"Hey, dude, how's it hanging?" the guy asked.
Dax and he performed a complicated handshake similar to his and Jimmy's earlier, and then Dax turned back to me. "Autumn, this is Phil Mano. Phil, this is Autumn."
"Pleasure to meet you," Phil said with a twinkle in his eye.
So he was a charmer too. What was it with these surfers anyway? Did they all think they were God's gifts to women?
"Nice to meet you, Phil. What did you want to tell me, Dax?" I was growing impatient and wanted to just get back home and curl up on the couch with Jimmy and a pizza. And a glass or two of wine.
"I wanted to tell you that I have a real job. Derrick and Patti Stone hired me. They're my sponsors."
"Ok?" I asked, puzzled why this was important to Dax.
"And I'm on my way to being at the top, you know? I've got big plans in store. I just thought, well, if you knew that I wasn't just a kid—"
I interrupted him before he could go on. I kind of felt sorry for him. Then I thought about how he'd launched himself through the air at Jimmy and changed my mind.
"Listen. I get that you're some top surfer, but what you did out there was stupid. You can't just go beating people up to prove you're better than they are."
Phil snorted. I whipped my head around to look at him. "What's your problem?"
"Nothing. You're absolutely right." He snickered.
Dax fought a grin.
I decided to change the subject. "Ok, so what exactly do you do for the Stones?"
Phil mumbled something about "nothing he could tell you about," but Dax elbowed him in the ribs, and Phil grimaced, rubbing his side.
I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but Dax spoke up. "The Stones own a company called Ecoboards. They make eco-friendly surfboards. Surfboard pollution is a hot topic, since none of the materials in a traditional board can be recycled. So the Stones jumped on the bandwagon, creating custom-made surfboards out of biodegradable materials."
"Well, that's kind of cool."
"It is pretty rad. We do mainly, um…" Dax looked at Phil, but Phil just shrugged. "Deliveries and transports."
Phil snorted again, and I got the feeling they were leaving out some very important details.
"What do you transport?" I asked, my suspicions rising as Dax darted his eyes around the beach.
"Boards," Phil interjected. "Of course."
I thought about what Dax had said about climbing to the top. Did that mean he was capable of murdering Noe in order to ensure his seat? I was leery of Dax. Not quite scared, but thought it would probably be best if I didn't meet up with him in a dark alley. But since Jimmy had said he didn't think Dax was capable of killing someone, I figured I'd better take this opportunity to ask him about the fight.
"What happened between you and Noe? I heard you guys had a fight the night before the luau."
Dax crossed his arms over his chest. "What's it to you?"
"Nothing really. I just wondered about it, that's all," I said, shocked at the vehemence I heard in his voice.
"Noe was a jerk. We fought, yeah, but it wasn't anything new. We fought all the time."
"What did you fight about?"
"Mainly who was better. Noe was always joking around and talking crap about how much better he was than everyone else. I'd had enough."
"Yeah, no one on the team liked Noe's attitude. He was a jackass," Phil interjected.
"So you did, what? Argued?"
Dax glanced down at his feet. "It was a little more than just an argument. Noe got in my face, and I pushed him. It kind of escalated from there."
I hadn't realized the fight was physical. Yikes.
"You fought with a guy because you didn't like that he was better than you?"
"He wasn't better than me," Dax growled, taking a couple of steps closer to me.
Suddenly fearful of him, my earlier resolve that he wouldn't kill someone gone, I backed up a few steps, my hands in front of me. "Got it. Not better than you. Sorry," I said quickly.
He relaxed a little but stood his ground.
"Noe was a piece of crap. No one's really all that sorry he's gone," he said.
I found that hard to believe. Kailani was pretty upset about it, and I'd met Noe. He was funny and handsome. He seemed like he liked to have a good time. I found it hard to believe that he was just a jerk who no one would care if he lived or died.
"You all wanted him gone?" I asked.
"Not like that," Dax assured me. His face turned to anger again. "Wait! What are you getting at? You think we killed him?"
"No, no I was just—"
"What's going on over here?" a male voice called out.
Both Dax and Phil looked a little aggressive in their stances, hovering over me with angered looks on their faces. It would look suspicious to anyone watching our trio.
I turned to see who had come to my rescue, and immediately, my heart fell. Derrick and Patti Stone.
"I asked what's going on over here," Derrick said again.
"Nothing, Derrick. We were just chatting with Autumn," Dax said, backing up and putting a little distance between us.
Patti Stone sidled up to Phil, rubbing her hands up and down his bicep. Ew. She was old enough to be his mother. But the way she was looking at him was far from motherly.
"Oh! You're that picture-taking girl from last night," Patti squealed, looping her arm through Phil's and pressing her enormous bosom into his chest.
Was it too difficult for her to say photographer? Picture-taking girl? As if I was an eleven-year-old with a disposable camera or something.
"I am," I said, resigned to her diminishing of my profession.
"Oh goody. You are just the person I want to talk to." She released Phil, clapping her hands in front of her face and bouncing up and down like a cheerleader.
"Ok," I said lamely. I really didn't know what else to say since I had no desire to have anything to do with the woman. She was high maintenance with a capital H and capital M.
"We're having a little get-together for some surfing executives tomorrow night. Hopefully, it will lift everyone's spirits after last night's disaster."
I thought calling someone's death a disaster was appropriate, but I had a feeling she meant more the event and not the death of one of their surfers.
"I'll need you to be there and take some photos. It's very important for our social media accounts to have professional photographs to post and not ones from a cell phone." She looked utterly disgusted, as if cell phone pictures were the worst thing ever. She wasn't entirely wrong.
"I'm not sure I can—" I began.
"I insist. I'll pay you double what the resort pays you. Now, if you will meet me at the pier tomorrow afternoon, I'll give you the lay of the land."
Patti pulled on Derrick to leave, but he didn't budge.
He directed a stern look at both Dax and Phil. "You guys are supposed to be working out, not flirting."
"We weren't—" Dax started.
"I don't pay you good money to talk to women. I pay you to win tournaments."
"Yes, sir," Dax said, his anger barely controlled.
I was learning that Dax didn't like being taken to task in front of others.
"I have another order that needs to go out. Meet me at the usual spot at 9:00 p.m."
Why were they delivering surfboards at 9:00 p.m. on a weeknight?
"Yes, sir," both guys responded and turned to walk back to the ocean, Phil stopping to scoop his board off the sand.
Derrick turned to walk away, but I knew I might not have an opportunity like this again.
"Wait, Derrick."
He turned, eyeing me from my toes to finally meeting my eyes. "What," he spat. It wasn't a question, more of a command.
"How are your surfers dealing with Noe's death? Do you have any idea who could have wanted him dead?"
His lip curled as if the thought of answering me repulsed him. I didn't understand his anger toward me or his surfers. He seemed to be in a
perpetually bad mood.
"We're all managing. It was quite sudden. And no, I have no idea who could have wanted him dead."
"Are you sure? I mean, maybe someone wanted his spot at the top. Maybe one of the other surfers could have taken him out in order to—"
Derrick took two steps toward me, a determined gleam in his eye. "Look, little girl—"
He did not just call me little girl. Before I could protest, he continued.
"None of my surfers had anything to do with this. If I find out you've told anyone otherwise, you'll be sorry."
He walked away, dragging his wife behind him.
It was then that I noticed Annie, his personal assistant, skulking behind them. Just the woman I wanted to talk to.
"Psst. Annie," I whispered.
She stopped and turned around, glancing at the retreating backs of her employers and then back to me.
"Want to grab coffee before I meet with Patti tomorrow afternoon?"
She looked confused, and I realized that I hadn't given her any real reason to meet with me. We weren't friends, so it did seem a little odd.
"You can give me some information about Patti and the event before I meet with her. It might make things go more smoothly."
Annie looked as if she had doubts about my intentions, but she must have decided to let them go. She smiled shyly and nodded.
"Yes, but not coffee. It's too hot out for that. Meet me at the pool bar. We can get sodas there."
"Sodas it is. See you tomorrow after lunch."
Satisfied with already knocking two items off my list, I turned around to pick up my surfboard and ran right into a hard, warm chest.
I looked up, way up into the eyes of Jimmy.
He quirked a brow. "Red?"
"Oh, good. You found your board," I said guiltily, rushing my words.
"What was that all about?" he asked, tipping his head at the retreating Stones.
"Oh nothing. Just Patti telling me that she needs me to take pictures for an event tomorrow night."
Jimmy grinned, no doubt at my disgusted tone.
I guessed it was best to just get the other part out. "And Derrick warning me not to be asking questions about Noe's death."
I said the last sentence really quickly and rushed to the lockers to put my board away. Jimmy caught up with me a few seconds later, just as I reached our shared locker.
"What?" He had on his security face again.
Great. "Huh?"
"Don't play dumb, Red. You know what I mean. Why were you asking Derrick Stone questions about Noe's murder?"
Stalling was the name of the game. I wasn't sure how to explain it all to Jimmy. I was afraid he might lock me in my house and throw away the key. I put my board away, moving to the side so Jimmy could put his away as well. Finally, I couldn't delay anymore, and I turned back to him.
"Jimmy, someone was killed last night. And that killer stole my camera, thinking I might have caught him on film. That same someone might think I saw something, even though I can't for the life of me think of what that might be. I can't just sit around waiting for him to decide he doesn't want to take the chance anymore. I need to figure out who did this."
I'd known all of this, but putting it out there and hearing myself say the words, I hadn't realized how scared I really was. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to make them go away.
Jimmy pulled me in for a hug, wrapping his big arms around me. I felt safe when I was with him, like nothing bad could ever happen to me if I was in his arms. He was a good friend. I wasn't sure what I would ever do without him.
I assumed one day he'd find a woman and settle down. Probably a tall, statuesque model. But until then, I was going to enjoy every moment I had with him.
"Let's get some pizza and watch Netflix," Jimmy said, kissing the top of my head.
"I can't think of anything else I'd rather do," I answered. And it was true.
CHAPTER SIX
"Let me show you where the ladies' lockers are."
I was walking with Juls the next day, or at least attempting to walk with her. She moved as though in a power-walk race, determined to best her last time.
"And because you're now an official employee of the resort, you have access to all the services here, including our on-site masseuse, my personal favorite perk."
"Mine too," I said fervently. A good massage could erase daily stress, and after working with Juls for one short hour, I was already in need of one. I'd either have to learn to adjust to her frenetic pace or die trying.
The locker room was that in name only. Lining one wall was a series of glass-fronted cabinets, each etched with flora native to the Aloha Lagoon region. I was given the key to the one with a delicate spray of orchids on the door. The lighting was soft and unobtrusive, the walls covered with an understated bamboo design. There were several groupings of club chairs, each one upholstered in sea green baize, with small tables set conveniently nearby. It looked more like a spa rather than an employees' break area. The Aloha Lagoon Resort certainly knew how to treat their own.
As impressed as I was by the locker room, I was more interested in the weekly remuneration. I still couldn't quite believe that I'd be on the receiving end of a regular paycheck. With a determination to earn every penny of it, I turned to smile at Juls.
"Thanks again for hiring me, Juls. You have no idea how much this means to me." I knew I sounded a tad sycophantic, but I really meant every word. I'd love to pay off my car, and it seemed I would now have to save up to buy a new 35mm camera. I mourned the loss of my pride and joy, but I hadn't had much time to think about replacing it and what it would cost. A whole lot less than someone's life, though. At least the camera was replaceable.
Juls shrugged nonchalantly, but I could tell she was pleased with my appreciation. "I figured that someone who comes with Jimmy Toki's seal of approval is good enough for me. Plus you earned it." She gave her watch a quick glance. "I have to get out to the pier to make sure that Patti Stone has all she needs for tonight's shindig. That woman…"
She left the rest of that statement off, but I could read between the lines. I'd met her.
She began the speed-walk routine again, but now I could keep pace without gasping too loudly. Maybe just working alongside Juls could be my daily workout, I thought with a grin. Giving her tanned legs a surreptitious glance, I had to admit those muscles looked pretty good.
"I'm a runner."
So my peek at her legs hadn't been as covert as I'd thought. I blushed, and she laughed, giving my arm a friendly pat. "And I have to say that you're keeping up with me better than Jimmy thought you would."
Oh, that Jimmy. I tucked Juls' comment away for future reference. Jimmy would pay for that. I thought about all the ways I could get him back.
Juls' phone rang, and she answered with, "Juls Kekoa."
"Oh no…Ok…No, I hadn't heard. That's terrible…I see…Yes, we'd absolutely like the chance…Of course. I'll tell her since I'm about to head in her direction…Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
She ended the call and pushed her hands into her hair. It was rare to see Juls ruffled. She didn't seem the type to be frazzled very easily. I waited patiently as Juls seemed to get herself under control.
"Well, my life just got a whole lot more complicated." Juls checked her smartphone, scrolling through several things before she looked up and met my eyes.
"Anything I can help with?" I asked, not sure what I could do, but since I was gainfully employed by her, I thought it best to ask.
"Not right now, except I can't finish the tour."
"It's fine. I'll find my way around. I can take some pictures of activities and the outside of the resort for the website or brochures. I've learned how to keep myself busy."
Juls looked relieved. "Thanks. That was Alex telling me that the hosting resort for the surfing competition this weekend caught fire last night. They think it was arson. "
Well, that was interesting news. The hosting ho
tel for the surfing Classic burns down, the initial impression was arson, and last year's champion ends up dead. All just days before the event. Seemed like a lot of coincidences.
"Anyway, Aloha Lagoon is going to make a bid for the competition to be held here, which means a ton of work on my end." She sighed heavily. "As if Patti's last-minute party wasn't enough trouble, now it looks as if we'll be at full capacity this weekend, with press coverage. I need to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible."
I smiled weakly. I knew the possibility of hosting the competition was great business for the resort, but I also knew that put a lot of pressure on Juls and the rest of the staff.
"Sometimes I wish the Stones would find another hotel to partner with. I know it's good revenue for the hotel, but she ends up using us like personal assistants. We do have jobs to do and guests to care for."
"Patti asked me to work her shindig tonight, too. Well, asked is putting it politely. Demanded is probably more accurate. But I'm happy to help in other ways if you have something you'd like me to do."
"Thanks, Autumn. Sorry you got roped into this by her. It's really nice having you on the team. I'll let you know if there's something more I need tonight."
That comment warmed my heart and put a little hop in my step as I circled around to the front desk to see Summer, and Juls turned and walked to the pier. Summer was in deep discussion with a rather round man with the loudest Hawaiian shirt I'd ever seen. Unfortunately, he'd paired that shirt with a pair of the loudest board shorts I'd ever seen too. What was he thinking?
"I'm sorry, sir. Our hula girls just don't do private dances. I think you're confusing them with a different sort of dancer," Summer said, trying to reason with him.
"I'm sure I heard that your girls do private dances." He looked down at the brochure in his hand. "See right here. Secure our hula dancers for your private event."
I held back a snicker. The man was too much.
"Private events, sir. Like luaus, dinners, parties. Not private events in your hotel room."
"Well, it should be clearer," he grumped and waddled past me, mumbling something about customer service and not catching a break.
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