Burned

by Carol Higgins Clark

  The minute Ned laid eyes on Will’s parents, he knew that they were the ones. How thirty years can just melt away, he thought wryly. They were seated in Will’s office when he walked in.

  Ned looked from Bingsley and Almetta to Will, and a thought that had never occurred to him, because he’d been so worried about himself, surfaced in his brain. If Will’s parents bought the lei thirty years ago and it ended up in Hawaii around Dorinda Dawes’s neck, could Will be the middle man? He certainly hasn’t made it public knowledge that his parents once owned the royal lei that Dorinda was wearing when she died. Do they know? Did they sell the lei without realizing what they had?

  Ned’s head was spinning. Does Will have something to worry about? Did he give the lei to Dorinda? No one saw her wearing it the night she died. She often checked in with Will before she left the hotel. Did he have anything to do with her death? That’s a lot more serious than stealing, he realized. Was Will as freaked out as he was? He does seem on edge, Ned observed. Somehow, as delicately as possible, I will have to bring up the topic of the antique leis with his parents. Everyone at the hotel was talking about the auction. In all likelihood Almetta Brown would have a hard time keeping any information she had about the lei under her hat.

  “It’s so lovely that you’ll be our tour guide this afternoon, Ned,” Almetta said, batting her eyes. She had on a floral top with matching shorts and a pair of little white sneakers. Bingsley had on khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. Ned was relieved that no bathing suits were in sight.

  “It’s my pleasure,” Ned replied. “How about going out in one of the sailboats we have out there? There’s a beautiful breeze. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

  “I’d be enchanted,” Almetta chirped. “We both would. Right, dear?” she asked, turning to Bingsley, whose face was impassive to say the least.

  “It sounds all right,” he answered. “But I want to get in a nap before tonight. I’m beat.”

  “Dad, you’ll have time for that later,” Will said. “I just wanted you to get some fresh air. And if you take a swim, you’ll perk up.”

  Ned led them down to the water, and they boarded a small sailboat. The Browns sat and enjoyed the fresh ocean air and sunshine while Ned did the busy work of a sailor. There was a steady breeze that helped propel the boat past the surfers and swimmers and out into the aqua waters. Almetta peppered Ned with nonstop questions.

  “Where are you from, Ned?” she asked, leaning forward with a big smile on her face.

  “All over,” he answered. “I’m an army brat.”

  “How marvelous. You must have lived in very interesting places. Did you ever live in Hawaii when you were a child?”

  She’s playing with my head, Ned thought. “No,” he lied. Time to change the subject. “Are you excited about the ball tonight?”

  “I can’t wait,” Almetta enthused.

  “Those leis-that’s some story, huh? They were made for two members of the Hawaiian royal family. One gets stolen. They keep appearing and disappearing and reappearing again.”

  Almetta coughed slightly. “It certainly is something.” She looked out at the water and went silent, which made Ned nervous.

  “I have to use the head,” Bingsley declared quickly. He got up and stumbled slightly, stepping on Ned’s bad foot.

  Ned winced. The nerves in his sore toe were screaming. Bingsley wasn’t a small guy.

  “I’m so sorry,” Bingsley apologized as he kept walking toward the loo.

  “Are you all right?” Almetta inquired with great concern, staring down at Ned’s foot, just as she had thirty years before. “That must hurt. Oh, look! Do I see a little bit of blood staining the top of your shoe? Why don’t you take it off and dip your feet in the salt water?”

  “It’s nothing. I’m fine,” Ned insisted.

  Almetta looked up at him and didn’t say a word.

  But she had a funny look on her face.

  62

  I n the festively decorated ballroom, reporters were swarming all over Regan. Reports of the kidnapping and attempted murder of the lovely, young, recently engaged couple had headlined all the evening newscasts.

  “The twins haven’t confessed to killing Dorinda Dawes, have they, Regan?” asked a reporter from a local TV station.

  “No. But that’s not surprising. They’re waiting for their lawyer from Hudville to arrive. We know that they are capable of murder, so why wouldn’t they lie?”

  The five remaining members of the Lucky Seven were in shock and had spent the afternoon on and off the phone with the folks back home.

  “Can you believe it?”

  “I knew they were being cheap, but this is beyond belief.”

  “Sal Hawkins must be rolling in his grave.”

  Betsy and Bob had abandoned their exciting relationship chapter and had started to write a book about their travels with the evil twins.

  Francie, Artie, and Joy were determined to live it up and spend money for the remainder of their trip. Joy had decided to come to the ball and leave Zeke and his wanderlust in the dust. In the last several hours the Hudville group had turned into a bunch of mini celebrities. It was suddenly more fun to hang around with them. “And I’m the one,” Joy kept repeating, “who knew that Gert and Ev were cheating us!”

  Carla and Jason were up in their room recovering, their arms wrapped around each other as they lay on the bed. Carla had already talked to her mother about six times and all of her bridesmaids at least once.

  “Regan Reilly said she’d be a bridesmaid,” she told them joyfully.

  If Carla and Jason felt up to it, they said they’d come down and make an appearance later on. But they had barely touched the food and drinks Will had sent to their room.

  Jimmy was in attendance, wearing both leis around his neck. “Jimmy is going to donate both leis for the auction,” he announced proudly.

  Jazzy was modeling Claude’s sexy muumuu and clearly enjoying the attention. She and Claude hosted two tables filled with socialites. Regan was seated with Kit, Steve, Will, Kim, Will’s parents, and Dorinda’s cousin Gus. He was quite the social butterfly, getting up and down every two minutes to do interviews and take pictures for the article Will promised to publish in the next newsletter. “We mustn’t forget Dorinda,” he said. “But most of all, justice must be served.”

  An air of conviviality prevailed. Everyone was relieved that the twins were behind bars.

  “You’re some investigator,” Steve said to Regan. “Kit is so proud of you.”

  Regan shrugged and smiled at both of them. “Thanks. Sometimes you just get a gut instinct that you have to follow.”

  Someone tapped her on the shoulder. As she turned away, Steve remarked to Kit, “She’s something, isn’t she?”

  Kit giggled. She’d had a few glasses of wine and was feeling light-headed. She put her arm around his back. “Knowing her, she’s probably having you checked out.”

  He looked at her and laughed. “Little old me?”

  “She’s very protective. And I’m her best friend.”

  The band started to play “The Way You Look Tonight.” Steve extended his hand. “Shall we dance?”

  Kit floated out of her chair, and they were off.

  Regan couldn’t wait to get back home. She missed Jack more than ever as she watched all the couples on the dance floor. She had to admit that Kit and Steve did look great together. She also felt that she had done enough for the Waikiki Waters Resort. With the twins in captivity, the place was certainly safer.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Regan,” Will said to her quietly. “I wish I could hire you on a permanent basis.”

  “Well, I promise to come back and visit.”

  “They’re going to auction the leis in a little while. For my taste they can’t be out of here soon enough.”

  “I can well imagine.”

  Regan’s cell phone began to ring. She had it out on the table. When she looked at the number, she saw it was Jack. They had talke
d several hours ago after the twins were arrested. Smiling, she turned to Will. “Excuse me. I’ll go outside with this.” She got up and started to walk toward the door. “Hello there!” she answered.

  “Regan, where’s Kit?” he asked briskly.

  “She’s here at the ball. Why?”

  “Is Steve Yardley with her?”

  “Yes. What is it, Jack?”

  “I just got word about the prints from the beer bottle. This guy has a criminal record and goes by a number of aliases. Yes, he worked on Wall Street, but he was fired for embezzling funds. He’s run a number of scams since then. He rents a house in an expensive neighborhood with lots of part-time residents and gets people he meets to invest in his schemes. Then he moves on. He had a girlfriend who disappeared about ten years ago and has never been found. He has a bad temper and is considered dangerous if you make him angry.”

  “Oh, my God,” Regan walked back into the room, the phone at her ear. The band had taken a break, and no one was on the dance floor. She looked over at her table. Kit and Steve’s seats were empty. The main course was being served. “Jack, I don’t know where she is.”

  “I thought you said she was there.”

  “She was a few minutes ago, but then she and Steve got up to dance. Now they’re gone. Maybe they just went for a walk,” Regan said, worry filling her soul. “I’m going to look for her. I’ll call you back.”

  “Regan, be careful! This guy is dangerous.”

  Regan closed her cell phone and for a brief moment had the surreal feeling that she was leaving her body. Kit. Oh, Kit. She turned around and bumped into Gus. “Have you seen Kit?”

  “I just interviewed her outside. She and Steve look as if they’re so much in love. I think they’re going for a moonlight stroll.”

  Regan ran out the door toward the beach.

  “This is so romantic!” Kit said giddily as they strolled along the beach.

  “I just want to be with you,” Steve told her quietly. “Not with all those other people. Some of them are so annoying. Let’s go sit on the jetty.”

  They took off their shoes and gingerly stepped onto the rocky surface. Steve tightened his grip on Kit’s hand as, in the darkness, they carefully made their way out to the end of the jetty. A breeze was blowing, and the wide open sea lay endlessly before them. When they couldn’t walk any farther, Kit laid her head on Steve’s shoulder.

  “Come on,” Steve urged. He crouched, moved down among the rocks that faced the ocean, and turned to reach for Kit. “It’s our own little place here. No one will bother us.”

  Kit smiled as he carefully guided her down beside him. They sat, wrapped their arms around one another, and nestled in their private cove. The water lapped at their feet.

  “This is so wonderful.” Kit sighed.

  Steve turned his head and started to kiss her. Hard. Too hard.

  Kit pulled back. “Steve,” she protested, trying to laugh it off.

  “Ow!”

  “What’s the matter?” he asked gruffly. “You don’t want me to kiss you now?”

  “Of course I want you to kiss me.” She leaned back in toward him.

  “I want you to kiss me the way you did last night.”

  He kissed her again, biting her bottom lip as his right hand yanked the back of her hair. Kit pulled away for the second time, fear rising in her. “Steve, you’re hurting me.”

  He grabbed her arm. “Do you think I would hurt you? Do you think that just because you’re best friends with Regan Reilly all your boyfriends should be checked out? Is that what you think?” he demanded as his grip around her arm tightened.

  “No, I was just kidding,” Kit protested. “Regan looks out for me, that’s all. She’s my best friend. She likes you…”

  “No she doesn’t. I saw the way she was looking at me.”

  “She does like you. We want you to meet her fiancé Jack. He’s great…”

  Steve squeezed her arm and shook it. “He’s a cop. I don’t need the two of them asking me a lot of questions. That’s what Dorinda Dawes did. She started poking around my house and asking me everything about my life. She thought she was so smart. I had to shut her up!”

  Kit’s brain, which had been slightly clouded by the wine she’d been drinking, suddenly snapped into focus. The realization that Steve was Dorinda’s killer hit her with sickening force. I’ve got to get out of here, she thought. “Let go of my arm,” she said as calmly as she could. “You’re hurting me.”

  “You’re hurting me,” he repeated in a baby voice, mocking her.

  “I’ve got to go.” Kit started to stand but didn’t get far. She screamed as he pulled her back down.

  “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “Yes, I am!” Kit insisted fiercely as she turned away and hurriedly began to climb up from the rocks. But Steve pulled her back again. She stumbled backward and screamed out for help. He quickly pressed his hand over her mouth, held her struggling body close to him, and dipped her head into the swirling dark ocean.

  Out on the beach, Regan frantically looked around. There was no one there. “Kit!” she called. “Kit!” She kicked off her shoes and ran down to the water’s edge. “Kit!”

  All was silent.

  “Kit!”

  Then Regan heard Kit’s scream. It sounded as if it were coming from the jetty where Dorinda Dawes often sat. Oh, God, Regan thought, thinking of Dorinda’s fate. Don’t let the same thing happen to Kit! Regan started to run toward the jetty. Then she heard two more short screams. It’s her, I know it. Regan was frantic. My best friend. Please, please let me get there in time, she prayed.

  Regan stepped onto the jetty and ran across the slick rocks as fast as she could. She slipped and fell, her knee scraped by a jagged rock. Barely feeling the pain, she got back up and raced to the end. The sight of Steve struggling to hold Kit’s head under water sent a jolt through Regan’s system like she had never felt before. In an instant, she jumped down onto Steve’s back and hit him in the back of the neck with a strength she couldn’t believe she had. He grunted, released his grip on Kit, and threw Regan off his back. They both fell into the ocean. As Kit lifted her head out of the water, Regan yelled to her. “Get back on the jetty!”

  Kit was coughing, but fury had overcome her. “No way, Regan.” She jumped on Steve and scratched at his face. He threw her off and then pushed Regan below the surface. Regan swallowed a huge gulp of the salty ocean but managed to knee him in the groin. She resurfaced just as Kit clawed his left eye with her nails. He screamed in pain, turned away, and began to swim out to sea. But his escape was short-lived. A police boat located him twenty minutes later. His stint in paradise had come to an end.

  After all the excitement died down and the police had Steve in custody, Kit and Regan, now wearing dry clothes, returned to the ballroom in time to see the delayed auction of the royal leis. A benefactor purchased both of them for a lot of money and donated the pair back to the Seashell Museum. He didn’t have too much competition. “Trouble surrounds those leis,” he noted. “They shouldn’t be separated ever again. They belong together on display. People should know their history and that they once belonged to members of the Hawaiian royal family. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know how that poor woman Dorinda Dawes got her hands on Queen Liliuokalani’s lei. That’s a secret she took to her grave.” Jimmy beamed while the curator of the prestigious Bishop Museum looked crestfallen. He had hoped the leis would go to his museum.

  Will’s mother glanced over at Ned, who had just gotten up from the next table, and caught his eye. They both stared at each other. She stood and went over to him.

  “I know that you know who we are,” Almetta said evenly. “And I know who you are.”

  Ned didn’t reply.

  “I won’t tell anyone that you sold the lei to us if you won’t let it be known that we had it for all those years. That’s the last thing Will needs right now. He had nothing to do with Dorinda Dawes’s death. Thank God her killer has bee
n caught.”

  Ned nodded.

  Almetta smiled. “You know, your toes aren’t that bad. Buy yourself a pair of sandals.”

  Ned smiled back. “I already did.” He turned and walked off. The next day he applied for a job with the Peace Corps. I’m only going to do good from now on, he promised himself.

  Everyone loved Claude’s muumuus. They were a huge hit. Scores of women had changed into them in the bathrooms and were now out on the dance floor in force. Brimming with satisfaction, Claude whispered to Jazzy, “I don’t think we should do any more harm to this hotel. You don’t need Will’s job. They’ll sell our clothing anyway. I’ll make you my partner. And if you’ll have me, I’ll make you my wife.”

  Jazzy kissed him. “Oh, Claude. It’s what I always wanted.”

  He kissed her back. “Me, too. Now tell Glenn to cut out the pranks. We’ll give him a good job with the company.”

  “I love you, Claude.”

  “I love you, too, Jazzy. From now on, we always do the right thing. Life’s too short. Especially around here.”

  The next morning Regan and Kit were at the Honolulu airport together.

  “Another adventure, huh?” Kit said sheepishly. “We’ve been through a lot together in the last ten years, but this outing really takes the cake.”

  “The next guy will be the right one for you. I just know it.”

  “Promise me one thing.”

  “What?”

  “You’ll be sure to check him out. No matter how gaga I am.”

  Regan laughed. “That’s a guarantee. Especially if you’re gaga.” Her cell phone began to ring. She quickly answered it. “Aloha, Jack. Nothing’s changed since we spoke ten minutes ago. I’ve had two more calls from my mother. She’s still freaked out, but Kit and I are fine.”

  “I need to see you, Regan. They just reopened the airports here. I’ll get a flight to Los Angeles. I can’t wait until next weekend…”