Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9)

by Leslie Langtry

  But Rikki would never scam her customers on purpose, I thought, biting my lip. Could Harmony be replacing the real pieces with cheap knockoffs? I grasped the dress's apparel label in my hand, feeling around the seams. My gut clenched. The tiniest fragment of the original tag was still there. Someone had replaced it with an authentic-looking Donna Karen label. Aside from those few small fibers, whoever had sewn the new tag into place had done a virtually flawless job.

  Wait a minute. Another memory shot to the surface. I pictured the Sage McKinnon blouse with its popped button, and my throat went dry. There was someone else at Happy Hula who could have pulled this off, and it wasn't Harmony Kane.

  No sooner had the realization struck me than the door to the stockroom opened. "Kaley?" called a woman's voice. "Are you back here?"

  I gulped. I had nowhere to hide as Sara Thomas stepped into the room. Her gaze roved over the dress in my hand, coming to rest on the counterfeit Donna Karan tag. Sara swallowed, and her nostrils flared ever so slightly. Then her eyes snapped to my face. "So you really did figure it out, huh?" she asked, her tone suddenly bitter. Glaring, she stalked toward me. I gasped at the sight of the box cutter gripped tightly in her hand.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  "You really should stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong." Sara's dark eyes gleamed with hatred. "You've been a pain in my ass ever since you showed up."

  Terror clawed at me as I pressed my back against the wall. She had me cornered. "You killed Louana," I said, fighting to keep my voice from shaking.

  Sara sighed, and for a just a moment, she looked like an innocent, frightened young woman. "I didn't want it to come to this, you know," she said, chewing her lower lip. "But Lou was blackmailing me. She found my website, and when she caught me stealing from the stockroom one night after work, she figured out what was going on. I had to pay her a cut of my profits each month in exchange for her silence. When she quit her job, she demanded even more money, so I killed her." She sucked in a breath and then pushed it back out. "After Lou was gone, I just wanted to keep my head down and wait for the whole mess to blow over. The cops were looking at Rikki. They didn't have any reason to come after me." She lifted her eyes to meet mine, and her lips peeled back in an ugly sneer. "But then you had to go and butt in." Sara gritted her teeth. "I wish you'd never come back to the island."

  "So what now?" I asked, stalling. "You're going to kill me, too? How are you going to explain that to the police?"

  Sara glowered at me. "I wouldn't have to do this if you'd stayed after Marco like you were supposed to—but since I don't really have a choice but to get rid of you now, I'll have to improvise." Her forehead bunched, and her expression turning thoughtful. "I could tell them you snapped. Maybe you're just as crazy as your kooky aunt," she said.

  "What about the customers out on the sales floor?" If I yelled, there had to be someone out front who would hear me and come help. "Or Rose? And didn't Tonya just arrive to take over the register while you're on lunch?" I lifted my chin. "Someone could come back here any minute. You wouldn't kill me with so many potential witnesses."

  The young cashier grinned. "You're right—I wouldn't. Too bad for you that we closed the boutique early today."

  My confusion must have shown on my face, because Sara's wicked smile widened.

  "As soon as I heard you telling Noa that you knew who Louana's killer was, I knew I had to get you alone. So I told Tonya and Rose that you wanted to close the shop early so that you and I could roll out the rest of the inventory for the Fourth of July weekend sale." Her dark eyes glittered. "There's nobody else in the store. It's just the two of us."

  Fear knifed through me. I'd been right. Someone had been listening at Rikki's office door when I'd called Noa. Sara didn't know I'd been referring to Harmony. She'd only heard me tell him that I had a new theory about who the killer was. That, and I had mentioned the name of the website I'd found. She'd called it her shop. Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. "You've been stealing the real designer clothes from Happy Hula and selling them on the Island Fashionista site," I guessed.

  Sara smirked. "I told you I wanted to run my own fashion empire someday," she said, her tone smug. "This is just the first step. I needed some quick cash to afford better materials for my own designs. I found an overseas supplier that gives me a great deal on cheap fabric. And we both know I'm a hell of a seamstress, so it wasn't hard to deconstruct a couple of pieces and figure out how to duplicate them." Sara lifted her chin, looking pleased with herself.

  My mouth went dry. There was still so much I didn't know, like why Sara had hurt Luka and why she'd thrown the rock through Rikki's window last night when I hadn't given her any reason to think I'd suspected her—because at the time, I hadn't. None of that's important now, I thought. I'd worry about getting answers if I made it out before Sara decided to finish me off. I darted a glance around the stockroom, wondering if I could sprint past her. Sara was petite and nearly half a foot shorter than I was, but she was also crazy—and she had nothing to lose. She would do whatever it took to keep me from leaving that stockroom alive.

  A loud buzzing sound came to my rescue. The phone in my dress pocket was ringing loudly. The unexpected noise caused Sara to jump and swivel her head from side to side, searching for the source. It was just the distraction I needed. I lunged forward, tucking my head down like a football player. In a move that would have made my ex-husband proud, I charged straight into Sara's midsection. She cried out in surprise, pinwheeling her arms as she staggered backward.

  I wasted no time running toward the door. Unfortunately, Sara regained her footing and was practically on my heels. I pushed boxes and spare clothing racks over as I ran, attempting to block her path, but they weren't enough to slow her down. I frantically pulled my ringing cell from my pocket as I ran. The call was from Noa. "Help!" I screamed into the phone.

  I looked back over my shoulder in time to see Sara clear a pile of fallen mannequins like an Olympic hurdler. She lashed out with the box cutter as she lunged toward me, bringing it down on my left shoulder.

  My thoughts broke apart, red hot agony flaring in my arm as the blade sliced through muscle. My phone dropped to the floor. I howled in pain and jerked sideways, trying to pull away. Sara lost her grip on the box cutter. It fell from my shoulder, sending a spray of blood through the air as it clattered to the floor.

  Sara and I both dove for the weapon at the same time. We grappled on the stockroom floor, fighting for control of the blade. For such a tiny girl, she was incredibly strong—and furious. "I hate you!" she screamed as she ripped out a clump of my hair.

  Fighting through the pain, I used my good arm to block Sara's blows. I rolled over onto my stomach and jerked my elbow back as hard as I could. There was a nasty crunching sound as it connected with Sara's nose. Shrieking, she staggered backward. With my assailant momentarily preoccupied, I searched the floor for my phone. In all the chaos, we'd knocked it underneath one of the shelves. It was too far away for me to reach. I struggled to my feet, preparing to run again, when Sara rushed at me from behind. Her nails dug into my skin as she pulled me toward her.

  I clenched my teeth, struggling to wrench free from Sara's grasp. With a grunt, she shoved me back down to the floor. I tried to push myself up with my good elbow only to fall again when my hand slipped in a puddle of my own blood. I rolled onto my back, groaning in pain as my shoulder continued to throb.

  Sara drove her knee into my chest, pinning me down. She reached up to grab something off one of the clothing racks. Before I could pull free, Sara wrapped the garment around my neck. I caught a glimpse of something black with white polka dots before she pulled the fabric tight, cutting off my air supply. It was one of our new Kate Spade bikinis. I tore at the stringy bathing suit top, desperately trying to break free, but it was no use. I'd lost a lot of blood, and my oxygen-starved lungs were burning in my chest. Strength waning, I stared helplessly up at Sara. Her nose was gushing blood, but the loo
k of mad triumph on her face was unmistakable. She'd won, and she knew it. Sara yanked the fabric even harder, and my vision began to blur.

  This is it. I'm going to die. I thought of Aunt Rikki, still sitting in the Aloha Lagoon jail. And Noa… My heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again. Then a curtain of black fell over everything, and I felt my body go limp.

  A dull crack sounded somewhere above me. There was a grunt, and I dimly perceived a heavy weight rolling off of my chest. The bathing suit top loosened around my neck. I choked and sputtered as oxygen rushed back into my lungs. My vision slowly returned, and I rolled over on my side, sucking in mouthfuls of sweet, precious air. Using my good arm, I pushed myself into a seated position and gaped up at my unlikely savior.

  Harmony Kane stood over Sara's motionless body, gripping a plaster mannequin leg high over her head with both hands. Her brown hair was disheveled, and I could see the whites of her eyes. Chest heaving, she stared down at the slumped form on the stockroom floor beside me. "Is she dead?" she asked, her voice frantic. "Ohmigod—did I kill her?"

  I gingerly shifted positions so that I was facing Sara. The young woman's dark hair hid her pale face. There was a large gash on the back of her head, and I couldn't tell if the blood pooling between us was hers or mine. "I'm not sure," I croaked, wincing at the pain caused by trying to talk. I lifted a hand to my throat, which was sore to the touch. It was definitely going to bruise. Squinting at Sara, I could see the faint rise and fall of her chest. She wasn't dead, only unconscious. "She's breathing." I turned to gape up at Harmony. "What are you doing here?"

  Harmony's posture eased, and her shoulders sagged with relief. She lowered her arms and dropped the mannequin leg to the floor. For once, she was neither rude nor sarcastic. "I forgot my purse, so I had to come back. The front door was locked. Lucky for you that Rikki gave me a set of shop keys. They were in my pocket." She met my gaze, and I noted that her normally bronze complexion had lightened several shades. "The stockroom door was open. I heard everything Sara said." Harmony gulped. "She murdered Louana," she said, shaking her head. "I never would have thought she had it in her."

  I blinked at Harmony, still not quite believing that she'd actually come to my rescue. "You saved my life."

  "Well, duh." She helped me to my feet. "I may not like you, but I'm not a monster." She was beginning to sound like her usual self again.

  I wrinkled my brow. "I thought it was you," I admitted, coughing when pain flared in my throat. "I thought you were stealing from the shop. All those garment bags—" My words cut off as another coughing fit came on.

  Harmony's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't stealing," she said defensively. "Those were my old dresses from beauty pageants and a few other events. I brought them to the resort because Summer arranged for the laundry staff to dry clean them for me."

  "What for?" I didn't understand why she would need to have the dresses professionally cleaned if she hadn't worn them in years. Was she going to try to reenter the beauty pageant circuit?

  Harmony's face crumpled. "Because I'm broke," she wailed. She hung her head, looking ashamed. Harmony avoided my gaze as she spoke in a shrill whisper. "My father filed for bankruptcy last month. I've racked up a ton of credit card debt in my own name over the years, and now he can't bail me out." Her nose crinkled in disdain. "I'm poor," she said, making poor sound as if it were a dirty word.

  I stared at her. "So you're selling your old dresses?"

  "Not exactly." Harmony lifted her chin and seemed to compose herself. "I needed a quick way to make some extra cash, so I asked Noa to build a website for me. I'm renting out all my old evening wear for dances and special events. That way I don't have to part with them, and I have a second source of income." She dropped her gaze to the floor. "Kaley, I know I haven't treated you well over the years, but if you could keep the whole finance thing between us, I'd really appreciate it."

  "Done." I nodded. Just an hour ago, hearing something so salacious about spoiled Harmony Kane would have made my day. Considering she'd just saved my life though, I was less inclined to revel in her misery. "I'm sorry, Harm," I croaked. The burning pain in my throat was making it harder to push out the words, but I managed. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." I took a step toward the door and wobbled on my feet, the combination of blood loss and oxygen deprivation making my legs feel like a pair of wet noodles.

  Harmony slipped her arm around my waist and helped me out of the stockroom. We emerged from the back hallway just as the police burst into the store. Detective Ray and three uniformed officers fanned out as they rushed toward us. Noa and Jimmy Toki were right behind them. Seeing Noa galvanized me. Feeling a renewed sense of strength, I broke away from Harmony and limped toward him as fast as I could.

  "Kaley!" he cried, closing the gap between us. His face was pale. "I came back to the resort as soon as I got your message. When you answered your phone, it sounded like…" He shuddered, and his face twisted in a look of anguish. "I called the police." Noa wrapped his arms around me, and I yelped in pain as he touched my wounded shoulder. He immediately released me and stepped back, taking in my blood-soaked clothes. "Are you hurt?"

  "I'll be fine," I rasped. "But Harmony didn't—"

  A shriek pierced the air, and I whirled in time to see Detective Ray and his men swarm around Harmony, their guns drawn. She threw her hands up in the air and dropped to her knees. "I didn't do anything," she protested, her shoulders trembling.

  "Stop!" Pain surged in my throat. The yell sapped most of my remaining strength, but it got Detective Ray's attention. He turned to look at me, his head cocked in question. "It wasn't her," I wheezed. My knees buckled, and Noa caught me before I collapsed.

  "It was Sara Thomas," Harmony agreed. "She was trying to kill Kaley, but I knocked her out. She's in the stockroom." Harm made a frightened squeak when the detective and his men turned back to her. "Can you put the guns down now, please?" she asked, her voice an octave higher than usual.

  "Sorry." Detective Ray motioned for his team to lower their weapons. The men filed toward the rear of the store to detain Sara.

  "Are you all right?" Jimmy asked, walking over to Harmony. The beefy security guard offered her his hand.

  She jerked away from him and shakily climbed to her feet. It looked as if all the blood had drained from Harmony's face. "Kaley," she warbled, teetering on unsteady legs. "Tell Rikki that I quit." Her eyes rolled back in their sockets, and she fainted.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  An ambulance arrived at the resort to take Sara and me to the hospital in Lihue. Harmony was examined when she came to, but she was cleared to go home as soon as she finished giving the police her statement. I needed stitches in my left shoulder, and Harm had whacked Sara so hard that, in addition to a broken nose (courtesy of yours truly), she also had a concussion.

  When she regained consciousness, Sara confessed to murdering Louana Watson to cover up her counterfeit fashion operation. She'd been scamming Happy Hula for a couple of months, stealing authentic designer pieces whenever she could. She'd sold the clothes on her own website and had replaced them with the knockoffs she'd created in her apartment using cheap materials she'd ordered from China.

  Just as she'd told me, Sara confirmed that Louana had caught her red-handed one night when she was swiping new pieces for her online shop. Lou had taken payment in exchange for her silence, but on the night she'd been murdered, she'd asked Sara to meet her in the shop after it closed. Sara had been the one to use the access road that Noa and I had discovered, meeting Louana in the back alley because she didn't have her own copy of the shop keys.

  Having quit her job, Louana had decided to demand a larger cut of the profits. She and the thieving cashier had argued, and it had turned physical. Sara claimed that Louana had rushed at her. In a panic, she had strangled the other woman and had then fled the scene, leaving behind all the clothes Lou had gathered for her.

  When it had become clear that the police suspected Aunt Ri
kki of committing the crime, Sara had thought she was off the hook. Then she'd noticed that I'd been asking a lot of questions. Realizing that I was trying to find Louana's real killer, she had panicked and tried to throw me off her trail by sending me after Marco Rossini.

  Though her plan to distract me had worked, Sara had still run into trouble. With Louana out of the picture, she had thought she could continue her shady operation and keep all of the profits for herself. Unfortunately for her, Luka had caught her in the stockroom, stuffing several garments into her bag. When bribing him didn't work, she'd decided to play dirty. Luka had once confided in her about how Louana had been blackmailing him, and she'd used it to her advantage. Sara had told Luka that if he blabbed about her theft, she'd tell the police about his situation with Lou to throw suspicion on him. Then she'd told me about Luka's plight, figuring if he did cave and approach me about what he'd seen, I'd find him less credible.

  Though Luka had grudgingly agreed to keep silent, Sara had begun to unravel. Convinced that he'd change his mind and would turn her in for shoplifting, she'd decided to take matters into her own hands. Sara had seen the opportunity to silence Luka while strengthening the case against Rikki.

  Since Sara knew that my aunt left a spare key to her Vespa in the top drawer of her desk, she'd sneaked into the office and swiped it. While she was in there, she'd spotted her own clothing website on the open browser on Rikki's laptop. Sara had panicked, suspecting that I was catching on. She'd waited until dark and had thrown the rock through Rikki's front window. While Noa and I had been distracted by the chaos, she'd stolen the Vespa. Posing as Rikki, Sara had attacked Luka and then ditched the scooter, which the police later found hidden in the brush behind the lagoon.