After ordering our tacos, we sat at a table, and I filled Jimmy in on the conversation I'd overheard with Patti and whoever was on the other end of the line.
"What could she mean by boards and merchandise? Aren't the surfboards the merchandise?" Jimmy asked.
"That's what I was thinking. Why would she separate the two? And then to threaten someone that if she goes down, they go down too? None of it makes any sense."
"Well, Patti tends to be a bit dramatic, so for all we know, it could be wax for the boards or something she'd planned to have shipped together."
Jimmy didn't look as if he believed his words, and I just let it go. We both knew it was more than that. The question was, what could it be?
"I spoke to Derrick after you went to talk to Detective Ray."
Jimmy's expression hardened, and I could tell he was trying to keep his temper in check.
"Oh?" he asked, deceptively calm.
"He still thought Kailani had been fired. And he acted ignorant about what was going on in those pictures we have of him and Dax at the luau."
"You told him?" Jimmy practically yelled.
"Shh. Keep your voice down. Geez."
Jimmy lifted one eyebrow in warning.
"Ok fine. Yes, I told him. I didn't really mean to. It just came out."
Looking up at the ceiling, Jimmy murmured something under his breath. I could tell he was trying to control his anger toward me. But I also knew he was worried about me, so I gave him a pass on the overprotective bear act he was performing.
"Autumn, you know I'm worried about you," he started.
"I know, but you don't have to be."
"Of course I have to be. If I don't worry about you, who's going to? You certainly aren't worried about yourself."
"I just need answers, you know? And I want my camera back."
"I'll buy you another dang camera! Just let it go. Please."
"I can't do that."
He sighed, the sound filled with regret and resolution. "Then at least be careful?" He said the words like a question.
I nodded.
Taking my hand in his, he lifted our joined hands up to his mouth once again, placing a chaste kiss on my knuckles. "If anything happens to you—"
"It won't," I assured him. But I wasn't so sure I had the power to keep that promise.
Night had fallen, and I was anxious to get home and chill out for a little while. The events of the day had worn me down, and I was desperate for a little downtime.
I stopped my car next to Jimmy's.
"I'm going to run home and get some things to keep at your place so I don't have to run home every day."
"Jimmy, you don't have to stay with me."
"I won't sleep otherwise."
"At least take my bed. You don't fit on the couch."
"Just drop it. I can sleep anywhere," he said with a wink. He got into his car and drove off.
I started to head to my apartment, but I remembered I'd left my bag of extra clothes in the locker. Since I'd worn those several times, I figured it was time I gave them a good wash. I wouldn't have time over the next few days to wash them with the Classic on the horizon, so I darted in to retrieve them.
On my way out, I sent Jimmy a text to grab some chocolate ice cream from his place. He always had a stash of it in his freezer. I had a sneaky suspicion it was because he knew how much I liked it.
I looked up from my phone and saw two figures huddling in the corner of the parking lot. As I walked closer to my car, their features came into focus. It was Derrick and Dax.
I tried to be nonchalant as I crept up to my car, all the while keeping an eye on them. They were talking in raised voices, both leaning in as if they wanted to tear the other one apart. Dax lightly pushed Derrick's shoulder, and Derrick's face got so red I could see it from where I was standing, halfway across the parking lot.
"Don't you ever touch me like that again, or I'll kill you," he said, his fist raised as if he was going to hit Dax.
I must have gasped audibly, because at that moment both men turned and looked my way. Derrick's face grew even redder, while Dax turned white as a ghost.
"Oh crap," I said under my breath and closed the distance to my car. As soon as I slid into the driver's seat, I saw Dax making a mad dash my way. Fumbling with my keys, I tried to put them in the ignition and start the car. I kept hitting the drive shaft and not the little hole where the key goes.
"Come on, come on!" My hands were shaking so badly, I couldn't get the key to go in. After several failed attempts, I finally got the key in, and the engine turned over. When I raised my eyes, Dax was at the driver's door, his hands on the lever. With a yelp, I quickly hit the lock button and punched the gas, leaving a gasping Dax in my wake.
My breathing came hard and heavy as I spun out of the parking lot, making a beeline for my apartment. After a couple of miles, I relaxed. My hands shook on the steering wheel, and my legs felt like rubber.
"That was close," I said, wondering what Dax would have done if he'd caught me.
I thought about calling Jimmy to let him know what I'd just seen, but I decided to wait until he arrived at my place. No need to worry him.
I took the turn toward my house, the coast on the horizon. There were no streetlights on this side of the town, so it was pitch-black outside. Headlights shone from behind me, and I glanced in my rearview mirror. Whoever was behind me was coming up fast.
I slowed down, hoping they'd go around. The car kept coming, and my pulse picked up its pace once again. What were they doing?
The car was dark, and I couldn't tell what kind it was, even though it was right on my back bumper now. I sped up, seeing that the driver had no intention of going around me.
The car revved its engine, lunging forward as if it was going to hit me. With a scream, I stomped on the gas, trying desperately to keep my car on the road. We were fast approaching a portion of the road that narrowed considerably, with very little room on either side of it.
As I increased my speed again, the car behind me made contact, ramming me from behind. My head flew forward as I braced myself, and my car jerked to the right.
Glancing behind me, the car was still there. Tears fell down my face, but I barely noticed. I'd never been so scared, and I wasn't sure how to get out of this situation. I looked at the passenger seat for my purse, hoping I could make a call to 9-1-1, but it had fallen onto the floor after the car had rammed into me.
I looked into the rearview mirror, seeing the car pick up speed once again. This time, I was prepared for the bump, but I didn't anticipate the force with which he hit me. My forehead slammed into the steering wheel, momentarily making me see stars. The car lurched to the left, and I lost control of the wheel. I spun around, feeling the car do a 360-degree turn before finally resting on the bank next to the road.
The night was eerily calm, as if I hadn't just been run off the road by a crazed driver. Wait! Where was the other car?
I peered through the windshield, but no one was nearby. Grateful the deranged person hadn't stuck around, I unbuckled my seat belt and bent over the console to retrieve my purse from the floor.
With shaking hands, I dialed 9-1-1 and told them what happened. Then I dialed Jimmy.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I brought the hot coffee up to my lips, trying to control the tremors that wracked my body, as Jimmy and I sat in my living room waiting for Detective Ray to come by for my statement. I was in no shape to drive after my accident. My car was being driven back to my house by one of the officers since, although suffering some serious fender damage, it was still drivable. Good thing since I didn't have the money to have it fixed right now.
It was hard enough for me to get into Jimmy's car after my accident, and I couldn't stand the thought of riding or driving all the way to the police station. Fortunately, Detective Ray was nearby and offered to swing by.
Jimmy handed me an ice pack, which I placed on the tender spot on my forehead. I'd probably hav
e a nice bruise, but fortunately the EMTs had deemed me concussion-free with strict instructions to go to the ER if my symptoms changed.
A knock at the door sent my blood pressure through the roof, and my coffee almost spilled on my lap.
"I got it," Jimmy said, jumping up off the couch and checking the peephole in the door before opening it.
Detective Ray entered my apartment looking almost as bad as I was sure I did. His hair was mussed. He had what looked like a yellow mustard stain on his white Hawaiian shirt with green flowers. His pants were wrinkled, and it looked like one of his pants legs was tucked into his sock. How that happened, I wasn't sure.
"Good evening, Ms. Season. I hear you've had a rough night."
"It was definitely one of the worst days of my life so far." Finding a dead body and being run off the road all in the same day had to be some kind of record for bad days.
"I have a feeling your meddling in my case is the cause of these unfortunate events." Detective Ray pointed a heated glare in my direction.
I shrank back against the couch. Who knew he could be so intimidating? Even with the stains and overall general rumpledness.
I decided to just keep quiet. I would not confirm or deny my recent activities.
"Tell me what happened," he said, sitting down in the armchair across the room.
"I dropped Jimmy off at his car then remembered I'd left my bag in my locker. So I ran inside to get it. When I came out, Derrick Stone and Dax Toki—" I looked at Jimmy apologetically. He just nodded at me to continue. "Well, they were in some kind of heated argument. Pushing each other and yelling. Then Derrick said if Dax ever touched him again, he'd kill him."
"Did you confront the two men?"
"No, sir. But they saw me. Dax ran toward the car, but I pulled away before he could open my door."
"I see. Did either of them say anything to you?"
"No, sir."
"Continue, please."
I finished telling him about the car ramming me and eventually running me off the road.
"Did you see the car?"
"Not really. It looked dark. Maybe black. It's hard to say."
Detective Ray flipped his notebook closed and placed it in his pocket. "Well, we'll keep an eye out for any dark cars with front-end damage. Until then, and I feel like a broken record saying this, but it seems as if you're not hearing me. Ms. Season. Stay. Out. Of. My. Case. Is that clear?"
I nodded my agreement, knowing full well I was lying to a police officer. This last scare only fueled my determination to get to the bottom of this mess. I wasn't about to be intimidated by a little car accident.
Actually, that was a lie too. I was very much intimidated. But I rationalized that the only way to deal with my fear was to figure out who was trying to scare me. If the killer was warning me off, then I must be getting close. For the life of me, I had no idea what I was close to. None of the things I'd discovered made any sense at all.
Jimmy walked the detective to the door and stepped outside with him, pulling the door to but not closing it all the way. I could hear their hushed voices and figured they were talking about me. Or the case. I guessed that was to be expected since Jimmy was security at the resort.
When Jimmy returned, I'd started to doze off on the couch. I was exhausted. Too many emotions, too much adrenaline. It was all too much.
Jimmy slid onto the sofa, gathering me in his arms and pulling me close to his side. I sighed, curling up into him. Just as my lids began to close, Jimmy whispered, "Can I ask a favor?"
I sat up a bit and caught his eye. "Of course."
"Will you leave this alone now?" I started to protest, but he interrupted me. "Hear me out. You could have been killed tonight. If you'd gone over the embankment, it would have been bad. Please, Autumn. I don't want you to end up like Noe or Kailani, and I'm afraid if you keep this up, the killer will target you next."
"I can't make any promises, Jimmy. I must be getting close to something. I just need to figure it out."
"And what happens if this person doesn't want you to figure it out? Then what?"
"I'll be careful. More discreet. I won't go looking for trouble."
Jimmy laid his head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "That's the problem, Red. Trouble seems to find you."
I poked him in the ribs and settled back against his chest. He tightened his hold on me.
A few hours later, I awoke with Jimmy wrapped around me once again. We'd somehow managed to lie down on the couch and were entangled together.
I moved to get off the couch, and Jimmy tightened his hold. "Don't go," he whispered.
Not knowing what else to do, I sank back into the sofa. I'd let myself enjoy this for the night. I could wonder what it all meant later. That sounded like a great plan.
At six a.m. I woke again, but this time I was lying on top of Jimmy. Embarrassed, I eased off him and ran to the shower. I didn't think I could face Jimmy yet. I had no idea what all this meant. It felt like we were becoming more than friends. But was that what Jimmy wanted, or was I just thinking wishfully? And was this what I really wanted? If it all ended badly, could we remain friends?
I didn't think we could. Friends shared things with each other, and if we got together and it ended, I didn't think I could go back to hearing about what swimsuit model he was dating that week.
I got ready for work in record time. I had so much to do that day, with preparations for the Classic tomorrow. I managed to get out of the house without waking Jimmy and left him a note on the counter, saying I was getting an early start on the day and would see him at work. Cowardly, I know.
As I slid behind the wheel of my damaged Coop, I had to take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and my shaking hands. I hated feeling out of control, and last night's accident had rocked my confidence. I started the engine and curled my trembling fingers around the wheel. I could do this.
When I arrived (uneventfully, thank God) at the resort, it was the quiet time of the morning, only a few tourists bustling about, getting ready for their excursions for the day. Gabby was hard at work, wrangling guests into groups, as I passed by her office. I waved and turned toward the locker room.
With my quiet exit from my apartment, I hadn't taken the time to put on any makeup that morning. Even though I took a minimalist approach, opting for a simple lip gloss and face powder to blot any shiny skin and the nice bruise I had from the car accident the night before, a girl needed time to primp, right?
I could hear someone moving around inside the elegant space as I entered, and I called out a cheery "hello" just to let her know someone else was there. It sounded as though someone had taken advantage of the shower and was dressing.
I'd just moved toward the lockers when someone dashed from the dressing area and ran toward the door. For a woman, I thought she was sure tall. And buff. And dressed all in black, including the hoodie tied tightly around her face. Only a pair of dark eyes peered out at me. The woman, who looked more like a man, pushed by me, sending me tumbling down to the floor.
"Hey!" I cried out, knocking my elbow on the hard tile floor.
Before I could get to my feet, the intruder was gone. I knew those eyes. In fact, I'd seen them up close and personal, on my couch just the night before. My heart took a dizzying tumble from my chest to my stomach.
But of course, it wasn't Jimmy, because I'd left him sleeping on my couch just moments before.
The only other person I knew who had those same eyes was Dax Toki. But why was Dax in the women's locker room?
I scrambled to my feet, rubbing my elbow and fumbling with my bag. When I reached my locker, I stopped, goose bumps sprouting up all over my arms, and the hair on the back of my neck standing at attention.
My locker door was open. In red letters the words Stay Out of This or Else! were splayed across the inside of the door. The makeup bag I left there lay open, its contents spilling out onto the floor. The red lipstick I wore on special occasions lay open insi
de the locker door. Guess that explained the red lettering.
Rummaging through my purse, I found my phone and clicked on Jimmy's name.
He answered on the first ring. "Red? Where are you?"
"I came to work early. Listen, Jimmy. When I got here, someone was in the women's locker room. I thought it was another woman, but it wasn't."
"You're not making any sense. Why are you at work this early?"
"Never mind. It was Dax. There's a warning on my locker door written in red lipstick. And I swear it was Dax I ran into. I had an initial gut punch reaction that it was you, because of the eyes, but realized immediately that was a ridiculous notion since I'd left you on the couch."
"Yeah, we're going to have to talk about that last part, but let me get this straight. You went into work early, and Dax was in the women's locker room vandalizing your locker?"
"Exactly!" I squealed, thankful he was finally making sense of my rambling.
"What does the message say?"
"Stay out of this or else."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Sure it does. He wants me to stop snooping around, obviously." The duh was evident in my tone.
"Cool your jets, smarty pants. What I mean is, I don't understand why Dax would warn you off like that."
"'Cause he's the killer, and he wants me to stay away."
"If he was the killer, Red, he would have just killed you by now. No, it has to be something else."
My blood ran cold at his words, and I was momentarily speechless. Jimmy took advantage of my quiet and pressed on.
"I'll be in as soon as I can. Leave the locker the way it is. I'll call Juls and have her put an out of order sign up until I get there. Until then, just go do what you ran off so early this morning to do, and stay out of trouble, please."
"Yes, sir!" I said sarcastically. Jimmy didn't reply, and I immediately felt guilty. He was just trying to keep me safe. Jimmy was the least tyrannical person I knew.
"I'll stay out of trouble."
"Thanks."
I only hoped I could keep my word.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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