Free Raining Men and Corpses: A Fun Cozy Mystery (A Raina Sun Mystery Book 1) by Anne R. Tan

throat. The stench of days old vomit hit her. She clutched her purse in front of her body and breathed through her mouth. “Enlighten me.”
    A quick glance confirmed her guess. Inside the trash can were a congealed splatter with tan lumps and an empty coffee cup with ‘Lois Lane’ written on the side. When did Eden search Holden’s office?
    “I’m looking for my letter of recommendation. Holden promised to write it for me.”
    Raina forced her body to straighten, spreading her legs slightly to take up more physical space. “Then why are you searching for it behind closed doors?”
    Sol sneered. “I don’t have time to wait until it’s okay with the police to search through Holden’s office. That could take weeks in a murder investigation. The deadline for the grant is in two days.” He ran both hands through his greasy hair and scratched ferociously. “Why don’t you help me look for the letter?”
    “And get my fingerprints on everything? No, thanks.”
    “Your prints are probably on everything already. What difference do you think it's going to make now?”
    Uh-huh. “Why would you want someone you clearly dislike to write you a letter of recommendation?”
    Sol shifted his stance by the desk, seeming to fill up the closed office with his bulk.
    A tingle ran down Raina’s spine, and her leg muscles tightened, ready for flight.
    The phone rang and broke their staring contest. Sol jerked at the noise behind him. Keeping an eye to his back, Raina swung open the door. The phone stopped ringing as she stumbled into the hall.
    Sol whipped around. His eyes widened and his face tightened in fear.
    A flutter of courage filled Raina. If things got dicey, she could outrun him. “How did you know there was something suspicious about Holden's death?”
    “I’ve worked for Holden for the last three years. He treated people like crap and stole other people’s work. He was a parasite feasting on the hard work of everyone else. I'm sure someone bumped him off.” Sol scratched his soft stomach. “And I have to say, he had it coming.”

9
    FORK WITH HAIR ON IT
    R aina stared at the two eggs in her refrigerator. Her stomach rumbled in disappointment. She’d secretly hoped to come home from campus to find it fully stocked by Po Po. Irrational? Yes, but they said hope sprang eternal even if her grandma hadn’t stepped inside a grocery store in two decades, not since after her granddad’s shipping business took off.
    Someone knocked on her front door. Raina straightened and closed the refrigerator with a thwack. A visitor during lunch could mean free food. And a sane person didn’t turn down free food. She hurried to her living room and squinted at the peephole on her door.
    Matthew, clean-shaven and hair still wet from a recent shower, leaned into the peephole. His clear eyes had a twinkle she didn’t trust. “I know you’re in there, Rainy.”
    Raina stepped back, tugging at the collar of her shirt. The apartment suddenly felt uncomfortably warm. She wasn’t ready to have a tete-a-tete with him.
    “I guess you want me to tell your neighbors about our business!” he said.
    She flung open the door, blocking the doorway with her body. The hot air curled around her and made the back of her neck instantly sticky. “We don’t have any more business. You made that crystal clear in Vegas.”
    “In case you’d forgotten, you were the one who wanted our marriage annulled.” Matthew smiled and his brown eyes crinkled in the corners. “I saw your car pull in. I can’t believe you’re still driving the old thing.” He shifted his weight. “Had lunch yet?”
    Raina crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. She hadn’t forgotten, but it was much easier to blame him for the failure of their relationship.
    “I’m not going to bite. And you always liked your food,” he said, hooking his thumbs on his jeans pocket.
    “What can I do for you, detective?”
    “How about a quick lunch where you tell me what