Photo Finished

by Dane McCaslin

  "I'll see you in the morning, and we can go talk to Juls. 9:00 am, ok?" He stepped in front of me, reaching out to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. And bringing me face-to-face with my big drool spot. Kill me now. Wait, no. In light of my present circumstances, that wasn't funny.

  "Yeah, nine works. Thanks," I murmured.

  Jimmy stepped closer and placed a kiss to my forehead, pulling away quickly and jogging out to his car. "Night, Red."

  "Night." I watched his long legs eating up the distance in just a few strides and sighed. The man was a work of art.

  Maybe he didn't notice the drool? A girl could hope.

  * * *

  The next morning came way too early. After Jimmy left, I had found it difficult to go back to sleep. Tossing and turning all night, I would sleep for an hour or two only to be jerked awake by a nightmare. Each time the dream ended with Noe lying face first in his sushi, except the last time. That time instead of Noe, it was my lifeless eyes staring back at me.

  A chill crept up my spine at the thought of the killer having my camera—my phone number—my address. I wanted that camera back, and I wouldn't feel safe until the killer was caught.

  If I found my camera, I'd find the killer. Maybe I could kill two birds with one stone. Pun intended.

  With that thought in mind, I rolled out of bed way earlier than normal. I wasn't exactly a morning person, which was fine for a freelance photographer since I could make my own hours. However, since I wanted to photograph surfers and they did their best work in the morning, not to mention the beautiful sunrises I could capture, I needed to get used to getting up before the sun rose. I didn't have to like it though.

  I shuffled to the kitchen, turning the coffeemaker on as I trudged to the shower. Glancing in the mirror, bloodshot eyes with bags underneath them stared back. Nice.

  After a hot shower and some eye cream, I felt somewhat human. Donning my skinny black pants, three-inch wedges, and a thin white sleeveless shirt that showed just a hint of cleavage, I felt I had on appropriate armor for the day. After last night's muumuu fiasco, I needed to look pretty.

  I definitely was not trying to look good for a certain tall, dark, and gorgeous security guy.

  Giving a final fluff to my wavy red hair, I slid into my bright yellow Mini Cooper. Yellow was my favorite color, and I had the good fortune that yellow was actually one of the few colors that looked really good on me. Well, and greens. And sometimes blues. Ok, maybe my options weren't as limited as I thought.

  Since I was way too early to meet Jimmy at Aloha Lagoon, I took the long way there, driving by the beach to see if there were any surfers out this morning. Being that this was Hawaii, there were quite a few catching some waves, and I was glad I still had a backup camera. It would have to do.

  I jumped out of the car, replacing my wedges with some flip-flops I kept in the back floorboard, and hurried to the beach before the surfers called it quits. Focusing in on one guy in particular, I took several shots, wishing I had my good camera and long lens.

  There was something vaguely familiar about the guy, but I kept clicking, hoping I could catch him afterward to get his permission to use the photos on my website. I moved the camera along the beach, looking for my next shot, and paused when I saw Derrick Stone standing there watching the surfers. What was he doing there?

  Glancing back to the guy I'd been photographing, I flinched as I realized he was walking straight for me. As he drew closer, it dawned on me why he'd seemed familiar. It was Dax Toki, Jimmy's cousin who'd helped me find my camera bag last night.

  "Hey! It's Autumn, right?" He stuck out his wet hand to shake mine.

  He was just as ripped as Jimmy, muscles bulging and flexing as he moved. God had definitely blessed the Toki men with good looks and great bodies. Even Jimmy's dad was in fantastic shape for an older guy.

  "Hey, Dax. Thanks again for your help last night." I dropped my hand and motioned to my camera. "I was, uh, just taking some pictures. I wonder if you'd mind if I used these on my website. I think I got some really great ones."

  "Sure. Alright by me." He shrugged. His grin widened. "You interested in letting the better Toki take you to dinner one night?" Dax was younger than Jimmy, and he seemed to have no problem with self-confidence.

  "I'm afraid not. But thanks for offering." I busied myself with glancing at my camera and reviewing a few of the pictures I'd taken. They were really good.

  "You dating my cousin?"

  I looked up with a start. "No, nothing like that."

  "Then what's the problem?" He moved in closer, and I took a step back, suddenly nervous.

  "No problem. I just think you're a little young, you know?" I took another step back.

  Dax didn't seem to take notice of my subtle retreat, since he just kept walking toward me. Reaching out his hand, he took a lock of my hair between his fingers.

  "I'm old enough." His other hand reached out to grab my arm, but I pulled away and hastily walked back to my car.

  "Nice to see you again!" I tossed over my shoulder as I slid into my front seat, relieved that I was able to get away. Dax made me nervous for some reason. He stood staring at me, a look of anger making his features seem harder—more severe—older even.

  I glanced down, turning the ignition and starting the car. When I looked up, Derrick had walked over to Dax, and it looked as if they were in a heated debate. As if he knew I was watching, Derrick turned his piercing eyes on me. Our gazes met, and it seemed like forever before he turned back to Dax. Breathing out a ragged breath, I pulled out of the parking lot and made my way to Aloha Lagoon.

  It wasn't until I walked in the doors that it hit me. Dax was in the vicinity when my camera bag went missing last night. And he'd known right where it was.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  I found Jimmy at his desk, staring at his computer screen.

  "See anything interesting?" I asked, wondering what he could be gazing at so intently. I circled around to stand behind him and saw that he was looking at the security camera feed.

  "Not really. I'm reviewing the feed from last night. We don't have cameras out near the pier, but I was hoping a wide-angle view might have caught whoever took your camera. No such luck."

  "Well dang." The news was more disappointing than I would have thought since I hadn't even known about the security cameras.

  "The only thing I've found is waitstaff running back and forth from the kitchen out to the food-prep tent, but so far, everything looks on the up-and-up." Jimmy leaned back in his chair, making it screech and pop.

  I was scared it might break under his considerable bulk.

  "I did catch a great view of you in that muumuu you were wearing last night." Jimmy waggled his eyebrows, and I controlled the urge to slug him. We weren't teenagers, after all, but sometimes he brought out the adolescent in me.

  "Just hush. You know I hate those things."

  "All the more reason to rib you for it."

  I propped a hip on the side of his desk and noticed that Jimmy's eyes roved over my outfit appreciatively. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks when our eyes met.

  A grin split his lips. "Looks like you're making up for it with that outfit though."

  I rolled my eyes. What else was I going to do? Eye rolling was preferable to the urge I suddenly had to preen like a peacock.

  I didn't think I fooled Jimmy though, since his grin got even wider. I stood abruptly, smoothing my pants and clearing my throat. With a knowing glance my way, Jimmy rose from his chair, and it bounced back and forth like a jack in the box.

  "Let's find Juls." He placed his hand at the small of my back and led me down the hallway of offices. I could feel his heat through the thin shirt, and I shivered. I caught a smirk on Jimmy's face and walked a little faster, pulling away.

  Stopping in front of an office that had Julia Kekoa on a nameplate next to the door, I overheard her frantic voice assuring someone on the phone that all was going to be ok. I hadn't thought about how mu
ch damage control she would have to do being the activities director.

  "Yes, I understand…No, we are not closed…Yes, we believe this was an isolated incident and was a personal attack…No, we do not feel that anyone else is in danger."

  "Maybe we should come back later," I whispered to Jimmy.

  I was dreading the conversation. It had been my first night on the job, and I had absolutely nothing to show for it. Plus, it seemed like Juls had a lot on her plate. I wasn't sure adding missing pictures to it was smart.

  Jimmy just shook his head. "Time to face the music, Red." He took my hand in his and squeezed, letting it go just as quickly. "It'll be fine. Trust me."

  Jimmy knocked on the doorframe, and Juls looked up from her call, motioning us in. Her eyes looked tired, but the rest of her was immaculately put together.

  "Great. I'll let you know when we resume the normal activities schedule. Thanks, Mr. Jameson." She put the phone down on the receiver and gestured for us to sit in the basket-style chairs drawn up in front of her glass-topped bamboo desk.

  "What can I do for you two?" she asked politely, but I could tell she was still preoccupied with damage control.

  "I'm afraid I have some bad news," I started, looking to Jimmy for support.

  He smiled and gave a quick nod of his head for me to go on.

  "Oh?" Juls' face froze in a polite mask. I could tell she was screaming no more bad news on the inside. I hated to add to her stress.

  "It appears someone stole my camera last night during the chaos of what happened. The film was taken as well."

  "Film?" Her facial expression hadn't changed, and I wondered if Juls had a thin grip on her sanity.

  "Yes, I typically use film. Although I do have a digital backup camera that I use for website work. So I still have an extra camera, but the pictures from last night. Well, they're—"

  "Gone," Juls finished for me.

  I nodded.

  "We think the killer took it," Jimmy added helpfully.

  Her eyebrows rose, and then her whole body seemed to relax, as if she'd made a conscious decision to do so. "Yikes. Ok, well, not much we can do about it then, can we? I'll let the guests know that there's a delay…"

  "But—"

  Juls held up one finger. "Once the details of the murder hit and people hear that the camera was stolen, no one will care about their pictures. Except maybe Patti Stone."

  "She seemed a little intense last night."

  "She's always intense. They have a contract with the resort. A partnership of sorts. They bring a lot of business here, so we put up with her antics. Anyway, I'll deal with it."

  It was good to know that I wasn't the only one who'd noticed Patti's less-than-amenable attitude. She struck me as the type that if you gave her an inch, she'd take a mile.

  "I'm really sorry."

  "No need to be. Not something you could have helped." She shuffled a couple of papers on her desk, a new determination lighting her eyes. Looking up at me, she paused. "Oh, also, Alex Cho, our leisure groups coordinator and my boss, wanted me to let you know that you're hired."

  "What?" My voice was a tad high-pitched. Were those dogs outside I heard howling?

  Juls laughed a little, and I quickly snapped my mouth closed, realizing it still hung open in shock. I was sure the guppy look wasn't very professional.

  "Alex was impressed with the way you handled the guests last night and your resilience during such a horrific episode."

  "Oh my gosh! Thank you! You won't regret this." Juls stood, and I took that as my cue that the meeting was over. I stuck out my hand to shake hers, and she put her slender hand in mine. With a quick shake, it was official.

  "Make sure you follow up with HR today."

  "Thank you again."

  "No need to thank me. I'll catch up with you tomorrow and show you around, as Alex would like some pictures of the resort and our activities for the website. It's way past time for us to update. Today, just focus on getting all of your paperwork filled out."

  "I'll be happy to take her to HR and get her started," Jimmy said. "I've got a couple of hours."

  "Fantastic. I'll see you tomorrow then, Autumn, say around 1:00 p.m.?"

  "Perfect!"

  As we exited Juls' office, I was able to contain my elation until we were several feet away. When I was sure we were out of earshot, I whooped and threw my arms around Jimmy's broad shoulders.

  "I did it! I really did it!"

  A burst of laughter tore from Jimmy's chest as he picked me up and twirled me around, squeezing the breath out of me.

  "I knew you would, Red."

  "Mmmphf, pwff." My face was pressed so tightly against his chest that I couldn't get anything intelligible out of my mouth.

  "Oops, sorry." Jimmy put me down, and I quickly adjusted my clothes. One of the things I loved about Jimmy was that inside, he was all soft and squishy. Such a kid at heart. But on the outside, he looked intimidating as hell. He was also the size of a Mack truck, so sometimes he forgot his own strength.

  "Let's make you official." Jimmy led the way to HR, which was down a different corridor of offices.

  It was nice to finally be able to relax about a steady paycheck. Too bad I couldn't feel the same about my missing camera or the fact that a killer might have a reason to want me out of the picture. The unintended puns just kept coming.

  The rest of the morning zipped along at warp speed. I was photographed for my official Aloha Lagoon Resort badge, filled out what seemed to be a mountain of paperwork, and watched several videos on resort policy and procedure. Jimmy, bless his heart, did double duty as resort guide and lackey, running to make copies for me or to get much-needed caffeine. Finally I was finished and welcomed by the human resources director, David Mahelona, as a "member of the Aloha Lagoon Resort family, where we really do try to make every day count."

  To my credit, I managed to smile at the spiel, even thanked him for the kind words, although they were in stark contrast to his overwhelming presence both in attitude and size.

  "I'm starved. Ready to get some food?" Jimmy asked as we walked to the hotel lobby.

  "One second. I want to tell Summer the good news." I rushed over to the front desk, where Summer was waiting on a customer. I patiently, or impatiently might be a better description, tapped my fingers on the counter as she gave the man her fake I'm-here-to-help-you-with-all-your-needs smile.

  Finally, she was finished, and she turned to me with the fake grin in place. It fell immediately and was replaced by a genuine one.

  "Autumn! Did you talk to Juls today?"

  "I got the job!"

  Squealing with delight, Summer ran out from behind the desk and took both my hands in hers. We did the jumping-hand-holding thing for a few seconds before she hugged me tightly.

  "That's such great news! When do you start?"

  "Tomorrow. Alex wants some pictures of the resort and activities for the website, so I'll meet up with Juls tomorrow and find out what exactly they're looking for."

  "Any news on the dead guy?" she asked, eyeing Jimmy as he talked on his cell phone.

  He had that serious security look on his face. It was so different from the happy-go-lucky expression I was used to.

  "Nothing he's shared with me. Have you heard anything?"

  Summer glanced around to make sure no one was looking. "I heard that Dax Toki and Noe Kahale had a fight the night before he was killed. I don't know what it was about, but it was no secret that there was no love lost between those two."

  My suspicion of Dax crept up a notch as I remembered the anger in his eyes this morning when I'd turned him down, his vicinity to my camera bag last night, and how he knew right where it was. Then I remembered his conversation with Derrick on the beach and the tension on his face.

  "Why didn't they like each other?" I asked.

  "Dax and Noe were both extremely competitive. Noe was at the top of his game, but Dax was starting to win more and more of the events. You can only have
one top surfer. They both wanted the title."

  "But do you think it would be enough to want to kill someone?" I couldn't imagine poisoning someone because they might be better than me at a sport.

  Summer shrugged. "Who knows? There's a lot of money to be lost if you lose that spot. Sponsors, incentives, endorsements. It can be pretty cutthroat out there."

  What would Jimmy think of the information about his cousin? I'd have to ask him at lunch. Maybe he would know whether Dax was capable of poisoning someone to secure his position at the top.

  "We're heading to get some lunch. Want to come with us?" I asked.

  "I can't. I don't get a break for another hour."

  "Bummer. Ok, well I'll see you later then." I waved at Summer as I made my way toward Jimmy. He was still on the call when I arrived.

  "Thanks, Ray. I've been keeping an eye on her. No. She hasn't remembered anything yet."

  I felt a little guilty since I hadn't really been thinking much about what I could have seen last night. With the excitement of a new job and the busyness of getting all the paperwork done, I'd kind of put last night's events on the back burner. Hearing Jimmy talk about me to the detective, though, reminded me of the danger I could potentially be in.

  Unless I figured out who had murdered Noe, I had a feeling I'd never feel safe. With that thought running through my head, I made a decision. I was going to figure this thing out if it was the last thing I did. No wait. Not the last thing I did. Maybe it was better to just say that I was determined to find Noe's killer. Period.

  "You got a lot of steam coming out of your ears, Red. What's going on in that mind of yours?"

  I looped my arm through his. "Nothing important. Just determined, that's all."

  Jimmy groaned as he directed me to his piece-of-junk car, a hand-me-down from his dad that was a rust bucket held together with wire and luck. "I don't think I like the sound of that. It usually means trouble where you're concerned."

  I gasped and elbowed him in the side. He grunted, but I knew he was faking it.

  "That's offensive. I am not trouble."

  Raising his eyebrows at me, Jimmy opened my door for me, and I slid inside.