Duck and Cover

by Brendan DuBois • 2024

Chinese New Year is supposed to be a time of fresh beginnings and celebrations of good fortune to come. Naturally, the shop owners of Asia Village jump at the chance to participate in creating a memorable holiday event that will bring positive light to the plaza, and prosperity for all those involved. With Lana Lee as his right-hand woman and head event planner, Ian Sung orchestrates an extravagant evening filled with music, live entertainment, and generous giveaways. But at the end of the night, during an elaborate firework show in the parking lot, a member of the lion dance performance team is found dead backstage with a single bullet hole through the heart and a red envelope in their pocket containing four one-dollar bills—an omen of death. When news of a curse on Asia Village make its way around the plaza, Lana readily agrees to find who killed the talented dancer before anyone else is marked for death.