Murder of the Hula Dancers

by R. Barri Flowers

  "You will," Ben tried to reassure him. "The grand opening is next week. From all indications, it's going to be huge, which will be good for everyone."

  "If you say so," Wang said, gazing at him stone-faced. "Have a seat and we can talk about it further—"

  Ben sighed and did as requested. He hated that he'd gotten involved with a Chinese crime syndicate, having previously strayed outside the lines for business with less than ideal results. But when other financial backing had fallen by the wayside, he needed some ready cash to keep the project afloat. He hoped that, in time, he could own the entire hotel, lock, stock, and barrel. For now, he could only play the hand he was dealt and not make any waves.

  * * *

  Masami had always been curious by nature. Sometimes this got him into trouble. But mostly, it gave him insight into things that he otherwise would have been clueless about.

  He wondered why a powerful CEO of a resort hotel would need to go to some out of the way bar. It didn't take much imagination to know that Ben Crawford was meeting with someone secretly. But who?

  Masami doubted he was having a secret rendezvous with a lover. It was already clear that he was hooking up with prostitutes on a regular basis. Besides, as a widower, no one expected him to be a monk.

  Not even Leigh, who was too busy hooking up with him to follow her father's every move.

  Though he was wary of leaving the limousine unattended for any length of time in a less than ideal area, Masami decided it was worth having a look inside. He could be of value to his boss, if he let him. If so, this could bode well in winning over Ben Crawford's approval for dating his daughter.

  And if he was pissed that his orders to stay put were disregarded, Masami was fully prepared to say he had to use the restroom.

  He got out of the limo and locked it, before heading inside the tavern. It was mostly empty, though Masami did note three men sitting around a table drinking beer. He moved further along, fearful that his boss might see him, but feeling he couldn't stop now till he got something for his trouble.

  Then he spotted him sitting in a booth. Leigh's father was conversing with an Asian man, who Masami didn't recognize. Not that he knew all of his employer's contacts. In this case, he suspected this was one Ben Crawford wasn't particularly interested in sharing with the world.

  But maybe he'll want to share it with me, Masami thought, knowing he could keep a secret. And if it could help keep him on the man's good side, then even better.

  "Can I help you?" asked a pretty waitress who approached him.

  He froze; sure her voice would alert Ben. If so, I'm screwed, Masami thought.

  Instead, neither man looked his way, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he responded convincingly, "Actually, I was looking for the men's room."

  She smiled. "This way—"

  Masami took one last look at Ben and the other man, before deciding he better leave well enough alone for now.

  * * *

  Eugene watched with interest as the Hawaiian dude came into the tavern. He recognized him from the hotel. He was Ben Crawford's chauffeur. It looked like he was trying to spy on his boss without him being the wiser. Interesting.

  But Eugene was even more intrigued that Crawford himself, of all people, had entered the place a few minutes earlier. He had gone directly to a booth to meet with another man. So why meet here and not at the hotel?

  Eugene didn't know much about the business world, but he did figure that there were no shortcuts to success. If you had it, you likely had to have help getting there—sometimes by hook or crook. So had Crawford sold his soul to the devil to get his beachfront palace up and running? Or was his secret get-together more for future cooperation between two people in no hurry to make this public?

  Eugene decided it wasn't worth speculating further, as he had his own agenda to focus on. He glanced at the two men at his table, Jason Stanton and Luther Asato, whom he had met just after he moved to the island. They were drinking beer and shooting the breeze. He had invited them there, suggesting it was simply to hang out.

  Now it was time to get to the nitty gritty of the meeting.

  "I think I know a way we can all make some money," Eugene began.

  Jason ran a hand through his greasy blonde hair and eyed him suspiciously. "Yeah? Doing what exactly?"

  Eugene kept a straight face. "Nothing we can't handle," he promised.

  Luther sat back and tugged on his black goatee. "This I've gotta hear."

  Eugene sucked in a deep breath, hoping they wouldn't freak out when they heard his plan. "I want to rob the Kaanapali Palms Hotel."

  "You what?" Jason said a bit louder than he had intended.

  "You heard me," Eugene said calmly. "We can do this."

  "When?" asked Luther.

  "During the grand opening next week." Eugene let that sink in, before continuing. "There will be lots of guests with deep pockets filled with cash, credit, and jewelry. We can take them by surprise and make a small fortune for ourselves."

  "I think it's a bad idea," Jason said. "They've got security cameras, guards, you name it. I sure as hell ain't going to prison for some harebrained scheme—"

  "No one's going to prison," Eugene tried to assure him. "I've thought this through. We can wear masks and gloves—hell, even disposable clothes—so no identification, fingerprints, or DNA. Once we get our fair share, we're out of there, with plenty of escape routes. Once we get rid of our disguises, we can easily blend in with tourists on Kaanapali Beach and we're home free."

  "Sounds simple enough," Luther grunted cynically. "So what—you think they're just gonna hand over their items to us because we ask them to?"

  "That's where you come in," Eugene told him. "We need some pieces. You said your cousin can get guns anytime he wants. Let's put him to the test. Once we have the goods, we'll pass some cash or jewelry his way as payment."

  Luther tasted his beer thoughtfully. "He might be interested in helping us out."

  Jason remained skeptical. "If we come armed and kill someone, we're looking at murder one. Sure you want to go there?"

  Eugene had to admit that he wasn't interested in spending the rest of his life behind bars. But, then again, opportunities like this didn't come along every day. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

  "No one's going to die," he said, as if he could see the future. "The guns are only meant to scare them into cooperating. No one's going to do anything stupid. We'll be in and out of there in no time flat."

  "Won't you become a prime suspect as an employee?" Luther asked.

  Eugene had thought about that. "The plan is to do this during my lunch break," he said smoothly. "After it's done, I'll double back and work the afternoon shift. They'll never know I had anything to do with it—and nothing will blow back on you."

  Luther met his eyes. "Okay, I'm in."

  Eugene regarded Jason, who hesitated, before agreeing to go along with it as well.

  "Then we're set," Eugene said, pleased. "By the way, let's use burner phones from this point on to communicate when we're not meeting in person."

  "Good idea," Luther said.

  Eugene drank his beer. "When you get the guns, let me know. Until then, let's keep our distance, to be on the safe side."

  "This better not blow up in our faces," warned Jason.

  "It won't," Eugene reassured him. He didn't exactly believe it was like stealing candy from a baby, but felt it would be pretty easy, assuming everything went as he envisioned.

  * * *

  Kalani Okamura, co-owner of The Shoreline Lounge in Whaler's Village, walked into the lobby of the Kaanapali Palms Hotel. As an investor, he was there for an arranged visit with the general manager, Rick Chang. Apart from wanting to touch base and promote the restaurant, Kalani also wanted to put in a good word for his girlfriend, Genevieve, an aspiring musician who was looking for a break.

  They met in Chang's office. "Aloha," he said, and shook Kalani's hand.
>
  "This place is great," Kalani marveled.

  "I agree, and it's definitely well worth your investment."

  "How could it not be?" Kalani was counting on that and hoping to boost his own business.

  "Can I get you something to drink?" Chang asked.

  "Just water," Kalani answered, figuring he didn't need any alcohol in his system this early in the afternoon.

  "Water, it is."

  Moments later, they sat down on a sofa in front of a large window with an ocean view.

  After talking a bit more about the investment potential of the resort hotel, Kalani brought up what he considered to be a mutually beneficial suggestion. "I was thinking that it would be great to tie the grand opening to an event at The Shoreline Lounge—so we get like a crosswind between the two, so to speak."

  "I like that," Chang said. "I'm sure Ben would too. All publicity to help put the hotel on the map—and your restaurant too—is a good thing."

  Kalani grinned. He was glad they were on the same page. It prompted him to make another suggestion. "We could even name a cocktail Kaanapali Palms—with a tropical blend of vodka, tequila, lemon juice, coconut syrup, and more for the palate."

  Chang smiled. "That could work too. It certainly sounds tasty."

  Kalani was batting a thousand. Now for the last thing on his mind. "I know you already have entertainment planned for the grand opening, but I'd like to add to that—"

  Chang cocked a brow. "You sing too?"

  Kalani chuckled. "No way, not even a little. But I do know a young lady who's a very talented singer and guitar player. She sings traditional Hawaiian songs as well as contemporary music. I think she would be a great addition to your lineup and maybe even as a regular in one of your clubs."

  "I'd love to see what she can do," Chang said. "Why don't you have her contact our entertainment director, Nora Tagomori. Then she can come in for an audition."

  "I'll do that." All things considered, it was about the best Kalani could hope for. He was sure Genevieve would be pleased. The rest was up to her. It would also allow her to showcase her talents away from the restaurant where his wife, Rosita, would be a constant reminder that he was married and had no plans to change that.

  He took down the information Genevieve would need.

  * * *

  Genevieve lived in a ground floor studio on Vevau Street in Kahului, not far from the main airport in Central Maui. She sat on the well-worn chair and played her guitar while singing, "Sweet Leilani," a popular Hawaiian song. Though she was always adding to her repertoire of island music and pop songs, Genevieve believed the key to success was practice, practice, practice.

  She wasn't sure how far it would get her, but she was committed to trying to make the most of her talents, maybe with the help of Kalani, her part-time lover.

  Plucking the guitar, Genevieve felt she was in her element as she moved into a Taylor Swift tune. Suddenly, she stopped when she heard a noise. She honed in on the front doorknob and realized someone was trying to open it.

  Fortunately, it was locked.

  Getting up, she moved to the door quietly and looked through the peephole. Genevieve's heart skipped a beat when she saw a tall, slender Hispanic male with black hair in a short ponytail standing there. She recognized him as Donnie Ortega—one of the men who worked for her ex, Cooper Romero.

  How the hell had he found her?

  What now? Was he there to actually kill her for testifying against Cooper?

  Am I going to die before ever truly having a chance to live? Genevieve asked herself, petrified at the thought.

  She watched, frozen, as the doorknob twisted violently. Then she heard the smug voice say, "I know you're in there, bitch! Open the damn door—!"

  Backing up, Genevieve knew she couldn't just allow herself to become a victim. Not like this.

  She quickly put her guitar in its case and then stuffed a few clothes in her bag, before slipping out a back window into the courtyard of the complex. Fortunately, it was far enough away to escape the asshole who was after her.

  But for how long?

  * * *

  Donnie thought he heard noises coming from the apartment where Genevieve was holed up. Or was it the place next door, where he saw a woman and three young kids go inside.

  He studied Genevieve's door, putting his ear up to it. He couldn't hear anything. Maybe the bitch had somehow sensed he was onto her and fled.

  After trying unsuccessfully to open the door by twisting the knob, Donnie tried to jimmy the lock. That didn't work either. Finally, he said to hell with it and slammed his shoulder against the door several times until he forced it open.

  He went inside the small apartment and saw neither sight nor sound of the one he was looking for. But there were signs of familiarity in some of the items present. Maybe her sorry ass was hiding somewhere.

  He checked the closet, under the bed, in the bathtub—she wasn't there. But would she be back? Maybe all he needed to do was wait.

  Then he spotted a curtain blowing in a back window. He ran to it and looked out onto the courtyard.

  The bitch had climbed out and run off like a scared chicken. She couldn't have gotten far.

  Where would she go?

  Donnie thought about the old dude she was cozying up to. He'd followed him once to a fancy restaurant he owned. Maybe Genevieve was there.

  You can run, bitch, but not forever, he told himself, knowing that going back home without this being resolved wasn't an option.

  "Who are you?" a woman's voice demanded.

  Donnie turned around, thinking for a moment that Genevieve had actually come back. Instead, it was the Latina who stayed next door.

  "I'm looking for Genevieve," he said nicely.

  "Who are you?" she asked again, suspiciously.

  "We know each other from the mainland."

  "Right. Is that why you broke down her door—to reconnect?"

  He frowned. "Look, if you know what's good for you, you'll mind your own damn business."

  "If you know what's good for you, you'll get the hell out of here," she said bravely. "I've already called the cops. They'll be here any minute..."

  Having no reason not to believe her and not wanting to be arrested, Donnie took the hint and scooted past her and out the door.

  As it was, he already had a bead on where to find Genevieve. He would deal with her then.

  * * *

  Nearly an hour later, Genevieve trudged into The Shoreline Lounge. It was packed with vacationers and locals. She looked past them, ignoring a few leers from some intoxicated males, as she searched for Kalani.

  She knew it was the last place he expected to see her, at his request, to not add to his wife's suspicions of infidelity. But Genevieve was desperate, given that she was being pursued by one of Cooper's thugs—and a dangerous one at that.

  She would just have to deal with Kalani's anger and hope she didn't make things more difficult for him or herself.

  She spotted Kalani talking with a fifty-something, attractive Asian woman with a short blonde bob. It seemed to be a heated exchange.

  The wife, Genevieve deduced. Just as she wondered if it had been a mistake to come there, Kalani looked her way.

  He cut his conversation short and came over to her. "What are you doing here?" She could tell by his voice that he was pissed, though in a controlled manner.

  "Can I stay at your condo for a little while?" she asked in a sweet voice. "My neighbor is harassing me and, well, I just need to get away for a few days and maybe he'll find someone else to go after." Kalani hadn't asked much about her past and she hadn't divulged much information, fearful it might spook him had he known that her dangerous and vindictive ex was out to get her. Another part of her had simply wanted to forget about the past and focus on the present and future—both of which she hoped Kalani could be a part of in some fashion.

  He gave her a sympathetic look. "Of course. Stay as long as you like."

  "Mahalo,"
she told him, knowing that he loved it when she used Hawaiian words, especially when they were in bed. For her part, Genevieve was truly grateful he had given her a means to try to dodge Donnie. Maybe just maybe he would give up and go back to the mainland.

  "No problem," Kalani said. "I'll go over there with you, as I had something I wanted to talk to you about..."

  Though that last part intrigued her, Genevieve turned her gaze and saw his wife giving her the evil eye. "Not so sure that's a good idea—not to her, anyway."

  He followed her eyes and saw what she did. "My wife, as you may have guessed," he said apologetically. "She won't be an issue."

  "Are you sure?" Genevieve was not interested in breaking up his marriage, even if it was obviously less than rock solid. She would never ask for more of Kalani than he was willing to give. In this case, it was a very nice oceanfront place to stay.

  "Positive." He paused. "You let me worry about Rosita. I'll meet you outside in five minutes..."

  "Okay." She walked away while hoping that Donnie hadn't somehow managed to follow her there and turn her life back into a living hell, even in paradise.

  * * *

  Kalani wasn't thrilled that the young woman he was bedding had shown up at his restaurant for all to see, including his wife, Rosita. But if some creep was giving Genevieve trouble, he was happy that she came to him for help. Frankly, he liked the idea of her staying at his condo, which he had purchased specifically as a place to have some fun away from the wife. If Genevieve were his kept woman, she would always be available for sex and whatever they chose to do together.

  Now he needed to fix things with the wife, as best he could. Kalani knew Rosita was no fool. And neither was he. They both had their dalliances, but were respectful enough not to flaunt them in each other's faces. And that included Genevieve, even if her beauty and sexuality drew attention, no doubt, from the moment she entered the establishment.

  He walked up to Rosita, who was chatting with one of the waiters. After Kalani dismissed him with a look, he said to his wife, "I need to step out for a little while."

  She rolled her eyes. "Does stepping out have anything to do with the girl you were just pawing all over?"