Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, #1)

by Mia P. Manansala

In typical Filipino fashion, my aunt expressed her love not through words of encouragement or affectionate embraces, but through food. Food was how she communicated. Food was how she found her place in the world. When someone rejected her food, they were really rejecting her heart. It crushed her.

At his blank look, I added, “We don’t really use chopsticks in the Philippines. We mostly use a spoon and fork or our hands.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Oh, come on. Would it kill you to say something nice for a change?” He responded by convulsing violently, then face-planting right into the dish.

Even someone like me felt utang na loob, that impossible to quantify sense of indebtedness and gratitude, to the people who’d raised me. But where was that magical line between selfishness and independence? Between my family and myself?

My eyes narrowed at this statement. Adeena Awan was my best friend and her older brother Amir was indeed a lawyer. While it seemed like a harmless suggestion from well-meaning family friends, I knew my godmothers well enough to see what they were trying to do. It was a setup. They’ve been trying to get me together with Amir since he first got accepted at some fancy law school in Chicago.

Bet they get theor wish

Besides, my family knew how the Shady Palms Police Department worked. I wasn’t going to let them pull anything on us, not again.

If there were an Olympic event for avoidance, I probably wouldn’t bring home the gold, but I’d sure as heck place.

Dammit I’m not going to like that

So what happened? Why the big push to get me to settle down in Shady Palms?

1. Amir 2. Could she have met someone?

We both paused, knowing that wasn’t quite true. The law tended to work differently for people like us.

He nodded at Detective Park. “Just like the note said, sir.” Before I could puzzle out what he meant by that, another officer came up to us holding a duffel bag I’d never seen before.

Sooo they had a tip of where the ppison was? Sounds like dddie boi

I knew I’d eventually have to go there in person to talk to them, but I couldn’t handle that right now.

Also youre n jail!

“I think it’ll be alright. They offer an all-day breakfast menu, and the pecan waffles are just what I need right now. How about you?”

Oh shit. Is adrenal on parole and that’s why she can’t go to the city with Lila??

I shook my head, as if I could physically shake these dismal thoughts away. No need to dwell on that. No one knew I’d been seeing him when I got back, not even Adeena. And no one needed to know. It was just a couple of dates, it hadn’t meant anything. Nothing at all.

You need to tell amir dip

“Family first, right?” I said with a shrug. I thought I’d hidden the bitterness that came when I uttered that phrase, but Adeena picked up on it. “No offense, but you two sound really spoiled right now. Having families like ours might be kind of annoying, but it’s also a privilege.”

Monday he’d be over and we’d pass, like I knew we would, and everything would go back to normal. But until then, nothing was normal. Until then, we had to keep busy or go bananas.

Doubt it

She glared at her father, as if it were his fault she’d forgotten, then said, “OK. I’ll be back.”

Sooo maybe the daughter was schtupping Derek and that’s why she mad at you

What had happened was,

Lord, was this guy for real? I thought Amir was the perfect guy (even the fact that he was off-limits made him extra desirable), but he was facing some stiff competition in Dr. Jae Park.

Soooo jar poisoned derek right? Also the weird “this is not a love triangle” insistence is weird

My phone showed a missed call from him and I made a mental note to reach out when I got the chance.

Bitch your mental notes are worthless. Set an alarm or reminder!!!

Amir frowned. “Unfortunately, several of the hospital’s security cameras have been broken for months, including the one in that hallway. But you’re right, his behavior as of late has been strange. He must really want to wrap up the Derek Winter case fast. Or at the very least, have your bail revoked.”

Two, I was meeting Terrence (old friend, ex-lover, Derek’s ex–best friend, and Janet’s fiancé) for lunch at our old high school hangout.

Lover in high schoo? Gross

I smiled. How thoughtful of him! Not just that he was checking on me, but that he texted first instead of calling.

what?

He laughed shakily and took out his vape pen.

so he did it. kevin? blah