Shadow Play by Barbara Ismail

and that was it. I hear he was over at his parents’ house later in the day, so I guess he got rid of her and went home to make up with his wife. We never saw him after that.” Both she and her mother became silent, hearing the finality in those words.
    â€œNever again,” echoed his grandmother, rubbing her eyes with a dishtowel.
    â€œFind out who did it,” his aunt urged them. “He didn’t deserve it.”
    Maryam nodded. “He didn’t,” she said. “Did she go right back to Kuala Krai?”
    Nurhayati shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t see her again, and I never asked anyone. How would we know? Once she left Tawang, she could have gone anywhere.” She thought for a moment. “I think she killed him.”
    Her mother gave her a searching look. “Probably. Who else would want him dead?”
    Maryam did not want to interrupt, but could imagine that Aishamight want to kill him herself for bringing home another wife. Still, Aisha was a girl from here, surrounded by her family, and this other wife was from far away and no one knew her. It would be infinitely more convenient if she were the killer, since no one Maryam ever met would be very sorry about it. Indeed, it would be an object lesson in second marriages and being far too forward for Malay courtesy, and would no doubt be passed down from mother to daughter for years to come.
    â€œYou don’t know anything about where she might live in Kuala Krai, do you? Did she say anything about it?” Maryam probed.
    Nenek shook her head. “She didn’t say much after I finished talking to her, let me tell you.” Maryam could well believe it. “She said something about living a little outside of town, didn’t she, Yati? Let me think. I know she said something.” She spat again and frowned slightly as she thought.
    â€œKampong Kedai Lalat, wasn’t that it?” Yati asked. “She said it as though we should know something about it. I guess it’s a big deal in Kuala Krai.” She rolled her eyes. “Are you going down there to look for her?”
    â€œI guess we’ll have to,” Rubiah answered morosely. She did not care for travel, and Kuala Krai was a lot farther than she cared to go. The jungle, she thought: bound to be hot, steamy and oppressive. No doubt wild animals and venomous snakes lurked in the underbrush, waiting to take a bite out of unsuspecting women from Kota Bharu. Not a pleasant prospect, but she knew Maryam would never let them skip that part of the investigation.
    Maryam rose, feeling it in her knees as she stood up. “Thank you so much for talking to us,” she said with feeling. “You’ve been verykind.” Rubiah gave her thanks as well, and the two women smiled and nodded at them, and turned back to their cooking.
    â€œDo you think they’ll find out who killed Ghani?’ Nurhayati asked her mother. Her mother shrugged, looking hard at the petai , afraid to lift her eyes up lest she start crying and find herself unable to stop.

Chapter V
    Do we have to see Aisha’s parents today?” Rubiah asked. “Can’t we come back tomorrow? I don’t think I can stand listening to this story again right now. It’s so sad.”
    Maryam weighed their options. It was getting later, and she was reminded that she needed to get dinner started. She was hot, and emotionally exhausted from these conversations: she needed to think them through. Yet, they were already here and if they left now, they’d just have to return tomorrow morning. “Let’s finish up here. One night without home cooking won’t kill anyone. We can pick up dinner from the stalls on the way home.”
    Rubiah needed convincing. “I can’t stand listening to these stories anymore. I need to hear something cheerful.”
    She completely understood how Rubiah felt. “We’ve got to be more determined, more