Burned

Ned rolled his eyes. “I know.”

“You’re a good sport, Ned. I won’t do that to you again. At this point I say let them go someplace else. When they first came here, they spent money and enjoyed themselves. Now those two women are stingy with their group. I think they’re leaving Monday-not a day too soon.”

“The guy I’m sharing a room with is a very strange agent.”

“That bad, huh?”

“And the couple in the group who are writing a chapter of a book on exciting relationships-they are not to be believed. And so dull! The young girl in the group had a few things to say at breakfast today about what’s going on around the hotel.”

“What?” Will asked quickly.

“She heard this place isn’t safe and there’s a rumor Dorinda Dawes may have been murdered.”

“Those kinds of rumors can hurt us very badly. We have had a few problems around the hotel, but we’re doing our best to make sure they don’t happen again. As for Dorinda, the police believe that she drowned. So…” Will stood.

Ned jumped up. “You seem okay about the stolen leis.”

“Very much to the contrary, Ned. If I got my hands on whoever took them, I think I’d strangle him.”

Ned nodded. “I don’t blame you. But who knows? They might turn up before tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to meeting your parents. Mr. and Mrs. Brown?”

“At this stage they like to be called by their first names. It makes them feel young.”

“What are their names?”

“Bingsley and Almetta. Unforgettable, huh?”

Ned gulped. “You b-bet,” he stammered. “Have they been to Hawaii before?”

“Many times since I’ve lived here. They fell in love with the place thirty years ago when they took their first trip to Oahu. They had such a great time, they’ve been coming back ever since.”

“How wonderful. I’ll do my best to keep them entertained.”

“You’ve got your work cut out for you,” Will joked. “My mother is a handful.”

36

L ocal and national newspeople had all gathered at the Seashell Museum to interview Jimmy. He was in the museum lobby, holding an ice pack to his forehead, surrounded by cameras and microphones.

“Jimmy going to kill whoever stole my leis. Kill them!”

“What were you doing sitting outside like that with the leis?” a reporter asked.

“I was thanking God for bringing the queen’s lei back to Jimmy. Then this happens! Now they’re both gone.”

“Do you have any idea who could have crept up behind you and then viciously shoved you to the ground?”

“No. If Jimmy knew, he’d be out looking for him right now. But the miserable thief was strong. It takes a lot to knock Jimmy over.”

“Can you identify him in any way?”

“Jimmy has been concentrating very hard. He saw a flash of yellow.”

“Yellow what?” a reporter from the back of the crowd called.

“Yellow something. When Jimmy was shoved, he thought he saw something yellow fly by his face.”

“That’s all you remember?”

“What do you want from Jimmy? Jimmy could have been killed. It’s something! Cops should figure out what to do!”

“Is there anything else you’d like to tell us, Jimmy?”

Jimmy looked straight into the camera. “Whoever did this will have very bad luck, especially if I get my hands on them. Those royal leis were stolen many years ago from the women who made them right before they were to be given to Queen Liliuokalani and Princess Kaiulani. They found the thief and chased him into the ocean. Yesterday one of those royal leis was found around the neck of the lady who drowned at Waikiki Waters. To whoever took both my leis today, I hope the sea swallows you up! There is a curse on those leis!” He paused. “Jimmy needs an aspirin.”

The reporters closed their notebooks, and the cameras were shut off.

“A flash of yellow,” one of the reporters muttered. “This guy should be easy to find.”

37

J ason and Carla were seated at a table by the window, across the room from the twins. Carla couldn’t help looking over at the older women every two minutes.

“Relax and eat,” Jason told her more than once.

“I can’t. I’m so mad. They thumbed their noses at us and this beautiful ring.” She held out her hand.

“Forget it!”

She tried to eat her ahi burger but didn’t feel hungry. What was it about those two that was different today? She glanced over at them again. They were wearing beige slacks and long-sleeved beige shirts. Carla squinted her eyes and recalled seeing them at the hotel wearing garish muumuus.

A waitress walked by and refilled their water glasses as Carla remained deep in thought.

“Carla,” Jason said, “you’re ignoring me.”

“That’s it!” she whispered to him. “Now I remember what I saw the other night when I took my walk on the beach.”

“What?”

“Those women’s muumuus were hanging over their railing. Their lanai is right on the beach. I remember seeing them and thinking that the hotel doesn’t want people hanging things out to dry like that. It makes the place look like a flophouse. The muumuus were soaking wet!”

“So?”

“So that’s the night Dorinda Dawes drowned. Maybe they killed her. How else does your muumuu get all wet like that?”

“How do you even know who the muumuus belonged to, Carla?”

“They were two big ugly muumuus! I know they were theirs. I was tipsy, but I remember thinking that I had seen them before. One was hot pink and the other purple, and otherwise they were identical. They practically glowed in the dark.”

At the other table the twins called for their check.

“Get our check,” Carla ordered Jason.

“Why? I’m not finished.”

“I want to follow them and see what they’re up to.”

“What?”

“We have to. They could be murderers. It’s our duty.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “You’re crazy,” he muttered as he signaled their waiter. “There’s no law against hanging your muumuu out to dry.”

“No, there isn’t,” Carla agreed. “But I still think they’re no good.”

“I guess we’ll find out.” Jason sighed.

They certainly would.

38

R egan wandered down to the beach to look for Kit. She spotted Steve and Kit under a large umbrella near the edge of the ocean.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Regan,” Steve a

“Thanks.” Regan plopped down and kicked off her sandals. It felt good to dig her toes into the warm sand. Kit and Steve were in bathing suits, and their hair was wet. It was after four, and already many of the sunbathers had retreated from the beach. Empty beach chairs dotted the sand.

“How’s it going?” Kit asked.

“Fine.”

“You’re not a beach person?” Steve asked.

“I love to swim, but I can’t sit in the sun for very long. No matter what I put on, I get burned.” Regan explained.

Steve laughed. “There are a lot of different ways to get burned.”

“I suppose,” Regan answered. Their eyes met for a second, but he looked away quickly. Fu

“Kit tells me your fiancé is head of the major case squad in New York City.”

“Yes, he is.”

“And you’re a private investigator?”

“That’s right.”

Steve smiled. “No one can get away with much when the two of you are around.”

“I can’t wait to see what their kids are like,” Kit said with a grin. “I’m the godmother of your first-right, Regan?”

“I’ll be the godfather,” Steve volunteered.

Kit looked at him with an expression of pure joy.

Oh, Kit, this guy is too smooth, Regan thought. He seems to be the type who promises too much too soon and doesn’t mean a word of it. He had already given Kit the line that he couldn’t believe they had so much in common. And Kit loved it! But Regan silently warned herself not to become one of those women who gets in a good relationship and then loses patience for their single friends’ dating problems. “Let’s see if we’re lucky enough to even have kids,” she answered.