Arsenic and Adobo

Over breakfast on Monday, Lila suggests some promotions for the restaurant to use after the health inspector clears them. Her grandmother approves. Mr. Long arrives at the restaurant with the health inspector, Mr. Nelson. When Tita Rosie opens the restaurant, the kitchen has been vandalized, and the food is ruined. Tita Rosie collapses while Lola Flor yells at Mr. Long and Mr. Nelson. Lola Flor convinces Rosie to call Detective Park and report the vandalism. Lila stops her family from cleaning the crime scene and calls Amir. The family keeps Mr. Long and Mr. Nelson from leaving until the detective arrives.

Detective Park arrives, but Lola Flor and Lila refuse to talk until Amir gets there. Lila takes pictures for their insurance company, and a police photographer does the same. Amir arrives and permits the detective to ask questions. Detective Park talks with another officer and reveals that Lila’s alibi for the time of the vandalism has been confirmed by the officer tailing her. Lila is shocked, both to learn that she was being tailed and that the detective was considering accusing her of the vandalism.

Before he leaves, Detective Park suggests using insurance money to pay for a cleaning service to help out Tita Rosie. He also warns Mr. Long and Mr. Nelson against “pulling any of that ‘funny business’ here” (186). Lila wonders if Detective Park is investigating Derek’s scams at the various restaurants she is visiting. Amir tells Mr. Long and Mr. Nelson that he will be contacting them about their business practices. Mr. Long says they aren’t finished yet.

Tita Rosie and Lola Flor start cleaning and refuse to hire someone when Lila suggests it. Lila changes her clothes and helps clean. Amir leaves and comes back with Adeena, Bernadette, Marcus, the Calendar Crew, and Kevin to help with the clean-up. When Tita Rosie objects to them taking time off of their jobs to help, Amir says he’ll need to be paid with dinner and dessert. Lola Flor invites everyone else over for dinner as well. Lila realizes that she was supposed to get lunch with Terrence but missed it while cleaning. Bernadette reassures Lila that Janet’s assault is not her fault but also reminds Lila that Tita Rosie needs her help.

While Tita Rosie goes grocery shopping, Lila helps Lola Flor clean the house. Lola Flor takes a nap, and Lila decides to make cookies to accompany her grandmother’s desserts. Tita Rosie returns and tells Lila the menu for the evening. Lila is impressed that it is both frugal and delicious. After some pressing by Lila, Tita Rosie admits that Mr. Long is demanding three months of rent by the first of the next month. Lila wonders if she can appeal to Derek’s mother. Tita Rosie plans to get the restaurant open and make the rent they owe by working.

Lola Flor gets back to the house and complains about the way Lila is chopping vegetables. Tita Rosie asks about Terrence, and Lila realizes she forgot to follow up with him. She calls and leaves a voicemail, and he responds coldly in a text. Then, Jae texts her to ask about the vandalism in the restaurant. She calls him and invites him over for dinner. He seems happy to join them and hints at his romantic interest in her.

Jae arrives at the house before the other guests and gives Lila some lilacs, her favorite flower. While Lila is getting a vase, Amir arrives. He mentions that Adeena tried to get ahold of her, and Lila realizes she missed several messages. Amir gives her some tea and coffee from Turkey from his mother. When they start to talk about Adeena, Amir asks why Jae goes to Java Jo’s and not Tita Rosie’s restaurant. Jae admits his mother makes him lunch and dinner.

Tita Rosie comes into the room and defends Jae’s mother. Then, Lola Flor comes out of the kitchen and berates Lila for not offering the guests refreshments and for allowing people to mispronounce her name. Everyone else arrives, except for Marcus, who told Tita Rosie that he couldn’t make it.

After dinner, Jae compliments the food. Lola Flor tells Lila to help her serve dessert. In the kitchen, Lila’s grandmother questions her about her relationship with Jae. Lila says they are just friends. The Calendar Crew comes into the kitchen and discusses the love triangle with Lila, Jae, and Amir. Lila shares a dessert plate with Amir, and Kevin asks how long they have been dating. Lila denies they are romantically involved. Adeena and Lila disagree about opening up a cafe together, and Adeena reveals that Derek used to insist that Kevin make his coffee.

Lola Flor insists that Jae take home leftovers, and Tita Rosie gives Ninang Mae food for Marcus. Adeena insists that Amir take her home immediately, despite him wanting to stay longer. After they leave, Lila admits that Adeena is probably upset that Lila doesn’t want to open a cafe with her in Shady Palms. After Jae and Bernadette leave, Lila’s godmothers ask if she’s learned anything about the case. She says she hasn’t, and they blame the men competing for her attention. Lola Flor reminds Lila that Derek’s wake is tomorrow.

Lila texts Adeena repeatedly but doesn’t get any replies. Amir calls Lila three times, but she doesn’t answer. In the morning, Lila is groggy and goes for a run. When she gets back to the house, Tita Rosie is preparing food for the wake and doesn’t want Lila’s help. Derek’s mother asked Tita Rosie to help with the food, which Lila believes is a sign that Derek’s family doesn’t suspect her family are murderers. Elena texts Lila, asking her to come to El Gato Negro.

At the restaurant, Elena eats with Lila over her lunch break. Elena reveals that Amir gave her his card and mentioned that her family might be a suspect in the case. Lila thought that the original owner of the restaurant, Elena’s uncle, might have been involved. However, Lila doesn’t think that Elena or her mother are guilty. Elena decides she wants to help Lila with the case. They discuss how Elena briefly dated Derek, and Lila privately reflects that Derek dated Yuki, too. Once Elena found out that Derek interfered with the restaurant, she slapped him and refused to see him again, and her mother threw a shoe at him.

Elena also thinks the health inspector is scamming restaurant owners. While some of her cousins came to work at the restaurant and keep an eye out for Derek, Elena doesn’t believe they are involved with Derek’s death. Lila asks about the chemicals that Elena and her mother use in their soap-making business. Elena reveals that the police looked at their greenhouse and didn’t find a match for the poison that killed Derek. Then, Elena advises Lila to resolve her argument with Adeena, or at least take someone along with her when she is investigating the case. Elena thinks Lila might be in danger. They hug, and Elena covers Lila’s check, saying she plans to come to Tita Rosie’s restaurant for a free meal in return.

Lila goes to the Johannsen Funeral Home but wants to leave after seeing the lilies and Derek’s casket. Mr. Long refuses to shake hands with Tita Rosie and Lola Flor, which embarrasses his wife. As Lila turns to leave, she runs into Terrence. He smooths things over after the tense moment. After Mr. Long abruptly leaves, Lila, her family, and the Calendar Crew meet Mr. Long’s sister, Cate. As they talk, Mr. Long calls Cate away. Terrence comforts Lila and asks her to go to Big Bishop’s BBQ.

The barbeque restaurant brings up memories for Lila. She is warmly welcomed by Miss Nettie, one of the owners. There is some tension when Lila doesn’t remember details about Terrence’s work. Lila offers condolences and comfort about Janet, who Terrence says is still in a coma. Lila reveals that she was the one who found Janet and asks what Janet wanted to talk about at their lunch meeting. Terrence says that Janet wouldn’t tell him but that she has information about Derek from the medical examiner. Terrence also tells Lila that Jane made a gift for her: a statue of her dog, Longganisa.

Then, Terrence confirms Lila’s suspicions about Derek’s scams with the health inspector. Terrence tried to reconnect with Derek during college but didn’t want to be involved in Derek’s scams. Derek reacted poorly to this. Terrence reveals that Derek started using drugs behind Lila’s back near the end of their relationship. Lila swears she didn’t know, which shocks Terrence. He thought Lila and Derek would get back together someday, like him and Janet. Terrence also explains that he stopped talking to Derek because a person Derek sold drugs to, “the original owner of Java Jo’s” (240), died of an overdose.