Judging Time

was a grievance she addressed every day and intended to correct in time. She stroked her baby the dog, frowning at her daughter.

'Boo Hao, ni. You rook bad.'

'I'm tired,' April admitted, standing in the arch. After her nap, she had gone into the women's locker room and showered when none of the officers was around. She'd felt bad having to do this, but it was better than using the bathroom for the public. She'd changed into the rumpled jacket and pants she kept in her locker for those occasions when close contact with a malodorous corpse clung to her relentlessly, refusing to go away lest she forget to do her duty. Not that changing her jacket and sweater could purge the smell of death from her hair follicles or her sinuses.

Sai's face softened. 'You change crows. Notha muda?'

April nodded. Yes, there was another murder; and even though the bodies had been outdoors in winter for a very short period of time and contaminated her not at all, she had changed her clothes. Skinny Dragon was right on both counts.

'Know awleddy,' Sai said with satisfaction.

'I'm sorry I didn't call. I didn't have time for anything. It was a bad day.'

Sai nodded. 'Know awleddy. You boss. Priece no can do nothing. Oney top boss Apra Woo can do.'

April smiled in spite of herself. 'Thanks, Ma. I appreciate your good opinion.'

'No good pinyun. Oney say tooth.' Sai spat out the shell from a pumpkin seed into her hand for emphasis, then put it in a dish on the table in front of her. Her mood changed abruptly.

'I velly sad, ni. Rike Elicka velly much. Velly solly brack man kirr. You allest?'

April moved through the arch into her parents' space without actually meaning to. 'What are you talking about?'

'Tawking about Elicka Frinree,' Sai said angrily, as if April were playing dumb with her on purpose. 'Know awleddy you woking Elicka Frinree case. Happen rast night. Leason you no come home. You good girr, ni. You catch kirra.'

Baffled, April stared at her mother. 'Who's Elicka Frinree?'

'Big sta. Watch elly day.'

Oh, now they were talking TV. This happened frequently. Skinny Dragon couldn't keep the lines clear between reality and outer space where the dragons and ghosts lived. April dealt with crazies like her every day. What one had to do was kind of social-work them into silence. Only then would they let you go to bed.

'Someone you watch on TV,' April prompted.

'No mo.' Sai shook her head angrily.

'You don't watch anymore,' April translated. Could she go to bed now?

'Watch TV no watch Elika.'

'What show is this, Ma?'

'This TV show. You know.'

April did not watch TV. She didn't know.

'You know,' Sai hissed. 'Don't be douba stupid.'

'What did you see on 'TV?' April asked, trying to soothe down the hysterical yin scales.

'No see you. How come you boss, not on TV?' she demanded angrily.

'You mean as a spokesman for the police?'

Sai nodded. 'You make mistake?'

'I don't make mistakes, Ma.'

Sai snorted and spat out another pumpkin shell. April frowned. She hadn't seen a new seed go into her mother's mouth and wondered how the second shell had gotten there.

Sai snorted some more and lapsed into operatic Chinese. 'You make many mistakes,' she screamed. 'You didn't marry Dr. George. He liked you, you could have married doctor. Big waste, now marry doctor himself.'

April didn't bother to comment on the likelihood of chubby George Dong marrying plump Dr. Lauren Cha anytime soon. This subject reminded her that she had spent part of last night with a Chinese ADA and liked him quite a bit. She wondered what her mother would have to say about a Chinese lawyer.

'Police say husband killed her because she make monkey business with best friend.' In more operatic Chinese Sai changed the subject.

April sucked in her breath. 'Who said that?'

'TV say police say.'

April let her breath escape. 'What show are we talking about?'

'Sarad Day.'

April's heart beat furiously. She felt lightheaded with frustration, chewed on her bottom lip to keep from screaming back. Sometimes she actually had the evil thought of drawing her new 9mm on the dragon disguised as her mother and blowing it back to China where it belonged. 'You're not talking about the news, are you, Ma?' '

Sai clicked her tongue with disgust, put the dog down on the floor, then stood to her full height. Maybe four ten on a good day. 'TV say brack man kirr. What you say?'

April got it at last. 'Merrill, her name was Merrill Liberty. Not Ericka Findley. Ericka Findley was a soap opera character, not a real person. Merrill Liberty was the real person, and we don't know who killed her.'

'Brack man,' she insisted.

'I'm going to bed.'

'Spanish kirr girrs same.' She was talking about jealousy. Now the dragon was really hitting close to home. 'So, what you say now, ni?' Sai screamed.

April sighed wearily and let the fury go, if only for the moment. Another opportunity to slay the dragon passed without incident. Once again her mother won a battle in her own mind. April went back through the arch and headed home at last. 'I say you watch too much TV,' she called over her shoulder.

13

At 8:20 A.M. on Tuesday Daphne Petersen cracked open her apartment door and frowned at the Chinese detective who stood outside.

'You're from the police,' she said, stating the obvious.

'Yes, that's what I told your doorman.'

'What do you want? I can't see anyone now.' The woman patted her lacquered black hair irritably. 'Monica,' she screamed. 'Where the bloody hell are you?'

'I need to talk to you,' April said.

'I just told you that isn't possible. I answered all your queries yesterday. That should do.' Daphne tried to close the door. April's booted foot swiftly moved into the doorjamb to stop it.

The door whacked April's foot. She gave it a push, but the widow Petersen pushed back, determined to keep her out. Through the tug-of-war over the door, April could see a portion of Daphne's shiny silver-blue dress. 'Look like silk,' Sai liked to brag of her polyester bargains. Here the satiny sheen was very real. With some people, class and privilege made April feel humble and small, shy about asserting herself. This was not the case with Mrs. Petersen. The widow of a day didn't budge, and April felt the sneer behind her emphatic dismissal.

'Don't be alarmed, Mrs. Petersen. Often people have to speak with the police more than once.' She took the calming approach.

'I don't see why.'

'These things take time. Please open the door. I don't want to hurt you.' The woman was begging for a cross-body block.

'Why bother with me when it's clear who killed them?'

'Well, before we make that important arrest, there are still a few details that need clearing up.'

'Oh, my . . .' Daphne checked the scene in the room behind her, showing off the back of the complicated hairstyle that featured two tightly sprung black coils dribbling down her back. '. . . It's absolutely not convenient right now. You'll have to telephone for an appointment at some other time.'

April opened her bag for her identification. 'I'm sorry to intrude on your grief,' she said smoothly, 'but we're in the middle of a homicide investigation here. That's a matter of some urgency, wouldn't you say? I don't have time