I wondered what he meant but didn't ask. I was too overcome with emotion to say anything. Then the tears started to roll down my cheeks. Keanu reached an arm out toward me as if he was going to embrace me then stopped himself. He continued to pat my hand lightly.
After another minute, we heard the unmistakable sound of sirens approaching in the distance. I started to rise from my seat, but Keanu held up his hand. "No, I'll go talk to the police. I'm sure they'll want to speak to you as well, but stay here for now and rest."
I nodded mutely while my teeth continued to chatter again at a noisy but steady rate. A couple of EMTs rushed into the café, and a man in a red Hawaiian shirt followed them at a more leisurely pace. Another man in a policeman's uniform was right behind him. Keanu approached the patio door, but the policeman said something to him, and Keanu hung back. He stared over in my direction but didn't move toward me.
I wondered who the man in the Hawaiian shirt was. Maybe a relative of Hale? Surely he couldn't be in law enforcement, not dressed liked that.
I felt guilty leaving Keanu to deal with all of this, so I slowly rose to my feet, surprised at how unsteady I was. As I approached the café, the two EMTs exited the building and got back into their vehicle. Why had they left Hale in there? Was he not really dead? Had I been wrong?
Some people had started to gather on the beach, and I caught the low murmur of voices as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes. So much for the resort guests not finding out.
My mind had overfilled to capacity with the vision of Hale's body, the paper pinned to his chest with the knife, and that ridiculous piece of pineapple hanging out of his mouth.
"Carrie." Keanu interrupted my thoughts. "This is Detective Ray Kahoalani. He'd like to ask you some questions about Hale. Are you feeling up to it?"
The truth was no, but what choice did I have? I glanced at the man with apprehension, and he nodded at me, face expressionless. He looked like a native of the islands and close to Poncho's age.
The detective gestured back to the table. "You don't look very well, Miss Jorgenson. Would you like to sit down?"
I shook my head. "No thank you. I'm fine. Detective Kahol—er…" Darn, I botched his name big-time. I still couldn't believe this man was a detective. Talk about your casual attire.
He smiled. "You can call me Detective Ray. Everyone does."
"Why is Hale still in there?" I asked. "Isn't he dead?"
Detective Ray gave me an odd look. "Yes. We're waiting on the coroner's office to take his body away. The EMTs have already pronounced him dead. This is a crime scene now, and he will not be moved until photos are taken and the coroner's staff arrive."
"Oh." It was all I could think to say. I must have been wowing the detective with my intelligence.
"When was the last time you saw Mr. Akamu alive, Miss Jorgenson?" The detective wanted to know.
"It was about fifteen minutes before I found him. He asked me to run over to The Lava Pot and get him a Mai Tai. When I came back, he was lying on the floor, so I ran back outside."
"Was there anyone else inside the restaurant?" Detective Ray asked.
I shook my head. "Hale was alone. Keanu walked over to the bar with me and then took off on his moped."
Detective Ray eyed Keanu curiously. "But something made you come back."
Underneath the lights from the café, Keanu's face colored slightly. "I-uh, was worried about Carrie being alone with him. Hale had a reputation. There was a rumor going around about an incident with a former employee, so I wanted to make sure she'd be okay."
The detective focused his attention on me again. "I see. Was today your first day on the job?"
"My second." What did that even matter?
He wrote something down on his pad, and my nerves tingled. Great. Did the man think I might be a suspect too?
"Did you touch the body at all?" Detective Ray wanted to know.
I thought that was a strange question, but it wasn't like I could argue with him. "I slipped in the blood when I found Hale. I didn't touch him though."
"What was Hale doing when you left to go get his drink?"
I swallowed hard and reminded myself to breathe. "He was emptying out the register." Nervously I stared at Keanu and wondered if I should say something about the money shortage. Keanu frowned back in return. I figured he understood my silent question.
Detective Ray addressed Keanu. "How long were you outside before Miss Jorgenson came out?"
"I parked my bike at the rear of the café by the dumpster," Keanu explained. "I'd just reached the patio entrance when Carrie rushed out the door. I tried to grab her, but she kept on running toward the water."
The detective had a great poker face. I couldn't tell if he believed Keanu or was getting ready to take both of us down to the station for mug shots. "We're going to secure the restaurant tonight. No one will be allowed in or out while we search the place. Would you happen to know Mr. Akamu's next of kin?"
Keanu reached into his jeans pocket for his phone. "His wife, Alana. I have her number on my cell. As a matter of fact, I have numbers for all the employees if you need them."
Detective Ray nodded with approval. "That would be a big help. If we can collect all of the necessary evidence by tonight or early tomorrow, we'll release the crime scene. I will probably question everyone here instead of down at the station. I wouldn't plan on being open for business tomorrow though. I'll take the wife's number if you have it handy."
"Hey, Detective." The policeman I'd seen entering the building a few minutes earlier approached us. He had brown hair in a buzz cut and appeared to be in his late thirties. His build was stocky, and he sucked on a lollipop.
Detective Ray sighed. "Yes, Billings, what is it?"
The policeman stood there for a minute, wearing a puzzled expression, as if he'd forgotten his reason for interrupting us. He didn't seem to have much to work with in terms of brainpower.
"Oh! Now I remember." Officer Billings grinned. "You don't need to phone the wife, boss. A call just came in over the radio. Apparently Mrs. Akamu phoned the station and asked if the rumors about her husband were true. Officer Hudson wouldn't confirm anything but did tell her you were at the café if she'd like to speak to you. She started crying and said she'd have a member of the staff bring her right over."
"Wait, she's already here?" Detective Ray asked.
"Yes, sir." The officer bit down on the lollipop and made a crunching sound. When he finished chewing, he elbowed Detective Ray in the side. "Said she was over at The Lava Pot having a drink when someone told her that her husband had been hurt. Funny her being so close by, huh? Do you want me to book her, Dano?"
We all stared at the man in confusion.
Detective Ray gave him a strange look. "Who the heck is Dano?"
"You know…" Officer Billings laughed. "They used to say that all the time in the original Hawaii Five-O show." When none of us responded, he lowered his eyes to the ground. "Sorry. Bad joke, I guess. But I always wanted to use that line."
Detective Ray rolled his eyes toward the star-filled sky and growled. "Go back inside the café, Billings. I'll meet you there in a minute."
"Roger, sir."
"It's Ray, not Roger."
"I knew that."
In the meantime, Keanu had been scrolling through his phone and writing down names and numbers on a piece of paper Detective Ray had given him from his notepad. "This is everyone except for Carrie. I don't have hers yet."
I recited my cell phone number for Detective Ray, who then folded the paper in half and placed it in his shirt pocket. "I'll call everyone when I get back to the station and arrange times to meet with them tomorrow. Of course, it will be up to Mrs. Akamu if she wants to reopen the café or not. You can both leave now. I have a couple of other officers on their way to help me go over the crime scene. I'll be in touch."
My legs were numb as I walked back over to the table for another sip of ginger ale. I was ashamed that my thoughts
had shifted from Hale's dead body to the fact that this might be the end of my new career. What would Vivian, Keanu, and Lola do? Heck, for that matter, what was I going to do?
I drew out my phone and called Brad. The call went directly to voicemail. I sent him a text. Can you give me ride home? My brain was fuzzy, and I couldn't remember what he was doing after work tonight. If he was out for drinks with friends, it might be a while before he checked his messages.
Detective Ray nodded at something Keanu said then turned and went back inside the café. Keanu strode over in my direction and took my hand.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm taking you home," he said and guided me to the back of the café where his moped was parked.
"I'll be fine," I said. "There's no reason for you to bother."
"No, you're not fine. You're white as a sheet, and you just puked your guts out."
"But I don't want—"
Keanu narrowed his eyes. "Did anyone ever tell you how stubborn you are?"
I smiled. "Yeah, lots of times."
He put a helmet on his head and handed me an extra one. "Please get on the bike, Carrie. No more arguing."
I shot off another quick text to Brad, explaining briefly what had happened, and positioned myself on the bike. I had a little trouble adjusting my hair inside the helmet, but Keanu waited patiently until I was ready. "I'm all set."
"Okay, put your hands on my waist."
I edged close to him on the seat and waited for him to start the engine. Instead, he tensed visibly against me, and I wondered what he was thinking.
I spoke softly in his ear. "Keanu."
He seemed startled at the sound of my voice. "Yeah?"
"What's going to happen to me, to my job? They're going to think I'm a suspect."
Keanu moved into action, and the bike came to life. He looked back over his shoulder at me. "I don't know, Carrie. It really isn't looking good for any of us employees. Everyone I can think of had a reason to want Hale dead."
His statement took me by surprise, and before I could stop myself, two words tumbled out of my mouth. "Even you?"
Keanu was silent for a beat. Then he revved the engine and stared down at the ground. "Yeah, even me."
CHAPTER FIVE
I'd never ridden on a moped before. Any other time I was certain I would have enjoyed the experience more. Hey, I was in tropical paradise, on a star-filled night in January with temperatures hovering in the seventies. Things couldn't get much better, right?
Unfortunately, several things were wrong with this scenario. My boss was dead, and everyone at the café where I worked was a suspect, including me and the guy who was driving me home. I shut my eyes and let myself experience the warm breeze upon my face. Although exhausted, I doubted sleep would come easily tonight. The vision of Hale's dead face appeared in my mind and refused to leave.
Before I could attempt to make any further sense of the situation, Keanu pulled the bike up in front of my apartment building. There were three units on each floor of the four-story stucco building. Brad and I lived on the bottom floor.
I got off the bike and handed Keanu back his helmet. "Thank you for the ride."
He smiled. "I'll call you if I hear anything. The police will probably phone you as well, but like I told Detective Ray, I'm the contact person for employees. Hale preferred to leave that part of the job up to me."
I hated to ask, but it seemed necessary. "Um, do I still have a job?"
His bright eyes lit up the darkness. "That seems to be the question of the day, doesn't it? I doubt that Alana will close the place down permanently. It's a popular attraction at the resort and a great moneymaker. Hale's owned it since he was barely out of his teens."
I saw his jaw clench suddenly and wondered if something else was bothering him. I didn't feel I knew him well enough to ask, so instead I tugged on my braid, a compulsive gesture I always performed when worried. "Alana doesn't like me. She caught me with Hale in his office and probably figures we were carrying on."
"Don't worry about it," Keanu said. "When I get a chance to speak with her, I'll set the record straight." He glanced around. "What time will your boyfriend be home?"
I shrugged. "I'm not sure. He might have gone out with some friends after work."
He studied me for a moment. "Carrie, can I ask you something that's really none of my business?"
Here was my chance. "If I get to ask you something in return."
He smiled. "Fair enough. I was wondering if you had another reason for coming to Hawaii…besides wanting to live in a tropical paradise and being with your boyfriend."
His words rendered me speechless for a moment. "Why would you ask that?"
Keanu watched me closely. "I don't know. It's a feeling I have."
This guy was good. I tried to laugh it off. "What other reason do I need? I'm young and wanted to start a new adventure in my life. I'm hoping to become a singer someday, so why not start here?"
He continued to stare at me with an expression that said he didn't quite believe me, but he only nodded in response. "I'll wait until you get inside."
I tried to make light of the situation. "Hey, no fair. I didn't get to ask my question."
Keanu grinned. "Go ahead."
I wondered if I actually had enough nerve to go through with it. "What did you have against Hale?"
The smile faded, and when he looked away, it seemed almost as if he was struggling for composure. When Keanu's eyes locked on mine again, his expression was veiled. "It's nothing. Hey, you need some rest. This has been a long, crazy day. I'll see you tomorrow."
Crap. As usual, I'd gone too far. I hoped he wasn't angry with me. I already considered him a friend and looked forward to seeing him tomorrow. "Okay, sounds good. Thanks again for the ride."
"No problem."
I unlocked the front door and glanced over my shoulder. He waved, revved the bike, and then disappeared from sight.
"Brad?" I called, although it was obvious that he wasn't home yet. There weren't clothes strewn all over the floor. I went into the small eat-in kitchen, annoyed to see he had left his dishes in the sink as usual. I always did them, but right now was still weak from my recent stomach mishap. I filled a cup with water and a tea bag then nuked it in the microwave. I glanced inside the refrigerator. There was some leftover pizza, soda, and of course, beer. Cripes. It looked like the inside of a college dorm fridge.
Brad had changed since he'd come to the island. For the first few months in our relationship, he'd been kind and sweet. Once the job in Hawaii had materialized, so had a different person, and he'd started to show his selfish side. Now that we were living together, you'd think this would have drawn us closer—but instead, I felt almost like we were virtual strangers.
I'd come here intending to take control of my life, but instead it was spiraling out of control right before my eyes.
I settled on the small, blue floral-patterned loveseat with my tea and clicked the remote to the television. Nothing looked interesting. My thoughts returned to Hale, and I shivered, pulling a blanket around my shoulders. I didn't want to but forced myself to remember how I'd found his body. The pineapple in his mouth made me think of Poncho. Could he be a killer? No, I couldn't see it. And the server pad? What number had been on the bottom? Holy cow. I hadn't even thought to check. I prayed it hadn't been mine.
My cell phone rang, startling me. I glanced down at the screen, but it was an unknown number. "Hello?"
"Carrie?" It was a woman's voice, distinctly familiar. "It's Lola from the Loco Moco. I just heard. Are you all right?"
I stared at the phone in confusion. "How'd you get my number?"
There was a pause on the other end. "Jeez, don't get so defensive. You gave it to Vivian and me earlier, remember? And the detective, what's his name—Roy? He just called me."
I exhaled deeply. "Detective Ray. Sorry. I'm a bit on edge."
"Well, that's understandable. Are you all right? That had to be
horrible for you to find him like that."
I shivered. "It was awful. Who could do such a thing?"
Lola sighed. "I hate to say this, but I think we all saw it coming. I mean, the guy had more enemies than Hawaii has pineapples."
I took a sip from my mug and closed my eyes. "We're all suspects, you know. What did Detective Ray want?"
"He wants me to come over to the café for questioning tomorrow. When I asked why, he said all employees would be coming in at some point. He'll probably call you too."
As she spoke, my phone buzzed, and I saw that I had a new voicemail. "Lovely. I think that he just did."
I heard Lola talking to someone in the background. "Viv's home, and she's freaking out. Hang on—I'll put her on."
"Care?" Vivian's voice was strained. "Omigod, I don't believe it!"
My voice trembled. "It doesn't seem real."
"You poor thing," she crooned. "Do you want us to come over?"
"I'm not going anywhere," I heard Lola yell, "except to bed." A door slammed in the background.
"Don't stay in that bathroom forever!" Vivian shouted as I cringed and moved the phone away from my ear. "God, she's so annoying. Is your boyfriend with you? I'll come keep you company. What's the address?"
I wrapped my hand around the mug for warmth. "Thanks, Viv, but I'm okay. I only wish I could get the image of his face out of my head."
"Yeah, talk about freaky," she agreed. "Hey, I know this sounds insensitive of me, but my biggest concern right now is money. Did you hear anything about when the café might reopen?"
I leaned back against the couch wearily. "Keanu said it's up to Alana. He doubts she'll close it down for long."
"Oh, heck no. That's the last thing that money-grubbing wench would do. Wow, this bites. It was bad enough to work for Hale, and now I have to work for her? She's probably thrilled he's dead."
I remembered Alana crying earlier and wondered if it could have all been for show. "Why would you say that?"
"Well, they're still legally married, so I'm sure she'll inherit everything," Vivian said. "He had to have been worth a fortune. Think about it."
I honestly didn't want to. This was too much for one day. I heard a key tumble in the lock and knew Brad was home. "Viv, I have to go."
Death of the Big Kahuna Page 5
