Burned

“Yes.”

“How is she?”

“Fine. She said it’s raining.”

“So what else is new?” Betsy sighed.

“What else is new is right,” Joy echoed. I don’t want to get stuck in Hudville and end up like these two, she thought. Their brains are waterlogged. “Well, I’m going to sit and relax. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Are we having drinks in Gert and Ev’s room?” Bob asked.

“I hope not!” Joy cried.

“We have only a couple of days left. I thought I heard them saying something about using up the wine they bought.”

“That jug was so huge, it’ll never be used up. It’s the least expensive swill you can get. I think they’re cheating us.”

“You do?” Betsy and Bob asked in unison.

“I do. A friend of mine who went on this trip three years ago got spending money and said his group was free to do as they pleased except for breakfast and a few di

“Don’t you like eating with the group?” Bob asked, sounding hurt.

“It’s all right. But I wish I had more money to go off and do my own thing. I’m finishing school, so I don’t have extra cash.”

Bob pulled out his wallet, much to Betsy’s horror. He produced three crisp twenty-dollar bills and offered them to Joy. “Go out and have some fun tonight.”

“Nooooo. Thank you, but no.”

“I insist.”

Joy hesitated. Briefly. “Well, okay.” Joy took the twenties, said her thanks, and walked up to the lifeguard stand.

“Hey there,” Zeke greeted her. He was twirling the cord of his whistle around his finger.

“Hey. I’m buying drinks tonight,” she cooed.

“Did that strange guy just give you money?”

“Yeah. He’s from Hudville. He’s an old guy, but he likes to flirt. He gave me cash because our tour directors are so cheap.”

“Someone from the last Hudville group told me that.”

“Who?” Joy asked quickly, afraid it was some girl she didn’t know about.

“A guy I got friendly with when a bunch of us went surfing out here. He mentioned that it was great to win the trip, but the group had nicknamed those two women the Scrimp Sisters.”

“You’re kidding! Why didn’t you tell me that last night?”

“I wasn’t thinking about the Scrimp Sisters last night,” Zeke said softly. “I was only thinking about you. I’ll see you later.” He turned and stared out at the water, his whistle twirling and untwirling around his finger.

Joy walked on air back to her seat. Zeke really really seemed to care. She sat down, lay back, and closed her eyes. She made a decision. She was going to get everyone in the group together for a little powwow. Everyone except Gert and Ev. It wasn’t right if they weren’t getting the trip they deserved. Sal Hawkins had wanted them all to enjoy these trips. He wanted them to bring sunshine back to Hudville. Who can bring back sunshine when you feel as if you just spent a week in budget boot camp?

Joy was taking a workshop at college about being assertive and getting involved in causes. I’ll make this my first cause, she decided. Joy versus the Scrimp Sisters. She couldn’t possibly have guessed how dangerous it could be for anyone to go up against that dynamic duo.

32

“O kay, Will,” Regan began. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

“I don’t know where to start.”

“How about at the begi

“No, what?”

“The truth shall set you free.”

“I wish.”

“Give it a shot.”

They were in Will’s office, the door was shut, and Janet had once again been ordered to hold all calls. If possible, Will looked worse than he had a couple of hours ago. He folded his hands as if in prayer. He is about to confess something, Regan thought.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he started to explain. “But things could look suspicious.”

Something made Regan want to cover her ears.

“The night Dorinda Dawes died”-Will hesitated, looked at Regan as though he’d seen a ghost, and continued-“she came into my office just before she left the hotel. It was late because she’d been taking pictures at the parties and restaurants and bars. With the ball coming up, all the talk had been about the lei that was going to be auctioned off. I had told her I had an unusual shell lei at home that my mother and father bought in Hawaii years ago. She asked if she could take a picture of it for the newsletter she’d be writing about the ball. I brought the lei into work and gave it to her, then she left. That’s the last time I saw her alive.”

“The lei she was wearing when she was found dead was yours?” Regan asked in astonishment.

“Indeed.”

“Your parents bought it in Hawaii how many years ago?”

“Thirty.”

“It was stolen thirty years ago.”

“I’m well aware of that now, but I swear I had no idea…” Will stared off into the distance, unable to complete his thought.

“Where did your parents buy it?”

“At the airport from a kid who had long second toes.”

“What?”

“I spoke to my mother on the phone this morning. She said the kid was wearing sandals, and his second toes were much longer than his big toes. It was all she could focus on.”

“A lot of people have unusual feet,” Regan commented. “It’s not the worst affliction in the world. It’s better than having bunions. They’re painful.”

“Yes, but my mother said his were unusually long.”

“That kid, if he’s still alive, is now thirty years older. Couldn’t she remember anything else about him?”

“No. Wherever he is, I’m sure he looks different. But dollars to doughnuts his feet are still identifiable.”

“So that kid may be the one who stole the lei?”

“Yup.” Will sighed heavily. “Don’t you see, Regan? I can’t tell anyone that lei was in my family for the last thirty years. It makes me look bad for a lot of reasons.”

“It sure does.”

“Regan!”

“Sorry, Will. Although it might look suspicious that your parents had a lei that had been stolen from a museum, I’m sure they had no idea the lei was stolen when they bought it.”

“Of course they didn’t! They bought the lei, boarded the plane, and never looked back. My mother wore it at all the big occasions at home. She said it made her feel like a queen.”

“She must have ESP.”

“She’s got something,” Will agreed wearily. “But, Regan, this could all look very bad for me. Dorinda was wearing my lei-a stolen, valuable lei-when she died. That could place me at the scene of the crime.”

“The police believe she accidentally drowned. Whether she was wearing your lei or not, they don’t believe a crime was committed. But, Will, you are the one who wanted me to start investigating. Why? If you’re worried about the finger being pointed at you, why didn’t you just let the whole thing go?”

Will inhaled deeply. “When I handed the lei over to Dorinda, I immediately got a bad feeling. The lei had meant so much to my mother. I realized that it was probably not a good idea. Dorinda told me she was going straight home. I asked her if she could take the picture right away, and I’d pick up the lei on my way home. I still had a bit more work to do.”

“What did she say?”

“That she’d go straight to her apartment. She was going to put the lei on a piece of dark felt on her kitchen table, set up the proper lighting, and take the picture. She suggested we have a glass of wine when I picked it up. I didn’t want any part of that. I knew it wouldn’t look good with my wife away. But I didn’t want to leave the lei with her overnight, and once I had handed it to her, I felt foolish asking for it back. So I said maybe a quick nightcap. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I let her keep the lei overnight.”

Oh, boy, Regan thought.

“Dorinda was a bit of a flirt, and my wife couldn’t stand her.”

“Did your wife see the newsletter with her picture?”