Wendy looked puzzled. "I thought you said your name was Coral."
"It is." I gave Casey my best death glare. "You must have me confused with someone else, mister."
He held up both hands in amusement and spoke in that charming English accent of his. "No worries. We're cool."
Wendy tossed the rest of her papers in her briefcase. "I don't know what kind of game you're trying to pull with me, honey, but I've had about enough. Don't call me again."
"Wendy, it's not what you—"
Before I could say another word, she picked up her briefcase and hurried away without even a backward glance at me.
I continued to sit there lost in thought for a few minutes. Casey watched me intently from a nearby table as he wiped it down but made no attempt to come near me again. I knew I should explain what had happened but wasn't feeling very sociable right now. I started to dial Detective Ray's number and then stopped myself. What on earth would I say? This was all speculation on my part, but I had a disturbing feeling that Sean had come looking for Wendy that night and found her in a delicate position with another man. What if Wendy had killed Sean herself? Or perhaps she was covering for someone. But who?
I reached into my purse for the playbill I'd brought along and studied it for the umpteenth time. Jeff, Richard, Randolph, and Howie. My stomach churned as I read the names. Could Howie or Jeff be a killer? What would their motive be? Richard or Belinda probably stood to inherit money. Could they have been acting together, like a team? Perhaps this didn't tie in with Sean's disappearance at all, but my intuition warned me that the date of the play back then was too much of a coincidence to overlook.
Maybe I could find out from Jeff where Richard lived. I would love to question him further. Or I could try to hang around at the Aloha Lagoon for another glimpse of him. My brain continued to sort out the list of virtual suspects. What about Coral? I doubted that she had been completely honest with Keanu and me. Would she inherit Randolph's wealth now, or did her mother have something to do with the crime? Jonathan from Starlight might figure into the equation as well. He loathed Randolph and had admitted that he'd pushed him in a fit of anger. What if Randolph had threatened again to go public and Jonathan longed to shut him up…permanently?
Absently I glanced down at the time on my phone. Five minutes to eleven. Shoot! I silently chastised myself for being late to work. I'd never done that before. Now I'd have to wait until this evening to get my watch fixed, unless it was slow enough at the café for me to take a break this afternoon. There was a small jewelry store located across from that cute dress boutique in the resort's courtyard. Hopefully they stayed open past six.
As I hurried toward the Loco Moco, an image of Detective Ray popped into my head. Although he wouldn't provide me with any further details, I was fairly certain Randolph's death had been caused by cyanide. I'd have to check Poncho's laptop to see where someone might be able to purchase the deadly powder. There had to be a certain risk factor involved with buying it online, unless the killer had obtained it in a different manner.
Tad was on his way out of the café with a bag of dirty linens over his shoulder when I rushed past him toward the back kitchen door.
He made a tsk-tsk sound and wagged his finger at me. "Gotta stop those late nights with the K-man."
I yelled over my shoulder at him. "Remind me to strangle you later for that text you sent."
"What gives? I thought Hollywood socialites loved parties!" he called out. "Come on—it'll be a blast. I'm going clubbing with some friends tonight. Text ya later, doll."
My response was an air wave as I zoomed into the kitchen and promptly barreled right into Vivian, who was carrying a plate of eggs and a cup of coffee. The dish flew into the air, somersaulted a few times, and then landed inches away from a very annoyed chef at the stove.
"Carrie!" Poncho shouted angrily. "You need to be more careful."
Breathing heavily, I stooped to my knees to pick up the mess, and Vivian joined me. "Girl, what has gotten into you lately?" she asked.
"Sorry, Viv. I'm a hot mess today."
"No kidding." She examined my face closely for a second while I picked up the cracked pieces of the dish.
"What?" I asked.
She grinned and whispered so low that Poncho couldn't hear. "I know. It's written all over your face. Congratulations.""
My cheeks were on fire. "Cripes, Viv! You are unbelievable."
Vivian let out a small sigh as she grabbed a broom next to the sink. "Sorry. I'm living vicariously through your life. I have to admit that I'm a teensy bit jealous."
The expression on her face tugged at my heart strings. "You'll find a great guy soon. I know you will." How could she not? She was pretty, intelligent, and fun to be with. Didn't the local guys know what they were missing?
I threw the remnants of the meal into the trash, stood up, and glanced in the direction of the back room, which led to the stairs and office. "Did Keanu leave yet?"
Vivian grinned. "Over an hour ago. Come on, details, please."
I rolled my eyes. "Just stop, okay?"
Poncho grunted. "If you two are done with your love gossip session, Terry said that the storage closet could use a good cleaning. Sybil's waiting on a table, and since it is so slow, this would be a good time."
"Hey, Ponch." Vivian removed her apron and set it on the counter. "Care needs an ice cream cone. Mind if we take a fifteen-minute break?"
His mouth dropped open as he pointed at me. "She just got here!"
"Oh, have a heart," Vivian crooned. "We never take breaks, and the closet can wait. We'll bring you back some too. What kind do you want?"
He narrowed his eyes. "None. I know what you are up to. It is girl-talk time. Or more like, it is Keanu talk time." He waved the spatula at her. "Be back in 15 minutes."
Vivian giggled as she grabbed my hand and half dragged me toward the kitchen door. "You're swell, Ponch."
"Stop calling me that," he growled and turned back to the stove.
"Come on." Vivian shut the door behind her. "Let's run over to Island Delights for a cone. My treat."
"I could use a sugar fix right about now," I admitted.
She slung an arm around my shoulders as we walked toward the courtyard of the resort, where the ice cream shop was located right next to the Happy Hula Dress Shop. I thought about my watch repair again then dismissed it from my mind.
"You're so lucky," Vivian said. "Keanu's gorgeous and a sweetheart of a guy. It sounds like he really loves you. The men I've dated have only been interested in one thing, if you get my drift."
"You're right, I am lucky. I'm not used to a guy treating me well either, probably because of everything that happened with Brad. I really love him, Viv."
"I'm so happy for your both." She hesitated, her gaze fixed on me. "There's something I should tell you."
A twinge of doubt ran through me. "What? About Keanu?"
She shook her head as we went inside the shop and waited in line. Vivian looked around, and once she was convinced that no one was listening, she leaned closer. "Brad came into the café last week. You had just left. He was teasing me and talking about how pretty I was and then asked me to go out with him. When I told him I'd never do that to you, he said, oh, she doesn't have to know."
Sadly, this came as no surprise. "Yeah, that sounds about Brad's speed."
"He asked for ice water, so I brought a glass over and promptly dumped it in his lap." She grinned at the memory. "Good thing Terry wasn't around. I told Keanu about it afterward, and he seemed rather pleased."
I laughed out loud. "You're a good friend, Viv."
"Hey, I try." She studied the chalkboard behind the display case that had today's flavors written on it. "What are you having? I'm in the mood to try Guava Galore."
We gave our order to the young blond man behind the counter, who Vivian flirted shamelessly with as she paid for the cones. I ordered chocolate coconut, which hit the spot on a humid day like this. We grab
bed napkins and looked around for a seat outside among the crowded tables.
Vivian grabbed my arm. "Holy cow. Look at the table to the far left. Is that who I think it is?"
Two slim women with long, shimmering black hair had their backs to us. One of them was spooning ice cream out of a cup while she chatted with the other woman. She dropped her napkin and bent to retrieve it. I saw the low-cut tight T-shirt and knew instantly who it was. When she straightened up, our eyes met.
Coral was almost an exact replica of her mother—the long sleek hair, soulful dark eyes, red lips, and high cheekbones. The woman had to be in her forties, but she could easily have passed for Coral's sister. It made me wonder what someone who looked like her had ever seen in rude, foot-fungal Randolph, but hey, to each his own. Maybe he'd been different back then—charming in some strange sort of way and had swept her off her feet like a gallant prince. I had my doubts though.
"Come on." I gave Vivian a nudge. "That must be Coral's mother, and I want to talk to her."
"Are you crazy? Keanu fired Coral. And she hates you, remember."
"We have sort of a truce now." I started walking toward the table, Coral's eyes still glued on me.
"Oh really?" Vivian looked amused. "When did this happen?"
"I'll tell you about it later. Just follow my lead."
Coral's cheeks flushed pink as we approached. "Hi."
"Hi, Coral."
Coral's mother looked up at both of us and smiled. "Hello. Are these friends of yours, Coral?"
"Uh." Coral's eyes searched mine intently, as if pleading for me to not say anything.
I extended my hand. "Hi, I'm Carrie, and this is Vivian. We work at the Loco Moco."
The woman patted the seat next to her. "I'm Sefina. Why don't you girls join us?"
Coral rolled her eyes, obviously wishing that we would disappear. Vivian didn't wait for a second invitation. She plopped herself down on Coral's bench, leaving me the empty seat next to Sefina.
Sefina's smile was warm and genuine. "It's lovely to meet you both. Coral told me that she was let go because the café was slow. Did that happen to you too?"
I knew that Coral wouldn't tell her mother the truth about why she'd been fired. Vivian had already been filled in by Poncho, and her mouth dropped open when Sefina spoke. "Well no," she stammered. "Because—"
I shot Vivian a warning look. "Vivian and I haven't been fired yet. We've been there longer than Coral, so unfortunately it was a situation of last hired, first fired."
Sefina sighed. "Yes, I was afraid of something like that. I'm sorry that business is so bad."
Okay, if Coral was going to lie about her reason for being fired, then I was going to take this opportunity to grill her mother. Richard's words were still fresh in my head. "You do know why we're slow, right? It's been like that ever since Coral's father was killed."
Coral shot me a look that clearly said she intended to murder me when we were alone. Sefina, to my surprise, didn't even blink.
"I wasn't aware that Coral had told you who her father was." She twisted her napkin between her slim fingers and stared pointedly at her daughter. "She didn't have very kind feelings toward him, I'm afraid."
"The Loco Moco is under suspicion for his death because I served him coffee that had cyanide in it," I said.
Sefina set her ice cream cup down on the table and nodded. "I once loved him very much, and was sad and shocked to hear about his death. Unfortunately, he was not the man I thought he was. When he found out I was pregnant, he decided the fun times were over. He never wanted children." She shook her head. "Men. I don't know what they think sometimes."
Vivian snorted. "They do their thinking with a different part of the body than their brain."
"Not all of them," I said defensively, thinking again how fortunate I was. "Have you talked to the police about his death?"
"Oh sure. Coral and I have both been questioned. It seems that Randy's wife told the cops exactly where to find us. Some detective named Ray grilled us like a swordfish. He probably thinks we're responsible for Randy's death, but I don't care. The entire thing was poho."
I smiled, grateful that I knew what the word meant now.
Sefina laughed, but it sounded bitter. "What did they think, that I tracked the man down in his hotel room to get revenge on him for leaving me 20 years ago? Why bother after all this time?"
I noticed that Coral had started to squirm in her seat. Maybe she was afraid her mother might have bothered? Or perhaps Coral had done the deed herself to get revenge for Sefina. "When's the last time you saw him?"
Sefina looked at me in surprise. "I spoke with him on the phone a few weeks ago. I asked him to please reconsider helping Coral with her tuition, and of course he refused again. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," I said quickly. "I'm sorry the Loco Moco had to let Coral go. It's so difficult for college kids to find jobs these days."
"Very true," Sefina murmured.
"So, what do you do for a living?" What I really wanted to know was, do you get Saturdays off in case you plan to kill someone?
"I'm a dental assistant," she replied. "It took me a long time to finish my schooling, but I finally made it. I wish I could help Coral out with her tuition more. I'm so proud of her. She's determined to do it all on her own."
Uh-huh. With a little help from the Loco Moco too. "Do you work Monday through Friday?"
Coral's jaw locked in a defiant manner. She knew exactly where I was going with this line of questioning. "I think we'd better leave, Mom. I want to get to the bank before it closes."
Sefina glanced from me to her daughter. "Yes, I do work Monday through Friday, but the dentist who employs me was on vacation last week, so I did some spring cleaning around the house and other things. I go back to work tomorrow."
Coral jumped to her feet and threw her napkin and cup in the trash. "Time to leave, Mom."
Sefina rose to her feet and nodded at us. "Nice meeting you, girls. Hope to see you again."
"Likewise." Vivian narrowed her eyes at Coral. "Do take care."
Coral grabbed her mother's arm, and they walked away, leaving us to stare after them. Vivian came around to my side of the table, hands on her hips. "What gives? Do you think one of them did it?"
"I hope not, but they both did have motives." I'd have to check and see if I could find any more information on Sefina Palu later. Was she too sweet and nice for her own good? Or had she just given a performance to rival one at the Hana Hou?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Shortly after Vivian and I returned to the Loco Moco, customers started to flock in, and I was glad to be so busy for a change. It gave me less time to think. The rest of the day flew by, and there were no opportunities for any further breaks or to even check my phone for messages until after four o'clock. I went into the kitchen for a glass of water when my phone vibrated in my pants pocket. I withdrew it eagerly, positive it must be a text from Keanu. No such luck.
Rehearsal tonight at 7 pm. Just actors and assistant director. See you then.
Jeff. My heart sank with disappointment. I had really wanted to make dinner for Keanu and have a quiet evening alone with him. I was tempted to send a message back and say I wasn't feeling well. Jeff always pulled this last-minute stuff, and it was growing tiresome. Yes, the show was important, but all of the actors had jobs and lives. What if I'd had to work this evening? Plus, I didn't even have a way to get there.
Keanu hadn't been positive what time his meeting would let out. If I walked to the theater, it would take me close to an hour, and I hated to spend money on a cab. Tad was busy, and Vivian had already left to go shopping with a friend. Poncho would be here until closing and planned to prepare some extra desserts.
I texted Jeff back. I don't have a way to get there. Sorry.
His reply came back almost immediately. Just because you are going to Hollywood, do not think you can cop an attitude with me. I'll pick you up. Be ready at six thirty. Sharp.
&nb
sp; Jeff had given me rides home a few times before, so he knew where I lived. I fumed at his message in silence. What attitude? Did he really think I was going to become all pretentious and pompous now? If so, the man didn't know me at all. He'd also been the one who'd encouraged me to go to Hollywood. The urge to send back a nasty response was tempting, but I counted to ten first and then merely typed, Okay. Thank you.
Before I went back into the café, I typed out a message to Keanu. Jeff just texted. We have another freakin' rehearsal tonight. So mad! I wanted to spend the evening with you. Can you pick me up from the theater about ten, and then we'll go back to my place? Love you.
It wasn't until I was about to leave the café at six o'clock when I realized that Keanu had never texted me back. This meant the meeting was most likely going longer than anticipated. He probably hadn't even looked at his phone yet. Well, he'd see the text before he left for my apartment.
I called out a goodbye to Sybil and Poncho and departed through the back door of the kitchen. I glanced down at my watch then did a mental head slap and turned in the direction of the jewelry shop. Did I even have time to get the battery installed? I'd feed Benny when I got home and then grab a piece of fruit to munch on the way to the theater. Keeping Jeff waiting was not an option since he didn't know the meaning of patience these days.
I hurried down the boardwalk in the direction of the stores and didn't even glance in the direction of the Happy Hula Dress Shop. This was no time for distractions. As I rushed into Liko's Jewelry Store, I noticed the sign said that they were open until seven. Luck must have been on my side because the only person inside was an elderly Polynesian man behind the counter.
The man looked up as I rushed in. He must have been about eighty, his entire body shrunken from age. He had a tuft of white hair on the top of his head, and his leathery face and neck were lined with massive wrinkles that deepened further as he smiled at me.
"Can I help you, miss?" he asked.
Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 56