The Scent of Waikiki (Trouble in Paradise Book 9)

by Terry Ambrose

  The top two bills—one for electric, the other for cable—were overdue. I thumbed through several more. Credit cards, two, both past due; bank loan on her car, ditto; and a bill for nearly a grand from a local mechanic. There was even an application for a line of credit. It had been denied. I had no idea Grace was so far in the hole.

  I ran my fingers across the trackpad on the laptop. The machine came to life and I was looking at the results of an Internet search. I sat on the barstool in front of the machine and said a quiet thank you to Grace for making this easy.

  Obviously, she hadn’t expected anyone to be snooping around. She’d been researching Primal perfume. Interesting. I began flipping through the pages of the steno pad. Within about two pages, I realized Mrs. Nakamura had been correct. Grace had written down Danny’s contact information and a note about potential income—four grand a week.

  I opened Grace’s email and waited as new messages came rolling in. One was from Danny. It read, “You gonna pay for crossing me.”

  Short, and to the point. But what was so strange was that a scammer was issuing threats against one of his victims. How stupid could you get? Unless Mrs. Nakamura was correct and Grace was more of a disgruntled partner than a victim. If these two had been working together as Mrs. Nakamura believed, everything changed. Grace might really have been trying to become a scammer. The thought was enough to make my head explode.

  It was the only thing that made sense. They could have had some kind of falling out. One thing life had taught me was that the honor-among-thieves myth was nothing more than a romanticized version of the truth. I leaned back and stared at the email.

  A woman’s screech pierced the silence. I whirled around. Grace stood in the open front door, her mouth wide open, anger painted on her face.

  “What are you doing in my apartment?” she screamed. “You have no right! And what are you doing to my computer?”

  “You lied to me.” I fought to keep my voice measured. My insides might be shaking, but at least I sounded confident—sort of. “Grace, you didn’t tell me how far behind you were on your bills. What were you thinking when you gave money to that guy? And what does his email mean? How did you double-cross him?”

  “He double-crossed me! Danny stole my money.”

  I waited, curious to see how Grace would justify her actions. A few seconds later, her anger shattered. Her lower lip began to tremble and she stared at the black faux leather recliner next to her couch. There were cracks in the fake leather. I’d seen the same chair advertised online—its best attribute being that it was cheap and filled an empty space.

  “The chair,” I murmured. “You thought you were getting a good deal, didn’t you?”

  “It came with a lifetime warranty. The stupid thing broke a month after I got it. When I called the company, they told me I had to file a claim and prove it was defective. Then I had to pay for shipping to send it back. I couldn’t afford that.”

  She plopped down into the chair and sat with her face buried in her hands. Gone was the confidence she’d always exuded, replaced instead by a victim of desperation and broken promises.

  “Grace, this happens to you a lot. Doesn’t it?”

  She shook her head, but never looked up. “It’s always the same,” she mumbled. “This stupid chair. My car. Even the decisions I made in college were bad.” Gazing off into the corner of the room, she sighed wistfully. “I’m good at marketing, McKenna. I understand how to use colors and sounds to influence buying decisions. And the fragrance industry has always fascinated me. Bulgari, Chanel, Cacharel—it doesn’t matter, I know them all. Even Island Passion. I ate up every detail I could find about Primal’s development. Maybe the problem is I wanted it too much. It’s like that stupid car. I just had to have it.”

  Grace might have a passion for fragrance, but like Stephen Brantley, she was an outsider and, according to the Surfing Professor, was doomed to a life on the outside looking in. It was best to stick to the problem at hand—Grace needed to save her home, not find her life’s fulfillment. I frowned at her, then turned around and picked up the bill from the mechanic. “I thought you bought the car from a dealer.”

  “No. It was a private owner. The guy seemed honest enough, but that car has been draining the life out of me. I should sell it, but I owe more than it’s worth.” She stopped and looked up at me. “I’m so screwed. I need credit counseling.”

  I winced at the pattern of bad decisions Grace had made. The truth was she needed more than credit counseling; she needed help with her life. “Let’s take this one step at a time. If we could get your money back from Danny, would you be able to catch up on your bills?”

  She shrugged. “Enough. I’d at least be able to take care of the basics.”

  And there it was. Grace was like so many other locals, just scrimping for the bare necessities. All to live in paradise. “Like I said, one step at a time, Grace. First, let’s begin by you telling me what you really thought you were getting when you contacted Danny.”

  “I’m not a dishonest person, McKenna.”

  “I know, Grace. I know.”

  She regarded me for a moment, then laughed to herself. “But I was trying to be. The truth is, I’ve known Danny for a few months. We dated a few times, but he wasn’t my type. When I broke up with him, he said it was probably for the best because he had this idea how we could both make money.”

  “How did you two meet?”

  “Online. He sent me a friend request after I posted about those car problems.” She pointed at the bill still in my hand, then continued. “I put up this big rant and he was all sympathetic. He said the exact same thing happened to him once.”

  “We were messaging each other a few times a day. Getting along really well. When he finally said he wanted to meet in person, it just seemed kind of natural. Here was this nice guy who was going through the same stuff as me.”

  “So one thing led to another and eventually you two decided it wasn’t going to work out.”

  “He kept saying he wanted to get closer, you know?” She sucked in a breath and looked straight at me. “I never slept with him.”

  “I’m not judging, Grace. It sounds like you may have had some reservations about him. Did he ever ask you for money? When you were dating?”

  She nodded and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips as she sat back in her chair. “It seemed like he always had these emergencies. He always wanted to borrow a few bucks. And I was the one telling my secrets, not him. I even told him how my dream job would be in marketing fragrances. That’s when he started talking about cracking the fragrance formula and maybe marketing a knockoff.” A frown etched itself on her brow. “I told him that was a really bad idea and he backed off right away. Do you suppose that’s how he came up with the idea for the beauty kit?”

  “No. Someone else served as the inspiration for that little bit of genius. You realize now he was bleeding you. Right? He probably has a few other victims in the works right now. The fact that he wanted to meet in person tells me he targeted you for a bigger score. You never told me the exact amount he got from you, Grace. How much was it?”

  “About twelve hundred.” She hung her head and sobbed. “How stupid could I be? I’ve heard about these guys and I still thought he was for real.”

  “It happens far too often. At the park, why did he say you crossed him?”

  She didn’t answer and instead gazed at the beige tile.

  “What were you supposed to do, Grace?”

  “Danny said he had this friend who’d been telling him about Primal. With all the buzz about the perfume, he thought there were some real opportunities. He said we could create this organization to sell direct. I was supposed to recruit some friends to help with sales. Each of them was going to buy a beauty kit and then use that for home beauty parties.” She paused and peered at me as though seeking my approval. “It was a chance to get into the fragrance industry.”

  I nodded simply to make Grace feel better.
“So you were going to become one of Danny’s lieutenants?"

  “I suppose.”

  “And that day at the park?”

  “I told him I had a couple of friends who were interested. That’s why he was there.”

  So Mrs. Nakamura had been one-hundred percent correct. And I’d been duped. “So he thought you two were going to do this big song-and-dance in the park, but you’d wised up and turned on him.”

  “It sounds so stupid now.” Her shoulders fell and she sniffled. “Why didn’t I see what was going on?”

  “It’s a classic ploy. Danny promised you two things—a way out of your financial hole and the opportunity to do something you loved. How could you have refused?”

  She nodded absently. “For sure. How could I refuse?”

  I sat there, staring down at the mechanic’s bill. It was impossible to stop these people. They were everywhere, finding new victims daily. But I could help one person. And I did love a challenge.

  “Tell you what, Grace. I’m going to help you even the score.”

  CHAPTER 33

  I thought Grace would be happy. We could work on getting her money back. Restoring her to some semblance of financial stability. Instead of delight, the color in her cheeks drained and she shook her head.

  “You…can’t do that.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re getting married soon.” Grace brushed the skunk stripe in her bangs to one side and pursed her lips. “No, I’ve screwed up enough lives.”

  “I’ve just offered to help you get your money back, and now you don’t want my help?”

  Her gaze darted away from mine. “What is it, Grace? There’s something else you’re not telling me.”

  She sat in her black recliner that no longer worked, staring at the tile flooring and shaking her head. Obviously, this was not going the way she wanted—which remained the big mystery as far as I was concerned. I wanted to give her time to think, so I gazed out the front window. One of the neighbors shuffled by, her slippahs slapping the bottoms of her feet and her muumuu fluttering in the breeze as she made her way home. When Grace finally did speak, her voice was a hoarse whisper.

  “I just realized I’ve been like Danny. Going from one screw-up to the next. I have to learn to deal with life all on my own.” She paused and peered at me. “Will I lose my job?”

  I sighed and said, “I suppose that depends on what your employer hears about this.”

  “I might just need to put this behind me. Move out. Live on the streets for a while. I could always get another job and find a new apartment. Yah?” She was watching me now, her coal-black eyes pleading for me to agree with her.

  “You have to think this through, Grace. If you live on the streets, how do you take a shower? Get ready for work? Prepare meals?”

  “A lot of people do it. I don’t know. I could get a tent, do whatever the others do.” She winced and her eyes brimmed with tears. “Tell me what to do, McKenna.”

  I held her gaze for the longest time, then got off my stool and stood before her and held my arms out to embrace her. She stood, hugged me back, and began to weep. All I could do was wait. If she didn’t want my help—if she chose to become Danny’s victim, I couldn’t stop her. When she’d cried herself out, I told her to figure out what she wanted me to do, and let her know I was still willing to go after Danny and maybe even his boss.

  I carried the full weight of her failure on my shoulders during the walk back to my apartment. Grace had always been such a good tenant, but with her bills she was one paycheck away from losing her car, her apartment, and probably her job. As I opened the screen door to my apartment, that weight still dragged me down.

  Shuffling noises came from the bedroom, so I went to see what was going on. The moment I entered the room, I stopped and stared.

  “What…what are you doing, Benni?”

  She regarded my face for a moment, then said, “While you were gone, I had a long talk with Alexander. He reminded me of what you were like when you arrived here. It was being able to do this kind of thing that made you whole again. He called you a hunt-aholic.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying we rushed into this marriage thing and we both need to be really sure it’s what we want. Maybe that’s why we couldn’t decide where we were going to live. Neither of us were ready to give up our separate lives.”

  “My God, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. Don’t think for a moment I wouldn’t do anything for you.”

  “That’s a double negative.” She sniffled and laughed.

  “See? I’ve been assimilated. I can’t live anywhere else. Nor would I want to.”

  “McKenna, I have to go back home for a few days.”

  “Are you…are you coming back?”

  She paused, a pair of shorts in her hands, and gazed at me. “I need to sort some things out and I can’t do it here. Not with you around. I told you about that image I keep seeing. Some distance might help me deal with it. If I hurry, I can catch the last flight out.”

  I’d seen Benni’s resolve in action before. There was no point in trying to sway her. And somehow, I knew she was right. “We both need to sort some things out.”

  I leaned against the wall, watched her place the shorts in the bag. She added another T-shirt to the bag, then zipped it closed. I glanced at the closet. There was still the dress she’d worn to dinner, a couple of tops, and a pair of capris. Her drawer in the dresser was still partly full.

  “It’s only for a few days,” she said as if reading my mind.

  “Don’t leave,” I said.

  “I have to.”

  We met in the middle of the room. When I pulled her into an embrace, it felt as though my heart were being torn from my body. Her shoulders shook as she began to sob. I kissed her on the side of the neck, long, slow, and tender.

  “I’ll call when I get home,” she said. “You can tell me all about what’s going on with Grace.”

  As we pulled apart, I choked out a laugh. “Now she’s not sure she wants help. She’s decided she has to face life on her own.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I…went to see her.”

  She frowned at me and asked, “What?”

  “I did what Mrs. Nakamura suggested and broke into her apartment. Unfortunately, she came back in the middle of my visit.”

  “I would have gone with you. All you had to do was ask.”

  “I don’t want to drag you into this…drama.”

  “McKenna…”

  “No, you shouldn’t have to be a part of it.”

  “I see. So did you two talk?” Benni’s voice sounded cold and distant.

  “That’s why I suspect she doesn’t want help.” I sighed. “I’m afraid Grace has lost her will to fight.” I kept my grip on Benni’s hands and locked my gaze onto hers. “I haven’t given up. I will fight for you.”

  She slipped back into my arms and wrapped hers around my neck. We stood there, each hanging onto the other, every now and again one tightening their hold. At some point, I heard a knock on the front door. We pulled apart, but still held hands.

  Benni sniffled, then nodded at the front door. “I have to finish packing. And you need to see who that is.”

  I watched her go into the bathroom, close the door, and listened as she blew her nose. It was Chance’s voice that jarred me out of my solitary moment.

  “McKenna? Are you home?”

  “I’m here.” I trudged into the living room and ushered Chance in.

  He was jabbering before I even had the door open. Something about Steward? Hostage? “Slow down, kid. You lost me.”

  “Sorry. This is so huge. This is epic, McKenna. Epic!”

  What happened to him needing to get away? Spend four years at an agency? I sighed. “What’s epic?”

  “Steward! He’s taken Claire’s neighbor as a hostage.”

  “The old geezer from the delivery service? How do you know this? Is it on t
he news?”

  “No. He called me. Okay, sorry. This is so big I have to get my thoughts together.” He paused, took a breath, then continued. “About five minutes ago my phone rang. It was Claire’s neighbor. The one who lives on the other side of Angela. Her name is Emily Cole and she said Steward showed up at her door and barged right in. He gave her my number and is holding her hostage until you get there.”

  “I’m still not following this, buddy. Are you saying I’m going to have to meet with the old geezer? To save a woman’s life? Are you kidding me? I’m not a hostage negotiator. We need to call the cops so they can put the professionals on this. Steward is a nutcase. He takes some sort of medication according to Claire—wait, let’s call her. She’s right next door and I don’t think he’d ever hurt her. She can help the cops talk him down.”

  “McKenna, this Emily Cole—she doesn’t sound too worried. This may be the most excitement she’s seen in a long time. She said Steward brought cookies with him and they’re having tea.”

  I stared at Chance. “I’ll say it again. Are you kidding me? You cannot expect me to go have tea and cookies with him and this whatshername.”

  “Emily Cole.” Chance stopped and looked at me closely. “Man, you look terrible. I was so excited by the idea that we might get a break on this thing that I didn’t even notice.”

  “Benni’s going back to the Big Island for a few days.” I sniffled and rubbed my itchy nose. “Tearful goodbye, yada, yada.”

  He pulled me into a hug, a move I had no will to resist. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

  Despite the news about Steward and his so-called hostage, the embrace brought me comfort. It also drove home how much I would miss Benni. Her brother Alexander knew I was addicted to the thrill of finding people who didn’t want to be found.

  I pushed away from Chance and looked at him. “You’re lucky. Lexie’s as much into this PI stuff as you are. Don’t lock her out, kid.”