"How is Rita?" he asked me as we walked. "I heard the awful news of how the police are questioning her."
"She's okay. She's at home, sleeping. She didn't get much sleep last night."
Tony nodded. "Ah, it's such a shame though. I, for one, don't believe it for one minute. Rita is far too nice a person to ever hurt one of the residents. They all love her. Not that I've ever met her myself. We always seem to have different shifts. But I hear things." I guess I could cross off the crush idea.
"Yeah, I think Detective Ray has it wrong too, and I'm going to prove it."
"He was here yesterday asking all sorts of questions and taking away evidence. Apparently he had a tip-off telling him how she supports euthanasia. I've got a feeling I know where that came from."
"Really? Where?" I asked, my own detective skills kicking in.
Tony shuffled uncomfortably and adjusted his belt. "Well…I shouldn't really say anything. Police investigation and all."
Yes, but how was I going to get the answers I needed with that attitude? I decided to let it rest for now and ask Lahela if she'd heard anything like that. Maybe I would have a better chance with her. After all, she didn't have a job she needed to worry about keeping.
I thought of the alcohol Alani was smuggling in for her and made a note to ask Alani what time she drank it. Maybe I should come back after that and ask my questions. Tongues might be a lot looser after consuming it.
We walked down many corridors until I was completely lost, but eventually we stopped in a large common room filled with tables and people playing board games. Alani smiled at Tony. He reminded me of someone. I just needed to figure out who.
"Thanks, Tony. We can take it from here."
"My pleasure, ladies. Enjoy your visit."
Alani led me through the maze of tables to the best seat in the house. A table on the far side of the room overlooking the view.
Alani smiled down at a lady who appeared to be in her seventies. She was large boned and had a mop of frizzy hair pinned at the ear with a bright pink hibiscus flower. Her skin was dark, showing the signs of years of being in the sun, and she had Alani's smile.
"Tutu!" said Alani, her own smile growing bigger than I'd ever seen it.
"Alani! It's about time you turned up for a visit. I don't see you nearly enough!"
She said it with love, and I instantly got a gauge on the type of person she was. She was loud, happy, and still full of life.
"Tutu, I only saw you a few days ago."
"Yeah, and it's not enough. Now sit down, and I'll deal you into the game. Move over, Mallory," she said to the lady sitting opposite her.
Mallory looked not a day over a hundred. She was whiter than a ghost and had shriveled-up skin and large teeth. Actually, I think her teeth were probably the right size once upon a time, but age had shrunken her face, giving them the illusion they were now too big for her.
Mallory looked at us and sighed. She struggled to get up out of her chair, and I wondered if I should help her or if that would be insulting. I didn't have much experience with the elderly.
"What are you playing today?" asked Alani.
"Cards. Five hundred, to be exact."
"Uh, oh. Really? And Mallory is still talking to you?"
"Of course she is. Aren't you, Mallory?"
Mallory was still shuffling to move over one seat to her right. She glared back at Lahela. "I would be if you didn't cheat."
Lahela sighed and looked at me, mouthing the word dementia and nodding toward Mallory. I stifled a giggle.
"Who are you, you gorgeous little thing?" she asked me.
"I'm Samantha. Alani's friend."
"Come over here so I can get a better look at you."
I did as Lahela asked and stepped closer. "Hmmm, you look familiar."
"Sam is Rita's daughter. You know, Rita the nurse," explained Alani.
Lahela clapped her hands together loudly, pleased with that. "That's it! You look just like her." She beamed at me.
She obviously liked Mum, which would help me a lot with my investigation.
"Is what I heard about her true?" she asked, her expression turning somber.
I nodded. "Yes, if what you heard is that she's being questioned for the murder of Albert Johnstone."
"Tsk, tsk," she murmured. "Come and sit. Mallory, move over one more so Samantha can sit down."
Mallory had only just sat down after struggling to move the first time. She sighed and shuffled her feet again.
"Oh, no, that's okay. I'll sit over there," I quickly said, indicating a chair on Lahela's left.
"No, you won't," said Lahela. "I can see better out of my right eye, so I want you sitting on my right, next to Alani."
"Tutu, why don't you put your glasses on, and then you'll be able to see out of both eyes?"
"Because I'm not old. Only old people wear glasses."
"I sometimes wear glasses when I'm reading, and I'm only twenty-eight. That's not old." I hoped.
"Yes, and if I had some fancy ones, then maybe I would wear them."
"I'll organize to take you to get some," said Alani. "We can have a shopping day if you like?"
Lahela beamed. "That would be great! So long as it's not on a Monday. I play bingo on Monday. Or Wednesday. That's Tai Chi. And Friday I go swimming."
"Okay. How about I organize it for next Tuesday?"
Lahela looked thoughtful. "Nope, sorry. Tuesday is my television shows."
"Thursday?" asked Alani, not giving up.
"I'll have to see what's on the menu. Don't want to miss a good lunch like last week. I had to go to the hairdresser, and I missed pizza. Luke makes the best pizza."
I nodded in agreement. I wouldn't want to miss Luke's pizza either.
Alani sighed. "Just let me know which day I can take you."
"Okay. Great. Now, are you sitting down so I can deal the next hand?" she asked, referring to the card game we had interrupted.
"Sure," said Alani, smiling at Mallory, who had just sat back down.
I sat next to Alani. It had been a long time since I had played five hundred, and I really hoped I could remember the rules. Turns out it didn't really matter. Lahela pretty much made up the rules as we went along, but we did have fun and definitely laughed a lot.
Only when Mallory nodded off to sleep in her chair did I bring up the subject of Mum. "Lahela, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions about the man who died?"
"Sure, what do you want to know?"
"Well…" I wasn't really sure what questions I should ask, as I'd never led an investigation before, so I decided to start with the basics. "Did he have any enemies?"
"Albert was an idiot, but he was caring. He'd give you his dinner and starve if he thought you needed it."
"Do you have any idea how he may have ended up where he did?"
"In the ocean, you mean?"
I was trying to be delicate, but obviously Lahela liked to say it as it was. I nodded.
"No, not really. I know it wasn't Rita. She's the only nice nurse here."
Alani tut-tutted. "I'm sure that's not right. There are quite a few nice nurses here. Like that one, for instance," said Alani, nodding toward a nurse who sat talking to another resident.
"Kylie? Don't let her fool you."
"Really?" asked Alani, surprised.
I looked at Kylie. She appeared to be in her early forties, with long dark hair perfectly tied into a ponytail. Her emerald-colored eyes looked almost too green to be unenhanced by contacts, and judging by her body language and how tight she wore her uniform, she looked like she knew just how attractive she was. I amazed myself at how fast I judged people sometimes.
"Really. She normally has a stick up her bum about something, and on the gossip grapevine I heard she told the police that Rita's patients die more often than the other nurses' because she believes in euthanasia. If you ask me, she's just trying to get her into trouble. She doesn't like Rita very much, but then I don't think she lik
es anyone very much. Unless you're the manager, Tristan. Then she likes you a lot, if you get my drift."
I watched Kylie out of the corner of my eye. Hmmm.
"I've spoken to Rita about her beliefs," continued Lahela, "and I know how she feels, but I also know she would never kill anybody. Especially in the way that Albert died."
"Tutu, should I be worried about you staying here?" asked Alani, a frown appearing on her forehead.
"No, I'm okay. Tony loves us. He'll make sure nobody else is hurt."
I looked at Tony sitting in a chair and surveying the crowd, his double chin resting on his chest, and wondered how he could protect them.
"Should I be looking into him?" I asked.
"No. He's lovely. He wouldn't do anything wrong. He helps us by sneaking in some treats."
He probably needed to stop eating the treats himself.
"Who do you think did it?" I asked Lahela.
She sighed. "I don't know. I said earlier that Albert was an idiot, and he was. If he liked you, though, he was a sweetie pie, but he was also quite vocal about his political beliefs. A few people didn't like those opinions, and it's not what you know, but who you know. Some around here have the wrong kind of connections, if you know what I mean."
"No. I don't. Sorry."
"That man over there reading the paper…" I looked to the man Lahela was referring to. He sat hunched at a table, grey hair curling out of his ears, his glasses perched on the end of his nose.
"Yes."
"His brother is Barty the Butcher." I heard Alani's sharp intake of breath and turned to look at Lahela. I had no idea who Barty the Butcher was, but judging by Lahela's expression and Alani's reaction, I guessed he wasn't known for his pork cutlets.
Alani put her hand on Lahela's arm. "Why have you never mentioned this before?"
"Because there's nothing to worry about. Ernie," she said, nodding to the man reading the paper, "has a thing for me. He'd never hurt me."
Alani rolled her eyes so far into the top of her head that I thought she was passing out.
"You need to help Rita," continued Lahela, looking at me. "She shouldn't pay the price for someone else's bad karma."
I was contemplating that when a very official-looking man walked over to us, a purpose in his step.
"Lahela," he said, his smile forced as he looked around the table at us. "Got some visitors, I see."
"He's bright, this one," she whispered to me. She turned on her megawatt smile and beamed at him. "Tristan. You're so observant. No wonder you're such a good manager." Lahela winked at me.
"Yes, well… Hello, Alani," he said, turning to her, his cheeks turning pink. "I hope you didn't bring your grandmother any special treats today?"
Uh-oh, he was onto her. Alani didn't miss a beat though. She just batted her eyelashes at him a couple of times and sat back as his eyes glazed over. She knew the power she had over men.
Tristan looked to be in his early sixties. He was short and dumpy, and from what I could see sticking out of his open shirt collar, it appeared the hair on his head had moved to his chest. I looked at Nurse Kylie and shivered. Surely she couldn't be having an affair with him?
He turned to look at me, his shoulders hunching, his posture even more rigid than a moment before. I gave him a smile and a little wave. "I'm Sam, a friend of Alani's."
"You look familiar," he said. "Do I know you?"
You'd think I'd get sick of hearing that, wouldn't you?
"No, but you know my mum, Rita. She works here."
Recognition flashed. "Ah, yes. Of course. I'm sorry to say Rita no longer works here."
"What? Why?"
"I'm sure you can understand we can't have employees working for us who are being questioned for murdering one of our residents?"
"Questioned being the important word in that sentence," I added, feeling annoyed for Mum. "Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?"
"Yes, of course, it's more of a suspension than a definitive firing, and if it is proven she is innocent, then we will of course reinstate her immediately."
"I hope she's getting paid while she's stood down," added Lahela. "I mean, that would be the right thing to do, her being innocent and all."
"Now, Lahela, I need to follow procedure. I mean, do you know who killed Albert?" He opened and closed his fist and straightened his shoulders, his stance defensive.
"No," I answered. "But I intend to find out who did."
He returned my stare, then gave me a look that suggested I should mind my own business. "Well, I'll leave you ladies to it," he said through gritted teeth, turning on his heel, his smile tight.
I watched him walk away. As he passed Nurse Kylie, a look traveled between them, but he didn't stop. Instead, as soon as he reached the corridor and disappeared from sight, she stood and followed him. She glanced around the room to see who was watching, her body language casual.
"Do you mind if I just duck out to the toilet?" I asked, standing, feeling nosy.
"They're just down the corridor on the right."
I didn't really have a sudden urge to pee, but I did have a sudden urge to add "spy" to my résumé.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Turns out that all those teenage years I spent spying on Luke finally paid off. I was excellent at following someone without being noticed.
Tristan disappeared into an office. Seconds later, Kylie followed him and pushed the door closed. Unfortunately for her, but fortunately for me, she didn't click it shut. I moved to the side of it, leaned against the wall, and pretended I had something stuck in my shoe. Not real convincing when you were wearing sandals, but it was the best I could do on short notice.
I couldn't hear them as well as I would have liked, as their voices were low, but I got the gist. Lahela appeared to be correct in her assumptions about them having an affair.
"Are you still okay for tonight?" I heard Kylie say.
"Listen, it's not a good time, what with the murder and the investigation into Rita and all."
"Damn Rita!" Kylie exploded.
I jumped at her tone.
"I'm sick of hearing about her."
"Keep your voice down," I heard him say. "People may hear you. Look, you didn't even shut the door properly."
I heard footsteps start across the floor.
"Rita's all you're worried about! Do you even care about me? About everything I've done for you?"
"Of course I do," continued Tristan, his voice even lower, "but everyone knows that Rita reported you for…"
For what?
I wanted to hear his reply. Instead, all I heard was the click of the door closing. Argh!
I spun around and pressed my ear against it. I could hear Tristan's voice, but I couldn't make out the words.
"What are you doing?"
I heard a voice behind me. I turned quickly, my heart rate dramatically increasing, to find Tony staring at me, his expression quizzical.
"Umm, I was looking for the ladies' toilet, but I had something in my shoe," I said, smiling and hoping my voice sounded a lot more stable than I thought it did.
"You won't find the restroom in there. That's Tristan's office," he said, pointing to the door.
"Oh, really? Silly me!"
Tony stood studying me, his gaze forcing me backward into the door. Moisture broke out on my top lip as he stared. My knees started to knock, and I used the door for support. Thank God it was there.
Turned out, I thanked him a bit too quickly, as just then the door opened, and I fell backward, landing on my rear. Tristan and Kylie both stared down at me.
"What the…" spluttered Tristan.
"Oops," I said, my face burning from embarrassment.
"What are you doing?" demanded Kylie.
"Ummm, I was…umm." My thoughts didn't want to organize themselves.
"She was looking for the ladies' restroom," said Tony, stepping over to help me to my feet.
"In here?" asked Tristan.
"Well, n
o," I managed. "I was lost. You really need a sign on your door." I attempted to divert his attention.
"I have one," Tristan replied, waving at a nameplate approximately ten inches high.
"Oh, silly me," I mumbled, the temperature of my cheeks turning up to full heat.
"I was just about to show her where the restrooms are," said Tony, his smile making me feel a whole lot better. He turned to Tristan, and his smile froze. "She had something in her shoe and leaned against the door. I was going to say, 'Don't lean there because the door may open,' and guess what? It did!"
He beamed at Tristan and Kylie, yet there was something mechanical about it. If I had to take a guess, I'd say these two men were not friends. I wondered why.
"But you're okay, aren't you?" he asked me. "You're not intending to sue or anything like that, are you?"
With the word "sue," Tristan immediately started spluttering.
"No! Of course not," I said, surprised by his question.
"No harm has been done then," said Tristan. "Tony, show her where the restroom is, please."
Tony took hold of my elbow and led me further down the corridor.
"Why would you think I would sue?" I asked, once we were far enough away from Kylie, who stood in the corridor watching me suspiciously.
"I didn't, but Tristan is really scared of someone suing him, so just mention the word, and he'll do his best to get rid of you."
I smiled at Tony. I liked him already. "You remind me of someone," I said.
Tony stiffened. "Really? Who would that be?"
"I've been trying to figure that out, but I think it's my old neighbor. He was really sweet and kind and always helping me out whenever I needed it."
Tony rolled his shoulders, his smile spreading. "That's good. Young girls like yourself need someone watching out for them."
"Thanks, Tony."
We stopped outside two doors. One was clearly marked Male and the other Female.
"This is your stop," said Tony. "Do you want me to wait and show you back to the lounge room?"
"No thanks. I should be okay from here."
"Alright then. Take care. It was lovely to see you again, Samantha."
Deadly Wipeout (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Book 3) Page 9