Three to Get Lei'd

by Jill Marie Landis

  Em heard the sound of a car pulling into the lot and looked out the front window.

  “Family in a Jeep,” she said.

  “I’ll go out and tell them we’re not open yet,” Louie volunteered. He headed for the door with a bounce in his step.

  “He looks good.” Sophie watched Louie cross the bar.

  “I think he’s snapping out of it. That contest article you found really helped. He’s getting psyched to fly to Honolulu for the competition.”

  “You think he’ll win?”

  “He thinks so. I think he just might pull it off. He’s even considering taking Letterman with him. That parrot is getting more fan mail than anyone else.”

  “I can’t imagine loading that bird on a plane.”

  Em shrugged. “I’m sure Louie will think it through. He’d be heartsick if anything happened to Dave.”

  A couple with two tweens had climbed out of the Jeep and were chatting with Louie on the lanai. He had greeted them with a welcoming “Aloooha!” and told them that the restaurant would be open for lunch at eleven.

  “The staff will be happy to sign autographs then,” Louie said.

  The kids were staring up at him in awe. The father asked directions to the nearest safe snorkeling beach.

  By the time Louie finished regaling them with the story of his run in with a shark which was the inspiration for his version of a Bloody Mary, which he called Blood on the Beach, they decided maybe they would forgo snorkeling for a hike.

  When Louie walked back into the bar, Em met him near a corner table.

  “Have a seat for a minute,” she said.

  “Uh, oh. What’s up?”

  She sat. He pulled out a chair and joined her.

  “I talked to Roland early this morning. He’s going to question Tom Benton today.” She lowered her voice. “There’s some doubt about when he actually arrived on island.”

  “What do you mean?” Louie said. “He got here as soon as he came back from India.”

  “He may never have been in India,” Em said.

  She quickly explained a little about the things she’d seen at Marilyn’s and Sophie’s theory that he could have used Photoshop on the email photos. She said they weren’t sure if Tom was on island the night of Marilyn’s murder or not.

  “Are you sure?” Louie’s forehead wrinkled. “Marilyn loved him so much. I can’t believe he’s guilty of her murder.”

  “Hopefully Roland will get to the bottom of this quickly.”

  He finished his drink and set the glass down.

  “I don’t like you playing detective, Em. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. ”

  “Roland’s already had this talk with me, Uncle Louie. I’m not going to do anything dangerous.”

  Just then Little Estelle roared in on the Gadabout followed by Lars. They were both in camouflage regalia. Big Estelle came limping in wearing wide-legged green chiffon pants cuffed at the ankles, a camo tank top, and a huge bandage around one foot.

  They waved to Em, Louie, and Sophie and then chose a table near the front door. Louie left to go back into his office, and Em walked over to greet them.

  “Good morning, Ladies. Lars,” Em said. “Are you holding a practice this morning?”

  She couldn’t believe they would dare to hold a practice without Kiki in charge. The Estelles exchanged quick glances.

  “Not really,” Little Estelle said.

  “Maybe,” Big Estelle said.

  Lars said, “Ya.”

  Big Estelle was fiddling with a two-way radio. Em asked her if it was a new toy, and she said no, but didn’t explain.

  “Where is the rest of the gang?” Em thought they were acting odd, but no more than usual.

  “Busy.”

  “What happened to your foot?”

  “Centipede bite.” Big Estelle scrunched up her face.

  “Ouch,” Em said.

  “Would you like some coffee?” Em asked. They all nodded.

  Once she was behind the bar again, Em said to Sophie, “Something’s definitely not right.”

  Sophie glanced at the three Maidens at the table. “What’s new?”

  “They haven’t said a word about Kiki. Do you think she told them she’s back?”

  “Who knows?” Sophie shrugged. “We need more coffee.” She held up the nearly empty pot. “This one is just dregs. I’ll go get some.”

  “That’s all right. I’ll go.” Em went into the kitchen for the refill pot. Kimo was chopping a pile of kale. “Did Kiki tell the Maidens that she’s back?”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder then went back to chopping.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Big Estelle, the Cougar, and her boyfriend are in the bar. They’re acting strange.”

  “Strange? How can you tell?”

  “Big Estelle is sitting there on stun, maybe from a centipede bite. She brought in a two-way radio. None of them have asked if I know where Kiki is.”

  “Uh, oh.” He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands. Em picked up the refill pot and followed him.

  Kimo walked up to Big Estelle’s table and looked at the two-way. “Is that one of mine?”

  Big Estelle swallowed. “Yup.”

  “I hate to ask. Where are the other two?”

  “Huh?”

  “The other two radios. Where are they?”

  “Pat has one,” she said.

  “And . . .”

  Little Estelle drove over to join them. “Don’t tell them anything else.”

  “Don’t tell me what?” Kimo focused on Big Estelle.

  “You took an oath. A Hula Maiden oath,” Little Estelle reminded her daughter.

  “Ya,” Lars smiled and nodded.

  “Do you know what’s going on?” Em asked Lars. “If you do, spill it. You’re not a Hula Maiden.”

  “Ya.” Lars smiled and nodded again. “Goot.”

  “I guess I can tell, since it might be a matter of life and death,” Big Estelle said. “Kiki has the other one.”

  Em took a look at Kimo, and the worry on his face said it all.

  “Where is Kiki?” Em was afraid to hear.

  “I can’t say,” Big Estelle said.

  “So you all know she’s not up in Kokee anymore,” Em said.

  “Right.” Suddenly Little Estelle looked up at Kimo. “Aren’t you supposed to be picking her up?

  “What are you talking about?”

  “She said she would call you to pick her up.”

  Kimo planted his hands on his hips. “Where is she?”

  “Tell him,” Little Estelle said.

  “Everything?” Big Estelle looked befuddled.

  Em was ready to scream. “Start at the beginning.”

  Big Estelle set the two-way down and folded her hands. “Trish called us a little after eight and told me to bring Mother and Lars and the van and meet her in Princeville for a covert mission.”

  “We were to rendezvous at the Sunrise Loop Recreation room,” she continued. “Wearing our harem pants and green tops so we’d blend into the golf course. In case anyone asked, we were to say we were on our way to perform at the Happy Days Long Term Care Center.”

  “Maybe,” Em said, though she was afraid to hear, “you should get to the plot. What were you all doing running around the golf course?”

  “Not me. I wasn’t on the golf course. Lars and I were guarding the van and the cars in the parking lot,” Little Estelle said.

  Big Estelle was sweating. She patted her upper lip with a cocktail napkin. “We were going undercover, to break into Marilyn’s house and get evidence that would clear Kiki. She said Marilyn’s nephew, Tom, is the guilty one, not her
.”

  “What evidence?” Em had no idea how Kiki could have learned what she’d just discovered yesterday, not until Kimo turned to her.

  “I overheard you and Sophie talking in the office last night. About Tom changing identities, and how he might have been on island when he was supposed to be in India. Kiki was in such a funk this morning that I thought she should know you were getting closer to clearing her name. I had no idea she’d come up with another of her harebrained schemes.”

  “Giving her that information was like handing a toddler a nuclear bomb detonator to chew on.” Em shook her head.

  “Suzi and Trish were supposed to go inside Marilyn’s house with her,” Big Estelle said. “I was going to be the lookout on the corner. Except for Kiki, we all thought it was a bad idea. Then I stepped into a pile of leaves, and a centipede bit me. I couldn’t walk, so Trish and Suzi helped me back to the van.”

  “Where Pat was running the Command and Control Center,” Little Estelle added.

  “So you left Kiki on her own? Was she going in in alone?”

  “She didn’t mind. She got in and then radioed and said that she was fine and that we should all meet up here. She decided to have Kimo pick her up.”

  “She never called me,” he said.

  “She said something that didn’t make sense.” A tear rolled down Big Estelle’s cheek. “I hope she wasn’t having one of her spells.”

  “What did she say?” Em asked.

  “Not to forget the new song, Pele H’me.”

  “We couldn’t figure out what she was saying. But then as Pat was getting out of the van, she yelled, ‘Holy hot gecko poop! It’s code!’”

  When Big Estelle shouted, imitating Pat Boggs, Kimo grabbed his heart.

  “What? What’s happening?” he cried.

  “It was code,” Little Estelle said. “Kiki gave us a message in code again.”

  “Ya,” Lars nodded.

  “Pat started writing down letters and crossing them off over and over again and finally figured it out. Pele H’me is code for Help Me.”

  “She’s in trouble.” Em’s stomach sank.

  “Where is Marilyn’s house?” Kimo stripped off his apron.

  “Don’t go running up there,” Em advised. “I’ll call Roland.”

  “Po-lice!” Lars shouted. “Ya. Goot.”

  “Okay, okay.” Em pulled her cell out of her pocket and hit Roland’s number.

  “I’m not going to sit around here and wait for the police,” Kimo said. “Tell me where the house is.”

  44

  Maidens To The Rescue

  Kiki tried to stay positive and convince herself she would be all right, but there was a wild look in Tom Benton’s eyes that was more than a little scary as he reached into the duffle and pulled out the masking tape.

  “Put your hands behind your back and don’t try anything.”

  As soon as she put her hands behind her, he grabbed her wrists and held tight. She felt him winding the tape around her wrists.

  “Masking tape? Really?” she scoffed.

  “It’ll hold long enough. I don’t plan on keeping you around.” He finished winding the tape and then used some to seal her lips closed. When he turned away to toss the tape back into the bag she tried to open her mouth.

  “Mphff.” She tried to kick him.

  “Don’t push me. I’ve already murdered three people, Kiki. What’s one more?”

  He zipped up the duffle, picked up the gun again, and suddenly someone was knocking on the sliding glass door to the lanai off the kitchen.

  The knocking didn’t last long. They heard the door slide open. A man’s voice called out, “Tom? Are you still here?”

  Benton’s expression was one of fury but not panic. He grabbed Kiki by the elbow and forced her to her feet.

  “Damn this open house aloha crap. Doesn’t anyone respect a closed door around here?” He continued to mumble to himself as he shoved Kiki toward the closet then tossed in the duffle bag. He pushed her inside and forced her down.

  “Just a minute, Orville. I’ll be right there.”

  Without the use of her hands for balance, she toppled over with an “Oof!”

  It was impossible for her to struggle to her feet in the confined space. Lying on her side, she had a view of the windows above the carved headboard behind the bed. Her eyes widened in shock, and she blinked to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. Quickly recovering, she hoped Tom hadn’t seen her reaction to what she’d just seen outside the window. She peeked up again.

  Sure enough, there was Pat Boggs’ face in the lower corner of the window. Pat had to be standing on a tree branch. The leaves around her were shaking.

  Tom was too intent on scanning the room for anything he might have overlooked to notice Pat. Kiki nodded her head frantically, hoping Pat would realize Kiki knew she was there. Pat raised her hand and made thumbs up.

  “Tom? If this is an inconvenient time, I can come back,” Orville called from the kitchen.

  “Coming!” Tom closed the closet door on Kiki.

  She listened to his footsteps as he hurried down the hall. She stayed perfectly still, her shoulders resting on the lumpy duffle. She couldn’t hear what Tom and Orion were talking about and wondered if Orville was in danger.

  Two seconds later she heard a distinct thud against the side of the house beneath the window where she’d seen Pat. She hoped it wasn’t loud enough for Tom to have heard. She fought with the tape around her wrists and tried rubbing her cheek against the duffle to loosen the tape across her mouth. Nothing worked.

  Scrabbling sounds came from beyond the closet, and then suddenly the door swung open and Trish and Pat were standing there.

  “Let’s help her up,” Trish whispered.

  They reached for Kiki. Grunting and groaning, they finally got her on her feet. Behind them, Suzi tiptoed to the door that led out to the hallway and slowly closed it and pulled a chair in front of it. It wouldn’t hold Tom back for long, but at least it was something.

  “Mpff!” Kiki fought the tape.

  “Hold still,” Pat whispered. When she yanked off the tape, Kiki swallowed a yelp.

  “We have to get out of here,” Kiki whispered. “He has a gun.”

  Pat pulled out a pocket knife and began to saw at the tape around Kiki’s wrists. Suzi pointed to the window they’d come through. Trish had already climbed back up on the polished surface of the dresser beneath it. She waved Kiki forward then held up her hand for Kiki to stop.

  “Where’s my camera?” Trish whispered.

  “Grab that duffle,” Kiki told Pat. “It’s full of evidence. You camera is in there too.”

  Pat picked it up as Trish disappeared out the window. Kiki climbed up on the dresser and looked outside. It was a good six feet to the ground, but she didn’t have time to debate. She stuck her leg out the window, straddled the sill, then pulled her other leg out and half-jumped, half-rolled out. Thankfully, she hit the ground on her feet.

  Suzi came next, then Pat tossed out the duffle, and Kiki grabbed it. Trish had already started around toward the front of the house. Suzi motioned for Kiki to go. As soon as Kiki saw Pat stick her leg out of the window, she took off after them.

  As they crept down the side of the house toward the street, Kiki tried not to bump the duffle against the wood siding. When they reached the edge of the property, they stopped and silently high fived each other and then hid behind the hedge on the neighbors’ side.

  “Who has a cell phone?” Kiki said.

  “We left everything in Pat’s car,” Trish said.

  Pat headed for the SUV parked sideways across Tom’s driveway.

  “Stop.” Kiki grabbed the back of Pat’s green tank top. “If you leave it there, he can’t get a car out
of the garage. He’s making plans to escape.”

  “Leave my car?” Pat stared at the burgundy rust bucket.

  “He’s got a gun,” Trish reminded them. “We need to call the police right away.”

  “Fine, so let’s cut across the golf course,” Kiki suggested. “It’s the fastest way to the main road and the security kiosk.”

  They argued for a minute over who was better fit to carry the duffle, but Kiki wasn’t letting go. Pat led them down a narrow space between the hedge and Tom’s house. On the street behind Tom’s, the lot next to Orville Orion’s home was still vacant. The wide green yard opened onto the golf course. They ran along the edge of the course like rats running around the edges of a room. Suzi soon darted into the lead, running as fast as her short legs could carry her. Trish was next. Weighed down by the duffle bag, Kiki was panting, bringing up the rear. Pat ran back, grabbed the bag, and this time Kiki didn’t argue.

  She was about to take off again when a golf ball landed two feet ahead of her, hitting the ground right between her and Pat.

  She looked around and spotted a knot of golfers teeing off.

  “Hey!” Kiki hollered and shook her fist. “Somebody could get killed out here!”

  “Kiki, shut up and come on,” Pat yelled back.

  Kiki hiked up her harem pants and started running again. They hadn’t gone ten yards when a golf cart suddenly turned off the cart path speeding toward them. The driver was honking and waving, and as he drew close, Kiki recognized the Princeville Security shield.

  She waved back. When he roared up beside them, she leaned against the cart and fought for a breath.

  “Binky, you’re a godsend. Call the police.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s a murderer living in Marilyn Lockhart’s house. He’s planning an escape. The KPD needs to be alerted. He’s got to be arrested before he can leave the island.”

  Binky smoothed his hand over his hair, smiled, and looked all around.

  “We’re on camera right? You’re filming?”

  “What are you talking about?” She grabbed her head. “Filming?”

  “That Trouble in Paradise show. We’re on it right now, aren’t we? Where are the cameras hidden?” He scanned the tree line.