Page 60 of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

But all Julia can do is sit there with her stupid fake smile. It’s only after Officer Gray leaves that Julia speaks again. Just a single word, with a whole world of frustration behind it.

“Shit!”

THIRTY-TWO

VERA

Emma wakes up at five every morning, no matter how late she goes to bed, which suits Vera just fine. Finally, someone who shares her sensibilities of waking up early enough to seize the day! So, every morning, it is just her and Emma in a quiet, slumbering world. They move through the house slowly, their socked feet padding gently on the floors so as not to wake up Julia. Vera wipes the sleep away from Emma’s face with a damp towel and hands her a toothbrush. While Emma brushes her teeth, Vera serves out the congee she’s cooked earlier. The two of them have a quiet breakfast as they slowly wake up, then she takes Emma on her morning walk. Emma has adopted Vera’s way of walking—elbows out, chin up, brisk tempo. Vera doesn’t remember the last time she loved anyone the way she loves Emma.

Today, as on many days, they spend the morning drawing on the beach with Sana, whom Emma loves because Sana is always ready with tickles and kisses and fanciful doodles of mer-animals. Then Vera takes Emma to Chinatown, where they shop forgroceries as usual. Emma asks Vera if they can stop by her teahouse, but Vera shakes her head; the last time she was there, the teahouse had been smashed beyond recognition, and she didn’t want to ruin the lovely day by seeing the ghost of her past. A sense of dread gnaws at Vera; she knows that one day she will have to go back home. She is merely a guest at Julia’s, nothing more. But she’d like to push that day back as much as she can—is that such a bad thing? She does, however, stop by Alex’s house, but nobody answers the buzzer when she rings it and tells him it’s her. Maybe he went out for a walk. Poor Alex. Vera hopes he’s doing okay without their daily morning chats. She takes out a bag full of specially prepared tea mixes and hangs it at the gate. The bag has a note attached to it that says:

THIS FOR ALEX, APARTMENT THREE D. DO NOT TAKE IF YOU ARE NOT ALEX!!!

Then off they go to the tram station and back to Laurel Heights. By the time they get off at their stop and begin the walk back to the house, Emma is visibly wilting, her steps meandering and her eyes fighting to stay open. Vera urges her on, feeling guilty that she didn’t have the foresight to stop for a snack or a rest. Luckily, they make it back to the house before Emma reaches the point where she breaks down and demands to be carried. Vera unlocks the door with a sigh of relief, saying, “Come, we go inside and get you to bed. Oh, hi, Julia, we—”

She stops when she sees Julia’s expression. The last time Vera saw that expression on Julia’s face was the first time Vera laid eyes on her—looking frightened and lost outside Vera’s teahouse. Instinct overtakes Vera and she gestures to Emma. “Here, you putEmma down for her nap, and I will put away groceries; then we will talk.”

Julia nods, bending over to pick up the already half-asleep toddler in her arms, kissing the top of Emma’s head as she does so. “Oh, baby,” she whispers to Emma. Emma’s head droops on Julia’s shoulder and Julia doesn’t stop kissing it even as she walks down the hallway toward Emma’s room.

Vera tidies away the groceries into the fridge, her mind racing. What could possibly have upset Julia like that? It must have something to do with Marshall. A million possibilities zip through her mind. Maybe Julia found out something about his murder. Maybe Julia is finally ready to confess to his murder! Oh, such an unlucky thought. Vera still hasn’t removed Julia and Oliver from her suspects list, but she doesn’t like to think of the possibility that either one might be responsible for Marshall’s death.Tch, she tuts to herself.And here you are, comparing yourself to the likes of Sherlock Holmes. What rubbish.

She’s in the midst of washing her hands when Julia creeps back to the kitchen.

“She went out like a light,” Julia says with a weak smile. “You guys must’ve had quite the day.”

“Oh yes, we are always having adventures.” Vera wipes her hands dry and turns off the kettle, which is just about to boil. She takes out two of her specially made sachets from a canister and pours out two cups of tea. Hot tea in hand, the two women walk into the dining room. “So,” Vera says, “it seems like maybe you also have an adventure?”

Julia closes her eyes and breathes out. “I don’t even know where to begin. Officer Gray stopped by today. Apparently, Marshall’s death is about to make me rich.” She gives a laugh that hasno humor in it. “Which of course makes me seem suspicious as hell.”

“Oh? Why rich?” Vera takes a sip of the tea and sighs at it warms her up. It’s one of her favorite combinations: candied winter melon peel with burnt rice—it tastes of caramel, rich and earthy.

“We both took out life insurance a few years ago. Anyway, while we were talking, Officer Gray noticed a manuscript.” Julia shifts in her seat, her eyes drilling into Vera’s. “Do you know anything about that? It’s written by Oliver. I found it in your room. I wasn’t snooping,” she adds quickly. “I heard a noise from the bedroom, so I went to check, and that was when I found his manuscript.”

“Oh yes, I have been reading it. But to be honest, I find it a bit slow, so it takes me a bit longer to read it.”

Julia gnaws on her bottom lip. “And do you not find it suspicious? He wrote about two brothers who like the same girl and how one of them wants to ‘take care of it’?”

Vera frowns. “Oh my, you read so fast! I think you overtake me already. You say you only find it today? How do you read so fast?”

“Vera,” Julia says, sighing, “that doesn’t matter. I skimmed it. Anyway—”

“Oh. You don’t get much enjoyment if you do that. It will spoil the book for you.”

“Oh my god, who cares about the book?” Julia says. “I’m telling you, there’s something really wrong here. Oliver has been in love with me ever since we were teens!”

Vera’s eyes widen, her mouth forming an O.Oho! Now we’re getting somewhere.She claps. “Oh, that is very romantic.”

“No!” Julia cries. “No, it’s messed up is what it is. Like, he’s been obsessed with me forever, and then he writes a whole bookabout it, and in the book his character snaps and decides to do something to Marshall. Vera, I think Oliver might have killed Marshall!”

Vera’s mouth snaps shut. On the one hand, she’s disappointed that it seems like a romance between Oliver and Julia might not be forthcoming after all. On the other hand, this is the first real lead she’s had in a long while. And on the other, other hand, Vera is slightly annoyed that Julia has gone and skimmed through Oliver’s book. That’s taking a shortcut, and Vera does not believe in taking shortcuts because it’s just another form of cheating. Harrumph. Also, Vera has been enjoying the gentle pace at which she is doing her investigation, and now Julia is forcing them to go in the fast lane. And another also, Julia has spoiled Oliver’s book for Vera!

Still, Vera is nothing if not adaptable. She has been presented with new information, whether or not she likes it, and it does seem as though Oliver is the likeliest culprit. But then again, Julia herself has just admitted that she is about to become rich due to Marshall’s death, so surely Vera can’t take Julia off the suspects list yet? Although presumably if Julia had indeed killed Marshall to get the insurance money, then she wouldn’t have told Vera about the windfall? Or maybe she did it to trick Vera into thinking that she wouldn’t have told Vera if—oh, for god’s sake. This is much too convoluted. Vera always lived by the belief that life would be much simpler if everyone simply said what they were thinking instead of beating about the bush.

What would Sherlock Holmes do? The answer to that is strikingly obvious. He would gather all the suspects in a single room, and he would share with them his theory, starting from the very top, crossing out suspects one by one until he came to the last remaining possibility. Upon which he would very dramaticallyexplain why the murder could only have been carried out by... *drumroll*this person.

Vera only has a vague theory for now, and that vague theory may be jumbled and colored by her growing affection for everyone involved, but she’s not about to let it stop her. And anyway, isn’t this how young people are told to live their lives now? To fake it until they make it? She’s going to do just that. She will fake it even better than a mediocre man interviewing for a job he’s not qualified for. Oh yes. And while she theorizes, she will be watching her suspects very, very closely to see their reactions. By the time she’s done, she’s sure she will have figured out who is the real killer.

Filled with renewed confidence, Vera lifts her chin. “I know exactly what we need to do.”

---