"Apparently, yes. Mum is still number one suspect for the first murder. That puts me in the spotlight for this one, as maybe we were working together. Mum knows how to use a needle, and the rat poison had my fingerprints on it." Luke shook his head.
"That's ridiculous."
"Tell me about it. Anyway, enough of my bad news. What are you doing? Do you want to get a drink?"
I was surprised by his question. Luke and I hadn't hung out together for years. "Sure. I'd like to duck to the staff room though and have a quick shower first. I remembered to bring other clothes with me today."
Luke looked at me suspiciously. "Why? Don't you just put your uniform over your swimsuit and ride your bike home?"
"Well, yes, I did last time I worked, but I'm a quick learner."
Last time I'd been talking to Casey and stuck looking like crap. I wasn't letting that happen twice. I noted Luke's expression. "It's not very comfortable riding a bike with a swim suit full of sand," I added.
"Alright, alright. I don't need the details," said Luke, backing away from me very quickly. Maybe he was worried I'd show him or something. "Meet me in The Lava Pot when you're ready."
"Sure, I won't be long."
Luke turned and made his way to The Lava Pot whilst I made my way to the staff amenities for a shower. Actually, I was a bit longer than I had hoped. I was doing the best I could do without a hair dryer (I made a mental note to add hair dryer to staff requests next time I got the opportunity). I dusted my face with mineral powder, lined my eyes with brown eyeliner, and swiped on as much mascara as my lashes could cope with. I pulled on my skinny jeans and floaty top Alani had sold me at a hugely discounted price, and slipped into my sandals. I gave myself one last check over, scrunched my hair to hopefully give it some bounce, and made my way to the tiki bar.
I found Luke and Casey deep in conversation. I attempted to slide quietly onto the barstool next to Luke, but that didn't happen, as the second Casey noticed me, he smiled, which in turn made my knees go all rubbery, and then they didn't want to participate in the holding me up thing.
Seriously, I only had to move my backside onto the stool. You would think they could have held out long enough for me to do that gracefully? Instead, I hit the stool with my hip, knocking it over. It crashed to the floor, with me attempting to catch it before it hit the ground. All I managed to do though was knock Luke's drink out of his hand as he turned to see what the heck I was doing. Then all the hard work I had put into looking my best for Casey was destroyed as a full glass of beer dripped down my top. If someone could actually die from embarrassment, they would be zipping up my body bag about now.
Luke shook his head, his frown giving him a mono brow. Casey just turned the smile up even more. Don't look at him, Sam. Don't look. It's the only way you'll survive! This would become my mantra from now on.
I bent down to retrieve the stool as Casey handed me a pile of napkins to mop up my cleavage. Well, the positive was that he was at least looking at my cleavage. Maybe that was what I should have been doing all along. Covering myself in alcohol. No, the smell of it was starting to turn my stomach.
"You are so embarrassing," commented Luke.
"Yeah, I know, but you love me anyway," I said. I mean, what else could I say?
"Would you like a drink you can actually swallow?" asked Casey, the crinkles around his eyes making him look even more adorable.
I smiled back. I may be covered in beer, but that wasn't going to stop me. "Yes please. I'll have my usual."
Luke's mono brow disappeared somewhere around his hairline. "You have a usual?"
"Yes, I do."
I knew what he was thinking. And let him think it. I'd spend as much time with Casey as I could. Even if that meant spending my entire pay at the bar and becoming an alcoholic. Actually, maybe I did need to review my plan. It probably wasn't the best one I could come up with.
"Maybe I should be working here," said Luke, giving me the evil eye.
"I can try to get you a job if you want one," said Casey, his expression turning serious as he looked at Luke.
"Really?"
"Yeah. If you're not getting paid from Aloha Ohana, then you'll need money. I just had someone quit, so I can talk to David Mahelona if you like."
Luke looked thoughtful for a second. As did I. This was probably a good thing for Luke, as he would still have some money coming in, but did I want Luke here every time I came to flirt with Casey? Yes, I knew it was hard to recognize, but that was my version of flirting.
"Alright. Sounds good. Unless of course I'm arrested. Then Mahelona may not want me hanging around the resort."
"It's all sweet. Don't worry about him. I'll sort it."
"Cool," said Luke, breaking out the first smile I'd seen from him today, his mono brow becoming two separate eyebrows once again.
"Are you alright?" Casey asked, turning his attention to me.
I caught my reflection in the mirror behind the bar and noticed that my mouth was very unattractively hanging open. I quickly shut it.
"I was just hoping to…ummm…get my drink!"
"Oh sure!" said Casey, his cheeks turning red. "Sorry."
I instantly felt bad for him. "It's okay. No hurry."
Actually, an alcoholic drink was exactly what I needed. Luke turned to me and smiled that smug smile he had whenever he'd gotten the better of me. I remembered it well from when we were kids.
"Luke, do you like Mark?" I asked, changing the subject before he could challenge me about Casey.
"He's alright. Why?"
"I think he's up to something?"
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I saw him in Mum's bedroom when she wasn't home, and he lied about a phone call. And I think he lied to the police about being with Mum."
Luke looked back at me, amazed. You'd think after twenty-eight years he'd know exactly how fast my mind worked, wouldn't you?
"Sam, he was probably in the bedroom because he stays over a lot. Maybe he left his tighty-whities in there."
I shuddered at the thought. "Why would he lie about a phone call though?"
"Okay, you're going to have to give me more information."
I gave him the fast version of events. When I got to the part about how Mark seemed reluctant to tell the police he was with Mum at the time of the murder, even Casey was frowning.
Luke scratched his head. "I don't know. He's always seemed good for her."
"You don't think he's connected to the murders, do you?" asked Casey, handing me my drink. Luckily, the bar was quiet tonight, as he didn't seem to be doing much other than talking to us.
I considered what he said. I hadn't actually thought of that. I just thought maybe Mark was up to something that would affect Mum. Like stealing her money or having an affair—that kind of thing.
I shrugged. I didn't know, but maybe I needed to add finding out to my To Do list.
CHAPTER TEN
The next day I finished work earlier than expected as class numbers had definitely dropped.
Those parents who had gone ahead with lessons had sat on the deck overlooking the sand and watched the entire thing, which was far worse than it actually sounded.
The wind had picked up a little more that day, which meant the waves had been slightly bigger, and I looked even worse than normal. It did help that I hadn't done any of my laundry, and the only clean swimsuit I owned was the bikini I'd got from Lahela's Surf on the first day I'd been employed.
This bikini was really a bit small for a surfing instructor to children, but the dads hadn't seemed to mind too much. In fact, I'd had quite a few requests for adult lessons too.
Thankfully, the lessons had been uneventful, and as I waved good-bye to the last of the kids, I put a surfboard under each arm and made my way up the sand to the trolley I used for carting them, starting my pack up for the day. I looked up and saw a woman smiling at me. We hadn't officially met yet, but I'd seen her around the resort.
"Hello,"
she called, stepping barefoot onto the sand. She carried a pair of gorgeous high heels in one hand.
I gave her a small wave. "Hi."
"You look like you're settling in really well," she said, smiling as she approached me. She was really pretty, with a slim face and a dark streak in her short blonde hair. Her blue eyes shone back at me. "Better than I did anyway."
"I'm getting there," I said, returning a smile. Something about her made me feel at ease.
"I'm Gabby, Gabby LeClair." I'd heard that she owned Gabby's Island Adventures. If you wanted to explore the island and see its many attractions, then she was the girl to see. I made a mental note to get a brochure from her later, as exploring the island was definitely on my To Do list.
"I'm Samantha, and I'm pleased to meet you, Gabby."
"Can I help you?" she asked. "I mean, that looks like a lot for you to handle."
"That's really kind of you, but I'm sort of balanced here," I replied. Boards weren't overly heavy, but they could be awkward when you were carrying two of them. Luckily, I'd figured out a way to balance them. "I've been meaning to come and see you, as I'd love to do one of your tours one day. I haven't seen very much of the island yet and thought it would be a great way to do it."
"Sure. That would be great. I can get you on anything you'd like. And I offer resort employees a discount."
A discount sounded good. Just then we both heard the distinct whoop whoop sound of a helicopter. We looked up to see Rick's Air Paradise fly over. It wasn't the first time today I'd seen him. He was obviously very busy.
"That's number one on my list of things to do," I said with a wistful sigh.
"I highly recommend it," said Gabby. Her accent was different than most I'd heard so far, and I wondered where in the States she was from. "You get to see so much of the island from his helicopter. It just takes your breath away."
"It sounds amazing." It also sounded pricey, so I figured I'd be waiting a while to do it.
We'd stopped in front of the trolley, and I placed my board on to it. Gabby set her shoes down and helped me.
"Word around the resort employees is that you're new to the island."
I nodded.
"We should grab a drink at The Lava Pot one night and get to know each other before you go all island on me," she said. "I haven't been here for that long either."
"That's so nice of you," I replied. "I'd love that."
"Cool. Well, here's my card with my number on it." She pulled a business card from her shirt pocket and handed it to me. "Give me a call, and we'll organize it. And in the meantime, if any parents ask me for a recommendation for a surf instructor, I'll point them your way."
* * *
On my way home, I decided that as I'd had no luck with Kylie's husband, I would change tactics and watch Mark for a while. (I know. I know. I should focus a little bit more. And I will. I promise. Right after I find out what Mark is up to.)
It so happened that Mark was in the house when I got home from work the next day.
"Where's Mum?" I asked him, pouring myself a cup of coffee from the pot that was always brewing. Mark sat reading a newspaper. Looking at the three others in a pile under his elbow, I thought he must love current affairs.
"She's gone to visit her friend Rebecca," he said, turning the page of the Aloha Sun but watching me. "They're starting a gardening project at her house. Rita thinks it will give her a purpose until this investigation is over."
I didn't know why Mark was watching me. I was only opening the refrigerator, which was hardly riveting stuff.
"Has anybody ever told you how much you look like your mother?" he asked.
"Yes. All the time." I poured milk into my coffee, wondering what was coming next.
"You're a very beautiful girl, Samantha."
I stopped pouring and looked at him. "Thank you?" I said. Really, it came out as a question, which wasn't my intention at all.
"I watched one of your lessons today. You have quite a bit of talent, but you really do need to focus a bit more."
Yeah, I knew it. Focus! But hang on… "You were watching my lesson?" I asked, a creepy feeling running down my spine.
"Yes, if you sit on the deck outside The Lava Pot, you get a very good view of the beach. I wasn't the only one watching."
Okay, now I felt the heat creep up my neck. I crossed my fingers and hoped that Mr. Mahelona hadn't been one of those watching. Or Casey. I didn't mind if Casey watched me. In fact, quite the contrary. I just didn't want him watching me while I floundered, attempting to teach kids something I was totally underqualified to teach.
"Why?" was all I could come up with.
"Why what?"
"Why were you all watching me?"
"I was watching because I want to know what you're actually doing here. I can't vouch for the woman though."
"What do you mean?"
"Hmmm?" He put the newspaper down on the table and looked closer at me.
"What do you mean you want to know what I'm doing here?"
"Oh that. Well, you've been happily living in Sydney all these years, and suddenly you want to get back in with the family." He said all this with a smile on his face, but I felt the undertone like ice down my back.
"I've been living in Sydney because that's where I grew up. And I've moved because I lost my job and Mum asked me to move here."
Mark eyed me suspiciously. "Okay. If that's your story, then you stick to it."
I gave him my serious face and narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you mean?"
Mark picked up the paper again and turned the page. "Samantha, are you sure you're not here to find your father?" He said this looking at the paper, not at me.
"What? Oh my God! I haven't thought of Dad in years. And why would I come here to look for him? As far as I know, he's still somewhere in Australia."
"Forget I said anything. I'm just being jealous. I'd just…well, if you'd like to look at me as your dad, then I would be okay with that."
I had to give the guy the benefit of the doubt here. Maybe he was just awkward. "Alright, I'll keep it in mind. Thanks." I took a mouthful of my coffee to cover my discomfort and then spat it straight back out. Argh! "That's the worse coffee I've ever tasted!"
"Really? I thought it was delicious," said Mark, lifting his own cup to his lips. "It's just the way I like it."
I moved away into the lounge room in search of Mum's laptop computer. Two reasons: I wanted to check my bank balance and see if my first pay had gone in, and I wanted to get out of Mark's zone.
"What are you looking for?" he asked, watching me as I walked. "Maybe I can help."
"Do you know where Mum's laptop is?" I knelt down and looked under the sofa.
"The laptop?"
"Yes. Mum's laptop."
"She doesn't own a laptop."
"Yes, she does. Luke was using it the other day." Maybe I should be looking in his room for it.
"Ahh, I know the one now." Mark shifted uncomfortably, shuffling the papers on the table as he spoke. "Sorry, I haven't seen it."
As he moved, I caught a view of a sliver of silver the same color as Mum's Apple MacBook.
"Is that it under your newspaper?" I asked.
"What?" Mark's cheeks turned a bright crimson color.
I moved to him and lifted his arm, moving a newspaper aside. And sure enough, there was Mum's laptop, the underside of it warm, as though it had just been used.
Mark fidgeted, adjusting his paper unnecessarily. "I'll be damned. Had no idea it was there." He beamed at me charismatically.
I figured it was a tactic he used often and probably got away with when used on a woman Mum's age. Me? It gave me the creeps. I was about to question how a laptop—a whole laptop—could be under your newspaper and you didn't even know it, when the doorbell rang. I sighed, placing the laptop on the kitchen bench, and moved through the house. Mark followed me.
On the outside of the fly screen door, I could once again see an elderly man dressed in a
cream-colored suit two sizes too big, his beady eyes framed by his tortoiseshell glasses. He pushed them up the bridge of his hawklike nose as he shuffled his feet. Edward Fathersham, Estate Lawyer.
"Hello, Mr. Fathersham," I said politely, wondering what he wanted. Maybe there was a problem with Mum's inheritance. I figured Mark thought the same thing as he moved close behind me, his big ears flapping. "Mum's not here. Sorry."
"Oh, I'm not here for your mother. I'm looking for Luke. Would he be around, by any chance?"
"Luke? No, sorry. You should have called and saved yourself the trouble."
"Yes, but my secretary forgot to get the home phone number last time Rita visited."
"What do you want Luke for?"
"Well, it's a private matter, and I'm sure you can understand that I can't discuss that with you."
"Can you at least give me an idea? That way I can tell Luke what you're chasing him for."
"If you could just please tell him to call me at his earliest convenience, that would be appreciated."
"I will, but he has a cell phone you can contact him on if you want." I patiently rattled off Luke's number three times before Mr. Fathersham got it right, but he happily left, telling us to forget we ever saw him. He'd call Luke as soon as he got back to the office.
As if I was going to forget. I immediately pulled my phone from the pocket of my shorts and sent Luke a text message. As I was typing, I heard Mark shout out that he was going and heard the back door slam shut.
As soon as I heard his car pull out of the driveway, I went back to the laptop. I now had a third reason for wanting it. I wanted to check the browser history to see what he'd been up to. I didn't believe, for one single second, that he didn't know it was under the newspaper. Add the fact that it was warm, as if it had been running, and my suspicions just doubled.
I flipped its screen up and waited for it to light up. The laptop was pretty slow, but when prompted, I entered Mum's password (she only ever used one of three passwords for everything. It was either Luke, Samantha, or our old dog Rastas!). I got it right on the second attempt. A photo of the beach outside of the resort filled the screen. I moved the cursor to the top left of the task bar and clicked to see her browser history. The only page that had been opened today was her internet banking.
Deadly Wipeout (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Book 3) Page 12