"Get us one of those, would you Case?" he said, flashing Casey a smile.
Casey replied by narrowing his eyes at him but otherwise didn't move.
"Can't refuse service to a paying customer," the stranger said jovially.
Casey let out a long breath, "That'll be seven dollars twenty-five, plus a tip," he almost spat, holding out his hand palm up.
The stranger laughed, pulled out his wallet, and threw a ten-dollar bill onto the bar top. Casey snatched it up and then turned to make the drink. Geez, whatever their history was, it couldn't have been good.
"How do you two know each other?" I asked, watching Casey rotate his shoulders, stretching his neck.
"We go way back," the man replied, glancing at Casey. "Pulled pints wiv' him at The Ship and Castle in Portsmouth and then at The White Rabbit in Sydney. That was before he went all upmarket," he added, his brow furrowing as a distant look flicked in his eyes. Shaking himself, he turned to me and said, "You sound like an Aussie."
I nodded my head. "Yes, but I live here now."
"Cool. It looks like a nice place to be. You know Casey, then?"
"He's my boyfriend." As much as I tried, I couldn't keep the smugness out of my voice.
As I spoke, Casey returned with the Lava Flow cocktail and slammed the glass onto the bar, making me jump.
"Here's your cocktail," he said to the man. "The tables outside would be your best place to sit and drink it," he suggested. Only it wasn't the friendly suggestion that Casey usually gave the patrons.
"Nah, 'ere's pretty good."
Casey's jaw hardened as he glared at the man. He opened his mouth to say something, when The Lava Pot's newest bartender, Owen, bumped him with a tray of glasses, knocking the entire thing to the floor. The sound of smashing glass quieted the noisy bar for a moment, before the sounds of laughter and chattering once again filled the air.
Owen was pretty cute in a surfer kind of way. His hair was sun bleached, his skin was tanned, and his biceps were amazing, but judging by that display, he was obviously as uncoordinated as I could be.
He blushed as sweat beaded on his forehead, and I heard his quiet curse.
Casey, now wearing most of the alcohol that Owen had been carrying, turned to him.
"I'm so, so sorry, man," Owen stammered.
"It's alright," replied Casey with a sigh. "I'll clean it up. You make the drinks again before the customers can complain about us being slow."
As head barman, Casey made an amazing boss. I could see the frustration in his eyes, but he was only kind to Owen.
"Sure thing," said Owen, before hurrying off to remake the drinks.
Whatever Casey had to say to the man standing next to me, was only expressed with a glare before Casey grabbed a bar towel and moved away, mopping his arm as he went.
The man chuckled before turning his attention to me and Alani.
"Sorry," he said, his super-white smile flashing. "I should introduce myself. I'm Ryan. Ryan Hobson, but my friends call me Hobbs." He extended his hand first to Alani.
"Alani," she replied.
"Alani. That's a pretty name."
"It's native. It means orange—like the fruit."
"My favorite of all the fruits," replied Ryan. "And such a pretty color."
Ryan then turned to me, his right eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Oh, I'm Samantha." The velvety softness of his skin almost caressed mine as he shook my hand in a greeting, and I felt a shudder of uneasiness run down my spine.
He slid his palm out of mine and pulled up the stool next to me.
"So Alani, are you native to Kauai?" he asked, sitting down.
He obviously thought we were his new best friends. Hawaiians were friendly with everyone, but for me being overly friendly with a stranger in a bar wasn't something that came naturally. Yet it was something I needed to learn. Embrace the island lifestyle should become my new mantra. But with this man, I just couldn't shake Casey's reaction.
Alani nodded. "Uh-huh. My family has been here for generations."
"Cool."
"Were you and Casey close?" I asked, jumping back to our prior conversation.
I thought I saw regret flash in his eyes, but he quickly gave me a super-white smile. He opened his mouth to respond when Casey chose that moment to wander towards us, broom in hand.
"Everything okay?" Casey asked me.
I nodded before studying Ryan just a little bit harder.
Ryan watched Casey with a look of mild curiosity, then lifted his drink and took a gulp. Three gulps later the glass was empty. Geez, he really knew how to drink.
"Can I 'ave a scotch on the rocks next mate?" Ryan asked him.
"Sure," Casey replied flatly, but instead of making the drink, he started to sweep the broken glass.
Ryan once again laughed, turning back to face Alani and me.
"So Alani," he said. "If you're a local, then you'll know your way around here pretty well."
"Of course I do," she scoffed.
"Do you know much about the forest around Coconut Cove?"
She placed her glass on the bar and swiveled on her stool to face him.
"What about it?"
"I wanted to go there and have a look around. Just wondering the best way to get there."
Casey stopped sweeping and stared at Ryan. After a beat he moved towards us, placed his forearm on the countertop, and leaned his weight forward, never once breaking eye contact with Ryan.
"What are you doing here?" he asked him.
"I'm just here for a little look around. Is that a crime?"
"I don't believe that for a second." Casey's electric blue eyes looked sharp and focused as he glared at Ryan.
"Can I 'ave that drink yet?" Ryan's shoulders were relaxed, his smile freely playing on his lips, seemingly enjoying himself.
Casey's jaw started to grind.
"I'll get you your drink, but then you get out of my bar." His eyes bored into Ryan, and I knew that I for one would have done exactly as asked.
Ryan threw his head back and laughed. "Same ole Casey I used to know."
Really? That wasn't the Casey I'd grown to love. The Casey I knew was chilled, happy, and always smiling. His eyes sparkled when he spoke to you. They weren't hard like they were now.
Casey scowled before sweeping up the broken glass, then headed off to make Ryan's drink.
"You two must have some interesting history," I commented to Ryan. Alani was silent. I knew her well enough to know that she was considering what was going on here just as much as I was.
"I'm guessing Casey never mentioned me then?"
I shook my head as Ryan stared after him, his look distant, seemingly lost in a memory.
"What brings you to Aloha Lagoon?" Alani asked him.
"Hmm…oh, work," Ryan added, turning his full attention back to us.
"What sort of work do you do?"
"I used to be a barman, but a few years ago I got into admin, I guess you could say."
"That's a big career change," I commented.
"Well the opportunity fell into my lap, and you got to take opportunity while it's knocking, right?"
"I suppose."
"What is it you want to do around Coconut Cove?" Alani asked.
"Ah, well, I was hoping to have a hike in the forest."
"There are a lot of hiking trails in that area, but some areas are off limits. Make sure you stick to the ones that are marked."
"What if where I need to go isn't on the trails?"
"Then you can't go there without permission."
"Why do you need to go to an area that isn't on the marked trails?" I asked, curious.
Ryan looked thoughtful. "How do I get permission?" he then asked, ignoring my question altogether.
Casey moved back towards us, putting Ryan's drink in front of him, holding out his hand for payment.
Alani looked to Ryan. "Depends on whose land it is, but I'd suggest you start by talking to the owner."
<
br /> Ryan considered her response as he slapped a few notes into Casey's hand.
"Have you ever heard of a petrified tree?" he asked her. "From what I know of it, I'd guess it's not on the tourist trails."
Casey closed his fingers around the money but otherwise didn't move.
"Yes, I know it. And you're right—it's not on a trail. My family owns that area of Coconut Cove. Sorry, but it's off limits to tourists."
Ryan raised his eyebrows as he studied Alani.
"Your family owns that land?"
Alani nodded. "That's what I said."
"What if I'm not a tourist? What if I ask your permission to go there?"
"Why do you need to go there?" I asked again.
"What's going on, Ryan?" Casey asked, his tone hard.
"Nothin' that you should worry about."
"You're here treasure hunting, aren't you?" Casey stated.
Ryan lifted his drink, his eyes only leaving Casey's as the scotch touched his lips. The ice tinkled against the glass, and Casey's shoulders relaxed as a smile played on his lips.
Slowly placing the glass back down, Ryan replied, "That's none of your business."
Casey laughed, breaking the tension that had been building between the two. Shaking his head, he looked at Ryan like he was an idiot. Which he quite possibly was.
"There's no treasure here, Ryan."
"It's real, Casey. And it's here, near Aloha Lagoon," Ryan replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It is not here. It's not real. None of it's real." Casey spoke slowly, his gaze holding Ryan's. It was only as Owen moved towards us, carrying a bucket of ice and an ice pick and looking slightly frazzled, that Casey broke eye contact.
"Treasure hunting?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"Ryan fancies himself a treasure hunter," said Casey, beaming. "If my memory serves me right, Ryan thinks there's treasure buried on Kauai."
"I don't fancy myself as one. I am one," stated Ryan, now glaring at Casey.
"Is there treasure around here?" I asked.
Alani scoffed. "It's a myth," she said, shaking her head.
"You're wrong. It's not a myth," Ryan spat.
Alani sighed. "Do you have any idea how many times I've heard this?"
"What treasure?" I asked, curiosity spiking.
"Ryan has spent years wasting his time researching long-lost treasures," said Casey, shaking his head dismissively.
"I'm not wasting my time. I've seen the proof, Casey. I've seen the journal that shows where the treasure is." Ryan's eyes were bright, his smile luminous.
"Then it too is fake!" said Casey.
"No it's not. I have it. I can show it to you," Ryan said, his voice low.
Casey threw his head back and laughed, turning his attention to Owen, who'd been patiently waiting nearby.
"Hey, Casey," Owen called, dumping the bucket of ice into the ice bin. "I went to get some more ice, but the machine's not working. I've chipped some of the block ice, but do you want me to break it all up?" Owen had only worked two shifts and still wasn't completely comfortable in his surroundings.
"The ice machine's not working?" Casey asked, frowning as he looked around the still crowded bar, his attention now back in work mode.
"Nope. Sorry, man."
Casey sighed. "You stay and serve. I'll go and see what's happening with it."
Owen shrugged. "No problem."
With that, Owen turned to serve, and Casey left through a swinging door to the back room.
"Is there really treasure around here?" I asked once Casey had left.
"Only if you believe the rumors," said Alani.
I raised my eyebrows, encouraging her to give me more details.
"The story goes," started Alani, "that in the early 1800s, a ship carrying stolen Indian gems was caught in a storm and was blown off its course to San Francisco. It wrecked offshore. The captain had his men unload what they could of the gems and take them to a spot on shore where they were to bury them so that once they were all rescued, he could come back at a later date and collect them. He then killed the remaining survivors so no one would know the location but him. But like I said, it's a myth."
"What was a ship carrying stolen gems from India doing all the way over here at that point in history?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
Ryan's eyes were bright, his enthusiasm for the subject evident.
"For a brief time in the late 1700s to early 1800s," he explained, "US trade wiv India far exceeded all trade wiv Europe. Mostly it was cloth, but they also traded spices, sugar, and some drugs. The trade was carried out by independent businessmen, so a lot of the documentary evidence is missing or lost," he added, as Alani looked like she was about to argue with him. "But it was a lucrative trade while it lasted."
I knew my Australian history, and it was a well-known fact that Captain James Cook not only discovered the east coast of Australia, but he also discovered Hawaii, so I knew the Europeans were floating around this way, but US and India trade history was all new to me. I shrugged in an apologetic way.
"The ship that got into trouble was on its way to the US carrying textiles," he explained to me before turning to Alani. "Anyway, the story you told isn't quite right. We now believe that the captain, James Carnavon III, didn't kill all of the men. One escaped, taking the captain's journal wiv him. We don't know what happened after that, as nothing has ever been found documenting it. Of course there's loads of theories about it." He stopped, looking thoughtful. "The journal surfaced a while ago, and it showed the captain was taking the gems to sell to an unnamed buyer," continued Ryan, giving me a small smile.
"How much is this alleged treasure worth?"
"In today's market, about $100 million," said Ryan.
"Geez, that's a lot of money," I said, doing my best to whistle. It wasn't great. It actually sounded more like a dying canary.
"It is a lot of money," said Alani. "But you're not the first person to come here looking for it."
He wasn't? Why had I not heard of it? You'd think the Tourist Information Center would be advertising something like that.
"Half of Aloha Lagoon knows about the myth," she continued. "It doesn't make it true."
"Yeah, maybe so, but I bet I'm the first who knows the exact location of it," said Ryan, a smug smile playing on his lips.
CHAPTER TWO
The glare from Ryan's teeth almost blinded me. I wondered what he used to get them so white.
"Where is that exact location?" I asked.
"I'm not about to divulge that," stated Ryan.
"If it's anywhere near the petrified tree, you can't go there," said Alani.
Ryan sighed.
"I'm sorry, but believe me, there's no treasure," said Alani, sounding tired. "It's not real."
Ryan chewed his bottom lip and looked thoughtful for a second. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he started scrolling. Curiosity got the better of me, and I angled my body towards him, hoping for a glimpse at what he was doing. Instead, I lost my balance and fell off my stool. Luckily Ryan was fast, catching me before I hit the floor. Embarrassment burned as I stood, smoothed my skirt back down to where it was meant to be, and casually got back onto the stool, hoping not too many people had noticed. Of course they'd noticed. In fact, Ryan even got a cheer for his trouble.
"You know what you should do?" continued Alani. "You should try one of Gabby's Island Adventure tours if you want to see some of Aloha Lagoon."
Ryan glanced at her before his gaze drifted towards the back of the room. Then without replying to her, he suddenly stood and asked, "Which way are the restrooms?"
Casey was just making his way towards us as I pointed Ryan in the direction he needed to go.
Without another word, Ryan pushed his way through the crowd. Once he was out of earshot, Alani looked at me and sighed.
"He's a bit weird," I commented.
"And he was persistent," Alani added.
"Yeah. It was interes
ting what he said about knowing exactly where the treasure is though," I added.
"Don't get taken in by him, Sam," Casey warned, coming in on the end of our conversation.
"I'm not. I'm just saying that if he has the journal stating where the treasure is, he has the coordinates to its location. Do you think he'd try to find his way without anyone knowing?" I wasn't one hundred percent sure that Ryan would respect that the land belonged to Alani's family and wouldn't try to find his own way there.
"Assuming that it's somewhere near the petrified tree, even if he does try, he'll need someone who knows their way around to help him navigate the terrain. It's not that easy to get to. The trees are dense, the ground is uneven, and it's very easy to get lost."
I was drinking the last of my Lava Flow and contemplating Alani's words, as Ryan returned from the restroom, pushing his way in alongside me. He looked at Casey and said, "Can I get a bottle of scotch sent to my room?"
To be honest, Casey looked relieved that he was leaving. "What's your room number?"
"1207," said Ryan.
Casey moved to the cash register, tapped a few keys, and waited for a receipt to be issued. He then passed it to Ryan.
"Just sign there, and it'll be sent as soon as possible."
Ryan scribbled his name on the receipt and handed it back.
"Why not just take it with you?" I asked.
"I've got a couple of things I need to do before I retire for the night. Don't want to be carrying it around wiv me."
I shrugged. Fair enough.
"Casey," crooned Lori, sliding her way in alongside Ryan. "I need to be satisfied once again!"
Jenny moved in behind her, both laughing and flirting as they went.
"Well aren't you a cutie," Lori said to Ryan, giving him a suggestive little smile.
Ryan ignored her, his attention solely on the exit.
"Well, ladies, it's been a pleasure, but I must get going," he said.
Lori smoothed her hand across his back.
"Oh you're not going already, are you?" she cooed. "We haven't had a chance to get to know you yet."
That got his attention. Ryan looked her up and down and then smiled. "And that will be something I will always regret," he said.
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