Burned

by Carol Higgins Clark

  “Who did this?” Ned exclaimed. “Was it Glenn?” What can I do? he thought frantically. What can I do? Ask him if he took the leis I stole and put them in Will’s office? Maybe he wasn’t the one. Maybe someone followed me today and saw that I handed the bag to the bellman. But how did they get the package? Anything could have happened. And there’s absolutely nothing I can do! Am I being set up?

  Ned went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. He grabbed a towel and held it up to his skin, closing his eyes as if that would provide a barrier from all his cares and woes. But when he opened his eyes and put down the towel, his reflection in the mirror looked grim. “And I still have to deal with Will’s parents tomorrow,” he reminded himself. “If I get out of this one, I’m going on the straight and narrow. And I have to get out of this one. I have to.” He quickly brushed his teeth and then hurried out the door, craving the relief he’d feel after his first sip of a double scotch.

  48

  T he first officers at the scene checked out the area outside of Will’s office. Nothing had been dropped in the grass. There didn’t seem to be any visible footprints.

  “Do you have any idea who could have done this?” one of them asked Will.

  “I wish I did.”

  When Mike Darnell walked into the office a few minutes later, he was shocked to see Regan. He smiled at her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m helping Will out,” Regan answered.

  “Well, this is some story. It went out over the police scanner. There are lots of reporters outside who would like to talk to you, Will.”

  Will looked weary. “What am I supposed to say?”

  “Some people think this whole thing might have been a prank to drum up publicity for tomorrow night’s auction.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I agree. Especially since Jimmy could have been killed today. I just spoke with him. He’s one happy guy, although he has an Excedrin headache. He asked me to keep these leis under lock and key until tomorrow night.”

  “Believe me,” Will said, “I don’t want to be responsible for them. Take them with you. Bring them back in an armored car right before the auction. It’ll make my life a whole lot easier.”

  “Mike, who called this in?” Regan asked.

  “We don’t know. The call was made on one of those temporary cell phones where you buy a certain amount of minutes and then throw them out.”

  “So whoever did it is obviously someone who planned in advance and didn’t want his calls traced.”

  “That’s right.”

  “It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “None of this has made sense,” Mike commented. “Hey, Will, how many people around here wore yellow today?”

  Will rolled his eyes. “Hundreds.”

  The phone on Will’s desk rang. “It must be important if Janet put it through,” he noted as he answered it. It was his wife, Kim, calling from the airplane.

  While Will was on the phone, Regan talked quietly to Mike Darnell. “I know that what I’m about to ask you has nothing to do with all this, but Jack told me that if I got something to you with someone’s fingerprints on it, you could-”

  “I can. Jack called me after he talked to you. You want to check out this guy your friend is seeing?”

  “Yes. It might be silly. But I just have a feeling about him…”

  “No problem. If you get me something tomorrow morning, I’ll take care of it right away.” Mike looked over at the screen door. “So whoever deposited these leis in here just opened the door, then ran off. The question is, why would they risk stealing them if they’re just going to hand them over?”

  Will had just hung up the phone. “Someone is out to ruin the good name of this resort,” he answered Mike. “I asked Regan to look into it this weekend and see what she could find out. People who say this is a publicity prank don’t realize that this kind of publicity is bad for the hotel. Are we happy that the leis are back and at least one of them will still be auctioned? Yes. But with an employee drowning the other day wearing the lei that was stolen from the museum, and now after it’s stolen again it ends up back here, it all doesn’t look or sound good. People are going to be afraid to set foot in this place. They’re going to think the Waikiki Waters is cursed just like the royal leis.” Will threw up his hands.

  Mike looked at him thoughtfully. “I understand.”

  “Now I’m really afraid of what might happen at the ball tomorrow night,” Will continued. “If someone goes to all the trouble to fool around with these leis like this, who knows what else they might try.”

  “I’ll get some undercover guys to come to the ball to keep an eye on things.”

  “I’d appreciate it,” Will said. “I’ll be glad when these leis are gone for good. But until then I have to worry about the security of the hotel guests and my employees.”

  Mike turned to Regan. “And you thought you were coming here for a vacation?”

  Regan smiled and shrugged.

  “I’m heading out,” Mike declared. “Call me if you need me, Regan. Will, do you want to talk to the reporters outside?”

  “Do you really have to ask?”

  “Then I’ll make a statement that the leis are back, and we’re investigating.”

  When Mike left the room, Will shut the door behind him. He sat back down at his desk and rubbed his eyes. “Regan, you know that guy?”

  “He’s a friend of my fiancé’s. I met him when we were out last night.”

  “You’re not going to tell him that I was the one who gave Dorinda the lei the night she died, are you?”

  “No. That’s client privilege.”

  Will sighed. “I have to pick up my wife at the airport. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled by all the news I have to share with her.”

  “First I’d like to tell you about what I found at Dorinda’s apartment.”

  “Should I cover my ears?”

  “It’s not bad for you personally.”

  “Miracles will never cease.” Will clenched his hands together and looked up at the ceiling as if in prayer.

  “Dorinda had a file, which I have in my bag here. It’s marked ‘Prospective Dirt.’ It contains a few pictures, newspaper articles, and the last will and testament of Sal Hawkins.”

  “Sal Hawkins?” Will asked incredulously.

  “Yes.”

  “He left a million dollars to the Praise the Rain Club I told you about. Ned, whom I introduced you to before, took a couple of them surfing today. The tours are run by the two older ladies who are twins. They’re the group Otis was just talking about.”

  “Did you say one million dollars?” Regan asked.

  “Yes.”

  Regan quickly produced the file. She opened it and pulled out the will. “It says here he left ten million dollars.”

  “Ten million?” Will was aghast. “To spend on trips to Hawaii?”

  “Apparently so.”

  “And they’re always poor-mouthing.”

  “It sounds as if they might be lying to the people in their group about how much money there is. Those weird people I met at the bar said their tour directors were cheap. Dorinda was certainly onto something with them. How long are they here?”

  “Until Monday.”

  Next Regan showed him a picture of Steve. “This guy has been making a play for Kit. He’s in this file, which doesn’t bode well. What can you tell me about him?”

  “Steve Yardley. He comes around to the bars here sometimes. All I know is that he retired young and supposedly has a fortune.”

  “Do you think he’s legit?”

  “I don’t know, Regan. He’s one of those guys who gets around town. He seems to be a real ladies’ man. But I’ve noticed him talking to a lot of the businessmen at the bar.”

  “There was a group picture on Dorinda’s desk taken at a party. Dorinda was gazing up at him with a big smile.”

  “Dorinda gazed up at a lot of men with a big smi
le. If she had something on him, I don’t know what it could be.”

  “Okay. How about our dear friend Jazzy? There’s a small article in here about her boss Claude’s clothing line.”

  “He’s always trying to get publicity. The guy is an extremely successful businessman who now wants to be famous. He wants to be in the middle of the action. As far as I know, that’s not a crime.”

  “No, it’s not. But Jazzy works for him. Who knows what she’s capable of?”

  “I told you. She’s like dandruff. Wait till you see her in action tomorrow night. The guys love her. It’s hard to stomach but I think she’s harmless. Anything else, Regan?”

  Regan handed him a couple of clippings about restaurant openings and parties around town. “Do these mean anything to you?”

  Will glanced at them and shook his head. “They have no significance to me.” He handed them back.

  Regan shut the file. “I have to meet Kit and go to dinner at this guy Steve’s house.” She paused. “One more thing. There was a young couple I spoke to on the beach last night. She had gone for a late-night walk the night Dorinda drowned. She thinks she saw something unusual but couldn’t remember what it was. She said she’d let me know. I haven’t heard from her today, but I’d like to give her a call. Problem is, I didn’t take their number.”

  “What are their names?”

  “Carla and Jason. They just got engaged last night. The other problem is that I didn’t get their last names, but I know they’re staying in the Coconut Tower.”

  “I’ll have someone run a check on the computer. They should be easy to find.”

  “Great. Are you going straight home from the airport?”

  “Yes. And I’m not coming back until tomorrow. You can always reach me on my cell phone.”

  “I hope I won’t have to.”

  “No more than me, Regan, no more than me.”

  49

  “W hat are we going to do with them?” Gert asked Ev. They had taken a taxi to the airport and were waiting for a flight back to Honolulu. The airport was open and breezy and small. In spite of the unexpected development, Gert and Ev sat on a bench enjoying the beautiful evening.

  “For one thing, we’ve got to come back tomorrow and get rid of them somehow, ya know?”

  “Sure do. But how? We can’t ever let them talk, or else we’ll end up like those ladies in the prison movies.” Gert laughed. “I can’t believe we’ve turned into such bad girls.”

  Ev looked at her. “We deserve to have some fun in life. We took care of our parents. We took care of Sal Hawkins. I’ve stepped in too many puddles in Hudville. That life is almost over. Now’s our time, sister. It’s Gert and Ev’s time to have fun.”

  “I’m going to cry,” Gert sniffled. “I’m so lucky to have you.”

  “We’re lucky to have each other. We make a good team.”

  “I never thought we’d be partners in crime.”

  “Get used to it!” Ev laughed. “I’ve been thinking about those two jerks up in our house. I’m sorry they had to ruin it for themselves, I really am. And now they’re going to cost us more money running back and forth. We’ve got the flight back here tomorrow afternoon. I figure we’ll rent a car with a big trunk. Then when it gets dark we’ll get them in there and drive to the other side of the island. There are lots of places where you can just give someone a good shove and away they go, down the cliffs into the deep blue sea.”

  “You’re a genius.”

  “No, I’m not, sister. It’s common sense. Luckily our ma taught us all about that.”

  “She didn’t teach us how to kill people.”

  “There was no one worth killing in Hudville. Given half a chance I bet she could have done it in a heartbeat.”

  “I suppose. But how are we going to get back to Honolulu in time for our early morning walk on the beach Sunday? The group is really going to know that something’s up if we’re not there for that.”

  “We can tell them we have to go to church, to a special sunrise service that will take all morning. It’ll be our last full day, so we’ll go to the special Sunday brunch with them. And then we can say good riddance to these tour groups.”

  “I just thought of something.”

  “What, sister?”

  “What about that couple’s car? What are we going to do with that?”

  “It’s actually kind of perfect. Tomorrow you follow me in their car. We park it by the cliff. Everyone will think the lovers committed suicide for some dumb reason or other.”

  “One problem, Ev.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t drive.”

  “Sure you can. It’s easy. You just never got your license because you know I like to drive. That’s because I like to be in charge because I’m older.”

  “Only by five minutes and twenty-two seconds.”

  An announcement came over the loudspeaker that the flight to Honolulu was now boarding. The twins gave each other a quick hug, as they always did before they boarded a flight. When the plane finally took off, they looked down at the Big Island.

  “Pretty soon we’ll call it home,” Gert said.

  “Home sweet home,” Ev agreed.

  Off in the distance, in the basement of Gert and Ev’s dream house, Jason and Carla were frantically trying to loosen the ropes around their hands. Carla was sobbing. Her chest started to heave, and the piece of torn sheet they’d tied around her mouth gagged her.

  “Calm down,” Jason pleaded as he attempted to make himself understood through the sheet stuffed in his mouth. “We’ll…make…it,” he said, trying to assure this woman who, he realized now more than ever, was the love of his life. Please, God, he prayed. Let someone find us. He closed his eyes. Regan Reilly came into his mind. She was investigating Dorinda Dawes’s death, which he was now sure was a murder. I can tell you who did it, Regan. Come find us, he prayed, before those two psychos get back.

  He was sure they were capable of anything.

  50

  T here was no denying it. Kit was in deep, deep like. When Regan got back to the room, Kit’s clothing was all over her bed.

  “Regan, I can’t decide what to wear. How are things going?”

  Regan explained that the leis had been stolen and then found in Will’s office.

  “This place is crazy,” Kit commented as she held up yet another silk top before the mirror. “I have to find something to wear to the ball tomorrow night. When I came out here for the conference, I certainly didn’t pack a glittery outfit.”

  “There’s a huge shopping center down the street,” Regan reminded her.

  “I know. Steve is taking me there tomorrow. He wants to buy me a dress to wear.”

  “Are you going to let him?” Regan asked cautiously.

  “At first I said no, but he really wants to. You don’t think that’s a good idea?”

  “Ahhh,” Regan began. She didn’t want to dampen Kit’s enthusiasm. And maybe Steve was a good guy. “It’s just so fast,” she said.

  Kit sat down on her bed. “Regan, I know it sounds crazy, but I think this guy could really be the one.”

  “There’s nothing I’d like better than if this worked out,” Regan replied honestly if ambiguously. She didn’t add that she thought that was a long shot.

  “Wouldn’t it be great if I got married not too long after you? Then we could have kids at the same time.” Kit started to laugh. “You probably think I have sunstroke.”

  Regan smiled. “I don’t think that. But being your friend, my advice is to take it a little bit slower. We both know how relationships that move so quickly have a tendency to crash and burn.”

  “Regan, don’t worry. I’m having fun. I think he’s really great. But let’s face it, we’re leaving on Monday. The true test will be after that. It’s a long way to Hartford.”

  Her words reassured Regan. “It is, Kit. Have fun this weekend and then see what happens.” But I’m still getting his fingerprints, Regan thought.<
br />
  “You’re so lucky you found Jack. Of course your father had to get kidnapped for that to happen,” Kit joked.

  Regan smiled. “My father considers himself a real matchmaker. He loves to tell everyone that story. I can’t wait until he grabs the microphone at our wedding reception. I’m sure he’ll just happen to mention it again.”

  “I don’t think my father would be willing to get kidnapped to help me find a guy, but I’m sure my grandmother would.” Kit started to fold her clothes. “I can’t believe everything that’s happened to those leis. Will is lucky you just happened to be here.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Regan frowned. “I just hope I can make a dent in these cases before we leave on Monday.”

  “Anything new on the Dorinda front?”

  “I went to her apartment with her cousin. It was interesting. There are a few things I’m looking into. I want to talk to that girl we met on the beach last night.”

  “You were sure she’d call you,” Kit reminded her.

  “She still might, but I don’t want to wait for that. Will is going to find out what room she and her fiancé are in so I can contact them.”

  “They’re probably still celebrating their engagement.”

  “You may be right. She was pretty excited.”

  “I’d be excited, too, after ten years.” Kit paused. “Can you imagine if Steve took ten years to propose? I shudder at the thought.”

  “Don’t go there, Kit,” Regan warned.

  “I know, I know.”

  “By the way, has Steve said anything about Dorinda?”

  “No. The other night, at the bar, she whispered something in his ear, and he rolled his eyes. She seemed to be annoying a lot of people.”

  Kit looked at her watch.

  “I’ll jump in the shower,” Regan said.