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

happened on the night Holden Merritt died?”
    “I gave my statement already.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “I want to hear it for myself. Either we go over the statement here or we go over it while eating lunch. And you know how cranky we both get when we’re hungry.”
    “I had lunch already.” Raina flushed as her traitorous stomach growled. She swatted at the hair clinging to her chin in an attempt to hide her burning cheeks. “What happened last night?” What a stupid question! Now it sounded like she’d obsessed over his no show.
    “I’m sorry. I should have explained myself better.” His eyes clouded. “There was a five-car pileup outside of County Road Twenty-seven. A car reeking of marijuana and a baby in the ditch.” His smile disappeared. “I just had to hold you for a second.”
    Raina swallowed the lump forming in her throat. No good would come from this. He’d leave her again. “I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” She closed the door, leaning against it to take a deep breath.
    Death and mayhem must have been regular bedfellows to Matthew all these years, and he wore it well outwardly. Raina wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and offer him comfort in the only way she knew how, just like she’d done for most of her life. He’d been the kid who hung around her family to escape his own, her friend, and later her first lover. This Matthew should be a stranger, but he wasn’t. Not where it counted.
    She should let him in so he didn’t have to wait in the heat. Her gaze flicked around the piles in her apartment. She’d always been a piler: mail, books, or clothes. As long as it was stackable, she made little molehills around her living space. Matthew shouldn’t see this. His eyes would twitch and his fingers would curl from his desire to straightened things out. It was more torture than mercy to let him see her one trait that drove him crazy was still full sail ahead.
    Raina stripped off her clothes and hurled herself into the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in a linen purple top and tan shorts. Her hair was somewhat tamed by her French braid and she had on a smear of lipstick. The faded fingernail marks left by Gail on her forearms were covered with concealer. As long as there was no licking involved, he wouldn’t know whether she rinsed cleanly or not.
    She stepped out the front door to find Matthew with his cell phone wedged between his shoulder and ear and his back to her. Should she make a noise to alert him of her presence?
    “What does the toxicology report say?” he whispered.
    The fact that he could be talking about Holden made Raina’s decision for her. She put her finger over the latch and closed the door. The lock slid home with a soft click.
    “Poisoned?” He grabbed a small notebook from his back pocket and flipped it open. “Have IT look through his computer. Check his office or home for a planner for his private appointments. And get me his phone records.”
    Raina gasped. Eden was right about Holden.
    Matthew swung around and glowered at her. “Give me a call back when they’re done processing his home.” He slipped the cell phone and notebook back into his pockets. “You shouldn’t be listening to police business.”
    “Then don’t conduct it in front of a private citizen.”
    He sighed and mumbled something unflattering about women.
    “Excuse me?” Raina said, hands on her hips.
    “See what I mean about hunger crankiness?”
    She scowled. “How was Holden poisoned?”
    “I can’t tell you.”
    “Then I’m not going with you. Just ask your questions.”
    Matthew lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck. She leaned back against her door. She’d learned patience since he’d last seen her. He glared at her and took a step forward.
    Raina lifted her chin. A mere four inches separated them. A curl on the side of her face moved each time Matthew exhaled. She flushed. The heady scent of his skin, a combination of sage and clean water,