* * *
Casey took the gun from Lori and led her out of the room to the front of the house. He sat her on one of the leather lounge chairs as I grabbed a blanket from the spare bedroom and draped it over her shoulders. Shock was setting in.
I didn't know what to do about Martin. Casey had checked to see if he could help him, but Lori was a dead shot. Years of target practice with Martin, she'd told us.
I found the home phone and dialed 9-1-1, giving them as many facts as I could recall. We then sat in silence, waiting, Lori's eyes huge and unblinking. I knew I wanted to fall apart. I'd just witnessed a man being shot. My stomach felt sick, I was cold, and I couldn't stop the shaking. I wanted Casey to hold me and tell me everything was okay now. I wanted him to take away the sight of Martin's blood on the wall, the sight of his eyes open and unfocused. But he couldn't. Right now Lori needed him the most.
Sirens blasted the quiet night air, and the flashing colors of blue and red danced across the darkness. Help had arrived. Too late, but it had made it.
Within seconds the room was filled with police, guns drawn and at the ready. Casey filled them in on where Martin was as Detective Ray walked in the door.
Homicide had arrived pretty quickly for a 9-1-1 call, I thought.
Detective Ray approached Lori. Squatting in front of her, he asked a couple of questions. It opened the floodgates, and within seconds she was telling him everything.
Hearing her retell the events in such short, sharp bursts was jarring. My emotions were in turmoil, and it didn't feel right for tonight to be summed up in bullet points.
Once she had finished, Detective Ray gave the nod, and the paramedics came and took her away. With a police escort, of course, as it seemed that other than just killing her husband, she was also an accessory to more than one murder.
It was only after she had gone that Casey wrapped me in his shaking arms and told me that everything was okay now. That was the point where my knees crumpled and I turned into a sobbing mess.
Detective Ray approached us. "I'm sorry, but I need you two apart. Until I can get your statements, you can't be together."
Irritation stirred as I took the tissue he offered me and allowed Casey to be shown to the opposite side of the room by an officer.
"Don't worry," the detective said to me. "It's just procedure. I heard the entire thing go down."
I was confused. "How?" I asked.
"You phoned me, remember. I answered, and I heard the entire thing."
My call must have connected after Casey pushed me out of the window. I had no idea where it had landed, but wherever that was had obviously given the detective a clear line. I sighed as my bottom lip started to quiver.
"I just need you to give me an account of your version of events for the record. I'll then get Casey's. After that you can be together."
I nodded stoically and recounted what had happened. Detective Ray scribbled in his notebook hard and fast, and once he was satisfied, he closed the book and smiled at me.
"Detective Ray, what happens with the journal now? Will anyone go looking for that treasure?" I also told him exactly where the journal was hiding.
"I'll make sure that once our investigation is complete, it will go to the appropriate people, who will do the right thing with it."
I raised my eyebrow questioningly.
"The experts can determine if the journal is authentic, and if it is, then they can start the process of uncovering the treasure," he explained. "Now Samantha, this is the second time I have found you in the center of a murder investigation."
"But I wasn't actually involved," I quickly added.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. But I hope it's not something you intend to make a habit of."
I felt a lecture coming on.
"It's not," I said before he could say anymore. "I promise you won't find me involved in any more murder investigations. Cross my heart." I made the sign of crossing my heart, hoping to convey I intended to keep my promise. Which I did intend to do. After all, I made a terrible detective. Not once had I considered it was Martin.
* * *
The rest of the night went past in a blur. Lots of police, lots of flashing red and blue lights, and lots of paramedics. They couldn't help Martin, but they did help Casey and me, taking us both to the hospital to get checked.
I was at present sitting in the ER with Mum, Luke, and Alani all sitting with me. They had been told they were to wait in the waiting room, but the nurse obviously decided that allowing them to sit here quietly was easier than arguing with them. When something was wrong with one of her children, Mum was a force to be reckoned with.
I was hooked up to a couple of monitors, and every fifteen minutes the nurse would venture in and take my blood pressure, reassuring Mum I was doing great. If I kept it up, she was sure the doctor would let me go home. I could see that was what she was hoping for at least.
Casey was being treated for shock and to check for a concussion, as he'd had a pretty good smack to the back of his head.
"Luke," I said, "will you go and see what's happening with Casey, please?"
"They took him for a scan."
"Probably to check he has a brain," snapped Mum.
"Mum! Don't say that," I hissed. "It's not nice!"
"Well, I wonder if he has. Explain to me why else he would even consider getting back with his ex when he has someone as wonderful as you." During my shock, I had told Mum everything that had been happening over the last couple of weeks. Including how I caught Veronica kissing Casey.
"I don't know that he is considering it," I said.
The corner of the blue curtain surrounding my allocated area of the ER pulled back, and a face peered around it, concern etching the man's features. I blinked, wondering if I was the one with a concussion as I looked back at the face of my dad.
"Knock, knock," I heard him quietly say.
"Brian?" I asked, shocked. Dad had only recently resurfaced in my life after being absent for the last twenty-four years. We weren't on pet-name terms yet.
"Can I come in?" he asked, only his head visible around the curtain.
"Ummm…sure," I replied, looking to Mum and Luke. "How…how did you know that I was here?"
"I called him," said Mum, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.
My eyes spun to her questioningly.
"He is your father, after all."
"I had no idea you had decided to let him back into our lives," I whispered to her as Brian pulled the curtain back and moved into the room. When I had first met Brian, he had been a security guard at the nursing home where Mum worked, and I hadn't known who he was. At the time he'd been borderline obese, but now as he pulled himself up to his full height of six foot three, I could see exactly how much weight he had lost in the three months since I had seen him last. He was almost unrecognizable. His once bloated face now showed his defined cheekbones, his dark brown eyes radiating kindness. His hair was cut short, showcasing his strong jaw, and I had a moment of seeing what Mum would have been attracted to all of those years ago.
Mum blinked at me, her look stern, daring me to argue with her. "Well, while you were risking your life doing ridiculous things, your father and I were having dinner. I've decided to at least speak to him and see what sort of a relationship we can both agree on."
Luke looked as bewildered as I felt. I didn't have time to respond, as the curtain once again pulled back, only this time it was the doctor who entered the room. He was of Hawaiian heritage, and he looked friendly.
"Hello, Samantha," he said, smiling kindly at me. "I'm Doctor Kaelani."
"I'm pleased to meet you," I responded, ignoring the pursed-lip look Mum was giving me.
"You've had quite the day, by the looks of things." He picked up my chart and started to flick through it. "Now I've checked over everything, and your stats are perfect. Of course you've had a shock, and I recommend you not stay alone tonight." He glanced around my bed. "Well, that looks like it w
on't be a problem," he said. "I recommend some counseling," he continued, placing the chart back on the end of the bed. "Death is not an easy thing to come to terms with, and witnessing it under the conditions you have been through can have a significant impact on you."
I nodded. It already had. I knew for certain that when I finally got to close my eyes, my dreams were going to be filled with blood, fear, and grim reapers.
"Other than that, you are free to go home, Samantha," he added.
"Doctor," I asked before he had the chance to leave. "What happened to Casey Dalton?"
"We're keeping him for a while for monitoring."
"Can I see him?"
"Maybe not tonight. It's already 2 a.m., so I suggest you speak to him after he's had some sleep."
Once the doctor had gone, Brian, Luke, and Alani stepped out, their conversation stilted and awkward. Mum might be ready to move on with him, but I figured it would require a lot of thinking before Luke and I got to the same point.
Mum stayed to help me get me out of the hospital gown and into my clothes. She was ready to take me home and put me to bed. My dirty clothes reminded me of everything we had been through tonight. As I slipped on my silky sleeveless top, the tears started, and I crumpled into a sobbing mess, Mum's hug the only thing that could console me.
* * *
There was a special place in Aloha Lagoon I had nicknamed Casey's rock. It wasn't that he actually owned it—it was just a place he found special, and in the early days of the two of us he'd introduced me to it.
To get to it, I had to leave my bike on the grass at his house, follow the path down towards the beach, leap across the sand, and run to the water's edge.
The aqua blue water crashed onto the white sand, and the sound of the waves filled the salt air, causing me to feel more relaxed than I had in days. That wasn't an easy feat. I had something I needed to say to Casey, and that something was going to be difficult.
I followed the beach north for a minute until I came to the rock and then climbed the short distance to the top of it. I knew this was where I would find him. When life got hard or if he had a problem, Casey would come to this rock, sit on the seat created by nature, and stare out to the horizon until the answers came to him. I didn't blame him. This spot was magnificent. Water surrounded it on three sides, the outward-moving tide crashing up to it, sea spray floating through the air. The salt air filled my lungs, giving me the courage to continue.
I stopped and looked towards him. The hospital had told me he'd been discharged an hour earlier, and when I'd knocked on his door and he didn't answer, I knew to come here.
He hadn't noticed me, too lost in his own thoughts. I took a moment to think, think about what I had to say and how I was going to say it. The events of the last few days had given me a lot to consider, including where I wanted Casey to be in my life.
That had actually been the easy one. The big question was, where did Casey see me fitting into his?
The sunlight reflected on the water, which in turn reflected on his skin. He was hunched forward, his arms resting on his knees, a large swab on the back of his head where his stitches were. My heart squeezed.
He startled, realizing I was behind him, turning quickly to look at me over his shoulder. His smile flashed, and my soul relaxed.
"Hi," I said, crossing the rock and sitting next to him. We were shoulder to shoulder, but we didn't touch.
"Hi," he said in return.
"How's the head?"
"Sore. They did some scans, and apparently I do have a brain."
I grinned. Mum would be thrilled.
"I just don't know how to use it sometimes," he added, looking at me with concern. He reached out and took my hand, gently entwining his fingers with mine.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry for everything. For not telling you about my past, for not telling you the truth about Veronica. But mostly for not telling you that you were right. There was a small part of me that was still in love with her."
To hear the words that he was still in love with her stung. That was not what I came here for.
"But then she kissed me. And everything changed. In that moment, I thought of you. I thought of how your lips feel under mine. I thought of how you give this cute little blissful sigh when I hold you close, and I thought of how your laugh lights up my day. Veronica's lips felt familiar yet wrong. They weren't yours. And I realized that what I had felt for her, what I thought was love, wasn't. It was nothing compared to what I feel for you. To how you make me feel like I'm home."
My throat clogged with emotion. I had come here to tell him how I felt. I was unprepared for his words, and they threw my emotions into overdrive.
"You don't have to compete with Veronica," he continued. "There's no competition. It was you from the moment I first saw you breaking all of those glasses in The Lava Pot." He flashed me his amazing smile, his deep blue eyes looking into me.
I smiled back, feeling the tension around him dissipate.
He leaned closer and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I love you, Samantha Reynolds," he said. "Please don't ever forget that."
I heard his words, but mostly I felt his emotion. I'd only known Casey a few months, and that was the first time he'd told me he loved me.
I put my arms around his neck and held on tight. "I love you too, Casey Dalton. And don't you ever forget that."
* * * * *
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ALOHA LAGOON BOOKS
Ukulele Murder
Murder on the Aloha Express
Deadly Wipeout
Deadly Bubbles in the Wine
Mele Kalikimaka Murder
Death of the Big Kahuna
Ukulele Deadly
Bikinis & Bloodshed
Death of the Kona Man
Lethal Tide
* * * * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth was born in Manchester, England, but after moving backwards and forwards across the world 13 times in 14 years she decided at the age of 18 that Australia was to be her home. She now lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia where every day is a good one. She is the lucky mother of two grown-up children, and, along with her ever-patient husband, she is the proud but sometimes flustered owner of four dogs, a cat, and a canary. She has always had a love of reading, and even though her background is in accounting, she has now discovered her love of writing. Her main wish is to write books you can sit back, relax with, and escape from your everyday life…and ones that you walk away from with a smile! When she's not writing you will usually find her at the beach with a coffee in hand, pursuing her favorite pastime—people watching!
To learn more about Beth Prentice, visit her online at: http://www.bethprentice.com/
* * * * *
BOOKS BY BETH PRENTICE
Aloha Lagoon Mysteries
Deadly Wipeout
Lethal Tide
Unleashed Mysteries:
Killer Unleashed
Deadly Tails
Other Works:
Invitation to Murder
* * * * *
SNEAK PEEK
of the first Unleashed Mystery
KILLER UNLEASHED
by
BETH PRENTICE
CHAPTER ONE
Meet Theo. He's ten inches tall, white with big, brown spots, extremely hairy, and when he looks in the mirror he sees The Rock. He's my neighbor's dog. Well, technically, he's now my dog.
This morning Betty, my seventy-year-old neighbor, asked me to take him to the animal shelter. You see, her family has forced her to move into a retirement home, and she can't take Theo with her. That is a real sh
ame. I, of course, said I'd take him, as I pretty much do whatever people ask me to. According to my counselor I need to value and stand up for myself more, but that's a whole other story.
Honestly, this didn't make any sense to me. I'd never met Betty's family. In fact, I'd never even heard her mention them. So as you can imagine, it was a surprise to me that not only was she going to move as they wanted, but she was also going to give up her beloved, little dog. I sighed and promised myself that when I was elderly I would not do what my children told me to do. Who am I kidding? I may as well pick out my nursing home now.
So I, being the weak-willed person I am, agreed to help her.
Only when I got to the shelter, I sat in the car and looked at the prison-like entrance gates. I could hear the noise of hundreds of dogs calling out to each other, saying who the hell knew what. I watched as two volunteer workers walked some of the bigger dogs down the dusty laneway. My heart cracked as a man dropped off his faithful friend at the reception counter and left without even saying goodbye. The dog tried to follow him, whining longingly. I looked at Theo, and my eyes filled with tears.
"You know, you're really cute, and I'm sure you'll find a home very quickly." I think I was trying to convince myself more than him.
He looked up at me, his brown eyes as big as saucers, his ears pinned back. That was such a low blow. My heart was already breaking. I did not need him to look cuter than ever.
"Don't look at me like that. This really is for the best." I reached out and rubbed his furry little head. He turned his soft, little brown face toward my palm and snuggled into it.
Humph. He really knew how to play this game, didn't he?
I ran my thumb over his little Chihuahua nose and thought about the day he was having. The home he knew had been ripped away from him along with the person he loved most in the world. To make his day even worse, he would have to spend the night in solitary confinement surrounded by strange personnel.
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