Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge by Ovidia Yu

had just put down beside her and smeared jam thickly and furiously on it. She paid no attention to Nina. “Thank you,” Aunty Lee mouthed. Nina acknowledged her with a token twitch of the lips, not quite a smile.
    Nina and Aunty Lee might live in the same country in the same house, but as a foreign domestic worker Nina was exposed to a lot more of the hidden underside of people. Nina had observed people were generally worse than they appeared socially; if this was Vallerie’s social side, Nina was not looking forward to encountering her dark side. And though as a “foreign worker” rather than a “foreign talent” Nina’s experiences of Singapore were far worse than anything Vallerie or her sister could have encountered, Singapore had made it possible for her to keep her family alive, and Aunty Lee had become family to her. As far as Nina was concerned, this crazy woman could mouth off at Singapore all she liked, but Nina was going to keep a sharp eye on Aunty Lee and Aunty Lee’s property while this unwelcome guest was around.

7
    Sunday Morning Café
    Cherril had been the first to arrive at Aunty Lee’s Delights that morning. She had arrived just after nine and now, at almost ten, she was still the only one there. Sundays at the café didn’t start till eleven, but Aunty Lee generally liked to get in early. Even after her fall, she would often have her breakfast at one of the café tables while watching Nina set up for the day. Of course she had that woman staying with her now—Cherril grimaced at the thought. Mechanically she checked the cordials and glasses and the rest of the drinks preparation. While she didn’t feel at all like talking, she badly wanted to figure out what had happened—not just to Allison Love but to all of them.
    Cherril was tired. Vallerie Love had gone home with Aunty Lee after talking to Salim and Panchal at the café, but she, Josephine, and Brian had been taken to the Bukit TinggiPolice Hub to answer questions and give their statements. Vallerie was a bereaved relative but they were suspects, Cherril realized. Allison Love was dead and her sister had accused them of killing her. Cherril had thought they were being questioned to placate Vallerie Love, who had alternated sobbing with shouting hysterical accusations at them. But at the station they had printouts of some of the comments from the “Puppy Killer” forums of five years ago, and Cherril was shocked by how vicious their comments sounded now. “We were young and angry,” was all she could say. “We weren’t the only ones angry with her.”
    It had been late by the time she was finally allowed to leave the police station the night before, and that was only after Mycroft came to get her and pulled all the strings of influence he could reach. Apparently several other customers had heard Josephine say they should have killed Allison. Giving their statements had been a long, laborious procedure with much repetition and waiting in between sessions. As Brian had joked, it almost made you want to confess to something, just to get it over with. But Cherril often stayed back later than that at the café and had not thought to call home. She had been surprised when her husband showed up at the police station.
    â€œWhy didn’t you call me? I would have come earlier.”
    â€œHow did you know we were here?”
    â€œJosephine called.”
    â€œJosephine? She didn’t tell me she was calling you.”
    â€œI think she probably called every lawyer contact she had in her phone. She probably forgot we’re married.”
    â€œAnd you came because Josephine needed a lawyer.”
    â€œI came because she told me you were here at the station with her.”
    â€œDid you get them to let her go too?” Cherril had not seen Josephine again after a desk sergeant had come to tell her that her husband was waiting for her outside.
    â€œI