The first groomsman shrugs. “I mean, who knows? Maybe? Tom had to hire people from three different agencies because he needed so many bodies. Oops, bad word choice, lol.” He says “lol” as if it’s an actual word.
Someone nudges my elbow, and I turn to see Ma and my aunties behind me.
“What are you doing just standing there?” Ma whispers. “Come, we go back in, otherwise later you will catch cold.”
I can’t help snorting out loud. Here we are, with the sheriff and the dead body, and Ma’s worried about me catching a cold? “You guys done fighting?” I say, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice.
At least they have the decency to look somewhat abashed. “For now,” Fourth Aunt says. She eyes the sheriff and groomsmen and switches to Indonesian. “What’ve they figured out so far?”
“Not much. But I want to stay here, see what else they come up with.”
“I’m going in.” Fourth Aunt pinches my cheek and then turns around and walks back toward the rooms, followed by my other aunties. Only Ma stays with me.
A few feet away, Sheriff McConnell is fast losing patience. “Get me the other groomsmen,” he barks at the two security guards. They glance at Nathan, who nods. As they leave, Sheriff McConnell paces around the altar, his weight making the whole stage shudder. Thunder rolls, and I can’t help but jump.
“We really should go inside, it looks like nasty weather,” Nathan says. “We could question the rest of the groomsmen in their rooms.”
“Oh, I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Nathan looks confused. “Um, yeah, I guess? Won’t the rain—I don’t know—do something to the body? Make it harder to gauge when it died or something?”
“Hey, I’m the professional here,” the sheriff barks. “All you mainlanders think you’re so sophisticated with all your fancy equipment and technology and all this newfangled DNA shit.”
“What?”
“Well, I’ve got news for you: I’m going to solve this without all that fancy-schmancy techy shit. I’m going to solve it with good old detective work.” Sheriff McConnell taps the side of his head with another one of his trademark cunning looks.
“Um. Okay. I still think we should go inside—”
He’s interrupted by the arrival of two more groomsmen. They’re in worse shape than the previous two—these ones keep giggling and pointing at random things in the air.
“Ma, are you sure you haven’t like, permanently addled their minds?” I whisper.
“Aduh, of course not, lah. Traditional Chinese medicine is very good for your health. Very good!” Still, I can’t help noticing how worried Ma actually looks.
Sheriff McConnell asks them if they recognize Ah Guan, and they both giggle and shake their heads. “Hey, man, time to wake up. You’re lying on the altar,” one of them says.
“Which agency are you from?” Sheriff McConnell asks them.
“Best Days Agency,” one says.
“Party Peeps,” the other one slurs.
“And presumably you would know who’s from which agency?”
The two groomsmen stare at him blankly. “I what now?” one of them says.
Sheriff McConnell pinches the bridge of his nose. “What I’m asking is: This man, he’s definitely not from either of your agencies?”
One of the groomsmen shakes his head confidently, while the other says, “Iono.”
I’m expecting Sheriff McConnell to be frustrated by this, but instead, he rubs his hands with satisfaction and nods. “You two can go. I know who did it.”
I can’t help squeezing Ma’s hand. She squeezes back and pats it reassuringly. “Oh, Tuhan,” she mutters. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
It’s not okay. I’m about to be arrested. I watch, rooted to the spot, every part of me leaden, as Sheriff McConnell walks off the altar and onto the aisle. Coming straight toward me.
Except he stops in front of Nathan and says, in a thunderous voice that matches the weather, “Nathan Chan, you are under arrest for the murder of this man.” He pulls out a pair of handcuffs with relish and, smiling proudly, latches them around Nathan’s wrists.
29
Sheriff McConnell barely spares Ma and me a glance as he brushes past, his meaty hands on Nathan’s shoulders. Nathan is wide-eyed, but as he passes me, he whispers, “It’ll be okay.”
And I’m—
I’m—