Dewey sighed. “Seems hard to believe by this time tomorrow, I’ll probably be wearing a parka. Lots of snow in Utah this time of year.”
“I think it’s snowing in Washington, DC, too. I’m not going to miss all the bad things that have happened here, but I’m going to miss the warm sunny weather. Most of all, I’m going to miss all of you,” Layla’s voice trailed off in sadness.
“Here’s the great thing, Layla. Just pick up the phone call Dewey and tell him you need a lift to Maui, and he’ll send the plane, then tell him he has to come along because we miss you both,” George said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Layla, anytime, call me, and we’ll be off to Maui.”
The sun made its nightly dip into the Pacific, and George herded the group to the back lanai where he was set up to grill fresh fish. Annie had prepared a couple of simple salads and fresh fruit for dessert. At eleven, Dewey and Mr. Soo said their good nights. Dewey said he would be back at nine thirty the next morning.
Annie went back inside to help Layla finish packing as George was cleaning up the lanai. She sat down on the bed next to Layla and noticed she was sitting there, looking sad. “Layla, what’s the matter? You look like you are about to break out in tears.”
“That’s what I feel like doing because I’m going to miss you so much and George too. But I’m really going to miss you, Annie. You have treated me more like a daughter than my own mother. That’s wonderful and hurtful at the same time. I know I’m so much stronger than when we came to Maui, and I feel terrible that it took a horrible event to make this transition. I’m leaving here determined to start a new beginning for myself on what seems like the other side of the world, and I’m going to miss the closeness we’ve developed.”
“You are stronger now, and I’m only a phone call away. If you need to come over for a quick visit, call Dewey Airways and he’ll send the plane,” Annie said.
“Believe me, I’ll be calling you, and I really am starting a new life, not just spouting wishes. I’ll pack up my SUV and be headed to New York within four days, and then I’ll be in my job and rejoining my old friends. I know everything will not work out as easily as it sounds, but I’ll get through it all. I especially hope the divorce from Kyle will be easy. He can have the townhouse in Washington—it’s close to Georgetown—and all the furniture too. I brought a couple of small pieces from New York, but I’ll either ship them or perhaps load them in my SUV. I don’t think Kyle will fight me on anything about the divorce, do you?”
“I don’t think you will have any problem in that respect. George and I have talked about something we both felt. I’m going to ask you point-blank: did you ever suspect there might be a relationship between Kyle and Kim, let’s say, more on a very personal level?”
“Oh, you’re kidding, my god, maybe that is the problem. Now that you mention it, in the past months, they do seem closer than normal. Damn, how stupid am I? You would think I could have detected something like that.”
“Often, when we are as close to a situation as you were and going through your pregnancy and the loss of your daughter, something like that is so far on the periphery, you would have no way of noticing.”
“Well, they can have each other. I want away from both of them, the quicker, the better.”
Dewey pulled his Escalade to the back lanai steps where George helped with Layla’s luggage.
Everyone got in, and they left for the private airstrip at the Maui Airport.
“I sort of expected Mr. Soo might come along,” Layla said.
“It was hard enough for him to say goodbye last night. He couldn’t face saying goodbye again today. Remember, he lost a close pal in Mr. Okamoto. Speaking of the Okamotos, I got a call from the sheriff this morning to report on some action taken by the state police. They raided a home in the high country and found a budding chemistry student setup, cooking a meth lab. He had three helpers: a fifty-year-old biker, a black militant in his midthirties, and a twenty-something white supremacist. Is that not the strangest assembly you ever heard of? Anyway, they are investigating very thoroughly, thinking maybe one or more of those crazies had something to do with the Okamotos’ murders.”
“What a weird mix of people. I wonder how they all got together,” Layla asked.
“The sheriff said they were paid off in drugs. The case is going to take a lot of investigation by several branches. The sheriff said he heard the DEA might be getting involved. No telling how long it will take or what the final outcome will be, but we’ll keep you both informed.”
“Looks like we’re here,” Dewey said as he pulled into the private section of the airport, driving toward a large Gulfstream. He stopped, and everyone got out as the two pilots came down the plane’s stairs and approached. They began unloading the luggage and stowing it in the cargo section.
“Dewey, I’m impressed with the size of this airplane,” Annie said, wide-eyed.
“My company uses this one when either myself or staff have to fly across country or out of the States. My staff makes a lot of trips to Asia, and this is much more comfortable for them, less stress, and they are rested when they arrive.
“George, Annie, anytime you want to visit me in Salt Lake City, just call and I’ll send a plane. There is nothing that would make me happier than to have you two come for a visit, and, George, with your engineering background, you would have a ball touring McMaster Enterprises.”
“Dewey, we’ll take you up on that offer in the future. I would love to see the new digital process you’re working on.”
When everything was loaded, Dewey pulled George aside, handing him the keys to the Escalade. “George, you can’t take this back to the dealer.”
“What do you mean? Where am I supposed to take it?”
“You can put it in the empty spot in your garage next to your Jeep. I’ve purchased the car in your names, and there is also three days’ insurance in your names. You’ll find the paperwork and an extra set of keys in the glove compartment.”
“Dewey, I can’t accept this. My god, it’s a fabulous car!”
“Too late, it’s already yours. You’re stuck with it, and I happen to think Annie will look quite smart behind the wheel.”
George thanked Dewey for his overly generous gift.
“George, both of you have been my friends and treated me with respect, letting me live on your lanai during the storm. Heck, if not for that, I would never have met my angel,” Dewey said with a grin.
Dewey hugged and kissed Annie goodbye on the cheek, thanking her without telling her about his gift. He led Layla onto the plane. When they both were inside the door, they turned and waved their final goodbyes.
“Gosh, I’m going to miss those two,” Annie said with a catch in her voice.
“Honey, we have to leave this area before they can take off. Get in the car, and let’s clear the field so they can be on their way.”
Once outside the field, Annie asked George to park for a while so they could see the plane off into the air. Back in the car, George asked her to open the glove compartment.
“I would, if I knew where it was,” Annie said, looking in several obvious places.
George began to laugh. “Just my luck, owning a high-end car like this, and I can’t find the ownership papers.”
“George Boone, what are you talking about?”
“Dewey bought the car in our names and said it was a gift. The papers and an extra set of car keys are in the glove compartment. He even purchased three days of insurance for us. Do you believe it?”
“Honey, are you sure you heard him correctly? Oh, I think I found the glove compartment, and there are papers and extra keys in here.” Annie opened the papers and read, “This is our car. Wow, I can’t wait to drive it!”
CHAPTER 19
When the captain turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign, Dewey got up and asked Layla to jo
in him on the sofa; he would be back with drinks.
Dewey explained when they boarded, there were seafood salads in the galley and a special chocolate cake dessert for lunch. They also had a fully stocked bar. Everything was at her disposal; the galley would be restocked for dinner once they were in Salt Lake City. Everyone heats their own meals; a steward was seldom used, saying that was too pretentious for his taste.
He returned from the galley with two champagne flutes of mimosas; handing one to Layla, he proposed a toast, “To new beginnings.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Layla clinked her glass to Dewey’s.
“Are you apprehensive about leaving Washington, getting a divorce, and restarting your career?”
“I’m more determined and more sure of myself every day. Funny because I haven’t felt this positive in months.”
“Your appearance has changed. You walk straighter. You have color in your cheeks and life back in your eyes.”
“Thank you, Dewey. I can’t wait to get back to New York. What about you? You’ve made this fabulous transition to a successful-looking businessman, which, of course, you are, but I can’t help wonder if you won’t miss the freedom you had in Paia.”
“All my life, I’ve sought to reach goals and be the best. It was expected with my abilities. I never had the opportunity to explore a haunted house on Halloween, play Little League baseball, and have my first date with someone who didn’t have her eyes glued to a computer screen like me. I missed a lot of fun kid things. However, I created a dream world for myself, and I created work for a group of highly skilled and intelligent people, making myself very rich in the process. Yes, I’ll miss the freedom I had in Paia, but most of all, I’ll miss the people. I never had the time to get to know people like I have these past months. I met some great people. The windsurfers are generous, athletic, and very close-knit. They made me one of them with no questions asked. I don’t need to tell you how I feel about George, Annie, and Mr. Soo.”
“I feel that Annie might have saved my life. I was just filling space. Most of the time my mind was blank. I lost the ability to feel, to think. Kyle made me get up, get dressed, eat, but I would have been just as happy to stay in bed in a daze. This is embarrassing to admit, but when George brought me to their home and Annie saw my scar, she knew right away I had a child, and then I told her what happened. She hugged me, Dewey. It was the first time anyone had done that since I lost the baby. Not Kyle, not Kim, my parents still in Europe or wherever the hell they are. That simple human contact made me feel again. Does that sound crazy?”
“Nope, I know exactly what you’re saying. My dad and I were real close. He was a retired postal inspector. He helped me build my home, which is huge. We got carried away. Then we built a smaller but similar home for him and Mom, got it all furnished, and they went back to Huntington Beach to sell their home. And—boom!—he dropped dead of a heart attack. Mom could not think of moving here without Dad. She still lives in their home. She has a lot of friends and is involved in several charities. She is active, and I guess she’s happy. She blames me for Dad’s heart attack, that I put too much stress on him. He loved everything he was doing. He bossed the crews and got things done on time. I miss my dad, and Mom hasn’t come around since we lost Dad. I keep her informed where I am. She knew about Paia, but she doesn’t keep in touch. I have no brothers or sisters, and both my parents were only children, so like you, I miss the human touch.”
“Well, aren’t we a sad pair? Both of us have all the money we need, great careers, excellent educations, and here we are, confessing to each other how miserable we are. Dewey, promise you will always be my friend?”
Dewey felt like someone put a knife through his heart. Friend, did she say friend? He sighed. “Layla count on me, friend for life.”
“OK, friend,” Layla continued, “I have something very personal to ask your opinion about. Do see Kyle and Kim as a couple?”
“What?” Dewey stammered. “I never thought about it, and I’m not a good person to ask. I’m not very good with insight like that, too sheltered, I guess. What makes you ask?”
“Annie said she and George suspected that might be the case, and with all that happened to me in the last six months, I was too close to the situation to suspect. I don’t see how that could be. My god, we were married, we made love, he was the father of our daughter, and the bastard is gay? I don’t know how that could happen overnight. Perhaps, if it’s true, the tendency was always there and was suppressed. I’m pretty dumb about such things, like I said. I think we could use another drink.”
He took her glass and went back to the galley to make them another round. When he returned with the drinks, they agreed to keep the conversation light. They told of humorous incidents in their childhood, and Dewey told stories of his friendships in Paia. In no time, they realized they were hungry, and Layla helped him retrieve their lunch from the galley. After lunch, Layla curled up on one end of the sofa and dozed off, feeling relaxed and at ease with her good friend Dewey.
Dewey went to a desk area and began work on a letter he would be sending to his staff, explaining his return and why he had been absent for six months. A little more than an hour out from Salt Lake City, Layla woke and asked where she could freshen up. Dewey sent her to the guest bathroom that was part of the bedroom.
“What a bathroom, even a shower. A gal could get used to this pampered lifestyle.”
“I was serious. Anytime you want to go anywhere, call me, I’ll send a plane. It might not be this one, but I have two other ones without bedrooms. They carry a nice small group.”
“Dewey, you are too good to me.”
“Heck, what are rich friends for? We’ll be in Salt Lake City shortly, and there will be about a couple hours layover while we refuel and get food and a new crew on board. What would you like to do, or what can I show you about the city?”
“How about you show me your home?”
“To be clear, it was my dad’s idea. It’s huge, way too big for me, and sort of over-the-top. I have a wonderful live-in couple, Agnes and Ted, who takes care of the place and me for that matter. The surrounding land requires a full-time maintenance staff of three. The home my father built for him and Mom is kept closed, but Ted checks on it frequently. I offered to let them live there, but they knew my dad and couldn’t bring themselves to live in his home. I would love to show you the place as long as you understand I’m not trying to show off.”
“Dewey, I know you well enough to know that. Remember, I’m from a very wealthy old-money family. Our home in the Hamptons is probably as big as yours or bigger.”
When they landed, Dewey and Layla thanked the pilots for a smooth flight. A McMaster employee drove a Range Rover to pick them up, load Dewey’s luggage, and bring him a parka. Layla had the heavy coat she wore from Washington to Oahu; it was cold, and a sharp wind blew across the tarmac. In the car, a heater warmed the interior, and Dewey gave instructions to drive to his residence.
A large wrought-iron gate with DM in the center opened, and a winding driveway meandered through snow-covered trees, ending at a large brick mansion with a circular driveway. Steps from the driveway led to a massive double wooden door opened by a smiling couple that greeted Dewey with hugs. Dewey introduced Layla to Agnes and Ted and told them she came by to see the house before continuing onto Washington, DC. Agnes said she would make some coffee, and Ted toted Dewey’s luggage inside.
“Dewey, this is grand, and what I like is the homey feel. All this wood and cozy furniture makes it feel warm. Of course, that roaring fire helps,” Layla said as she walked over to a huge fireplace, rubbing her hands together.
Dewey showed Layla his home, and she was impressed with the indoor swimming pool.
“OK, you got me here,” she said as she walked around the steaming pool. “Even we don’t have an indoor pool. This is terrific. Just what I need in my brownstone so I wouldn
’t have to go to the gym to swim. I’m very faithful. I exercise every other day and that includes laps. That is, when I’m in good health.” As she said this, she looked down at her thinness and was embarrassed for a moment. Then she spread her arms and shrugged.
“You’ll be back to your normal self. I hear nothing keeps those New York society gals down.”
“That’s not me, although I am obligated to attend some events because of my family name. I like wandering through the various neighborhoods and visiting antique stores and especially pawnshops. I’ve found some of the most amazing items in neighborhood pawnshops.”
“Great, I didn’t really see you as the snooty high-society type.”
“No, that would be my parents,” Layla said, laughing.
“We better get our coffee, then get back to the plane. Got to keep on schedule. You never can tell about the weather this time of year.”
They returned to the kitchen and joined Agnes and Ted for coffee and some of Agnes’s home-baked treats, Layla claiming she had never tasted anything so good. Agnes wrapped up a batch of her baked goods and gave it to Layla for the trip home. When it was time to leave, Layla shook hands with Agnes and Ted, thanking them for their hospitality, especially the baked goods.
Dewey drove the car back to the airfield, never feeling too comfortable with a driver. Like he said to Layla, it made him feel like a damned rock star instead of a businessman.
Dewey was beginning to get a sick feeling in his stomach, or was it his heart? He wasn’t sure. He looked over at Layla as she gazed out the window and smiled at his angel, wondering how long it would be before he saw her again.
“Here we are,” Dewey said as he drove up to the plane. Seeing their arrival, the gangway was let down, and both he and Layla entered the plane. He asked the pilot if everything was ready to go and was told they would be taking off in twenty minutes.
Layla got her coat hung up and stashed her package in the galley. She returned to the main cabin to say farewell to Dewey. Walking up to him, she threw her arms around his waist and drew him to her. Hugging him closely, she said, “Dewey, I’m so grateful we met and I got to know you. You have been so kind and generous to me, and I know in you, I have a friend for life, someone I can count on, and I will always be there for you too.”
Maui Murders Page 11
