“I trust you above all people to be honest with me, Em. You’re all I’ve got.”
“I’m so sorry, Uncle.”
“If you’d found out right before the wedding, would you have stopped me, or would you have let me make a fool of myself?”
She didn’t even pause to consider. “Of course I would have stopped you if I found out before the wedding, but I didn’t know. I had no way of knowing. I wasn’t thrilled that you were going to marry Marilyn, but I trusted that things would work out. I continually hoped Kiki’s suspicions were just that. You were so in love, I wanted you to be happy.”
“Kiki was right all along. Marilyn only wanted the Goddess. I’ll have to tell Kiki I’m sorry I doubted her.”
“She’s missing.”
“Missing? Kiki?”
“She’s not actually missing, but no one knows where she is. That’s what the Maidens’ meeting was about this morning. They’re convinced she’s hiding out in the jungle somewhere like some legendary Hawaiian outlaw leper. If I know Kiki, more than likely she’s checked into a hotel in Po’ipu under an alias.”
“What’s she hiding from?”
“Tom Benton’s private detective.”
“Is anyone going to look for her?” He studied the take-out box, reached for it, and opened the lid.
“Not yet. She’s not around because she doesn’t want to be found. Kimo would sure like to hear from her though. He’s really worried.”
“Kiki always lands on her feet,” he reminded her.
“How’s the Flaming Inferno coming?”
“So far I’m still figuring out the lighting process. Dave throws a fit when I light the shots on fire. I’ve got the contest application ready to go out with tomorrow’s mail.” He opened the silverware drawer and took out a fork.
“That’s great,” Em smiled, relieved that he’d forgiven her and that his appetite hadn’t diminished again.
“Is the guy on island yet? Tom’s detective?”
“It could be a woman detective, you know.”
“Right.” Louie picked up the mahi mahi sandwich, took a bite, and swallowed. “Wonder what people call a woman detective? Certainly not a private dick.”
AFTER THEY closed for the night, Em poured Sophie a glass of wine, and they finally got off their feet.
“We need to hire a waitress,” Em told her. “That way Louie can cut back, and you and I can take a day off once in a while. Since the murder you’ve been working way too hard.”
“I sure don’t mind the extra money,” Sophie said.
“I can’t risk you burning out. I don’t know what we did without you as it is.” Em had taken a chance on the young woman with no references who had been living in her car, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions she’d ever made.
“Mahalo for that.”
“Maybe we should put the word out. I’ll download a work application form.”
“Before you do that, let me make a call. I know someone who might be interested.”
“Not Buzzy.”
“Heck no. Not Buzzy. It’s Tiko.”
Tiko Scott, the owner of Tiko’s Tastee Tropicals, lived in Wailua Homesteads and owned a line of fruit smoothie powders. Louie had approved carrying a few of Tiko’s specialties on the drink menu as non-alcoholic beverage choices, and the smoothies had quickly become a staple.
“I hope she’s not giving up on her smoothie business.” Em took a sip of wine.
“Not the dream. But the reality is she can’t make enough just working festivals. Her dream is to own a shop in town, but with a big blended juice corporation in the shopping center, it’s just too hard to compete. She’s not looking for more than a few days a week. She might even consider filling in at the last minute whenever things come up. Like a murder or two.” Sophie winced. “Sorry. Not funny.”
“But pretty close to the truth, unfortunately. There’s always some kind of emergency around here lately.” Em finished her wine, more than ready to call it quits for the day. “I’ll give Tiko a call in the morning,” she said.
“I hope it works out for all of us.” Sophie picked up their empty wine glasses and headed over to the bar.
When Em’s cell rang, she wondered who could be calling at one in the morning. She glanced at the caller ID, thinking it might be Kiki with one of her hysterical phone calls, but it was Roland.
“Hi.” She realized she was smiling and glanced over at the bar. Sophie had caught her expression and mouthed, “Roland?”
Em nodded.
“I didn’t wake you, did I?” he said. “I thought you were probably closing up.”
“Just finished.”
“We’ve had calls from a couple of Kokee cabin owners near the Camp Sloggett Road. They’ve found obvious signs that someone has broken in and used their homes. Nothing has been stolen, but they can tell someone has been there. Someone who keeps leaving neat little piles of olive pits on coffee tables.”
“Kiki,” Em said.
“That’s what I was thinking. Her car was found deserted on a hunting trail. The forest service had to tow it. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“Me?”
“That’s what I figured. What’s up?”
No way out, Em thought.
“She’s afraid Tom Benton’s hired detective is going to frame her for murdering Marilyn, so she’s on the run like the legendary leper.”
“She’s not doing a very good job of hiding.”
“I guess not.”
“Is there any way you can contact her?” He sounded tired.
“She left a note written in code. It said not to look for her.”
“You deciphering codes now?”
“Not me. One of the Maidens. It makes sense, sort of.”
“Only if that bunch has gotten to you, Em.”
“Don’t worry about me. Do you think Kiki’s all right?”
“Personally, I think she’s crazy, but I hope she’s not putting herself in danger. It’s easy to get turned around on those trails. I can’t believe I’m asking, but do you think you can find her and bring her home before someone presses charges, and we have to arrest her for breaking and entering?”
“I can try. How long before you have to do something?”
“I can’t stall long.”
“I’ll leave in the morning.”
He thanked her and said goodnight. Em hung up and turned to Sophie.
“Can you call Tiko for me first thing in the morning? Ask if she can come in tomorrow? We’ve got another emergency on our hands.”
“Emergency? Is Kiki all right?”
“As far as we know, but she’s broken into some cabins in Kokee and is leaving a trail of olive pits. I have to go find her before the owners want her arrested.”
“Are you going by yourself?”
Em stared at Sophie in disbelief. “I hope you aren’t suggesting I ask the Maidens to help.”
“At least call Suzi. You shouldn’t be running around up there alone.”
33
Hunting Kiki in Kokee
Em felt Suzi was probably the most level-headed of the Maidens, so she called the realtor as early as she dared the next morning, told her about Roland’s call, and asked if she would meet her at the Princeville Library. The plan was for the two of them to carpool to Kokee.
After digging out some old hiking boots, long cargo pants, and a flannel shirt to wear over a tank top, Em was ready. She cranked up Louie’s truck and took off. When she pulled into the lot at the library and realized what was going on, it was too late to turn back.
Suzi’s new Prius was parked beside Big Estelle’s handicap-equipped van. Big Estelle was waiting in the parking lot beside Suzi and Trish. Little Estelle
was in the van watching from the back window. She waved when she saw Em, and then the panel door slid open and Lars climbed out dressed from head to toe in camouflage pants, shirt, jacket, and a hat with ear flaps.
Too late. They’d all seen her. When Em parked and got out of her car, they all ran over. She gave Suzi what she hoped was the look of death.
“Sorry,” Suzi shrugged. “One for all, and all for one.”
“We have it all figured out. Suzi and I will ride with you, Em,” Trish said. “Big Estelle will bring Lars and her mom, and they’ll pick up Precious in Kapa’a. She’s going to wait for us on the side of the road.”
“Flora can’t go,” Suzi added. “An order of plush parrots came in for her store yesterday. You should see them. They’re little stuffed David Lettermans, and when you push the button in the tummy they actually spit and squawk, ‘Yuck, yuck, patooie!’”
“Just like David does when he hates a new drink,” Trish said. “Each one comes with its own little plastic shot glass.”
“They’re so cute. Flora wants to get them unpacked and on display right away.”
Thank God for small favors, Em thought. Better than having Flora and her Gatorade bottle lost on a hunting trail.
“Ve go?” Covered in camo, Lars was sweating buckets.
“Why don’t you take off the hat?” Em asked him.
He smiled and nodded. His English was obviously limited. She pointed to her head. “Too hot?”
“Ya!” He smiled and nodded some more. “Hot.”
“He won’t take it off. Mother told him he had to wear it. It’s part of the outfit,” Big Estelle said.
They all piled into their vehicles. Sure enough, when they reached Kapa’a they saw Precious standing on the highway in front of the ABC liquor store. Big Estelle pulled over, and Em pulled in behind her. Precious walked up to the van, the door slid open, and Lars jumped out. He scooped up Precious and lifted her inside. The door slid shut, and they were off.
The caravan made three more stops before they even reached Waimea town where Big Estelle pulled over again and pointed at the Shrimp Station, a brightly painted square building with a take-out window.
“What now?” They’d left Princeville at eight in the morning, but Em was beginning to wonder if they’d make it to Kokee before sunset.
“I think they want to stop for shrimp tacos.”
“Shrimp tacos? Good grief. We had to stop for malasadas at the stand at Kmart, then for liliko’i chiffon pie in Hanapepe not fifteen minutes ago. Now they want shrimp tacos?”
“I could eat one myself,” Trish said. “Besides, it’s more like twenty minutes now. When was the last time you had sautéed, beer battered, coconut flaked grilled shrimp in a tortilla?”
“How are you going to make it up on the mountain without buying food every half hour?” Em said. “I was planning on roughing it with bottled water and granola bars.”
“That’s because you still think like a haole. We could always have lunch at the Kokee Museum restaurant when we get to the park.”
“I was kidding,” Em said. “You all need to realize this is an emergency. If we don’t find Kiki, the police are going to be called in and nothing good will happen if they have to spend time tracking her down.”
“Sheesh, Em. Don’t be so uptight. We’ll find her,” Suzi said.
“We can’t find her if everyone is too full to walk.”
Big Estelle refused to go on until they all piled out and had shrimp tacos. Em hated to admit she was glad they did. In Waimea they took Route 55, Waimea Canyon Road, then drove up a steep grade with a stunning view of the ocean and the island of Ni’ihau in the distance. The foliage began to thicken, and soon they were driving through the forest of koa wood and pine trees. On the right side of the road, the land abruptly dropped off toward the floor of the Waimea Valley over three thousand feet below.
The highway twisted up the side of the canyon through the forest, the air grew cooler, and the vegetation thickened. Em kept her eyes on the road until Big Estelle pulled over without warning in a turn-out, and Em whizzed by. There was no one behind them, so she backed up and parked behind the van. Lars, in all his camouflage glory, was on the side of the road puking his guts up.
Big Estelle rolled down her window, stuck her head out, and yelled, “Car sick!”
Trish stuck the huge telephoto lens of her camera out the window. She took aim at Lars and then photographed the stunning view of the canyon.
Somehow, they made it to the meadow at Kokee. Em pulled into the parking lot, hoping no one would seriously want to eat at the lodge restaurant.
“So what’s the plan?” Suzi waited to ask Em until everyone but Little Estelle had gathered in the parking lot next to Louie’s truck.
“Does anyone know where the Camp Sloggett road is?” Em asked.
All but Lars pointed toward the road going up the hill across from the Kokee Lodge.
“We should drive in as far as we can,” Big Estelle suggested.
Em stared at the steep road. “How far is that?”
“Pretty darn far as I recall. I used to have a map in the van, but I couldn’t find it. Maybe we can buy one in the museum.”
“I’ve got GPS,” Suzi said. “We should have driven the Prius.”
“Does it work up here?” Em’s cell had been out of range since early on. Trish said that was because they were near the military’s Makaha Ridge Tracking Station, which was connected to the Pacific Missile Range Facility.
“Better known as Star Wars,” Suzi added. “My GPS still works up here though.”
“But this old truck has four wheel drive,” Em reminded them.
They started up the dirt road to Camp Sloggett and turned into the driveways of each cabin nestled in the forest along the way. Some driveways were overgrown, so it meant getting out on foot and prowling around empty cabins looking for signs of Kiki, knocking on doors, and calling out, “Hoo-ee!”
The others waited in their van as Em, Suzi, and Trish went to the doors of occupied cabins. They realized they were on Kiki’s trail when they ran into some owners who had called to report a break in. None of them had actually seen anyone fitting Kiki’s description.
“We found a pile of olive pits, though,” one woman said. “They were stacked like a little pyramid. Why would someone leave evidence behind like that? You’d almost think she wanted to be found.”
“Maybe,” Em said, “she wanted to leave us sign that she’d been here, that she was all right.”
“She’s not thinking clearly right now,” Suzi said.
“Medication,” Trish quickly added. “She . . . she’s off her meds and a bit disoriented. It’s not her fault. Kind of sad actually. I sure hope you can forgive her.”
The cabin owner’s expression saddened. “Oh, that’s too bad.”
“That’s why we’re searching for her. We hope you understand she needs help and that you won’t call the police again.”
“Not at all,” the woman said. “No harm done. I hope you find her, poor thing.”
As they walked back down the driveway, Em whispered, “Medication?”
“It’s all I could think of,” Trish said.
“Sounds good to me. It’ll buy her some time,” Suzi decided. “But Kiki will be furious if she ever finds out.”
“She’s not here,” Suzi told Big Estelle and the others when they reached the van. “But she has been.”
“You don’t think she’d be at Camp Sloggett, do you?” Big Estelle leaned out of the driver’s side window.
“It’s not really her style,” Trish said.
“Maybe it’s worth a look after coming all this way,” Em said.
They loaded up and drove up to the sign at the entrance to Camp Sloggett and turned down the long drive. Th
e Holoholo Holiday tour van was parked in the open meadow near a long bunk house. Em saw a flash of hot pink in one of the windows.
“Oh, no,” Suzi said.
“The Lillians,” Trish said.
“Let’s hope Kiki found them or they found her.” Her marriage might have ended on a sour note, but Em was ever hopeful things would work out for the best.
As the Maidens approached the bunk house, a few of the Lillians filed out, all wearing matching hot pink sweat suits.
The real Lillian separated herself from the group. She was all smiles.
“What a nice surprise!” She welcomed them with open arms. “I’m so glad that you’re all here. The Lillians have been talking about you all since the show at the Goddess.”
More Lillians poured out of a building that turned out to be where the dining hall and central kitchen was located. Soon Em and the others were surrounded by visitors from Iowa.
Big Estelle opened the van and lowered the lift where Little Estelle was seated on the Gadabout. She appeared like a Cougar goddess, descending with arms spread wide. Sometime between the Kokee Lodge and now, she’d donned a camouflage cat suit.
Standing behind her like a personal Adonis, Lars flexed, though his camo gear hid most of his muscles.
Em took Suzi and Trish aside.
The Lillians burst into applause. Little Estelle preened.
The real Lillian was in tears, as usual. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you drove all the way up here. You simply must stay for our pot luck dinner!”
“Have you got enough?” With Lars occupied, Precious had to climb out of the van on her own. “We’re kind of last minute.”
The Lillians all started laughing. “We have so much food we couldn’t close the refrigerator doors.”
Em pulled Suzi and Trish aside. “We’re burning daylight here.”
“Too bad we’re going to have to burst Lillian’s bubble and tell them why we’re really here.” Trish glanced over her shoulder at the cloud of women in pink.
“I’ll try to make it gentle,” Em said. She clapped her hands, trying to get their attention.
“Ladies . . .” When no one stopped talking, Em found herself wishing Pat Boggs was there.
Three to Get Lei'd Page 20