Maui Murders

by Kathy Callahan

  “I’m glad you’re home. I was worried,” Layla said, kissing him.

  Dewey returned the kiss, and as his arm went around her, he realized she was without her usual nightshirt. “Honey, please tell me this is an invitation to make love to you.”

  “Oh yes!”

  Dewey shot out of bed, throwing off his T-shirt and boxer shorts. They made love well into the morning, craving the closeness. Layla would swear this was the exact night she became pregnant.

  Fiona and Ned arranged with Wade and Herb to purchase their home, and Fiona was wading through years of items, sorting and tossing. She and Ned would pack at night what she sorted, but during the day, she sent him to the golf course. One afternoon, she had to have one of Otis’s tuna salad sandwiches and walked up the hill.

  Otis saw her come in and sit at the counter. He motioned her to one of the empty booths. After her order was taken, he returned and said, “Fiona, I’m interested in buying Mr. Soo’s home if it isn’t way over what I could afford.”

  “You are? I thought you had a large lovely home several miles from here.”

  “I do, but you know I lost my wife a couple of years ago, the kids are married and live on the mainland, and I just rattle around in that big house. Besides, I spend more time here than at home. It would be nice to just walk up the hill to work. I believe my current home should sell for a good price, hopefully enough to afford Mr. Soo’s.”

  “Let me call Ned, and we’ll get right on this.”

  Otis went to bring Fiona her lunch, and she phoned Ned. “Ned, can you talk?”

  “Sure can. I’m sitting here on the nineteenth hole, having a drink, waiting for you to call and tell me I can come home.”

  “You need to come over to Otis’s right now and meet me here. You won’t believe this, but he wants to buy Mr. Soo’s home. You need to appraise his home to see how much he would realize to apply on the purchase of Mr. Soo’s.”

  “Honey, do you know where Otis lives?”

  “I have no idea, except Mr. Soo once said it was quite large and not too far from here.”

  “He lives in that beautiful Hawaiian-style home that sits off the road, you know the one you’ve always admired.”

  “I had no idea that was Otis’s. That will sell for a very large sum. He’ll have no problem affording Mr. Soo’s.”

  “Stay there. I’m on my way.”

  Fiona caught Otis’s eye and motioned him over. “I got Ned on the phone, and he’s on his way here. He will give you an appraisal on your home, and considering where you live, I can almost guarantee you that you will be able to afford Mr. Soo’s home.”

  “Great. I’ll give Ned the key, and he can go over this afternoon. I would like to get things started right away.”

  When Ned returned home, he found Fiona preparing dinner. “He’s going to get a bundle for that property. Besides the home, he also owns the five surrounding acres. That’s enough to build several more elegant homes. I might know just the person to buy his home.”

  “I had no idea all that land was his. Ned, you’ve got to call and tell Mr. Soo. He will be thrilled his friend will be buying his home.”

  “You’re right. It’s rather early in the proceedings, but I think I will call him. I can also tell Layla her sale will be finalized next week.”

  Ned phoned Salt Lake City; Agnes answered. She called Layla to the phone and went to find Mr. Soo.

  Ned told Layla the good news on the closing and told her Donnie would contact her when she could transfer her funds. When Mr. Soo got on the line, he was thrilled to hear about Otis buying his home. When all the business talk was concluded, Layla spoke with Fiona for a while and heard all about her packing woes.

  Mr. Soo announced at dinner that Otis was buying his home.

  About a month later, Layla’s funds were transferred, and the sale of Mr. Soo’s home was being finalized. Ted and Fiona were still packing but had taken possession of their new home, and Fiona was beginning to put her things away and decorate. She said she wanted everything move-in ready.

  Mr. Soo, Ted, and their landscape architect had installed three fire pits around the patio and were laying a flagstone walkway that would lead to a gazebo, completing phase 1. Phase 2 was being put off until the spring.

  Layla walked into the kitchen late one morning. “Agnes, I guess you’ll have to make an appointment for me with a doctor. I’ve been sick for about a week now, and I even think I’m losing weight. I can’t keep anything down. In fact, just smelling that coffee is making me, excuse me,” she said, rushing off to the bathroom.

  When she returned, she found crackers, a bottle of soda water, and a white sack on the counter for her. “What’s in the sack, Agnes?”

  “Something I believe you need, dear.”

  Layla opened the sack and peered in. “Oh my god,” she said and rushed back to the bathroom.

  Shortly, Agnes heard a loud yes coming from Layla.

  Layla came out of the bathroom and asked Agnes for a baggie. “I want to show this to Dewey when he gets home. I believe we’re going to have a quickie wedding,” she said, laughing.

  “I’ll still need to see a doctor. Let’s find me a good one. I guess we should call the wedding planner and see if she can put something together in a hurry, but I insist that Fiona and Ned be here.”

  “After you tell Dewey and see what he says about the wedding, we can call her tomorrow and see what she can put together in a hurry. Layla, I’m so happy for you both,” Agnes said, hugging Layla.

  That evening Dewey came home early, and Layla said she needed to speak with him privately. They went into his office and closed the door. Layla had her little white sack with her containing the baggie. She set it on Dewey’s desk and told him to open it; there was a surprise in it for him.

  He opened it and pulled out the baggie. He looked puzzled and asked, “What the heck is this?”

  “You have no idea?”

  “No, I never saw anything like it before.”

  “Oh, Dewey, I sometimes forget you computer folk can be a bit sheltered. This is a stick that I peed on, and the color it turned tells me that we’re going to be parents.”

  Dewey held the baggie up and studied the stick. “This little thing told you that?”

  “Yes, dear.”

  “Holy cow, you mean we’re going to have a baby?”

  “Yes, dear.”

  “How did this happen?”

  “What? Surely you know how this happened.”

  “Yes, yes, of course. This is wonderful.” He got up and gently hugged and kissed Layla, asking if she was feeling all right.

  “Except for the dreadful morning sickness I’ve had for the last week or so, I feel great. I’m so happy, Dewey. You know how I’ve longed for a family. I was expecting to be married first, but this way is fine with me. We should get married before too long though.”

  “Want to fly to Vegas tomorrow? We can do that.”

  “No way, I want Fiona and Ned here. We can do something very simple. I’ll call the wedding planner tomorrow and see what she can put together on short notice. Are you OK with that?”

  “Anything you want,” Dewey said with a goofy smile. “I’m so damned happy. The woman of my dreams is having my baby. Wow!”

  CHAPTER 98

  The next morning at breakfast, Dewey, Layla, and Agnes sat down for a chat; Dewey said he wanted to find the best baby doctor in the city for Layla. Agnes said she had already made an appointment for Layla. Next, they discussed their wedding plans. Dewey would invite his mom, but Layla said she would pass on inviting her parents. Not fancy enough for their tastes. She would e-mail them photos after the fact. Agnes shook her head, unable to comprehend such parents. They decided to be somewhat frank with the wedding planner and tell her that because of the past events in Paia, they wanted a simple ceremony with on
ly a few close friends and family.

  Layla decided to ask Fiona to stand with her, and Dewey would ask Mr. Soo. Layla asked Agnes to contact the wedding planner and make an appointment for her to come out and meet with them.

  “When are you going to tell everyone about the baby?” asked Agnes.

  “I’ll wait until I see the doctor. Right now, it’s just between the three of us.”

  Two weeks later, Layla had seen her doctor, who assured her everything was progressing nicely. Layla had Kyle forward her medical files to her new doctor, which necessitated telling him the news. He said he was very happy for both her and Dewey. Layla could tell by the tone of his voice it was meant in all sincerity. He told her Kim was doing slightly better; he was home with a live-in attendant. Layla said to pass on their good wishes and ended the call, sensing what their future lives would entail.

  That night at dinner, Dewey made the announcement about the upcoming addition to the household and the soon-to-be wedding.

  “Agnes, you didn’t tell me,” said Ted, looking surprised.

  “It wasn’t my place and you know now, so stop complaining.”

  “I’m so happy for all of us,” said Mr. Soo, smiling broadly.

  Later in the evening, Dewey got Mr. Soo alone and asked him to be his best man at the wedding. Mr. Soo was astonished and considered it an honor.

  The following afternoon, Layla phoned Fiona who was still sorting. She first told her about the baby, causing twenty minutes of baby-related chatter. Next, she told her about the upcoming wedding plans and asked if her to be her matron of honor. Fiona was happy to be asked. Layla said Dewey would send a plane for her and Ned several days before the wedding, and they could stay with her and Dewey if that was fine with them.

  Fiona said there shouldn’t be a problem but would call her back after confirming the date with Ned, then asked what she should wear.

  “Well, I really don’t care. Remember, we had a special dress made for Annie, but there’s not enough time for anything special, so whatever you have in your closet will be fine. I know with your good taste, you’ll find something.”

  “I hope you don’t think this is insensitive, but I would like to wear Annie’s dress. I could e-mail you my measurements, and there should be enough time for alterations. I have a deep feeling of standing in for Annie. She would like that.”

  “Fiona, that’s a beautiful thought. Yes, I believe Annie would like that. I’ll contact the bridal shop, and when you call back after talking with Ned, I’ll let you know.”

  When Fiona called back, she told her the date was fine with Ned. Layla said to e-mail her measurements direct to the shop so they would make the alterations, then gave her their e-mail address. They talked another hour, and finally, Layla said it was past her bedtime and she would be talking with her soon.

  Upstairs, she told Dewey that Fiona and Ned had no trouble with the scheduling, then told him Fiona wanted to wear Annie’s dress.

  “Are you all right with that?”

  “Very much so. Annie would approve, I know it.”

  Dewey walked over and placed his hand on Layla’s stomach. “Speaking of feeling, how’s our baby doing?”

  “He’s doing fine, growing bigger each day,” Layla said, smiling.

  “What’s this he thing?”

  “It’s a boy.”

  “How do you know it’s a boy?”

  “Mother’s intuition. I just know you will have a son. You better think of some names.”

  “I already have a name, figured that out right away. He’ll be Jeffery George McMaster. Jeffery after my dad and George after George Boone.”

  “Honey, that’s beautiful. I love it.”

  The next morning Dewey phoned his mother and told her about the wedding date and that it was to be a simple affair. He said he would send a plane for her, but he did not tell her about the baby, putting that off until she arrived and met Layla.

  His mother was glad everything was moving forward; she had been worried after the disaster in Paia.

  Dewey invited his two vice presidents and their spouses and his secretary and her husband; he asked Layla if she wanted to invite anyone else. She said no, she was happy with those invited.

  Two weeks before the ceremony, the wedding planner arrived to go over the details. She informed Agnes that she and Ted were wedding guests and therefore would not be involved in food preparations, setup, or decorations. She would handle everything. There would be a sit-down dinner following the sunset wedding. The menu was reviewed, guests would receive a memento of the wedding, and a harpist would play at the ceremony.

  On Monday before the Saturday ceremony, Dewey and Layla went to greet Fiona and Ned as they arrived from Maui.

  Fiona rushed down the stairs, gently hugged Layla, placing her hand on Layla’s tummy and asking how our baby was doing.

  “He’s doing great. I felt a small kick yesterday morning when I got out of bed.”

  “Definitely a boy,” said Fiona.

  Dewey backed the SUV up to load the luggage. When the pilots began unloading, Dewey turned to Ned, shaking his head in amazement.

  “Dewey, it’s Fiona,” Ned said, making a helpless gesture. “She has to plan for any event.”

  “No problem. We have plenty of room in the SUV and at home,” Dewey said, laughing.

  “How are you folks doing?” asked Ned.

  “The news about the baby brought us out of the sadness that had imbedded itself in our hearts. That and the excitement about the wedding, and next, we’ll be putting a nursery together. Mr. Soo and Ted have about finished phase 1 of remodeling the backyard, only some odds and ends of planting to be done. Looks great too. I’ve been busy at work on some added refinements to our digital film processing, and like Mr. Soo says, life goes on.”

  “Fiona and I have been going like crazy. All of a sudden, I’m back in the real estate business almost full time, and Fiona has been getting our new home ready so that it’s totally complete when we move in. When she says something has to be totally complete, we are talking down to the pictures on the wall and everything put away in the cabinets and closets. I’m thrilled to be here. First real rest I’ve had in ages,” said Ned, laughing. “I have Otis’s home sold. He also had the five surrounding acres. It’s worth a fortune. He should get around twenty million clear when we’re all done.”

  “My gosh, I bet he was surprised. Is he going to keep the diner?”

  “He was thrilled and has no plans to get rid of the diner. That’s his link to people. He’s a happy man now, living so close and just serving the locals.”

  “Mr. Soo will be glad to hear that. Let’s get you guys back to the house and unloaded.”

  When they drove up, Dewey was grateful Ted was there to help with the unloading. When he looked in and saw the mass of luggage, he decided to get a dolly and wheel everything in through the back door. He went off, shaking his head.

  “This is amazing,” said Fiona. “Here I pictured you living in some woody place with lots of logs. This is a mansion. Look at that view!” she exclaimed, walking into the living room and looking out the panorama of windows that took in the neighboring mountains.

  “Ned, Fiona,” said Mr. Soo, coming in from the kitchen, “I’m so happy you are here.”

  “Layla, where are you holding the ceremony?” asked Fiona.

  “Here let me show you,” Layla said as she walked out to the sunroom that encompassed a wide portion of the back section of the house. “Uncertain what the weather would be like, our wedding planner decided we would be safer having it in here at sunset. With the forest and mountains as a backdrop, it should be lovely.”

  “Definitely, the perfect place.”

  “Let me take you to your rooms so you can settle in before dinner.”

  Ned and Fiona followed Layla to their rooms consisting o
f a large sitting room, master bedroom, and lavish bathroom.

  “This is better than a five-star hotel. Ned, look at this bathroom.”

  “Layla, this is lovely. I know we are going to enjoy our stay. I can already tell I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight,” said Ned.

  “Honey, you sleep like a baby every night.”

  The next morning Layla and Fiona went to the bridal shop. Fiona tried on her dress, and except for a hem adjustment, it fit perfectly. Both dresses would be delivered the next day.

  That afternoon Dewey and Layla went to meet Dewey’s mother at the airstrip. “I hope she likes me. I guess we’ll know the right time to tell her about our baby.”

  “Don’t worry, honey. She’ll love you, and we’ll know when to tell her about the baby.”

  Dewey’s mother, Elizabeth McMaster, strode down the stairway toward Dewey; a tall shapely woman, tanned, with white-gray hair worn clipped short to her head. She hugged him and then stepped back to be introduced to Layla.

  “Mom, this is the love of my life, Layla.”

  “Layla, I can’t tell you how pleased I am to meet you. I know what you been through in your young life, and I believe you are a strong woman, which I might add, you will need to be to put up with this genius.” Elizabeth then gave Layla a warm hug.

  “I’m so happy we found each other. I’m very much in love with your son,” Layla said, smiling up at Dewey.

  “Mom, guess what? We’re pregnant!”

  Layla looked at Dewey, shock registering on her face.

  “What?” exclaimed Elizabeth.

  “You’re going to be a grandma.”

  “That’s wonderful. I couldn’t be happier. Are you feeling all right, dear?”

  “Yes, I’m doing fine, except for morning sickness, but my doctor assured me that will dissipate soon. He better be right because I’m a mess in the mornings.”

  “I’m sure that will be over shortly. You certainly look good and healthy. Dewey, you must look after her and make sure she takes good care of herself. Don’t overdo things even if you feel you have a ton of energy.”