I couldn't stop thinking about my heart-to-heart with the Loco Moco Café chef earlier. He had killed once—could he have done it again? I hated to think the worst of him. "What about Poncho? Do you like him?"
"Poncho's a great guy. I'm amazed at how organized he is in the kitchen. It all comes so naturally to him. Outside of the kitchen, he hasn't—" She stopped suddenly. "Let's just say his life hasn't been easy."
She knows. "Poncho and I had a talk today—about his life."
Our eyes met. "He told you about the killing?" Vivian asked.
It was a relief to talk to someone about this. "Do you think Hale was forcing him to stay there?"
Vivian's expression was puzzled. "Why would he do that? I'm sure a lot of people on the island were aware of his track record. Poncho even told me and Keanu over drinks one night at The Lava Pot."
I couldn't mention the agreement, because then she'd realize I'd been snooping. "I just wondered if there was another reason why Poncho didn't leave the Loco Moco."
She sniffed. "To tell you the truth, I'm surprised he's still there, especially after the stunt Hale pulled a couple of months ago."
I sat up eagerly, and Benny jumped off me. "What are you talking about?"
She attempted to hold back a yawn. "After I started at the restaurant, one of Poncho's kids got sick. I guess they found out he had a heart defect, and the poor little guy needed emergency surgery. Imagine Poncho's surprise when he found out Hale had cancelled his health insurance without warning."
I sucked in some air. "Please tell me you're joking."
Vivian raised an eyebrow at me. "This is Hale we're talking about, remember? Yeah, I'm afraid it's no joke. Poncho is the only one of us who used the insurance. I can stay on my dad's policy for a couple of more years, so it's cheaper for me that way. I think Leo has coverage through his wife. I'm not sure what Keanu does, and I believe—"
"Wait a second," I interrupted. "How could Hale do that? Isn't it against the law?"
She shook her head. "That's what I thought too, but turns out that if you have a business with fewer than twenty people, you don't have to notify your employees before cancelling their coverage. Can you imagine doing something so vile?"
No I couldn't. Sure, it was horrible to speak ill of the dead, but in my eyes Hale had just been reduced to lower than pond scum.
When Vivian's eyes met mine, she immediately lowered her face to the floor. "I guess it's a real good motive if you wanted to—"
"No," I said sharply. I didn't want to believe Poncho was a killer. For some reason he had signed the paper and agreed to work for Hale. Hale must have known about his past prison time and used it to his advantage. Maybe Poncho feared he couldn't get another job if Hale disclosed this to other potential employers. Could Poncho's anger and frustration have skyrocketed out of control when Hale cancelled his health insurance? But what would killing Hale have solved at that point?
Even though I liked Poncho a great deal the man did have a temper, plus this was an unbearable situation for him to be in. Poncho was a very proud man. My thoughts returned to the story he had told me about the bar killing. True, it hadn't been deliberate, and Poncho had also been humiliated and pushed to the breaking point first. Could something similar have happened with Hale too?
I didn't want to think about this scenario any longer. Shivering, I pulled the blanket off the couch and around my shoulders.
Vivian stretched. "I'm beat and going to turn in. Do you want to shower tonight or in the morning?"
"I'll go in the morning if that's okay with you." Then I realized I had left my duffel bag in the back room of the café. "Oh no, I just remembered."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't have any shampoo or a toothbrush with me. You know, the basic essentials."
She smiled. "No worries. You'll find an extra toothbrush in the cabinet and shampoo in the shower. Help yourself."
"I owe you."
Vivian waved her hand at me dismissively. "You can buy me a drink at The Lava Pot some night after work so I can lust after the hot bartender."
"You've got a deal."
I unpacked my nightshirt, went into Vivian's bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face, and then settled on the couch with the blanket and pillow she had provided. Benny cuddled on my chest, purring up a storm again. I stroked his soft head while I thought about how my life had changed in a few short days. Despite Hale's murder, I was feeling a little more positive now. Maybe things were finally looking up.
* * *
"Carrie!" Poncho shouted from the kitchen. "Table two's order has been sitting here for five minutes. My food's not the same quality when it gets cold."
Egads. Poncho had done nothing but scream since Vivian and I had arrived at noon for the lunch service. Lola was acting sullen and ignored both of us. Maybe she felt territorial and didn't like that I had spent the night at Vivian's.
"Lola and Alana were upstairs arguing earlier when you were waiting on that table outside," Vivian whispered suddenly. "I thought I heard Carmen's name mentioned. Maybe Alana thinks both of them slept with Hale. Personally, I'm not sure why anyone would want to, but hey, what do I know?"
"I thought Alana was taking Tuesdays off."
Vivian snorted. "She's keeping an eye on us. She left, but I bet you anything she'll be back later. Alana has no life, so why not make ours miserable while she has the chance?"
I liked Vivian and thought Lola was okay, but the underhanded gossip was getting to be a bit too much. Sure, everyone was on edge about Hale's murder and this was an extra-tense environment, but it was all starting to wear on me.
"Aloha, gang!" Tad pushed his way through the kitchen doors and out into the café. He pointed at the large plastic bag in his hands. "Lots of pretty napkins for pretty servers! I've already put the clean aprons in the cubbies as well."
"You're a prince, Tad." Vivian took the bag from him and placed it under the front counter. She looked at me. "When it quiets down between the lunch and the dinner crowds, you and I will make up some more table settings. We're getting low, but we should have enough to last until then." She looked at Tad. "Did you get all the dirty ones?"
Tad's face twisted into a pout. "Really, Viv, do you think this is my first day on the job?"
She rolled her eyes. "I think I saw one of Poncho's dirty chef jackets in the kitchen this morning. I'll go grab it for you."
"Viv needs a man," Tad commented as she pushed through the swinging doors. "So where's that delicious Keanu boy toy this morning?"
I couldn't help but smile. Tad was the dose of fresh ocean air this place sorely needed. "He was out here earlier to help Lola with the breakfast rush, but he went back upstairs."
Tad leaned over the counter. "Guess who I ran into on the path outside?"
"I give up. Who?"
"Carmen."
"Do you think she was on her way over here?"
He shrugged. "No idea. She's working at Sir Spamalot's now." It was an outdoor eatery Vivian had mentioned that was located near the resort and specialized in different ways to serve spam. "I didn't know Hale had fired her. She practically spat his name out when she told me."
My pulse quickened. "Maybe you and I could go grab a quick bite to eat later and talk to her." I couldn't believe I'd actually said that. I hated spam.
"Detective Carrie," Tad teased. "Are you a super sleuth now?"
"Look," I said. "I don't like working in this kind of environment. Everyone is on edge about the murder. I just want to see if she'll talk to me."
He sighed. "I'd give anything to come along, love, but I'm swamped today. Text me later, and tell me what you find out. God knows I adore a good gossip session."
Yeah, and so did everyone else around here, apparently.
Vivian appeared with the dirty chef's jacket and handed it to Tad. "That's it for today."
"No problem." Tad examined my face. "Have you heard back about the audition yet?"
I shook my head. "Noth
ing. Guess that means I didn't get it."
He stuck his nose proudly out in the air. "Jeff called me personally last night. He wants me to be assistant stage manager. I told him no problemo."
My heart felt like someone had wrenched it out of my body. I was thrilled for Tad, but since I hadn't heard anything myself, it seemed I was out of luck. "That's awesome. Are you happy?"
"Totally, girl. Jeff is a top-notch director. Sometimes you have to pay your dues in the theater business. That might mean I'll get an actual part next time."
"Congratulations. That's great."
My voice must have sounded a bit wistful, because Tad reached over to tweak my nose. "Cheer up, hon. It might be taking them a few days to go through everyone, so you never know. You might still hear some good news. Each director does it differently."
I sighed. "Hope you're right."
"Keep the faith, love." He blew kisses to both of us and left by the lobby entrance.
Keanu pushed through the kitchen double doors, holding a tissue to his hand. He moved aside some of the items underneath the counter, and I heard him curse under his breath. Cripes, everyone was in a bad mood today.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
He held up his hand and frowned. "Paper cut. Hazards of being an accountant, I guess. It's actually pretty deep, and as usual, the Band-Aids in the first-aid kit are nonexistent."
Vivian grimaced at the sight of blood on the tissue. "We always forget to fill that thing."
I held up a hand. "Hang on. I think I have one in my duffel bag." When I'd left for the showers at the resort yesterday, I'd thrown a Band-Aid into the duffel along with my razor case and shampoo. I was notorious for cutting my legs while shaving.
I went into the employees' back room and opened my duffel bag. My dirty clothes from the other day were on top. I reached underneath them, and something with a sharp edge brushed against my fingers.
"Ouch!" I yelled. How could I be so stupid and not put my razor back inside its case? Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time I'd done this. Peeved at myself, I turned the bag upside down and angrily dumped all the contents out of it.
A white pearl-handled knife clattered to the floor. The blade was covered with dried blood. I let out a small gasp of terror as realization set in.
This was the knife I'd seen Poncho using the first day I started here. The same knife that had been sticking out of Hale's chest when I found him—aka, the murder weapon.
Boy, was I in trouble now.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The room started to spin, and the blood roared in my ears. No, this couldn't be happening. Not only was I concerned that there was a killer among the Loco Moco workers, someone was now trying to frame me for my boss's murder. Me.
I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. I stood transfixed, staring at the knife that lay on the floor. All of a sudden, I was standing in front of Hale's dead body again. It was as if I had been transported back in time. My legs grew heavy and went numb. I covered my mouth with both hands and tried to force the piece of pizza I'd eaten earlier at Vivian's back down my throat.
"You know, I could bleed to death at the rate it's taking you to find me a Band-Aid." Keanu's voice teased from behind me.
I turned around to look at him but still couldn't speak. His eyes shifted from me to the knife on the floor, with an alarmed expression.
"Holy—is that what I think it is?"
My throat was parched, and I forced the words out in a feeble whisper. "It's the one th-that was sticking out of him…Hale…when I f-found him."
Keanu's pale face undoubtedly mirrored my own. For a moment we both stood there, too shocked to say anything. Then Keanu pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I've got to call Detective Ray," he said.
I whined like a baby. "They'll think it was me. It was in my duffel bag."
Keanu clutched me by the arm. "Someone planted it there. Did you touch it?"
"Only the blade," I confessed. "I felt something sharp in the bag and thought it was my razor. I got annoyed so I dumped everything out." I pointed at the floor. "As you can see." Thankfully, my bikini panties were hidden from sight. I started to put the clothes back into the bag, and Keanu stopped me.
"I don't know if you should touch anything," he said.
"What's going on? I—Oh my God!" Lola screamed. She looked from the knife to me and then at Keanu, horrified.
Keanu put a finger to his lips. "We don't want to alarm the customers. I'll go upstairs and call Detective Ray." He disappeared from the room.
Lola grabbed my arm. "Where was it?"
"My bag." I trembled with anxiety. "What am I going to do?"
She put an arm around me. "Look, they won't think you did it. I mean, you just started here. You'd never met Hale before, had you?"
I inched away from her. "Are you suggesting I killed him?"
Lola's eyes widened in surprise. "No, of course not. I—oh God, I don't know what to think. One of us might be a murderer."
I shivered and turned away from the knife. "I can't stand to look at this anymore."
"What's all the commotion about?" Poncho came charging from the kitchen, spatula in hand, with Vivian right behind him. He looked down at the knife that was covered in blood, and his face turned a sickening gray. "Sweet Lord. That's the knife that killed Hale? My knife?"
Keanu ran back down the stairs. "Detective Ray is on his way out here. He recommended that we shut the place down. I called Alana, and she's on her way too."
"Great," Vivian said through clenched teeth. "Is he going to want to question everyone again?"
Keanu gave me a sympathetic look. "Probably just Carrie."
That was all. I was jinxed. I was sure of it.
Poncho swore. "We lost a day's pay on Friday. What does this Detective Ray think, that we are millionaires? I say we stay open."
Keanu looked at him in disbelief. "Do you think people are going to want to continue eating here if they think a killer is serving or fixing their food?"
Poncho's eyes were as dark as storm clouds. "And what exactly are you implying, Mr. Hot Shot Assistant Manager?"
"Nothing," Keanu assured him. "I've heard the rumors. Most of the customers think it was a robbery gone wrong. If they find out about the knife, we might as well shut down the place for good."
Poncho swore again and then stormed back into the kitchen, brandishing his spatula in front of him like a weapon.
"Cripes," Vivian said. "Alana's going to freak when she gets here. Can I leave, Keanu? I don't want to be a witness to the show she's going to put on."
He shook his head. "Go out front, and put up the Closed sign. Traffic's light, and there are only a couple of people inside finishing up. If anyone asks, just say that we uh—"
"Had a small fire? The chef is ill?"
"Negative," Keanu said. "Tell them the refrigerator's on the blink. We hope to reopen later but no guarantees. Hurry up before someone else comes in."
Vivian turned and practically ran through the kitchen, with Lola following close behind. It was just Keanu and me now. He took a step closer to me. "Are you okay?"
"Not really," I whispered, fighting back tears.
"Hey." He stepped forward and placed his arms around me. I leaned into the hug, letting him support me, hoping some of his strength might seep into my bones. The air around us suddenly became charged like an electric current. I wrapped my arms around his waist and placed my head on his hard rock chest. The heat threatened to suffocate me. He lifted my chin with his fingertips and peered into my eyes.
Then in a brief second, he released his hold on me. I went from terrified to content to confusion in a span of about thirty seconds. What gives? Had I done something wrong?
He cleared his throat. "Alana could be here any minute. I—uh—don't think this would please her. Hale didn't like the staff acting too friendly toward each other, and I'm guessing she'd feel the same way.
"
Then I understood. If she caught us in an innocent embrace—or would it have ended up innocent?—that might mean both of our jobs. Could Alana have another reason for not wanting her employees to get along with each other? Maybe she was secretly carrying a torch for Keanu. He was young, handsome, and unlike her husband, not a low-down, dirty womanizer. Of course, he was also about 15 years younger than her. Wait a second. Did Keanu like her that way too? No, that was ridiculous. Or was it?
"I can't stand this." Frustrated, I sat down on the bench heavily and put my head in my hands. "I don't want to work here anymore, Keanu. I'm terrified."
"Carrie, you need to think. How long was that bag in the locker?"
"Since yesterday morning. Maybe—" Then I gasped. "If Alana finds out I slept here—"
Keanu shook his head. "Alana was aware you were coming in to clean yesterday. She didn't know what time, so you'll be okay. Who's been in here since then?"
I gave a collective shiver. "You, me, Poncho, and Vivian, Lola. Wait, and Leo and Anna." Whom I had only seen in passing. "Alana was here this morning too. Who else?"
"That's what I'd like to know too."
We whirled around to see Detective Ray standing there with another policeman. He nodded to both of us and then reached into his pocket for a pair of disposable gloves. The other policeman took some photos, and then Detective Ray slipped the knife into a plastic bag.
"So it seems we have found our weapon," Detective Ray said to us. "Is this the knife that killed Hale, Carrie? Do you remember now?"
"Yes," I said in a feeble voice. "I'm pretty sure it's the one."
Poncho was standing in the doorway, watching the scene play out. "Carrie, why would someone put the knife in your bag?"
Detective Ray scowled at him and then handed the bag to the other policeman. He reached into the breast pocket of yet another Hawaiian shirt to remove a tiny pad of paper and pen. This shirt was beige with large red and blue flowers emblazoned on it. Did the man own anything else?
Death of the Big Kahuna Page 14
