“Louie’s going to have to manage alone again for a few hours. Either that or we’ll have to close on a Saturday night.”
“He can do it. He’s used to all the time. He’s not as bad off as you think, Em. I called the guy next door to walk over and check on Louie and call us if there’s a problem. I hope you don’t mind. I gave Nat your cell number. Mine too.”
“Good thinking. Louie seems so sad that I feel bad about the Marilyn thing. I sure hope she’s not involved in this mess.”
“Me too. Scary to think there’s a psycho on the loose.”
“Scary no matter who’s behind it. Hopefully there’s another explanation.”
“I hope so too.” Sophie came around the bar. “See you tomorrow afternoon,” she said.
“I’ll find you in the dressing room area and wish the Maidens luck before they go on.”
Sophie paused in the open front door. “The Maidens will need all the luck they can get.”
31
Last Minute Pandemonium
Kiki shoved aside the black curtain to the Maidens’ dressing area and stepped out into the small corridor framed with a network of metal poles and curtains provided by the festival committee. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her herself before she went back inside the dressing room.
With time ticking down to their performance, anxiety was running high. The Maidens were at each other’s throats and driving Wally Williams to the breaking point. Kiki had to deal with her own nerves or her heart would explode—not altogether a bad thing if it got her out of the competition.
She closed her eyes and muttered, “Keep it together, Kiki.”
After a few more deep breaths she went back into the dressing room.
The small space was filled with Maidens in every stage of undress along with coolers full of their floral hair adornments. Garment bags hung suspended from the curtain poles. Rubber slippers and sandals cluttered the floor along with purses and tote bags full of water bottles, snack bars, hair brushes, mirrors and undergarments. There were only four folding chairs in the crowded space.
Big Estelle, in nothing but a long white slip, was fanning herself with a program and had commandeered one of the chairs. Suzi and Trish helping each other zip up their muumuus. Lillian struggled to pull her gown up over her hips. Flora was draped over two huge coolers, her head on her arm, sound asleep. She was still wearing the crumpled muumuu she’d taken off the night before when she had channeled Esther Williams. Pat Boggs was sitting on the floor shuffling a deck of card between her legs. She started laying out a game of solitaire.
Kiki watched a bead of sweat slowly inch its way down Wally’s temple. His elaborate Trump copycat hairstyle was pancaked flat. He had barely arrived but was already wilting from the heat in the close quarters. Wally stood helpless beside an empty chair and clapped his hands.
“Ladies, listen up please. Who wants to be first?” He held up a small basket of makeup and hair products. No one paid any attention.
Pat scooped up the cards, straightened the deck and shoved it into her shirt pocket. When she stood up, Kiki braced herself.
Pat clapped her hands and yelled. “Laydeeez! Did you hear the man? He’s ready for y’all to get your hair and makeup on. Now who’s goin’ first?”
“I will.” Gown on, Trish was ready.
Kiki studied the costume. The fluttering felt taro leaves she and Wally had hand sewn all over the gowns were all right, but the shimmering turquoise background didn’t sit well with her. It was too bright. She decided a contrasting dark green or better yet, the color of rich reddish brown Kauai mud would have been better.
“I can’t get this dress on,” Lillian whined. “It won’t go over my hips.”
“Anyone bring a shoe horn?” Pat Boggs slapped her knee and yucked it up.
As Kiki hurried over to Lillian, Big Estelle said, “I can’t get mine on either.”
Wally set the basket of products down and went to her aid. Kiki tugged and pulled at Lillian’s gown.
Kiki mumbled, “Did you gain weight?”
Lillian sniffed.
Wally looked up from where he knelt on the floor under Big Estelle. She’d started from the opposite direction, trying to pull her dress over her head. It was stuck around her waist but wouldn’t go any farther. Wally reached up and gingerly pinched the hem with his thumbs and forefingers.
“You’re going to have to commit, Wally. Grab it,” Kiki advised.
Wally blanched. He held his breath, reached up and grabbed the material with both hands. “I think all these leaves have taken up the give of the fabric.” He turned a wide, frantic gaze to Kiki. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to shove them in these gowns one way or another. Mine fits. No problem.”
“Well, that’s because you’re just perfect Kiki,” Lillian sniped with a rare show of gumption.
Kiki thought about smacking Lillian who had obviously lost her mind and put an end to the hysteria. Pat Boggs suddenly stepped between them.
“Let me give you a hand there, Kiki. We’ll get ’er in.” Pat grabbed the open front of the dress and Kiki took the back. They wrestled and wiggled and finally heaved it up around Lillian’s shoulders. It was like stuffing meat into a sausage casing.
“Suck it in,” Pat commanded. Lillian sucked and Pat rammed the zipper home. “There ya go. Not so bad, was it? Go get in line Lil. Wally will fix your hair and makeup.”
Lillian’s face was hibiscus red. “I can barely breathe,” she gasped.
“You don’t need to breathe. You just need to dance,” Kiki went on to help Wally with Flora.
Once Flora was awake and zipped in, they put her on a chair at the front of the line waiting for makeup. Wally picked up his little basket overflowing with pins and hairspray, cotton balls and mascara, took one look at the Maidens waiting for him, and panicked.
“What time is it? I’ll never get them all done. There’s too much to do.” He started to hyperventilate. “I’m only one person.”
“I don’t wear makeup so don’t worry about me. Just pin up my hair,” Trish said.
“You have to wear makeup,” Kiki yelled. “You have to.” She glanced down at Lillian perched on the chair. “Take those glasses off.”
“I have to wear my glasses. I won’t be able to see the edge of the stage.” Lillian looked around for support.
“You’re in the back row. You don’t have to see the edge. You just have to hula.” Kiki planted her hands on her hips and refused to be swayed. “It’s bad enough you have pink hair, Lillian. We’ll probably get marked down for it.”
“The lei on her head will cover most of it.” Suzi patted Lillian on the shoulder.
Lillian moaned. “I don’t want to do this. Where is MyBob? I need him.”
“This is the dressing room. Men aren’t allowed back here.”
“Wally’s here.”
“Wally doesn’t count. He could care less if we were all twenty years old again and stark naked. Now close your mouth and let him put your makeup on.”
When Lillian finally closed her mouth, Wally tried to apply darker lipstick, but her lower lip was quivering like a windowpane in a hurricane.
Kiki realized none of the dancers in the dressing rooms around them were making such a scene. She heard dancers moving around, zippers zipping and occasional hushed whispers, but none of the other halau members ever carried on like the Maidens.
“We’re such a bunch of haoles,” Kiki grumbled under her breath.
“Where’s Sophie?” Trish snapped a photo of Wally and Lillian.
“She went to make sure Danny and the band is ready. She said she’d be right here.”
“Where’s Little Estelle?” Pat looked to Big Estelle. “Who’s watching yo
ur mother?”
“She’s parked next to the front row in the ballroom. One of the ministers from Hanalei volunteered to keep an eye on her.”
“You kidding me? She’ll run all over him.”
“It’s the best I could do without hiring a security guard.”
Kiki took Lillian’s hair adornment out of one of the coolers. “Here you go Wally, pin this on Lillian’s head.”
She handed it over. She, Trish, and Suzi had been up until three a.m., finishing all the haku, the thick braided lei worn just above the dancers’ foreheads. Big Estelle couldn’t help them because she’d had to keep an eye on both her mother and Flora after the waterfall incident. Pat was exhausted and spent an hour in the laundry area last night waiting for her black jeans to dry before she went to bed. Lillian and MyBob tried to help, but Kiki ended up ripping out their efforts and ruining the leaves. The whole evening had been a nightmare.
“I’m out of hairpins!” Wally shook the basket. “How can I be out of hairpins already?”
There was a moment of panic until Pat Boggs handed him three full hairpin cards.
Kiki passed out all the other leis. Wally pinned, ratted, combed, and fussed. Trish finally gave up and let them put makeup on her. In no time the air in the small space was thick with hairspray.
“Don’t anyone light a match in here or we’ll go up in flames,” Kiki warned.
Flora’s lei slipped down to her nose and knocked off one of her false lashes. Wally threw up his hands and started to cry. Trish and Suzi helped him to an empty chair.
That was when the curtains parted and Em Johnson peeked in. “Howzit going?”
Kiki grabbed her arm and pulled her into the dressing room.
“Thank God you’re here. Can you do hair?”
“Would I wear a ponytail all the time if I could do hair?” Em checked out all of the Maidens and smiled. “You guys look great.”
“This is no time for your effervescent perkiness. It sets my nerves on edge.” Kiki couldn’t help herself. This whole idea was a fiasco, and it was all Em’s fault. “They do not look great,” she said. “Not yet anyway. We still need to finish hair and makeup and pin on the head lei. I need Sophie. Where is she?”
“Last minute band check, remember?” Pat reminded her.
“My face feels like it’s on fire.” Kiki started fanning herself with both hands. “I need a drink.”
“No drinking before the performance,” Pat reminded her.
“Who made that stupid rule?” Kiki glared at Boggs.
“You did, Kiki,” Trish reminded her.
Em was already headed for the exit. “I’ll find Sophie and send her back. Maybe she can help Wally with hair. I’ll get you a kava smoothie, Kiki. That’ll help calm your nerves.”
“If Sophie knew anything about hair, her head wouldn’t be covered with tinted spikes. And I’m not touching a kava smoothie,” Kiki yelled as Em disappeared behind the curtain.
32
Killer Beans
Em made it into the ballroom just in time to watch the opening ceremony. She found Sophie standing near the exit door nearest the craft fair.
“Hi,” Em whispered. “Kiki needs you.”
“We can’t leave now. I’ll run right over as soon as they open the doors again. How’s it going?”
Em thought a minute. “About as well as you might expect.”
“That bad?”
“Let’s just say they need you. I’m going to get Kiki a kava smoothie. She needs to calm down.”
“If she won’t drink it, I will.”
“Is Danny here?” Em didn’t see the trio anywhere in the room.
“The boys in the band are ready and waiting in the hallway back stage.”
Em spotted Little Estelle parked at the end of the front row right where she was supposed to be. A nice looking older gentleman with steel gray hair and glasses was chatting with her. Em hoped the minister could hold his own.
The lights in the ballroom went down, and the crowd hushed as Raymond Leahe took the stage. He seemed a bit more composed than last night, but not much. He blinked into the spotlight before he found his notes on the podium.
“Welcome to the second night of the Annual Kaua’i Kuku’i Nut Festival Competition. We’ve got some great performances in store for all of you.” His voice sounded as if it was computer generated and slowed down to a crawl as he went on.
“Tonight you will be treated to two remaining solo dancers and then the Kupuna division will begin. What a treat. You all know how those aunties and tutus can shake it, right?” The line might have been followed by a few laughs if he wasn’t speaking in a monotone.
“Someone needs to put that poor guy out of his misery. They need a new emcee,” Sophie said.
Em leaned close and whispered, “After what happened to Kawika and Mitchell, who would rush in and take over?”
“Duh.”
Raymond paused for a moment then looked up again.
“Before we start the performances, I’d like to ask Kumu Blake Honuhonu from Oahu to lead us in a prayer for Kawika. We’ve just received word from the hospital that he’s still in critical condition and in a coma, but he is hanging in there.”
The kumu from Oahu was seated near the front of the room. He took his time unfurling his six foot four inches as he stood. He smoothed his long curly black hair back with both hands then shook it out again before slowly making his way to the stage. He strolled along like royalty, acknowledging people in the audience with slight nods of his head. To most of those who knew him by reputation, he was considered one of the crown princes of hula. He took the mic from Raymond and made a grand, sweeping, bow.
“He should be the emcee,” Em noted.
Sophie whispered, “I’m sure he’d like that, but this is a Kauai event. There’s protocol, you know.”
Em had already learned there was protocol for just about everything that went on in the islands. Certain toes were not to be stepped on. Ever.
The prayer lasted a good four minutes. Finally Raymond had the mic in hand again and announced that the doors should be open once more before the first dancer took the stage. Em and Sophie slipped out and parted ways.
When Em reached Tiko’s booth, Tiko wasn’t there, but her cousin Charlotte was calmly and efficiently handling the line. Em waited her turn, marveling at the people in line waiting patiently for smoothies. She silently congratulated Louie for trying Tiko’s Tastee Tropicals at the Goddess. From what she’d seen this weekend they were sure to be a hit—but she’d have to police the rum.
Then she remembered the whole idea had been Marilyn’s.
She reached the front of the line and waited as Charlotte wrote flavors and initials on the smoothie cups with a marking pen. A male teen dancer in costume was standing beside the booth. She handed them over to him with a smile.
“There you go,” Charlotte said. “One Bananafanarama and one Monster Mocha.”
“Mahalo.” The handsome young man winked at Charlotte and wandered off.
“Aloha, Em. What’ll it be?” Charlotte smiled. Tonight she was wearing her long hair tied back and a Tiko’s apron over a pair of shorts and a tank top.
Em’s gaze wandered to the marking pen in Charlotte’s hand. Something nagged her memory.
“Em?”
“Oh, sorry. I’d like a Kava Kooler.”
“Which fruit juice?”
“What goes best with kava?”
“You can’t go wrong with liliko’i.”
“Perfect.”
Charlotte wrote L for liliko’i on the cup and then “Em” and started to dump ingredients into the blender. She reached below the table for a small container and carefully measured out the kava with a teaspoon.
Em felt a
presence at her shoulder and looked up to find Roland standing there in yet another aloha shirt and black slacks.
“Kava? Really?” he said.
“It’s for Kiki. I hope it relaxes her. I’ve never tried it.”
“Makes your lips kind of numb.”
Em liked the way he was staring at her mouth. He was welcome to make her lips numb anytime—if and when she could work up the courage to give him the go ahead.
Charlotte had been listening. “It’s not as bad in the smoothie as drinking it straight. You should try one, Detective Sharpe.”
He turned his megawatt smile on Charlotte, and Em missed its glow.
Charlotte was smiling back with her even, pearly whites. Em wondered if every woman on the island knew his name.
When Charlotte handed Em the smoothie, Roland walked with her toward the exit.
“I heard Kawika is still critical.” She asked, “What about Jackie Loo Tong?”
“We cut Tong loose. He has an alibi, and we can’t hold him on threats overheard in a hallway.” He lowered his voice and looked around. “Kawika’s doctor called to alert us there are traces of ricin in his system. They have no idea how much he ingested or how, but a dose the size of a grain of salt is capable of killing a hundred sixty pound man. The victim starts vomiting, has diarrhea, shock and convulsions. Pretty soon the internal organs shut down.”
“Somebody poisoned him? That’s horrible.” Though Roland suspected something was going on, Em still couldn’t believe it.
“They’re certain he ingested it. What we need to find out is where and how he got it.”
“Where would anybody get something like that except in a lab?”
“Easy. It comes from castor beans.”
“As in castor oil?”
“Yes, from castor bean plants. They’re weeds that grow all over the islands.”
Em pictured Kiki stringing the snail shells. “You can use anything for leis,” Kiki had said. “Seeds, nuts, berries, flowers, leaves. Whatever.”
“Is there an antidote?”
“Nope.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Figure out who Kawika was with and what he ate for the past few days. He’s been here involved in the festival for days. It can be fairly fast-acting, so I think it’s safe to say our suspect or suspects are right here at the competition.”
Two To Mango Page 18
