Burned

55

D orinda’s cousin Gus slept like a log in her sublet apartment. It was as if he didn’t have a care in the world. When he first lay down on the bed, he pressed on the mattress a few times with his hand and found it a little too firm for his liking. But Gus being Gus, he closed his eyes and went out like a light.

On Saturday morning he woke early. Confused for a moment about where he was, he did what he always did when he woke up in a strange bed and couldn’t figure it out. He counted to ten, got his bearings, and his whereabouts finally penetrated his skull. “Cousin Dorinda!” he cried out. “What a pity.”

The clock radio next to the bed read 6:12 A.M. “The old time change,” he said as he threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood. In the little kitchen he brewed a pot of Dorinda’s Kona coffee. As the joe slowly dripped into the glass container, Gus bent down and tried to touch his toes. He never succeeded, but it made him feel good to make the effort. He reached back up, then down again. Up and down, up and down until he felt dizzy.

The coffee was finally ready-dark and rich with a wonderful aroma. He poured himself a cup and promptly went back to bed. He rested the cup of coffee on the end table and grabbed the second pillow to prop up behind him. His eyes rested on a spiral notebook.

“What have we here?” he said to himself. He pulled it closer and opened it. On the top line, printed in large letters in Dorinda’s scribbly handwriting, was the title: THE ROMANCE OF THE PRINCESS BALL. IS IT A NIGHT TO FALL IN LOVE OR TO FALL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN? Gus couldn’t make out the smaller print below. He grabbed his glasses off the dresser, took his coffee in hand, and sank back into the pillows with the notebook on his lap. He read with interest about how Hawaii was the perfect place for romance. Honeymooners abound as well as people who have been together for years. People meet and fall in love on the beautiful islands. Natives and tourists alike wear leis in a spirit of love and friendship and celebration.

The next paragraph in Dorinda’s notebook was about the planning for the Princess Ball at the romantic Waikiki Waters Playground and Resort-the excitement about auctioning off one of the royal leis that had been in the Seashell Museum for years; the food; the decor; the clothing with the shell lei design in the gift bags; and the charity that would benefit young artists in Hawaii.

Gus dabbed at his eyes when he came to the end of the unfinished article. Dorinda had written, “Finally the night of the ball arrived.”

“She never got to write the outcome,” Gus whispered sadly. Didn’t Beethoven have an unfinished symphony? he wondered. It sounded familiar.

Gus put down the notebook and sipped the coffee. I’ve always had a knack for reporting, he thought. In high school I wrote a few articles for the paper. He glanced over at some of Dorinda’s clothes that were thrown on the armchair in the corner. Poor little D, he thought sadly. She could be a brat, but she didn’t deserve to die like that.

“I’ll finish the story for you, Dorie,” Gus said into the air. “I’ll make it a tribute to you from your beloved cousin Gus. Or Guth, as you called me when you were a baby.” The more Gus thought about it, the more excited he got. I’ll bring the notebook over to the hotel today and show it to Will, he thought. I’ll tell him my plans. Then I’ll spend the day on the beach and come back to get ready for the ball.

Cousin Dorie, I won’t let them forget you.

56

A t a little after eight Regan snuck out of the room as quietly as she could. Kit had gotten in at about three. Regan had heard her, glanced at the clock, and fell right back to sleep. On the way home last night she had called Mike Darnell. He told her to drop off the beer bottle at the police station and he’d take care of it in the morning. Regan tossed and turned when she went to bed, wondering again if she had gone overboard.

Down on the beach, Regan began to walk. It was still early, and there weren’t many people around. A few morning strollers were out, but only a couple of diehards had already staked their claim of land with their towels, beach chairs, and umbrellas. Regan walked out to the end of the jetty and sat. The water was splashing up against the rocks. Everything felt so peaceful and calm. It was going to be another beautiful day in paradise.

She sat for about ten minutes and then got up. It was easy to imagine how someone could slip on these rocks, she thought. They’re wet and a little slimy. Carefully Regan walked back to the sand and, carrying her shoes, headed toward the hotel. She passed a group of six people in Hawaiian print shorts who were obviously out for an early-morning constitutional.

Regan spotted Jazzy sitting at a small secluded table by the pool with a man who looked like a sourpuss. Regan wondered if he was her boss. She took the path that would bring her closest to the table on her way to the breakfast buffet and made sure to catch Jazzy’s eye.

“Oh, hello, Regan,” Jazzy said when Regan waved.

“Hi, Jazzy.” Regan couldn’t believe she was calling her Jazzy. “All set for the ball tonight?”

“Oh, yes.”

She’d better introduce me to this guy, Regan thought. He’s buried in the breakfast menu, but he’ll have to lift his head sometime soon. “I’m so glad the leis are back, aren’t you?”

“You better believe it,” Jazzy answered. “Regan, have you met my employer, Claude Mott?”

“I don’t believe I have.” Regan approached with a big smile and extended her hand to Grumpy. “Regan Reilly. Nice to meet you.”

He looked up and smiled wanly. “I’m sorry. I am no good before I have my coffee.”

“I can understand that. I always feel more human after my first cup of the day. I’m looking forward to seeing your clothing tonight.”

“You won’t be disappointed,” Claude muttered. “After tonight we’ll go back to my house on the Big Island, and I will design, design, design.”

“Jazzy told me you have a wonderful home over there,” Regan said, doing her best to be endearing. She wanted to get some inkling as to why they ended up in Dorinda’s dirt file, and she figured graciousness was the best approach. “Where is your house?”

“It’s up in the hills a few miles from the Kona airport.” Claude kissed his fingers. “It’s magnificent. The only problem is that there are people building a house on the next piece of property. I haven’t met them, but believe me, they have no taste.”

“The problem will be solved when you sell that house and build one here near Waikiki,” Jazzy noted coyly.

Regan got the impression that was something Jazzy was pushing. She wants to be where the action is. The Big Island is beautiful but much quieter. “Well, fences make for good neighbors,” Regan commented, wanting to prolong the conversation even though it was clear they weren’t going to ask her to join them.

“The problem is the fence!” Claude exclaimed. “They just put up a barbed wire fence lining my property. What are they building up in the woods there? A prison?”

“You can’t see the house because it’s a very wooded area,” Jazzy explained. “Very rural and very wonderful. But Claude can’t understand the need for the barbed wire.”

“When are they moving in?” Regan asked.

“Word is, in the spring sometime. I can’t wait to get a look at who these people are. Two women, I’m told.” Claude’s focus went back to the breakfast menu. Regan took that as a sign that he didn’t want any more small talk.

“Enjoy your breakfast,” she said. “See you later.”

Will was already in his office, looking a little more relaxed. “Today’s the big day, Regan.”

“I know. Did you have a good night last night?”

“I’m so glad my family is back. Kim is terrific. I told her everything. She didn’t even get too upset about my mother being on her way.”

“That’s great. I just saw Jazzy and Mr. Personality outside.”

“Claude?”

“Yes. What a charmer.”

Will laughed. “Tell me about it.”

“Will, did you get the number for that couple I met on the beach the other night?”

“Yes, I did.” He handed her a piece of paper with their room number and extension. “Regan, you’ll be interested to know I just got a report that the girl’s mother called this morning. She’s worried because she hasn’t heard from her daughter since early yesterday morning. She called several times, and no one answered the phone in the room or their cell phone. She was sure Carla would be calling nonstop with ideas for her wedding.”

Regan looked concerned. “Have you gone into the room?”

Will shook his head. “Not yet. They could be sleeping. They could have unplugged the phone. We can knock on the door in an hour or so, but I don’t want to disturb them yet. It’s still early.”

“But if they’re not there…” Regan began.

“Sometimes people take a room for a week but go off for a day or two to one of the other islands. They’ve already paid for the room, and they don’t want to pack up everything. Our guests have that right. If they just got engaged, they could have gone anywhere to celebrate.”

“I suppose,” Regan said. “But please let me know when you go into their room. I do want to talk to Carla. You know, Will, if this young woman did indeed see something suspicious the night Dorinda died, she might be a target-”

“For whoever might have killed Dorinda,” Will finished. “Let’s hope that they just had a lot of champagne yesterday and are sleeping it off.”

“Believe me, I’ll be happy if the worst thing they’re suffering from this morning is a hangover,” Regan commented. “Now, about that tour group that escapes the rain to be here thanks to the guy who left them ten million dollars-where would I find them?”

Will looked at his watch. “It’s buffet time. The two ladies in charge always manage to corral a large table in the main dining room near the open doors overlooking the beach.” He briefly described the members of the group whom Regan hadn’t met. “I don’t suppose you want to be introduced to the rest of them.”

“No. Not yet. I’ll try to sit near them. I want to check out the twins. They may be swindling money. It sounds as if Dorinda was definitely on to something there. I just wonder what raised her suspicions about them.”

“I don’t know. All I know is that they only pay their bills after they’ve wrung every discount possible out of me.”

Regan stood. “I’ll go to see what they eat for breakfast.”

Outside Will’s office, Janet was at her desk.

“You’re in early today,” Regan noted, “and on a Saturday.”

Janet smiled up at her. “After this ball I’m taking a vacation.”

“Something tells me we’ll all need one,” Regan said and headed to the breakfast buffet.

57

C arla and Jason had spent an agonizing night in the cold cellar. Temperatures dropped to forty degrees up in the mountains, and the heat in the house wasn’t working yet. Their bones ached, the ropes cut into their hands and feet, and their mouths were raw and dry with the gags. But those aches and pains were nothing compared to the fear they felt. They were terrified for their lives.

Bound in chairs that were tied to separate cement poles, both Jason and Carla had tried to wiggle around, but it didn’t help. It only made the rope burns worse.

Although they couldn’t talk, they were both thinking the same thought: They’d never get the chance to marry each other.

58

“G ert and I have no interest in going to the ball,” Regan heard one of the twins saying. “You people go and have fun. Gert and I will find other things to do.”

“You’re not mad we charged the tickets?” Francie asked. “Because Joy here thinks that-”

“Francie!” Joy snapped.

“All I’m saying is that Joy thought you might be upset we did it without asking.”

“Joy is a very smart young lady,” Ev replied. “Normally we wouldn’t be happy, but we’ll let it go this time.”

“Why don’t we get two tickets for you?” Artie suggested. “It might be fun. We’ll go as a group.”

Ev was firm. “Those tickets are overpriced. We’ve already wasted enough of Sal Hawkins’s money on them. Gert and I will go into town and have some twin time. I don’t see that dynamic duo Bob and Betsy. Are they planning to go to the ball?”

“I think they had a fight,” Joy declared as she stirred some wheat germ into her yogurt. She was doing everything she could to keep her figure as trim as possible, but she knew her discipline would evaporate when she got back to Hudville. She had lost most of her zeal for it anyway. Last night Zeke had revealed that he planned to travel the world for five years-with his surfboard.

“What did they have a fight about?” Artie asked.

“I don’t know. But last night when I came back from a party they were sitting on the beach. I heard Betsy complain that Bob was too much of a square.”

“Bob’s not a square!” Francie blurted.

“How do you know? He looks like a square to me,” Artie countered.

“Bob’s nice. He gave me spending money,” Joy said pointedly as she glanced over at the twins.

“Well, if that makes him feel special, then good for Bob,” Ev said sternly. “The world is full of men who need to show off to young girls. It’s sad.”

“Why don’t we leave Bob alone?” Joy asked.

“You’re the one spreading the gossip,” Artie reminded her.

What a group, Regan thought as she ate a forkful of scrambled eggs. It seemed likely to her that the twins were pocketing some of Sal Hawkins’s money. They were on a tight budget when the group was left with $10 million. That’s a lot of money to go through even if you vacation in Hawaii every three months. But how are they going to get away with it? If they did take several million for themselves, it doesn’t sound as though they’ll have a lot of opportunity to spend all that dough in Hudville.

“You’re back in your muumuus,” Joy remarked to the twins. “I couldn’t believe you were wearing those hot clothes yesterday.”

“We explained that to you yesterday, Joy. We were in and out of air conditioning all day looking at hotels all over Oahu. We’re doing our best to keep costs down. Otherwise there won’t be many trips left for the lucky Praise the Rain members.”

Regan watched the twins closely. If they absconded with Sal Hawkins’s money, that would have been a big scoop for Dorinda. Could they have known that Dorinda suspected them of stealing? That would certainly be a motive for them to want to murder her. They looked like two sweet old ladies. Are they capable of killing? The blonde caught Regan staring at her. Regan turned away quickly, but in the instant their eyes met she decided that babe could be scary. Her look at Regan had been withering.

Guilty, Regan thought, of at least theft. She took a sip of coffee and pretended to be entranced by the fruit plate in front of her. It’s clear that the twins don’t want to go to the ball tonight. Why not? They’re up to something. If they have all that money squirreled away, another few hundred bucks shouldn’t matter. What are they up to?

A woman trying to juggle a full tray and hold her toddler’s hand passed behind Gert’s chair and knocked into it. Gert’s purse slid off the back of her seat and onto the floor. I wouldn’t want to be that poor young mother, Regan thought with a slight smile as she watched the annoyed expression that immediately came over Gert’s face.

“Well, excuse me,” the twin said sarcastically as she reached down to grab her purse. Too quickly she picked the pocketbook up from its bottom. The flap of the purse hadn’t been hooked properly, and the contents spilled all over the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” the young mother apologized as her toddler, being only about two feet from the floor, attempted to help out by picking up Gert’s wallet. Gert grabbed it out of his hands, and he started to cry.

Several coins had rolled beneath Regan’s chair. She leaned down and quickly gathered them up, then crouched on the floor where Gert had practically thrown her body, insisting to her group that she could collect everything herself. Regan was the closest to the mess. She noticed Gert hastily put her large hands around a postcard with the word Kona sprawled across the picture of a beautiful beach. Regan picked up a makeup bag. Under it was the stub of a Hawaiian Airlines boarding pass; destination: Kona, January 14.

“Here,” Regan said, dropping the coins, makeup bag, and ticket stub into the purse that Gert was stuffing with her Tic Tacs, comb, eyeglass case, hanky, and room key.

Gert looked into her eyes. They were both on the floor. “Thank you,” she said quickly.

Regan felt as if Gert were searching her eyes for something. Regan deliberately remained impassive. No, she thought, I didn’t notice that you had a boarding pass for a flight yesterday to Kona. Not at all. And I would never mention it to your tour group-the tour group you just lied to about looking at hotels in Oahu all day yesterday.

But what, Regan wondered, do you have going on in Kona?

59

N ed had barely slept. He woke as the sun rose and went for an early morning run. All he could think about was the fact that someone, probably Glenn, had taken the leis out of his gift-wrapped box and replaced them with cheap imitations. That’s a premeditated crime, he thought angrily. But whoever did it knows I’m a criminal, too.

Ned ran hard for ten miles, something he hadn’t done in a long time. When he reached a deserted stretch of beach, he took off his shoes and shirt and dove into the water. It felt good to move, to kick his feet and let loose. When he saw a big wave approaching, he decided to ride it in. The undertow was strong. It pulled him under, threw him around, and then finally retreated. Ned struggled to his feet. A mass of broken shells blanketed the ocean floor.

“Ow!” Ned cried. He had stepped on something sharp. He limped to the sand, sat down, and pulled a shard of glass out of the bottom of his second toe. Blood was pouring out, and it looked to Ned as if it needed stitches. But there was no way he was going to risk that when Will’s mother was coming to town, the woman who had been obsessed by that very toe thirty years ago. If he was going to let any doctor look at his feet, it would be after Almetta Brown was long gone from the Hawaiian Islands and all talk of royal leis had ended.

Ned sat in the sand and applied pressure to the cut with one of his gym socks. He was rewarded with the sight of a white sock turning bright red. With the piece of glass he had just pulled out of his foot, he cut a piece off his sock and tied it around his toe. He squeezed back into his shoes and limped back to the hotel. By the time he got back to the room, his foot was incredibly sore and still bleeding.

As he showered, watching the blood trickling out of his toe wash down the drain, all he could think about was that the ball would be over and the leis would be gone tomorrow. That was fine with him. But what to do about that bellman Glenn? He’s definitely up to no good. A thought occurred to Ned: Could Glenn be behind the trouble at the hotel? He seems to be everywhere. And Will has him running around all over taking care of things. But if he is up to no good, I can’t do anything about it, Ned realized. And who knows? He could already have set me up with the cops.

Now I’m really getting paranoid, Ned thought. He stepped out of the shower, dried off, and tied wads of toilet paper around his toe. He didn’t have any Band-Aids and wasn’t about to start poking through Artie’s shaving kit. Thankfully, Artie wasn’t around. He must be downstairs with the Hudville group, chowing down at the buffet.

Ned got dressed, then reached into his closet and tried on the shoes he had worn surfing yesterday. They felt very tight. He took them off and put on his sneakers. When I get the word from Will that his parents are here, I’ll change back into the beach shoes. I can’t exactly go in the ocean with my sneakers on-Will’s mother would certainly notice that. From the sounds of it she hasn’t changed much in thirty years. She probably still notices everything.

Ned went back outside to join the world with one goal for the day: to not get arrested.

60

“I ’ m so worried.” Carla’s mother was on the speaker phone talking to Regan and Will. “It’s so unlike her. She finally gets engaged after all these years and then drops off the face of the earth. It doesn’t make sense. My Carla would have been calling me every five minutes to discuss the wedding. No one has heard from her since yesterday. And now you say it looks as if they hadn’t slept in their room!” Her voice cracked, and she started to cry.

“Mrs. Trombetti, we’re going to do everything we can to track them down. Don’t forget, she did just get engaged. Carla and Jason may just have decided to go off and have a few days to themselves, shutting out the world. This is Hawaii, and there are lots of romantic places where couples go to be alone.”

“Not Carla. If she’s away from a phone for a few hours, she gets withdrawal symptoms.”

Regan could hear her sniffling.

“And how much more time alone does she need with Jason? They’ve been together for ten years. I’m surprised the bloom isn’t off the rose. I was so happy they got engaged before they got sick of each other.”

Regan raised her eyebrows. “You know the police don’t even count them as missing persons yet because they are adults and are free to do as they choose. They’ve been gone only twenty-four hours. But we’re going to do everything we can to find them.”

“Wasn’t there just a drowning at the hotel there? My husband was looking up the news from Hawaii on the Internet.”

“Unfortunately, there was,” Regan answered. “An employee from the hotel. But she was alone. It’s unlikely that your daughter and her fiancé-”

“I know, I know,” the woman interrupted. “But, believe me, I know my daughter. As much as we might spat with each other, she doesn’t ignore my phone calls or go this long without talking to any of her friends.”

“I understand,” Regan said softly. She spent the next few minutes trying to reassure Carla’s mother. But she knew how her own mother would feel if she suddenly disappeared. And she knew how excited her mother was about finally planning a wedding. When Regan hung up, she looked at Will and asked, “How many of these kinds of calls do you get?”

“Enough,” he answered. “People come to Waikiki on vacation and want to be free. The batteries on their cell phones die. Or they travel around to areas where there’s no service. Relatives get worried. These days people are used to being in constant touch. But this couple just got engaged. Maybe they decided to do something wild.”

“Maybe,” Regan answered cautiously, “but I wish Carla hadn’t been on the beach the other night.”

“I know,” Will said quietly.

“Can I take a look in their room?” Regan asked.

Will stood quickly. “Let’s go. I’m sure we have her mother’s permission.”

Inside the neat room with the king-sized bed, everything looked in order. In the bathroom Carla’s toiletries were lined up. Two toothbrushes were standing side by side in a glass.

“Wherever they are, they didn’t plan to stay overnight,” Regan observed.

“You can buy a toothbrush anywhere,” Will answered.

“You can, but-” Regan pointed at the lotions and creams and sprays that covered the marble countertop-“I don’t think Carla is the type to wing it. I’d lay a bet she’s never gone camping in her life. Certainly not without her face creams.”

Regan walked over to the desk and glanced at the notepad with the Waikiki Waters Resort logo that was next to the phone. Regan picked it up and walked to the terrace door where the light was bright. Whoever wrote the last message had written with force and left an impression on the next sheet of paper. When she saw what had been written, she inhaled sharply.

“What?” Will asked.

“It says Kona. There’s a flight number and a time.”

“You see!” Will said with relief. “They took off for a little fun on the Big Island.”

“But, Will, those twins were in Kona yesterday. I accidentally saw one of their boarding passes.”

Will’s face blanched. “It still doesn’t mean…”

Regan looked at her watch. “It’s noon. Let’s go look for the twins.”

“Then what?”

“I’ll figure it out,” Regan answered.

They hurried downstairs and looked around the pools, scoured the beach, and went in and out of all the restaurants but couldn’t find anyone from the Mixed Bag Tour group. They went back to Will’s office and called all their rooms. No answer. Regan went back outside and spotted the young girl from the group coming out of the women’s clothing store. She looked bored.

“Excuse me,” Regan greeted her.

“Yeah.”

“I was next to your table this morning when the tour leader’s purse fell onto the floor.”

“Oh, right,” Joy said. “She handled that really well, didn’t she?”

Regan smiled. “I need to talk to her. Do you know where she is?”

Joy shook her head. “They were going to sit by the pool today and do their dunking, as they like to say, but then all of a sudden they decided to check out more hotels. They don’t want to go to the ball and said they’d see us tomorrow.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on with them.”

“What do you mean?” Regan asked.

Joy rolled her eyes. “They usually make us stick together for every meal so they can count every penny we spend. For the twins to be gone for lunch and dinner is highly unusual, believe me. And they said they were going to a sunrise service tomorrow morning so they won’t be here for breakfast, either. Praise the Lord.”

“Thanks for your help,” Regan said.

“No problem. Anything wrong?”

“No.”

Regan hurried back to Will’s office. “They’re gone for the day and night. Will, I’m worried. I’ll bet you anything they’re on their way back to Kona, and I’ll also bet that’s where Carla and Jason are.”

Quickly Regan sat down and called Mike Darnell. “Mike, I need a passenger list for a flight yesterday to Kona.” She explained the situation.

Within minutes he called back. “All the parties you mentioned were on that flight yesterday. The two women returned in the evening, but the couple didn’t show up for their flight. They didn’t return their rental car, either, and they said they’d bring it back yesterday afternoon. It’s a white sedan with traces of yellow paint on the side. The two women just got off a flight that landed in Kona ten minutes ago.”

“Oh, my God. We’ve got to find them.”

“That’s a big island. It’s why they call it that.”

“Can you put out a bulletin for the rental car? I’m going to get a flight over there now.”

“And then what?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Regan, I just talked to a buddy of mine who has a private plane. He said he was heading out to the airport. Let me give him a call and see if he can take us over to the Big Island. Hold on a second.” Regan waited tensely until Mike came back on. “I’ll pick you up in fifteen minutes outside the hotel. This is probably crazy.”

“It’s not,” Regan said firmly. She hung up the phone and looked at Will. “I need to get into the twins’ room.”

“Regan, I don’t know if I can-”

“Will, I absolutely need to-”

“Let’s go,” he said for the second time that morning. They dashed out of his office.

In the twins’ room there seemed to be two of everything: two pairs of matching fuzzy slippers, two identical bathrobes, two pink suitcases. Regan went over to the desk and pulled the drawer open. Inside she found a thick file. She pulled out its contents. “Architectural drawings for a house,” she breathed. Regan read the words written across the top of the first sketch-“Gert and Ev’s Kona dream house.” “They’re using Sal Hawkins’s money to build a house.” She stuffed the file in her bag.

“I don’t know whether you should take those,” Will warned.

“I’m taking them. The twins won’t be back until tomorrow.” She looked through the rest of the desk, closet, and bureau drawers but found nothing.

They raced back downstairs where Mike Darnell was already waiting.

Gert and Ev had rented a car at the airport. To their distress, the line had been long and the car hadn’t been gassed up. By the time they filled the tank and pulled out of the gas station, they were both feeling impatient and edgy. They were now speeding up to their dream house.

“Boy, is this a change of plans,” Gert commented.

“Things are getting too tense,” Ev answered. “There was something about the way that girl was poking around on the floor today, helping you pick up all your junk.”

“I gave her my scary look,” Gert answered. “But she did see that Kona postcard.”

“I saw her take note of that. I just want to get that couple out of our house before anyone finds them there. And their stupid car. The sooner we get rid of them, the better.” She stepped on the gas.

“So we’re not going to throw them in the water tonight?”

“We’ll see. We’ll strangle them now, stuff their bodies in the trunk, and then see if we can abandon the car somewhere.”

“I’d rather let it go over a cliff.”

“Me, too. But it’s several more hours until dark. I don’t want to wait that long.” She turned off the main highway onto a two-lane road that wound up a mountain. They were only a few miles from the house.

“We’re almost there, sister.”

“We certainly are.”

“When we land, they’ll have a list of all the real estate agents for us,” Mike told Regan. “Although who knows when the twins bought the land. They may not have had any dealings with anyone for a while.”

“And I’m sure the house is being built privately and they’re using false names,” Regan added. “But those two are easily identifiable. How many female identical twins in their sixties are on the Big Island building their dream house?” She looked down at the sketches for the exterior of the house, the expansive kitchen with a view of the ocean in the distance, the matching master bedroom suites. She tried to slip the drawings back in the folder, but something was in the way. Another piece of paper. Regan pulled it out and unfolded it. It was a sketch for a barbed wire fence.

“Will, Regan needs to speak to you now!” Janet called to him. He was out by the front desk talking to Jazzy and Claude. “It’s urgent!”

Jazzy and Claude hurried off. Will got on the phone, listened, dropped it, and ran after Claude. “What’s your address on the Big Island?”

A police car was waiting for Regan and Mike at the Kona airport. They hopped in, Officer Lance Curtis turned on the siren, and they took off. Let them be there, Regan prayed. Please. She knew with certainty that Jason and Carla were in grave danger. Just let them be alive.

Jason and Carla heard the upstairs door open. Carla’s eyes were wide with terror. They’re back, she thought. It’s over. She bent her head and started to pray again. Jason had already done so.

The basement door opened. “Here we are,” Ev called. “Back to take care of the bad girl and bad boy.” The sisters lumbered down the steps.

The police car sped up the long, curving private road to Claude’s house. It was heavily wooded, unpaved, and bumpy. At the top Regan, Mike, and Lance jumped out of the car. They ran around the back of Claude’s house and immediately spotted the barbed wire fence along the left side of the property.

“The twins’ house must be in that direction,” Regan shouted.

“It’ll take a few minutes to go back down the hill and around. The entrance to their driveway must be from the other side of these woods.” Officer Curtis ran to the trunk and pulled a wire cutter out of the police car. A few minutes later Regan, Mike, and the officer were racing up a hill and through the woods.

When they reached the top of the mountain, they could see the house. It was in the middle of a large piece of land. In the driveway there was a white car with traces of yellow paint on the side.

“That’s Carla and Jason’s car. They must be in there!” Regan cried.

“Do you have anything to say to Gert and Ev before you die?” Ev asked, sounding half crazed. She was standing behind Jason, and Gert was behind Carla. They were ready to close their hands around their necks and squeeze the life out of them.

Carla and Jason had been silently crying. As soon as the twins pulled the gags out of their mouths, sobs permeated the room.

“Please!” Carla begged.

“Sorry,” Ev answered. “You did a very bad thing. We don’t want you to spoil our fun. Because we deserve to have some fun.”

“We sure do,” Gert agreed, her voice agitated. “We put up with a lot our whole lives. Always taking care of other people in that rainy town. Never thinking of what was good for the twins. Well, we finally woke up. Our lives had been wasting away. When we got the opportunity to take care of ourselves, we grabbed it! And we’re not going to let people like you ruin it for us!”

“No we’re not!” Ev echoed forcefully. “We should have taken control of our lives years ago!” Flexing her hands, she turned and looked at Gert. “Are you ready, sister?”

“More than ready!”

They started to close their hands around the couple’s necks when they heard glass breaking upstairs. A moment later the basement door flew open. But it didn’t stop the twins. It only made them more crazed. All the rage that had built up inside them was directed at destroying these two young lives.

“Hurry, sister!” Ev commanded as she squeezed hard around Jason’s neck.

“I’m doing it!” Gert answered. Her thick calloused hands had easily surrounded Carla’s slender, silky neck.

Choking and gagging, Carla and Jason could feel themselves blacking out.

Regan, Mike, and Lance galloped down the steps.

“Let go!” Regan screamed as she tackled Gert whose body felt like a brick wall. Mike helped pry her fingers from Carla’s neck as Officer Curtis slugged a resolute Ev and knocked her over. The sisters tumbled onto the floor as Jason and Carla gasped for breath. Lance Curtis pulled out his gun and pointed it at the twins’ heads while Mike and Regan untied the ropes that bound Carla and Jason.

Carla wrapped her arms around Regan and wouldn’t let go as racking sobs filled the room. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice quivering. Jason moved toward them, and Regan started to get out of the way.

“No.” He pulled Regan close to him and his fiancée. The three of them huddled together for several moments as Carla struggled to stop crying.

61

W ill’s parents arrived shortly after Regan and Mike left for the airport. He escorted his parents to their room and told them to come down to his office after they’d freshened up. He didn’t say a word about what was going on with Regan Reilly.

The minute Ned laid eyes on Will’s parents, he knew that they were the ones. How thirty years can just melt away, he thought wryly. They were seated in Will’s office when he walked in.

Ned looked from Bingsley and Almetta to Will, and a thought that had never occurred to him, because he’d been so worried about himself, surfaced in his brain. If Will’s parents bought the lei thirty years ago and it ended up in Hawaii around Dorinda Dawes’s neck, could Will be the middle man? He certainly hasn’t made it public knowledge that his parents once owned the royal lei that Dorinda was wearing when she died. Do they know? Did they sell the lei without realizing what they had?

Ned’s head was spinning. Does Will have something to worry about? Did he give the lei to Dorinda? No one saw her wearing it the night she died. She often checked in with Will before she left the hotel. Did he have anything to do with her death? That’s a lot more serious than stealing, he realized. Was Will as freaked out as he was? He does seem on edge, Ned observed. Somehow, as delicately as possible, I will have to bring up the topic of the antique leis with his parents. Everyone at the hotel was talking about the auction. In all likelihood Almetta Brown would have a hard time keeping any information she had about the lei under her hat.

“It’s so lovely that you’ll be our tour guide this afternoon, Ned,” Almetta said, batting her eyes. She had on a floral top with matching shorts and a pair of little white sneakers. Bingsley had on khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. Ned was relieved that no bathing suits were in sight.

“It’s my pleasure,” Ned replied. “How about going out in one of the sailboats we have out there? There’s a beautiful breeze. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“I’d be enchanted,” Almetta chirped. “We both would. Right, dear?” she asked, turning to Bingsley, whose face was impassive to say the least.

“It sounds all right,” he answered. “But I want to get in a nap before tonight. I’m beat.”

“Dad, you’ll have time for that later,” Will said. “I just wanted you to get some fresh air. And if you take a swim, you’ll perk up.”

Ned led them down to the water, and they boarded a small sailboat. The Browns sat and enjoyed the fresh ocean air and sunshine while Ned did the busy work of a sailor. There was a steady breeze that helped propel the boat past the surfers and swimmers and out into the aqua waters. Almetta peppered Ned with nonstop questions.

“Where are you from, Ned?” she asked, leaning forward with a big smile on her face.

“All over,” he answered. “I’m an army brat.”

“How marvelous. You must have lived in very interesting places. Did you ever live in Hawaii when you were a child?”

She’s playing with my head, Ned thought. “No,” he lied. Time to change the subject. “Are you excited about the ball tonight?”

“I can’t wait,” Almetta enthused.

“Those leis-that’s some story, huh? They were made for two members of the Hawaiian royal family. One gets stolen. They keep appearing and disappearing and reappearing again.”

Almetta coughed slightly. “It certainly is something.” She looked out at the water and went silent, which made Ned nervous.

“I have to use the head,” Bingsley declared quickly. He got up and stumbled slightly, stepping on Ned’s bad foot.

Ned winced. The nerves in his sore toe were screaming. Bingsley wasn’t a small guy.

“I’m so sorry,” Bingsley apologized as he kept walking toward the loo.

“Are you all right?” Almetta inquired with great concern, staring down at Ned’s foot, just as she had thirty years before. “That must hurt. Oh, look! Do I see a little bit of blood staining the top of your shoe? Why don’t you take it off and dip your feet in the salt water?”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” Ned insisted.

Almetta looked up at him and didn’t say a word.

But she had a funny look on her face.

62

I n the festively decorated ballroom, reporters were swarming all over Regan. Reports of the kidnapping and attempted murder of the lovely, young, recently engaged couple had headlined all the evening newscasts.

“The twins haven’t confessed to killing Dorinda Dawes, have they, Regan?” asked a reporter from a local TV station.

“No. But that’s not surprising. They’re waiting for their lawyer from Hudville to arrive. We know that they are capable of murder, so why wouldn’t they lie?”

The five remaining members of the Lucky Seven were in shock and had spent the afternoon on and off the phone with the folks back home.

“Can you believe it?”

“I knew they were being cheap, but this is beyond belief.”

“Sal Hawkins must be rolling in his grave.”

Betsy and Bob had abandoned their exciting relationship chapter and had started to write a book about their travels with the evil twins.

Francie, Artie, and Joy were determined to live it up and spend money for the remainder of their trip. Joy had decided to come to the ball and leave Zeke and his wanderlust in the dust. In the last several hours the Hudville group had turned into a bunch of mini celebrities. It was suddenly more fun to hang around with them. “And I’m the one,” Joy kept repeating, “who knew that Gert and Ev were cheating us!”

Carla and Jason were up in their room recovering, their arms wrapped around each other as they lay on the bed. Carla had already talked to her mother about six times and all of her bridesmaids at least once.

“Regan Reilly said she’d be a bridesmaid,” she told them joyfully.

If Carla and Jason felt up to it, they said they’d come down and make an appearance later on. But they had barely touched the food and drinks Will had sent to their room.

Jimmy was in attendance, wearing both leis around his neck. “Jimmy is going to donate both leis for the auction,” he announced proudly.

Jazzy was modeling Claude’s sexy muumuu and clearly enjoying the attention. She and Claude hosted two tables filled with socialites. Regan was seated with Kit, Steve, Will, Kim, Will’s parents, and Dorinda’s cousin Gus. He was quite the social butterfly, getting up and down every two minutes to do interviews and take pictures for the article Will promised to publish in the next newsletter. “We mustn’t forget Dorinda,” he said. “But most of all, justice must be served.”

An air of conviviality prevailed. Everyone was relieved that the twins were behind bars.

“You’re some investigator,” Steve said to Regan. “Kit is so proud of you.”

Regan shrugged and smiled at both of them. “Thanks. Sometimes you just get a gut instinct that you have to follow.”

Someone tapped her on the shoulder. As she turned away, Steve remarked to Kit, “She’s something, isn’t she?”

Kit giggled. She’d had a few glasses of wine and was feeling light-headed. She put her arm around his back. “Knowing her, she’s probably having you checked out.”

He looked at her and laughed. “Little old me?”

“She’s very protective. And I’m her best friend.”

The band started to play “The Way You Look Tonight.” Steve extended his hand. “Shall we dance?”

Kit floated out of her chair, and they were off.

Regan couldn’t wait to get back home. She missed Jack more than ever as she watched all the couples on the dance floor. She had to admit that Kit and Steve did look great together. She also felt that she had done enough for the Waikiki Waters Resort. With the twins in captivity, the place was certainly safer.

“I can’t thank you enough, Regan,” Will said to her quietly. “I wish I could hire you on a permanent basis.”

“Well, I promise to come back and visit.”

“They’re going to auction the leis in a little while. For my taste they can’t be out of here soon enough.”

“I can well imagine.”

Regan’s cell phone began to ring. She had it out on the table. When she looked at the number, she saw it was Jack. They had talked several hours ago after the twins were arrested. Smiling, she turned to Will. “Excuse me. I’ll go outside with this.” She got up and started to walk toward the door. “Hello there!” she answered.

“Regan, where’s Kit?” he asked briskly.

“She’s here at the ball. Why?”

“Is Steve Yardley with her?”

“Yes. What is it, Jack?”

“I just got word about the prints from the beer bottle. This guy has a criminal record and goes by a number of aliases. Yes, he worked on Wall Street, but he was fired for embezzling funds. He’s run a number of scams since then. He rents a house in an expensive neighborhood with lots of part-time residents and gets people he meets to invest in his schemes. Then he moves on. He had a girlfriend who disappeared about ten years ago and has never been found. He has a bad temper and is considered dangerous if you make him angry.”

“Oh, my God,” Regan walked back into the room, the phone at her ear. The band had taken a break, and no one was on the dance floor. She looked over at her table. Kit and Steve’s seats were empty. The main course was being served. “Jack, I don’t know where she is.”

“I thought you said she was there.”

“She was a few minutes ago, but then she and Steve got up to dance. Now they’re gone. Maybe they just went for a walk,” Regan said, worry filling her soul. “I’m going to look for her. I’ll call you back.”

“Regan, be careful! This guy is dangerous.”

Regan closed her cell phone and for a brief moment had the surreal feeling that she was leaving her body. Kit. Oh, Kit. She turned around and bumped into Gus. “Have you seen Kit?”

“I just interviewed her outside. She and Steve look as if they’re so much in love. I think they’re going for a moonlight stroll.”

Regan ran out the door toward the beach.

“This is so romantic!” Kit said giddily as they strolled along the beach.

“I just want to be with you,” Steve told her quietly. “Not with all those other people. Some of them are so annoying. Let’s go sit on the jetty.”

They took off their shoes and gingerly stepped onto the rocky surface. Steve tightened his grip on Kit’s hand as, in the darkness, they carefully made their way out to the end of the jetty. A breeze was blowing, and the wide open sea lay endlessly before them. When they couldn’t walk any farther, Kit laid her head on Steve’s shoulder.

“Come on,” Steve urged. He crouched, moved down among the rocks that faced the ocean, and turned to reach for Kit. “It’s our own little place here. No one will bother us.”

Kit smiled as he carefully guided her down beside him. They sat, wrapped their arms around one another, and nestled in their private cove. The water lapped at their feet.

“This is so wonderful.” Kit sighed.

Steve turned his head and started to kiss her. Hard. Too hard.

Kit pulled back. “Steve,” she protested, trying to laugh it off.

“Ow!”

“What’s the matter?” he asked gruffly. “You don’t want me to kiss you now?”

“Of course I want you to kiss me.” She leaned back in toward him.

“I want you to kiss me the way you did last night.”

He kissed her again, biting her bottom lip as his right hand yanked the back of her hair. Kit pulled away for the second time, fear rising in her. “Steve, you’re hurting me.”

He grabbed her arm. “Do you think I would hurt you? Do you think that just because you’re best friends with Regan Reilly all your boyfriends should be checked out? Is that what you think?” he demanded as his grip around her arm tightened.

“No, I was just kidding,” Kit protested. “Regan looks out for me, that’s all. She’s my best friend. She likes you…”

“No she doesn’t. I saw the way she was looking at me.”

“She does like you. We want you to meet her fiancé Jack. He’s great…”

Steve squeezed her arm and shook it. “He’s a cop. I don’t need the two of them asking me a lot of questions. That’s what Dorinda Dawes did. She started poking around my house and asking me everything about my life. She thought she was so smart. I had to shut her up!”

Kit’s brain, which had been slightly clouded by the wine she’d been drinking, suddenly snapped into focus. The realization that Steve was Dorinda’s killer hit her with sickening force. I’ve got to get out of here, she thought. “Let go of my arm,” she said as calmly as she could. “You’re hurting me.”

“You’re hurting me,” he repeated in a baby voice, mocking her.

“I’ve got to go.” Kit started to stand but didn’t get far. She screamed as he pulled her back down.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Yes, I am!” Kit insisted fiercely as she turned away and hurriedly began to climb up from the rocks. But Steve pulled her back again. She stumbled backward and screamed out for help. He quickly pressed his hand over her mouth, held her struggling body close to him, and dipped her head into the swirling dark ocean.

Out on the beach, Regan frantically looked around. There was no one there. “Kit!” she called. “Kit!” She kicked off her shoes and ran down to the water’s edge. “Kit!”

All was silent.

“Kit!”

Then Regan heard Kit’s scream. It sounded as if it were coming from the jetty where Dorinda Dawes often sat. Oh, God, Regan thought, thinking of Dorinda’s fate. Don’t let the same thing happen to Kit! Regan started to run toward the jetty. Then she heard two more short screams. It’s her, I know it. Regan was frantic. My best friend. Please, please let me get there in time, she prayed.

Regan stepped onto the jetty and ran across the slick rocks as fast as she could. She slipped and fell, her knee scraped by a jagged rock. Barely feeling the pain, she got back up and raced to the end. The sight of Steve struggling to hold Kit’s head under water sent a jolt through Regan’s system like she had never felt before. In an instant, she jumped down onto Steve’s back and hit him in the back of the neck with a strength she couldn’t believe she had. He grunted, released his grip on Kit, and threw Regan off his back. They both fell into the ocean. As Kit lifted her head out of the water, Regan yelled to her. “Get back on the jetty!”

Kit was coughing, but fury had overcome her. “No way, Regan.” She jumped on Steve and scratched at his face. He threw her off and then pushed Regan below the surface. Regan swallowed a huge gulp of the salty ocean but managed to knee him in the groin. She resurfaced just as Kit clawed his left eye with her nails. He screamed in pain, turned away, and began to swim out to sea. But his escape was short-lived. A police boat located him twenty minutes later. His stint in paradise had come to an end.

After all the excitement died down and the police had Steve in custody, Kit and Regan, now wearing dry clothes, returned to the ballroom in time to see the delayed auction of the royal leis. A benefactor purchased both of them for a lot of money and donated the pair back to the Seashell Museum. He didn’t have too much competition. “Trouble surrounds those leis,” he noted. “They shouldn’t be separated ever again. They belong together on display. People should know their history and that they once belonged to members of the Hawaiian royal family. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know how that poor woman Dorinda Dawes got her hands on Queen Liliuokalani’s lei. That’s a secret she took to her grave.” Jimmy beamed while the curator of the prestigious Bishop Museum looked crestfallen. He had hoped the leis would go to his museum.

Will’s mother glanced over at Ned, who had just gotten up from the next table, and caught his eye. They both stared at each other. She stood and went over to him.

“I know that you know who we are,” Almetta said evenly. “And I know who you are.”

Ned didn’t reply.

“I won’t tell anyone that you sold the lei to us if you won’t let it be known that we had it for all those years. That’s the last thing Will needs right now. He had nothing to do with Dorinda Dawes’s death. Thank God her killer has been caught.”

Ned nodded.

Almetta smiled. “You know, your toes aren’t that bad. Buy yourself a pair of sandals.”

Ned smiled back. “I already did.” He turned and walked off. The next day he applied for a job with the Peace Corps. I’m only going to do good from now on, he promised himself.

Everyone loved Claude’s muumuus. They were a huge hit. Scores of women had changed into them in the bathrooms and were now out on the dance floor in force. Brimming with satisfaction, Claude whispered to Jazzy, “I don’t think we should do any more harm to this hotel. You don’t need Will’s job. They’ll sell our clothing anyway. I’ll make you my partner. And if you’ll have me, I’ll make you my wife.”

Jazzy kissed him. “Oh, Claude. It’s what I always wanted.”

He kissed her back. “Me, too. Now tell Glenn to cut out the pranks. We’ll give him a good job with the company.”

“I love you, Claude.”

“I love you, too, Jazzy. From now on, we always do the right thing. Life’s too short. Especially around here.”

The next morning Regan and Kit were at the Honolulu airport together.

“Another adventure, huh?” Kit said sheepishly. “We’ve been through a lot together in the last ten years, but this outing really takes the cake.”

“The next guy will be the right one for you. I just know it.”

“Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“You’ll be sure to check him out. No matter how gaga I am.”

Regan laughed. “That’s a guarantee. Especially if you’re gaga.” Her cell phone began to ring. She quickly answered it. “Aloha, Jack. Nothing’s changed since we spoke ten minutes ago. I’ve had two more calls from my mother. She’s still freaked out, but Kit and I are fine.”

“I need to see you, Regan. They just reopened the airports here. I’ll get a flight to Los Angeles. I can’t wait until next weekend…”

“I can’t either. Kit and I are about to board a flight to New York.”

“You are?” Jack’s voice was exuberant.

“Yes. I wanted to surprise you, but I guess we’ve had enough surprises lately. Kit will get a connecting flight to Connecticut, and I’ll take a taxi to your apartment. After everything that happened, we didn’t want to make the long trip back alone. My bachelorette weekend is finally over.”

“And not soon enough, your life as a bachelorette. I’m thinking we should move up the date of the wedding. We can talk about it when you get here. And you’re not taking any taxi-I’ll be at the airport waiting for you with open arms.”

Regan smiled broadly as the announcement that the flight to New York was now boarding came over the loudspeaker. “I’m on my way, Jack. I’m finally on my way.”