Veils and Vengeance

by Rachelle J. Christensen

  “Well, I’ll call you as soon as we’re clear to do so.” Voices and radio static grumbled in the background. “Maybe try letting go on that memory. Sometimes the harder we try to force ourselves to remember, the more elusive the memory becomes.”

  “That’s a good idea.” I hung up, sitting back and thinking about what he’d said. Letting go of the itch in the back of my brain was easier said than done, but I’d do my best to relax and quit thinking about problems I couldn’t solve.

  Chapter 12

  PHOTO TIP

  Turn the flash off your camera and utilize natural light to get the best images with natural color. Try to capture candid moments of people when they aren’t posing for the camera. You’ll often find hidden gems when subjects are truly relaxed.

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  The resort was taking care of most of the setup for Malia’s wedding, but I needed a few more personal touches. Tuesday morning, Malia agreed to take me to the Connelly’s beach house to see if we could find Kyle’s old photo album.

  The traffic was slow-going on the Ala Kinoiki Highway toward Koloa, but island driving was always at a slower pace. She pulled off the road onto a private drive that led to the house. The house was painted dark green with brown shutters and wasn’t overly large. It surprised me that it wasn’t a mansion, and then I remembered that this was the Connelly’s second home and because it was a beach house, it was probably worth over a million dollars.

  “So this is where Jon lives,” I said as we walked up to the front door.

  “Pretty lucky, eh?” Malia unlocked the door and we stepped inside.

  The foyer was lined with multi-colored tiles. I caught the scent of plumeria and looked behind me to appreciate the yellow blooms on the tree in their front yard. “Very lucky.”

  “Did Jon tell you he’s thinking of moving to Idaho?” Malia asked with a glimmer in her eye.

  “Yes. How do you think Neil feels about that?”

  “Well, when he finds out, I think he’ll be upset, but what can he do?” Malia lifted one shoulder.

  “Is that what Kyle thinks?”

  Malia walked into the front room and began examining a large built-in bookshelf. “Kyle recommended that Jon not tell his dad because of all the grief Neil gave Kyle when he broached the subject of moving to the mainland to work.”

  “I’m glad that Kyle stood up to his dad so he could come and sweep you off your feet.” I knelt next to Malia and brushed my fingers over the books stacked on the shelf.

  Malia grinned. “Me, too. I think we’re going to have a great life together, because Kyle’s first priority is me, not money.”

  It was the first hint of anything negative I’d heard from Malia regarding her in-laws, but not unjustified. The Connellys weren’t snooty, but they also didn’t understand what it meant to live the median lifestyle. I supposed it was hard for someone with that kind of cash flow to grasp, and possibly why Kyle and now Jon would meet with resistance when it came to leaving the family company.

  “Here it is,” Malia said. She pulled out a large blue binder with Kyle’s name written on the spine. She flipped it open, revealing photos of the Connellys. I recognized Jon’s toothy grin in a grade school picture with Kyle. Malia and I laughed at a few of the photos from Kyle’s “awkward” phase. A picture of Jon and Kyle on the beach reminded me of our date.

  “Hey, I just remembered that Jon still has my ring from our bike ride the other day,” I said. “Maybe I’ll call him and see if it’s in his room. He had it in a pocket of his swim shorts.”

  “Or just go on up and get it,” Malia said. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

  I already had my phone out, dialing Jon’s number but it went straight to voicemail. “Hmm, no answer.”

  “I know he wouldn’t mind.” Malia pointed at the stairs. “His room is the first one on the left upstairs.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back.” I jogged up the stairs, thinking I’d have to text Jon and ask permission later.

  There were three doors along the hallway upstairs. I figured one of them was probably Kyle’s and the other was a bathroom. Jon’s door wasn’t shut tight, so I pushed it open and it stopped halfway against a pile of clothes and gym shoes. Shaking my head, I walked inside and took a moment to survey his living space. I rubbed the back of my neck. This was prying. I checked the doorway in hesitation, but when I thought of Jon’s easy smile, I relaxed. He wouldn’t mind, even if I teased him about having a messy room.

  If I remembered right, he had been wearing blue swim trunks when we went to Donkey Beach. I scanned the room, hoping the trunks would be left out with his other clothes. There were a couple piles by his bed and another pile that looked incongruous sitting atop his bed that had been neatly made. I didn’t really want to dig through his clothes, so I hesitated, wondering if I should wait until I could talk to him.

  I glanced in his closet, noting the two suitcases and a gym bag with snorkel gear hanging out the side. A diving belt with a flashlight, knife, and other tools hung next to the gear. The desk in the corner was made of a gleaming dark wood that appeared almost black. I walked closer to admire the construction and noticed his blue shorts hanging on the chair in front of the desk.

  Lifting them carefully, I glanced behind me hoping Jon wouldn’t be too upset if he found out. I unzipped the side pocket, and reached inside. My fingers explored the folds of material until I clasped my ring. As I pulled out my hand, the lining of the pocket followed me and deposited something on the floor with a clank. I set my ring on the desk before bending down to retrieve the golden circle that had been in Jon’s pocket.

  My heart stuttered as I stared at the bracelet in my hand. The metal band was yellow-gold and had a mother of pearl background flanking the logo of Tri-C Enterprises. Bile burned the back of my throat and I struggled to breathe as I remembered where I had seen it before. The dead woman. I had been totally freaked out by her arm moving in the water as if in a wave, but something had been nagging me about that day—some detail I had noticed.

  It was this bracelet. The image came back to me clearly now. Her hand moving with the current and the gold around her wrist. Of course, I hadn’t recognized the new company logo but the construction of the bracelet was too familiar to be ignored. The secretary had sent me one mock-up of the logo and a picture of this bracelet that would be given out to all wedding guests. Jon was supposed to be helping me track down the images and find out where the secretary had placed the orders for the bracelets to be made. What was he doing with one in his pocket?

  My mouth went dry as a million thoughts raced through my brain. Was the dead woman connected to the company? She must be to have been wearing the bracelet with the new logo that no one outside of the family had seen. But no, this couldn’t be the same one. It must be one that Jon found—and kept in his swim shorts? I kept trying to think of a way around the scenario that had been presented to me, but every explanation I came up with was lame.

  Then I remembered the missing assistant who had quit with access to the new logo locked on her computer. Her name was Charly. I covered my mouth and shook my head. I didn’t like the scenario fitting together in my mind. No, it couldn’t be her. All of the Connellys would have recognized and identified her—wouldn’t they?

  I started to put the bracelet back in his shorts, but then I gripped it in my hand and slid it into my own pocket. I couldn’t just leave it in Jon’s shorts—not until I figured out what was going on. The police would know. I could show them the bracelet and ask if one had been found on the body. With a shudder, I nixed that plan. It would make me look suspicious and I would probably end up getting arrested—Jon too.

  A better idea would be to do some sleuthing on my own. I had the rest of the day to figure things out, and I owed it to Jon to ask him first. Maybe it wasn’t the same bracelet, just one that reminded me of what I’d seen. I wouldn’t let my mind go where logic kept taking it—if Jon had taken this bracelet fro
m a dead woman, it meant he knew who she was and might have something to do with her murder.

  “Adri, did you find it?” Malia’s voice floated up the stairs.

  I snatched my ring and jammed it onto my finger, then I froze. If I took the ring, I would have to mention to Jon that I had retrieved it from his board shorts and then he would know about the bracelet immediately. Pulling the ring off my finger, I dropped it into his pocket and zipped it closed. It was the only way to buy me time to figure things out. Jon wouldn’t know that I had taken the bracelet—he might think he misplaced it. I needed to answer Malia before she came upstairs. “Um—didn’t find it in the first pair of shorts. Maybe I didn’t remember right.”

  “Do you want me to help you?” she asked.

  What I wanted was more time to search Jon’s room. How could I do so with Malia waiting at the bottom of the stairs? I hurried out into the hallway and poked my head around the staircase. “It’s okay. I’ll meet you outside. I’ll leave him a note. I just need to use the bathroom, and then I’ll be right out.”

  Malia nodded. “Okay, see you in a few.”

  Noting the time on my watch, I reentered Jon’s room. Hopefully I could find something to ease the worry gnawing at my insides. First, I looked for some paper to leave him a note. Malia probably wondered what was up with that—who writes notes when you can just text? The door shut downstairs, and I glanced at my watch again.

  I found a crumpled ad for pizza and smoothed it out on Jon’s desk. Grabbing a pen, I scrawled out a note:

  Hi Jon,

  Tried to find my ring, no luck.

  Let me know if you still have it.

  Thanks,

  Adri

  I left the note on his desk and kicked his board shorts under his bed, then threw a towel on top of them. My insides quivered, but I continued to search his room. His desk was neat and mostly empty, except for his laptop. I thought about turning it on, but since I was already on the verge of a heart attack just being in his room, I decided that would have to wait—it was probably password protected anyway.

  I pulled open his drawers—they weren’t neat, but there was nothing in them but clothes. What was I looking for anyway?

  “Hey, Malia said you were up here.” Jon’s voice came from his doorway.

  I jumped. “You scared me.”

  Jon looked confused. “What are you doing?”

  My face flushed and I swallowed past the thickness in my throat. “I’m sorry. I was looking for my ring.”

  “Your ring?” He took a step forward into the room. “Oh, that’s right. The one you gave me Saturday at the beach.”

  “I didn’t mean to be nosy, but I thought your board shorts would be easy to spot.” I motioned to his cluttered room. “Didn’t peg you for a Mr. Messy.”

  “Hey, I’m not that messy.” He held up his hands and then closed his closet door.

  I made a clicking sound with my tongue. “You know what they say about boys who don’t clean their room.”

  “What?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.” With a toe, I kicked at a pile of laundry beside his bed.

  He laughed and pulled me into his arms. “I missed seeing you yesterday. How’d the bridal shower go?”

  Part of me wanted to relax into his embrace, but the weight of the bracelet in my pocket seemed to increase with each passing second. Jon was acting totally normal, but what would he do when he found his shorts and noticed the bracelet was missing? Would he suspect me? I had to keep things light and distract him.

  I hugged him and then stepped away. “It was nice. I just had to put out a few fires and steer clear of the monster bridesmaid.”

  Jon laughed. “That bad, huh?”

  I nodded and swallowed. “Well, Malia’s waiting. We should go.”

  “Let me get your ring first. I’m sure my shorts are in here. I thought I left them hanging on my chair.”

  My leg muscles tightened, freezing me in place. I wasn’t prepared. I wanted to just ask him about the bracelet, but I was afraid. What if he lied to me?

  Jon leaned over his desk and picked up the piece of paper I’d scribbled on. “You left me a love note?”

  “It’s not a love note.”

  “What’s this little heart supposed to mean, then?” He tapped the paper and held it in front of my face.

  I flushed again. “Habit?”

  “Oh, so you’re saying you have a habit of sneaking into guy’s rooms and leaving little love notes?”

  “Nope.” I twisted my hair with my hands and attempted a playful smile.

  “Nope? Is that Idaho lingo?”

  I grinned. “Habit.”

  He took a step closer and touched my arm. “You know what they say about girls who sneak into boy’s rooms?” he whispered.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know.” The lighthearted teasing air vanished from his voice as he studied my face.

  If I didn’t act normal, he would suspect me for sure. But I wasn’t going to kiss him. I’d already kissed one murderer in my lifetime, and it was one too many. I commanded my mind to stop. Jon was not a murderer. There was nothing uncomfortable about the way he held me or looked at me. Maybe I should trust him and ask him why he had the bracelet. Perhaps he’d picked it up from Tri-C in his efforts to help me locate the company logo. There was probably a simple explanation, but I faltered as Jon’s fingers grazed my chin.

  Luke’s words came to mind about how Jon was just a player. I bit my lip. How well did I really know Jon? I couldn’t trust my own judgment, and that’s what angered me the most. I’d always had great instincts and a knack for reading people, but ever since the scar on my chest changed my life, I’d been questioning myself on everything.

  And here I was standing close to another man whom I didn’t really know. But I wanted to be held.

  I leaned my head against his chest. “I still have trust issues.”

  “Maybe a kiss would help? You know, test the chemistry.”

  “I’m pretty sure the chemistry is there, but I wonder how much is organic and how much is practiced.” I stepped out of his embrace.

  It was Jon’s turn to blush. “Well, I’m thirty-two. I’ve had girlfriends, if that’s what you mean.”

  “I just don’t want to be played.”

  Jon stepped back, but kept eye contact. “That hurts.”

  “I know, but can you honestly tell me that you weren’t hoping I was maybe an easy catch when you first met me?” As soon as I said it, my neck prickled with heat. Being straightforward carried certain risks, and I hoped I hadn’t just crossed an invisible line.

  “I can honestly tell you I never viewed you that way.” Jon’s shoulders drooped. “Sure you’re hot, but I’m not a player.”

  I clenched my fists. “Show me a man who would admit that he’s a player.”

  Jon huffed and tipped his head back before answering. “Unfortunately, I could introduce you to several. But that’s not me. Ask Kyle. He’s my brother, he’d tell you.”

  I stepped back and folded my arms. The distance cleared my head somewhat. Jon wasn’t fighting back. He seemed disappointed in my accusation, and his response sounded sincere.

  “Adri, I told you I’m coming to Idaho.” Jon held out his hands as he spoke. “There could be a future for us if you wanted to pursue it.”

  If he had said that only ten minutes earlier, I would’ve been happy and hopeful. Why did I have to go snooping in his room and ruin everything? Jon was part of Tri-C and would likely have something to do with the design, but keeping the bracelet in his board shorts was suspicious.

  He leaned forward, touching my arms lightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  There it was—the genuine kindness I saw in his face. The way that topaz ring around his blue eyes pulled me in was dangerous. I swallowed. What would happen if I voiced my suspicions? “Jon, I—”

  “Ah-ha!” He interrupted me and stepped around the pile of clothe
s, snatching up his board shorts from under the bed. “Found ‘em.”

  Sweat beads formed at the nape of my neck as I watched him unzip the pocket and search inside. His brow furrowed slightly, and he hesitated for half a second. If I hadn’t been watching for it, I might not have noticed because the next second he pulled out my ring with a grin. “This what you were looking for?”

  My face heated, and I held out my hand in a cupped position. He dropped it into my palm then turned and rummaged in the pocket again. He was probably searching for the bracelet. Would he suspect me when he couldn’t find it? I needed to say something—anything——to change the subject. “Thanks.”

  He dropped his shorts and turned to me. “No prob.”

  “I mean, for being patient with me. I didn’t intend to be rude.”

  Jon lifted his chin. “Oh? So it’s natural for you to accuse all your dates as players.”

  That stung and my shoulders stiffened. “I’m just trying to protect myself.”

  “I wish you’d let me help with that.” Jon leaned against his bed and gave me a playful pout.

  The corners of my mouth turned up slightly. “Maybe.”

  He reached for my hand, and I let him take it. “We’d better go. Malia is going to be teasing us like crazy, and I haven’t even kissed you.”

  I watched Jon carefully. He didn’t seem preoccupied, unless it was with me. The way he took every opportunity to be close to me dropped my defenses down a notch. When I slipped my hand into my pocket and brushed the bracelet with my fingertips, my defenses slipped back in to place. I needed some answers, but first I had to find someone trustworthy to help me with my questions.

  Chapter 13

  PROGRESSIVE PHOTO DISPLAY BACKGROUND

  Create a great conversation piece and wonderful gift for the bride and groom by gathering photos from childhood, dating and courtship, and engagement photos. Either arrange photos digitally or have them printed and adhered to foamcore or large 14 x 16 inch frames.