Burned

by Carol Higgins Clark

  Joy could barely overhear what they were saying. Are they calling each other Bonnie and Clyde? she wondered. These two are definitely from the twilight zone.

  “Hi.” Joy announced her presence.

  The two of them spun around. “Joy! What are you doing here?”

  “I was sitting on the beach and saw you walk down to the water. What are you two doing here? You’re not exactly dressed for the occasion.”

  “We’re taking a break from our writing,” Bob explained. “We wanted to get a little fresh air.”

  “Too bad you have to work when you’re on vacation,” Joy opined.

  You’re not kidding, Betsy thought.

  “This book is going to help a lot of people,” Bob told Joy. “You are young and can’t imagine that a relationship could get dull. But believe me, it can. We all need help.”

  Joy stole a quick glance at Zeke. He looked awesome. There was no way things would ever get dull with him. She was sure of that.

  “Things can really get dull. Dull as dishwater,” Betsy agreed wholeheartedly. “Have you talked to your mother since you’ve been here?”

  “Yes.”

  “How is she?”

  “Fine. She said it’s raining.”

  “So what else is new?” Betsy sighed.

  “What else is new is right,” Joy echoed. I don’t want to get stuck in Hudville and end up like these two, she thought. Their brains are waterlogged. “Well, I’m going to sit and relax. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Are we having drinks in Gert and Ev’s room?” Bob asked.

  “I hope not!” Joy cried.

  “We have only a couple of days left. I thought I heard them saying something about using up the wine they bought.”

  “That jug was so huge, it’ll never be used up. It’s the least expensive swill you can get. I think they’re cheating us.”

  “You do?” Betsy and Bob asked in unison.

  “I do. A friend of mine who went on this trip three years ago got spending money and said his group was free to do as they pleased except for breakfast and a few dinners. With us, if you don’t eat with the twins and if you don’t want to pay for your own meals, you starve.”

  “Don’t you like eating with the group?” Bob asked, sounding hurt.

  “It’s all right. But I wish I had more money to go off and do my own thing. I’m finishing school, so I don’t have extra cash.”

  Bob pulled out his wallet, much to Betsy’s horror. He produced three crisp twenty-dollar bills and offered them to Joy. “Go out and have some fun tonight.”

  “Nooooo. Thank you, but no.”

  “I insist.”

  Joy hesitated. Briefly. “Well, okay.” Joy took the twenties, said her thanks, and walked up to the lifeguard stand.

  “Hey there,” Zeke greeted her. He was twirling the cord of his whistle around his finger.

  “Hey. I’m buying drinks tonight,” she cooed.

  “Did that strange guy just give you money?”

  “Yeah. He’s from Hudville. He’s an old guy, but he likes to flirt. He gave me cash because our tour directors are so cheap.”

  “Someone from the last Hudville group told me that.”

  “Who?” Joy asked quickly, afraid it was some girl she didn’t know about.

  “A guy I got friendly with when a bunch of us went surfing out here. He mentioned that it was great to win the trip, but the group had nicknamed those two women the Scrimp Sisters.”

  “You’re kidding! Why didn’t you tell me that last night?”

  “I wasn’t thinking about the Scrimp Sisters last night,” Zeke said softly. “I was only thinking about you. I’ll see you later.” He turned and stared out at the water, his whistle twirling and untwirling around his finger.

  Joy walked on air back to her seat. Zeke really really seemed to care. She sat down, lay back, and closed her eyes. She made a decision. She was going to get everyone in the group together for a little powwow. Everyone except Gert and Ev. It wasn’t right if they weren’t getting the trip they deserved. Sal Hawkins had wanted them all to enjoy these trips. He wanted them to bring sunshine back to Hudville. Who can bring back sunshine when you feel as if you just spent a week in budget boot camp?

  Joy was taking a workshop at college about being assertive and getting involved in causes. I’ll make this my first cause, she decided. Joy versus the Scrimp Sisters. She couldn’t possibly have guessed how dangerous it could be for anyone to go up against that dynamic duo.

  32

  “O kay, Will,” Regan began. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?”

  “I don’t know where to start.”

  “How about at the beginning? You know what they say?”

  “No, what?”

  “The truth shall set you free.”

  “I wish.”

  “Give it a shot.”

  They were in Will’s office, the door was shut, and Janet had once again been ordered to hold all calls. If possible, Will looked worse than he had a couple of hours ago. He folded his hands as if in prayer. He is about to confess something, Regan thought.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” he started to explain. “But things could look suspicious.”

  Something made Regan want to cover her ears.

  “The night Dorinda Dawes died”-Will hesitated, looked at Regan as though he’d seen a ghost, and continued-“she came into my office just before she left the hotel. It was late because she’d been taking pictures at the parties and restaurants and bars. With the ball coming up, all the talk had been about the lei that was going to be auctioned off. I had told her I had an unusual shell lei at home that my mother and father bought in Hawaii years ago. She asked if she could take a picture of it for the newsletter she’d be writing about the ball. I brought the lei into work and gave it to her, then she left. That’s the last time I saw her alive.”

  “The lei she was wearing when she was found dead was yours?” Regan asked in astonishment.

  “Indeed.”

  “Your parents bought it in Hawaii how many years ago?”

  “Thirty.”

  “It was stolen thirty years ago.”

  “I’m well aware of that now, but I swear I had no idea…” Will stared off into the distance, unable to complete his thought.

  “Where did your parents buy it?”

  “At the airport from a kid who had long second toes.”

  “What?”

  “I spoke to my mother on the phone this morning. She said the kid was wearing sandals, and his second toes were much longer than his big toes. It was all she could focus on.”

  “A lot of people have unusual feet,” Regan commented. “It’s not the worst affliction in the world. It’s better than having bunions. They’re painful.”

  “Yes, but my mother said his were unusually long.”

  “That kid, if he’s still alive, is now thirty years older. Couldn’t she remember anything else about him?”

  “No. Wherever he is, I’m sure he looks different. But dollars to doughnuts his feet are still identifiable.”

  “So that kid may be the one who stole the lei?”

  “Yup.” Will sighed heavily. “Don’t you see, Regan? I can’t tell anyone that lei was in my family for the last thirty years. It makes me look bad for a lot of reasons.”

  “It sure does.”

  “Regan!”

  “Sorry, Will. Although it might look suspicious that your parents had a lei that had been stolen from a museum, I’m sure they had no idea the lei was stolen when they bought it.”

  “Of course they didn’t! They bought the lei, boarded the plane, and never looked back. My mother wore it at all the big occasions at home. She said it made her feel like a queen.”

  “She must have ESP.”

  “She’s got something,” Will agreed wearily. “But, Regan, this could all look very bad for me. Dorinda was wearing my lei-a stolen, valuable lei-when she died. That could place me at the scene of
the crime.”

  “The police believe she accidentally drowned. Whether she was wearing your lei or not, they don’t believe a crime was committed. But, Will, you are the one who wanted me to start investigating. Why? If you’re worried about the finger being pointed at you, why didn’t you just let the whole thing go?”

  Will inhaled deeply. “When I handed the lei over to Dorinda, I immediately got a bad feeling. The lei had meant so much to my mother. I realized that it was probably not a good idea. Dorinda told me she was going straight home. I asked her if she could take the picture right away, and I’d pick up the lei on my way home. I still had a bit more work to do.”

  “What did she say?”

  “That she’d go straight to her apartment. She was going to put the lei on a piece of dark felt on her kitchen table, set up the proper lighting, and take the picture. She suggested we have a glass of wine when I picked it up. I didn’t want any part of that. I knew it wouldn’t look good with my wife away. But I didn’t want to leave the lei with her overnight, and once I had handed it to her, I felt foolish asking for it back. So I said maybe a quick nightcap. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I let her keep the lei overnight.”

  Oh, boy, Regan thought.

  “Dorinda was a bit of a flirt, and my wife couldn’t stand her.”

  “Did your wife see the newsletter with her picture?”

  “Not yet. In any case, I drove over to Dorinda’s apartment after work and rang the bell. It was late, and she didn’t answer. I waited in my car and tried to call her a few times, but she didn’t pick up. Finally I went home. The next morning I come to work and her body washes ashore. And she’s wearing that lei around her neck. I gave the lei to her in a special pouch and asked her to please be careful with it. The minute she walked out of here, she must have put the lei around her neck. But, Regan”-Will paused-“Dorinda intended to go straight home. She liked my company and knew I was coming over. She wouldn’t have stopped to sit on the jetty that night. And now I keep thinking that someone might have seen me sitting outside her apartment on the night she died.”

  Regan sat there thoughtfully. “From everything I’ve heard about Dorinda, she was impulsive. Maybe she did just decide to go out on the jetty for a few minutes.”

  Will shook his head. “I just don’t believe it. Someone must have lured her down to the water.”

  “She was wearing the lei. Maybe she decided to show it off to someone on the beach.”

  “Could be. But to whom? And did that person intentionally hurt her? Will he or she harm someone else? Regan, I don’t want anyone to find out about my involvement in all this. But I do believe that someone killed Dorinda and should pay for it.”

  “You know, Will, in years past, supposedly she burned a lot of people. Even my mother was not happy with an article Dorinda wrote about her years ago. And that last newsletter…”

  Will put his head in his hands.

  “I heard that some guy who wanted Dorinda to interview him was bugging her. He designs Hawaiian clothing. Do you know if that’s Jazzy’s boss?” Regan asked.

  “Yes. Claude Mott. He wants to bring attention to his line of clothing and was pushing to get Dorinda to profile him, but she told me she didn’t want to do it.”

  “Jazzy never mentioned this to me when she was telling me what a terrible person Dorinda was.”

  “That’s Jazzy for you.”

  “I think I’d better have a chat with her. I’d also love to talk to Claude.”

  “He’ll be here tonight in one of our best suites.”

  “Good. Another thing: I met a couple out at the bar at lunchtime. They’re with a tour group from a place where it rains all the time.”

  “Oh, yes. The Praise the Rain Club.”

  “What?”

  Will filled her in on the history of the club and the tours. “They’ve been coming for three years now.”

  “I want to keep an eye on this couple. They’re very strange. I caught them coming out of the supplies closet. The guy insisted they were just grabbing some extra towels. But with what you say has been going on around here, I don’t know.”

  “It’s the first time that couple has stayed here. They may be strange, but they probably don’t have anything to do with the troubles we’ve been having. But I’ll be glad when that group is gone for good. The two women in charge have been badgering me to lower their room rates. I already have many times. I’ve decided I’m not making any more deals with them. If they want to come back, they’ll have to pay a fair price. I already give them way too much attention and too many perks, and they’re just not worth it.”

  Regan smiled. “Especially if their group members are stealing your towels.”

  Will chuckled and rubbed his eyes.

  “When are your parents arriving?” Regan asked.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “And your wife?”

  “Tonight, thank God. It’ll give me a little time to help her get used to the idea of their being here. And then the lei…”

  Regan stood. “I’m going to see if Jazzy is around. I understand Dorinda’s cousin is coming by later. Could you please call me when he gets here? I’d like to talk to him. Maybe he’ll let me take a look at her apartment. There might be something there that will be helpful…”

  “Okay.”

  “And don’t worry, Will. You’re doing the right thing. I would love to find that kid who sold the lei to your parents.”

  “They’ll be here tomorrow. I’m sure my mother will be happy to describe his toes to you.”

  Regan smiled. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “I think I inherited ESP from my mother,” Will said, his face very serious. “I know it sounds crazy, but I have a very strong feeling that the person who killed Dorinda and the thief who stole the lei are among us.”

  “I’m doing my best to find them,” Regan said as she walked out the door. The storm of the century in New York City would have been a lot easier to handle than this, she thought.

  33

  W hen Ned, Artie, and Francie returned to the hotel after their surfing expedition, Ned felt as if he was being propelled by a jet engine toward the Seashell Museum. He was desperate to see the lei that he had worn around his neck ever so briefly thirty years ago. And he wanted the lei to be his. He knew it would give him a feeling of power if he stole it again. He also knew that was kind of pathetic. He hadn’t spent ten years in therapy for nothing, but he didn’t care.

  It was three o’clock when the van dropped them off at the hotel.

  “Shall we get a bite to eat and then go to the beach?” Francie asked.

  “I can’t,” Ned replied quickly.

  “But I thought you said you were hungry,” Francie protested.

  “I am. But I’m going to take a shower and then check in at my boss’s office. He loves you guys, but he might want me to pay attention to some of the other hotel guests. I’ll have a drink with your group later.”

  Francie made a face. “Then maybe I’ll go to the spa and see if I can get a lomi lomi massage and a seaweed wrap.”

  “I feel as if I just had a seaweed wrap,” Artie commented. “Getting knocked over by a couple of those waves made me feel like I was one with the ocean.”

  “But you liked it, right?” Ned asked.

  “I suppose,” Artie agreed begrudgingly.

  Back to his friendly old self, Ned thought.

  The two of them walked to their room, and Ned jumped in the shower. Artie pulled a bottle of chilled water out of the mini bar and went out on the lanai. They had a nice view of the beach, and it was pleasant to sit and relax as the heat of the day and the strength of the sun started to fade. It was as though the world were mellowing out.

  But not in the shower. Ned soaped up as fast as he could, rinsed his muscular body, and turned off the faucet. He grabbed a towel and dried off. Back in the room, he pulled a pair of shorts and a shirt from his drawer and quickly dressed. He slipped his feet into a pair
of worn Top-Siders, glancing at the pair of sandals he’d bought on a whim in one of the hotel clothing stores. I should make myself wear those, he thought. Who cares what people think of my toes? But not now. He didn’t want to be conscious of his feet at a time like this, even though it would be fitting. The last time he stole the lei was the last day he ever wore sandals. For a brief moment he considered that wearing the sandals might bring him luck.

  But he decided against it.

  And what am I thinking wearing these Top-Siders? he mused as he kicked them off. I might have to do some running. He picked a pair of socks out of the drawer, sat down on the bed, and put them on. He slid his feet into his sneakers. I could use the PF Flyers I had when I was a kid, he thought with a smile. He always loved their commercials. Kids could run and fly and help people in danger. Ned always thought of the ways he could get into trouble if he could fly. And I blame that on my childhood. I can’t help it. Always being made fun of doesn’t exactly lay the groundwork for a healthy, well-adjusted adult. But I’ve stayed out of trouble these past few years. Now this lei! The thought of it made him move faster.

  He dashed over to the terrace door. “See you later,” he called to Artie.

  Artie spun around. “Come down to the beach when you’re free. Francie’s going to join me there after her spa treatment.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Ned said and waved his hand. He turned, grabbed a baseball cap and his empty knapsack out of the closet, and hurried out of the room before Artie tried to make any more plans. No two ways about it, Artie was a strange agent. His late-night walks on the beach. His constant flexing and unflexing of his hands. His total lack of savoir faire with women. Ned had seen him in the bar trying to make time with a couple of the ladies. No one was interested. When Dorinda Dawes took his picture, he tried to flirt with her. Even though she was a world-class flirt, she moved on quickly. First Bob had hit on her and then Artie. She must have had some opinion of the Lucky Seven. Poor Dorinda. To think we both started working here at the same time.