My stomach tightened even more. "What did they say?"
Noa cleared his throat. "One of the women said she'd been there when it happened. She told the detective that Louana had threatened to make Rikki regret whatever it was she'd done to her and that she'd started tearing apart the store. Did that really happen? What did Rikki do to make her so angry?"
I bit my lip. "It was more my fault than Rikki's. Louana was upset that she gave me the store manager job. She threw this huge tantrum, and she kept raving that she was going to ruin the shop. It was kind of ridiculous." My throat felt suddenly dry. "But Rikki didn't do anything wrong," I added quickly. "Hell, she didn't even fire that psycho—Louana quit on her own. Then she stomped out of the store, and that was the last we saw of her until…" My voice trailed off as the image of the dead woman flashed through my memory again. "Until I found her body this morning," I finished, my voice barely above a whisper.
Noa swore under his breath. "I'm so sorry, Kales," he said softly, using the nickname he'd called me when we were younger.
"Thanks." I swallowed. "Did you hear Detective Ray say anything else?"
"No, but I'm afraid it gets worse," he said grimly. "I stopped by the Blue Manu Coffee House on the way home and bumped into Sara Thomas. She's a cashier at your aunt's boutique."
"Yeah, I met her yesterday," I said.
"She'd just come from the police station," Noa continued. "Detective Ray called her in to ask her some questions. He wanted to know about Rikki's work relationship with Louana, and he asked if they fought often or if she'd ever heard your aunt threaten Lou before. I think he's building a case against Rikki."
Anger flared in my belly. "That's crap!" I cried. I dropped onto the couch, my free hand balling into a fist in my lap. Not wanting Rikki to hear me from upstairs, I lowered my voice. "There's no way the police could suspect her."
Even as I said it, I knew I was wrong. I recalled the way the homicide detective had looked at my aunt earlier that morning in her office. Though Ray hadn't formally accused her, there'd been no mistaking the suspicion in his dark eyes. Everyone in the store yesterday had seen Rikki's confrontation with Louana, including Harmony, Sara, and at least a half a dozen customers. And she was murdered just a few hours later.
There were also no witnesses that could confirm that Rikki had gone only to Coconut Cove last night when she'd left the house after dinner. In the detective's eyes, that would mean she didn't have a solid alibi. I supposed it was a reasonable assumption on his part to think that she might have had something to do with the murder. Only reasonable if you don't know Rikki, I thought, biting my lip.
"Are you still there?" Noa asked. He sounded concerned.
I forced out a shaky breath. "Yes," I said softly. "You and I both know Aunt Rikki isn't capable of hurting anyone, let alone killing them." I'd known my tree-hugging, happy-go-lucky aunt my whole life, and she didn't have a violent bone in her body. Sure, I hadn't seen her often over the past few years, but she was still the same kind, generous woman she'd always been. Wasn't she?
"I know," Noa replied. "Rikki's been like my second mother since I was a kid. I don't think she had anything to do with what happened to Louana." He paused, and when he spoke again, his tone was gentle. "Listen, Kaley. If there's anything I can do to help, call me. I mean it."
"Thanks," I said, feeling a rush of sincere gratitude. "I will." Despite our falling out, we both still cared about my aunt. It meant a lot to know that if things went south, he'd have her back.
I said goodbye to Noa and set the phone back on the coffee table. Frustrated, I rose from the couch and paced around the living room. It wouldn't matter whether or not Detective Ray and his team found any hard evidence that linked Rikki to Louana Watson's murder. If word got around that she was a person of interest, it would hurt her reputation and might even cause problems for her business.
I'll be damned if I'm going to sit back and let Rikki's life be ruined, I thought stubbornly. My aunt had done so much for me—taking me in and raising me like I was her own daughter. When my marriage had crumbled, she hadn't hesitated to welcome me home and give me a new start at Happy Hula. She'd never once turned her back on me, and I wouldn't turn mine on her now. If there was a way to prove that Aunt Rikki was innocent, I was going to find it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jimmy Toki convinced the police to allow my aunt to open Happy Hula the next day, provided that he beef up security around the alley behind the store. It was still sectioned off by the yellow crime scene tape, and no one but Detective Ray's forensics team was allowed back there until they completed their investigation.
Rikki called an all-hands-on-deck staff meeting before the store opened for business. A few minutes before we opened, eight of us were gathered at the front of the sales floor. Sara Thomas stood between Rikki and me, her jet black hair pulled up in a sleek ponytail and her face free of makeup. The young woman's eyes were puffy, as if she'd been crying. She wasn't the only one. Two other employees were huddled close together near the cash register, a twentysomething salesgirl named Rose and an older cashier named Dorothy. Rose's dark face was also streaked with tears. She and Dorothy were whispering back and forth, casting nervous glances around the room.
A young man standing next to Rose placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Rikki had introduced him to me earlier as Luka Hale. He looked to be around twenty or twenty-one, with bronze skin and the dark hair and eyes of the Maoli people. Despite the acne scars that marred his cheeks, he was good-looking for his age. As I watched, Luka released his grip on Rose's shoulder and dropped his arm to his side. He bowed his head, his expression unreadable under a mop of unruly hair.
Harmony Kane was leaning against the front counter, examining her manicured fingernails. I saw her cast a suspicious glance at Rikki when she thought no one was looking. After a moment, she noticed me watching her and dropped her gaze to the floor. I frowned, thinking that if Harmony wasn't giving me the stink eye then she must be upset after all.
There was one other Happy Hula staffer in the huddle that I hadn't yet met. Rikki introduced me to Tonya Friedman, a working mother in her late thirties with strawberry blonde hair and gentle blue eyes. The woman gave me a timid smile and then moved to stand next to Harmony.
"Now that we're all here," Rikki began, commanding our attention, "I want to say a few words about our dear friend and team member Louana Watson." She stepped front and center of the little group. My aunt was wearing a knee-length black tube top dress and matching sandals. Her blue-streaked hair was pulled back in a single braid, and a gold chain necklace with a lotus flower charm hung around her neck. "Lou might not have been the easiest person to get along with, but she was a member of the Happy Hula family," she said, sweeping her gaze around the group. "I know each of you cared about her. She'll be greatly missed around here."
As Aunt Rikki talked, I studied the circle of Happy Hula staffers. These were the people who had probably spent the most time with the dead woman: her coworkers. Was it possible that one of them could have killed her?
Sara and Rose sniffled and wiped at their eyes as Rikki gave her eulogy for Lou. Tonya also grew teary-eyed and hung her head, murmuring a prayer and touching her forehead, chest, and shoulders in the sign of the cross. Even Harmony had the decency to look regretful. Only Luka seemed unaffected. He blinked a few times and then stared at the floor, his expression dispassionate. I watched the stoic young man with new interest. Was he trying to hide his emotions, or was he not upset that Louana was gone?
Rikki wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. She pushed out a breath and then forced a smile onto her face. "I do have some happy news to share," she said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "I'd like to welcome my niece, Kaley, on board as our new store manager."
Everyone in the huddle clapped, albeit halfheartedly. I tried not to take the lack of enthusiasm personally. They had just lost a coworker, after all. "Thanks, Rikki." I pasted a friendly smile on my face and looked around t
he group. "I'm excited to be working with y'all," I said, a hint of my acquired southern accent coming through.
Tonya and Sara smiled back, and Harmony rolled her eyes. "Hick," she muttered under her breath. I ignored her, my gaze flicking back to Luka. I found him watching me with his mouth set in a hard line. When our eyes met, he looked away.
Next, Rikki announced Harmony's promotion to assistant manager. There was more polite applause. Harmony soaked up the attention, preening and cupping her hand in the regal wave she'd perfected in her beauty pageant days. It was my turn to roll my eyes.
"Does anyone else have anything they'd like to discuss before we open the shop?" Rikki asked, sending her gaze around the group.
Rose stepped forward. "People around the resort are talking," she said, giving my aunt an uncertain look. "About you and Louana." Her cheeks flushed. "Then the police came to my house yesterday."
Rikki's expression abruptly changed to one of discomfort. Her eyes pinched, and her lips pressed together in a firm line. After a moment's pause, she shook her head and cleared her throat. "I'm sure that most of you were approached by Detective Ray," she said quietly. "And I've also heard the rumors around the resort that I was involved in what happened to Lou. So I'll take this opportunity to clear the air." Rikki lifted her chin and made a point to look each person in the face as she spoke, her tone more confident now. "I was just as shocked and horrified as the rest of you to learn about her death. I can assure you all that I had nothing to do with it."
"Why should we believe you?" Dorothy, the older woman, stepped forward. She placed her hands on her hips. "How do we know for sure that you didn't kill Louana?" She looked around the room. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't feel safe working for a suspected murderer. My husband thinks I should quit." The woman's gaze shifted back to Rikki, her eyes narrowed in accusation. "But if I do, are you going to kill me too?"
Rikki looked as if she'd been slapped. Her face crumpled, and she took a step back. She swallowed and took a calming breath. "Dorothy, if you don't want to work here anymore, I won't make you stay," she said, her voice strained. "You can come back and pick up your last paycheck on Wednesday, or I can mail it to you."
Dorothy unpinned her name badge from her blouse and set it on the counter. She sniffed. "Mail it," she said. Everyone turned to watch her tight white curls bob out the door.
Rikki's shoulders slumped in resignation. "Anyone else?" she asked, casting a weary gaze across the cluster of remaining employees. No one so much as moved a muscle. Not even Harmony, though I personally thought that her departure would be a blessing. When it was clear that nobody else was going to come forward, Rikki straightened. "All right then," she said with a cheeriness that sounded forced. "Time to open up shop." She dismissed our little group from the huddle and walked briskly toward her office.
Tonya, who was off that day, said her goodbyes before leaving the boutique. Harmony also took off, bragging that she was going to celebrate her promotion by treating herself to a manicure before her shift started at noon. Sara held open the door for the two women and then flipped the sign in the front window from CLOSED to OPEN.
News of the murder behind the boutique brought in a crowd of curious resort guests. Business was steady throughout the day, with a throng of shoppers milling around the store. A lot of people were only interested in probing the employees for gruesome details about the killing. I began to wish we'd asked Tonya to stay and pick up an extra shift to accommodate the high traffic. I helped Rose assist customers in the dressing room and on the sales floor until Harmony returned at noon. Then I joined Rikki in her office to learn her sales reporting system.
"I'm sorry Dorothy quit," I said when we were alone in her office. I quirked my lips. "If you ask me, she seemed a bit senile. We're probably better off without her."
Rikki grimaced. "I was kind of expecting it," she replied. She shook her head, her expression downcast. "I'm surprised we didn't lose more staff. No one wants to work for an alleged murderer." She sighed. "They probably all think I'm a raving hehena." She swirled her index finger next to her temple a few times.
I frowned. "They don't think you're a lunatic," I told her. "This whole thing just strikes too close to home. Someone killed Louana a few hundred yards from where you're sitting. The staff is just scared, that's all." I chewed my lip. "They have a right to be." I perched on the chair beside Rikki and let her lean her head on my shoulder, the way she'd done for me when I was upset as a child. "The police will catch the real killer, Rik," I said reassuringly. "And when people start to feel safe again, things will go back to normal."
Rikki patted my hand. "Thank you. I needed to hear that." She raised her head and met my gaze with misty eyes. "You're laki hōkū, Kaley. My lucky star. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here right now."
She'd lost two employees and had been accused of murder in the two days since I'd arrived. I wouldn't call that lucky, I thought. "Oh, I think you'd manage," I said, offering her a wry smile.
When we were finished running sales reports, Rikki gave me a tour of the stockroom. "We just got these in from a local designer, Sage McKinnon." She gestured to an open box on one of the shelves. "Sage and I are good friends, and she designed these blouses exclusively for the boutique." Rikki beamed. "You can't even buy them on her website."
I opened the box and pulled out the blouse on the top of the stack. "These are fabulous!" I gushed, examining the teal floral pattern. I held the silky top against my chest to see how it would look with my skin tone. As I did, a button popped off and rolled across the storage room floor. The thread around the button hole began to unravel. I let out a mortified squeak. "I am so sorry," I cried, dropping the shirt back into the box and stooping to retrieve the loose button.
"'A'ole pilikia," Rikki said, joining me on all fours in my search for the button. "It's no problem, really." She stooped next to a shelf of surplus sarongs and boxes of flip-flops, reaching underneath to retrieve it. "Sara's a whiz with a needle and thread. She keeps a sewing kit under the front counter," she explained. "I'll take it up front and have her put the button back on." Rikki glanced up as Luka ambled toward us from across the stockroom. "Luka, can you please show Kaley where we keep the extra coat hangers and the price sticker guns? I'd like to move these shirts out to the sales floor as soon as possible."
"Yes, Miss Rikki," Luka replied in his smooth baritone voice. He motioned for me to follow him past the rows of stacked boxes as my aunt carried the blouse to the front of the store to be mended.
My mind did a little victory dance. I'd been hoping for a chance to speak to Luka alone after witnessing his peculiar stoicism during the staff meeting. Now was the perfect opportunity to see if he had an alibi for Saturday night. "So how long have you worked at Happy Hula?" I asked him casually.
"About two months." Luka sidestepped around a stack of boxes. "It's just a summer gig while I'm home from college."
"Cool. The resort is a great place to spend the summer," I said. "There's so much to do here. Have you been to one of the luaus at the Ramada Pier yet?" Though the nightly events quickly sold out, resort employees could buy discounted tickets. Rikki had taken me to the large feasts several times when I was younger. I'd filled my plate high with poi and pineapple and sneaked sips of Rikki's rum punch as we'd watched performances by local musicians and hula dancers.
"Yeah." Luka grinned, showing off the gap between his two front teeth. "My brah Kimo and I like to go to the luaus when we can get extra tickets. The Aloha Lagoon Hula Wahines are superhot, and we get to flirt with the girls from the mainland that are staying at the resort." He puffed out his chest. "Those tourist chicks just can't get enough of us."
"I'm sure the ladies love you," I agreed, humoring him. "Did you and Kimo go to the luau this past Saturday?" If he'd been at the resort after the boutique had closed for the day, he might have been nearby at the time that Louana had been killed. Even if he hadn't been involved, maybe he'd seen something.
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"Kimo didn't go," Luka replied. "He had food poisoning from his sister's mahi mahi paella." He grimaced. "Brah was spewing out both ends."
I cringed, thinking I could've done without that mental image. "So you went to the luau by yourself?"
Luka nodded. He turned his back on me and began rummaging through the box of coat hangers. "I dropped by and had the buffet dinner," he said. "Didn't stay long."
"Why not?" I asked. When he lifted a questioning eyebrow, I added, "I just remember the luaus being so much fun. Steel drum bands, ukulele players, the hula dancers… Do Benny and the Wahines still perform?"
Luka nodded. "They do, but I've seen the luau shows a dozen times, so I ducked out early." He looked away, which only fueled my curiosity. "You ask a lot of questions," he said in a flat tone.
My cheeks warmed. "Just making small talk," I said brightly. It seemed if I was going to get him to open up to me, I'd have to change tactics. I picked up one of the price tag guns, noticing a small label affixed to its case. The sticker had Louana's name printed on it. Perfect. "Lou labeled her own work equipment?" I asked, tapping the sticker to bring it to his attention. "Doesn't this belong to the shop?"
Luka made a face. "She was really possessive," he said. "She insisted on having equipment that only she could use—but she didn't label stuff. She made me do it for her." Something flashed behind his eyes, but it was gone before I could identify it.
I scrunched my nose. "Why, though? It seems kind of silly."
"Because that's just how she was." He scowled. "Lou was a control freak. If you didn't do things her way, then she'd make your life hell."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, studying him closely.
The young man's frown deepened. "She just had a way of making people do what she wanted them to."
Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 24