Ukulele Murder: A Nani Johnson Aloha Lagoon Mystery (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Book 1)

by Leslie Langtry

  The detective frowns. "I should send a squad car."

  I shake my head. "No. They'd hear it coming. Nick grew up running around that maze. He knows every part of it."

  "If I'm right," Nick adds, "they have her in the center. It's a tight squeeze for three people, but it's the biggest area in the maze."

  "And I'm going with him," I say.

  "No," Nick says. "I should do this alone. I don't want anything happening to you."

  I put my hands on my hips. "It's 'them,' which means it's more than one person. You can't handle that alone. So I'm going with you."

  Detective Ray doesn't look convinced. "I think this sounds dangerous."

  "It is. But they've got my mother in there. Which makes me dangerous," I insist.

  Nick studies me. "Fine. But you'll have to stick close to me so you don't get lost inside."

  Detective Ray insists on sending backup to the neighborhood. We are to call as soon as we find out if Mom is really in the maze.

  Soon we're in Nick’s car and on our way.

  "So it's more than one person, and we know one of them is a woman," I say. "It has to be Gina and Elizabeth."

  "I hope so." Nick is gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles are white. "From what you've said, I get the impression that they aren't too bright."

  "So they broke into Alohalani's office to get his notes on the murders. But why break into my house?"

  Nick shakes his head. "Just to throw us off? Maybe the women are mentally unstable."

  "That's a good point…" I think for a moment. "But Alohalani said things weren't as they seem. And he had that photo that said deceiver."

  "It may mean nothing. We don't know that he knew anything."

  "So why hide the photo in the uke?" I ask.

  "For all we know, he was talking about the money they owed him. It could be anything, Nani."

  I'm quiet for the rest of the drive. Pieces of the puzzle are swirling around in my head, trying to fit together. When we get a minute or so outside the mansion, Nick cuts his headlights and rolls slowly past the drive, parking behind some trees.

  He opens the glove compartment and pulls out two flashlights.

  "These are bright. They're LEDs. So don't use them unless you have to."

  I nod. A full moon is going back and forth behind clouds. If it just stays clear, we won't need any flashlights.

  I follow Nick toward his house. We keep to the jungle, hidden by the foliage. We have to move very slowly so as not to make any noise. Finally, after what feels like hours, we're opposite the hedge maze.

  "I don't see anyone," I whisper. "How did the killers know about the maze anyway?"

  Nick doesn't look at me. His eyes are trained on the hedges. "For a couple of years we had it open to the public at Halloween. Gina and Elizabeth could've been here."

  That seems like a weak argument, but I say nothing. My hackles are rising. Something seems off. It's suspicious to me that the kidnappers chose Nick's hedge maze. Oh sure, it's brilliant, but there are tons of places on this island where they could hide my mom. They could just drop her anywhere in the middle of the island, and we'd never find her. So why this maze at Nick's house? But then again, whoever took Mom is probably crazy—maybe there isn't a reason.

  The moon goes behind a cloud, and we make a run for the hedges. We don't go to the side facing the house, however. We move along the hedges to the other side. Is there a secret entrance?

  I stare at Nick's back as we go. Binny's questions pop into my mind. How well do you really know him? Don't you think he's moving a little fast?

  Nick wasn't with us when we spoke with the roommates. The first time, at the restaurant, he was outside on a call. The second time he had to work. Does he know them? I think the thought I'd been avoiding. Is Nick somehow involved in this? After all—they are using his backyard.

  "Come on," he whispers as he very carefully folds back what looks like a curtain of ivy.

  It is a hidden entrance. I follow him inside. Wow. This really is scary. The dark walls are high, and the hall is narrow. He takes off on the right, and I stay with him. We try not to step on any twigs or leaves. The moon comes out from behind the curtain of clouds, and we can now see more easily.

  What am I doing here? Nick didn't want police involvement. He wanted only me and him to attempt this. But doesn't that seem dangerous? We have no idea how many are here. We only assume it's Elizabeth and Gina. But what if it isn't? And what if Nick knows that?

  Nick stumbles over a root, and before he steadies himself, I see that his cell has fallen out of his pocket. I snag the phone and stuff it into my back pocket. A little insurance, in case my suspicions are correct. He doesn't seem to notice.

  We move left and right at strange intervals. It doesn't take long before I'm hopelessly lost. Nick clearly knows the way. And to think I'd wanted to try this out. Now it's too creepy. Now I never want to see it again.

  Muffled voices come from our right. Nick puts his finger to his lips. We move much slower now. As we get closer, we hear a man and woman arguing. A man and woman? I'm still not able to make out the voices.

  Something pulls at my arm, and I stifle a gasp. It's just branches. The maze seems haunted now. Like evil hedges pulling at our clothes.

  I'm mad. I want to murder these people. For what they've done to Kua, Leilani, and mostly for Alohalani. I think of his office. All those treasures. What will happen to them now? I remember the night Nick and I broke in. Where we found the photo and…

  A small idea pops into my head. It seems ridiculous. Absurd! There's no way what I'm thinking can be true. And yet, the idea won't go away. It sticks like taffy in my brain. I can't believe I didn't think of it before! All those puzzle pieces that didn't fit before, now fall easily into place.

  If I'm right, then I know who the killer is. The idea is crazy. And yet, it feels right. In fact, I feel a little stupid that I didn't realize it earlier.

  Alohalani gave it to us. The clues we recovered in his office. And I didn't even realize it at the time. If he'd just flat-out told me, he might still be alive today. I remember the things I saw in Leilani's house, and one thing stands out now. Something that I didn't give a second thought to before. And the picture of me playing the uke. It wasn't about me. It was about what was in the photo with me! Everything makes sense now. The break-ins. The funerals. All of it. And if we weren't maintaining total silence—I'd tell Nick.

  The voices are a little closer now. I can hear them clearly. I'm right about who the murderer is. And the absurd becomes reality. The last few puzzle pieces pop into place with a satisfying snap. My theory is confirmed, and I want to laugh…inappropriately, of course. I know who's framed me. I know who the murderer is. It's too bizarre and too easy.

  Nick stops. He nods his head to the left, and I see a glimmer of light. We've arrived. He looks me directly in my eyes, and I know now he had nothing to do with this. I trust him completely. As a matter of fact, I'm embarrassed that I didn't trust him from the start. It wasn't all my fault. He did act a little strangely. We'll have to discuss that when this madness is all over.

  Then I realize that we've just put ourselves in danger. The people who have my mom could be armed. Nick and I aren't armed. I hear the man talking now.

  "And you're sure she turned herself in?" The man is attempting to disguise his voice, but he doesn't fool me. I hear a bleep that sounds like a call ending on a cell.

  "It's done. Nani turned herself in and confessed," the man says. "So we can let her go."

  "No," speaks a woman's voice, harsh and mean. "We kill her and dump her in the ocean. One more way to frame that stupid Nani."

  "That was not the deal," the man growls.

  "I don't care," the woman says. "Kill her. Do it now."

  Armed or unarmed, I need to stop them. I shove past Nick, turn the corner, and burst into the small open area. Mom is trussed up on the ground. She looks at me. And standing next to her, holding a piece of rope like
a garrote, is Todd Chay.

  And next to him is the murderer.

  "Leave her alone, Leilani!" I shout as I launch myself at her, tackling the redheaded musician and knocking her to the ground.

  "I hate you!" Leilani screams as she writhes beneath me. "I'm going to kill your mother, and I'm going to kill you!"

  It sounds like a struggle is happening next to me, but I don't dare take my eyes off of this treacherous snake…this deceiver…the person I couldn't possibly think it was…the woman who had climbing gear in her closet…who also had a picture of me with my kauwila uke. We wrestle, and I discover that Leilani is extremely strong. She throws me off of her and climbs on top, pinning my arms to the ground.

  "I should've just killed you when I had the chance!" Leilani's face is twisted into an animal sneer.

  "Oh yeah?" I answer. "Well you didn't. And now I'm going to take you in!"

  I'm not totally sure how I'm going to do this. After all, the crazy lady has me pinned to the ground. Now I look over and see that Nick and Todd are punching each other. I hope Nick wins.

  "You thought I was dead," the woman cackles. "Everyone thought I was dead. And they're going to keep thinking that until I show up on the beach, waterlogged and starving. Then I'll tell them how you attacked me. Then I'll have everything, and you'll have nothing!"

  I bring my feet up and put them on her thighs and throw her through the air. As she lands, I flip her over, face down in the dirt, and pull her arm back so hard that she cries out in pain.

  "Good luck with that," I say as I twist her arm a little more.

  Leilani cries out, and I turn to see Todd's head swivel toward her. Just before Nick lands an uppercut that knocks him to the ground, unconscious.

  "The rope." I wheeze a little. I'm not really cut out for hand-to-hand combat.

  Nick brings me the rope that was meant to strangle my mother, and we hog-tie Leilani (something I learned in Kansas). I untie Mom and help her up as Nick uses her ropes on Todd.

  "Why do I think you figured this out?" Nick grins.

  I shrug. "I didn't until a few minutes ago."

  "You figured out that Leilani was still alive. How?" he asks. He starts patting his pockets for his phone.

  I hand it to him. "You dropped this."

  Nick calls the police, and they arrive as we drag Todd Chay and Leilani O'Flanagan out of the hedge maze and dump them on the grass.

  Detective Ray stares at Leilani for a few moments. "So she didn't die."

  I shake my head. "Nope. I'd guess she saved up some of her blood for a while to make it look like she had. Todd came down and stayed at the resort. It was him wearing the wig to look like me. She rappelled down the cliff in a harness and poured the blood onto the rocks."

  "What gave her away?" he asks.

  Two uniforms grab Todd and Leilani and clap handcuffs on them.

  "A photo Leilani had of me with my kauwila ukulele. Rappelling gear in her closet." Ooops—I don't want the police to know we were in her house. "The reverend at the wedding where she allegedly died said she looked heavier and was wearing a large black dress. It seemed very odd to him. That’s how she hid the gear. Leilani wore the same dress when she was the Lady in Black at the funerals," I say.

  "Alohalani had told me that things weren't how they appeared. He’d said it wasn’t a stranger. He had a photo of the Overlook, which gave me the idea she’d planned the whole thing. And then there was Leilani's birth certificate."

  Detective Ray looks at us for a moment. “I’ll need you to come down to the station and give a full report.”

  Nick and I watch as he turns around and starts ordering the other officers around.

  “The birth certificate!” Nick slaps his forehead in an adorable eureka moment. "Lori Finnegan! Born in Canada to Irish parents!"

  I nod. "She wasn't half Hawaiian. Alohalani knew that and was probably going to expose her. That might've been the last straw for her."

  "Did you know Todd was in on it?" Nick asks.

  I shake my head. "Not until I saw him in the maze. He'd done a good job of appearing innocent. I knew someone was helping her, but not who."

  "That's all you needed to figure this out?" Nick stares at me.

  "It took me a while. Like right before we confronted them."

  Nick takes me into his arms. "How? What gave him away?”

  I grin. "Two things. First, the reverend described his build perfectly when, disguised as me, he pushed Leilani off the cliff. Secondly, Todd and Pauli drove away from the bar after Leilani’s funeral in a white sedan.”

  “The car that followed you.” Nick nods. “What about the break-in at Leilani’s?”

  “It was her. She couldn’t let anyone know she was still alive, so she searched her house in the dark.”

  Nick frowns. “Was she looking for the surveillance photos?”

  I shake my head. “The harness and rope. They were in her closet. I completely overlooked it.”

  Nick pulls me into his arms. “You really are Nancy Drew.”

  I kiss him. “I guess I am.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  It is very early dawn before Nick and I leave the police station. I didn’t have to provide much proof that Leilani killed Kua and Alohalani, because like an idiot, she ranted to the police all the way to the station that she should've finished me off at the Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that I couldn't show off.

  Oh, and the fact that she's still alive didn't help any. Turns out I was right about the blood. She'd been extracting it herself, a pint at a time, for a while—which is really gross and very disturbing.

  Todd didn't say much. My guess is he's just a man in love. Which is sad. When it was all over, Leilani admitted she'd killed Kua and Alohalani and bludgeoned Pastor Dan. She’d put Todd up at the resort the night before the Parker wedding—with instructions written on hotel stationary. But Todd had only helped stage her death and kidnap my mother. Still, he's an accessory to murder, and he will be going away for a long time.

  Nick and I walk out of the station, blinking at the light.

  "I still don't know how you figured it out," Nick says as he pulls me against his chest.

  "It was several things, really. The photo of the kauwila uke was key. So was Alohalani's photo of the Overlook. And then there was the lady in black," I tell him as I rest against him. "No one knew who she was. She'd appeared at both funerals. Something was seriously wrong about her being there. And I knew it wasn't Gina or Elizabeth, because they were in the front pew and seemed confused when I'd mentioned her."

  "Why didn't you realize she was the key sooner?"

  I shrug. "I had no idea who she was. I guess I always knew something was wrong with her. It was Alohalani's clue that cinched it. Things weren't as they seemed. Leilani appeared to be dead—only she wasn't. And her ego wouldn't let her miss her own funeral."

  We get into Nick's beater, and for the first time I feel like a huge weight is taken off of my shoulders.

  "I can't believe we didn't realize it when there was no body." Nick starts the car and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

  "Something about that bothered me. But the detective seemed so convinced that she'd been eaten or something that I bought into that idea."

  Nick shakes his head. "So she murdered Kua and Alohalani. Kua to frame you, and Alohalani because he was onto her."

  "She thought it would be easy. And she did it for one other perk. By framing me for the murders, she'd be the only musician on the island," I add.

  "Murder seems a little extreme to make that happen," Nick muses.

  I nod. "But that's how Leilani operated. The woman is held together by sheer hatred. Murder just seemed like the right means to get what she wanted.

  The next day is the big resort luau. I wear a bright-orange muumuu with brown turtles on it and a kukui-nut lei as I play "Aloha O'e" for the largest audience I've ever had. Once I finish and the applause dies down, I step up
to the microphone.

  "I'd like to dedicate this performance to two great performers who, sadly, are not with us anymore. For Kahelemeakua Lui and Alohalani Kealoha. You and your music will be missed. Aloha."

  "That was wonderful!" Mom kisses me on the cheek as I arrive back at our table. A troupe of drummers has taken the stage, and my gig is over.

  "Very nice!" Perseverance Woodfield says.

  Nick winks. It's all he needs to say.

  "I got you a plate." Binny laughs, pointing to a huge platter of pork and ahi poke.

  "Miss Johnson?" Julia Kekoa, the activities coordinator, steps up to the table. "That was lovely. I'm getting all kinds of compliments on your performance. Welcome aboard here at the resort!"

  She nods once with a smile before visiting other tables.

  "So you're legitimate now," Nick says. "I could get used to you working here with me."

  I elbow him gently in the ribs. No point in bruising my new boyfriend.

  "Miss Johnson and Mr. Woodfield." Detective Ray stands next to us. "Thank you."

  I wait for him to say something else, but he doesn't.

  "You're welcome," I say with a smile.

  He looks around. "We don't have many homicides here in this town. And if I was gruff over your involvement, I apologize. It's just…"

  "Just what?" Nick asks.

  "Well, you see, you weren't the only ones invading my turf to investigate here."

  Nick and I exchange glances. "We weren't?"

  The detective shakes his head. "We had a couple of undercover bounty hunters here from the mainland, chasing a surfer gang."

  Suddenly, I know exactly who he's talking about. "Roberta and Robbie Lugosi!"

  Detective Ray nods. "Yes. They're a brother-sister act from LA. They came here hoping to find someone who'd jumped bail."

  "So the Sea Dogs really are dangerous?" I ask.

  The detective laughs. "Not really. They had the wrong man. The guy they were chasing was from a gang called the Sea Bass. And they aren't from here. They're on Molokai."

  Nick begins to laugh. "The Sea Bass? That doesn't sound very tough."