“I tracked Derek down at the news office and made a big scene, saying it was his fault that jerk was on our backs. He took me aside and said he’d talk to the health inspector since he was a family friend. After they talked, the inspector said he’d cut our fees in half if we hired a particular contractor to fix the problems.”

Hmm, that setup smelled fishier than a barrel of patis left out on a summer day. I wonder if Derek was purposely writing bad reviews to sic the health inspector on these restaurants and then taking a cut of the fees the inspector charged them. Depending on how damaging those reviews and fees were, that could be a motive for murder. I’d need to check if he did the same thing to the other restaurants on the list, but I was pretty sure I knew why Derek went easy on the Satos.

Yuki had been so open and vulnerable during her confession, I figured it was time to go for the jugular. Take advantage of her grief and strike while her guard was down. “And how long were you and Derek having an affair?”

SLAP!

Yuki wasn’t the only one who’d let her guard down, because I was completely unprepared for the vicious backhand that cracked across my face. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, that tiny woman could pack a wallop.

I cried out from the force of the strike, bringing Marcus running over to our cell. “Hey! What’s going on in there?”

He took in the expression on my face and the mark blooming around the area covered by my hand. “Mrs. Sato, I can’t have you attacking prisoners in my care. Looks like you’re going to be charged after all.”

“Prisoner?!” I exclaimed.

“Oh please, I barely touched her,” Yuki said.

We eyed each other.

Marcus sighed. “Yes, Miss Macapagal. Until bail is posted, you’re under arrest and in our care. And Mrs. Sato, you haven’t been released yet. Guess you’re spending the night here as well.”

“But, Officer—”

“I won’t be pressing charges, Marcus. And if there are no charges against her, she can go, right?” I asked.

Marcus looked back and forth between Yuki and me, trying to figure out what had gone down before he arrived. “You sure, Lila? I mean, Miss Macapagal?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t want any bad blood between us restaurateurs. I’m sure we’ll run into each other, and I don’t want it to be too awkward when we do.” I smiled at her. “We have lots to discuss. Right, Yuki?”

She studied my face, like she did when she first arrived. “Of course. I think talking to you again would be . . . most enlightening.”

Marcus grunted. “In that case, you’re free to go, Mrs. Sato. Nobody’s pressing charges, so you and your husband are being let off with a warning. Just keep it down next time, OK?”

Yuki got up and exited the cell. Before walking off with Marcus, she said, “Come by Sushi-ya once you get out, Lila. It’ll be on me.”

With one last inscrutable look, she was gone. Leaving me blissfully alone again, trying to figure out where this new puzzle piece fit.

Chapter Sixteen

After a sleepless, starving night (I wouldn’t eat and barely drank anything they gave me because I refused to use the toilet in that cell), Marcus finally came and released me into Amir’s custody.

I barely had time to grab all my possessions and settle my necklace into its rightful place before Amir hustled me over to court for my arraignment. My head was spinning from lack of food and sleep, so I struggled to follow the proceedings, but I guess the gist was that I could be released on bail and wouldn’t have to go back to that jail cell, praise be.

He led me out to the courthouse lobby, where Detective Park waited with my aunt.

I managed an awkward hi and a wave before Tita Rosie swept me up in her arms, giving me the first hug I’d received from a Macapagal since I was in elementary school. She was soft and warm and smelled of Pond’s Cold Cream, and if she held me any longer, I was going to burst into tears. Luckily, this hug was a bit too much PDA for her and she soon pulled away.

“Oh, anak, are you OK? I tried to get you out immediately, but they said they had to follow all the procedures. Still, Amir and Joseph worked very hard to get you bail.”

Joseph was our accountant, Ninang Mae’s son, and Marcus’s older brother. Our families had had high hopes of us getting together, but both of us could see that was a nightmare waiting to happen. I was the one who introduced him to his wife, so we remained friendly.

Before I could thank Amir for his part in getting me released, Detective Park stepped forward. “I’m sure C.O. Marcelo already told you this, but you’re technically not free. You’re just being released on bail into the care of your aunt. You still need to appear in court. If you don’t make your court date, you forfeit the bail your aunt put up. Do you understand?”

I swallowed, or attempted to, but my throat felt like sandpaper. “Yes, sir. Any idea when I have to go to court?”

“You’re lucky. A judge has agreed to see you rather quickly. Your court date is in two months.”

OK, that didn’t sound so bad. Gave Amir plenty of time to prepare my defense. “What about our restaurant? When can we open?”

He glanced at my aunt. “We finished processing the scene, but you still need to be approved by the health inspector. He’s out of town right now and I think he won’t be back for a couple of weeks.”

Tita Rosie paled. “A couple of weeks? What are we supposed to do until then?”

“I’m sorry, Rosie, but those are the rules. Until you get approval from the inspector or we solve this case, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen is closed.” Detective Park tried to put his hand on my aunt’s shoulder, but she brushed it off. He hesitated, then nodded curtly at us and left.

Amir ushered our group out of the station and into his car. The immensity of the situation pressed down on me, grinding me down into Amir’s luxury leather car seats. I was so tired. None of this would’ve happened if I’d just stayed in Chicago. Sure, that cheating rat of an ex-fiancé, Sam, was there, but so were my friends and my dreams.

I pictured jogging along Lake Michigan or on the 606 above the city with Nisa, dodging cyclists and couples and befriending new dogs. Popping into Jennivee’s Bakery for a slice from one of their sky-high cakes. The thrilling push and pull of a city filled with so many different people, from so many different places, who minded their own business and didn’t know a thing about my history.

Suddenly I couldn’t stand being in Shady Palms for another minute.

“Tita, you said you needed some supplies from Seafood City, right? Want me to drive up to Chicago and get whatever you need?”

Before she could respond, Amir said, “Lila, have you been listening to anything we just told you?”

I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Yes, Amir. I just need some time to think, OK? Besides, I’d be gone for less than a day. What’s the big deal?”

Tita Rosie leaned forward, putting her hand on Amir’s shoulder. “It’s OK. And he’s right, anak. Besides, with the restaurant closed, we won’t be needing those supplies for a while. Not sure what we’re going to do about the restaurant . . .”

I didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me earlier. I guess I was just happy to be out of jail. But if there was one thing I knew, it was that we were dead broke. Like, our savings account was literally empty and their cards were close to maxed out. So how could she possibly have posted bail for me?

I twisted in my seat to look at my aunt. “Tita? How were you able to bail me out? I know what our finances are like. Did you take out a loan? Is that why you talked to Joseph?”

“Don’t worry about it, anak. As long as you show up on your court date, they said we get our property back.” Tita Rosie got out of the car and rushed into the house before I could respond.

I whipped around to face Amir. “What did she do? Did she put up the restaurant?”

He grimaced, obviously not pleased to be the one to break it to me. “The restaurant was already under threat of closure, so the value wasn’t high enough to cover your bail. They wanted your house too.”

“Oh my—but she said she gets everything back as long as I don’t skip my court date, right?”

“Except for the initial ten percent she put down, yes.”

Ten percent may not sound like much, but considering how far behind we were in our payments, even that small amount was enough to induce panic. “So you’re saying that we have two months to gather enough evidence to prove I’m not guilty of drug trafficking and murder or I go to jail. Even if you do manage to prove that, we still have to cover that down payment and pay you too.”

Amir started to protest, but I shushed him. “We’ll argue about that some other time. With the health inspector out of town and the restaurant already in so much trouble, the longer this all drags on, the higher the chance that my family . . .”

He looked away. “Loses everything. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.”