Unless he gave her a good enough reason to stay.
Was that even possible? Or was he playing with fool's gold?
He put on his clothes, made himself presentable, and was out the door.
* * *
Masami lived in Lahaina with his mother and two younger sisters. He was the primary provider for the family now that his father was no longer around, leaving behind only a small pension and barely enough insurance to cover burial costs and a little extra. Joel Sorayama was a hard worker, who had moved his family from the Big Island of Hawaii to Maui twelve years ago in hopes of making a better living.
He had done just that, becoming a chauffeur, taking advantage of the burgeoning tourism industry and the wealthy homeowners and vacationers who flocked to the resort areas in Kaanapali and Wailea to soak up the sun, sand, and paradise. While doing the best he could to provide for his family, Joel's predilection for hard liquor, which he had inherited from his own father, ultimately caught up with him, and he succumbed to a battle with cirrhosis.
Though Masami wanted to hate his father for showing such weakness to a bad habit, the truth was he loved his father dearly and respected him for loving his mother and wanting all of his children to have a better life. It was something Masami wanted too, knowing that it likely would not happen with his current occupation, no matter how much he may have wished otherwise.
But maybe his fortunes and future were beginning to look up.
He walked in the door of their cottage house on Lower Honoapiilani Road and found his mother asleep on the couch in the living room. A book she had been reading lay open on her lap.
Hoping not to wake her, Masami tried to tiptoe by, but a squeak in the wooden floor ended that.
"You're just getting in?" Gail Sorayama asked.
"Yep," he said almost apologetically.
She sat up, gazing at him. "Where were you?"
He paused. "I was just out."
"Till two in the morning?"
Masami hadn't given the time much thought, as being with Leigh made time seem to stand still. "I met someone," he decided to put out there.
Gail frowned. "You mean other than Jaclyn?"
Jaclyn Kawabe was his last girlfriend.
"We haven't dated for a few months," he reminded her. "This new girl is special..."
She cocked a brow, intrigued. "How special?"
Masami hesitated. "Her name is Leigh. She's Ben Crawford's daughter—"
"The man you work for?"
"Yeah," he confirmed, fully expecting that she might have an issue with it.
"Oh, Masami—what are you thinking?"
"I'm not thinking anything," he said, "other than I like her."
"And I'm sure she likes you, but not enough to see you as anything more than a boy toy."
"She's not like that."
"And you know this how?" His mother rolled her eyes. "You live in two different worlds, Masami. There can be no future there."
He frowned. "Says who?"
"Her father most likely! Do you think the man who owns that fancy new hotel will think a local employee, his chauffeur, will ever be good enough for his daughter?" Gail chuckled sarcastically. "I think not."
Masami sucked in a deep breath, trying not to say anything he might regret. "I want to see where things go with her," he said tersely, ignoring her words, as if he hadn't thought about it himself. "If it goes nowhere, oh well—"
"Just be careful you don't do anything to jeopardize your job," she warned. "You worked too hard to get it, only to throw it away for no good reason."
Masami believed there was a very good reason—and her name was Leigh. She was worth pursuing. He just needed to do so intelligently, while doing his best to impress his boss that there was much more to him than being a chauffeur.
"I'm going to bed," he told her, and was glad when she left it at that.
* * *
In the morning, Yoshiko was in the laundry room with Maggie as they loaded their carts.
"Guess who I spent several hours with after work yesterday," Maggie said, blushing.
"I give up," Yoshiko said lightly, not wanting to hazard a guess.
"Eugene Keebler."
Yoshiko looked at her as she pictured the custodial worker. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Maggie said as she put a stack of hand towels on the lower shelf of her cart. "That man was like an animal, but I was able to tame him."
Yoshiko laughed. "Good for you—and him."
"Yes it was," Maggie said, grinning. "Don't worry, your turn will come too, Yoshiko. Just give it some time."
"I'll try," she said tonelessly.
Yoshiko mused about Stewart. They didn't seem to have too much in common. Did it matter? In reality, things had not worked out very well with men who shared her heritage, profession, or lifestyle. So maybe it was time to try someone different.
That was assuming Stewart got the job working for her father, which could work in her favor in her efforts to try to bring him down.
As fortune would have it, Yoshiko was given the plum assignment, in Maggie's mind, of cleaning the suites occupied by Ben Crawford and his daughter, Leigh. She gladly accepted, knowing it would be a good opportunity to see her father and half-sister up close and personal, not to mention it would also be a good way to try to dig up some dirt on Ben Crawford.
* * *
Dressed in her beige housekeeping uniform, Yoshiko pulled the cart up to the suite occupied by Leigh Crawford. She knocked once, then twice. There was no response. She was a little disheartened that she would not have a face to face meeting with her younger sister. Maybe it was for the best, as she tried to reconcile herself with this other world and family Ben Crawford had created, at the expense of those he chose to leave behind.
She unlocked the door and went inside. The large penthouse suite had several oceanfront rooms and was well-appointed.
It's huge! Where do I start? Yoshiko asked herself. This was the first suite she had to clean since she started working there. Not that it seemed terribly messy. At least my sister isn't a slob, she thought.
Yoshiko stepped into one of the bedrooms—the master bedroom—and headed toward the bed.
It was only when she reached for the colorful comforter that she noticed movement beneath it. Realizing someone was under there, Yoshiko tried to leave.
But it was too late, as a figure popped up and shouted, "What are you doing in my room?"
Yoshiko saw that it was Leigh. She was sleepy-eyed and covering herself with the sheet.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm with housekeeping. I knocked on the door twice and when there was no response—"
"That's because some of us are trying to sleep," Leigh snorted.
"Again, my apologies," Yoshiko said. "I'll come back later."
"What time is it?" demanded Leigh, rubbing her eyes.
"Just after ten a.m."
"Damn," Leigh muttered under her breath. "You can clean the room—just start out there while I get dressed."
"Not a problem," Yoshiko said. She gazed once more at her pretty half-sister, having a mind to spill the beans then and there. But she did not. She doubted Leigh would take what she had to say at face value. But DNA couldn't lie. And neither could memories, which never went away.
She went through the motions of cleaning, while admiring some of Leigh's belongings—the trappings of wealth and privilege. As a wave of fresh resentment built up inside Yoshiko, she calmed down, wondering if she could really hold her sister responsible for the sins of their father.
"I'm done in there...for now," Leigh said, coming out of the bedroom.
Yoshiko faced her. Her long blonde hair was in a loose ponytail and she was wearing a blue sports bra, black shorts, and white sneakers. "Are you a runner?" Yoshiko asked.
Leigh was clearly surprised that she had actually asked her a normal question. "Yes, I've been running since I was thirteen."
"I started jogging around the same age," Yoshiko admitted, and
actually found herself imagining them running together someday as sisters.
But then she came back down to earth as Leigh uttered with apparent disinterest, "Great. I should be back in an hour. Hope you're done by then."
"I will be," Yoshiko promised, gritting her teeth. The sooner, the better.
What a spoiled, self-centered, little bitch, Yoshiko thought once she was alone to do the grunt work of housekeeping, while Leigh was being pampered and made to believe she was better than others, thanks to her rich father.
Actually, he was their father and Leigh was her sister, like it or not. Maybe if she had grown up like Leigh, she would look down on people of lesser means too. Could she really fault her for that?
The one and only person to blame for the differences in their lives was the father they shared. This was something Yoshiko would try her best to remember as she sought payback. If Leigh happened to get caught in the crossfire, it was a bridge they would both have to cross.
* * *
Leigh jogged on the beach, wishing she hadn't overslept so she could have gotten out earlier. But after the hot sex with Masami stayed strong into the wee hours of the morning, who could blame her for being tired?
She was disappointed he wasn't around when she awakened, maybe to go one more round before they began their day. Never mind that he was on her Daddy's payroll and expected to always be available to drive him wherever he wanted to go.
Instead, she woke up to find the housekeeper checking her out. Then she started asking her questions about running. What was up with that? She was pretty sure that wasn't in the description of her housekeeping duties.
It was almost as if the woman felt like they were friends or something. Not likely.
In truth, Leigh had never had too many female friends, feeling that most were jealous of her or backstabbers in gossip or going after the same guys she eyed.
She was much more comfortable around her male friends, either to hang out or hook up with. Masami wasn't exactly a friend. Not yet anyway. She hadn't decided what the nature of their relationship was, apart from their obvious sexual compatibility.
Leigh only knew that she couldn't get him out of her mind. She wanted to have sex with him again. But, surprisingly, she also wanted to get to know him as a person—maybe like a boyfriend.
Was that even possible, given their different places in society? Or was that the very reason why she should pursue this? Weren't most of the rich guys she liked arrogant, overbearing, obnoxious, and wrong for her?
She didn't pretend that it would be any different with Masami just because of one time in the sack, no matter his background or hers. For all she knew, he wasn't interested in anything beyond having a good time with his employer's daughter. That was precisely what she had wanted when she first laid eyes on him.
Maybe now she was changing her tune. If so, could she get him to do the same, assuming he wasn't already there? And what about the resistance they were sure to get from her father and maybe his family too?
Leigh pondered these thoughts as she finished her run.
* * *
Yoshiko knocked on the door to Ben Crawford's suite, while notifying him by saying, "Housekeeping." Immediately, she began to have second thoughts. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea to clean his room and bring back memories of the relationship he had with her mother, before he left her pregnant and disillusioned.
Feeling perhaps she wasn't quite ready to go there, Yoshiko was about to back away and get another housekeeper to substitute, when the door opened.
Standing there was her father. He was wearing business casual clothes and had a smug look on his face. His deep gray eyes peered at her.
In that moment, Yoshiko was almost speechless. She managed to force herself to say something. "I'm here to clean your room. If you'd like me to come back at another time—"
"No, it's fine. I'm just on my way out. Come in..."
She grabbed some sheets for starters and moved past him into the suite. It was bigger than Leigh's room, befitting the hotel's CEO. Or someone who enjoyed flaunting his money.
Yoshiko faced him. "Is there anything in particular you need me to do?"
"Not really, just the usual."
"Very well," she said.
"What's your name?" he asked curiously.
Her lashes flickered nervously, but she kept her cool. "Yoshiko."
"You look familiar," he said, staring at her. "Have we met before—outside the hotel?"
"No, I don't think so." She rolled her eyes, knowing there had never been any face to face contact between them, which had been his choice. "I'm sure we don't hang out in the same circles."
"I suppose we don't." He smiled condescendingly. "Have you done any other kind of work?"
Though part of Yoshiko wanted to tell him she was a journalist, she didn't want him to somehow put two and two together, even if it was highly unlikely.
"Just this," she said convincingly, and added cynically, "someone has to do it."
"Yes, you're right." He continued to study her and seemed to want to say something else, but said instead, "Well, I'll let you get to it."
Yoshiko nodded, as if she were his servant, while wanting to strike out at him—if only for what he had done to her mother. But she held back, not wanting to arouse his curiosity any more than she already had. He would get his soon enough.
She watched as he grabbed a briefcase and then left.
Moving into the master bedroom, she noted that the bed was messy. She also detected the scent of a woman's perfume. Obviously, he had entertained someone last night. He was probably looking for some short-term thrills, just like when he seduced her mother. Once an asshole, always an asshole.
She wondered if there was any dirt she could dig up on him in the suite. Perhaps something that could link him to criminality. Or was that more wishful thinking in her desire to bring down the man who abandoned her mother when she needed him most?
* * *
Ben got on his private elevator and pushed the down button. He thought about the housekeeper named Yoshiko. She reminded him of Nahoko Pelayo, the waitress he'd met decades ago when he was stationed in Honolulu. Nahoko's ravishing beauty caught his eye immediately and he went after her. What he wanted, he usually got, even in those days when he couldn't necessarily buy anything or anyone he wanted.
She was a virgin, making it even nicer that he was the one to show her what sex was like between a man and a woman. She was a quick learner, seemingly enjoying sex as much as he did.
Though he had slept with other women during that time, there was something about Nahoko that made her all the more attractive and desirable to him. He even believed that maybe they could get married someday, if things worked out.
But they did not.
Once he learned she had gotten pregnant, he panicked and demanded she get an abortion. When she refused, he didn't wait around long enough to have her try to hit him up for child support and his name for the kid.
She had somehow managed to get his address and wrote him a few letters shortly after he left, but he never bothered to open or even acknowledge them. Returning them unopened was the best way to get her out of his life for good.
She had finally gotten the message, as the letters stopped coming, and they were never in contact again.
Ben's thoughts returned to the present. Desire swept over him as he thought about Yoshiko and fantasized about being with Nahoko through her. He dismissed the notion, no matter how strong. He wasn't much interested in bedding someone from his staff. Business didn't mix well with pleasure. And he certainly didn't want to end up impregnating someone at this stage of his life. Accidents happened, even with birth control.
But the chances of such were less with those who were in the business of providing sexual services, which is why he had hired a hooker to make him feel good last night.
The elevator door opened to the lobby and Ben stepped out, greeting some of his employees. He wondered where his daughter was.
Pursuing a piece of ass, no doubt. Or was it the other way around?
He had no issue with Leigh sowing her oats. She was no different than any other nineteen-year-old of privilege. What—or who—she wanted, she usually got. He wouldn't micromanage her intimate trysts, fearing it would only make her want to have more of them. Besides, it wasn't as if she would be on the island forever. He suspected that after she got her fill of paradise, Leigh would grow bored and be ready to head back to the mainland and other pursuits.
Ben was okay with that, even though he planned to someday leave everything he had to her. After all, it wasn't as if he had any other heirs.
That afternoon, he got into his limousine and asked the chauffeur to take him to Wailuku, the county seat of Maui County in Central Maui, for a private meeting.
They drove down Kaanapali Parkway, the palm tree-lined entry to Kaanapali, with its lavish accommodations and championship golf courses and then turned right on Honoapiilani Highway. Forty-five minutes later, the limousine arrived at a tavern on Hookahi Street called Harry's Hut.
"I won't be long," Ben advised the driver. Or, in other words, he was to wait in the limo.
"No problem," Masami told him dutifully.
Ben nodded. The one thing he expected above all else from his employees was complete discretion. He was sure he could count on Masami for that. The fact that Leigh seemed to take an interest in him was something Ben was willing to overlook, believing she understood that any fooling around with the hired help could only go so far before reality settled in and she dropped him like a hot potato.
Inside the place, Ben found the person he was looking for sitting in a booth in the back. The man stood when he spotted him. Chinese and in his early forties, he wore a crisp dark suit that matched his short hair.
"Glad you could make it," Charles Wang said politely.
As if I had a choice, Ben thought. He forced a grin. "Seemed like a good idea for us to touch base."
"I couldn't agree more. It's important for the organization I represent that we keep in regular communication, Mr. Crawford. After all, with a twenty-five percent stake in your hotel, we want to be sure we're getting our money's worth in the investment."
Murder of the Hula Dancers Page 29