Trouble on Temple Street: An Officer Ellie Rush Mystery
LAPD bicycle cop Ellie Rush, first introduced in Murder on Bamboo Lane (Berkley, 2014), returns in this special serial for Discover Nikkei.
Ellie, who has been on the force for two years, finds herself in the middle of a Little Tokyo murder case that may potentially involve the people she loves most—her family. Will she be able to connect the dots before the killer harms her aunt, the deputy chief of the LAPD? Where does Ellie’s allegiances fall—the truth or family loyalty?
Stories from this series
Chapter 12
Aug. 4, 2018 • Naomi Hirahara
He’s standing about a foot away from me. He holds his right hand behind his back. Could he have some sort of weapon? My mind whirls. I don’t know how to play this. I decide to keep it casual, as if I don’t even suspect anything is askew. “Hi, Kyle. How have you been?” “I heard that you were at the koban. Asking about me.” I try to create more space in between us, but Kyle’s not budging. “Yeah, the …
Chapter 11
July 4, 2018 • Naomi Hirahara
“Grandma, let me see that log book.” “Be careful; it’s old as dirt,” Grandma Toma cautions me as she hands over her father’s notebook that he kept while working as a policeman in Manzanar. I sit down at her desk, crowded by Sudoku books, John Wooden biographies, and junk mail. Grandma Toma is a bit of a hoarder; it took us quite a while to empty out her house before she moved in. The only good thing about it today …
Chapter 10
June 4, 2018 • Naomi Hirahara
When Aunt Cheryl and I arrive on Cortez’s floor at USC L.A. General Hospital, I feel my heart both rising and sinking at the same time. Rising because Cortez has come out of his coma. Sinking because I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to see him. Appearing from the side waiting room is Nay, and Aunt Cheryl immediately becomes frostier than even usual. “Girl, it’s about time you showed up,” Nay says, giving my shoulders a squeeze. Aunt Cheryl, …
Chapter 9
May 4, 2018 • Naomi Hirahara
“What?” I say, my voice rising as the din at Bottega Louie gets louder with the “ladies who lunch” crowd. “The cop was dirty,” Rowan James repeats, and I suppress the urge to sock his drunken face in the mouth. How can he say that about my boyfriend, who may be fighting for his life at USC General Hospital in Lincoln Heights? “Cortez Williams is not dirty,” I exclaim. “You know him?” “You’re not worthy to shine his shoes.” I …
Chapter 8
April 4, 2018 • Naomi Hirahara
I know that my boyfriend, Cortez Williams, will say I’m crazy. But he’s in a medically induced coma at USC General Hospital and has no say. My parents, especially my mother, will say I’m crazy. So would maybe my Grandma Toma. My grandmother, Lita, would instead be proud of me and say something like my gumption came from her side of the family. Let’s not mention anything about my grandfather, my father’s bio dad, who served time in prison. That’s …
Chapter 7
March 4, 2018 • Naomi Hirahara
I press the buzzer by the door of a small brick building. The door immediately opens, as if Father Kwame is expecting us. He greets my dog first. “Hello, Shippo,” he says, and Shippo wags his tail in response. The priest ushers us into his corner office and excuses himself to make some tea. Shippo makes himself at home on a throw rug while I sit underneath a floor lamp. There are books on the shelves lining the walls. They …
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