This Is a Bust by Ed Lin Read Free Book Online Page A

consider myself a friend of hers. We worked together almost 30 years.” She dropped her voice a few octaves before going on. “I have never talked to the police before about anything. I’ve tried to live my life honestly and never get the police involved. Never wanted any trouble.” She brought her face in close. Lily’s hair was in a tight, smelly perm. She tried to cake makeup into the lines around her face, but she didn’t use enough. A red scarf was draped across her broad shoulders.
    â€œSo metimes the police have to get involved,” I said. “We don’t like it any more than you do. But we’ve got good men on the case already.”
    â€œYou’r e the only one I can trust,” she said. “I start trying  to speak English and the stupid white cops roll their eyes  at me.”
    â€œIf you have something to report about Wah, we can get you an interpreter at the precinct. This is not my case. Someone else is handling it. Did Yip tell you to come here and meet me?” I looked at Yip, but he had his head down and his hands around his tea cup.
    â€œI told Yip I had to meet that Chinese policeman and talk to him,” Lily said.
    â€œWhat do you want to tell me?”
    â€œI know who killed Wah.”
    â€œLook, if you know something, you have to go down to the precinct or at least call it in.”
    â€œI don’t want to! I have to tell you! No one else understands!” It was no use talking to her. I felt waylaid by the old woman. I resented Yip for making me come out. I glared at him, but Yip didn’t make a sound.
    â€œOkay,” I said. “What do you know?” She smiled.
    â€œWah was one of the best workers at Jade Palace. She could always convince people to get two or three extra dishes. She knew all the customers by name and what they liked. There are two groups of waiters and waitresses at Jade Palace — the young and careless, and the old and bitter. She had the energy of the young people and the old people’s connection with regular customers. But Wah was being paid the same as everyone else.”
    â€œAnd she expected to get paid more.”
    â€œIt’s even worse than that. The younger people were geting angry that the management was taking part of their tips. They started holding meetings to see if they should start a union. The old people already knew that this was the established practice and accepted it, but Wah went to some meetings. They told her she should be paid at least 20% more, based on her seniority. Then when the younger workers decided to go on strike, Wah went to the upper management. You know, I’m just a low-level manager. I’m only one step above the workers. I told her not to, that they would laugh in her face.”
    â€œAnd she didn’t get her raise.”
    â€œShe got the raise!” Suddenly Lily dropped her voice. “And a month later, she was. . .” Lily pursed her lips and flipped her hands to show her palms. “It must have been a jealous co-worker, one of the younger people.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œYou said you knew who killed Wah!”
    â€œNo! I didn’t say that!”
    â€œYou said you thought you knew who killed Wah.”
    â€œI didn’t say that!”
    â€œYes, you. . .oh, never mind. I think it’s time for me to leave.” I was getting too bogged down with useless information. Some dry Japanese beer would help clear the chalkboard.
    â€œWhat are you going to do now?” Lily asked.
    â€œI have go match up some stray socks. I’m sorry I can’t
help you.”
    â€œBut Wah is dead!”
    â€œIf you think one of her co-workers killed her. . .”
    â€œI never said that!”
    I lazily scratched at my face and turned to Yip. “What do you know about this?”
    â€œShe told me about the raise, but I didn’t know anything
    about the meetings. We never