Maui Murders

by Kathy Callahan

  “Definitely, I’ll make the plans tomorrow. Layla, I had a thought about you and Dewey. I’ve done remodels for years, and over half the time, the owner hasn’t been present. Why don’t you return to Salt Lake City with Dewey, and then you two can come back to Maui in a couple of weeks when a lot more work will be completed? You won’t just be sitting around waiting and driving yourself crazy.”

  Layla looked at Fiona, her mouth slightly open. “Fiona, you’re a genius. That never crossed my mind. You set up our Oahu trip. I’ve got to go home and phone Dewey.” Layla got up and went over and gave Fiona a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you so much!”

  Layla raced back to Mr. Soo’s and dialed Dewey. When he answered, she said, “Dewey, Fiona had the most marvelous idea. Since there is hardly anything for me to do here, once we finish our shopping in Oahu, she suggested I go back with you to Salt Lake City for a couple of weeks. Then we can return here and see how things are coming along. What do you think?”

  “Wonderful. I can come home to you every night! Why didn’t we think of that? I’m sending Fiona a big bouquet of flowers.”

  “She’ll love that. I’m glad you approve of her idea. The rest of this week will be busy. I’ll need to pack for our stay here, then pack for Utah. Hopefully on Wednesday, Fiona and I are going to Oahu to finish our shopping, and Thursday is a beautification day for me.”

  “What’s a beautification day?”

  “That’s a day when I get a manicure and pedicure, among other things to get ready for you on Friday.”

  “Honey, you don’t have to do anything special for me.”

  “Oh, but I do. Angels should always look their best.”

  “Guess you have a point. Are you still going to go sketching today?”

  “Heading out to the bluff after we hang up. Mr. Soo and I went grocery shopping, then I spotted Fiona on her lanai on the way home, and you know the rest. Annie and George took them to Bird’s last night, and Fiona loved it. She thought the food was excellent, fell in love with Bird’s bird, and said she danced the night away.”

  “Bird’s is the last place I would imagine she would like. We should go there with them and Annie and George this weekend. I could use one of Bird’s steaks. Can you make the arrangements?”

  “That will be so much fun. Yes, I’ll talk with everyone and then speak with Byrd. Can’t wait for this weekend. I’m going to let you go now and leave so I can get some good light. Love you, darling.”

  “Love you too. See you on Friday.”

  Fiona needed some fresh coffee and didn’t want to brew another pot. She locked up and, with coffee cup in hand, went over to the Boones’. At the lanai screen, she noticed Annie drawing something at her dining room table.

  “Hi, neighbor, got a fresh pot brewing?”

  “Heavens yes, come on in.” Annie got up, unlocked the screen, and let Fiona inside.

  “I knew you would have fresh coffee. What are you working on?”

  “I’m making a rough draft of a chart I’m going to have George duplicate on the computer. It will list the open docent slots and then the filled docent slots. I’m surprised at how many people are asking to be on the list before I’ve done much recruiting. George is out at the beach with the windsurfers. He’s in charge of recruiting the young folks. The center will be open seven days a week, from nine to five daily. Each docent will work a two-hour shift, which means we will need a total of fifty-six docents, hopefully one older person and one younger person. I also would like four alternates to fill in during vacation, illness, etc. I want everyone in place as soon as possible because we have to get measurements for the shirts, then have them made. How’s your task of recruiting artists coming along?”

  “Donnie and I have an ad ready to place in the local papers. When he starts receiving packets with the type of wares the artists will be offering, I will review each one and send either a no-thank-you letter or make arrangements to meet in person and review their art. I expect quite a few packets arriving the first week the ad appears.”

  “Sounds very interesting, but when it comes to final choices, it could be agonizing.”

  “Not for me. I’ll have no problem telling someone thank you but it just won’t work for the center. I’m really excited about next Sunday. Ned and I are meeting with Rebecca Steinmetz at her estate. She will give Ned a tour of her home and some of the property so he can give her an estimate of its worth. Then we’re going to take her to brunch at the country club. When we put the estate on the market, I insist you and George come with me one day and see this home. You will not believe your eyes. It’s simply fabulous.”

  “Actually, I’ve already seen her marvelous home. Her daughter was in my class, and late one afternoon, she got really sick. She had about a half-mile walk from where the school bus let her off to her home, so I volunteered to drive her. Mrs. Steinmetz insisted I come in and have a cool drink. When I saw the foyer, you could have knocked me over with a feather. It was so beautiful, beyond anything I’ve ever seen. I would love to have George see that atrium and staircase. With his engineering background, he would be fascinated.”

  “Yes, I imagine he would be. Thanks for the coffee. I’ve got to go home and make a list of shops for Layla and me to go to Oahu on Wednesday. She wants to get the rest of her furniture shopping out of the way. I suggested she take a couple of weeks away from here and go back to Salt Lake City with Dewey. There isn’t much she can do till things are further along, and until then, I’ll handle the workers. Staying here will just make her a nervous wreck.”

  “Fiona, that was a grand idea.”

  “Thank you, it was one of my better ones.”

  CHAPTER 64

  Fiona was finishing up her Monday morning confirmation calls for Wednesday when there was a knock at the front lanai. “Ned, can you get that, please?”

  “Got it,” Ned said, going to the screen and finding Archie from the florist with a beautiful array of pink and white roses.

  “Hi, Mr. Keller, is Mrs. Keller in? These are for her.”

  “Fiona, get out here. Your secret admirer is getting bolder.”

  “Ned, what the hell are you talking about?” Fiona asked, making her way to the living room. “My goodness, are those for me?”

  “Good morning, Mrs. Keller, these are most certainly for you,” said Archie, pushing the bouquet toward Fiona.

  “Are you going to read that card in front of me?” asked Ned.

  “Don’t be silly. I have no idea who sent these.” Fiona opened the small envelope and read out loud, “Thank you, Fiona. You’re terrific. Signed, Dewey.”

  “Bless his heart. This is for my suggestion that Layla return with Dewey for a couple of weeks. He’s so thoughtful.”

  “Here I was worried those might be from a lovelorn parrot.”

  “I’m sure, if he had the funds, he would have sent flowers too.”

  “Probably,” said Ned, laughing.

  “I’m going to call Layla and get her over here,” said Fiona.

  Fiona phoned Layla, who said she would be over shortly. When she arrived, she told Fiona that Dewey said he was sending flowers, but as usual, he had outdone himself; her bouquet was lovely.

  “Dewey suggested we all get together Saturday evening for dinner at Bird’s. I told him how much you enjoyed yourself last weekend, and he said he would like to take everyone there. He thought it would be a fun evening.”

  “Wonderful, I’m in. How about you, Ned?”

  “Sounds like a nice evening, and you can see your baby again.”

  “Yes, I bet he misses me. We should stop by one evening before Saturday, just to have a drink, so he doesn’t forget me.”

  “I’m going to call Byrd and make the dinner arrangements. Do you want steak, chicken, or fish?”

  “Steak, medium,” they both said in unison.

  “Layla, I
’ve got our trip to Oahu all set for Wednesday. We leave at 9:00 a.m. I received a flyer from this wonderful high-end linen shop and they’re having a big sale, so I want both of us to carry an empty suitcase. That way, if we find things to buy, and I’m sure we will, we can bring them on the airplane in our luggage instead of having to pay to ship them.”

  “Fiona, you are one clever lady,” said Layla admiringly.

  “Thank you. Always looking out for the interest of my clients.”

  Ned, standing out of Layla’s range of vision, rolled his eyes.

  “I’m going over to see George and Annie and make sure they can go on Saturday. I guess I should make a list of things I’ll need from the linen store. Just bedding items, correct?” asked Layla.

  “Exactly, and remember, you have three bedrooms to supply. Plus, they carry comforters, spreads, and pillows. We should find a lot of good buys. This is a once-a-year blow-out sale.”

  “Sounds exciting, well, I’m off to George and Annie’s.”

  Layla left the Kellers and went across the street. She found George and Annie bent over their docent list. “Sorry to bother, but I would like to invite you to be Dewey’s guest, along with the Kellers, this coming Saturday night for dinner at Bird’s.”

  “Terrific,” said George. “That’ll be fun.”

  “What can I order you folks for dinner?” asked Layla.

  “I’ve got to have another steak, medium well,” said George.

  “If possible, I’ll have fish with Bird’s mango salsa. An excellent flavoring with the fish,” said Annie.

  “That does sound good. I’ll try that too. I’ll get back to you on the time once Dewey gets here. Did Fiona tell you I’m going back to Salt Lake City with him?”

  “She did. I know Agnes will enjoy your input on the wedding,” said Annie.

  “I’ll enjoy working with Agnes. I won’t feel so bad about putting so much on her shoulders.”

  Layla left and returned to Mr. Soo’s. She waited until late afternoon to call Byrd to let him know of the group coming in for dinner on Saturday, telling him she’d get back on the time but wanted to give him their menu orders.

  Wednesday morning, Layla and Fiona were hurling through the streets from the airport, Layla holding on and Fiona oblivious to the fact she was maneuvering their rental like an Italian racecar driver. Layla took a deep breath as they pulled into their first stop.

  “Do you have an idea of what size televisions you want?”

  “Not the slightest, do you?”

  “Yes, I’ve taken measurements and several other things into consideration. You’ll want all LCD-HD models, and for the living room, you should get a sixty-inch, the master bedroom a forty-six-inch, and the two guest bedrooms a forty-inch. I will take exact measurements for Wade so that he can begin designing your shelving.”

  “I’ll leave everything in your capable hands,” said Layla, making her way to their salesman’s desk and sitting in the guest chair, checkbook at the ready.

  Fiona phoned Wade and continued to get precise measurements on the large television. Finally, all was finished, and she and Layla left the store. In the car, they discussed where their next stop should be. They decided to try the design store first.

  Fiona found her favorite salesperson and explained they were looking for a large chair to fit in with an eggplant-colored sectional sofa and also three barstools. Layla and Fiona had previously decided on three barstools since they had the table and accompanying chairs for the kitchen. They wandered around the store, looking at various items.

  “Fiona, look at the large pistachio-colored chair. It certainly looks comfortable, and it’s large enough, but what’s this fabric?”

  “That color will go great with the sofa, but the fabric eludes me.”

  “This new high-quality process is coated linen, much like the designer fabric used in expensive handbags, a water-resistant and stain-resistant process,” offered their salesperson.

  “Do you have experience with this type of product?” asked Fiona.

  “I’ve sold a dining room table with eight chairs that had the same coating. I have not heard anything negative back from the buyer, and this is a lady I’ve dealt with for a number of years who is quite critical.”

  “I like that lady. Sounds like me,” said Fiona with a slight chuckle.

  Layla sat in the chair. “This is comfortable, and I do like this color. What do you think, Fiona?”

  “If you’re satisfied with the comfort, I’m very happy with the design and the color. We’ll take it,” she said to the salesperson. “Now let’s concentrate on barstools.”

  They revisited all the barstools available and didn’t find anything either of them liked. They paid the bill and made delivery arrangements to the warehouse. Fiona suggested they try the consignment store. At that store, they didn’t find anything and decided to go onto the big sale.

  “This is some store. What elegant linens and the prices are great. I want all white linens and towels. Bed toppings can be colorful, but I like the look of crisp white sheets and towels,” said Layla. “I especially like tuxedo-striped sheets. Let’s get two sets for all the beds, except the master, and three sets for that bed. I also want two sets of pillowcases per sheet set. Do you think we can get them all in our luggage?”

  “They are folded very tightly, and we should be able to get them all back. I’m just not sure about the weight. We might have to pay something, but it would be less than shipping them.”

  They found all the sheets and pillowcases, and although the bill was high, Layla realized she had saved a great deal with the sale. She was also surprised how compact it all appeared. They continued their tour. Layla grabbed Fiona’s arm and pointed to a store display highlighting place mats, napkins, and napkin rings on a replica of a kitchen eating counter. What Layla wanted Fiona to see were the three barstools displayed with the counter.

  “Those are just what we’re looking for,” uttered Fiona.

  “Perfect,” said Layla, “but will they sell them to us?”

  “They’ll sell them. This is a seasonal display. I’m sure they will be happy to rid themselves of those barstools in lieu of storing them. Now all that’s left is to negotiate a good price.”

  After twenty minutes negotiating with the salesperson and the store manager, Fiona returned to Layla, saying, “We have an excellent price. These were originally bought at wholesale for $250 each, and they are selling them to us for $100 each. I’ve checked each one over, and there’s not a scratch or mar on them. What a lucky fine! This also opens up a whole new avenue of thought. Since these will have to go to the warehouse for shipment to Maui, we can shop for more items that are on sale and add them to the items going to the warehouse. If I recall correctly, we need pillows and toppings for all the beds, do you agree?”

  “Yes, those are the items left on my list. I want eiderdown pillows, two for each twin bed, four for the main guest room, and six for the master bedroom. I’m curious if any of those are on sale.”

  At the pillow section, all pillows displayed were on sale. Their salesperson explained the only thing different from last year’s model and this year’s was the outside covering, which, of course, a pillowcase would cover. Because they were purchasing such a large quantity of pillows, Fiona got an added price reduction, plus her usual discount. Next stop, comforters and bedspreads.

  Layla immediately spotted a comforter she knew she was meant to have. It had a two-inch dark-chocolate stripe, next the same-sized tan strip, and lastly, a vivid white stripe, then the sequence repeated. The dust ruffle was tan, and Layla thought it would contrast perfectly with the dark wood floors of the master bedroom. She loved the elegant beauty of the comforter that neither was feminine or masculine but perfect for a couple’s master bedroom. Layla didn’t want any shams, preferring the comforter cover the pillows. After Fiona did her p
ricing miracle, they moved on to look at toppings for the other beds.

  Layla found bedspreads with a light green background covered in yellow pineapples with darker green pineapple crowns. “Oh, just what I had in mind for the twin beds. What do you think, Fiona?”

  “Layla, this would not be my first choice, probably not my second either.” Fiona looked inquiringly at Layla, saying, “Layla, do you have some type of plan for that small bedroom?”

  “Possibly,” said Layla with a wink. “Fiona, I’m at a loss for what type of covering to get for the bed in the main guest room. I simply can’t get a handle on anything.”

  “I would go with a stark-white comforter, some dark-chocolate throw pillows, and a couple of sky-blue pillows for accents. With the dark furniture, dark floors, and white walls, that combination will keep it simple and elegant. I also noticed rectangle white shag throw rugs that would be perfect for each side of the bed. What do you think?”

  “It sounds just right, and I especially like the throw rugs. Let’s get four of them. I would like them in the master bedroom as well.”

  “That takes care of everything. Half a block down on our right is a nice outdoors restaurant. Why don’t you go and get something cool to drink, and I’ll be along after I get everything set here. We’ll still take the sheets on the plane, but everything else will go to the warehouse.”

  “I could use a cold drink, and I hope we have time for lunch. Should I write a blank check and leave it with you?”

  “Yes, the store knows me, and I can vouch for your credit. If there’s a problem, I’ll charge it and add it to your bill.”

  When Fiona arrived at the restaurant, she gave Layla a receipt for the amount of the check. “This is a lot of money, but with all I purchased and the high quality of the items, I’m getting an excellent deal. You need to get me a current bill so I can write you a check before I leave for Utah.”

  “I’ll work on that tomorrow. Once we get home, we both will be exhausted. Amazing how shopping and spending gobs of money can wear a person out.”