Misfortune Cookie (Noodle Shop Mystery #9)

by Vivien Chien

He was still legally married and taking the scenic route to divorce land.

When I was younger, I always assumed I’d figure out who I was and what I wanted a lot sooner than it actually happened.

In the time we’d been catapulted into this unexpected experience, I’d forgotten that my aunt had hardly eaten anything, and had potentially consumed her weight in apple martinis.

“When the coroner was removing her clothing, he noticed a crinkling coming from the skirt. Turns out the thing had pockets. Who knew skirts had pockets?”

“I’m sorry, Detective. I wish I could say something more about it. The only thing I can say for sure is that they appeared to be tall … and thin.” “Great,” he snorted into the phone. “That describes eighty-five percent of Orange County.

I specifically warned them not to share the information with anyone else. Anna May replied: Who am I going to tell? The seagull at the pier?

I’m tired of stifling myself and who I am to make other people comfortable.

Both were looking to me for what to do next, but I didn’t know. I often didn’t know my next step and I don’t think that people—my family included—knew that I winged life more than my eyeliner.

Same

Anna May smirked. “Is that your sales pitch for me to join you on the dark side?” “‘Dark side’ is a matter of opinion.” “So is being a goody-goody,” Anna May returned.

I’m mentally processing what’s my own baggage and what is carry-on.

Paper and pen were my fail-safe any time I couldn’t figure things out in my own crowded head.

Even without the added pressure of a murder to solve, I wasn’t a fan of Mondays.

“You shouldn’t be eating carbs first thing in the morning, you know? It’s a bad habit you need to break. When you make it to your thirties, your metabolism isn’t going to favor your food choices like it does now.” It was an argument I’d heard ad nauseam. Instead of saying anything in my defense, I took a bite of my bagel.

And that’s where my power lies. I keep myself curious with the hope of seeking truth, that it will mean something … that it helps someone get closure or peace of mind, whatever that may look like for them. And when I look at it that way, then there’s no room for the fear to creep up and take over.”