who she should rope into a brainstorming session. There are so many choices. She settles on Qiang Wen. He’s been less lonely ever since she’s taken him under her wing, and Riki tells her that he and Sana often drop by Qiang Wen’s place for dumplings, but he could do with a project. As though reading her thoughts, Qiang Wen meets her eye. They share a smile of understanding at each other.

“Ah, this is like a brasserie in Paris,” Winifred says.

“What is it with you and France?” Vera says.

“What is it with you and pretending you are private investigator?”

They narrow their eyes at each other.

“You know,” Winifred says, “Paris is very beautiful this time of year.”

“Oh, you’ve been?” Vera says.

“No. But it's something people say, isn't it? I always want to go,” Winifred says.

“It would be nice,” Vera says. There is a moment of silence as the two of them consider it, then Vera says, “Aiya, cannot afford it. So expensive.”

Selena and Tilly share a look with each other, then Tilly clears his throat. “Ma? If you want to go to Paris, I’ll pay for it. You deserve a vacation.”

Vera gapes at him. “I can’t. Who run shop while I’m gone? I am pillar of community. Everyone fall apart if I leave.” She pointedly ignores Winifred, who is rolling her eyes aggressively.

“I think we can manage for a bit,” Oliver says.

“Just for a bit,” Aimes says. “Then, you’re right, we will start to fall apart.”

For the first time, Vera is at a loss for words. “But I just start my PI business. I am expecting client anytime now.”

“You know,” Selena says, “murders do happen in Paris too.”

“Oh yes,” Winifred says happily, “big city everywhere will have plenty of murder. We will have such fun there, Vera.”

Vera nods slowly.

“Grandma, you won’t be a private investigator,” Robin says, “you’ll be a détective privé.”

“See?” Winifred says. “Everything sound better in French.”

Détective privé. Vera does like the sound of that. She looks around her with suspicion. “Are you all trying to get rid of me?”

There are immediate shouts of “Never!” but she catches what sounds suspiciously like “Only for a little while” being murmured from Selena’s direction.

Vera harrumphs. She leans back in her chair and takes a sip of her tea. Goodness me , traveling at her age. Then again, if not now, when else? She looks up at her new sign once more, then says, “I hope you are not lying about murders in Paris. I will be quite disappoint if it turn out there is nothing to do there.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll manage to run into a dead body or two there,” Selena says.

Winifred squeals. “A girls trip to Paris!”

“With murder,” Robin says. “Can I go too?”

“No,” TJ says immediately.

“When you graduate high school I take you,” Vera says. “But, yes, for now, just me and Winifred.” She finishes the last of her tea and smiles. “I think we are going to have all the fun.” Yes , she thinks, and the French will most definitely find her a treat, she is sure of it.