Hour of the Rat (45 page)

“Really, dog?” I mutter. She scratches again. “All right, all right.” I switch on the nightstand light and shuffle over to the door.

Mimi sits there, staring up at me, her gold-flecked eyes wide. Her tail starts to thump.

“Okay. You can come in.”

I limp back to bed. The moment I’m in it, the dog scrambles up. “Seriously? Come on. This is
my
bed, not yours.”

She snuggles against my side. Nuzzles my hand. I swear she’s being cute on purpose.

“We’re not going to make a habit of this, right?” I scratch behind her ears, under her jaw, around her neck. My hand feels the brass tag, which has gotten tucked under the collar. I straighten it out. Then pull it around so I can read it.

On one side it says
MIMI
, followed by a telephone number—my iPhone. On the other side, two Chinese characters:

Pronounced
mi mi
. Meaning “secret.”

I start laughing. I can’t help it.

With Lao Zhang coming back, I’m not sure how long the secret will hold. But it’s one I can keep, for now.

There are so many people that I need to thank for
Hour of the Rat
that I really don’t know where to start.

So, in no particular order:

The folks at Soho Press—publisher Bronwen Hruska, Mark Doten, Paul Oliver, Meredith Barnes, Rudy Martinez, Janine Agro, Simona Blat, Rachel Kowal, and in particular, my editor, Juliet Grames. I am extremely fortunate to be working with a group of innovative, ethical, and passionate people who care very deeply about the books they put out and the authors who write them. Plus, they are just plain fun to hang out with. That goes for Soho authors as well. A more convivial bunch of writers you won’t find anywhere. The Soho Criminals, guys. It’s on. I’m buying that bass ukulele.

The Random House sales team, whose smarts, enthusiasm, and mad bowling skills are greatly appreciated!

My many writer friends, the people I can go to who understand exactly what I’m celebrating or freaking out about. The Wombats, the Purgies, Pitizens, and a special shout-out to the Fiction Writers Co-op, a group whose combined knowledge, experience, generosity and talent continues to astound me. My fellow Sisters and Misters in Crime, SoCal and NorCal, and
the SoCal and NorCal chapters of Mystery Writers of America. And, especially, Noir at the Bar Los Angeles—what a fantastic community of writers and readers!

Maryelizabeth Hart and the crew at Mysterious Galaxy San Diego and Redondo Beach. While I’m at it, a sincere “thank you!” to the independent bookstores of America. Thank you for being here, for fighting the good fight and for providing a much needed “third space” where we can come together as a culture and as a community.

Librarians—you, too! Libraries were where I learned to love books. You enrich our society immeasurably, providing invaluable community resources at a time when communities really need you.

Writer friends who especially helped me with this book: Dana Fredsti, Bryn Greenwood, and Jenny Brown. THANK YOU! (That’s in caps because I’m shouting it from the rooftops.)

China friends—you guys keep me coming to Beijing in spite of the air that’s trying to kill me. Your help with Mandarin and other research questions was invaluable. Plus, thanks for all the dumplings! Si Fuzhen, Dave Lyons, Kate Ba, Brendan O’Kane, Jeremiah Jenne, Yajun Zhang, Allison Corser, thank you. Tim Smith, my “brother,” thank you twice.

My Los Angeles crew, who helped me through a pretty tough time in my life: Jim Bickhart, Joe Touch and Gail Schlicht, Holly and Mick West, John Amussen and Drea Bailey, Pete Sloman, David McCallen, and especially Ebbins Harris.

Tim Hallinan, I’ll see you at the Novel Café.

Ryan McLaughlin, my web designer, who’s always so much fun to work with and approaches each new tweak with enthusiasm and creativity.

Kerrin Hands—I keep winning the cover lottery—again, I score!

Ben Lucas, Tommaso Fiacchino, I love a business that has introduced me to great folks like you.

Jane Johnson, we will have those margaritas! Thank you for your support and your belief in me as a writer.

Pilar Perez, for the margaritas and for providing a wonderful writing refuge in a beautiful place.

Jennifer Hubbard—for sparkly purple you know what.

Jon Hofferman, Mimi Freedman—for Buffy nights.

Billy Brackenridge, for Rafanelli and sushi. But not together.

Dana Fredsti (again) and David Fitzgerald, for general moral support.

Bill, Carol, Chris, and Merrilyn Galante—for general awesomeness.

Richard Burger, whose very thorough reads of the manuscript picked up all kinds of things, China facts, language, misplaced periods—thank you so very much. Also, for all the fun we’ve had while traveling together. Western Guizhou calls. Soon, my friend. Very soon …

Nathan Bransford, for the rice-farming info, and for believing in me in the first place.

Debra Baumann, my go-to for information and fact-checking about GMOs and other agricultural subjects—thank you for your sharing your knowledge and passion, and for the wonderful work you’re doing in your secure undisclosed location somewhere in California …

The fine folks at Curtis Brown: Brianne Sperber, Stuart Waterman, Kerry D’Agostino, Holly Frederick, Dave Barbor, Ginger Clark, and most especially, Katherine Fausset, for your patience, support, good humor, and friendship. It’s such a pleasure working with you.