Maui Murders

by Kathy Callahan

  Once he left, she turned to Fiona, saying, “This has been an expensive day. Speaking of expenses, I must owe you something by now.”

  “I wouldn’t mind a check, but I can present you a final bill, or I can bring by our expenses up till now on Monday and you can write me a check then.”

  “That’s fair. You and Ned have been invaluable, and I want to keep it that way,” Layla said, smiling.

  “I found all this in the cabinets and drawers, and I don’t even have them all cleaned out yet. I’m not sure what to do with this stuff, although there are a couple of pieces I’m keeping,” Layla said, gesturing toward the items on the counter.

  Fiona began looking at the items. “First, trash all glass items that are chipped or cracked. There is nothing here of any value. Looks like odd lots of various utensils, some of them not seen too often. Oh, can I have this?” Fiona asked, holding up something that looked like a ring of measuring spoons but with tiny metal cups of three different sizes.

  “Sure, what the heck is that?” asked Layla.

  “It’s a three different-sized melon ball scoops. I love it. I didn’t even know there was such a thing,” Fiona said happily.

  “Well, please take it. I’m glad you can use something like that.”

  Fiona picked out a couple more items then suggested Layla call Annie over and have her look through the lot and also Chris, Marty, and Josie. Anything left over, she could box up and take to the thrift store.

  After Fiona left, Layla phoned Annie, asking if she and George could come over for a few minutes; she had some items she wanted them to look through to see if there was anything they might be able to use. Within ten minutes, Annie and George were surveying the items.

  “Can I have this slotted spoon? I can use it in the garage,” George asked.

  “By all means, it’s yours,” Layla said with a grin, looking over at Annie who shook her head in wonder.

  “I’ve got a couple of things I could use, so I’ll be glad to take them off your hands. That’s all for me. George, how about you?”

  “I’m happy with my spoon. Thanks, Layla, for letting us look at these things. Any more?”

  “There will be a couple more displays for you to look through. It seems I’m finding things in each kitchen cabinet and drawer I go through. I’ll let you know when the next viewing will be.”

  When they left, Layla reminded Chris she would be gone all day tomorrow, and she invited him and his crew to look through the items in the kitchen and take anything they wanted. She would box the rest up over the weekend and take it to the local charity thrift store.

  Chris said he would box the remaining items up for her because his wife’s mother volunteered at the store and would be happy to take the items for her. Layla thanked him and told him there would be more coming.

  Layla was glad for her late afternoon bath and then worked on a to-do list for tomorrow. She was just as excited about going on tomorrow’s outing as she had been as a child when going to a friend’s birthday party. She was expanding her friendships and knowledge of Maui, getting to know her new home.

  CHAPTER 45

  Annie rinsed her coffee cup, putting it in the dishwasher; hearing George was up, she poured him a mug of coffee.

  “Here, honey,” Annie said, handing him the mug, “you look tired and worried. What’s wrong?”

  “I know you’re going to say it’s silly, but I worry about you going to Lahaina. MayLee is known for her fast driving, and I’m concerned for you and Layla,” George said, putting his arms around Annie and hugging her to him.

  “That’s so sweet, but don’t think for a minute if I feel she’s going too fast, I won’t tell her to slow down. I have no problem speaking my mind when I’m with someone who is driving dangerously.”

  “I know, I still worry. Don’t want anything to happen to my love.”

  “You kept me tucked into you all last night. I would try to turn over, but you would reach out and pull me back. You must have been trying to protect me in your sleep. You are such a darling.” Annie reached up and gave George a big kiss.

  “Are you sure you really have to go into Lahaina? Another kiss like that and I won’t let you leave,” George said with a devilish grin.

  “Yes, it’s my civic duty,” Annie said, laughing.

  Layla knocked on the kitchen door, and Annie left George’s embrace, letting her in. “Hi, folks. Are you ready for our outing, Annie?”

  “All set, although George is afraid of us going with MayLee. I’ve told him if she starts driving too fast, I’ll slow her down.”

  “She’s a fast driver?” Layla asked.

  “Two speeding tickets in the last six months,” George replied.

  “Speaking of MayLee, here she comes now. Don’t worry, George, between Annie and I, we’ll keep her within the speed limit.”

  George followed Layla and Annie out the back and saw them into MayLee’s car, waving as they drove off.

  The sheriff, coming up the street in the opposite direction, stopped and said to George, “I see the ladies are on their way to Hilo Hattie’s. Donnie has told half the town about the trip and the ladies picking out fabric. He’s making a big deal about Hilo Hattie’s generosity. I think he’s angling for other donations.”

  “I’m worried about MayLee and her fast driving.”

  “I might have helped with that,” the sheriff said with a big smile. “I stopped by the bank yesterday and told Donnie speed traps were being set up this weekend, starting on Friday and be sure and tell MayLee to keep within the posted limit. She didn’t want another speeding ticket. It would cost a bundle.”

  “Donnie assured me he would lay the law down and he will. Spending more money on speeding tickets would drive him crazy.”

  “That was nice of you to let Donnie know so he could warn MayLee and I thank you too. It makes me feel better about Annie and Layla driving with her.”

  “There aren’t really any speed traps being set up,” the sheriff said, laughing. “I wanted to be sure they got to Lahaina and back safely.”

  “Sheriff, you are a good man to have in charge.”

  The sheriff waved and turned up the hill to go back on patrol.

  On the way out of Paia, MayLee told Annie and Layla about the speed traps the sheriff warned Donnie about.

  “Donnie said I was going to be in big trouble if I got another speeding ticket, so I’ve got to watch my speed,” MayLee said, giggling. “I’ve driven these roads since I was a teenager, and I could drive them with my eyes closed.”

  “But you won’t, will you, MayLee?” Annie asked sternly.

  “Oh no, just kidding,” MayLee said with her usual giggle.

  Annie and Layla kept the conversation to a minimum, keeping an eye on MayLee’s speed.

  Inside Hilo Hattie’s, they met with their representative, Loretta, who showed them to a table where ten bolts of material were lined up for their review. MayLee chose a black fabric with bright red hibiscus flowers and pale yellow orchids. Annie said it would look fabulous on a darker skinned person, but some of the older folks with gray hair and pale skin wouldn’t look good in a shirt with a black background. MayLee agreed, and they took out each bolt, examining patterns to find one that would blend with all complexions. A small bolt of fabric near the end of the grouping caught Layla’s eye.

  “Look at this!” Layla exclaimed, pulling material from a bolt.

  “That’s it,” said Annie. “This shade of blue will complement all skin tones, and, ladies, this has to be meant for us. Can you believe a windsurfer riding into the sky?”

  The ladies looked at the fabric and knew it was perfect. A cascading wave propelled a windsurfer into a sky, and the blue-green color of the water melted into the horizon atop white-capped waves. The windsurfer arched his sail and board to catch the wind, and you knew that flight was his
; the artist made the whole vision come alive.

  They told Loretta this was the fabric and suggested the store not spend extra money making shirts up ahead of time; they would call and give her the size of the docents when they had been selected. Loretta thanked them for their consideration and said she would place an order for more fabric to make sure there was plenty when needed.

  Annie, MayLee, and Layla left the store happy with their choice, amazed that such a fitting fabric had been found. It was a little past eleven, too early for lunch, so they decided to go to the mattress store.

  Annie walked in and was greeted by a clerk she and George had done business with.

  “Mrs. Boone, how nice to see you. How may I assist you?”

  “My friend, Layla Richfield, will be needing some mattresses for her new home.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Boone,” the clerk said. Turning to Layla, he asked, “What will you be needing?”

  “I’ll need one king-sized, one queen-sized, and two twin mattresses, box frames, bed frames along with mattress covers. However, I can only pick out the items now. Once restoration on my new home is nearly completed, I would then make an official order.”

  Annie added, “I told Ms. Richfield she could pick out what she wanted, then phone you a couple of weeks before she needed delivery. You could make them up and deliver them to her at that time.”

  “Absolutely, that’s how a lot of the hotels handle things during their remodeling. We are very adept at working with your scheduling.”

  “In that case, I’ll need to look at your floor samples.”

  “We actually have five types to choose from.” The clerk showed them to the various samples, and each lady tried out deep pillow-top mattresses, mattress without pillow tops, then Layla saw a solid mattress with no pillow top, no quilting, and asked what type of mattress it was.

  “This is our high-end latex mattress. Try it, and you will be surprised at the comfort. It conforms to your body yet retains solid support.”

  Layla kicked off her shoes and lay down on the mattress, expecting to sink into the foam. She was surprised at how firm it felt and gave such good back support. “This is very comfortable, but won’t it be hot sleeping on it?”

  “Not at all, especially once you use a mattress cover and sheets. This is an excellent mattress and affords wonderful spinal support.”

  Layla got up, and Annie lay down next. “Wow, I can tell you right now what our next mattress will be. This is very comfortable.”

  She got up, and MayLee tried the mattress out. “My goodness, is this the way a good mattress is supposed to feel? The one Donnie and I sleep on we’ve had for twenty years, and it sags so much in the middle. If I roll too far into the center, I have to push myself out.”

  “Not changing your mattress for that long of a time is very hard on your back. I guarantee you a good night’s sleep. Plus, you will wake up with your body feeling much better,” the salesman said.

  “Excuse me,” MayLee said, “I’m calling Donnie.”

  “Donnie, it’s MayLee,” she said once outside.

  “Lord, MayLee, you didn’t get another speeding ticket?”

  “No, I did not,” she said indignantly. “I’m at the mattress factory with Annie and Layla, and we’re getting a new mattress, not only for us but also for our daughter. I can’t believe we have been sleeping on that old thing all this time and never considered getting it replaced. I’m not discussing this. I’m ordering the mattresses, and that’s that.”

  “How much are these new mattresses going to cost?” Donnie asked, loyal to his financial background.

  “It doesn’t matter, we can afford it. I’m calling to tell you what I’m doing.” MayLee hung up, went back to the store, and placed her order.

  Layla also placed an order with the provision she would call them back with a delivery date. MayLee’s order would be delivered a week from this Saturday. The ladies left the store, happy and hungry.

  On the way to Hamburger Heaven, MayLee said, “Now maybe I can enjoy wickie-wickie again.”

  Annie turned around, looked at Layla in the back seat, and both ladies burst out laughing while MayLee giggled.

  After a leisurely lunch, they visited some of the shops in the area, then decided to return to Paia before they spent any more money.

  Layla thanked MayLee for the day, saying it was such fun, and they should get together again for more shopping. Annie agreed it was a terrific day. MayLee drove off, leaving Annie and Layla on their street. Annie asked Layla if she wanted to come in, but she declined and headed back to Mr. Soo’s.

  Inside, Annie sat down her purchases and got a big hug from George. “You’re back earlier than I expected. How did it go?”

  “Great. We picked out a fabric that actually had a windsurfer on it, and at the mattress store, Layla picked out her mattresses and will call a delivery date when she wants them, but, honey, I’ve got to tell you about MayLee. She ordered a new mattress for her and Donnie and their daughter. On the way to lunch, she said now maybe she could enjoy wickie-wickie again.”

  “You’re kidding?” George asked with a big grin. “She actually said that?”

  “Layla and I were in tears laughing, and MayLee was giggling, it was so funny. We had a great day!”

  “I’m glad you had such a good time and made it home safely.”

  CHAPTER 46

  Layla walked toward Fiona’s house, knowing today would be nothing like yesterday, but it was important she and Fiona begin selecting materials for the bathroom upgrades. With a sigh, she walked up the steps and knocked on the slider screen.

  Fiona opened it, saying, “Hello, I’m glad you’re here. I’m ready to get started. Just let me get my tote, and we can be off to the home store. I’ve compiled a list of items we need to check out.”

  En route, Layla told Fiona about the selection of the fabric for the docent shirts and about selecting her mattresses. She left out the revelation MayLee made about wicky-wicky.

  “I’m glad Annie knew about the mattress factory. That will save you both time and money. Were they easy to deal with?”

  “Terrific. They understood my remodeling schedule and were used to working on that basis with local hotels when they remodeled.”

  Fiona looked pensive, saying, “I’ll speak with Annie and get her store contact. It might be prudent for me to become acquainted with these people.”

  “You’ll like them. They’re very professional.”

  At the home store, Fiona went to the flooring section, discussing with Layla the pros and cons of various types of flooring for the bathrooms. When she finished, Layla found nothing that felt just right.

  “What I had in mind was some type of white tile but with colored grout. I saw that somewhere, and I liked the way it looked. Is something like that possible?”

  “Sure, let’s look at white tiles and see what looks good. Do you have any idea what color grout you might want?”

  “Frankly, no. Do you have any ideas, Fiona?”

  “How about keeping an island or nautical theme with a blue-green color or even a navy blue? Either would look great with white tiles.”

  “I like the navy blue idea. Then I could use that same nautical theme in the bedrooms,” Layla said, imagining white walls, navy blue bedspreads, with white throw pillows.

  “I’m getting into the nautical idea too. I like it,” Fiona said, tapping her chin with her finger.

  They selected a floor-sized subway tile and dark navy blue grout. Fiona checked with the clerk to make sure all were in stock.

  Next, they looked at bathtubs. Layla selected a simple style, and Fiona verified there were two in stock, then they moved to the toilet section.

  “Layla, I’m going to suggest you get a toilet that is ADA approved. Those are higher in height, and since many seniors purchase the expensive beachfr
ont homes, this will be a plus if you ever decide to sell. Mr. Soo has installed one in the master bathroom.”

  “You’re right. I should use the same type of toilet throughout the house. Let’s get two of those. If the contractor picks up all these things, will I have space for them in my garage?”

  “Since you keep your car at Mr. Soo’s, your double garage is empty, so there is plenty of storage space. On to vanities. This will probably be the most difficult decision, especially since you want to carry out the same theme in both a his and hers bathroom and a single-sink bathroom.”

  Neither Fiona nor Layla liked any of the vanities that were displayed.

  “I have an idea. I’m calling the contractor to see if he’s in the area and can come over and look at everything we’ve selected and give us his input on the vanities. I’ll tell him to bring his truck, and he can take the small things with him.”

  Fiona stepped outside and called Herb. He said he was coming back from Kihei, would be there in about twenty minutes, and would meet the ladies outside at the snack tables.

  Fiona found Layla inside, pondering different types of bathtub fixtures, and told her the contractor would meet them outside and suggested they go to the snack area and get a cup of coffee.

  Layla drank her coffee while watching the locals come and go while Fiona greeted a number of people.

  Herb strode toward Fiona and Layla twenty minutes later. Layla turned to Fiona, saying, “That’s one great-looking man.”

  “You think he’s good-looking, you should see his partner. He’s gorgeous. Many Maui ladies think those two are a great waste of testosterone. A friend’s daughter was determined to change Herb’s persuasion. She failed,” Fiona said, laughing.

  “Aside from being such a hunk, he’s so polite and charming. I can see why the ladies fall for him,” Layla said.

  Herb greeted them with a disarming smile, saying, “I hope I didn’t keep you lovely ladies waiting too long. What can I do for you?”