Maui Murders

by Kathy Callahan

  “Of course, honey, you go on. Like Dewey said, you both are on Salt Lake time, and it was a long trip here. Plus, talking with Mr. Soo about the loss of Mrs. Soo and his new home was probably a bit stressful for you. Go to bed. I’ll help you unpack in the morning.”

  “Thank you both.” Layla kissed them each on the cheek and went to her bedroom and to bed.

  “That was a nice evening. I enjoyed seeing Layla’s pictures. She had some like yours and then some very different.”

  Earlier, George explained to Annie why Dewey thought Layla had broken down at the airport. They decided to be extra gentle with Layla and let her know she was welcome to stay with them; even George conceded she could stay without his complaining.

  Dishwasher loaded, back lanai cleaned and secure, Annie and George went to the front lanai and sat on the glider together. Annie snuggled under George’s arm and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Honey, you were pretty charming yourself tonight.”

  “I was,” George said, smiling. “I enjoy being around Dewey, Layla, and Mr. Soo. Seems like we have developed some type of bond from the storm and murders. I realize that may sound strange, but I can’t help but feel that way.”

  Annie tilted her head, looking up at George. “Sweetheart, I believe you’ve hit the nail on the head. I never thought of it that way before, but I think you’re right.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Layla woke early, not used to the time zone she was now in, and needed a cup of coffee. She went to the kitchen, and she started the coffee maker, enjoying its delicious aroma. After the coffee was brewed, she poured a cup, took a sip, and sighed happily, then walked to the front lanai slider. Unlocking the door and removing the pole George had inserted on the bottom inside of the slider after the Okamoto murders, she pulled the slider open and stepped onto the lanai. The sun was slowly rising from the water, and the air was fresh and warm. She stood at the rail, looking at the surf as it rolled onto the beach. Turning her head, she peered over at the home Mr. and Mrs. Soo had shared.

  “What a sad house,” Layla said softly to no one. She walked to the far end of the lanai, passing the slider to Annie and George’s bedroom where the curtains were slightly open; she glanced into the bedroom. Annie was curled into George, her arm slung over his chest, his arm draped down her back. Her heart caught in her throat, and she gulped back tears, never knowing love like that and wondering if she ever would.

  She looked appraisingly at the house. Draining her coffee cup, Layla decided she had to have another. She went back into the house, closing and securing the lanai door, and got another cup of coffee. Looking out the kitchen window, she saw someone on Mr. Soo’s lanai. Walking to the back lanai, she went to the far end and waved at the figure, realizing it was Dewey. Finally, he looked up and waved back at her, toasting her with his cup of coffee.

  He took a long look and reasoned she had no idea that with the morning light behind her, you could see right through her thin cotton nightgown. Dewey leaned over the railing for a better look and saw beneath the gown that she only wore a pair of bikini underpants. He thought his angel looked magnificent, and he was transfixed for a few more moments. Realizing he was gawking, he raised his arm, motioning to his wristwatch and holding up seven fingers, pointing up toward Otis’s, hoping Layla would get the message to join him and Mr. Soo at Otis’s for breakfast at seven o’clock.

  Layla gave Dewey a thumbs-up accompanied by a huge smile.

  Dewey returned her thumbs-up, smiled, and watched her walk back inside. “God help me,” he mumbled, “I’m so in love with that woman. I hope one day she’ll see how much she means to me because this is taking a physical toll.” He turned and walked inside to tell Mr. Soo that Layla would be joining them for breakfast.

  A couple of minutes before seven, Layla walked out the kitchen door, locking it behind her. George and Annie would be up soon, so she left a note by a fresh pot of coffee, telling them of her plans.

  Dewey and Mr. Soo were at the end of the street and watched her come out of the house.

  “Oh lord, she just looks too damn good. I’ve got to get these romantic thoughts under control.”

  Mr. Soo chuckled. “Yes, Dewey, you must learn to control your ardor until she is ready.”

  Layla wore white hip-huggers, a pale blue halter top, and a pair of tennis shoes, thinking she might join them on their morning constitutional.

  “Gentlemen, you both look charming this morning,” Layla said, walking between them and hooking her arm through theirs.

  Dewey found his arm next to Layla’s bosom, and he was again feeling himself in physical distress. He really did have to control himself better. He realized Layla was talking to him.

  “I’m sorry, I was daydreaming. What did you say, Layla?”

  “Nothing important, just asked if you had slept well.”

  “Went out like a light. I don’t think I moved the whole night.”

  “Same with me. I think it’s the warm weather, the great meal we had, and best of all, seeing our friends again.”

  “I agree with you. Funny, though, I’m starving this morning. Can’t wait to eat one of Otis’s greasy breakfasts.”

  “Otis prepares wonderful breakfast feasts. I’ve eaten almost everything on his menu, except for his lite breakfast selections. All is excellent, he uses real butter in his preparation. It gives everything an excellent taste,” Mr. Soo said, smiling.

  “That’s why I’m wearing tennis shoes. After enjoying one of Otis’s buttery meals, I thought I’d join you gentlemen for your morning walk.”

  “Excellent. We will enjoy your lovely company,” said Mr. Soo.

  All three ate a cholesterol-clogging meal and spent the next several hours walking about the town, greeting shop owners and friends, finally making their way back to their original starting point. Layla went to say good morning to George and Annie; even though it was getting close to the afternoon, she felt the urge for another cup of coffee, knowing Annie would have the pot brewing. Walking up the stairs to the back lanai, she found both watching them as they trooped down the slope from the main street.

  “Did you have a good breakfast and a nice walk with the boys?”

  “I had a most fattening breakfast. It was terrific! Then we walked for over two hours and greeted shop owners. Dewey is so charming. He got and gave plenty of hugs and high fives.”

  “He’s a charmer,” Annie said, nudging George under the table.

  “Layla, I’m telling you, don’t let him get away. He’s a prime catch for some lady, and I think you are that lady.”

  “George!” Annie said, faking a shocked look.

  “I know Dewey is wonderful and would make any woman an excellent husband. I can’t or maybe won’t let myself think in that direction until I get my life on track again. I know my health has improved, but emotionally, I still have healing to do, and I feel like I’m drifting. I haven’t got my bearings yet.”

  Annie arose and put her arm around Layla’s shoulders. “You hang in there. George and I are here for you, Dewey and Mr. Soo too. We all want you 100 percent better.”

  “Thank you both for being so kind and understanding. With friends like all of you, how can I not get better?”

  Later that afternoon, George, Annie, and Layla walked over to Mr. Soo’s after seeing him and Dewey sitting on the lanai, having a beer, their legs raised on the lanai railing. George said they both were no doubt solving the problems of the world.

  Both men rose and made sure everyone was seated and had drinks.

  George said, “I have an idea for this evening. How about I call Byrd and tell him we will be coming for dinner and he can grill something for us? How does that sound?”

  “Terrific,” said Dewey. “I’ll be able to meet up with a lot of my old windsurfing buddies. I’ll take one of his steaks, and the evening is on me. This will be fun.”

&nbs
p; “George, you and I can have the chicken. We had steak last night,” Annie said, smiling sweetly at George.

  “I suppose you’re right, and I’ll ask him to grill some of his good veggies too. Layla and Mr. Soo, what about your dinner order?”

  “I’ll take fish if he has any available. If not, chicken will be fine.”

  “If it is permissible, I will pass on this evening. I will eat at Otis’s, then come back home. I have a lot of texting to my grandchildren to catch up on. Dewey, I found an extra key for you to use.”

  “We’ll miss you, Mr. Soo, but we can understand you wanting to keep up on your texting,” Dewey said, smiling fondly at Mr. Soo.

  Annie and George sat in a booth at Bird’s, watching the younger crowd dancing to ’70s rock music. Everyone had eaten a hearty dinner of grilled chicken or steak, vegetables, and baked potatoes.

  “George, we should be out there working off our meal off instead of sitting here drinking beer.”

  “I’ll get out there for a slow number.” Just then, a slow song came up on the jukebox. “See, a slow song. Come on, my lady.”

  “Look, Dewey, George and Annie are dancing.”

  Annie had her arms around George at his waist, and George’s arms were pressing her into him as he nuzzled her neck. Whatever he said elected a smile and soft chuckle from Annie, and she placed her head on his chest.

  “Makes my heart feel good to see them like that,” said Layla. “I just hope when I get that age, there is someone in love with me, like George is with Annie.”

  Dewey had decided he was physically unable to dance another slow dance with Layla, but she refused to walk off the dance floor when the music started. He had positioned her in such a manner that he could keep the lower portion of his body from hers, but he felt himself weakening, and if this damn song didn’t end soon, he would just draw her into him and be done with it. Now she was talking about Annie and George, and he would have to answer and lose his concentration. Damn, just look at them. They certainly were dancing pretty sexily.

  “Dewey, are you feeling all right? Did you eat too much?”

  “No, not much air in here. And you’ll never have to worry about finding someone to fall in love with you.”

  The music ended, and both couples slid back in the booth they shared.

  “Dewey, are feeling ill?” Annie asked.

  “Fine, fine, just the lack of air in here.”

  “Right, you did get a little close,” George said, grinning at Dewey, knowing exactly what his problem was.

  Dewey grinned back at George, shook his head, and rolled his eyes.

  CHAPTER 32

  Layla knew a small seed of her current idea planted itself the first morning she was in Maui, gazing at Mr. Soo’s former home, thinking how sad and forlorn it looked. Yesterday, the idea materialized, and she phoned Ned Keller, the realtor listed on the posting at Mr. Soo’s. She had met both Ned and Fiona Keller at the Okamotos’ funeral and was glad they lived across the road from George and Annie. She explained to Ned she wanted to view the property at a specific time on Tuesday, when George was teaching his volleyball clinic and Annie was volunteering at the senior center because if her plan matured, she wanted to surprise them.

  Ned suggested he bring Fiona on the tour and warned her she would be sadly shocked at the inside of the house; it would need a lot of remodeling. They arranged to meet on Tuesday afternoon. Layla greeted them as they came down the front stairs, and all three walked to Mr. Soo’s former home.

  Ned explained he would normally open a house up and let it air out, but because she wanted to keep the viewing private, he decided not to. He warned her there would be an odor from years of Mrs. Soo’s inside grilling. Once again, he alerted Layla she would be shocked at what she saw inside.

  Fiona added, “But don’t let Ned scare you. It can be made into a show place. Mr. Soo’s price is quite reasonable for this beachfront property. He is a wise businessman to realize it will take a considerable sum of money to make the home livable again. Everything you see in the house stays with the purchase price. There are some valuable Chinese rugs that simply need cleaning to restore them to their original beauty.”

  Layla looked at Fiona and said quietly, “Money is not a consideration. I’m not worried about spending money. In my field, art restoration, we are trained to see a vision of what something can be returned to with care and time.”

  Fiona gave Layla a big smile. “I do believe you are the perfect person for this property. You will be able to see the potential, and you and I can work together to make it into your dream home.”

  They walked to the back lanai. Ned unlocked and opened the door, and immediately, Layla was assailed with the dank musty odor of a home where old people lived, along with a lingering smoky smell mixed with various spices and perhaps incense.

  “This does have a peculiar smell, and my god, what has happened to this floor plan?” Layla said, stopping short, as she was halfway into what should have been a large kitchen.

  “Like I warned you, this is a mess. Mrs. Soo had Shoji dividers placed everywhere to divide the home into a myriad of small rooms. After all the years of grilling done inside, the original white screens are now a dingy yellow or sickening orange. Look at the once-beautiful wood, now so discolored. I believe a lot of this wood is now illegal to harvest, but at the time, I suppose you were able to purchase it or Mr. Soo just got it with his export/import expertise.”

  Layla began examining the wood. “This wood is magnificent and will need refinishing, but it looks like it’s still in good shape. Even the wood on the Shoji screen dividers looks exotic. Perhaps the wood could be salvaged and used elsewhere in the home.”

  As Layla talked, Fiona nudged Ned’s arm and smiled. “Layla, with your artistic eye, you truly do see the potential in this property and wait till you see the view from the front lanai.”

  Saying that, they walked to the living room, and Fiona pushed the Shoji screens open so they could access the slider to the front lanai.

  “You’re right, Fiona. It’s lovely. This is nicer than the Boones’ view. It gives you a wider panorama. And I assume there is a master bedroom that also shares this view?”

  “In a manner of speaking, although it is now partitioned off into three rooms, it would make a lovely large master bedroom. It’s different from the Boones’ home in that it has a new modern master bathroom directly off the master bedroom. Mr. Soo wanted a new bathroom and had one put in about three years ago. It even includes a steam room. He had some space taken off the master bedroom, but this entire house is larger than the Boones’, so I believe the master bedroom is now about the same size as they have in their home. All that was done against Mrs. Soo’s wishes. She was not one to enjoy the world of modern conveniences.”

  Fiona and Ned guided Layla through the many dividers until she had seen the entire house. Wisely, they kept their comments to themselves, sensing Layla’s artistic eye was doing the remodeling and selling for them.

  Finally, she asked, “How much is Mr. Soo asking?”

  “He understands it will take a considerable sum to refurbish the home, and currently, this is not a seller’s market. I believe you can purchase the home for $1,250,000, and for this location, that is an excellent price,” Ned said, knowing Layla was sold on the property.

  “I agree with you, the location is great. Fiona, roughly, how much do you think it will take to refurbish, and I’m talking here completely, making it truly livable?”

  “Honestly, I believe it will be between $500,000 to $750,000, depending if there is any remodeling done to the core floor plan once all the dividers and screens are removed. That sum does not include furnishings, which would be an additional large sum, as almost everything has to be imported.”

  “So to make this livable, it will cost about $3 million at a minimum.”

  “Yes,” Fiona sa
id, quickly realizing Layla was not a person to backpedal on price.

  “Ned, do you believe Mr. Soo would take the $1,250,000 offer?”

  “No doubt, he is anxious to be rid of the property, and once he finds out you’re buying the property, it will be a quick sell.”

  “No, I don’t want Mr. Soo to know I’m the one interested in the property until the last minute. I don’t want him to compromise his price based on our friendship. Would you folks mind if we went back to your home and discussed this more? The smell is beginning to make me slightly dizzy.”

  “No, dear,” Fiona said, guiding her outside, “that’s an excellent idea. I’ll fix us something cold to drink to take the taste out of our mouths. I agree this stench really penetrates your senses.”

  Back at the Keller residence, Fiona brought fresh pineapple punch for everyone that included a hint of rum.

  “This is delicious. Thank you, Fiona. So where do we go from here, Ned?”

  “I can draw up the papers without listing you specifically and tell him the buyer wishes to remain anonymous until the final signing but that I know the person and vouch for them.”

  “That will be perfect, Ned. As soon as I hear he has accepted my offer, I can phone my trust officer in New York and get the funds wired to Donnie’s bank, into Mr. Soo’s account, or however you want to handle that end of the transaction. I would prefer if you and my trust officer work out those details between you two.”

  “Ladies, you stay here and discuss remodeling. I’m going into my office and printing up the papers for Mr. Soo to look over and for your approval, Layla.”

  Ned proceeded to his office, leaving Fiona and Layla sitting at their dining room table.

  “Fiona, where should we begin on this project?”

  “Take all those damn dividers and screens down and see what wood is salvageable. We might be surprised at what can be saved once it is cleaned up and restained—perhaps make end tables, shelves, or whatever your artistic eye can imagine. Once that is done, the next step is the ceiling. Thanks goodness, only the living and dining rooms have the wood ceilings. However, once cleaned and restained, a dark ceiling with stark white walls would be stunning, don’t you think?”