"You don't have to answer her questions." Jamie shot Felicity a dirty look as she stepped protectively in front of me. "Kaley's been through enough without having to deal with nosy newshounds like you," she said angrily. "Get out of her face."
"I'm just trying to find out the truth." Felicity sidestepped around Jamie. She pushed her sunglasses atop her head and met my gaze with calculating green eyes. "Come on. Don't you want to set the story straight?" she pressed. The reporter's lips curled. "The word all over town is that your aunt killed the poor woman."
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from yelling at her. She was trying to goad me into saying something she could print, and I knew it. I'd dealt with a hundred others like her over the past five years. I wasn't going to let her get to me. "No comment," I said frostily.
My answer didn't deter the reporter in the slightest. "What about you?" she asked. Her eyes narrowed. "The ex-wife of a hotshot NFL star moves back to the island in the wake of a whirlwind divorce, and one of her new coworkers is murdered just a few hours later." She smirked. "Sounds a bit like an episode of Snapped." Felicity licked her lips. "You can understand why my readers will want to know if there's a connection."
Her accusation made me see red. I wanted to rip the woman's fake pearl earrings right out of her lobes. Instead, I took a calming breath. Now that I was home, I'd been hoping to fly under the media radar until some other scandal replaced my divorce as the flavor of the month. Maybe another steroid bust or a quarterback with a DUI. If I blew up at her, she'd probably print some scathing article about how I'd gone off the deep end after my split from Bryan. "No comment," I said again, this time through teeth clenched so hard that I nearly cracked a molar.
"There's gonna be a connection between my fist and your face if you don't leave right now," Jamie warned. She glared at Felicity. "Why don't you find someone else to torment for your stupid gossip column?"
The other woman's grin faded. "It's not gossip," she said defensively. "I only report real news." Felicity flashed me a friendly smile, apparently changing tactics. "You know, if you want to give your side of the story, my readers would love to hear it. Remember Tiger Woods' sex scandal several years ago?" Her green eyes shone with excitement. "The whole world sided with his ex-wife. Now it's your turn. You can trash your cheating hubby as much as you want, and the public will adore you. I might even be able to talk my editor into bumping it up to the front page." Her mouth twitched. "Plus, it'll be therapeutic. Get all those feelings out in the open, and you'll feel better."
My patience hit its limit. I scowled at her. "Wow, you're really desperate for a headline, aren't you? I moved here to get away from people like you." I grabbed Jamie's arm. "Let's go."
"Call me if you change your mind," Felicity yelled after me. "My number's listed on the Aloha Sun website."
"Not gonna happen," I muttered. There wasn't a chance in hell that I'd be calling her. I'd already had to change my own phone number to stop reporters like her from harassing me at all hours. I held my breath as I watched Felicity return to her car, and I didn't exhale until she'd driven away. "That was close," I said, feeling the tension drain out of me. "I was worried she'd spot Aunt Rikki and go after her next."
Jamie made a not-so-ladylike gesture in the direction of the reporter's disappearing taillights. "Don't let her get to you," she said, rolling her eyes. "I've seen that woman around the island. Felicity Chase is nothin' but a piece of tabloid trash posing as a serious journalist. She's always skulking around the resort, trying to dig up something she can report. I heard that when Jennifer Lawrence stayed here last month, Felicity went into full stalker mode. Resort security told her that if they caught her on the property again, she'd be arrested."
"Thanks for having my back," I said, giving her a grateful smile.
Jamie shrugged. "Sure. What are friends for?" Her forehead wrinkled. "I'm sorry she said all that stuff about you and your aunt." Her eyes shone with sympathy. "Rikki's a really sweet woman. If there's anything I can do to help…" Her voice trailed off.
"I appreciate you saying that," I said softly. A thought pushed its way to the forefront of my mind. Maybe she really could help me. "You wouldn't happen to know a woman by the name of Erin Malone, would you?" I arched a brow at Jamie.
She frowned. "Doesn't ring a bell."
My head drooped. "That's too bad. I really need to talk to her. She might know something that could help clear Rikki's name." I decided to leave out the fact that she might be Lou's real killer.
Thankfully, Jamie didn't ask questions—but she did whip out her cell phone. After tapping at the screen for a few moments, she looked up at me, her lips spread in a wide grin. "She lives in an apartment complex about three miles from here," she said.
"You found her address?"
"I'm about ninety-nine percent sure," she admitted. "I just searched the web for an Erin Malone in Aloha Lagoon, and only one result popped up." She opened the driver's-side door and climbed into the car. "Hop in." Jamie motioned to the passenger seat.
I chewed my lip. "You're not thinking of driving over there?" I asked as I fastened my seat belt. I'd promised Noa that I'd call him before I went after another potential murderer. If he was still the late sleeper that he'd been when we were younger, I doubted he was awake yet.
Jamie shrugged. "Why not? It's only a mile past your aunt's place, and I've got plenty of time for a quick drive by. Couldn't hurt, right?"
"I guess not." Though Noa wasn't around, it wasn't like I would be approaching Erin alone. Plus, for all I knew, we might not even have the right person. "All right." I grinned at Jamie. "Just a quick trip past her apartment, and then you can drop me at home." After all, I had to get ready for work, myself.
"Deal." She pulled onto the road, heading in the direction of Erin Malone's apartment. Within a few minutes, we'd reached Sunset Tower, a cream-colored high-rise building on a gated beachfront lot. Jamie pulled up to the little security shack at the parking lot entrance, and a uniformed officer stepped out.
"Who are you here to see?" he asked when Jamie rolled down the driver's-side window.
"Erin Malone," she replied breezily.
The man checked the clipboard in his hand. "What apartment number?"
"12-B."
"Your name?"
"Kaley Kalua," I piped up, leaning across Jamie toward the window. There was no harm in giving him my name. After all, I just wanted to talk to Erin. That wasn't a crime.
The security guard scribbled on his clipboard and then returned to his little thatch-roof shack. Jamie and I watched as he picked up a phone and mashed several buttons. After a few moments, he hung up and returned to Jamie's car. "Sorry. She's not answering, and we can't let guests onto the property without obtaining permission from the resident."
"Oh." I slumped back against my seat, feeling disappointed.
"Thanks anyway," Jamie told the man before putting her car in reverse, forcing the Mercedes waiting behind us to back up and let her out of the lane.
"Well, that was a bust," I said glumly as Jamie navigated the Chevy Malibu back onto the road.
"Cheer up, buttercup," she said, giving me a sidelong glance. "We can always come back later." She grinned. "Hey, what are you doing tonight after work?"
I shrugged. "No plans to speak of." I was sure that whatever I wound up doing would revolve around trying to track down Erin Malone.
She winked. "Why don't we grab drinks at the pool bar? My buddy Timo is working there tonight," she added, giving me a sly look. "And I think you'll want to meet him. He knows practically everyone on the island, and he's always got the scoop on the latest resort gossip."
I felt a genuine smile tug at my lips. Timo might be able to help me get in touch with Erin. Or maybe he'd have some information about Marco or Luka. If he was the best source for resort gossip, then he was someone I needed to talk to. The fact that Noa was lifeguarding at the pool that evening might have also factored into my decision—but only by a little.<
br />
"I like the way you think," I said, grinning at Jamie. "Let's have a girls' night."
CHAPTER EIGHT
When we reached Rikki's house, I thanked Jamie for the ride and hauled my sweaty self inside, making a beeline for the shower. My aunt was already dressed when I emerged with my damp hair wrapped in a towel. I finished getting ready for work while she made breakfast, and after scarfing down two pieces each of avocado toast, we sped toward the resort on her eggplant-colored scooter.
I spent the morning on the sales floor, assisting a handful of customers, checking our inventory, and making notes on garments we needed to restock. In the afternoon, I returned to Rikki's office, where we reviewed clothing catalogs from the vendors that she worked with. It was by far the most fun part of my new job, browsing the swimsuit and dress collections and the upcoming fall lines from some of my favorite designers. Rikki showed me where to access the store's merchandise budget and allowed me to order a shipment each of two new pieces to stock the following month. I chose a cute pink A-line dress and a short-sleeved floral shift dress, both from Liz Claiborne's new island-themed collection.
"Those are gorgeous," gushed a cheery voice at the door. I turned to look over my shoulder and found Sara standing in the entrance to Rikki's office. She gestured to the screen of the laptop in front of me. "Please tell me you're ordering that flowery dress. Is that Liz Claiborne?"
Rikki beamed proudly. "Kaley picked that out. The new shipment should arrive in about two weeks."
"I love it!" Sara pumped her fist in the air. "I'll definitely be snagging one when they come in." She shifted her gaze to Rikki. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know Tonya just got here to relieve me, so I'm headed out for the day."
"Thanks." Rikki smiled at her. "Enjoy your afternoon."
Sara gave us a little wave before turning and fluttering back down the hallway toward the front of the shop.
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly four, and my shift was ending too. "I think I'm going to hang around the resort until I meet up for drinks with Jamie later," I told Rikki. "She's going to give me a ride home. I should be back before dinner."
My aunt stretched her arms over her head, yawning. "What do you think of having takeout tonight? I'm not really in the mood to cook," she said. She rubbed her flat tummy. "I've been craving some pineapple fried rice from Sir Spamalot's. If Jamie doesn't mind taking you by there to pick up some food, I'll buy you both dinner and she can join us." She reached for her wallet, but I waved her off.
"My treat this time," I said. "You've done more than enough for me in the past few days—or, rather, the past fifteen years."
"And I would do it all again in a heartbeat." She planted a kiss on my cheek. "You go ahead and get out of here." She shooed me toward the door. "Have fun."
I removed my name tag and shoved it in my purse. I was heading toward the restroom when Harmony stepped in front of me, blocking my path. I'd managed to avoid her since she'd arrived for her shift, but now there was no escape.
She leaned toward me, red-faced and furious. "The little stunt you pulled last night at Beachcomber's was not cool," she growled. "That top was Versace. You could have ruined it."
I took a step back from her. "Accidents happen." I shrugged. "And it looked to me like it washed out just fine."
"You're lucky it did." She clenched her jaw and stepped forward, invading my personal space again. "And another thing," she said, poking my chest with her index finger. "I don't care about whatever unrequited-love crap that happened between you and Noa Kahele when we were in school. He's off limits to you now."
"Um, excuse me?" I felt my face grow hot. "Noa's his own person. He can talk to whomever he wants." I'd had to tell myself the same thing when he'd been friendly with her the night before. I squinted at Harmony. "It's not like you're dating him." There might have been a hint of a question in my voice.
Harmony stuck out her chin. "Not yet," she said, staring down her nose at me. "But it's only a matter of time. This is a small island—all the single men are being snatched up faster than your ex during the NFL draft. But just because he dropped you like a bad pass doesn't mean you can show up on the island thinking you've got a shot with Noa—because he's mine." She fluffed her hair, her expression smug. "His taste in women sure has improved a lot since you two were friends."
"Whatever you say." I rolled my eyes. I brushed past Harmony and made my way to the restroom to throw on the new designer bathing suit I'd bought on my lunch break. She's delusional, I thought. Harmony couldn't keep me from being friends with Noa any more than I could keep her from throwing herself at him. The fact that she was suddenly so into him irked me. In my opinion, Noa was a total catch, but Harmony had always been cruel to him in high school. Now that he'd grown up to have the body of a surfer god and the face of a Hollywood A-lister, she was starting to show interest. That just went to show that Harmony was only after him for his looks. Noa deserved someone who saw him as more than just a new piece of arm candy.
I slipped into the black and white striped bikini and tied my new scarlet sarong around my waist. Thank goodness for the employee discount, I thought, removing the price tags from my new outfit. I stashed my work clothes in my oversized purse and hurried out the front door, excited for the chance to relax by the pool for a couple of hours and work on my tan.
Unfortunately, several dozen guests had the same idea for how to spend their afternoon. The pool area was so crowded that I couldn't find a place to settle in. The hot afternoon sun beat down on my back as I edged my way through a crowd of sunscreen-lathered tourists and their screaming kids.
So much for working on my tan, I thought moodily. I considered grabbing a towel and hitting the beach, but I didn't want to be covered in sand when I met up with Jamie for happy hour. Instead, I continued to scan the pool area for an empty seat. Spying a free chair in a shaded corner of the patio, I wedged my way through the crowd. I set down my purse on the little seat and removed the sarong from around my waist, retying it around my neck so that the garment was draped over me like a halter dress. I pulled my bag into my lap as I sank down into the lounger.
Noa was perched on the lifeguard chair across the patio, elevated high enough to oversee the entire pool area. His bronze skin glistened with moisture, and his hair was wet, as if he'd just climbed out of the water. He moved his head from side to side as he surveyed the patio. I tried to contain my drooling as I lifted my hand to wave. Noa's gaze settled on me, and he waved back. Then he pressed his thumb to his ear and his pinky to his lips.
I squinted at him in confusion. Call me? It certainly looked like the hand gesture for a cell phone, though I was pretty sure he couldn't take calls during his shift. Plus, if Noa had something to say to me, he could just climb down from that oversized chair and walk over to tell me in person.
When I shrugged, he made the hand gesture again and pointed to my purse. Frowning, I rifled around inside the bag until I found my phone. Oh. Duh. I had a text from him. He must have sent it while I was still at work. I clicked on the blinking icon and read his message: Found Erin Malone's info as promised. Here are her address and phone number.
The address in Noa's text was the same one that Jamie and I had already visited that morning. I read the phone number he'd typed below it. If I couldn't get past security at Erin's gated apartment complex, at least I could try calling her.
I gave Noa a thumbs-up and then dialed the number from his text message. After three rings, the call went to voicemail. "You've reached Erin's phone," said a youthful, feminine voice. "I can't take your call right now, but if you leave a message, I'll get back to you." The recorded clip ended with a high-pitched beep.
"Er, hi, Erin," I stammered, realizing I should have worked out a plan before placing the call. I looked at Noa as I fumbled for what to say to the woman's machine. He'd turned his attention to a pair of kids who were running near the edge of the pool. I can't hang up now, I thought. But I couldn't exactly tell he
r that I was calling to question her about a murder either. What could I say that would make her want to call me back? I flicked a glance across the courtyard, and my gaze settled on the Happy Hula sign above the shop's awning. It gave me an idea.
"Hi, Erin. This is Kaley calling from the Happy Hula Dress Boutique," I said, using my cheeriest customer service voice. "I have some good news. We recently partnered with Sunset Tower to give away a free charm bracelet to one lucky resident, and your name was drawn as our lucky winner. Congratulations!" It was a terrible lie, but it was the first thing that popped into my head, so I rolled with it. The high-rise apartment building had hundreds of residents, which I imagined kept their staff quite busy. Everyone loved winning something for free, and I hoped that Erin would be so excited that she wouldn't think to ask the front office at Sunset Tower if they'd actually hosted the contest.
"Please drop by the Happy Hula Dress Boutique any day this week between the hours of eight and four to pick up your bracelet," I continued. "We're located in the merchant village in the main courtyard of the Aloha Lagoon Resort. Be sure to ask for Kaley." I quickly ended the call and exhaled a long breath, sagging against the little patio chair.
Not my finest work, I thought, wiping a bead of sweat off my brow. But quick thinking, at least. I'd have to wait and see if Erin actually called me back or showed up to the boutique. And in the meantime, I'd meet up with Jamie for happy hour drinks, as planned. Maybe her friend, Timo, the all-knowing bartender, would be able to give me the scoop on Miss Malone.
With an hour and a half to kill until Jamie arrived, I pulled up the e-reader app on my phone and skimmed a James Patterson novel, resisting the urge to sneak the occasional peek in Noa's direction.
Evening settled over the resort, signaling the end of the family-friendly pool atmosphere. Parents and their children began to trickle out of the patio area, making their way to dinner or heading back to their rooms. Someone turned up the volume on the pool speakers, and an island pop song blared around me as happy hour began at the little tiki bar.
Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 28