The Hero Next Time: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 4)

Chapter Fifty: Sunny, Sunday

Gurdwara Sahib Sukh Sagar was abuzz today, and when Sunny and his family arrived for langar, he discovered the reasons why when he volunteered to distribute the community meal.

The first reason: "We received the postcard in the mail on Friday," more than one of them said. "Your name is on the list!"

"List?" he asked the first time.

"The endorsement list from the New Westminster Labour Council!"

Sunny just stopped himself from shouting, "Holy shit!" Instead, he smiled broadly and said, the first time and every other time, "That is very good news, thank you for letting me know."

It was very good news. This was a big deal. A huge deal. Endorsement from the Labour Council went a long way, in New Westminster, to securing the votes needed to put a candidate across the finish line. Every municipal election, the Labour Council mailed a postcard containing the list of candidates they endorsed to New Westminster households, and many voters took that postcard to the ballot box and marked their ballots next to the names listed on the postcard. Sunny hadn't had a chance to check his mail for a few days with everything going on; that must have been why he hadn't seen the postcard yet, it was still in the pile to be checked. Still, he felt a bubble of joy expand in his chest knowing he was among the chosen, and it almost pushed out the dread gnawing at his gut since last night and this morning, when he'd escorted Tori home to make sure she was safe, even making sure no one had been waiting in her apartment before he'd left.

The second reason everyone was abuzz: "We saw your picture on the front page of the Record! What good publicity!"

Sunny didn't feel so good about this one. "Is it good? Were you at the debate? That woman accused me of plotting the downfall of the country."

"All publicity is good publicity, Parharji," they would say with an affectionate nudge on the shoulder. He wasn't sure he agreed.

Some of them showed him the postcard. There it was: Parhar, Sunil (Sunny) Singh. He wondered if this was how his name would appear on the ballot. He noticed Regan's name was also there, and that pleased him.

She'd called earlier that morning, before he'd seen Tori home, to ask him how the Arts Council event had gone last night. He'd told her everything that had happened to them, and when she'd heard what had happened to Lauren, she'd asked, "At which hospital are they? I want to go see them."

He'd been touched by her concern, knowing he'd been responsible for adding another honourary member to the Lawrence Street Detective Club. "Burnaby Hospital," he'd said. "Lauren will be pleased as punch to see you, I'm sure."

"Do you think Tosh would like a gift?"

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to. Just a small thing to cheer him up."

"That's very nice of you."

"What about Al? I feel terrible about him. I only met him the once, but he seemed like a nice guy."

"They won't let anyone but family see him, and only for a few minutes. I wouldn't bother there. Maybe you'll find Rachel there and you can convey your good wishes to her instead."

"Rachel," Regan had said, chuckling. "I think she's a little jealous over Lauren."

"Don't take it personally. They're very, very close."

"Oh, I know how close they are."

Sunny had blinked in surprise. Did she know about their physical relationship? If so, who would have told her? It would have to have been Lauren, and if it had, then Lauren was bringing her into the fold quicker than Sunny had predicted, which made him feel warm inside. He knew when he'd introduced them that they'd be friends, and this only confirmed it.