Deadly Wipeout (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Book 3)

by Beth Prentice

"Mine too!"

  "To infinity and beyond!" he called loudly.

  I joined Casey in doing our best Buzz and Woody impersonations.

  I completely lost track of time sitting there with him, laughing at his bad jokes and telling him about my life in Australia. Listening to his stories, I wondered how we had never met before. We must have crossed paths a thousand times in Sydney.

  The ringing of my phone brought me back to reality. I didn't want this moment to end, but I guessed reality would always bring us crashing back to earth. Looking at the display, I saw it was Alani calling me. Probably a call I needed to take, considering I was supposed to be at the shop by now.

  "Hi," I said, my voice croaky once again.

  "Hi," she said, very obviously stressed. "I'm so sorry I missed your calls. Are you okay? I thought you'd be here by now."

  "Sorry. I had a flat tire on my bike."

  "Oh no. Do you need me to come and get you?"

  "No, it's okay. Casey's helping me."

  "That's good. I can't come anyway. I'm stuck and annoyed," she continued. "Hani was supposed to be doing a stock take, but she's a complete idiot at times. She didn't even show up for her shift, so I've been stuck here doing her job for the last two hours."

  "That sucks. Are you still going to see Lahela today?"

  I had a dilemma on how I felt about this. On the one hand, getting Lahela to move to Alani's for a few days would give me peace of mind knowing she would be safe, but going to visit her today meant my time with Casey would probably end sooner.

  "Yes, I am," said Alani, breaking my thoughts. "I'm just going to go a bit later this afternoon. Does that still suit you?"

  It suited me perfectly. "Yeah, no worries. Whenever you want to go," I almost sang. "I should be finished with work by four thirty."

  "Okay. How about I give you a call later and work out a time? I'm still waiting for Hani to get her backside here!"

  "Don't stress. It's all good."

  Once I'd hung up from Alani, Casey stood.

  "We probably should get back and look at your bike tire," he said. Sadness overwhelmed me.

  "Definitely," I said with fake cheeriness, standing.

  I loved it here. I loved spending time with him, and I didn't want to leave just yet. Getting back wasn't all that bad though. Casey held my hand and almost pulled me up the grass path back to the road, which went a long way to helping my mood get back on track. Happily, I was behind him for the climb. This had two benefits. One, he couldn't see my backside, and two, I could see his.

  * * *

  It didn't take Casey long to unload my bike from his car and move it into his garage.

  "Before I start, I just need to change into some old clothes that won't matter if I get grease on them," he said, leading the way into his house. "Come on in. I'll make you a drink."

  "I'll come in, but I don't want a drink, thanks. It's too early for me to start on alcohol." Plus, who knew what I'd do if I had a few drinks under my belt. I might completely embarrass myself by dragging him to the floor and kissing him. No, I'd never actually do that, but it was fun to think about.

  Casey smiled. Geez, I hoped he couldn't read my thoughts.

  "I meant a coffee or something like that. I can make drinks other than alcoholic ones."

  He said it in good humor, but it didn't stop the heat from creeping up my neck. Argh! I was such a moron.

  "Oh…of course…duh!" I said, thumping my forehead.

  Casey slung his arm over my shoulder and pulled me inside. I didn't know what I'd expected his house to look like, but what I saw was exactly it. It was a small, two-story beach hut, the main room containing a sofa, a TV, and a coffee table. At the back of the room was a kitchen, also small, with just one counter running along the back wall and a dining table with three chairs. A set of stairs were on the left of the room.

  "Sorry about the mess," he said, blushing, quickly throwing a pile of surfing magazines under the coffee table in the middle of the room and turning to straighten the cushions on the sofa.

  "It's not messy," I quickly replied, hoping to put him at ease. "It's lovely."

  "I don't get a lot of company here, so I don't really tidy up as often as I should."

  "Really, it's fine. I love it!" And I did. It looked, smelled, and felt like Casey. In fact, I wanted to curl up on that sofa and stay there. Forever.

  Casey picked up the PlayStation controller and pushed it into the cabinet under the TV.

  "Leave it. It's not messy. I live with Luke, remember."

  Casey smiled. "True. Well, make yourself at home. I won't be long." He ran his fingers through his hair, uncomfortably.

  "Actually, do you mind if I use the bathroom?" I asked, the iced coffee making its way through my system.

  "Yeah sure, of course. I should have offered. Follow me."

  I did as asked and followed him up the stairs into a small hallway. Three doors opened off of it.

  "It's that door right there," he said, pointing to the door closest to me.

  "Thanks."

  I entered the room and closed the door behind me. I heard Casey move over the timber boards and a door creak open and then close. Good, he shouldn't be able to hear me tinkle.

  The bathroom was pretty basic. A toilet, a freestanding bathtub, and a pedestal basin. It was clean, considering a man lived there. I resisted the urge to open his cabinet and check out what type of toothpaste he used and instead moved to the toilet and did what I had to do.

  Thoughts that Casey was only a few meters away from me, probably half-naked about now, had my hormones racing in a way that could win a Grand Prix, but I fanned myself, finished my business, and moved to the sink to throw some cold water over my face.

  I looked in the mirror and groaned. My reflection was worse than I'd imagined. Washing my face was probably my best option, so I turned the water to high and used my hands to splash my face, rubbing under my eyes to try to remove the mascara that had pooled there. Water wasn't doing the trick, so I pumped some liquid soap into my hands and rubbed. Within seconds my eyes were stinging.

  I turned the water up as high as it would go and almost put my head under the tap, hoping to get the water flushing my eyes as quickly as possible. Thankfully, it worked, but it also soaked my T-shirt in the process. Grabbing at a towel, I dried myself as best I could and then looked back in the mirror. The mascara had disappeared, but now my eyes were bloodshot and stinging. Geez Louise, I couldn't take me anywhere.

  I gave up trying to make myself look better and headed downstairs. I'd heard Casey making his way back down there a few minutes ago.

  He was standing in the kitchen when I walked in, now wearing an old black V-necked T-shirt and torn shorts. Upon seeing me, he broke out into a full-on smile. It stopped me in my tracks.

  "You could have had a shower if you'd wanted one," he said, his smile almost contagious. Almost. The heat once again racing up my neck stopped any smiling I might have been doing.

  "Sorry" was all I could say. I moved closer to him and sat on one of the chairs at the dining table. Casey looked closer, and his expression changed.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  I nodded. "Yes."

  "Have you…have you been crying?" he asked, concern causing those adorable creases on his forehead to deepen as he moved to sit next to me. "Your eyes look really red."

  "Oh, no. I washed my face and got soap in them. They're just stinging."

  "Ah, hence the wet shirt. I had a look at your bike while you were in the bathroom."

  Geez, had I been in there that long?

  "And the bad news is I can't fix it. You need a new tire," he continued.

  I sighed.

  "I can easily pick one up for you this afternoon if you like. Would you like that drink now?" he asked.

  I smiled. "Yes, please."

  He stood and moved to the fridge. "I have beer, cola, or juice?"

  "Juice would be lovely, thanks."

  He poured two g
lasses. Instead of handing one to me, he picked them up and looked at me. "Follow me," he said, smiling. "I want to show you something else."

  I stood and followed him back up the stairs. This time we passed the bathroom and made our way to the door on the far end of the hall. The one at the front of the house.

  Casey used his elbow and pushed the handle down, opening the door with his hip, his smile at full wattage.

  The door swung open, and he entered, revealing his bedroom to me. His bedroom! I looked at the smile he was giving me and wondered what vibes I was putting out.

  "Come on," he said. "You won't regret it."

  I'd bet I wouldn't. But this was a bit quick, wasn't it? I mean, I definitely did not look my best. If Casey and I were going to be doing this, then I at least wanted to be looking my best. Crap, did I have time for a quick shower?

  "Ummm…"

  "I promise you'll love it," he said, jerking his head and indicating I should come in.

  His T-shirt rode up his side slightly as he moved, showing me his smooth, golden skin. I gulped, my eyes skimming his body. Man, he looked good. Oh, you know what? You only live once, right?

  I moved silently into the room, having a quick look around me, my heart racing. The bed sat opposite us, the sheets messily straightened, and I felt slightly awkward wondering how this was going to happen. Was he going to put the drinks down? Would he kiss my neck? I really hoped so. I liked having my neck kissed.

  Casey smiled, and suddenly I didn't care how we did this. I just wanted to do it. Right now. On the floor if I had to.

  Casey handed me my glass, and I accepted it, smiling back at him. It was my goddess smile, but one look at myself in the mirror behind him, and I vowed never to smile like that again. Casey frowned but then continued to smile anyway.

  "This way," he said, leading the way to the opposite side of the room and opening a glass sliding door that led out onto a timber deck. He moved through it, placed his glass on the little table, and leaned against the railing.

  What?

  I slowly made my way across the room and outside onto the deck, the vast ocean in front of me.

  "Awesome, isn't it?" he said, nodding toward the view. "It's my second-favorite place in the world."

  Ohhhh, he was showing me the view! Well, I was…disappointed. As hard as I tried, I couldn't stop the heat from racing up my neck again. I didn't know what Casey was thinking, but whatever it was, he didn't comment. I moved to stand next to him.

  He wasn't wrong in his opinion of this being awesome. I could imagine waking up to that view every day.

  "I've sent photos to my family in England, but photos don't do it justice."

  It took me a few moments to gather my thoughts onto the path they were meant to be on, but when I managed to get words to form once again, I said, "Have they ever been here to visit?"

  "One of my sisters has. She loved it, but not enough to move here."

  "How many siblings do you have?"

  "Five sisters. They're all married and scattered about the UK. I also have six nieces."

  "Any boys in your family?"

  "Only me and Dad."

  "Geez, no wonder you moved across the world."

  Casey laughed. "I miss them though."

  "Would you ever move back there?" That thought actually made my stomach cramp.

  "I'd always intended to, but lately, I love it here more than ever, so I think I'll stick around for a while."

  "Yeah, what's not to love?"

  Casey's eyes looked directly into mine. "Exactly," he said. I gulped, feeling far more vulnerable than I had a few minutes ago when I'd thought… (You know what I'd thought).

  "What about you?" he asked. "Do you regret leaving Sydney?"

  "No. There was nothing left there for me. Sure, I miss my friends, but family is all that counts, right?"

  "True, but we make new family all the time. They don't have to be blood relatives, you know. Look at Luke. He's like the brother I never had."

  I really hoped Casey didn't think of me as another sister then. I didn't know what to say to that, so I changed the subject.

  "Am I stopping you from doing something else? I mean, you didn't plan on rescuing me from a flat tire today."

  "No, I was on my way home for a surf, but I can do that later. Unless you'd like to join me?"

  "I'd love to, but I have to work and then meet Alani later."

  "Oh, that's right. What are you ladies up to today?"

  I quickly filled him in on Alani's plan to move Lahela for a couple of days. He laughed.

  "Good luck," he said.

  I laughed. We were going to need it. "I hope Lahela agrees to move for a while. I hate the idea of her being at Aloha Ohana with these murders happening."

  "Do you have any theories about the murders? Who's behind them?" Casey asked.

  "I'm working on it." I filled him in on my visit to Mr. Fathersham. "I think if I can find out who accompanied those men to the lawyer's office, then maybe they can give me some insight into why the murdered men changed their wills. Surely it can't be a coincidence."

  "But I don't get it."

  "I don't get it either."

  "Two men change their wills to name Luke and Rita in them, and then they're murdered. Do you think there will be a third who names you in a will?" I had already wondered about that myself, and the idea really scared me.

  "I hope not," I replied quietly. If a third will was changed, it felt like a reasonable assumption that the owner of that will would be in danger. And as much as some extra money would come in handy, I definitely didn't want to be the recipient if it meant someone had to die.

  Casey frowned. "Should I be worried about you?"

  I shook my head. "I asked Mr. Fathersham if anybody else had appointments with him to change their wills, and he said no. He's the only estate lawyer in town."

  "Any theories as to who it could be?"

  I thought for a moment. "I have my suspicions about Mum's boyfriend, Mark. He tells a lot of lies, and I caught him in her bedroom when she wasn't home. I know he sleeps over at times, but it felt wrong. And he lied about not seeing her laptop when it was under his newspaper all the time. Why would he do that? Plus, he knows her ATM pin. If he got his hands on her card, then he could withdraw whatever money he wanted."

  "So what are you thinking?"

  "Maybe he got those men to change the beneficiaries in their wills to name Mum and Luke, and then he killed them."

  "Why didn't he get them to name him in the will instead?"

  "Because with Mum in jail for murder, he's free to take her money without him being a suspect."

  "Yes, but how will he take her money?"

  "Like I said—he knows her ATM pin and could easily get her card out of her purse."

  "How do you know that he knows her pin?"

  "I used his phone, and his lock screen code is the same as Mum's ATM pin."

  "Doesn't mean he knows it's the same."

  I shrugged. "I guess not. It just seems like a big coincidence though."

  "It wouldn't matter even if he did though. Here in Hawaii he can only get a few hundred dollars out of an ATM at one time. It would take him forever to get the inheritance, if that's what you're thinking."

  I thought about what Casey had just said. That would make it harder for Mark to get the money but probably not hard enough to stop him. If Mum was in jail long enough, he could eventually drain the bank account.

  "There are rumors going around town that he has a money problem though," Casey mused.

  "There are?"

  "Yeah, and I had to call security one night to get two men out of the bar who were talking to him, demanding money."

  There was information I didn't know.

  "But what about Luke? How does he fit into this?" asked Casey.

  "I don't know about Luke yet. If it's not Mark behind it, I still think it could be Kylie," I continued, naming suspects. I suddenly realized how hard a detective's j
ob was. My head hurt just thinking about all the possibilities. "She hates Mum, and I'm sure that she would love to see Mum rot in jail for a crime she didn't commit. Plus I have doubts about Tristan too. I think Lahela's right in saying that he's having an affair with Kylie."

  "And?"

  "Well, I did wonder if those men found out and threatened to tell her husband. At the time I thought that was a good motive for Kylie. But it's just as good a motive for Tristan."

  "But whoever did it, you think that these murders were planned a while ago, with all the pieces put into place before anyone got killed?"

  "Yes, I just need to figure out how and who, and then prove it."

  "That sounds dangerous."

  "I'll be careful. At the moment, I'm only asking questions."

  Casey looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe you're asking the right questions."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I didn't want to say it before, but I'd bet your bike tire was slashed."

  I was surprised by his words.

  He continued, "The cut's really clean and precise. If you'd gotten a puncture by riding over something or against something, it would be much more jagged and irregular."

  I stood looking over the ocean, thinking about what Casey had just said. "But nobody knows I'm looking into it."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Yes." I thought for a second. "You, Alani, Luke, Mum, Mark, Lahela, Mr. Fathersham, Tony the security guard at Aloha Ohana, maybe Tristan, and Kylie's husband are the only people who know. Oh, and Mum's lawyer, Mr. Chatsworth, may know too."

  Actually, now that I'd said it out loud, that was quite a few.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  It was five thirty by the time Alani and I got to Aloha Ohana. The woman at reception was no friendlier to me this time than she had been the last time, but Tony, the security guard, seemed very happy to see me.

  "Samantha!" He beamed. Geez, I'd obviously impressed him last time I was here.

  "Hi, Tony," I replied, noticing the bruise and stitches on his forehead.

  "Staying out of trouble?"

  "Always," I replied. "You?" I nodded toward his head.

  "Yes, I'm okay. Just had a little fall. Nothing serious. Now, I'm sorry to hear about Luke. He's a good guy and didn't deserve what Tristan did to him."