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

by Leslie Langtry

  There was silence for about thirty seconds. When Jeff spoke again, his menacing tone sent ice crystals through my veins. "This is a small community theater. What the hell do you think, that I make millions here? Yeah, he wanted to be an investor, and I told him no. For your information, Howie doesn't have a share either. He's still thinking about it. So I don't owe you anything. You have no papers or anything else to prove ownership because they don't exist. Anyhow, why would you even care about my hole-in-the-wall theater? You've got bigger fish to fry."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" the man asked.

  Jeff chuckled. "I've heard the rumors about you and Belinda. I'm sure the press has too. If I were you, I might disappear from the island for a while. It's only a matter of time before the police get wind of your relationship, if you get my drift."

  Tad's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He had that look on his face that plainly said, "I know a secret!" Tad was the proverbial town gossip, and as much as I adored him, the fact remained that he couldn't keep anything to himself, even if his life depended on it.

  "Are you threatening me?" Mr. Anonymous demanded.

  "No," Jeff replied. "Frankly, I don't care what you and Belinda do. I don't want anything to do with this mess. Now if you don't mind, I have more important things to attend to."

  Before Tad and I could move, the door was jerked open. Cripes. Both men stared out at us in surprise. This was the second time in as many days that I'd been caught snooping. I might get a reputation if this kept up.

  The man began to move past us, but his eyes rested on mine for a moment, and I wondered if he'd recognized me. Now I knew why the voice had sounded familiar. It was the man who'd been talking to Belinda by the elevator this morning. Who is he?

  Jeff narrowed his eyes. "Was there something you two wanted?"

  Homina, homina, homina. Okay, how to get out of this one. No, we don't want anything, Jeff. We were only listening in on your conversation.

  Tad swallowed hard. "Uh, Jeff, I wanted to see you. I was wondering if you might be available for drinks later."

  God bless Tad. Jeff wasn't married, and I had no idea of his relationship status. He was a good-looking guy, but I honestly didn't know if Tad was his type or not. I'd thought that Tad might prefer Gary, but who really knew? Anyone was fair game as far as Tad was concerned.

  Jeff's stern face broke out into a wide smile. "Ah. Thanks, Tad, but my girlfriend is expecting me."

  "Damn," Tad cursed under his breath. "Well, it was worth a shot."

  I had to know. "Who was that man? I saw him at the Aloha Lagoon Resort this morning."

  The smile on Jeff's face faded. "What was he doing there?"

  I probably shouldn't have mentioned the encounter, but it was too late now. "I saw him with Randolph Cremshaw's wife."

  Jeff frowned. "Obviously, you heard about his death. The man you just saw is his brother."

  I should have guessed. "Richard Cremshaw?"

  "How'd you know his name?" Jeff asked, surprised.

  "I was the one to find Randolph after he died. The police questioned me, and then I learned he had a brother who lived in Hawaii. Please don't tell anyone about my finding Randolph," I added quickly. "The Loco Moco has already been affected enough by his blog."

  Jeff scratched his head thoughtfully. "Wow. I heard that he'd died after a food delivery—it's all over the island. But I never made the connection with the Loco Moco, or that you were the one who delivered it. I thought it might have been Starlight."

  I shook my head. "No such luck."

  "That had to be a horrible experience for you, Carrie." Jeff suddenly looked sheepish. "I shouldn't have yelled at you last night. Why didn't you tell me what had happened?"

  My face grew warm. "I didn't want to make excuses for my performance. You were right—I was off."

  "Well, you certainly had your reasons," Jeff muttered.

  I felt comfortable enough now to ask the other question that had been racing through my head. "How did you know Randolph?"

  Jeff folded his arms across his chest. "We went to college together—Howie, Randolph, and me. Richard went there as well. He was two years behind us."

  "Is he really involved with Randolph's wife?" I asked.

  He narrowed his eyes. "You were listening in on our conversation."

  Oops. I plodded on, trying to ignore his accusation. "I'm pretty sure they were in the same hotel room together. He came out right after she did. Do you think they could have been involved in his death?"

  Jeff pressed his lips together in a stubborn manner. "Carrie, I don't want to comment on this. To be honest, I don't know much. Howie and I had lunch with Randy the day before he died. Randy was interested in becoming an investor in my theater. Then again, he might have only been interested because he knew Howie was thinking about it as well. He was like Howie's shadow, always following him around."

  "Was he looking for a part in Howie's next picture?" I couldn't imagine why else Randolph would be so interested in the man.

  Jeff shook his head. "I think Randy hoped Howie might help him get his own talk show started."

  "Did Howie dislike him too?" Tad asked eagerly.

  Jeff glared at him. "Howie doesn't dislike anyone. He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who actually liked Randy, especially anyone who owns a restaurant. He's reviewed almost everyone in this state."

  "Not the Loco Moco," I remarked.

  "Don't get me wrong," Jeff said. "The Loco Moco has fantastic food, but it's not exactly fine dining. Something more of Randy's caliber would have been Starlight by the Lagoon. It's a known fact that the manager there can't stand him. Randy told me that the guy punched him out last year after his latest review of the place hit Dining Is Divine."

  Tad's eyes were round as saucers. "Dining Is Divine? That's like—the most popular cuisine magazine around. Bobby Flay was featured in it last month!"

  My ears perked up while I processed Jeff's latest tidbit of information. Keanu knew the manager of Starlight, Jonathan Skyler. Then again, Keanu pretty much knew everybody who was associated with the resort in any shape or form because of his position at the Loco Moco and his parents. Every time we dined there, we received a premier table. Maybe we could go there for dinner tonight and have a little chat with Jonathan.

  Jeff glanced at his watch. "If you two are done interrogating me now, I'm off to meet my girlfriend."

  "Sorry to have kept you," I said.

  Jeff moved back into his office. "Carrie, I'm taking the actors out on Friday night for drinks after the show, so please try to be available this time."

  Cripes. This guy was like a faucet, on and then off again before I could blink an eye. Why the attitude? "That sounds great, Jeff."

  He gave us both a thumbs-up. "See you guys later."

  "Well," Tad huffed as we made our way to his car. "How nice that he didn't even bother to invite me to the soiree."

  Good grief. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you came along."

  "Hmm." Tad pouted openly as he arranged the Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses on his face. "I don't go where I'm not wanted."

  "Stop being so sensitive." Heck, I would have been willing to let Tad go in my place. I'd spent more than enough time with Jeff lately.

  Tad stuck his nose proudly in the air and pulled his car out of the parking lot and onto the main road. "Where are we headed, love?"

  "You can drop me off at my apartment. I need to change before I meet Keanu for dinner."

  His green eyes sparkled like jewels. "How is that gorgeous boy toy of yours?"

  Tad always knew how to put me in a better mood. "He's fine. We're fine, actually."

  "You two make such a cute couple," he cooed. "But be careful. I've seen the way Coral looks at him. She even posted something cryptic on Facebook the other day saying that the only good thing about her job was the hot-looking manager."

  My head turned. "You're friends with Coral on Facebook?"
r />   He tossed his head. "Of course. I'm friends with everyone."

  I didn't doubt it. Tad was a Facebook junkie and posted about everything from the weather to what not to wear when out clubbing. He had about 4,000 friends compared to my measly one hundred. I'd noticed that he even had friends who posted on his timeline asking for advice on romance or fashion. He was the Ann Landers of our generation.

  I was dying to get a look at Coral's Facebook page. "Can I see your account for a second?"

  He grabbed his phone from the console and handed it to me, eyes still fixed on the road. "My face is an open book for you, love."

  I suppressed a laugh and started scrolling through his list of contacts. After a minute, I grew impatient and finally just typed the letter C in and found Coral after making my way through about one hundred Cathys, Carlas, and Cindys.

  "So what about you and that gorgeous hunk of man you're dating? Hey, doesn't the K-man belong to a baseball team?"

  I wondered where he was going with this. "Yes, but he hasn't played in a while. Too much work at the restaurant."

  Tad grinned impishly. "But has he hit a home run with Miss Carrie Jorgenson yet?"

  "Good God," I muttered. "Not you too. Come on. Some things are private, you know?"

  "Look, honey. We all want the juicy details," he said. "Do you think you guys will get married?"

  This startled me. "No idea. Nothing like jumping the gun, right? We've only been dating for a few months, Tad."

  "Ah." He waved a hand dismissively. "Some people get married after only a few weeks. Yours is a case of true love at first sight."

  "You're a born romantic," I teased.

  He nodded. "I am, love. Truly, I am. It's plain to see the man is crazy about you. How do you feel about him?"

  I hesitated for a moment. Tad's legendary blabber mouth was getting in the way of my admission. "I…I care for him very much."

  "Oh," he mocked. "You care for him very much. This isn't Little Women, sweetheart, so lose the pathetic dialogue. Just admit you want to sleep with the guy."

  "Tad!"

  I found Coral's profile and clicked on it. The very first post that caught my eye almost made me drop the phone. "Check this out. 'I work with the biggest bunch of losers on the island.'"

  Tad giggled. "Guess she didn't get the memo about not dissing your job on social media."

  Maybe it didn't matter because I doubted that she would be employed at the Loco Moco for much longer. I clicked on her picture albums and started scrolling through the photos.

  "You should get your cutest little nightie," Tad went on, "and then show up on K's doorstep at midnight. Wear yellow. It looks good with your skin tone."

  "I hope you're kidding."

  "Oh fine, pink will do."

  Frustrated, I shook my head. "Can you please get your mind out of the gutter for a second? I'm not going to…"

  I stopped in midsentence and stared down at the current picture on Tad's phone. It was of a little girl who bore a distinct resemblance to Coral. She was standing next to a tall man wearing a straw hat and glasses. Both looked extremely uncomfortable in the photograph.

  My mouth went dry. "Ohmigod. Look what I just found."

  Tad pulled over to the curb and took the phone from my outstretched hands. His eyes widened, and he whistled low in his throat. "Holy pineapples. Is that who I think it is?"

  I nodded. "Yes. The one and only Randolph Cremshaw."

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Keanu glanced at his watch. "Jonathan is usually here around dinnertime. I wonder why we haven't seen him yet."

  We were seated inside the charming Starlight by the Lagoon. The view of the ocean was spectacular from our table, strategically placed so that we were also able to see anyone who entered the restaurant. Being a people watcher, I enjoyed the combination. The place was packed as usual, and I'd overheard the hostess tell someone that there was at least a half hour wait for a table. Reservations were highly recommended.

  Starlight wasn't a place that I could readily afford on my server salary. The only times I'd been here before was with Keanu. He always insisted on paying, and that sometimes bothered me. Yes, he was rich, and I was his girlfriend, but tonight my mind kept replaying Terry's outburst from yesterday. The words "gold digger" had been branded into my brain.

  Keanu looked up from the ahi tuna he was eating and frowned. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

  "Nothing, I'm fine."

  He pointed at my plate. "You've barely touched your food. Is something wrong with it?"

  "No, everything is terrific as usual." I loved the mahi-mahi that was prepared with basmati rice and grilled vegetables. The restaurant was in a class by itself. Sure, the Loco Moco had delicious food, and Poncho was one of the best chefs on the island, but Starlight was your elegant, take a girl here to wine and dine her kind of place, while the Loco Moco was more of the did you want extra barbecue sauce with your pulled pork kind of establishment. The Loco Moco also came with extra perks, such as Poncho hollering from the kitchen or Vivian ogling every guy who walked through the door.

  Starlight's motif resembled the ocean in its muted coral and turquoise colors. The elegance of the sophisticated restaurant was in its simplicity, which included the mild-mannered waitstaff and the tinkle of real silver that paired nicely with the soft piano music playing in the background. No matter how many times I'd been here, I'd never ceased to marvel at its chicness. Brad made a good living as a surfing instructor but had never taken me to a place like this while we'd been dating. His preferences ran more to the likes of Pizza Hut and McDonald's.

  Keanu was still watching me with those gorgeous eyes that I considered my own personal ocean. "You're so good to me."

  His face creased into a broad smile. "Nothing's too good for my lady. I hope you're still not thinking about my father and what he said yesterday."

  How did he always know these things? "Well…"

  He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it while my insides quivered. "I love my father, but he doesn't always know best. I'm sorry you had to hear that. If it makes you feel any better, he's never really liked anyone I've dated."

  How encouraging. Somehow, I couldn't picture the four of us having an amicable dinner together. It was made even more awkward by the fact that I was their employee. I decided to change the subject—slightly. "How did they come to live in Hawaii?"

  Keanu drained his water glass. "I told you my great-grandmother was Hawaiian, right? My mother came here from Nevada to go to college and lived with her while she was in school. She then got a job in Arizona immediately after graduation, and that's where she met my father. Even though they settled there, she always wanted to come back to the islands. When Kara was about ten, my great-grandmother died and left Mom her house. She was pregnant with me at the time, so after I made my grand entrance into the world, they took off for tropical paradise and never looked back."

  Before I could reply, I caught sight of Jonathan making his way toward us. He was about five ten, with dark brown hair and gray eyes set in a narrow face. As always, he was impeccably dressed in a lightweight khaki suit. His white teeth gleamed as he smiled at us.

  Keanu had once mentioned that Jonathan had a financial share in the restaurant, although I knew the resort and Starlight were both owned by Freemont Hospitality. The Loco Moco was one of the few businesses in the Aloha Lagoon Resort that was owned independently.

  "Keanu." Jonathan spoke in a suave voice and extended his hand in greeting. "How good to see you and your lovely girlfriend." He smiled politely. "I heard you were asking about me."

  Keanu gestured at the empty chair between us. "Can you join us? I'd like to pick your brain for a minute."

  Jonathan looked surprised but immediately sat down. "Of course. Let me guess." He winked at me. "You guys are planning a wedding and want to use Starlight for the reception."

  My face must have turned about ten different shades of red.

  Keanu, to his credit, only smiled
and shook his head. "We're not quite there yet. But you never know." He raised an eyebrow at me, and my heart melted faster than an ice cream cone on the beach. "We wanted to ask you about Randolph Cremshaw."

  The smile on Jonathan's face turned upside down. "What about him?"

  "You must have heard about the incident in his room yesterday."

  Jonathan nodded gravely. "I'm guessing business at the Loco Moco must be almost nonexistent because of…him. But don't worry. Mr. Cremshaw left us a crummy review—twice. After about a week, business started to pick back up again."

  I tried to keep my expression neutral but couldn't believe the lack of remorse he showed over Randolph's death. Jeff had mentioned that Jonathan disliked the man. The question was, how much?

  Keanu placed his napkin by the side of his plate. "Did you know him personally or just from his reviews?"

  Jonathan cocked his head to one side and studied him closer. "Why are you asking me about that joker, Keanu? Are you suggesting I had it in for him?"

  "I'm not suggesting anything," Keanu replied. "My parents may be looking at a possible lawsuit."

  Jonathan's face was stern. "Oh wow. His wife is behind it, isn't she? Or shall we say his so-called wife? I've seen the tabloids. Would you believe that Miss Davenport had the nerve to come in a few nights ago, right before we were closing? We served her, but it was quite an inconvenience. Then she had a few drinks and refused to leave. Finally, some guy came in, talked to her for a few minutes, and escorted her out."

  Keanu frowned. "What night was this?"

  Jonathan paused to think. "Either Wednesday or Thursday night. I could check the receipts if necessary. I do happen to remember that her credit card was declined, and the guy she was with ended up paying for her meal."

  I leaned forward. "What did he look like? Did you happen to catch his name on the receipt?" I wondered if it had been Richard.

  He shook his head. "No, he paid cash. A rarity these days, but it does happen occasionally. The man didn't come in with her—he arrived after she'd finished eating and then sat down at her table. Let's see. He had reddish hair, glasses, and was kind of plain looking. Not the type of guy I'd expect to see her with. Then again, she was married to Cremshaw, so there's no accounting for her taste."