“It’s good that Haruo’s there for you, Dad.”

“Um,” Mas grunted. He stacked Mari’s finished plate on top of his and made his way to the garbage can a few steps away. He passed a couple of women who didn’t look like the rest of the crowd. Instead of jeans and knit scarves, they wore pressed slacks and gold jewelry.

“Who’s that?” he heard one woman ask the other.

“Oh, he’s connected with the Waxley House. He’s their little Takeo Shiota,” one of the women said.

Mas bared his top dentures. He wanted to snap at the women, but he would never dare to do so. He turned toward the bench, and there was Mari, her head tilted back, a small green sycamore leaf in her hands. Her mouth was wide-open, the short staccato of laughter starting to ring from her throat. It sounded somewhat familiar to Mas, yet different, like an old tune that was made new again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NAOMI HIRAHARA is the author of Summer of the Big Bachi, the first book in the Mas Arai mystery series. A writer, editor, and publisher of nonfiction books, she previously worked as an editor of The Rafu Shimpo, a bilingual Japanese American daily newspaper in Los Angeles. She and her husband reside in her birthplace, Southern California. For more information and reading group guides, visit her Web site at www.naomihirahara.com.