Thesentencefadedintotheclatterofthekitchen.Junfrowned,didn''tcatchtherest.Hisphonescreenturnedonandthenoff,asanuneasyfeelingcreptuphisspine.

        Itwasn''tReyawhobroughtoutthenoodlesandmilktea,buttherestaurantownerhimself.Asthekitchendoorswungopenandclosed,JuncaughtaglimpseofReya''sslenderfigureatthesink,scrubbingdisheswithquick,tensemovements.

        Hefounditstrange.Lucianwasalreadyaseniorofficer—acaptaininthecriminalinvestigationunit.Hissalarywasn''textravagant,buthelivedsimply,withnodependentsotherthanReya.WhenReyahadtakenthatamusementparkjob,ithadn''tbeenoutoffinancialneed;she''djustgraduatedhighschool,hadnoplansforcollege,andnothingtodoathome.Workingtherehadbeenmorelikepassingtime—abitofharmlessfun.

        Therewasnoreasonforhertobeworkingherselftoexhaustioninarestaurantlikethis.

        "Youngman,isonebowlofnoodleenoughforyou?"theownerasked,hisbulkyframeblockingJun''slineofsighttowardthekitchen."We''vegotChineseBBQplattertoo—wantone?"

        "Uh,"Junmurmured,caughtoffguard.Beforehecouldrespondproperly,theownerturnedbackandshoutedtowardthekitchen,"OneBBQplatter!"

        Jundidn''tbotherarguing.Moneywasn''ttheissue.HewasmorecuriousaboutReya''scurrentsituation.

        Amiddle-agedChinesewomancameoutfromthekitchen,carryingseveraltakeoutbagstothecounter.Shewipedherhandsonherapron,thensteppedbehindthedisplaycaselinedwithroastsucklingpig,charsiu,andredsausage.Pickingupaheavycleaver,shebeganchoppingonawoodenboardalreadydenteddeepfromyearsofuse,eachstrikelandingwithadull,rhythmicthud.

        Junatehisnoodlesslowly,takingoccasionalsipsoftheoverlysweetmilkteaandpickingattheslicesofcharsiufromtimetotime.

        Thereweren''tmanydine-incustomers—probablybecausetheplacelookeddated,withworn-outdecorandcrampedseating—buttakeoutseemedpopular.Thesamemixed-racedeliveryguycameandwenttwicebeforeJunfinallyfinishedhismeal.

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