I lowered my voice as we made the trek. “We haven’t thought too much about why Bentley Barber was murdered. Maybe looking at it from that angle would make things clearer.”
Shawn was far away enough behind us that he wouldn’t hear our conversation. Natasha, ahead of us, was also out of earshot—as long as we kept our voices down.
“What if it was a conspiracy theory?” Landon mused.
“It’s obviously because someone got in too deep and couldn’t handle it,” said Maya. “Bentley’s known for his unforgiving and unpredictable practices. That’s enough to make anyone angry.”
“Angry enough to kill?” I wondered.
“That’s what makes Micah Robinson at the forefront of our list,” Maya insisted. “He’s got trouble controlling his anger and he had a tempestuous relationship with Bentley.”
“What if anger wasn’t the motivation?” asked Landon. “Think about it. This could have been a targeted attack. Micah could be the fall guy. He’s the most obvious suspect, like Maya says. Maybe someone wanted to take Bentley out and place the blame on Micah.”
“No, I think having clear motivation and a connection to Bentley makes Micah a pretty solid suspect,” said Maya.
“We might never know who really killed Bentley Barber,” said Landon ominously.
I didn’t know what to think. I did believe that Micah looked suspicious.
“Landon’s on to something,” I said.
Maya’s eyebrows shot up. “What?” she asked flatly.
“Not the conspiracy theory,” I said as Landon’s face fell. “The motivation. We’ve been looking at anger as the reason for Bentley’s death. What if there was more to it than that?”
“Like a lover’s quarrel?” asked Maya. “Or a past lover wanted to get back at him for something he did.”
“I know nothing about his love life,” I said.
“Bentley didn’t have a love life,” Natasha suddenly called out without turning around.
I guess our voices were louder than I’d realized.
“How do you know?” asked Landon.
Natasha turned to look at us. “A guy like Bentley isn’t capable of maintaining a relationship. He’s too busy messing with everyone else’s.”
“You can’t point us in the direction of anyone he was involved with?” I asked.
Natasha took a sip from her water bottle. “No. His mother would know. She was probably the only person on good terms with him.”
Great. Another reason to find Bentley’s mother.
And I had no idea how I was going to do it.
We were briefly shaded from the sun as we went through a tunnel.
“What about you, Natasha? Got any loves on your mind?” I asked.
Natasha’s gaze grew distant. “Not anymore,” she curtly before picking up her pace. She passed us by as we walked the rest of the path.
The last part of the hike was a long set of stairs. I steadily plodded up them. It wasn’t so bad—it was just a lot of steps. When I reached the top, I paused to catch my breath.
After about an hour’s journey, we had reached our destination. I emerged from the stairs victorious, raising my hands in celebration. The trek had been well worth it. I stood in front of a sign with information about Diamond Head as I took in the spectacular view.
The buildings that sat in the distance were as big as my thumb. Streams of sunlight poked through the cloudy sky, reflecting on the expansive water. The ocean went on for forever. I could see tiny waves crashing on the beach. It was remarkable how much smaller everything appeared from far away, and how big some things still were.
As I admired the scenery, I racked my brain, trying to figure out what the clue meant. Natasha was pacing back and forth, also stumped by the clue.
Get your teeth cleaned.
Why do people go to the dentist? The obvious answer would be regular cleanings to get rid of plaque. Sometimes you’ve got to get a cavity filled. Things like that.
Plaque.
I looked down at the informational sign resting on a stand. It was a plaque! It was a long shot, but what if the clue was attempting to connect the two plaques?
I swiped my hand underneath it and ripped off a piece of folded paper taped to the back. There were plenty more paper clues for everyone else—we must have been one of the first ones to arrive.
I unfolded it.
This frozen treat is why you need your teeth cleaned.
“This makes much more sense,” I said, relieved that not every clue would be a cryptic play on words.
“I saw people drinking smoothies near the entrance,” said Landon. “That’s got to be it.”
I agreed. “Let’s go.”
Natasha, having covertly watched me find the clue, snatched a paper and read it for herself. She then practically flew past us down the steps.
I narrowed my eyes. “Natasha knows more than she’s letting on.”
“About the clue? Who cares? We’ll beat her,” said Maya.
“No, about Bentley. She was awfully quick to leave when I asked her about her own love life.”
“You think everyone has hidden motives,” said Maya.
“Not everyone is as straightforward as you are,” I said. “Most people have secrets.”
“Alana! Not everyone here is a murderer in disguise!”
“But someone on the island is,” I said darkly.
Landon gave us a wry grin. “Both of you are missing the reason why she left. She obviously had her heart broken recently and doesn’t want to talk about it.”
I paused. “Hmm. That could be it.”
“Not every clue leads to a murder mystery. Sometimes they’re just oddities that make life interesting. Like Shawn.” Landon gestured to Shawn, who had just arrived at the top. He was taking a minute to rest, sipping water from his rubber hook hand.
Shawn noticed us looking at him and shrugged. “I forgot to bring a water bottle.”
As Shawn discovered the clue using the same word association process that I had, Maya, Landon, and I took a few minutes to admire the picturesque view some more and snap some pictures before heading back down. This may have been a race to find the mysterious treasure, but seeing the island in all its glory was worth the small amount of time we lost.
As we left, I noticed Shawn repositioning one of the clues so that it stuck out, helping future clue-seekers in their search. It warmed my heart to see him helping the other contestants. He wouldn’t make it far as a real pirate.
The journey back was quicker than the walk up. Whether that was my imagination or not, I wasn’t sure—but it was a nice surprise. I was dying to find the next clue.
I really needed to win this contest. Winning would allow me to pay off my debt on time, without having to worry about my Sophia coming after me.
I was growing increasingly apprehensive about Natasha being in the lead. I couldn’t afford to lose this.
“Never live next-door to your loan shark’s sister,” I told Landon. “Trust me, it’s not a good idea.”
“It’s better not to have a loan shark in the first place,” Maya pointed out.
“But if you do—stay away from his family members,” I countered.
Landon gave me a sidelong glance. “Is getting into sticky situations a way of life for you or did we meet at a chaotic time in your life?”
“Probably the first,” I said cheerfully, trying to put out of my mind how concerned I was about finding the treasure. Once clue at a time. I’d catch up to Natasha soon. Plus, she wouldn’t have found the second clue without me. Maybe she’d need my help for the third or fourth—that would let me surpass her.
Hopefully.
We arrived at the Diamond Head Visitor Center and immediately spotted a food truck selling shaved ice and smoothies. Next to the truck was a folding table with stacks of envelopes on top, all marked “Clue Three.”
Natasha wouldn’t have been able to miss that. She was nowhere to be seen, so she must already be on the
quest for the fourth clue. That wasn’t good news for me.
Maya picked up some shaved ices for us as Landon and I opened the envelope.
This item is found on all pirate ships. It’s got many uses and has more knots than a pirate’s matted hair.
Underneath the text were coordinates for a secret location.
Maya stuck out her blue-dyed tongue from her blue raspberry shaved ice. “I’m terrible at these riddles. What is this supposed to mean? And surely, not all pirates have matted hair.”
“That’s what we have to figure out,” I said as Shawn arrived on the scene. He waved, pausing to refill his hook hand at the water fountain before grabbing an envelope. “And quickly. We’re losing time.”
And I’d be losing out on a large sum if we lost the contest.
I picked up my pace.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
We headed to my truck to go to the next location.
“Every pirate has a sword,” I said. “Stereotypically, anyway.”
“It’s supposed to be on the ship, though,” said Landon. “I think it’s something wooden, like a wooden mast.”
“Or something practical, like food,” Maya pointed out.
As we walked through the parking lot, we paused to let a large SUV back out of a space. As the car slowly and cautiously drove away, a rental car speedily dashed past us, slamming the brakes as they took the now-open space.
I jumped back as Madison popped out of the car, completely oblivious to the fact that she nearly knocked us over. I caught a glimpse of an empty milk carton in the backseat, which I found odd. It wasn’t a small, one-time-use container. It was a full-on half gallon of milk.
“How’s the hunt going?” she asked cheerfully, after covering a cough. “I just went to make sure the rest of the clues are set up.”
“Just fine,” I answered warily.
Madison went to check on the other contestants as a fellow pirate came over to us.
“Are you all right? Madison’s not the safest driver. She picked me up from the airport and let me tell you—I’ve never been afraid for my own life, the other people on the road’s lives, and the random squirrels’ lives in the trees we drove past all at the same time before.”
“I’m Aaliyah,” she said, fanning herself with her pirate hat. Her long, thick hair was braided down her back.
“I’m Alana,” I said. “I was talking with Shawn earlier and he said he knew you.”
Aaliyah laughed. “I’d be surprised if you hadn’t talked with him yet. He’s great at making the rounds.”
“He said you’re friends with Madison,” I said.
Aaliyah pressed her hat to her red-and-white striped shirt. “That’s generous of him. Madison and I are more like acquaintances.”
“But you’re here because of her, right?” asked Maya.
Aaliyah lowered her voice. “Between us, she’s here because of me.”
“What?” I asked.
“This was my idea,” Aaliyah insisted. “I came up with the idea of getting a bunch of people together and doing pirate activities for fun. Madison took that idea and rolled with it. She made it so much bigger than I had imagined. She got all the donations for the prizes, coordinated hotel rooms, got the locations ready. She did everything.”
“You’re upset that she took over,” I said, unsure if I detected a bitter note in Aaliyah’s voice.
“No, I have no hard feelings. I couldn’t have organized this.” Aaliyah shrugged. “If she hadn’t been involved, this would be a few friends around a bonfire saying ‘shiver me timbers’ every so often. Madison made this so much better.”
“So the two of you have grown closer on this trip?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Madison’s got an angry streak. I’m not sure we’d gel as close friends.”
Landon whistled. “I’ll bite. Why?”
Aaliyah lowered her voice. “We run in the same circles at school, so I may not know her. But I know of her. Madison’s got a reputation.”
“What do you mean?” Maya asked.
“She caught her boyfriend cheating on her last year. Madison was not happy about it. Who would be? But she got her revenge.”
“What did she do?” I asked.
“Slashed his tires and made it look like a random accident. Madison got away with it too, even though we all knew it was her.” Aaliyah made a face. “Anyway, I’ve got to find the third clue before I get too behind. I’ll see you at the next station!”
Aaliyah ran towards the shaved ice truck while I led the way to my truck. Once inside, I typed the coordinates into my phone’s GPS and we were on our way. We soon reached our destination, finding ourselves at the same boat dock that Maya and I had investigated earlier.
“I think that’s were we need to go,” Landon said, raising his arm in the direction of one boat in particular.
Ahoy, pirates! was spread across a large sign sitting on top of the deck. The corners of my mouth turned up as I saw whose boat it was.
“Nalani!” I exclaimed.
Nalani was delighted to see us. “You’re part of the pirate convention? Wonderful! And you’ve brought a friend! Come aboard, everyone.
“We have a challenge that you have to complete before obtaining the next clue.” Nalani gestured to a pile of rope. “Make a bracelet, anyway you want. It has to be functional—but it doesn’t have to be fashionable.”
We took some rope and got started right away. Natasha was already there, halfway finished with her bracelet.
I fiddled with the rope for a minute when I heard footsteps. I looked up from my work as a couple newcomers arrived. It was Peyton and Tristan, the pyromaniacs.
Peyton glared at me. “Look, it’s the party pooper.”
Tristan’s nose ring was on the other side of his nostril today. “Don’t worry, Peyton. She won’t ruin this event for us. We’re going to win.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What makes you so sure?”
“We’re willing to take risks,” said Peyton. “You need to be able to think on your feet quickly to win a treasure hunt. You’ll be too concerned about if people are following the rules instead of actually hunting for the treasure.”
“You’re saying you’re going to cheat?” I asked. “Is that how you got here so fast? I thought you two were way behind us.”
Tristan grinned. “Pirates can do anything and get away with it.”
“Right. That’s why scurvy, walking the plank, and so on make being a pirate such a carefree existence,” Maya scoffed.
“See? You’re too concerned with what could go wrong instead of focusing on getting ahead,” said Peyton confidently.
“Preparation and quick thinking beats cheating every time,” Nalani intervened. She winked at Maya and I. “You two are ahead of the curve. This should be easy for you.”
I wouldn’t say easy was the right word as I struggled to remember the exact steps that Nalani had taught us. Maya, on the other hand, finished her bracelet quickly and efficiently. She had a knack for following directions.
I completed my rope bracelet the best I could and handed it to Nalani.
“You get to keep it,” she said. “It was originally going to be a miniature noose keychain, but with recent events… We figured it would be best to play it safe, so bracelets it is. Here’s your next clue, by the way.”
Landon ended up tying the rope into a circle, connecting it with a basic knot.
“That works,” said Nalani.
“How do you know Madison?” I asked as I opened the envelope she handed me. Considering that Madison didn’t live on the island, I wondered how she managed to coordinate the locations with ease.
It wouldn’t be that difficult, though, I realized. With maps and recommendations from friends or local business owners, anything was possible.
“Her family and I go way back.” Nalani was interrupted by Peyton and Tristan finishing their bracelets. “Oh, thanks. Here’s the next clue. It’s the final one, so good luck.”
Natasha finally finished hers and grabbed her clue from Nalani as Shawn, Aaliyah, and several other pirates arrived.
It was going to be a close race to the finish line.
As I was opening the next clue, Nalani looked at me with a peculiar expression. “I’m glad we ran into each other again. I remembered something odd. That guy who washed up on the sand? Terrible tragedy, of course. When you said his name, it sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Then I realized that he was one of the people interested in Lady Moana.”
“He wanted to purchase the boat?” I asked. That was news to me. What would Bentley need a boat for?
“Kai gave him a quick tour. Bentley seemed to be in a rush. I only noticed because I was teaching Evan, another prospective client, how to make a rope bracelet. He recognized Bentley.”
“Did they have a conversation?” I asked.
Nalani shook her head. “No, Evan ducked his head so Bentley wouldn’t notice him. I didn’t think twice about it until I heard about Bentley’s death.”
“I’ll have to talk to Kai again,” I murmured.
“Kai’s going on vacation tomorrow,” said Nalani. “If you want to see him, you’d better catch him while you can.”
Of course he was. This was going to slow me down considerably, but I couldn’t waste the opportunity.
“I have to make a detour,” I whispered to Maya, tucking the clue in my pocket.
Landon was walking to the edge of the boat for some reason.
She looked at me in surprise. “If you slow down now, you might not be able to catch up. What about the ten thousand dollars?”
“I have to take that chance. You and Landon keep going. Maybe one of you can still win it,” I said.
“We drove together,” said Maya. “We’re not going to abandon you by driving away in your own truck. We’ll wait for you.”
I didn’t have time to argue. I ran to catch Kai before he left for the day. Nalani said she saw him earlier, so hopefully Kai would still be there.
Fortunately, he was.
Kai Williams was gazing out to sea with his telescope.
“Aloha!” he called out. “Couldn’t stay away from my boat, could you? I can’t blame you.”
Murder and a Blue Hawaii (A Blue Hawaii Mystery Book 1) Page 9