Too Hot Four Hula: 4 (The Tiki Goddess Mystery Series)

by Jill Marie Landis

  The manager turned to her computer screen, clicked a few buttons, and then said, “Yes.” Then she paused, studied the screen before she went on. “They had a suite together until yesterday. Mr. Johnson’s credit card was refused when the daily fee was automatically charged. We asked him to come down and put a valid card on file at ten a.m.”

  “You spoke to him at ten yesterday?” Roland glanced over at Em.

  It was around ten when Phillip delivered the extortion letter to the Hilton front desk.

  The manager squinted at the screen. “Actually, we texted him then. He wasn’t in his room.”

  “When did he come in with a valid card?”

  “He didn’t. Ms. Duncan settled up his charges and said he was checking out, but she stayed on.”

  “When was that?” Roland’s pen was poised over his notepad.

  She glanced at the computer. “That afternoon. The change was made at four thirty. Ms. Duncan is still here as far as I know.”

  Em wanted to ask Roland why the HPD didn’t know that, but not in front of the manager.

  “Is there a pending check out date?” he asked.

  “Day after tomorrow. Would you like to leave her a message?”

  “No thanks. We’ll get in touch with her.” Roland thanked the clerk.

  When they came back around the reception desk one of the bellmen greeting incoming guests walked up to Em and slipped a purple orchid lei around her neck.

  “Aloha and welcome to the Moana,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m not a guest.” Em started to take the lei off.

  “No worries. Keep it.” He smiled.

  She thanked him and caught up with Roland, who was waiting a few feet away near the concierge desk. They walked along a few more steps.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “We’ll hang out here in the lobby for a while if that’s okay.” He picked up a copy of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “Watch for Ms. Duncan to walk in.”

  29

  ROLAND CHOSE A sofa with a view of the entire lobby and pretended to read the newspaper. Em watched as another wedding couple walked up to the photographer’s desk and sat down.

  She told Roland she was going to use the lua, got directions from the concierge, and headed down a long hall lined with stores on one side. The reception ballroom was on the other.

  On her way back she paused to look in the window of the upscale Island Gallery. Her jaw dropped when she recognized Felicity admiring a bronze mermaid sculpture. A well-dressed Japanese man a foot shorter than Felicity stood beside her. He was wearing a suit.

  The only other person in the room was a huge Japanese man, also in a severe black suit. He kept his distance from the pair, but his gaze continually scanned the interior of the gallery and the doorway. When he looked toward the window and noticed her, Em hurried back into the lobby area where she stopped by the baby grand piano. When Roland saw her, Em made a “curvy woman” motion with her hands. It was one of the only hula gestures the Maidens had perfected. Roland tossed the newspaper aside and headed over.

  “I just saw Felicity. She’s in the gallery behind me,” she said.

  Roland glanced down the hall. “Some of those shops open onto Kalakaua. Is she alone?” he asked.

  “She’s with a guy in a suit. Looks like a businessman. There’s another man in there too. Huge. Really beefy. He could be with them.”

  Roland didn’t hesitate to head for the gallery.

  “Do you want me to wait here?” Em didn’t want to stay behind but thought she’d better ask.

  He paused a second then said, “Come on.”

  They walked into the shop together. Felicity and her companion were at the counter with their backs to the door. The hulk watched them but didn’t move until Roland walked up to Felicity. The big man moved in. If Roland noticed, he didn’t let on.

  “Felicity Duncan?” Roland asked.

  Felicity turned at the sound of her name and started to smile up at Roland until she recognized Em.

  “Yes?” Felicity adjusted the robin’s egg blue Tiffany shopping bag on her arm.

  The clerk, the man beside Felicity, and the walking mountain were all listening.

  “I’d like to speak to you for a moment.” He reached into his pocket.

  The hulk took a threatening step toward Roland. The shorter man held up his hand, and the larger man, obviously a bodyguard, stopped in his tracks. Roland pulled out his badge and flashed it discretely.

  “Of course.” Felicity nodded. “But if you’re here to tell me that Phillip Johnson is dead, I already heard it from two HPD detectives about twenty minutes ago.”

  “I’d still like to ask you a couple of questions,” he said.

  She turned to her companion. Slowly and distinctly she said, “I need to talk to this man. Please join us.” She gave a slight bow.

  The Japanese gentleman bowed to Roland, to Em, and then followed Felicity out into the hall. There was an unoccupied sitting area across from the baby grand. Roland indicated they should sit. Felicity and her companion sat. She looked older today, more savvy. Felicity studied Em from head to toe and dismissed her. The bodyguard hovered a few feet away. His gaze never stopped surveying the lobby.

  “I assume you’re a detective.” Felicity indicated Roland’s casual wear, his aloha shirt, black flip-flops, and shorts.

  He nodded. “From Kauai.”

  “So I really don’t have to answer your questions?” Felicity leaned back.

  “Not at all.”

  She turned to Em. “You live on Kauai, don’t you?”

  “That’s right,” Em said.

  “I’m assuming this is about Phillip. Did he con you, too?” she asked Em.

  “How do you mean?” Roland didn’t let Em answer.

  Felicity nodded toward Em.

  “She should know. She was married to him. He pretended to be wealthy. He said all the right things, wore expensive watches, designer suits and clothes. He had a high-end condo on the water in Marina del Rey and drove a Lamborghini.”

  Em glanced over at the Asian gentleman seated beside Felicity. He looked to be in his early sixties but could have been older. His tailored black suit and starched white shirt were impeccably made. Aside from the grooms and wedding party attendants streaming through the lobby every few minutes, the gentleman and his bodyguard were the only people in the place wearing business suits. If the heat bothered them, it didn’t show. Both of their expressions were closed and completely impassive.

  Em turned her attention to Felicity again.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Felicity said. “No comprende nada, if you get my drift.”

  “So you were informed of your fiancé’s death by the HPD.”

  “About a half an hour ago, yes.”

  “That must have come as a shock,” Roland said.

  Em didn’t see any evidence that Felicity had shed a tear over Phillip.

  “Yes and no. But after the lengths he went to in order to misrepresent himself to me, I guess anything’s possible. Who knows how many other people he’s conned. He must have tried to rip off the wrong person, and his lying caught up with him. That’s what I told the police anyway.” She stared pointedly at Em. “He must have finally pissed off the wrong person.”

  “When did you find out he was not all he claimed to be?” Roland wanted to know.

  She looked at Em. “Yesterday, after we had lunch with you. When we got back he admitted the hotel had been trying to contact him. They wanted him to put a different credit card on file. He asked if he could use one of mine until FedEx delivered a new one.”

  “So you agreed.”

  “Not at all. I’d had a bad feeling about things since I met you yesterday. I couldn’t help but notice the w
ay he stared at you,” she told Em. “He’s never looked at me that way. That, coupled with his credit suddenly going south, was enough for me. It was time to bail. I broke up with him on the spot.”

  “How did he take it?”

  “He was upset, but not furious. He argued, pleaded, said he had a big investment deal about to close. He said when it did, he’d have plenty of money. He begged for time, begged me not to break it off. He swore he loved me.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said he was out of time. In fact, I told him to go back to his wife.”

  “Ex,” Em said. “Ex-wife.” Thanks a lot.

  “Now he’s dead,” Roland said.

  “Sad but true.” Felicity didn’t sound sad in the least. She glanced at the face of her diamond-encrusted watch.

  “Did you know about his extortion scheme?” Roland asked.

  “What extortion scheme?” Felicity looked up at Roland.

  “He stole Ms. Johnson’s uncle’s recipe notebook. It’s worth a lot of money to the right buyer.”

  “Maybe that’s the big deal he had going.” Felicity studied Em’s rubber sandals for a minute. Unwilling to back down, Em met her gaze and didn’t shy away when their eyes met.

  “Did you ever happen to see a thick, three-ringed binder in Phillip’s possession?” Em asked. “He must have had it when he was here in the hotel.”

  “No. Nothing like that. If he did have it, he kept it hidden.”

  Em had another question. “How about a laptop and a printer?”

  “Laptop, but no printer,” she said. “He could have used the business center here at the hotel to print something, though.”

  “Where were you last night?” Roland’s little spiral notebook and pen had appeared in his hands.

  “Last night? Is that really any of your business?”

  “Phillip was killed sometime late last night or early this morning. As far as we know, Phillip Johnson knew three people in Hawaii, and one of them was you. The other two are Em and her uncle. Until his murderer is found, there’s a very short list of suspects.”

  “Are the police so sure he was murdered? I think it was more than likely he was depressed over being found out and shot himself.” Her tone was cool as ice in a rocks glass.

  Em started to ask who would shoot themselves in the heart until Roland silenced her with a look.

  “So again, where were you last night?” he asked.

  Felicity gestured toward the man beside her.

  “Mr. Hasigawa saw me sitting alone having a martini, watching the sunset. I looked so down in the dumps he asked me to join him at his son’s wedding reception. He was a widower and said he felt like a third wheel.”

  “So he does speak English.”

  “No, his son translated for him.”

  “How long were you there?”

  “Until the reception ended around nine thirty.”

  “And after that?”

  She met Roland’s intent stare. “After that I spent the night in Mr. Hasigawa’s suite. The whole night.”

  Em was certain her eyes had just bugged and hoped Felicity hadn’t noticed.

  “I assume Mr. Hasigawa will vouch for that?” Roland asked.

  “Sure. Get an interpreter.”

  Em was pretty sure Mr. Hasigawa would vouch for anything if his new Barbie doll asked him to.

  “We will if necessary,” Roland said. “What time did you leave his suite?”

  “Around ten this morning. Right after breakfast. Then we went to the Honolulu Museum of Art to view the Erotic Art of 19th Century Japan exhibition and have lunch. The HPD stopped us out on the sidewalk and chatted us up for a few minutes. Now here we are.”

  “So you’ve been with Mr. Hasigawa since around six thirty or seven last night?”

  “Except when I was in my room changing this morning. That took me about thirty minutes before we left for the museum.”

  Em tried to focus on the exchange but couldn’t shake the idea that Phillip was supposedly looking at her as if he was still attracted to her, as if he wanted her back.

  Roland was flipping through the pages of his notebook. Apparently satisfied, he closed it and slipped it into his back pocket.

  “Thank you, Ms. Duncan. You’ve been very helpful.”

  Everyone stood at once. Mr. Hasigawa bowed to all of them. Em was beginning to wonder if the man’s face was paralyzed. His expression never changed.

  “We didn’t part amicably, but I wouldn’t wish Phillip dead. The police said he died in an apartment in a run-down area of town. Is that true?”

  “Yesterday afternoon he rented a day-week-monthly,” Roland said.

  For the first time since they’d spoken to her, Felicity appeared sad as she said, “Phillip might have been a con man, but he didn’t deserve to die. I sincerely hope you find whoever did this.”

  “Don’t worry. We will,” Roland assured her.

  Em wondered if jewelry repo men would be calling on Felicity soon. The woman was still wearing the huge diamond engagement ring Phillip had given her.

  She and Roland had no sooner left Felicity and the Japanese gentlemen and walked out the main exit when one of the valets called out, “Hey, cuz!”

  Roland stopped and exchanged a complicated handshake with one of the young valets.

  “How long you been here?” he asked Roland.

  Em definitely saw the family resemblance. The young man Roland introduced as Sonny Boy had the same winning smile and was just as handsome.

  “Just got in. Not staying here though. I’m down at the Hilton,” Roland said.

  “Workin’ or playin’?” Sonny Boy glanced at Em and flashed his smile.

  “A little of both.” Roland introduced them and then motioned for the young man to follow them a few feet from the valet stand. When they were out of earshot of anyone else, Roland described Felicity to him.

  “Ms. Duncan. ’Course I noticed her. Who wouldn’t?”

  Roland asked him to call his cell if Felicity checked out.

  They exchanged cell numbers, and Sonny Boy invited Roland and Em both to come over to his mom’s place for dinner.

  Roland and Em walked past the Honolulu Coffee Company in the west wing of the Moana and stepped onto Kalakaua before either of them said a word.

  “What do you think?” Roland broke his silence.

  “I don’t know what to think. If Phillip was staring at me as if he still cared, I would have noticed. He definitely wasn’t. He just seemed like the old Phillip I knew, self-centered and worried about appearances. He was all over Felicity when she joined us. Why would she think he was still interested in me? I don’t get it. What do you think of her?”

  “She sure moved on in the blink of an eye. Obviously she goes where the money leads her.”

  “True love.” Em sidestepped a sidewalk solicitor handing out flyers advertising a massage parlor. “Do you think maybe she knew Mr. Hasigawa before?”

  “I think they probably met just the way she said. He needed an escort, saw a beautiful woman alone, and asked her to join him at the reception. He’s obviously going back to Japan soon and figured he’d hit the jackpot. She saw a meal ticket, some expensive gifts, and a diversion.”

  “She’s got money of her own, obviously.”

  “For now. Ever wonder where she gets it?”

  “Rich men.”

  “Unfortunately, Phillip’s well ran dry.”

  “So she moved on. Poor Mr. Hasigawa,” Em said.

  “Don’t worry about him.”

  “Unless he’s a con man like Phillip, he’s obviously wealthy and important if he’s got a bodyguard. Who has a bodyguard anyway? Maybe he owns a big car company in Japan. Maybe his middle
name is Toyota.”

  Roland was silent.

  “You think?” she prodded.

  “I think there’s a lot more to Mr. Hasigawa than Felicity knows.”

  “Like what?”

  “You ever heard of the Yakuza?”

  “Is that a Japanese dish or a new restaurant?”

  “Neither. Yakuza is the name of the organized crime syndicate in Japan. The Japanese mafia.”

  They walked past the Royal Hawaiian Hotel shopping complex. Roland picked up the pace to make the green light at the next corner.

  “Do you think Felicity knows?” she wondered.

  “No idea.”

  “Could she have been angry enough to have had Phillip murdered? Maybe that’s the Hasigawa connection.” She pictured the bodyguard and shivered despite the close heat.

  “We’d have to find out if their connection goes all the way back to LA. If not, then she probably doesn’t know or suspect who or what Hasigawa is and has picked up the wrong sugar daddy again.”

  30

  IT WAS AFTER THREE by the time they made it back to the Hilton. Em returned to her suite to freshen up while Roland went to registration to see if he could get a room. She heard the Maidens laughing and talking in the suite before she even reached the open door.

  “Em’s back,” Flora called when Em stepped inside.

  The sitting room area was full. Most of the Hula Maidens were there along with the Kamakanis. The women were lounging on every available chair and the floor. Suzi had her injured foot propped up on pillows and was sprawled on the sofa. The musicians played poker at the table near the balcony slider. The TV was on, the sound muted. The place was littered with food wrappers, snack bags, crumbs, and empty Solo cups. One of the poker players was sitting on the formerly missing ice chest. Any hope of a quiet ten minute rest evaporated.

  “You got your cooler back,” she said to no one in particular.