Photo Finished
Author: Dane McCaslin; Kimberly Griggs
Date: 2019-04-23 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Multiple Authors; Cozy Mystery
Description: When photographer Autumn Season lands the job of official photographer at the prestigious Aloha Lagoon Resort, she's ecstatic. But a lively luau suddenly turns deadly, and Autumn realizes she may have accidentally snapped a picture of a murder in progress! Now the killer will go to any lengths to protect his (or her) identity, and Autumn is clearly in their sights. With the help of her best friend, super hottie, and head of the Aloha Lagoon Resort Security, Jimmy Toki, Autumn sets out to find the killer's identity before the killer finds her. What do stolen camera equipment, a bossy busty blon
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing

* * * * *

FREE EBOOK OFFER

Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about our new releases, special bargains, and giveaways, and as a bonus receive a FREE ebook!

Sign up for the Gemma Halliday newsletter!

* * * * *

* * * * *

PHOTO FINISHED
an Aloha Lagoon Mystery

by

DANE McCASLIN & KIMBERLY GRIGGS

* * * * *

Copyright © 2019 by Dane McCaslin and Kimberly Griggs

Cover design by Estrella Designs

Gemma Halliday Publishing
http://www.gemmahallidaypublishing.com

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

FREE BOOK OFFER

ALOHA LAGOON BOOKS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

SNEAK PEEK

CHAPTER ONE

"Just like that! Maybe with more hip this time, ok? Good!"

I checked the focus on my Nikon camera and peered through the lens again at the bored-looking model, the itty-bitty bikini she was wearing barely covering anything at all. I'd snuck a peek at the price tag before the shoot and nearly fell over from shock. Most families spent that much on groceries for an entire month.

"We're almost done," I said, putting more enthusiasm into my voice than I was feeling. This contract meant making a car payment and putting gas in the tank, not to mention the possibility of future work with the client. I was still trying to break into photographing the surfing world, my dream since I was a little girl, and photographing models with custom-made boards was as close as I'd gotten.

"Now, just one more with the surf board, and it's a wrap."

Posing suggestively on the board, the model gave me her version of smolder, and I snapped a few more pics for insurance. In Aloha Lagoon, one of Kauai's coastal towns, you could never overestimate the effects of the sun on exposures.

I was carefully packing away my camera and lenses when a shadow fell across my bag. Without looking up, I said, "What's up, Jimmy?"

"How do you do that?" James Toki, hot hunk of male and one of my closest friends, seemed to think I was gifted with second sight or something. Actually, I could always tell it was him by the sheer size of the shadow. Jimmy stood six feet five and was about the size of a small car, muscle-bound, and sun darkened—think The Rock but with hair. When the local resort had hired him to head up security, I'd had to agree that it was a perfect fit. Just one look at someone his size could scare the crap out of any punk kid.

"Got any plans tonight?" He squatted down next to me on the warm sand, various joints popping in protest. "The resort needs a few more photographers for a luau tonight."

"As in taking photos of folks as they arrive, cruise ship–style?" I absolutely hated that type of work—photography was art. Taking pictures of crying babies and perfectly posed couples was not art. But with bills to pay, I couldn't be choosy about whose signature was on my paycheck.

"Something along those lines," he admitted with a wry smile. "I know it's not your cup of tea, but I was thinking that if you did a super job—not that you don't always," he added as I began to sputter. "Maybe you could get hired on as the official resort photographer. Not to mention the exposure to some of the most famous surfers and their sponsors."

Now that was something I could get excited about. Steady income and exposure to the elusive surfing world? Yes, please.

"So is this a trial gig, as in they'll be watching me while I work?" It wouldn't bother me—not really—but if I was going to be in the limelight, I needed to be at my best.

Jimmy shrugged, his massive shoulders sending ripples down his arms. "Maybe. I think I'd plan on it, just in case. Now, how about grabbing something to eat? I'm starving!"

That wasn't anything new. Jimmy was always starving. A good thing, too, since that was what had led to our first meeting. We'd hit it off over plates of pulled pork and fried rice in one of Aloha Lagoon's eateries, discovering that we both loved old movies, live music of almost any type, and surfing. After several movie nights, and a few practice photo sessions on the beach while he surfed, we'd soon developed a tight friendship, especially since he never made a wisecrack about my name.

My parents—bless their hippy hearts—had named all of us kids after nature, and I was named Autumn, eldest sister to four brothers named Trout, Quail, Elk, and Winter. With the last name of Season, I'd learned early on how to deal with those who thought our names made a great punch line. Let's just say that I'd spent a lot of time in the principal's office. I might be short, but I was fierce.

Blame the red hair.

I breathed in the ocean air as we headed to Sir Spamalot, one of our favorite places to grab a quick bite to eat. (The owners did the most amazing things with Spam.) It was still hard to believe I had the privilege of living and working in Hawaii, the most beautiful place on earth.

I'd longed to be a surfer growing up. My fascination began after watching Baywatch with my brothers. I'd been captivated by the surfing, while the boys had been captivated by the hot girls in bathing suits running on the beach. Typical. Pro-surfer Kelly Slater had glided on the waves as the character Jimmy Slade, and he'd made it look so effortless. As if he'd tamed nature. And I'd decided I wanted to do that. I wanted to ride on top of the waves like an ancient Atlantian who'd conquered the sea.

Unfortunately, being hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean didn't offer up many opportunities to catch any good waves, but I just knew that if I had the chance, I'd be the best female surfer alive.

Since I couldn't practice surfing, I'd taken up photography as a teenager instead and soon found that I was quite good. With my meager savings in my pocket, I'd headed west three years ago and hadn't looked back. I'd started out trying to surf and that had been a disaster. If I couldn't surf, I could do the next best thing—photograph those who did.

Watching Jimmy as he plowed his way steadily through a heaping bowl of Spam fried rice made me smile. He was the product of a Tongan father and a Hawaiian mother, and his rather intimidating physique hid a real teddy bear personality. If only he was into short redheaded photographers. I sighed.

His muscles rippled in his arms as he brought his fork to his mouth. His eyes met mine, and he quirked a brow.

"What?" he asked around a mouthful of Spam.

"Nothing," I said hurriedly, embarrassed I'd been caught staring at his impressive biceps. "What time do I need to be there tonight?" Changing the subject was always a good distraction.

"Hang on a sec." He tapped out a text. "I'm thinking maybe half an hour or so before it starts so you can get set up. Get your groove going."

I could feel my blood pressure rise a tad as I thought about snapping pictures of shallow women and the indifferent men they'd dragged along. Jimmy was right—this was definitely not my cup of tea. I tended to see what I did as serious art, not just some means to a cheap souvenir.

Think of the exposure, Autumn.

"Yup, just as I thought." He checked the incoming text and read it aloud. "Have her meet me in the lobby at 6:30." He looked over at me, an impish grin on his face. "And wear your best muumuu, Red. It's a traditional luau in honor of the surfing champions from last year's competitions. In fact, my cousin is one of the honorees, so you can expect to see a bunch of my family."

I rolled my eyes. I loved Jimmy's mom and dad, but the thought of hanging out with them dressed like that made me cringe. Don't get me wrong. While muumuus were certainly comfy and could hide a multitude of issues, they usually made me look like a flowered tent with really short legs. As small as I was (five foot nothing when standing straight), I'd never been able to find one that fit me right.

"Fine, a muumuu it is. And what will you be wearing?" I eyed him suspiciously. In my experience, the island men dressed much more fashionably than the women did.

"Oh, you know," Jimmy said casually—a bit too casually for my liking. "Traditional stuff. My best board shorts and an aloha shirt. And flip-flops."

He ducked down, laughing, as I threw a handful of ice at him.

*   *   *

Instead of arriving just thirty minutes early, I decided to make it forty-five, giving me a few spare moments to check in with my BFF, Summer. Since we had the whole seasonal name thing in common, we'd become fast friends.

"Hey, Summer!" I called out as she was bent over the reception desk, writing something on a piece of paper.

"Autumn! Jimmy told me you have a job interview here tonight!" Squealing like a cheerleader, she rounded the desk, jumping up and down and clapping her hands in front of her face.

"Um, I guess?" The statement came out as a question since Jimmy had said it might be an interview of sorts. He'd not been quite that definitive.

"I'm so excited! This means we'll be co-workers, and we can hang out at the pool and drink mai tais on our breaks."

"Isn't drinking during work hours kind of frowned upon?"

"Oh right. Probably. Ok, well after hours then. Still, I can't believe you're going to be working here."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I still have to do the shoot. Speaking of which, I'm supposed to meet Julie here beforehand. Have you seen her?"

"She's in her office, but she should be here shortly."

As if I'd conjured her up, a whip-thin woman, hand outstretched in greeting, speed walked toward me.

"I'm Julie Kekoa, events coordinator here at the resort, but you can call me Juls."

"Hi, Juls. I'm Autumn Season."

A brief glint of humor in her eyes was the only indicator that she thought my name anything out of the ordinary. That's a point in her favor, I thought as I followed her out of the lobby.

"Bye, Summer," I tossed over my shoulder.

She grinned widely and waved before looking back down at whatever she'd been working on before I'd interrupted her.

"We're holding the luau on our private pier," said Juls. "So you'll probably want to set up a station somewhere near the ramp."

I'd seen resort advertisements that featured the pier, which boasted a thatched ramada the size of my entire one-bedroom apartment and had lots of room for entertainment. Tiki lights and hanging lanterns enhanced the tropical flair, and I could already imagine graceful hula dancers swaying to ukulele music. My spirits began to rise. Maybe this wouldn't be so dull after all.

"…and I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have."

I'd missed part of her comments, so I just smiled and shook my head.

"I think it'll be fine, Juls," I said as I stood looking around the entrance to the pier. "I can use the ocean as a backdrop," I added, already pulling out my equipment from my bag.

"I'll leave you to it then." She checked her smartphone as it beeped. "Guests have already started arriving, so it looks like it's almost showtime. I'll be back as soon as I check on the entertainment. Plus, Alex, my boss, needs a word with me." With a brief smile, she was off.

The end of the pier was a beehive of activity as waiters in flowered shirts and leis set large tables overflowing with pineapples intricately carved into works of art. I inhaled the glorious scents of mochiko chicken, roasted pork with a pineapple glaze, and something vaguely fishy, if my nose was to be trusted. Was that sushi? My stomach gave an expectant rumble, and I hoped part of my remuneration included dinner. By the time I finished with my photography duties, I would probably be hungry. Again.

"Hey, Red!"

I turned around and spotted Jimmy heading in my direction, one hand raised in greeting.

"Nice tent."

I gave him a mock punch on his arm. "Whatever, dude." I looked around him and spotted several couples strolling toward us. "Looks like I need to get my camera warmed up. And I wouldn't say no to some grub."

"Yes, ma'am, right away." He gave me a salute, and I gave him another fist to his arm. I hated to be called ma'am. Holding his arm as if he were in pain, he headed for the food station. I should've reminded him to get me something to drink as well. Whenever I ate while I was working, I tended to gobble my food and usually ended up with a wicked case of hiccups.

I set my camera bag down on the emerald green grass and squatted beside it, unzipping the compartment for the lenses I planned on using. I'd saved up for months to buy the expensive camera and attachments and couldn't wait to use them on something besides portraits.

I spotted a great place for a quick snap and pointed my camera in that direction to check the lighting and shadow play. With great views everywhere I looked, the backdrop was the very least of my concerns.

I'd just set the focus to my satisfaction, when my first customers of the evening approached me, she in an off-the-shoulder sheath and he in a loose linen shirt and shorts. I directed them to stand just to the side of the pier, the ocean and setting sun visible in the background. A quick "say I love money" and two fast clicks of the shutter, and they moved off toward the ramp, ready to enjoy what smelled like a fabulous luau.

I was kept busy for the next thirty minutes shooting couples and families as they arrived and taking special requests for solo shots. The sound of ukuleles drifted down from the pier as I posed and shot, encouraged and thanked. I'd prepared a price list on the off-chance that this would be a one-and-done assignment, but Juls had handed me a resort guide for costs to share with the guests. The typical arrival picture was a freebie, and anything else, such as the individual pictures, would be billable through the main desk. I could definitely get used to someone else doing the books for once.

A heavily made-up woman headed my direction, her rather imposing bosom leading the way as she hobbled across the uneven ground in a pair of ridiculous high-heeled shoes. She was followed by a man with a thick salt and pepper mustache that matched the wings of hair that framed his broad face, and dark eyes that could burn a hole through someone.

"Look, Derrick! They have a little photo booth set up just like on the cruise ships!" Her high-pitched voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard and was equally as grating.

Mustache-man, or Derrick, as she called him, grunted in reply.

It took all my willpower not to trip her as she teetered by, but instead I plastered on my best smile and told them where to stand.

"Honey, that's not my best side," she said in what sounded like a very fake southern accent. "I need to stand over here. Also, could you not get any of this disgusting wood pier in the picture?"

The hoity-toity woman moved to the other side of Derrick and stuck her chest out as she posed for the picture. I was too angry to tell her that she'd effectually ruined the lighting and the picture would come out with shadows across their faces.

With the phrase "the customer's always right" running through my brain, I took several pictures as the brash woman took different poses, each highlighting her enormous breasts. Finally, it appeared as if Derrick was done.

"Ok, Patti, that's enough. Annie, tell the picture girl our names, please." He took Patti's arm in a firm grip and started toward the activities.

"Wait! I want to see the pictures," Patti said, pulling her arm free of Derrick's grip.

"I'm sorry. I use film, not digital." I wasn't sorry, and there was no way I would have let her handle my camera even if I did use digital.

"What? Film? What year do you think this is, 1920? What kind of photographer uses film anymore?" She huffed then flipped her bouffant hair over her shoulder, as much as the tremendous amount of hairspray would allow, and marched her way to the tables on the pier.

Fuming, I turned my attention to the mousy young woman slinking in the shadows, whom I'd not seen when the train wreck had arrived. Her hair hung limply, her glasses too big for her face, and her hands gripped the giant purse she had slung over one shoulder. It was almost as big as she was.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Hi, I'm Autumn Season," I said as I handed her the order form the resort had provided.

"I'm Annie Morris. Sorry about them. Mrs. Stone can be a bit of a handful. You get used to her after a while." Adjusting the enormous purse out of her way, she took the form and wrote Derrick and Patti Stone on it, along with their address and information, and then handed it back to me.

"It's no problem," I lied. "Do you work for them?"

She nodded.

Well, that was unfortunate. I knew there was no way I could work for someone like the Stones, regardless of how much money they gave me. I was raised to respect people, and with the way Patti Stone had just spoken to me, it was evident that her mama hadn't raised her the same way.

"Would you like me to take your photo as well?"

Annie blushed a deep crimson color, dropping her head and wringing her hands. "No, thanks," she murmured and took off after the Stones.

"Odd," I mumbled under my breath.

"Are you still open?" a voice called out from where I'd been set up before.

Since Mrs. Prima Donna had wanted more of the ocean and less of the pier, I'd had to take my camera off the tripod.

"Yes, sorry." I jogged back up to where a young man in his twenties stood with his arm slung around a petite girl in a hula costume. He had an infectious grin, and I couldn't help but smile back, my bad mood forgotten.

"No worries. We've got all night." He had an affable nature about him and that easygoing spirit so many of the Hawaiian people had perfected. The hula girl was beautiful with long dark hair that hung to her waist and soulful eyes that seemed far older than she was. The two made an adorable couple.

I placed them facing each other, and tension lit like a sparkler on the Fourth of July. I was starting to feel like I was missing something. Although they were clearly together, the girl was having a hard time making eye contact with her very handsome date.

"Are you a surfer?" I asked conversationally. You could cut the strain between them with a knife.

"Yeah, I am. Won the Classic last year and everything," he said proudly.

"That's awesome. Think you'll have a repeat performance this year?"

"Of course. Plus, I have my good luck charm right here." He looked down into the girl's face, and she dropped her gaze quickly. "We're getting married a few months after the Classic. Right, Kailani?"

"Not now, Noe," she mumbled, trying to put some distance between them. He held on tightly to her waist.

"Congratulations," I said, trying to ease the awkwardness a little.

"Thanks! I can't wait for this woman to be my bride."

"Please stop," Kailani tried again.

I wasn't sure what was going on between the couple, but it was time to move them along.

"Ok, guys, say 'cheeseburgers.'" The corny line always got people to smile. It worked like a charm on Noe, but Kailani still seemed tense, her smile not reaching her eyes.

"Thanks, ma'am," he said, swinging his arm around Kailani's shoulders and heading toward the sound of a ukulele playing "Over the Rainbow."

I cringed. Ma'am? How old did he think I was?

I fussed with the zoom on my camera, peering into the viewfinder. As I looked up from the camera, I caught sight of Patti Stone tottering over to Noe and Kailani. It appeared Kailani had found a reason to escape and slipped free from his grasp. Noe looked on as she left, his perma-grin dropping for the first time.

Patti looped her arm with his, leaning her head on his shoulder. Well that was creepy. Her hand went up to touch his face, and she leaned in as if she was going to kiss him on the lips. He turned his head at the last minute, the kiss landing on his cheek instead. Hot pink lip marks stood out like a beacon in the night.

Leaning over to whisper something in his ear, Patti pressed her breasts into Noe's arm. I thought about rescuing him, but I didn't really want another interaction with the woman. Noe tried to wrench free, just as Mustache-man, oops, Derrick marched toward Noe.

Gripping his wife by the arm, he lightly nudged her in the direction of the luau. He turned to Noe, his face tight, the anger in his eyes evident even from where I stood.

Derrick's voice rose over the sounds of the music.

"Get your act together or find yourself another sponsor." Derrick's heated words rose in volume.

Noe replied, but I couldn't hear what he said. I tried to look as if I wasn't watching them, busying myself with wiping off my lenses and adjusting my camera.

"And keep your hands off my wife! You're not irreplaceable, you know," Derrick shot over his shoulder as he marched away.

I watched as Noe stood staring at the ground, his hands on his hips. I could feel his anxiety, even from where I was standing, and my opinion of Derrick Stone dropped even further.

Noe left, and I looked around but didn't see any other couples waiting for pictures. With a huge sigh of relief, I was grateful the job hadn't been as bad as I'd thought it would be. Aside from the little sideshow with the Stones, that was, but it still wasn't what I saw for my future.

"Headed your way with some chow, Autumn!"

I turned to see Jimmy jogging toward me, a plate held precariously in one hand.

"Gotcha some real goodies here. Some chicken long rice and some pork. And a couple taro rolls before they disappear. Couldn't find any Spam, though." He handed me the plate and bowed.

I curtsied and then giggled at our faux formalities. Plopping down onto the grass, I gave a groan as I wiggled my toes. "Oh my goodness! I think my feet are broken or something from trying to keep these flip-flops on. Have you ever stood in these things for hours on end?" I missed my sneakers.

"All the time. Not sure what you're complaining about." Jimmy nudged me with his shoulder as he hunkered down beside me, his knees cracking like a series of gunshots.

I tore a piece from a roll, colored purple by the taro flour used to make it, and popped it into my mouth. "Heaven. Absolute heaven!" I chewed blissfully, my eyes closed against the last rays of the sun.

"You're welcome," he teased. "You planning to stay or head on out?"

"I'm staying. I'd like to take some action shots as the luau progresses and even get some behind-the-scene pictures for the resort's website." I took another bite of the taro roll, and it was all I could do not to moan. "If I show Juls what I can do, maybe it'll go a long way toward getting me hired."

"Great plan. You should go by the food-prep tent. I hear Chef Aki has outdone himself tonight with the dessert. Better to get in there early and get some good pictures of the food art he has prepared for the rest of the evening."

"Good idea," I said around my last mouthful of food.

I jumped up, scooping my camera off the ground and zipping up the bag. Jimmy jumped up with ease, and I marveled at his agility, considering his rather large size.

"I'll walk with you," he said, picking up the remnants of our makeshift feast in one hand and taking my hand in his other. I glanced down, noticing the difference between us—his brown complexion versus my pale white, his large hand versus my very tiny one.

Jimmy was always doing stuff like this, holding my hand, putting his arm around me. I knew it didn't mean anything. We were friends, after all. Tell that to the butterflies flittering around in my stomach.

"There it is," he said, pointing to a medium-sized white tent that housed the food preparation activities for the evening. All the cooking was done in the kitchen, but Chef Aki liked to have a place nearer to the luau to prep the food. I'd seen the dozens of workers dressed in flowered shirts and leis hauling large metal containers out to the tent earlier as I was setting up.

"See ya later, Red."

"Thanks, Jimmy." I pushed through the flap in the tent and peeked inside. It was a hustle and bustle of activity. Servers rushed around with plates or drinks in hand, while others in white coats prepared dishes.

Chef Aki stood in front of a palm tree made of pineapples stacked high for the trunk, while palm branches exploded out of the top. Hibiscus flowers were precisely placed among the leaves for a splash of color. A rainbow of colorful fruit burst from the base of the tree, while watermelons carved into baskets containing more delicious morsels framed the fruity feast. On each side of the palm tree were beautifully decorated pastries, creating an intricately designed and edible work of art.

"That's amazing!" My voice came out a little more enthusiastic than I had planned, and Chef Aki turned abruptly. The scowl on his face took me back a little bit. "Do you mind if I take pictures for the resort?"

The scowl faded, replaced with a slight smile. In a thick Japanese accent he said, "It is fine, yes, to take pictures. I thank you very much." He smiled, and I drew my camera up to click some shots.

I moved around the exhibit, snapping from all angles as servers in the background plated food for the guests. When I felt as if I'd taken enough, I thanked him and left the tent to join the luau.

The festive air was infectious, and I found myself moving along to the music. Placing my eye to the viewfinder of my camera, I captured the surfers in full belly laughs, the dancers with their arms raised to shoulder height in the fluid movements of the hula, and Nani the ukulele player strumming lightly as children danced in the light of the tiki torches.

I moved to the table to take some shots of the surfers, but the hula girl from earlier, Kailani I think was her name, was taking pictures of herself and her friends with her phone. I'd get in position to take a picture, and she'd move almost at the same time and block my view. I sighed in frustration after it happened several more times. Finally, I gave up. I had some great shots. Those would have to do.

Satisfied with what I had accomplished, and dead tired, I walked back to where I'd left my things, putting my camera away in my bag. I hoisted it over my shoulder and took a moment to take in the view. Night had fallen, and the fingers of light from the full moon danced on the waves.

Big arms wrapped around me, and I smiled. My heart picked up its rhythm, and I silently told it to just calm down already. It was Jimmy. And Jimmy dated girls with long legs, tiny waists, big boobs, and sophisticated names. He did not date short, curvy redheads with hot tempers, dressed in muumuus.

"Ready to have some fun?" he asked, spinning me around to face him.

"When am I not ready for fun?" I teased.

Jimmy's face split into a wide grin. He really was pretty.

A piercing scream made me jump, and my bag slipped to the ground. Jimmy's eyes went wide, and he squeezed my hand before sprinting toward the pier, with me hot on his heels. I was not about to be left out of the excitement.

The pier was in utter chaos, with women clutching the arms of their dates and children wailing as if Santa had fallen into the ocean without a life jacket. The dancers stood huddled together at one end of the ramada, shocked looks on their faces as they stared over at someone who was sitting at the head of the table.

One of the surfers was face down in his sushi.

CHAPTER TWO

You know that phrase "frozen to the spot"? I finally knew exactly how that felt as I stood stock-still, staring in disbelief at the inert figure still seated at the table. Jimmy, bless his kind heart, did his best to shield me and the others from the sight as he spoke rapidly into his radio. He'd gone into emergency mode and had checked the body for a pulse, getting nothing but sticky rice stuck to his fingers. Shaking his head, he looked up and met my eyes, motioning me over with a slight jerk of his chin.

I walked over to him, keeping my eyes purposefully averted from the grotesque display in front of me. When I got closer, I realized the victim was Noe, the young surfer from earlier. My heart broke at the sight. Who could hurt such a fun-loving young man? It didn't make any sense.

Noe's head was slightly turned, looking at me with a grotesque stare. Whatever had caused the collapse had contorted his face into an expression straight from a horror flick. Noe's mouth was twisted into a silent scream, and his brown eyes, which had once been beautifully framed in thick lashes, bulged from their sockets. I didn't think it was a food allergy that had done this. Judging by the grim expression on Jimmy's face, I could tell he didn't think so either.

"I need you to find Juls and let her know I'm calling PD." He slid his smartphone from a front pocket on his shorts, already thumbing in the number.

"Surely someone already called," I objected. I couldn't imagine that by now someone hadn't dialed 9-1-1.

"I'm calling a buddy of mine in homicide, just in case."

Homicide? As in deliberate? I stared at Jimmy, trying to compute his meaning. "Who'd do that at a luau?" The question sounded silly as soon as the words hit the air, but I was serious. I couldn't imagine anyone thinking murderous thoughts in a place as gorgeous as this, much less carrying them out.

"Yeah, well, this world's a crazy place." He shifted the phone against his ear. "This is Jimmy Toki at the resort." He paused a moment, listening. "I know, but I think we need the homicide boys here as well." Another pause, then, "Sounds good. Tell Ray I'll be on the pier." He ended the call and leaned over the still body again. "Poor kid. Someone really had it in for him."

"It could have been accidental," I said, still not able to say "murder" and "Aloha Lagoon" in the same breath. "Besides, I was snapping pictures like crazy. I would've seen someone kill him, wouldn't I?"

Jimmy straightened up and looked at me, a thoughtful expression in his dark brown eyes. He started to say something then stopped as the faint sound of a siren reached our ears.

"Do me a favor and make sure that Juls knows that I called Detective Ray Kahaolani. She'll know who I mean." He looked over his shoulder, and my eyes followed his, noting one of the dancers still huddled at the far end of the pier, shoulders shaking with sobs. "And can you check on her as well?"

I nodded. "I'll make sure she's alright before I find Juls, ok?"

Jimmy nodded. "Thanks, Red. Let's talk later."

I got my legs to obey me, moving over to put an arm around the girl and to steer her away from the gaping crowd around the table. She turned her face up to me, eyes full of tears that were running rivulets down her cheeks. It was Kailani, Noe's fiancée. She was a tiny thing, her bones as fine as a bird's, and although we were practically the same height, she made me feel like a lumbering mammoth. I managed to find an empty spot along the pier's railing and stopped, fumbling around in my pocket for the cloth I kept handy for cleaning my camera's lenses.

"Here you go," I said as I pressed the cloth into her hand. When she blew her nose into it, I hastily added, "You can keep it."

"It was so horrible. Noe complained that his mouth was tingling and his head hurt. I thought he'd just had too much to drink." She blew her nose again. For such a ladylike thing, her nose blowing could rival that of an overweight man with sinus problems.

"Then he grasped his stomach. I tried to get him to let me call someone for help, but he said he'd be fine. Finally, his eyes went wide, and he stared at me. His face turned blue, and he couldn't talk. That's when I screamed. But before I knew it, he'd slumped over. He's dead, isn't he?"

"Yes. I'm so sorry." I kept patting her as we stood there, my head on a swivel as I tried to see what was happening.

Kailani's sobs picked up, and I was at a loss as to how to help her. She'd just lost her fiancé. Although things had seemed strained between them, it was still a loss I couldn't fathom. The only person I'd ever lost was a grandmother when I was a little girl. I'd barely known her.

"I can't believe he's dead. I feel so guilty. I shouldn't have…"

Her words were cut off by the hiccupping that followed, and I waited as her sobs slowly faded. I redoubled my pats on her shoulder as I considered my own reaction if something like this ever happened to Jimmy. Not that he was that special, I reminded myself. Just what if…

I wondered at her words, but my questions would have to wait till later. With relief, I saw that a couple of Aloha Lagoon's finest had arrived. After checking that the guy was indeed dead and a huddled conversation with Jimmy, one officer stepped aside and spoke into the radio attached to his shoulder. The other officer moved over to where the body sat slumped over the table, standing guard until Detective Ray arrived.

"All right, folks!" Jimmy's voice raised itself above the noise and instantly commanded the attention of everyone at the luau—the dead guy an exception, of course. "I'm going to have you move off the pier and back to the resort."

Juls had joined him, her face a mask of concentration. Jimmy said something to her—probably telling her about Ray since I was still with Kailani—and I saw her nod her head. "First two tables, if you'll come with me, and the rest please follow Ms. Kekoa."

Juls raised her hand and waved it around in the air. "We need to get your information before you leave, and someone from the police department will be in contact shortly. Any questions?"

I saw one hand go up, its wrist dimpled with bracelets of extra flesh, diamonds flashing on several fingers.

"Is it ok if I take my plate with me?"

I had to admire Jimmy's and Juls' lack of response. Someone had just died, for goodness' sake, and all this woman could think of was her stomach. Considering that someone had just landed face first into their cuisine, I was more than happy to leave my plate of food behind.

I handed off Kailani to one of her colleagues and hurried to catch up with Juls. She was walking backward, one hand held high, a la tour guide style. Since I tended to trip over my own feet even when walking the way that nature intended we walk, I chose not to imitate her. Instead, I kept my face forward as we left the pier, careful to look out for anything that might impede my progress. You know, things like large rocks or depressions in the earth. Or flat ground. Yes, I was one of those who could fall over anything, including nothing. It was a talent.

Sidling as close to Juls as I could get without being directly in her face, I murmured, "Where are we going? I need to run back and grab my gear, and I can meet up with everyone as soon as I do." I indicated the gaggle of folks trailing behind us with a nod of my head.

Juls glanced down at the smartphone in her hand. "Looks like we'll be in the Pe'pe'a Room." She saw my consternation at the word and smiled. "It means 'starfish.' Just look for the door with the starfish carved on it."

"Can do," I replied then dashed back through the trailing group and headed for the spot where I'd dropped my camera bag in the confusion over the dead surfer.

And came to a screeching halt. My bag was nowhere in sight. Great, I thought. Just fantabulous. I fumbled in my pocket for my cell then realized that I'd stuffed it into my bag when I'd set up for the evening's shoot. Wheeling around, I managed to catch the edge of my sandals on the raised edge of the walkway and fell flat on my tush. In my world, when one thing went wrong, everything else followed suit.

"You ok there, miss?"

The polite voice came from behind me, and I swiveled my head around to see who it was. Standing there in traditional island garb was a young man, maybe nineteen or twenty, whose face looked vaguely familiar.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said, struggling to stand up with my muumuu wrapped around my legs, its billowing folds threatening to put me back on my behind once again.

"Here, let me help." He offered his hand, giving me enough leverage to regain my feet. "I'm Dax Toki, by the way."

"Toki? As in Jimmy?" I asked then felt a blush creeping up my neck. Dax grinned down at me, his height reminding me that these island guys were available in very large sizes indeed.

"Yep," he said, a wide smile on his handsome face. "I'm related to Jimmy. First cousin, in fact. Our dads are brothers."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, attempting to regain what little dignity I had left. "I'm Autumn." I left my surname out of the mix. I didn't need any ribbing at the moment.

A sudden thought about what I was doing there hit me, and I felt my face slipping back into sober mode. "Hey, you haven't seen a black bag about so big, have you?" I used my hands to indicate the approximate dimensions, looking up hopefully as I did.

"What kind of bag? Like luggage? Or something like that?" Dax turned and pointed at the line of tables. On it sat a black bag—my bag. "You're welcome!" he called after me as I made a beeline for the ramada.

I waved my thanks in return.

I grabbed up the canvas carryall and began opening zippers, checking to see that my gear was still there. I knew one thing for sure—if I didn't have my camera and all the accessories that I'd acquired over the past few years, I was sunk.

The good news was, all my lenses, flashes, and even my cell phone was still in the pocket where I'd stashed it. The bad news was that my camera was nowhere to be found. I distinctly remembered dropping the bag in the grass to run after Jimmy, which meant someone had moved it and stolen my camera.

I did that walk-run thing that I had to do in flip-flops, heading back toward the main building and the Starfish Room. What had Juls called it? Pe'pe'a? I did a mental practice with the word, stumbling slightly over the choppy vowel sounds. As beautiful as the language was, I still struggled with the basics.

"Yo! Short lady!"

The voice was unmistakably Jimmy's. His various names for me were funny…sometimes. I had a bit of an issue when it came to commentary on my height.

"Yo! Big guy!" I said in response. Not the zingiest of comebacks, but it was the only thing I could think of on the fly. Relief washed over me as I took in his comforting presence. If anyone could help me find my camera, it was Jimmy.

Jimmy raced toward me, grabbing my arm and pulling me back to the pier. "There's someone I want you to meet."

I wanted to tell him about the missing camera but was distracted by the sheet-covered stretcher that now sat front and center at the head of the table. A shiver crawled over my skin, and I wrapped my arms tightly around my middle. Poor Noe.

"Detective Ray?"

Detective Ray turned around, and I took in the badge clipped to his belt, what appeared to be a coffee stain on his off-white button-down shirt, and pants that seemed as if they'd never met an iron. He wasn't at all how Hollywood portrayed detectives.

"This is the photographer I was telling you about." Detective Ray stuck out his hand, but before I could introduce myself, Jimmy continued, "We need to make sure that you share your photos with us as soon as you can. Detective Ray would like to see if you caught anything on film."

"That might be a bit difficult," I said. "When I went back to retrieve my camera bag, it had been moved, and my camera is nowhere to be seen."

I was trying to keep things in perspective. Ultimately, a missing camera was nothing compared to being dead. The loss of the camera meant using my backup, a digital number I kept on hand for when the situation warranted. I'd saved up for almost a year to buy the new Nikon 35mm camera just a few short months before and had traded my previous 35mm in to make up the difference in the purchase. It was disappointing that I'd never been able to use it to capture the amazing surfing pictures I'd dreamed about.

"Are you sure?" Detective Ray asked. "Did you look around the surrounding areas to be certain?"

My opinion of the esteemed detective dropped a little more. Not only did he more closely resemble a bedraggled homeless man than a distinguished detective, but he'd questioned my ability to adequately search a small area for a camera.

Did he think I was an idiot? The retort on my lips was interrupted, thank goodness, when Jimmy said, "Where'd you leave it? And where did you find your bag?"

I pointed to the table where my bag had been found. "Dax found it over there, but I'd left it where you found me earlier near the pier ramp."

"You met Dax?" Jimmy asked, his eyebrows drawing together.

"I did."

He nodded. I could tell he wanted to say more, but since Detective Ray was waiting patiently for our personal conversation to end, he must have thought better of it.

Detective Ray took out a small notebook and a pen from his pocket, licking the tips of his fingers to flip it open to his desired spot.

"Ms.…" he asked, and I realized I'd never given him my name.

"Autumn," I replied, hoping I could do without the surname. No such luck.

Scribbling my name down on his pad, he didn't look up when he asked, "You have a last name, Autumn?"

"Season."

The detective's gaze jerked up to mine, a grin plastered on his face. "You're joking, right?"

He sure wasn't winning any brownie points with me. "Unfortunately, no. That is my name." I rolled my eyes. It was hard to believe that the detective hadn't encountered worse names than mine in his career. A little professionalism would be nice.

He sniggered but wrote it down. "Ms. Season, can you tell me where you were tonight around 7:30?"

Taken aback at the accusation in the question, my mouth hung open, and I looked at Jimmy for help. He shrugged as if to say, Just answer it.

"Juls Kekoa hired me to take photos of the guests as they arrived. Once I was finished with that, I walked around getting some behind-the-scenes pictures as well as some candid shots of the luau." He couldn't think I was the one responsible for killing Noe, could he?

"Did you know the deceased, Noe Kahale?" he asked, continuing to write on his notepad and not making eye contact.

I wondered if he'd notice if I stuck my tongue out at him. I decided not to take the chance.

"Just briefly. I met him and his fiancée as they stepped up for pictures. We talked for a few minutes, but that was it."

"Did you notice anything off about him?"

I remembered the tension between him and Kailani, but I didn't think that counted. "Not really."

"Do you think you could have caught anything on film tonight?"

"I guess it's possible. I was taking a lot of pictures, but I didn't notice anything that I can remember."

The detective flipped his notepad closed with a smack and stuck it back into his pocket. He eyed me carefully, and I assumed he was trying to determine whether or not I was lying. I held his gaze. I had nothing to hide.

"Detective! Detective!" A man in a white chef's coat and hat ran up to us, his face red and his breaths coming fast.

I recognized him from the food-prep tent, Chef Aki.

"Yes?" Detective Ray took a step back, looking the man over carefully.

"Detective, the sushi. It is not my sushi."

Confusion marred the detective's features as he took his pad out of his pocket again.

Putting the pen to the pad, the detective asked, "What do you mean, it's not your sushi?"

Chef Aki took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself. "A policeman asked me what was in the sushi. He show me the sushi. The sushi served to that man is not my sushi. My sushi is tuna. That"—he pointed to what was left of the dish where Noe had been sitting—"is not tuna. Tuna pink. That fish. White, almost see-through."

I was struggling to keep up. Whether it was Chef Aki's thick accent or his halted deliverance, I failed to see what was so important about the color of the fish.

It appeared Detective Ray and Jimmy were also having a hard time following as they peered at each other with identical looks of befuddlement on their faces.

Chef Aki grunted in response and picked up the dish.

"Wait!" Detective Ray started.

The chef ignored him. He scooped up a piece of the sushi and pointed to it. "That is not tuna. I think"—he took a sniff of it, and with a jerk of his head, he pronounced it—"fugu."

We all stood, our mouths gaping open like the proverbial fish, and stared at each other—no one really knowing what the man was talking about.

With another grunt, the chef said, "Pufferfish. Highly poisonous. One fish can kill thirty men."

And then the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together.

"Are you sure?" the detective asked, taking out his pad and writing down the new information.

"That it is not tuna, yes. That it is fugu, no. But it is what I think."

Detective Ray took down the chef's information, sending him on his way. Turning to Jimmy, he said, "Well, it appears we have ourselves a murder on our hands." He sighed, mumbling to himself under his breath.

I couldn't make out most of the words but was pretty sure I heard him say something like "not again."

Turning to Jimmy, Detective Ray pushed a hand through his hair, fatigue pulling his brows together and his lips taut.

"Mr. Toki, I'd suggest keeping an eye on Ms. Season for a couple of days."

"Sure," Jimmy started.

Bristling at the insinuation that I couldn't take care of myself— I was an independent woman and didn't need a big, strong man to "keep an eye on me"—I cocked my hip, my fist landing on it with emphasis. "And why does he need to keep an eye on me?"

"If someone took your camera, then that someone probably believes you caught something on film tonight that they don't want anyone to know about."

The detective's tired gaze narrowed, his voice deadly calm. "And if they think you caught it on film, then they might want to make sure there are no loose ends, if you get my drift."

I swallowed hard.

"Keep your head up, Ms. Season, and watch your back."

With those ominous words, the detective strode off into the building. A chill crept down my spine as realization dawned. The killer had my camera.

CHAPTER THREE

"The killer has my camera." The words kept going through my mind as if on a constant loop. I'd hoped that saying it out loud might put an end to the instant replay, but it didn't seem to work.

I flung myself back against the forest green, tufted velvet couch that was the focal point in my living room. Well, it was really one big open space. Housing was uber expensive in Hawaii, so I had been fortunate to land an amazing pseudo-studio apartment with the best landlords in the world. Tom and Doris Berry had a gorgeous home and had added an in-law suite onto the side of the house years ago. They'd decided to rent that space out so they could afford to travel the world. In exchange for inexpensive rent, they'd have someone constantly watching their home while they were away.

The open floor plan left me with little privacy as my bedroom was separated by a cased opening, no door, with a small full bath off to the side. French doors opened up to a beautiful Hawaiian lanai surrounded by potted tropical flowers that I had, so far, been able to keep alive. The kitchen was separated from the room by a short bar, and the rest of the apartment was sectioned off by furniture.

"I think you should take some time off, maybe go home for a couple of weeks until this blows over," Jimmy said, plopping himself onto the sofa next to me.

His arm circled my shoulders, but I sat up out of reach. "What? You think I'm in that much danger?" I wasn't about to go running back home with my tail between my legs just because someone—who might or might not be a killer—stole my camera. "We aren't even sure it was the killer. It could have been anyone," I lied. We both knew whoever took that camera had reason to. Otherwise all my lenses and my cell phone would be gone too.

"I don't know that you're in danger. But since the killer doesn't have a red room to get the film developed and you don't use digital—" He rolled his eyes at me. Jimmy didn't understand my aversion to digital photography. It's not like I never used it. It just didn't suit my artistic personality. There was something magical about the red room, and digital photography couldn't compete. "I'm just worried he'll come after you to make sure you don't share anything you might have seen."

I shivered, the goose bumps popping out along my arms and down my legs. Mistaking my shivers for cold, Jimmy pulled a blanket over us. The thought of a killer coming after me really didn't appeal to me. But this was my home. The first time I'd done something on my own—followed my dreams.

Growing up with so many siblings meant my parents didn't have a lot of time or money to go around. We were each allowed to do one activity a year. It took several tries before I found what I loved—photography. Coming to Hawaii to follow my dreams was a big step, and I wasn't going to be scared off by something that might or might not happen.

"Not leaving, Jimmy." I nestled under his arm and borrowed from his strength for just a little bit. I might act all tough on the outside, but on the inside I was a shaking mess. I'd take comfort anywhere I could get it.

"You put your personal information on that camera, didn't you?" Jimmy gazed into my eyes, knowing the answer before I opened my mouth. "So he has your phone number and your address."

"You're really not helping, you know?"

"I'm just saying, it might be good for you to just go away—"

"No," I interrupted. I watched as his massive chest rose with a big breath and then fell as he blew it out.

"Fine. Want to watch a movie?"

"Not really. Will you just stay for a little while?" I knew it was late, but having Jimmy there made me feel protected.

"Sure."

He closed his arms around me, and I inhaled his scent. Jimmy always smelled so good, like coconut and sunshine and something uniquely Jimmy.

"Did you talk to Kailani Chan?" His voice rumbled in his chest under my ear, sounding deeper and slightly muffled.

"Noe's fiancée?"

Jimmy's head bobbed against my hair.

"I did. She told me about the moments right before he died. How his mouth was tingling and then he turned blue. It must have been horrible for her." Tears welled in my eyes. I didn't know Noe, not really. But he had seemed to be a nice guy, and Kailani seemed like a sweet girl. I just hated that he'd died like that.

"Detective Ray spoke with her tonight, and I'm sure he'll be talking more with her tomorrow. He's a good detective. A little rough around the edges, but I have total faith he'll find the guy that did this."

I relaxed a little. I hadn't been terribly impressed with the rumpled detective, but I was probably biased due to his little dig about my name.

"Do you think she knows something?" I tilted my head up to meet Jimmy's eyes.

His eyebrows pulled together, creating two little creases above the bridge of his nose. It wasn't often Jimmy was so serious. One would think that in the security world, he'd be this big, serious guy who walked around glaring at everyone. But instead, Jimmy was a fun-loving guy. Always playful and full of joy. It was rare to see him worked up about something.

"I'm sure she knows something, whether she realizes it or not. Poisoning is a pretty personal way of killing someone."

"Isn't all killing personal?"

"True, it is. But this had to take some serious planning. Sneaking the fugu sushi, if that's what he used, into the food-prep tent and ensuring it went to the right person. It certainly was ballsy."

I snickered at Jimmy's choice of words but sobered when I thought about how easily the killer had changed out Noe's sushi. I wondered if the resort would lose business after this debacle.

"Crap!" I sat straight up, knocking the blanket off and to the floor.

"What is it?" Jimmy asked, worry marring his perfect features.

"All the pictures. From tonight. They're all gone. I'm going to have to tell Juls tomorrow. So much for getting a permanent job at the resort."

"I'll go with you. I'm sure she'll understand. It's not like it's your fault. Plus, with the amount of damage control they're doing over this latest incident, I think photographs are the last thing on her mind."

I relaxed back against Jimmy as his arms circled me once again. Picking up the remote, I turned on Netflix. Scrolling through my options in watch it again, I clicked on The Office, losing myself in Michael Scott's antics.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew my pillow was moving. I woke with a start and saw Jimmy trying to inch his way out from under me. In my unconscious state, I'd wrapped myself around him like a pretzel.

Embarrassed, I stood up quickly, smoothing down my hair and adjusting my wrinkled muumuu. Why hadn't I changed?

"It's late, and I have an early morning. Unless—" he said, pausing for a moment as he darted a look to my couch. "You want me to stay? I could sleep on the couch."

My stomach flipped at the thought of him sleeping so nearby. "Of course not. My couch isn't big enough for all of this—" I waved my hand over his body.

He grinned like a man who knew he was hot.

"Go home. Get some sleep." I giggled nervously and cringed.

Why did I feel so awkward? Oh, that's right. I'd just spent a couple of hours sprawled out on top of him. And wait, was that—oh my gosh. It was. Drool. Right there on his shirt. I was going to die.

"I'll see you in the morning, and we can go talk to Juls. 9:00 am, ok?" He stepped in front of me, reaching out to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. And bringing me face-to-face with my big drool spot. Kill me now. Wait, no. In light of my present circumstances, that wasn't funny.

"Yeah, nine works. Thanks," I murmured.

Jimmy stepped closer and placed a kiss to my forehead, pulling away quickly and jogging out to his car. "Night, Red."

"Night." I watched his long legs eating up the distance in just a few strides and sighed. The man was a work of art.

Maybe he didn't notice the drool? A girl could hope.

*  *  *

The next morning came way too early. After Jimmy left, I had found it difficult to go back to sleep. Tossing and turning all night, I would sleep for an hour or two only to be jerked awake by a nightmare. Each time the dream ended with Noe lying face first in his sushi, except the last time. That time instead of Noe, it was my lifeless eyes staring back at me.

A chill crept up my spine at the thought of the killer having my camera—my phone number—my address. I wanted that camera back, and I wouldn't feel safe until the killer was caught.

If I found my camera, I'd find the killer. Maybe I could kill two birds with one stone. Pun intended.

With that thought in mind, I rolled out of bed way earlier than normal. I wasn't exactly a morning person, which was fine for a freelance photographer since I could make my own hours. However, since I wanted to photograph surfers and they did their best work in the morning, not to mention the beautiful sunrises I could capture, I needed to get used to getting up before the sun rose. I didn't have to like it though.

I shuffled to the kitchen, turning the coffeemaker on as I trudged to the shower. Glancing in the mirror, bloodshot eyes with bags underneath them stared back. Nice.

After a hot shower and some eye cream, I felt somewhat human. Donning my skinny black pants, three-inch wedges, and a thin white sleeveless shirt that showed just a hint of cleavage, I felt I had on appropriate armor for the day. After last night's muumuu fiasco, I needed to look pretty.

I definitely was not trying to look good for a certain tall, dark, and gorgeous security guy.

Giving a final fluff to my wavy red hair, I slid into my bright yellow Mini Cooper. Yellow was my favorite color, and I had the good fortune that yellow was actually one of the few colors that looked really good on me. Well, and greens. And sometimes blues. Ok, maybe my options weren't as limited as I thought.

Since I was way too early to meet Jimmy at Aloha Lagoon, I took the long way there, driving by the beach to see if there were any surfers out this morning. Being that this was Hawaii, there were quite a few catching some waves, and I was glad I still had a backup camera. It would have to do.

I jumped out of the car, replacing my wedges with some flip-flops I kept in the back floorboard, and hurried to the beach before the surfers called it quits. Focusing in on one guy in particular, I took several shots, wishing I had my good camera and long lens.

There was something vaguely familiar about the guy, but I kept clicking, hoping I could catch him afterward to get his permission to use the photos on my website. I moved the camera along the beach, looking for my next shot, and paused when I saw Derrick Stone standing there watching the surfers. What was he doing there?

Glancing back to the guy I'd been photographing, I flinched as I realized he was walking straight for me. As he drew closer, it dawned on me why he'd seemed familiar. It was Dax Toki, Jimmy's cousin who'd helped me find my camera bag last night.

"Hey! It's Autumn, right?" He stuck out his wet hand to shake mine.

He was just as ripped as Jimmy, muscles bulging and flexing as he moved. God had definitely blessed the Toki men with good looks and great bodies. Even Jimmy's dad was in fantastic shape for an older guy.

"Hey, Dax. Thanks again for your help last night." I dropped my hand and motioned to my camera. "I was, uh, just taking some pictures. I wonder if you'd mind if I used these on my website. I think I got some really great ones."

"Sure. Alright by me." He shrugged. His grin widened. "You interested in letting the better Toki take you to dinner one night?" Dax was younger than Jimmy, and he seemed to have no problem with self-confidence.

"I'm afraid not. But thanks for offering." I busied myself with glancing at my camera and reviewing a few of the pictures I'd taken. They were really good.

"You dating my cousin?"

I looked up with a start. "No, nothing like that."

"Then what's the problem?" He moved in closer, and I took a step back, suddenly nervous.

"No problem. I just think you're a little young, you know?" I took another step back.

Dax didn't seem to take notice of my subtle retreat, since he just kept walking toward me. Reaching out his hand, he took a lock of my hair between his fingers.

"I'm old enough." His other hand reached out to grab my arm, but I pulled away and hastily walked back to my car.

"Nice to see you again!" I tossed over my shoulder as I slid into my front seat, relieved that I was able to get away. Dax made me nervous for some reason. He stood staring at me, a look of anger making his features seem harder—more severe—older even.

I glanced down, turning the ignition and starting the car. When I looked up, Derrick had walked over to Dax, and it looked as if they were in a heated debate. As if he knew I was watching, Derrick turned his piercing eyes on me. Our gazes met, and it seemed like forever before he turned back to Dax. Breathing out a ragged breath, I pulled out of the parking lot and made my way to Aloha Lagoon.

It wasn't until I walked in the doors that it hit me. Dax was in the vicinity when my camera bag went missing last night. And he'd known right where it was.

CHAPTER FOUR

I found Jimmy at his desk, staring at his computer screen.

"See anything interesting?" I asked, wondering what he could be gazing at so intently. I circled around to stand behind him and saw that he was looking at the security camera feed.

"Not really. I'm reviewing the feed from last night. We don't have cameras out near the pier, but I was hoping a wide-angle view might have caught whoever took your camera. No such luck."

"Well dang." The news was more disappointing than I would have thought since I hadn't even known about the security cameras.

"The only thing I've found is waitstaff running back and forth from the kitchen out to the food-prep tent, but so far, everything looks on the up-and-up." Jimmy leaned back in his chair, making it screech and pop.

I was scared it might break under his considerable bulk.

"I did catch a great view of you in that muumuu you were wearing last night." Jimmy waggled his eyebrows, and I controlled the urge to slug him. We weren't teenagers, after all, but sometimes he brought out the adolescent in me.

"Just hush. You know I hate those things."

"All the more reason to rib you for it."

I propped a hip on the side of his desk and noticed that Jimmy's eyes roved over my outfit appreciatively. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks when our eyes met.

A grin split his lips. "Looks like you're making up for it with that outfit though."

I rolled my eyes. What else was I going to do? Eye rolling was preferable to the urge I suddenly had to preen like a peacock.

I didn't think I fooled Jimmy though, since his grin got even wider. I stood abruptly, smoothing my pants and clearing my throat. With a knowing glance my way, Jimmy rose from his chair, and it bounced back and forth like a jack in the box.

"Let's find Juls." He placed his hand at the small of my back and led me down the hallway of offices. I could feel his heat through the thin shirt, and I shivered. I caught a smirk on Jimmy's face and walked a little faster, pulling away.

Stopping in front of an office that had Julia Kekoa on a nameplate next to the door, I overheard her frantic voice assuring someone on the phone that all was going to be ok. I hadn't thought about how much damage control she would have to do being the activities director.

"Yes, I understand…No, we are not closed…Yes, we believe this was an isolated incident and was a personal attack…No, we do not feel that anyone else is in danger."

"Maybe we should come back later," I whispered to Jimmy.

I was dreading the conversation. It had been my first night on the job, and I had absolutely nothing to show for it. Plus, it seemed like Juls had a lot on her plate. I wasn't sure adding missing pictures to it was smart.

Jimmy just shook his head. "Time to face the music, Red." He took my hand in his and squeezed, letting it go just as quickly. "It'll be fine. Trust me."

Jimmy knocked on the doorframe, and Juls looked up from her call, motioning us in. Her eyes looked tired, but the rest of her was immaculately put together.

"Great. I'll let you know when we resume the normal activities schedule. Thanks, Mr. Jameson." She put the phone down on the receiver and gestured for us to sit in the basket-style chairs drawn up in front of her glass-topped bamboo desk.

"What can I do for you two?" she asked politely, but I could tell she was still preoccupied with damage control.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," I started, looking to Jimmy for support.

He smiled and gave a quick nod of his head for me to go on.

"Oh?" Juls' face froze in a polite mask. I could tell she was screaming no more bad news on the inside. I hated to add to her stress.

"It appears someone stole my camera last night during the chaos of what happened. The film was taken as well."

"Film?" Her facial expression hadn't changed, and I wondered if Juls had a thin grip on her sanity.

"Yes, I typically use film. Although I do have a digital backup camera that I use for website work. So I still have an extra camera, but the pictures from last night. Well, they're—"

"Gone," Juls finished for me.

I nodded.

"We think the killer took it," Jimmy added helpfully.

Her eyebrows rose, and then her whole body seemed to relax, as if she'd made a conscious decision to do so. "Yikes. Ok, well, not much we can do about it then, can we? I'll let the guests know that there's a delay…"

"But—"

Juls held up one finger. "Once the details of the murder hit and people hear that the camera was stolen, no one will care about their pictures. Except maybe Patti Stone."

"She seemed a little intense last night."

"She's always intense. They have a contract with the resort. A partnership of sorts. They bring a lot of business here, so we put up with her antics. Anyway, I'll deal with it."

It was good to know that I wasn't the only one who'd noticed Patti's less-than-amenable attitude. She struck me as the type that if you gave her an inch, she'd take a mile.

"I'm really sorry."

"No need to be. Not something you could have helped." She shuffled a couple of papers on her desk, a new determination lighting her eyes. Looking up at me, she paused. "Oh, also, Alex Cho, our leisure groups coordinator and my boss, wanted me to let you know that you're hired."

"What?" My voice was a tad high-pitched. Were those dogs outside I heard howling?

Juls laughed a little, and I quickly snapped my mouth closed, realizing it still hung open in shock. I was sure the guppy look wasn't very professional.

"Alex was impressed with the way you handled the guests last night and your resilience during such a horrific episode."

"Oh my gosh! Thank you! You won't regret this." Juls stood, and I took that as my cue that the meeting was over. I stuck out my hand to shake hers, and she put her slender hand in mine. With a quick shake, it was official.

"Make sure you follow up with HR today."

"Thank you again."

"No need to thank me. I'll catch up with you tomorrow and show you around, as Alex would like some pictures of the resort and our activities for the website. It's way past time for us to update. Today, just focus on getting all of your paperwork filled out."

"I'll be happy to take her to HR and get her started," Jimmy said. "I've got a couple of hours."

"Fantastic. I'll see you tomorrow then, Autumn, say around 1:00 p.m.?"

"Perfect!"

As we exited Juls' office, I was able to contain my elation until we were several feet away. When I was sure we were out of earshot, I whooped and threw my arms around Jimmy's broad shoulders.

"I did it! I really did it!"

A burst of laughter tore from Jimmy's chest as he picked me up and twirled me around, squeezing the breath out of me.

"I knew you would, Red."

"Mmmphf, pwff." My face was pressed so tightly against his chest that I couldn't get anything intelligible out of my mouth.

"Oops, sorry." Jimmy put me down, and I quickly adjusted my clothes. One of the things I loved about Jimmy was that inside, he was all soft and squishy. Such a kid at heart. But on the outside, he looked intimidating as hell. He was also the size of a Mack truck, so sometimes he forgot his own strength.

"Let's make you official." Jimmy led the way to HR, which was down a different corridor of offices.

It was nice to finally be able to relax about a steady paycheck. Too bad I couldn't feel the same about my missing camera or the fact that a killer might have a reason to want me out of the picture. The unintended puns just kept coming.

The rest of the morning zipped along at warp speed. I was photographed for my official Aloha Lagoon Resort badge, filled out what seemed to be a mountain of paperwork, and watched several videos on resort policy and procedure. Jimmy, bless his heart, did double duty as resort guide and lackey, running to make copies for me or to get much-needed caffeine. Finally I was finished and welcomed by the human resources director, David Mahelona, as a "member of the Aloha Lagoon Resort family, where we really do try to make every day count."

To my credit, I managed to smile at the spiel, even thanked him for the kind words, although they were in stark contrast to his overwhelming presence both in attitude and size.

"I'm starved. Ready to get some food?" Jimmy asked as we walked to the hotel lobby.

"One second. I want to tell Summer the good news." I rushed over to the front desk, where Summer was waiting on a customer. I patiently, or impatiently might be a better description, tapped my fingers on the counter as she gave the man her fake I'm-here-to-help-you-with-all-your-needs smile.

Finally, she was finished, and she turned to me with the fake grin in place. It fell immediately and was replaced by a genuine one.

"Autumn! Did you talk to Juls today?"

"I got the job!"

Squealing with delight, Summer ran out from behind the desk and took both my hands in hers. We did the jumping-hand-holding thing for a few seconds before she hugged me tightly.

"That's such great news! When do you start?"

"Tomorrow. Alex wants some pictures of the resort and activities for the website, so I'll meet up with Juls tomorrow and find out what exactly they're looking for."

"Any news on the dead guy?" she asked, eyeing Jimmy as he talked on his cell phone.

He had that serious security look on his face. It was so different from the happy-go-lucky expression I was used to.

"Nothing he's shared with me. Have you heard anything?"

Summer glanced around to make sure no one was looking. "I heard that Dax Toki and Noe Kahale had a fight the night before he was killed. I don't know what it was about, but it was no secret that there was no love lost between those two."

My suspicion of Dax crept up a notch as I remembered the anger in his eyes this morning when I'd turned him down, his vicinity to my camera bag last night, and how he knew right where it was. Then I remembered his conversation with Derrick on the beach and the tension on his face.

"Why didn't they like each other?" I asked.

"Dax and Noe were both extremely competitive. Noe was at the top of his game, but Dax was starting to win more and more of the events. You can only have one top surfer. They both wanted the title."

"But do you think it would be enough to want to kill someone?" I couldn't imagine poisoning someone because they might be better than me at a sport.

Summer shrugged. "Who knows? There's a lot of money to be lost if you lose that spot. Sponsors, incentives, endorsements. It can be pretty cutthroat out there."

What would Jimmy think of the information about his cousin? I'd have to ask him at lunch. Maybe he would know whether Dax was capable of poisoning someone to secure his position at the top.

"We're heading to get some lunch. Want to come with us?" I asked.

"I can't. I don't get a break for another hour."

"Bummer. Ok, well I'll see you later then." I waved at Summer as I made my way toward Jimmy. He was still on the call when I arrived.

"Thanks, Ray. I've been keeping an eye on her. No. She hasn't remembered anything yet."

I felt a little guilty since I hadn't really been thinking much about what I could have seen last night. With the excitement of a new job and the busyness of getting all the paperwork done, I'd kind of put last night's events on the back burner. Hearing Jimmy talk about me to the detective, though, reminded me of the danger I could potentially be in.

Unless I figured out who had murdered Noe, I had a feeling I'd never feel safe. With that thought running through my head, I made a decision. I was going to figure this thing out if it was the last thing I did. No wait. Not the last thing I did. Maybe it was better to just say that I was determined to find Noe's killer. Period.

"You got a lot of steam coming out of your ears, Red. What's going on in that mind of yours?"

I looped my arm through his. "Nothing important. Just determined, that's all."

Jimmy groaned as he directed me to his piece-of-junk car, a hand-me-down from his dad that was a rust bucket held together with wire and luck. "I don't think I like the sound of that. It usually means trouble where you're concerned."

I gasped and elbowed him in the side. He grunted, but I knew he was faking it.

"That's offensive. I am not trouble."

Raising his eyebrows at me, Jimmy opened my door for me, and I slid inside.

Jimmy walked around the front of the car and got in. He had to turn the ignition several times before it actually turned over.

"Where are we eating?" I asked as I struggled with the seat belt. Its clasp was bent and refused to stay closed. I finally gave up and tied it around my middle. I could only hope that we wouldn't tango with another vehicle as we drove.

"Loco Moco ok with you?" Jimmy looked behind him as he pulled out of his parking spot and steered the car onto the road.

"Always."

Aloha Lagoon was a wonderful destination town for tourists, and like all other tourist areas, there were a myriad of restaurants to sample. The food at the Loco Moco was nothing short of magnificent, and Jimmy made quick work of the succulent pork, sweet pineapple, and long rice that filled his plate. I, being the discerning foodie that I was, took time to savor the huli-huli chicken and miso soup. The gingery sauce on the chicken had just the right amount of bite, and the soup was pure heaven in a bowl.

I wasn't sure how to delicately bring up the subject of Dax and Noe's argument, and I was quickly running out of time. I knew Jimmy had to work the rest of the afternoon, so he would need to get back to the resort soon.

"Jimmy, Summer said something to me earlier. And well, I was just wondering—"

"Spit it out, Red. Can't be that bad," he interrupted.

I dropped my hands to my lap to keep from fidgeting. "She said that Dax and Noe had a huge fight the night before Noe was killed. She didn't hear any details. But I was just thinking—"

"You think Dax would kill Noe over a fight?"

"She said they were competitive and that they could have been fighting again over sponsorships and endorsements. And then last night he knew where my bag was. Then this morning he was angry when I wouldn't go out with him—"

"Dax asked you out? When did you see him?" Jimmy's typical relaxed persona was immediately replaced with his hard, security-guy one. He seemed irritated.

"I couldn't sleep last night after you left—"

"I knew I should have stayed."

"No, you shouldn't have, and stop interrupting me. Anyway, I got up early and went to the beach on my way in. I was photographing him surfing. I didn't realize who it was. He asked me out afterwards when I was getting his permission to use the pictures on my website."

Jimmy grunted.

"It's just when I turned him down, he got angry. Wanted to know what was going on between us. I assured him we were just friends.

Jimmy's head jerked up at that, and a weird expression crossed his face. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "Stay away from Dax. He's got issues."

I was surprised by the fury in Jimmy's voice. It wasn't often that he got upset, and it was never directed at me.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make you angry."

Jimmy touched my hand lightly. "I'm not angry at you. Dax seems to get himself into all kinds of trouble. He's an adult now, but as a kid, he was always into something. I've been bailing him out for years, and I'm sick of it."

I pondered the information. If Dax was a troublemaker, could that mean he could be a killer?

"But I don't think he's capable of murder," Jimmy added quickly.

I nodded, not sure what else I should do.

"Look, Dax isn't your problem. I'll talk to him. But just stay away from him. I don't want you tangled up in whatever scheme he's into now."

"I wasn't planning on seeing him. He's years younger than me."

"But if he wasn't, you'd be interested?"

Was that jealousy I heard in his voice? Surely not. I thought about his question for a moment.

"He's a good-looking guy, but I don't think he's my type. I might have considered dinner with him once, but it wouldn't go past that."

Jimmy looked relieved but quickly quirked a brow, his eyes filling with that teasing glint he gets.

"You think he's good-looking, huh?"

"Sure," I said cautiously. Somehow I knew this was going to bite me in the butt.

"You know, most people say that Dax and I could pass as brothers."

"I can see that."

"So if you think he's good-looking, then you must think I'm good-looking."

Jimmy already knew he was good-looking. There was no reason to make his head any bigger than it already was. He wasn't conceited about it though, just confident.

"You're ok." I gave him a saucy wink then stood. "We need to get you back to the resort."

"Changing the subject, Red?" he said, leaning in close, his face just an inch or so from mine.

My breath caught in my chest, and I stood completely still. The moment seemed to last forever, although it was probably only a couple of seconds.

Then Jimmy reached out and tugged at a lock of my hair. "Let's go." He grinned knowingly then walked out of the restaurant.

It took a good ten seconds before my breathing returned to normal.

Jimmy was a hopeless flirt. That was all.

After dropping him off at the resort, he gave me a one-armed hug.

"Go straight home. Lock your doors. I'll be by later tonight."

"Yes, sir!" I said, saluting him.

"Smartass." He winked then disappeared inside the resort.

Finding my car in the lot, I drove straight to my apartment, running in and quickly locking the door behind me.

I sat down at the bar with the pen and paper I'd taken out of my kitchen junk drawer and wrote down what I knew. If I was going to get to the bottom of this and feel safe, I needed to figure out who had killed Noe and might have my camera.

I wrote down: Noe and Dax had a fight. I needed to figure out who had seen that fight and what it was about. If it was a disagreement, then I couldn't see that being a precursor to murder. But maybe it was more than just an argument.

I thought about Kailani, Noe's fiancée. I wondered if she'd been there. I added to my list: Talk to Kailani.

I looked down at the list and realized I had very little to go on. Who else might have a reason to kill Noe? Since I didn't know much about him, I had no idea who else to talk to besides Kailani.

Then it occurred to me. Derrick Stone. He'd been arguing with Noe the night Noe had been killed. Could he have had something to do with it? He sure seemed creepy enough. He'd also had a tense conversation with Dax this morning on the beach. Could he be the link between them? What was his connection to the surfers? How was he involved? I added to my list: Find out more about Derrick Stone.

But who would know about Derrick? His mousy assistant, Annie, popped into my mind. I could meet her for coffee maybe and ask a few questions about him. I wasn't sure yet how I'd casually ask questions about her boss, but I supposed something would come to me in the moment. I wrote down: Have coffee with Annie, right under Derrick's name.

With a haphazard plan in place, I decided a nap was in order since I hadn't slept much the night before. I put the pad back into the drawer so Jimmy wouldn't find it. I was pretty sure Jimmy wouldn't be too happy to have me snooping around.

I hated napping with my clothes on, so I took off the outfit and my bra and pulled a cami on, crawling into bed.

I lay there going over what I might have seen the night before. Systematically I thought about the pictures of people arriving, the action shots of everyone enjoying themselves, the food prep. That had to be it, right? Maybe I'd caught something in the food tent.

But the more I tried to remember, the heavier my eyes became. Exhaustion hit hard and swift, and I sank into oblivion—visions of pineapples and sushi dancing in my head.

CHAPTER FIVE

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

I shot up in bed, wondering what had woken me so suddenly. It didn't take long to figure it out.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

For a moment, fear curled in my belly as I wondered if it could be the killer coming to ensure I'd never tell anyone what he thought I might have seen. But that was ridiculous. He wouldn't knock on the door. Would he?

I briefly remembered a book I'd once read about a girl who falls in love with an assassin. When she'd made the same comment, he'd replied that was exactly what a killer would do. I shivered.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

Whoever was at the door was getting more persistent. I jumped out of bed and ran to the door, looking through the peephole before opening it.

Jimmy.

Crap! I'd forgotten he was coming over.

"Hey, sorry," I said as I opened the door for him to come in. Relief flooded his face, and then his expression changed. He stood at the door, his mouth slightly open as he stared at me.

Self-consciously I messed with my hair and wiped at my face. "What?"

"You forget your clothes, Red?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I knew they were crimson. An eep escaped my throat, and I ran to my room to throw on some clothes, leaving Jimmy standing at the front door.

I heard it close as I pulled a T-shirt and shorts on over my underwear and cami. It wouldn't have been so bad if my underwear weren't one of the skimpiest pairs I owned, with string sides and more showing in the back than was covered. And maybe if I'd had on a bra.

Mortification seemed to be my constant friend.

"I thought maybe we could go to the beach. I'd like to get some early evening surfing done and thought sunset might be a great time to take some pictures."

Aloha Lagoon was fortunate enough to be located where sunrise and sunset could both be viewed on the beach. Other parts of the island weren't so fortunate.

I briefly wondered if I should work on that list I'd begun about who I needed to talk to, but rationalized that maybe I'd run into some of Noe's surfer friends at the beach. I could kill two birds with one stone—hanging out with my best friend with a little bit of digging on the side.

"That sounds like a great idea. Let me just get changed," I called out, switching gears as I rummaged through my drawers for my swimsuit.

"Don't change on my account," Jimmy called and then chuckled.

I could feel my cheeks getting warm again. Dang pale skin!

After pulling on my swimsuit and shorts, I sauntered out to the living room. I'd opted for a tasteful bikini. Since Jimmy had just gotten an eyeful, I figured full coverage was the best way to go. The top of the suit came up high with a cut out between my breasts, showing a tasteful amount of cleavage. The bottoms were hipster style, so although they sat low on my hips, they covered my entire backside.

Jimmy eyed my outfit then gave me a devilish grin. "This works too."

I playfully tapped his shoulder with mine as I walked to the door, just noticing that Jimmy had changed into his board shorts before coming over.

He motioned toward the bag on the floor. "I brought a change of clothes for afterwards, so we could order pizza."

"Great," I said cheerily, but the thought of Jimmy changing clothes in my apartment had my skin feeling a little too tight for my body. I opened the door to the apartment, holding up and dangling my keys. "Want to take the Coop?"

"Sounds good. But I'm driving." He snatched the keys out of my hand before darting out the door.

"Hey!" I yelled, but it was no use. Jimmy was already settling himself behind the wheel and lowering the top of the convertible. I loved that car. It was old and had more than its share of miles on it, but it was cute and a ton of fun.

We drove to the beach I'd passed on the way to the resort that morning. Jimmy and some of the other surfers stored boards at different beaches. When real estate was a premium, most people didn't have much room to store surfboards. Fortunately, the surf shops would let you rent a locker that didn't cost you an arm and a leg. Since I usually met Jimmy here at this beach, we'd decided to share a locker and split the cost.

We retrieved our boards, spending a few happy minutes waxing them and chatting about nothing in particular. It was so nice not to think about the missing camera or the possibility that I'd caught the murderer in action. Whenever my mind began to stray in that direction, I quickly filed the thought under to be considered at a later date.

We'd just started out toward the water when I heard our names being called. Turning, I saw Dax headed our way, surfboard in tow. I heard Jimmy give a quiet groan. In my opinion, that didn't bode well for cousin closeness.

"'Sup, cuz." Dax and Jimmy gave each other a complicated greeting, bumping fists, clutching hands, touching shoulders in that weird way men have of hugging without hugging. Manly ritual completed, Dax turned to me and smiled.

"We meet again, Autumn."

His eyes were a deep brown, and he stared into mine with an intensity that made me uncomfortable, as if he was sizing me up for dating material? Food? I couldn't be sure. I just nodded in response, sending Jimmy a telepathic message to get rid of him pronto.

It didn't work.

"Autumn and I were just heading out," Jimmy said. "Waves are lookin' good right now."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go out again. Catch more practice time for the next competition." He turned his eyes back to me, smiling as he did. "I'm sure you already know, Autumn, that I'm a professional surfer." He gave Jimmy's arm a light punch. "Not like this wannabe surfer cousin of mine."

"Want to explain to me how a pizza delivery guy can afford a custom-made board like that?" Jimmy asked, pointing toward the sick board Dax had under his arm.

Bright red hibiscus flowers tipped the swells of turquoise and blue waves. A tropical fish with purple and red hues hid among the swirls of color. The vibrancy of the piece was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was truly a work of art.

"I don't deliver pizzas anymore. You jealous, cuz?" He spat the word "cuz" out like it was a curse word.

A charged silence grew between them, and I suddenly felt like I was back home, donning the black and white stripes whenever my brothers got into it. I stepped closer to Jimmy and took his arm.

"Hope you don't think I'm being rude, Dax, but Jimmy's been promising to take me out on my board since forever ago, and I finally cornered him today." I smiled up at Jimmy. "Let's hit the water, big guy." And with a casual wave of my hand, I maneuvered the two of us away from Dax and out toward the waves, surfboard and camera in hand.

Surfing was one experience that I'd almost mastered since moving to the islands. I could now stay upright on my board without falling off…for about ten seconds. I'd practice my surfing skills a little until the sun started to set and would switch to taking pictures of Jimmy.

"Cool offensive maneuver, Red." Jimmy reached out and gave my shoulder a light squeeze. "I can fight my own battles, though."

"I'm sure you can," I replied, straddling my board and beginning a slow paddle out into deeper water. "I just had no desire to witness an excess of testosterone. I got enough of that at home." I sent a splash of water at him. "Last one to the waves is a rotten egg!"

The sky was an azure blue with a few low clouds scudding on the horizon. The waves were uniform, swelling and breaking in perfect rhythm. It was my kind of afternoon, and I was glad to be there enjoying the sun and water with my best friend. The next few hours belonged just to us, all thoughts of murder and mayhem packed up in the proverbial bag and tossed aside.

After falling off my board more times than I cared to count, I picked up my camera I'd left with my towel on the beach. I straddled the board as I watched Jimmy surfing, the sun setting beautifully behind him.

The man was mesmerizing to watch. One would think that his huge body would make him clumsy or awkward on the board, but instead he moved with grace, as if one with the waves. I lowered my camera, awestruck as I observed him.

Another surfer came into view, and I recognized Dax immediately. What was he doing? Before I could yell, Dax drew up beside Jimmy. I could barely hear Jimmy yelling something as Dax broke all the rules of surfing etiquette and jumped onto Jimmy's wave, cutting him off. Finally Jimmy yelled again, and Dax launched himself from his surfboard, tackling Jimmy.

They disappeared under the wave, and I froze, waiting to see if Jimmy would reappear. When he did, he and Dax were locked in a pushing war, both struggling to keep their heads above the waves.

I looped my camera across my shoulders, grateful it was waterproof, and paddled quickly out to where the two men were fighting. By the time I reached them, they'd separated, no longer trying to drown each other, but were still arguing.

"What's the matter, cuz? Afraid I'll upstage you out here in front of your girlfriend?" Dax taunted.

"I have nothing to be afraid of. Autumn isn't interested in a boy. She wants a man." Jimmy grinned, and of course, Dax took the bait.

I'd have to ponder his words later.

"I'm more of a man than you'll ever be!" Dax yelled, turning to paddle himself back to his board.

"Don't know about that, dude. But if you think you're a man, stop acting like a child, making your family bail you out of the messes you get yourself into, and take some responsibility."

Jimmy swam toward me, climbing up on the back of my board. I struggled to remain upright, but his warm hands circled my waist.

"Steady, Red." His mouth was right next to my ear, and I fought a shiver back.

Jimmy chuckled. Ok maybe I hadn't exactly fought that shiver off after all.

Reaching the shore, Jimmy jumped off the board when he spotted his resting on the beach. I pulled mine out of the water and lugged it back to the locker. I'd had enough excitement for one day. Time to relax with some pizza.

"Hey, Autumn," a voice called out behind me.

"Dax, what were you thinking out there?" I dropped my board and stalked toward him. "Someone could have been hurt, badly."

"Nah, we were safe. I was just furious that he embarrassed me before. You know, about the pizza delivery stuff. I don't do that anymore."

"Who cares?" I turned around to pick up my board and put it back in the locker.

Dax's hand wrapped around my upper arm, stopping my progress. I whirled around ready to attack, but something in his face made me pause. I saw innocence, immaturity, regret, and sadness.

"What?" I asked, trying to keep the witchy out of my voice. I noticed another young man walking up to us, and Dax let go of my arm.

"Hey, dude, how's it hanging?" the guy asked.

Dax and he performed a complicated handshake similar to his and Jimmy's earlier, and then Dax turned back to me. "Autumn, this is Phil Mano. Phil, this is Autumn."

"Pleasure to meet you," Phil said with a twinkle in his eye.

So he was a charmer too. What was it with these surfers anyway? Did they all think they were God's gifts to women?

"Nice to meet you, Phil. What did you want to tell me, Dax?" I was growing impatient and wanted to just get back home and curl up on the couch with Jimmy and a pizza. And a glass or two of wine.

"I wanted to tell you that I have a real job. Derrick and Patti Stone hired me. They're my sponsors."

"Ok?" I asked, puzzled why this was important to Dax.

"And I'm on my way to being at the top, you know? I've got big plans in store. I just thought, well, if you knew that I wasn't just a kid—"

I interrupted him before he could go on. I kind of felt sorry for him. Then I thought about how he'd launched himself through the air at Jimmy and changed my mind.

"Listen. I get that you're some top surfer, but what you did out there was stupid. You can't just go beating people up to prove you're better than they are."

Phil snorted. I whipped my head around to look at him. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing. You're absolutely right." He snickered.

Dax fought a grin.

I decided to change the subject. "Ok, so what exactly do you do for the Stones?"

Phil mumbled something about "nothing he could tell you about," but Dax elbowed him in the ribs, and Phil grimaced, rubbing his side.

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but Dax spoke up. "The Stones own a company called Ecoboards. They make eco-friendly surfboards. Surfboard pollution is a hot topic, since none of the materials in a traditional board can be recycled. So the Stones jumped on the bandwagon, creating custom-made surfboards out of biodegradable materials."

"Well, that's kind of cool."

"It is pretty rad. We do mainly, um…" Dax looked at Phil, but Phil just shrugged. "Deliveries and transports."

Phil snorted again, and I got the feeling they were leaving out some very important details.

"What do you transport?" I asked, my suspicions rising as Dax darted his eyes around the beach.

"Boards," Phil interjected. "Of course."

I thought about what Dax had said about climbing to the top. Did that mean he was capable of murdering Noe in order to ensure his seat? I was leery of Dax. Not quite scared, but thought it would probably be best if I didn't meet up with him in a dark alley. But since Jimmy had said he didn't think Dax was capable of killing someone, I figured I'd better take this opportunity to ask him about the fight.

"What happened between you and Noe? I heard you guys had a fight the night before the luau."

Dax crossed his arms over his chest. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing really. I just wondered about it, that's all," I said, shocked at the vehemence I heard in his voice.

"Noe was a jerk. We fought, yeah, but it wasn't anything new. We fought all the time."

"What did you fight about?"

"Mainly who was better. Noe was always joking around and talking crap about how much better he was than everyone else. I'd had enough."

"Yeah, no one on the team liked Noe's attitude. He was a jackass," Phil interjected.

"So you did, what? Argued?"

Dax glanced down at his feet. "It was a little more than just an argument. Noe got in my face, and I pushed him. It kind of escalated from there."

I hadn't realized the fight was physical. Yikes.

"You fought with a guy because you didn't like that he was better than you?"

"He wasn't better than me," Dax growled, taking a couple of steps closer to me.

Suddenly fearful of him, my earlier resolve that he wouldn't kill someone gone, I backed up a few steps, my hands in front of me. "Got it. Not better than you. Sorry," I said quickly.

He relaxed a little but stood his ground.

"Noe was a piece of crap. No one's really all that sorry he's gone," he said.

I found that hard to believe. Kailani was pretty upset about it, and I'd met Noe. He was funny and handsome. He seemed like he liked to have a good time. I found it hard to believe that he was just a jerk who no one would care if he lived or died.

"You all wanted him gone?" I asked.

"Not like that," Dax assured me. His face turned to anger again. "Wait! What are you getting at? You think we killed him?"

"No, no I was just—"

"What's going on over here?" a male voice called out.

Both Dax and Phil looked a little aggressive in their stances, hovering over me with angered looks on their faces. It would look suspicious to anyone watching our trio.

I turned to see who had come to my rescue, and immediately, my heart fell. Derrick and Patti Stone.

"I asked what's going on over here," Derrick said again.

"Nothing, Derrick. We were just chatting with Autumn," Dax said, backing up and putting a little distance between us.

Patti Stone sidled up to Phil, rubbing her hands up and down his bicep. Ew. She was old enough to be his mother. But the way she was looking at him was far from motherly.

"Oh! You're that picture-taking girl from last night," Patti squealed, looping her arm through Phil's and pressing her enormous bosom into his chest.

Was it too difficult for her to say photographer? Picture-taking girl? As if I was an eleven-year-old with a disposable camera or something.

"I am," I said, resigned to her diminishing of my profession.

"Oh goody. You are just the person I want to talk to." She released Phil, clapping her hands in front of her face and bouncing up and down like a cheerleader.

"Ok," I said lamely. I really didn't know what else to say since I had no desire to have anything to do with the woman. She was high maintenance with a capital H and capital M.

"We're having a little get-together for some surfing executives tomorrow night. Hopefully, it will lift everyone's spirits after last night's disaster."

I thought calling someone's death a disaster was appropriate, but I had a feeling she meant more the event and not the death of one of their surfers.

"I'll need you to be there and take some photos. It's very important for our social media accounts to have professional photographs to post and not ones from a cell phone." She looked utterly disgusted, as if cell phone pictures were the worst thing ever. She wasn't entirely wrong.

"I'm not sure I can—" I began.

"I insist. I'll pay you double what the resort pays you. Now, if you will meet me at the pier tomorrow afternoon, I'll give you the lay of the land."

Patti pulled on Derrick to leave, but he didn't budge.

He directed a stern look at both Dax and Phil. "You guys are supposed to be working out, not flirting."

"We weren't—" Dax started.

"I don't pay you good money to talk to women. I pay you to win tournaments."

"Yes, sir," Dax said, his anger barely controlled.

I was learning that Dax didn't like being taken to task in front of others.

"I have another order that needs to go out. Meet me at the usual spot at 9:00 p.m."

Why were they delivering surfboards at 9:00 p.m. on a weeknight?

"Yes, sir," both guys responded and turned to walk back to the ocean, Phil stopping to scoop his board off the sand.

Derrick turned to walk away, but I knew I might not have an opportunity like this again.

"Wait, Derrick."

He turned, eyeing me from my toes to finally meeting my eyes. "What," he spat. It wasn't a question, more of a command.

"How are your surfers dealing with Noe's death? Do you have any idea who could have wanted him dead?"

His lip curled as if the thought of answering me repulsed him. I didn't understand his anger toward me or his surfers. He seemed to be in a perpetually bad mood.

"We're all managing. It was quite sudden. And no, I have no idea who could have wanted him dead."

"Are you sure? I mean, maybe someone wanted his spot at the top. Maybe one of the other surfers could have taken him out in order to—"

Derrick took two steps toward me, a determined gleam in his eye. "Look, little girl—"

He did not just call me little girl. Before I could protest, he continued.

"None of my surfers had anything to do with this. If I find out you've told anyone otherwise, you'll be sorry."

He walked away, dragging his wife behind him.

It was then that I noticed Annie, his personal assistant, skulking behind them. Just the woman I wanted to talk to.

"Psst. Annie," I whispered.

She stopped and turned around, glancing at the retreating backs of her employers and then back to me.

"Want to grab coffee before I meet with Patti tomorrow afternoon?"

She looked confused, and I realized that I hadn't given her any real reason to meet with me. We weren't friends, so it did seem a little odd.

"You can give me some information about Patti and the event before I meet with her. It might make things go more smoothly."

Annie looked as if she had doubts about my intentions, but she must have decided to let them go. She smiled shyly and nodded.

"Yes, but not coffee. It's too hot out for that. Meet me at the pool bar. We can get sodas there."

"Sodas it is. See you tomorrow after lunch."

Satisfied with already knocking two items off my list, I turned around to pick up my surfboard and ran right into a hard, warm chest.

I looked up, way up into the eyes of Jimmy.

He quirked a brow. "Red?"

"Oh, good. You found your board," I said guiltily, rushing my words.

"What was that all about?" he asked, tipping his head at the retreating Stones.

"Oh nothing. Just Patti telling me that she needs me to take pictures for an event tomorrow night."

Jimmy grinned, no doubt at my disgusted tone.

I guessed it was best to just get the other part out. "And Derrick warning me not to be asking questions about Noe's death."

I said the last sentence really quickly and rushed to the lockers to put my board away. Jimmy caught up with me a few seconds later, just as I reached our shared locker.

"What?" He had on his security face again.

Great. "Huh?"

"Don't play dumb, Red. You know what I mean. Why were you asking Derrick Stone questions about Noe's murder?"

Stalling was the name of the game. I wasn't sure how to explain it all to Jimmy. I was afraid he might lock me in my house and throw away the key. I put my board away, moving to the side so Jimmy could put his away as well. Finally, I couldn't delay anymore, and I turned back to him.

"Jimmy, someone was killed last night. And that killer stole my camera, thinking I might have caught him on film. That same someone might think I saw something, even though I can't for the life of me think of what that might be. I can't just sit around waiting for him to decide he doesn't want to take the chance anymore. I need to figure out who did this."

I'd known all of this, but putting it out there and hearing myself say the words, I hadn't realized how scared I really was. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to make them go away.

Jimmy pulled me in for a hug, wrapping his big arms around me. I felt safe when I was with him, like nothing bad could ever happen to me if I was in his arms. He was a good friend. I wasn't sure what I would ever do without him.

I assumed one day he'd find a woman and settle down. Probably a tall, statuesque model. But until then, I was going to enjoy every moment I had with him.

"Let's get some pizza and watch Netflix," Jimmy said, kissing the top of my head.

"I can't think of anything else I'd rather do," I answered. And it was true.

CHAPTER SIX

"Let me show you where the ladies' lockers are."

I was walking with Juls the next day, or at least attempting to walk with her. She moved as though in a power-walk race, determined to best her last time.

"And because you're now an official employee of the resort, you have access to all the services here, including our on-site masseuse, my personal favorite perk."

"Mine too," I said fervently. A good massage could erase daily stress, and after working with Juls for one short hour, I was already in need of one. I'd either have to learn to adjust to her frenetic pace or die trying.

The locker room was that in name only. Lining one wall was a series of glass-fronted cabinets, each etched with flora native to the Aloha Lagoon region. I was given the key to the one with a delicate spray of orchids on the door. The lighting was soft and unobtrusive, the walls covered with an understated bamboo design. There were several groupings of club chairs, each one upholstered in sea green baize, with small tables set conveniently nearby. It looked more like a spa rather than an employees' break area. The Aloha Lagoon Resort certainly knew how to treat their own.

As impressed as I was by the locker room, I was more interested in the weekly remuneration. I still couldn't quite believe that I'd be on the receiving end of a regular paycheck. With a determination to earn every penny of it, I turned to smile at Juls.

"Thanks again for hiring me, Juls. You have no idea how much this means to me." I knew I sounded a tad sycophantic, but I really meant every word. I'd love to pay off my car, and it seemed I would now have to save up to buy a new 35mm camera. I mourned the loss of my pride and joy, but I hadn't had much time to think about replacing it and what it would cost. A whole lot less than someone's life, though. At least the camera was replaceable.

Juls shrugged nonchalantly, but I could tell she was pleased with my appreciation. "I figured that someone who comes with Jimmy Toki's seal of approval is good enough for me. Plus you earned it." She gave her watch a quick glance. "I have to get out to the pier to make sure that Patti Stone has all she needs for tonight's shindig. That woman…"

She left the rest of that statement off, but I could read between the lines. I'd met her.

She began the speed-walk routine again, but now I could keep pace without gasping too loudly. Maybe just working alongside Juls could be my daily workout, I thought with a grin. Giving her tanned legs a surreptitious glance, I had to admit those muscles looked pretty good.

"I'm a runner."

So my peek at her legs hadn't been as covert as I'd thought. I blushed, and she laughed, giving my arm a friendly pat. "And I have to say that you're keeping up with me better than Jimmy thought you would."

Oh, that Jimmy. I tucked Juls' comment away for future reference. Jimmy would pay for that. I thought about all the ways I could get him back.

Juls' phone rang, and she answered with, "Juls Kekoa."

"Oh no…Ok…No, I hadn't heard. That's terrible…I see…Yes, we'd absolutely like the chance…Of course. I'll tell her since I'm about to head in her direction…Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

She ended the call and pushed her hands into her hair. It was rare to see Juls ruffled. She didn't seem the type to be frazzled very easily. I waited patiently as Juls seemed to get herself under control.

"Well, my life just got a whole lot more complicated." Juls checked her smartphone, scrolling through several things before she looked up and met my eyes.

"Anything I can help with?" I asked, not sure what I could do, but since I was gainfully employed by her, I thought it best to ask.

"Not right now, except I can't finish the tour."

"It's fine. I'll find my way around. I can take some pictures of activities and the outside of the resort for the website or brochures. I've learned how to keep myself busy."

Juls looked relieved. "Thanks. That was Alex telling me that the hosting resort for the surfing competition this weekend caught fire last night. They think it was arson. "

Well, that was interesting news. The hosting hotel for the surfing Classic burns down, the initial impression was arson, and last year's champion ends up dead. All just days before the event. Seemed like a lot of coincidences.

"Anyway, Aloha Lagoon is going to make a bid for the competition to be held here, which means a ton of work on my end." She sighed heavily. "As if Patti's last-minute party wasn't enough trouble, now it looks as if we'll be at full capacity this weekend, with press coverage. I need to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible."

I smiled weakly. I knew the possibility of hosting the competition was great business for the resort, but I also knew that put a lot of pressure on Juls and the rest of the staff.

"Sometimes I wish the Stones would find another hotel to partner with. I know it's good revenue for the hotel, but she ends up using us like personal assistants. We do have jobs to do and guests to care for."

"Patti asked me to work her shindig tonight, too. Well, asked is putting it politely. Demanded is probably more accurate. But I'm happy to help in other ways if you have something you'd like me to do."

"Thanks, Autumn. Sorry you got roped into this by her. It's really nice having you on the team. I'll let you know if there's something more I need tonight."

That comment warmed my heart and put a little hop in my step as I circled around to the front desk to see Summer, and Juls turned and walked to the pier. Summer was in deep discussion with a rather round man with the loudest Hawaiian shirt I'd ever seen. Unfortunately, he'd paired that shirt with a pair of the loudest board shorts I'd ever seen too. What was he thinking?

"I'm sorry, sir. Our hula girls just don't do private dances. I think you're confusing them with a different sort of dancer," Summer said, trying to reason with him.

"I'm sure I heard that your girls do private dances." He looked down at the brochure in his hand. "See right here. Secure our hula dancers for your private event."

I held back a snicker. The man was too much.

"Private events, sir. Like luaus, dinners, parties. Not private events in your hotel room."

"Well, it should be clearer," he grumped and waddled past me, mumbling something about customer service and not catching a break.

"That was interesting," I said as I approached the front desk.

"Tell me about it. Pervert." Summer shuffled some papers then rested her arms on the desk. "What's new? Are you liking your new job?"

"So far. The job still provides a lot of freedom and flexibility, which is nice. Although I have to work a private event for Patti Stone tonight. She didn't give me much of a choice to say no."

"She's the worst. A few weeks ago, Chef Aki had a major run-in with her."

I'd heard that Chef Aki was a bit temperamental. I could only imagine the fireworks that would happen when those two went head to head.

"Really? What happened?" I loved good gossip, especially if it was harmless.

"Patti had requested dolphin centerpieces. She wanted Chef Aki to make the whole party dolphin themed. So Chef Aki had made these adorable place settings with bananas and blueberries. The bananas were carved and decorated to look like dolphins, and the blueberries were arranged artistically on the plates to resemble the water. In the center, he'd created an oasis of sorts, so it looked like the dolphins were circling the oasis—an island with a large tree in the center, all made of fruit."

"That sounds amazing." His artwork at the luau the other night was impressive, so I was sure this one was equally so.

"It was. But apparently not at all what Patti wanted."

"Why in the world not?"

"She said the dolphins weren't the focal point and wanted him to do everything over—two hours before the party. When Chef Aki told her that wasn't possible, she pitched a royal fit. Yelling and screaming and pushing people as she stormed out of the banquet hall."

"Geez, what a witch."

"Exactly. She's definitely got a reputation."

The innuendo was clear in her voice.

"What kind of reputation?" I asked.

Leaning forward, Summer lowered her volume to a whisper. "Rumor has it that she gets her surfers to sleep with her for better benefits with Ecoboards."

"That's disgusting. She's so…so…"

"Old? Teased? Surgically enhanced?" She snorted at her descriptions, and I couldn't help the snicker that escaped.

"She's not that old, but she's got at least twenty years on her surfers."

"She calls them her family. Always telling them that they need to be loyal to the 'family.' I've even heard her refer to herself as 'Mama Patti.'"

"Seriously? Does she not see how messed up that is?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Summer stood up, straightening the brochures on the desk she'd messed up by leaning on them. "Ok, that's all I can handle of this conversation."

A girly giggle escaped her. I grinned back, shaking my head.

In a serious tone, she added, "Just be careful tonight. That cat's got claws."

"Thanks for the heads-up. Is it time for your break yet?"

Summer checked her watch. "Sure. I can sneak away. What do you have in mind?"

"I'm meeting Patti Stone's PA out by the pool. Thought you might want to keep me company before she gets there."

"Sounds like fun. Give me a second to tell Todd."

Summer disappeared through the door behind the front desk, returning moments later with a tall, slender young man behind her. That must be Todd. She waved at him over her shoulder as we walked to the pool bar.

It was a beautiful day, the temperature perfect for sitting outdoors. A cool breeze blew across the water, rustling the palm leaves on the trees surrounding the pool. I desperately wanted one of those boozy umbrella drinks, but I thought consuming alcohol at work might be frowned upon, so I settled for a Diet Coke. After ordering, we found a table and sat down.

"So why are you meeting with Annie?" Summer asked, sipping on her virgin daiquiri. It even had a little umbrella. Why hadn't I thought of that?

"You know her?"

"She's attached to the Stones. Since I've had to deal with them more than I'd like, I've had ample opportunities to meet her. Although she almost blends in with the background. I've never met another person that is so forgettable."

I knew what she meant. Annie was the definition of mousy. Mousy brown hair, mousy brown eyes, pale skin, glasses, and a face that wasn't quite ugly, just unremarkable.

"That makes sense. I'm meeting with her under the guise of getting more information about tonight's party, but really I'm going to ask some questions about Derrick and his business."

"Why would you want to know about Derrick?"

"I just feel like something's off." I told her about my run-in with him on the beach and how he'd warned me off asking questions. The man had freaked me out more than I wanted to let on.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Autumn. I don't know any more than rumors, but I don't think Derrick is the kind of guy you want to mess around with."

"What rumors?"

"Just that there's some things going on that aren't quite on the up-and-up. I have deliberately stayed clueless. Nothing good can come of poking the bear."

"I have to. I can't live this way, wondering if the killer is going to come after me. When will he get tired of waiting to see if I know something?" I stirred the straw around in my drink as I gathered the courage to voice the concern floating around in my head. "The thing is, what if I do remember something? I've wracked my brain trying to figure out what I could have seen. I think it had to be in the food tent. But for the life of me, I can't remember anything suspicious."

Summer squeezed my hand on top of the table. "Then you'll take it to the police. But asking questions makes you even more of a target, doesn't it?"

I smiled. "Only if I get caught."

"Only if you get caught doing what?" a soft voice said from behind me.

"Annie! I didn't see you there." My head swiveled around as I jumped up from the table.

"My break's almost over, so I'm going to hit the locker rooms before I have to go back. See you later, Autumn. Think about what I said," Summer said, taking her drink and walking away, leaving me alone with Annie.

I motioned to the seat Summer had vacated, for Annie to sit down. I flagged down one of the waiters and asked Annie what she wanted—my treat. She ordered a Diet Coke as well, and I asked for a refill.

"Want to tell me about this party tonight?" I asked, hoping to start with business and ease my way into further discussion about Derrick or Patti.

"I don't think there's a lot to tell. Typical luau-style. Patti will want high-quality shots though. Pictures of her and Derrick are always a must, and be sure to get her good side. If there's too many from her left side and not her right, she'll get angry and won't pay for those photos."

Well, that was good to know. I'd hate to waste money printing out photos she wouldn't reimburse me for.

"Great. That's excellent information. So who all will be there tonight?"

"The usual. Surfers. Surfing executives. The resort is making a bid to have the competition moved here this weekend, which means Derrick and Patti would help sponsor the competition on the local level. It could be his big break." Some emotion flickered behind Annie's eyes, but before I could analyze it, it was gone, her features going back to that bland look she usually wore.

"How did Derrick and Patti know that the competition might be moved here? Juls just found out this morning."

"They have some inside sources that told them about the fire right after it happened. They were able to get to Alex early this morning, and Alex got his bid in first thing. I'm pretty sure we'll get it. We were already second on the list. The other hotel only got it over us because the competition's marketing director was sleeping with the activities director at the resort." She waggled her eyebrows, her mouth tugging into a grin. It changed her whole face, making her look almost pretty.

"How do you know all this?"

"Some PA's like to talk." My mouth dropped open, and Annie laughed. "Don't look so shocked."

"What did you mean that it could be his big break?"

She stopped smiling and looked troubled, almost like she wished I hadn't heard that part.

As if she could read my mind, she said, "I wish I hadn't said that out loud." She sighed loudly and started to fidget with the straw in her glass.

"Derrick works hard. He's been trying to break into the international world for years, but he's just never had the opening he needed. The surfboard business is good locally, but in order for them to have the sales they want, they need international recognition. Being a local sponsor for an international competition could do that for him. Plus, if he could get more surfers using Ecoboards, that's free advertising for the company."

I nodded, pondering this new information in my mind. It didn't make sense then for him to kill off one of his surfers, unless that surfer knew something he wasn't supposed to know. But what in the world could that be?

"How does Noe's death impact Ecoboards' chances in the competition?"

A shadow passed across Annie's face, and she looked down, dropping her hands into her lap. When she raised her head again, tears filled her eyes.

"Noe's death hit us all hard. He'd been with us the longest. Derrick was really torn up about it. Noe had been almost like a son to him."

A tear rolled down her cheek. Wow. That sounded nothing like what the others had said about Noe. Dax and Phil had made it seem as if Noe was a thorn in everyone's side. Were they telling the truth, or did they just not like him because he was better than them? Or was it because they thought Derrick favored him?

"I'm so sorry for your loss." I paused, not wanting to sound disrespectful of the dead but knowing I had to take a chance if I was going to get some answers. "A couple of the surfers said that Noe was a show-off and that no one was a real fan of his," I said.

"They're just jealous. Noe was the best. Dax is good. Really good. And he had the potential to be better than Noe."

"Jealous enough to end the competition permanently?"

Annie's chin jerked up in defiance. "What are you insinuating?"

"Nothing. Sorry. I was just curious how much he'd have to gain if Noe was out of the picture."

She relaxed, sitting back a little in her chair. "Quite a lot actually. The more competitions he wins, the more prizes and money he gets from Derrick. It's not just bragging rights. Although there are those, and you know how big surfers' egos are—" She paused, looking to me for confirmation. I fake laughed and nodded my head in agreement. "But it's quite a bit of money and fame too."

I didn't say anything to that. It sounded like Dax might be the better suspect, but I couldn't shake the feeling that Derrick was hiding something, and I wasn't sure I believed that Noe had been like a son to him. I thought back to their interaction the night Noe was killed. Their relationship didn't seem easy or loving. It definitely felt antagonistic.

"Do you know of anyone that might have a reason to want Noe dead?"

"I have no idea why someone would kill him. I know all the surfers. None of them are capable of that." Annie looked suspicious. "Why are you asking so many questions anyway? Shouldn't you leave this to the police?"

Chagrined, I shrugged. "Maybe. It's just that someone stole my camera, so I thought if I could figure out who killed Noe, I might be able to find out who took my camera."

"Oh. I'm sorry about your camera." Excitement filled her eyes. "Did you see something?"

"No, not that I can remember. But I'm guessing the killer thinks I did." I shivered. The thought of a murderer having my camera in his possession gave me the willies.

"Well, I hope you find it." Annie gave a soft smile, and I was taken aback at the change in her facial features. She was passably pretty when she smiled like that. She really should do it more.

"It couldn't have been any of our surfers. I know the guys are only famous locally, here in Hawaii. But with this competition coming to Aloha Lagoon, we have the home team advantage and the opportunity to show off our talent to the world." Annie's eyes were bright with excitement. "No one would sabotage that. Especially not any of our guys or the Stones."

"You seem to be very faithful to the Stones."

"I am. They took me in when I had nothing. My mother had died, and my dad had run off a long time ago. I was working two jobs to make ends meet and not get kicked out of the tiny apartment my mom and I had lived in before she passed." Annie glanced down at her hands clasped together tightly on the table.

"I applied for the position, and Derrick and Patti hired me. They have a small cabana behind their house that's been turned into a studio apartment of sorts, fully furnished, so I live there rent free and am at their disposal all hours—day or night."

"That seems like it would be difficult, to not have time for yourself."

You couldn't pay me enough to be at Patti Stone's beck and call.

"Working for Derrick is worth it."

I decided to file that away under the heading Interesting.

As if regretting what she'd said, Annie jumped up from the table, the chair toppling over in her haste to get away. "I've got to go. Patti will want my help." She turned to leave and suddenly turned back. "Thanks for the soda," she said and then scrambled away.

Well, that was odd.

It was almost time for my meeting with Patti, but I had a few minutes to take some photos. Kailani, Noe's fiancée, was teaching hula lessons on the pier, so I took a few photos for Juls. Kailani was beautiful, her long black hair flowing to her waist. Her movements were fluid and graceful, but there was a sadness on her face.

I turned the camera away, feeling like a voyeur, capturing her grief on camera. The pictures were stunning though, so I decided I'd keep them for myself. Maybe one day I could ask her permission to use them for something, but now it just seemed a little insensitive.

Since I didn't feel comfortable giving the photos to Juls, I directed my attention to the students and the pier. I caught several guests laughing hysterically and a few with severe looks of determination on their faces. After having them sign waivers on my smartphone so that the resort could use the photos, I found Patti in full freak-out mode, yelling at Kailani.

I stopped before getting too close, catching Patti saying, "It's not like you were even together anymore. Pull yourself together, or I'll make sure you never work in this town again."

I gasped, drawing their attention. A look of shame and grief shadowed Kailani's face, and she turned and ran down the pier in the direction of the resort. Patti schooled her face into a mask of professionalism and marched toward me.

"Perfect timing," she crooned in her fake southern accent.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Nonsense. Just can't have my hula dancers moping about. What would the guests think?"

Deciding to ignore the extremely insensitive words, I changed the subject. "Where would you like me tonight?"

Patti clapped her hands together. She seemed to do that a lot. "Yes! I'm so excited about this evening. I'd like you to just walk around and capture everything. Don't leave anyone out."

No small order. "Do you want posed pictures or all candids?"

"Candids. Definitely. Now I want to ensure you'll be using a digital camera tonight. I must be able to see what you've captured."

I shoved down the groan wanting to escape. "Mrs. Stone—"

"You must call me Patti, dear," she interrupted.

"Ok. Patti, I will give you a full online portfolio of pictures once I'm done. But it will be a waste of time if you're peering over my shoulder the entire time. I'll need some freedom to work to ensure that I take the absolute best pictures." I smiled, hoping that would soften the rejection of her offer to micromanage me.

"Well, I'm sure there will be a few that I can review. Anyway, once again I still must insist that you use a digital camera."

I nodded in agreement. "It's all I have right now anyway. My other camera was stolen."

"Excellent!" she shouted.

I wasn't a violent person, but right at that moment, I wanted to punch her in her perfect surgically crafted nose.

"I'm so glad my misfortune is such great news for you."

Patti looked confused and then waved her hand as if to brush away my words. "Nonsense. I'm simply happy you have a real camera to use tonight. Now, please be here an hour before it starts. I'd like to get some pictures of the setup. And please be sure to wear traditional Hawaiian attire."

I couldn't contain the groan this time. "Meaning?"

"A muumuu, of course," she said, clapping her hands once again.

It was extremely annoying. Almost as annoying as the muumuu I'd be forced to wear again tonight.

"I must go make sure that terrible Chef Aki has everything in order for this evening. I'll see you later…"

"Autumn," I supplied.

"Yes, right." She waved her hand again, as if to communicate the word whatever, and teetered off in her too-high heels and too-tight skirt. It was a wonder she could walk at all in that thing.

Annie slid up beside me. "Sorry about that," she said.

"It's not your fault."

"I know. She comes off a little strong sometimes. She's just really ambitious. Knows what she wants, you know?"

I shrugged. I didn't think being ambitious was synonymous with being a witch.

"Is Kailani ok?" I asked as I watched in dismay as Patti found Kailani on her way to see the chef.

"I guess she is. She's pretty broken up about Noe," she said.

"Well, I guess so. He was her fiancé."

"Not really. She'd told him it was over. He just didn't accept it."

"I saw them together at the party. Seemed like he was trying to get her to work things out."

Annie shook her head. "Noe was stubborn. But Kailani, well, she was—"

"Annie! Let's go!" Patti yelled across the pier. Apparently she was done chewing out Kailani.

"Gotta go," Annie said, and took off in a fast walk after Patti.

I couldn't help but feel whatever she was about to say was important to figuring out who killed Noe and who took my camera.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kailani ran toward the ramada, and I made the quick decision to follow her. She was on my list to talk to, so it made sense to see if she was willing to open up.

When I reached her, she held her head in her hands, and her shoulders were shaking slightly. I sat down on the bench next to her and put my arm around her. She jerked up in surprise.

"I saw that you were upset and thought you might need to talk."

Kailani looked at me with confusion in her eyes, then resignation replaced it, and she slumped against me just a little.

"That woman is terrible," she said.

"So I've heard. You ok?"

"Yes. She wants me to act like everything is normal, but Noe was my fiancé. And now he's gone." Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. She didn't bother wiping them away. Since I'd already given her one of my lens cloths, I didn't think I could afford to give her another one.

"Kailani, do you have any idea who could have killed him?" I asked, taking a chance.

"Are you a cop or something?"

"No, just a friend. I thought maybe talking to me might trigger something in your mind. Sometimes talking to the cops can be intimidating."

"You've got that right."

I tried a different tactic.

"Rumor has it that Dax and Noe had a big fight the night before the luau. Know anything about that?"

"They did. It came to blows, but Phil intervened and put a stop to it. Dax was really angry though and told Noe that he better not catch him in a dark alley or he wouldn't be responsible for his actions. Noe had spit in his face, and Dax was furious."

That was certainly a different version of the story than Dax and Phil had shared. "Furious enough to kill him?"

"Kailani! There you are," Annie said, irritation hovering on the edge of her words.

Kailani quickly wiped her eyes and stood. "Just needed a minute."

"Patti wants to talk to you. She needs to know the final count for the dancers tonight. She's in the kitchen."

Kailani nodded then turned back to me. "Thanks," she said and walked toward the resort.

Annie stood looking at me, and I raised a brow in question. What was she staring at? She smiled then turned around to follow Kailani.

Annie Morris was one weird chick.

*  *   *

"Red! Wait up!" Jimmy called from behind me.

I'd just finished up and was walking back toward the resort to get my things and call it a day. It was still early, but since I had to be back at work tonight, I wanted to get home and grab a bite to eat and get off my feet a little.

"You must be spending a lot of time with Juls. I thought I saw flames coming off those little feet of yours."

I growled. "Yeah, about that. Want to tell me why you were doubting my ability to keep up with her?"

Jimmy slung an arm around my shoulders, pulling me up against his side. I wasn't really angry, but sometimes it was just fun to play the part.

"You know I was just teasing."

"Yeah, well."

"Witty comeback there, Red."

I bumped him with my hip, and Jimmy hopped out of the way in a dramatic flair. "Just stop," I said, not being able to help the grin that split my lips.

He snickered and put his arm back around my shoulders. "You headed home?"

"Looks that way. I have to be back for the luau. Are you working that tonight too?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Last minute shindigs are always hard to find coverage for. With what happened the other night, it's all hands on deck tonight."

"You don't think anyone would try anything, do you?"

"Nah. It's just precautionary. Whoever killed Noe had an ax to grind with him. It wasn't arbitrary."

That made me feel a tiny bit better, but the idea that the killer still thought I could have seen something that night kept me from being able to relax.

"We got the toxicology report back," Jimmy said.

"What did it say?"

"Chef Aki was right. Initial reports are that it was fugu, or pufferfish, whichever you'd like to call it."

"They're the same thing?"

"Pretty much. According to Detective Ray and my online investigation, there are several types of pufferfish, but they are all poisonous to humans unless prepared carefully by a trained chef. It takes years to get licensed, and there are only a handful of them. It's a delicacy in Japan."

"I don't understand the kind of delicacy that requires you to put your life on the line every time you eat it."

"As much as I love food, I think that's one I'll pass on. It's a terrible way to die, and there is no antidote for it."

"So someone switched out Noe's sushi for fugu sushi. How did they do that?"

"My guess is whoever killed Noe switched out the food once it was plated and before it went out to him."

"That seems so risky. How did they know it was his? And wouldn't someone have seen him make the switch?"

"All questions for the killer."

But who was the killer? It seemed there were several people who didn't like Noe for various reasons, but were any of those reasons strong enough to kill someone? Something didn't quite fit.

"Mind if I ride with you to your house? I thought we could get takeout and relax before the luau. Your place is closer than mine too," Jimmy said.

"Sure. Sounds good to me."

"Ok, let's pick up Chinese food on the way. You have wine?"

"I'm game for Chinese. Is wine a good idea before a work event?"

"Have you ever worked for Patti Stone?"

"Nope. Good point. Wine it is."

On the way to the Chinese takeout place, Jimmy shared stories about fugu poisonings that he'd researched earlier in the day. Finally, I told him I'd heard enough. If the killer thought I'd seen something, would he kill me the same way too? I didn't want to think about it.

After picking up kung pao chicken and Mongolian beef, along with some dumplings and wantons, we pulled up to my apartment. I was grateful that Tom and Doris were still out traveling around the world. Doris was a delight, but she sure liked to talk. Our dinner would be cold before we could make it into the house.

"Has Detective Ray said anything about suspects?" I asked, sliding out of the car and digging through my purse to find my keys. I didn't have a very large purse, but it always seemed that my keys were tucked into some obscure pocket or folded up in the lining of my purse.

"He's not sharing that information with me. Guess you have to be on payroll for the inside scoop." Jimmy placed his hand on my lower back as he came up beside me, and I momentarily forgot what we were talking about.

Finally finding my keys, I walked a little faster to the door, getting the key in and opening it in one fell swoop. I motioned for Jimmy to go ahead, and he quirked an eyebrow as if to say, What in the world is wrong with you? I was so distracted, I didn't notice the package on the ground in front of my door, tripped, and went flying through the air, my purse and keys skidding across the tiny foyer.

I didn't hit the floor, however. Jimmy's arms caught me in mid-flight, pulling me up against his warm chest. My hands rested there, and I could feel his heart beating as fast as mine.

"Sorry," I huffed, my breaths coming fast and furious. Because of the fall or my proximity to Jimmy, one could only guess.

"No problem," Jimmy said, his gaze dropping to my mouth.

Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to? I realized I really did. I didn't know what that meant for our friendship. Jimmy was the first friend I'd made on the island and my closest. Could I afford it if things went south?

I didn't have time to answer any of those questions as Jimmy leaned in, his lips a breath away from mine. And then, he pulled back, cursing under his breath.

"I need to take this," he said, and I thought I caught a hint of apology in his eyes.

It was only then that I noticed the ringing phone. I must have been in some kind of Jimmy trance.

"James Toki."

Not wanting to deal with the disappointment I felt over the non-kiss, I turned to see what had caused me to trip. A thin, flat box lay on the ground, and I stooped to pick it up. My name and address were typed onto a label, but there was no return address. Shrugging, I tugged at the tape on the side of the box to open it.

"I'll be right there," Jimmy said to whoever was on the other line. He grabbed the keys off the floor and rushed to the front door. "I've got to go down to the police station."

"Wait, what? Why?" I asked, tossing the package onto the table next to the front door.

"That was Detective Ray. They've taken Dax in for questioning."

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Aloha Lagoon police station was located close to the resort, so it didn't take us long to get there. Jimmy drove like a bat out of hell, although I wasn't sure what he planned to do once he arrived.

He explained that Detective Ray had asked him to come down and give Dax a ride home, saying that having Jimmy as an influence in his life might be helpful. Dax hadn't wanted to worry his parents.

Jimmy pushed the door open to the station and walked in, giving his name to the officer seated behind the desk. But before the officer could page Detective Ray, he and Dax entered the hallway.

"Don't leave the island. Understand?" Detective Ray said.

"Yeah, I understand," Dax answered, turning to find Jimmy and me standing there. "Hey, cuz. You come to bail me out?"

"Bail's only needed if you're arrested. He hasn't been?" He directed his question to Detective Ray.

"Not yet. Let's talk in my office," he replied, motioning Jimmy back to where I assumed his office was located.

Jimmy squeezed my arm as he brushed by me. "Stay here, ok? I'll just be a minute."

I nodded and found a seat in the waiting room. Dax followed behind me.

He sat down heavily in the seat next to me, his sheer size filling the tiny room and his arms spilling over into my personal space.

"I didn't kill him, you know," he said softly.

"So you've said."

"I didn't. I didn't like the guy. That was no secret. But I didn't kill him." He turned to face me. "I wanted to win, but I wanted to win fair and square. I'm a competitor, so why would I want to take out my biggest competition? I wanted to beat him, not kill him."

"Yes, well, telling someone if you ever catch them in a dark alley, they'll regret it doesn't help your case any."

"You heard about that, huh?"

I didn't confirm or deny. I figured the question was rhetorical, and I wasn't about to tell him who'd told me.

"I was angry. People say stuff when they're angry. Plus he'd spit on me. Do you know how degrading that is?"

Again I didn't answer. No, I'd never had someone spit on me, and I could imagine that it would get someone's blood boiling pretty quickly. Plus—gross!

"So yeah, I wanted to pummel his face in. But I didn't kill him."

He turned to face me, pleading in his eyes. "Look, Derrick kept pitting us against one another. He fostered the unhealthy competition we had going on. Each time one of us would win, he'd up the prizes. Fancy boards, money, parties. Noe had started taunting me."

I raised my eyebrow, dubious of this information.

"I know. No one believes me because Noe was this fun-loving guy on the outside, but when it came to competition, the dude was ruthless."

"So if not you, then who would want to kill Noe?"

"I don't know."

"You have to know something. Who'd have something to gain? Looks like only you did."

Anger mottled his face red. The tension in his body was palpable.

"I didn't kill him. Phil had more reason to kill him than I did," he blurted.

"Why would Phil want to kill Noe?" I asked, confused about the turn in the conversation. What did Phil have to do with anything?

"Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything. Not my story to tell."

"If you know something, you need to tell the police—"

"Phil didn't kill Noe either. He'd pretty much already gotten what he wanted by that time anyway."

"I don't understand."

"I've already said more than I should have. Forget it."

Discussion closed, I switched to the Stones.

"You said Derrick fostered the competition between you two. Why? What did he have to gain from that?"

Dax groaned. "You're like a dog with a bone. Leave it alone, Autumn. You don't know what you're messing with."

"Then tell me."

Dax grabbed me by the arms, turning me in my seat and drawing me close to his face.

"Leave the Stones alone. Stay away from them."

"Everything ok here?" Jimmy's voice was tight, and I peeked around Dax to find him barely controlling himself. His fists were clenched tightly by his side, and I could see the little muscle near his jaw jumping like crazy.

Dax dropped my arms like a hot potato.

"Yeah," I said, rubbing my arms where he'd grabbed me. He hadn't hurt me, not really. But his grip had been so firm, and his face had been so serious, grave even.

Jimmy glared at Dax and pulled me up from my chair, wrapping his arm around me. "We need to go. The luau starts in an hour."

"I still have to change."

"The muumuu again, Red?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. Apparently it's the uniform for luaus. I think I need to switch to hula dancing. At least they get those cute grass skirts. Although I could do without the coconut bra."

"I'd be ok with that," Jimmy said, winking at me when I stared up at him in shock.

After dropping Dax off at his house, I filled Jimmy in on my conversation with him.

"Why did he say Phil had more reason to kill Noe? Phil isn't a terrible surfer, but he's never going to make a living off it," Jimmy said.

"I asked, but he said he'd already said too much. And then when I mentioned the Stones, he got all weird-like. That's when you saw him. He was warning me to stay away from them. If they're so bad, why would he be working for them?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure they're bad, but it's definitely a strange warning," Jimmy agreed.

"What did Detective Ray have to say?"

"Just that Dax was a suspect. Told me there'd been eyewitnesses to the fight they had. Apparently it was pretty nasty."

"Yeah, that's what Kailani said today."

"But I just don't see Dax killing anyone. I know he could fool me, but Dax is competitive. He wants to win, but he wouldn't want there to be any doubts in anyone's minds that he was the legitimate champion."

"That's what he told me. Did you tell that to Detective Ray?"

"I did. He said that he could see that too. I don't think he really thinks Dax did it, but Noe's parents are breathing down his neck, wanting answers. Ray's a good guy. He's just trying to do his job."

It had to be a difficult job being a detective. I was no detective, but just trying to puzzle things out in my own mind had exhausted me. I couldn't imagine if that was my job 24/7.

We stopped by my apartment so I could run in and change into the dreaded muumuu. The luau started in an hour, and I still needed to take a few before pictures and unload my gear. I should have been there already.

Jimmy plopped onto my couch, flopping one arm over his eyes. "I think I'm going to nap while you change."

"Do you really have time for a nap?"

"Red, I've always got time for a little shut-eye. You take it wherever you can get it sometimes."

I stepped into my room to change, pondering all I'd learned so far. I mentally added Phil to the list of people I needed to talk to. He'd be there tonight. Maybe I could catch him and ask a few questions. Dax's words that Phil had more reason to kill Noe than he did bothered me. What could Phil have against Noe?

I ran a comb through my hair and added a little water to help the frizz. It seemed the wild tangles would not be tamed, so I swept it to the side in a low ponytail. Grabbing a fake hibiscus flower I'd bought my first week on the island, I clipped it to the hairband. Dabbing on some lipstick and a touch of peach blush, I winked at myself in the mirror. That would have to do.

The sound of Jimmy's light snores filled the room. I grinned at all the fun I'd have teasing him about it. The box on the front table caught my eye. I'd forgotten all about it in our haste to get to the police station. I picked it up and tore off the tape. Lifting the lid from the box, I looked inside and froze.

There, lying on tissue paper, were photos. Photos of me. In the first one I was on the beach talking to Dax and Phil. The second one I was walking around snapping pictures of the hula dancers. The final one was of me walking away from the pier with Jimmy.

It was disturbing enough that someone had taken my photograph without my knowledge or permission, but what was even more alarming was the huge, red X across my face in each photo. A note sat at the bottom of the pile.

Stop asking questions.

Who knew I'd been asking questions? I thought I'd been discreet about it.

I must have made some kind of noise, because Jimmy sat up and rushed to my side.

"Autumn. What is it? Red. Talk to me." Jimmy jostled me slightly by the arms.

"What?" I shook my head to clear away the morbid thoughts that were swirling around in there. "The photos." I pointed to the box that I'd apparently dropped onto the floor.

Jimmy stooped to pick the box up. "Where'd you get these?"

"That's what I tripped over earlier when you—" I shut my mouth. I was about to say when you almost kissed me. Pull it together, Autumn.

Jimmy didn't seem to notice what I'd been referring to, because he immediately pulled out his phone.

"Ray, it's Jimmy. Not great. Look, someone delivered photos to Autumn's door. There's no return address. Looks like they just left it on the front stoop." He paused while Ray must have said something. "Yeah, we touched it. Anyway, the photos all have Autumn's face X'ed out. They were taken without her knowing. And there's a note." Jimmy read Detective Ray the note then paused.

"I'll be right there." He put his phone in his pocket and put the lid back on the box. "Let's go," he said, taking my hand and pulling me behind him.

"Jimmy, I can't. I have to work tonight."

He sighed. "That's right."

"Plus we only have one car since we came here together."

"Ok, I'll drop you off at the resort. Do not go anywhere alone. Got me? You stay on the pier with all the other people. I'll drop these off with Ray and then be back there as soon as I can."

I nodded, too scared to say anything else.

Jimmy must have sensed my distress, because he placed the box on the table and pulled me into his arms.

I held on for dear life. I felt safe when I was with Jimmy. Cared for. He rubbed my back, holding me tightly against him. I relaxed, the fear floating away and being replaced by something else.

I cleared my throat. If I didn't extricate myself from his arms soon, I was afraid I was going to climb him like a tree. I pulled away.

"Thank you," I said, "for being here."

His hand stroked my cheek.

"Always."

"I'm tired of being the damsel in distress though. Someone has to know something, right? Someone must have seen something. Or even— That's it!"

I grabbed my purse off the counter and rushed to the door.

"What is it, Red? What's going on?"

"Pictures, Jimmy. It always comes back to pictures."

"Ooo-k." He dragged the word out as if it were several syllables instead of just two. "Do you need to sit down? Put your head between your knees? You're not making any sense here."

"Who would have pictures of Noe?"

"Um, his parents?"

"Right. Yes, but were they there that night?" Jimmy shrugged.

Yeah, I didn't know the answer to that either. I waved my hand in the air. "Doesn't matter. His fiancée would have pictures of him, wouldn't she?"

"Kailani."

"Exactly. And I just happened to see her snapping some the night of the luau. She kept getting in my way, taking pictures on her phone."

"Great thinking, Red."

"They don't pay me the big bucks for nothing." I winked and sashayed out the door, a laughing Jimmy following close behind.

CHAPTER NINE

Jimmy let me out in front of the Aloha Lagoon Resort, and I marched it as quickly as I could to the pier. Patti was barking orders left and right, and I hoped I could sneak by without grabbing her attention. No such luck.

"You there," she said as I cringed, my back turned to her. I kept walking, hoping she'd think I didn't hear her. "Yoo-hoo! Picture girl. Come here, now."

I sighed, my shoulders drooping, and turned to face the witch. I met Patti's eyes, fire burning in their depths. "You. Are. Late."

Her words were clipped, hands on her hips, and if looks could kill, I'd surely be dead on the spot. I wondered if she ate small children for breakfast. Shades of Dolores Umbridge, at Hogwarts, I thought with an inward grin.

"I'm sorry. It will only take me a few moments—"

"I should fire you. However, I need those photographs. I wanted several of the setup, but since you're terribly late, I'll have to settle for whatever you can manage before the guests begin arriving in"—she glanced down at her watch—"thirty-five minutes. The food!"

Patti turned on her heel and walked toward the food-prep tent. I felt sorry for whoever was in her sights now.

Breathing out an exasperated breath, I turned and saw Derrick Stone watching me. His hands were in his pockets, and his face was hard. I raised my eyebrows at him in question, but with only a mustache twitch, he turned and walked away.

The man gave me the creeps.

I took a few photos of the waitstaff preparing and caught a few of Patti in full tirade. Not that I'd ever show those to her, but I figured it might be a good idea to have them for a safety net. A few minutes later, the guests began to arrive.

I spent the first hour of the party snapping photos left and right, catching the hula girls all a titter at one of the tables, a man throwing back his head in laughter, and a view of the spread through the filter of the pit fire. That one I was really proud of.

Patti walked up to the stage and cleared her throat in the microphone. I never understood why people did that. No one wants to hear you clearing out the mucous from around your vocal chords.

"Excuse me, everyone." The crowd quieted down as Patti continued in her fake sugary-sweet accent. "I'd just like to thank everyone, on behalf of Ecoboards, for coming tonight. We are so excited about the possibility of hosting this year's Surfing World Classic. I know that this was a highly sought-after event, and we're so happy to step in after the terrible disaster at the Royal Orchid Resort. Such a shame." Patti paused in her monologue to glance down, as if taking a moment to mourn the Royal Orchid's unfortunate luck. Just as quickly the moment passed, and another smile was plastered on her face.

"At this time, I'd like to invite you all to enjoy the Aloha Lagoon hula dancers!" She did a great impression of Vanna White as she backed off the stage, her arm held high in a dramatic gesture.

Kailani gracefully led her dancers across the stage, taking her spot in the center. The music began, and the girls moved their hips and arms in perfect sync. I was mesmerized by the sway of their bodies and started to relax. Maybe I should take up hula.

I snapped a few pictures of the crowd in awe and decided I could take a small break and grab a bite to eat, since the Chinese food we'd bought earlier still sat untouched on the counter in my kitchen. I filled my plate full of pork and rice and then moved to the back of the audience to stand and watch.

I hadn't yet seen Jimmy, although I was sure he was back from the police station. I wonder what Detective Ray had to say. Looking around the pier, I found Jimmy standing across the way, legs apart and arms crossed over his chest. He was staring right at me as if he'd been watching me the whole time. I blushed at being caught, and then he winked, the side of his mouth tipping up in a grin. I couldn't help myself, and I smiled back.

Pulling my eyes away from Jimmy's, I shoved the remaining few bites of pork into my mouth and placed my plate on the table. It was time to find Phil and see what reason he might have had for killing Noe.

I wasn't sure yet what I would ask him. I would need to ask specific questions, but I didn't think coming right out and asking if he was the killer was the smoothest plan. So, Phil, can you incriminate yourself and give me a reason why you'd want to kill Noe Kahale? Nope.

Glancing around the pier, I saw Phil standing a few feet away. His attention was focused on the dancers, and there was a softness to his face I hadn't noticed on the beach. I walked over and stood next to him, but he didn't even notice me.

I followed his gaze and realized it was singularly focused on one dancer in particular. Kailani Chan. Noe's fiancé. Wait. Surely not?

"They're really good, aren't they?"

Phil jumped at my question and turned guilty eyes to mine. He cleared his throat. "Um, yeah. Great."

"Kailani sure looks beautiful tonight, doesn't she?" I asked the leading question, hoping he'd take the bait.

His eyes narrowed. "Sure."

Phil's attention went back to the stage, but I couldn't help but notice how his features relaxed when he looked at Kailani dancing.

"You guys friends?"

"What?" He looked surprised to see me still standing there.

"You and Kailani. Friends?"

"It's a small world in these parts. Of course we're friends."

"But you hated Noe."

"I never said I hated him."

"You disliked him?"

"What are you getting at?

"I'm just figuring out why you're staring at his fiancée like she's the last hot Krispy Kreme doughnut in three counties."

"I'm not—"

I gave him a stern stare that I hoped communicated I wasn't an idiot. It must have worked, because he sighed, then took my arm and pushed me back away from the crowd.

"Yeah, I like her. A lot. And she likes me too. She told Noe it was over, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He wasn't exactly used to not having what he wanted." Phil scoffed and then started pacing back and forth.

"So what did you do?"

Phil's gaze hardened, and he took a menacing step closer to me.

I backed up, my knees hitting the bench behind me.

His face was inches from mine. "Do you mean, did I kill him? So I could have his fiancée? As if she'd ever have me after that."

"Phil, can I help you with something?"

I heard Jimmy's voice but couldn't see over the mountain of a man currently taking up my personal space. I peeked around him and finger waved to Jimmy.

The look he gave me said he wasn't amused. Phil backed up a couple of spaces then tore his angry gaze away from mine. "Tell your girl to quit accusing people of murder, Jimmy, or she's going to get herself in trouble."

Crossing the distance in two strides, Jimmy grabbed Phil by the collar, pulling him close. "Is that a threat, Mano?"

Phil raised his hands in front of him. "Look, man, I'm cool. I'm just saying. She asks the wrong person these kinds of questions, and she's going to be next on their list."

Jimmy held him tight for a couple more seconds then released him so quickly Phil stumbled, racing to get away. Breathing hard, Jimmy seemed to pull himself together and turned that stern security face on me. I backed up another step and forgot about the bench, sitting down hard with a thump.

Taking advantage of my humble position, Jimmy stood in front of me, arms crossed over his chest.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" he said, that eyebrow quirking up in my favorite way. It made him look all sexy and mysterious.

"What? Phil? He was a little dramatic, don't you think?"

Jimmy's gaze narrowed. I hadn't known that was possible.

"I was just asking him about why he was looking at Kailani like she was a swimming pool full of Spam."

Jimmy laughed at my witty comparison and then dropped down on the bench next to me, his arm snaking around my shoulders and pulling me closer.

"Is Spam the way to your heart, too?" Jimmy asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"What can I say? I like what I like." I tried to keep the response light and nonchalant, but my insides were flipping and flopping all over the place.

He sighed. The sound was tired and weighty, as if he'd carried a load and was finally laying it down. "I don't like it when I see a man ganging up on you like that, and that's the third time in two days that I've found him or my cousin looking at you as if they wanted to pummel you into the ground." He squeezed my arm, and I may have sighed. Just a little. "You certainly have a gift for annoying people."

I pulled away and lightly whacked him on the shoulder. "I do not!"

His chuckle was warm and rough and reminded me of hot cocoa on a cold winter day. He grabbed me, drawing me up against his side.

"What am I going to do with you, Red?"

I turned my face up to his, and the butterflies in my stomach took flight. Jimmy's eyes dropped to my lips, and my tongue darted out of its own accord to moisten my lips. His head leaned down, and my eyes closed.

Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd, and I jerked, slamming my forehead into the bridge of Jimmy's nose.

"Geez, Red. If you didn't want me to kiss you, all you had to say was no." Jimmy rubbed his nose, that mischievous smile stretching his lips wide. Those lips that had almost landed on mine just seconds before.

I sputtered, not sure what to say.

Jimmy laughed, standing and pulling me to my feet. "We'll talk about this later," he said and then winked. "For now, I'm guessing you have more pictures to take?"

I nodded, still unable to speak.

"Speechless for once, huh?"

I stood a little bit taller, lifting my chin. "I'm not speechless, I'm just—" I didn't really know what to say, so I just let it go.

Turning to walk away and hide my embarrassment, I was stopped short when Jimmy lightly touched my arm. "Go easy out there, ok? I kind of like having you around."

"I will," I said, touched by his concern.

"What's your next move?"

"My next move?"

"You have a plan, right? That's the list I found in your junk drawer?" he asked, humor and mischief gleaming in his cocoa-colored eyes.

"You went through my junk drawer?" I planted a hand on my hip.

"Relax. I was looking for a pen. So?"

Resigned, I said, "I'm going to ask Kailani about the pictures she took that night and hopefully what's going on between her and Phil."

"Need company?"

"I don't know if she'll open up if you're there in all your security man-ness."

"My security man-ness?" He rolled his eyes, stifling his laughter. "I can be soft and friendly if I need to be." He waggled his eyebrows again, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Fine. I'm going to try to catch her after the party. Meet me behind the stage afterwards."

"Perfect." Jimmy leaned in and kissed me on my forehead then turned to walk away.

I watched his finely sculpted backside and sighed. That man was a work of art. And what in the world was he doing to me?

Some moments I was ready for wherever Jimmy wanted to take our relationship, and other moments I wasn't so sure. He was the one I told everything to. Would that change if we took things to the next level? What happened if we broke up? Would I lose him forever?

I'd gone down this road before, three years ago when I'd moved here. Sure, I'd wanted to be a surfing photographer, but I'd also been running away. Finn Turner had been my best friend all through high school and even into college. The kiss the night of graduation, the year of dating afterwards, followed by the inevitable breakup had ruined our friendship. Not being able to handle the rejection and the loss of my best friend, I'd run here. I wasn't about to run again.

But then, Jimmy wasn't Finn. And I wasn't a child.

I was a grown woman, pursuing my dreams. I couldn't say that about my time with Finn. I'd been a girl, trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. And Finn. Well, Finn had always been selfish. I'd known that about him all my life. But what once was an endearing quirk as a friend had been a real issue as a boyfriend. Jimmy didn't have a selfish bone in his body.

I was roused from my musings by commotion on the stage.

"I can tell by those happy smiles on your faces that you're enjoying this as much as I am."

Patti Stone, who seemed to be the only one smiling, looked around at the guests sitting at the long tables and beamed. I almost felt sorry for her as I observed the uncomfortable squirming and pained expressions of those at the party.

Almost felt sorry for her, I should emphasize. The woman had done nothing to raise my original estimation of her. Observing her queen bee behavior as she strolled about, chatting and laughing then snapping someone's head off, had cemented my opinion. By the looks on everyone's faces when she got up to speak, it was clear I wasn't the only one with the poor opinion of her.

"Phil Mano? Where are you?" Patti asked, her hand raised over her eyes as she peered out over the audience in search of Phil.

Phil lifted his hand from his position next to the stage.

"Come on up here and let me introduce you to these fine people," she drawled in her souped-up syrupy accent.

Phil just shook his head, but Patti kept on, making a scene now. Was she drunk?

She took two steps toward the stairs and wobbled. Yep, she was drunk alright.

Seeing her precarious situation, Phil jumped onto the stage, putting his arm around her waist to steady her.

"That's a good boy." Patti patted his chest, then to Phil's horror, she squeezed his backside. Phil jumped, grabbing her arms and pinning them to her side. But Patti continued to fight him. She was standing away from the mic, but we could still make out her protests.

"You never let me do what I want to do. I told you it could be good between us. Please, Phil. Let Mama Patti make it all better."

Good lord, the woman was a mess.

Derrick Stone finally arrived on stage. He none too gently pushed Phil away from his intoxicated wife and bent down, whispering something in her ear. Judging by the look of irritation that flashed across her face, she wasn't happy with what he had to say.

Ever mindful of the spotlight, real or perceived, Patti turned back to her captive audience and gave a shrug and a smile. "It seems that Mr. Stone and I are needed elsewhere. You all enjoy yourself, you hear?"

From where I was standing, I could clearly see the smile on her carefully made-up face being replaced by a scowl of epic proportions. Whatever her spouse had said to her, it wasn't going to be pretty.

I snapped pictures left and right, catching a constant stream of the action between the two. Offstage the yelling began.

Patti pushed Derrick away, almost toppling over in her too tall high heels. "You never let me have any fun!"

Derrick said something back quietly, but Patti wasn't going to let it go.

"It wasn't like I was going to jump his bones on stage or anything. I just wanted a little taste."

Good gosh, the woman was a hussy.

Derrick's voice rose with his anger. "You're going to screw this up for the both of us!"

"You're the one screwing things up, Derrick. Not me."

"I told you to leave my surfers alone. This is the last time!"

In a huff, Patti tottered away as quickly as her feet could go, leaving a huffing Derrick in her wake. I still had the camera lifted to my eye, when he turned. Just as I snapped the picture, Derrick's gaze seemed to penetrate mine through the lens, as if he was staring right at me. He started toward me, but I lowered the camera and rushed off to find Jimmy.

When I found him, he was in deep conversation with someone, but it seemed Derrick had let the issue go and hadn't pursued me. I wasn't sure what I would have said if he'd caught up to me.

The rest of the party was actually fun, I had to admit. Once the Stones were gone, most folks loosened up. One of the surfers began an impromptu dance-off, and before long everyone was clapping and laughing as the dances grew more and more absurd. By this time, of course, most of the crowd was lubed up with drinks of the liquor variety, but I think that some of the looseness could be chalked up to a Patti-less luau. Whatever the cause, it sure gave another meaning to the word stoned.

I was packing up my gear and looking around for Jimmy when I saw Patti make her return. She looked around as if trying to find someone, and her eyes finally fell on Kailani standing near the stage. She marched toward her on her too-high heels, seeming to still be tremendously under the influence. I moved closer, catching Jimmy's eye as he did the same.

"You just couldn't handle it, could you?" Patti screeched.

Kailani jumped, the group of friends she had been talking to scattering like roaches when a light's turned on.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kailani said, trying to move around Patti.

Not having any of that, Patti reached out, grabbing Kailani's arm, and spun her around to face her. "He was mine. You had Noe. You selfish brat! But that wasn't good enough. You had to have them both."

"Patti, you've had too much to drink. Let's talk about this tomorrow."

Patti's voice rose. "I'll talk about it when I want to, you…you…tramp!"

Kailani wrenched her arm away from Patti. "That's it! I've had enough of you. You're old enough to be our mother. Stay out of my business. And quit trying to sleep with everything that has muscles and a penis!" Kailani's hand flew over her mouth, her chest heaving with the exertion of her argument.

"Why you…you…I'll have you fired for that!" The shock on Patti's face might be humorous if the whole scene weren't so sad.

Jimmy moved closer, as if to defuse the situation, but before he got to them, Patti stormed off.

Kailani looked around, seeing the audience they'd garnered, and turned to run behind the stage. Jimmy caught my eye and nodded in the direction she'd run. We followed close behind, finding Kailani shoving her costume into a duffel bag with more force than necessary.

She wore black yoga shorts and a pink tank top, and she looked as if she'd had better days.

"Kailani?"

Startled, she spun around, a hand to her heart.

"Autumn. You scared me to death."

"I'm sorry. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, sure."

I wasn't convinced by her answer, but she didn't look like she wanted to talk about what had just happened, so I let it go. Plus, I had questions I needed answers to. I figured I'd start with the easy ones.

"I wanted to ask you if you took pictures of the night Noe was killed. My camera was stolen the same night. We think the killer took it and that I might have captured something on film, but I don't remember anything."

"I did take some pictures, but I haven't felt like looking at them." Tears filled her eyes. "That night was so horrible."

"I understand. I just think if I looked at yours, maybe it might spark something in my mind that would help me to remember what I might have seen."

She nodded and took out her phone, punching in her security code, finding her pictures, and handing it to me.

There were several of Kailani and her dancer friends. She was smiling in all of them, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. There was a sadness there and maybe stress too. I scrolled through the pictures and glanced up at her briefly. "You and Noe were fighting that night, right?"

She nodded again before answering. "I had tried to break things off with Noe. We'd been together for so many years, since high school. His family took me in when my mother died when I was 18. They gave me a place to live, clothes on my back, supported me while I chased my dream of being a hula dancer. I owed them so much."

"Even marrying a man you didn't love?"

Kailani's face jerked up, shock all over it.

"I did love him." Bowing her head in resignation, she said, "But maybe not like I should have. Not like a wife loves a husband. I loved Noe like a friend, my best friend."

Her words hit home, and I realized that was exactly how I'd loved Finn. He'd been my best friend, and he should have remained in that position. But if I hadn't had that experience, I doubted I'd be where I was today. Everything works out for a reason.

"I understand," I said, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

"You have feelings for Phil?" Jimmy had been quiet till then, and his words held no accusation.

Kailani nodded jerkily. The tears that had been welling in her eyes spilled down her face. "Yes. We'd tried to ignore the feelings. Or at least I had tried to. But then they just kept growing stronger." She sat down on the ground, crossing her legs over one another. "I finally worked up the courage to tell Noe that there was someone else, but he begged me to give us another chance. I felt I owed him that."

Kailani picked at something on her flip-flop then looked back up at us. I'd forgotten about the pictures in my hand and was fascinated by her story. "Phil was angry. Told me to tell Noe it was over. He wasn't going to wait forever."

Kailani's tears turned to sobs. "I love him. Like, really love him. So I told Noe the night of the luau, but he wouldn't listen. Phil saw us right before we walked up, and they argued. I was shaken up, but Noe just shrugged it off as if my feelings didn't mean anything. That's when you saw us that night.

"I knew it was over. So, I took a few pictures of our last night together. I had planned to tell Noe once and for all that I was done. I couldn't live a lie. He deserved better. But I never got the chance. I feel so guilty."

"Why do you feel guilty? You can't help the way you feel?"

"Because—he died that night knowing I didn't love him."

My initial suspicions that Kailani might have killed Noe to be with Phil fell away as I watched the grief overtake her. She had really loved him, just not the way he'd wanted her to.

I bent down, handing the phone to Jimmy, who looked extremely uncomfortable by the displays of emotion. Men.

"It's ok. He knew you loved him." I patted her back as she let the tears fall.

Finally, she wiped her face and looked up. "I need to go," she said.

"Of course. Let me just look through these last few."

I scrolled through, taking in the laughing Noe, a few of the hula dancers, and then stopped.

It was a picture of Noe sitting at the table, a bite of sushi held to his mouth. I shivered. That sushi would kill him in the next few moments. But what caught my attention was Derrick and Dax in the background near the edge of the pier. I zoomed in.

Derrick's face was angry, and Dax looked…frightened. I swiped to the next picture and zoomed in again. Derrick was handing something to Dax. I zoomed even closer. It was a small package wrapped in brown paper. I scrolled to the next picture and saw Dax holding up a clear bag with a white substance in the bottom. The next picture, his hand looked to be shoving the package into his pocket. Zooming in closer, I shivered. Derrick was staring right at the camera, his face mottled red with anger.

"You said you didn't look at these?" I asked Kailani, showing them to Jimmy.

"No. Why? Did I capture something?" Kailani asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure. I need to get these to Detective Ray," Jimmy said. "I'm sending these to my phone." Jimmy punched in his number, attached the pictures to a message, and hit Send.

"You ready?" he asked me.

I nodded and turned to Kailani. "Will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine." She stood to her feet, brushing her backside off with her hands. Jimmy went to hand her back her phone, but I took it before he could. "I'm putting my number in here. Call me if you need anything or want to talk."

Kailani smiled sadly. "Thanks."

Jimmy took my hand and walked as quickly as he could to the parking lot, practically dragging me to his car.

"Wait! I have my car here too, remember?"

He hesitated then lifted his chin to where it was parked. "Yeah, get your car, and I'll follow you home. I'm going to call Detective Ray on my way there."

I ran to my car and slid inside.

Was Derrick dealing drugs? Could he be the killer? Had he seen Kailani take his picture? Was she in danger too? What was Dax involved in?

CHAPTER TEN

The ticking of the cooling car engine serenaded the walk to my front door. Jimmy was hot on my heels. He was still on the phone with someone, so I had to wait to bombard him with all my questions.

"Yes sir. I'll be sure and tell her…Right, I understand, sir…I will. Thanks." Jimmy got off the call and shoved the phone into his pocket.

"Detective Ray says to tell you hi," he started.

"He did?"

Jimmy grinned, shaking his head. "Not really. He did say to tell you to stay the hell away from his investigation."

Rolling my eyes, I plopped onto the couch. "What else did he say?"

"I sent him the photos. He said it definitely brings up more questions and doesn't help Dax's case at all. He's going to call him in again for questioning."

Jimmy sat down next to me and leaned his head on the back of the couch.

"Tired?"

"Yes. As I'm sure you are too," he said then slid his arm around me and pulled me close.

I rested my head on his chest, right under his chin. His warm breath tickled the hairs around my face. His other arm came around me, and he held me tight.

"Do you think Dax is somehow tied to Noe's murder?" I asked, not wanting to ruin the moment, but I had to work through all my questions.

"I didn't at first, but after those pictures, now I'm not so sure."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too, Red. Me too." He sighed. "I tried calling Dax before I called Detective Ray. I'd hoped he could give me some explanation, but I got his voicemail."

"You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved, Jimmy."

"I know." His hard chest rose and fell with each breath. "Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," I said, leaning forward to grab the remote off the coffee table. I switched it to an action flick I knew Jimmy would like and curled back up in his embrace.

I wondered if I should mention the almost kiss. Well, the two almost kisses. But I decided to just watch the movie and not ruin the moment. I was too tired to think about me and Jimmy, much less talk to him about us. I wasn't sure what the change in our relationship meant or even how far Jimmy wanted it to go. But that was a discussion for another time.

Jimmy's breaths grew even, a soft snore rumbling his chest. I rested my eyes for just a moment, feeling safe and secure in his arms.

When I awoke, I was really hot, and I couldn't breathe. Something heavy was on top of me, and panic raced through my veins. I opened my eyes and realized that Jimmy was wrapped around me like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver, his hand firmly placed on my butt cheek. Apparently, my subconscious really liked his hand there, because I found mine latched on to his backside as well. And a fine backside it was. I'd seen how firm it looked. Now I knew exactly what it felt like. Although our position stirred all kinds of tingling sensations in my belly, Jimmy was one heavy dude.

I pushed at his arms, trying to break his grasp, but it was no use. I took a deep breath and mustered a little strength and gave a solid push. Jimmy rolled over just enough to where I could quickly slide out. Carefully moving to the other side of the couch, I was embarrassed by our subconscious groping.

He slept peacefully, all traces of the stress from the past few days gone. Jimmy was an amazing friend and probably the best man I knew besides my father. Well, my brothers were ok too, when they weren't harassing me. But aside from family, I'd never met anyone more loyal or caring than Jimmy.

My feelings for him had evolved, and I wanted to think that maybe his feelings for me had changed as well. Was it just a chemical attraction we had going on? Was that what he was acting on? Or was there more? Could there be more?

Jimmy stretched, revealing a tantalizing view of his abs. My mouth watered as I watched his muscles ripple and then go still.

"Red?"

I jerked my gaze up to his and saw a half smile splayed across his face. "Like what you see?"

Embarrassed at being caught and then the remembrance of where his hand had been earlier, I jumped off the couch.

"I was just…I mean, I was going to—"

I stepped by him, but he grabbed my hand. "I'm just going to bed," I said. "You're staying here tonight?"

Not looking at him, I found a very interesting spot to examine on the wall over his head.

"I'm staying. At least until we catch this guy."

He squeezed my hand, and I couldn't help but meet his eyes. The smile was still on his face, as if he knew what he'd done earlier and what I'd done—why I'd moved away from him. Then he turned my hand over to my open palm and placed a gentle kiss there.

"Night, Red."

"Night, Jimmy."

I hurried to my bedroom and flopped onto my bed. Sleep eluded me again, as I lay there wondering what was happening between us.

* *   *

Brrring. Brrring. Brrring.

I scrambled for the phone on my nightstand. I must have finally dozed off. It was 1:30 a.m., so I hadn't been asleep long.

"Hello?"

"I need to talk to you," a quiet voice said.

"Who is this?" I asked, sleep fogging my brain.

"Kailani Chan. I need your help, Autumn."

I sat up straight in the bed just as a shadow filled the doorway of my room. Jimmy stood there, the light he must have turned on in the living room shining around him.

"Kailani," I whispered, my hand over the phone. Jimmy came and sat next to me on the bed. "What do you need help with?"

"I can't tell you over the phone. Meet me at the pool tomorrow at 10:00 a.m."

I hesitated. If it was important enough for her to call me in the middle of the night, surely she could tell me something.

"Kailani—"

"Please, Autumn. I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

"Ok."

The phone went silent. She'd already hung up.

"What did she want?" Jimmy asked, his arms stretched over his head as he yawned.

It was then that I noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt. For a moment, I wasn't able to speak. I just looked at him in all his male perfection. I'd seen Jimmy shirtless before. We went to the beach countless times. But here in my bedroom in the middle of the night, Jimmy without his shirt was a temptation I wasn't sure I could resist.

"Earth to Autumn," Jimmy said, waving a hand in front of my face.

I cleared my throat. "Um, she wants to speak with me tomorrow. She said she needed help."

"I'll go with you."

I nodded. If Kailani needed help, I'd need Jimmy to be there. He was the security specialist, after all.

Jimmy stood, squeezing my hand as he walked through the open door to the living room. He stopped just outside and smiled back at me. "Get some sleep."

"You too." I lay back down on the bed, hoping to go right back to sleep, but my body refused to cooperate. Instead I puzzled through everything I knew so far, but I didn't feel any closer to figuring out who'd killed Noe and who had my camera than I had been before.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I'd tossed and turned all night long, and when I'd finally managed to drift off to sleep, I'd dreamed that Jimmy and I were lying on a beach, cuddled up together, watching the sunset. He'd leaned over, his lips hovering a breath away from mine. Then I'd woken up. Hot and tingly. And frustrated. Was it too much to ask to at least kiss him in my dreams? We'd had two near misses, and I couldn't even manage to seal the deal in my head.

When I finally reached the resort that morning, Juls' peppy tone was almost too much to handle after such a miserable night.

"Hey, Autumn!"

I turned and gave her my best fake smile, my face stiff and my lips spread a bit too thin.

"Hey, Juls," I said, pausing to wait for her to approach. As usual, she was moving at power-walk speed. "I was just heading for the lockers."

"No worries. I just want to run something by you and see what you think." She rummaged in one of her pockets, extracting her cell and flicking through its screens with her thumb. "Aha! Here it is. Ok, tell me what you think of this idea." She looked up at me, a slight air of mischievousness in her eyes. "I'd love to have a couples' cooking competition and include a few resort employees as well."

"That sounds fine. I like to cook," I added, not sure where this was going. Too late I caught on as Juls' grin became wider. She couldn't know that Jimmy was staying at my place, could she? It had just been the one night, and he was just protecting me. He was a friend. "Um, maybe you should ask that gal from the front desk, the one who likes to flash her diamond in everyone's face. She's definitely part of a twosome."

Juls' eyebrows rose until they almost disappeared in her hairline. "Aha. I see. I thought you and Jimmy…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes spotted someone else behind me. "Well, speak of the devil," she murmured.

"What's up, ladies?"

I turned to see Jimmy standing too close behind me, and my treacherous heart began pounding loud enough for Juls to hear. From the quick glance she tossed my way, I thought she had.

"Nothing much," Juls said. "Just running a few of these couples' outings ideas by Autumn. I'm looking for employee couples from the resort to represent us."

"Awesome. Autumn and I would be glad to volunteer."

We would? I hardly dared to look up at him, almost afraid of what I'd see in his eyes. Besides, I needed to check the straps on my sandals.

"Great. I'll put you down." Juls gave a self-satisfied grin. Was she playing matchmaker now? "I'm about to take a few guests to sign up for Gabby's next tour, so I'm out of here." She gave me a pat on the back combined with a slight push. "Oh, I forgot to mention that we also have couples' massages, Autumn. Free for employees as long as they have an opening."

"That's interesting news, Juls. Thanks." I just barely contained the eye roll. I could have gladly killed her on the spot.

Jimmy chuckled, and I had the sudden urge to kill him right along with her. With a murder hanging over the resort, I probably shouldn't be making those kinds of jokes.

"Hey, Juls, before you go. Please tell me you didn't fire Kailani Chan after last night's argument with Patti Stone. She had that coming!"

Juls turned to face me, and I caught the massive eye roll. "Of course not! We aren't going to fire a fabulous employee after one of Patti Stone's drunken tirades. She'll get over it. Eventually."

Sighing in relief, I watched Juls speed walk toward the front doors. Jimmy placed his hand at the small of my back and led me out to the pool bar.

"So." Not the greatest opener, but it was the best I could do at the moment. Between trying to control my breathing and forcing myself to adopt a light tone, I wasn't overly concerned with talking.

"Yep."

Fabulous, I thought. This conversation was going nowhere quickly.

"So," I said again. "How'd you sleep last night?" I could have bitten my tongue.

"Could've been better. You?" I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Same. Could've been better, I mean." I could feel myself blushing.

"Ready to meet Kailani?" he asked as we pushed through the doors to the outside.

I decided I'd play along and avoid all the awkward conversations we were long overdue to have. "Yep! Let's just hope she has something interesting to share."

I glanced at my watch on my arm. "She should be here any minute. Drinks?"

I turned quickly and walked to the pool bar. Ordering a Diet Coke, I went to hand the bartender my money, when Jimmy pushed my hand away, adding a Coke to his order and paying for them both. We always went Dutch. Why were the rules changing, and what did this mean?

Walking to a nearby table, fighting the rising blush that continued to try to creep up my neck, I sat down, my thoughts whirling around in my head like a tornado. Jimmy followed close behind and sat across from me.

"Look, Red, I've been meaning to talk to you."

Oh no. We were not doing this. Not when I hadn't had any sleep.

"Do you think Kailani knows who killed Noe?" I asked. A jarring change of subject, I knew.

Jimmy wasn't an idiot. He was a really smart guy and really good at his job. But he let the diversion stand. "I think she knows something. Now why she's telling us and not the police is another question."

"Maybe she trusts me more than the police?" Kailani had sounded scared last night. She'd also seemed a little intimidated by the police's questions the night of Noe's murder. Maybe she was afraid they'd make her a suspect.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you going to be able to do to help her?"

"Well, she knows we're friends, so maybe she was hoping I'd bring you along or at least tell you."

"Perhaps. I'm just worried about you. What Phil said last night—" Jimmy took a sip of his drink, and I did the same. "He's right, you know? All these questions. Eventually someone's not going to like it."

"I just can't seem to let it go. I can't stand not having control over my life. I don't remember capturing anything incriminating on film, but what if I did and the killer decides to take me out of the picture to prevent me from remembering? I know I might be making them mad with all the questions, but asking questions is at least proactive. I can't just sit around and do nothing."

Jimmy took my hand in his. "I won't let anything happen to you." His eyes were pools of chocolate, and I happened to really love chocolate.

"You may not be able to stop it."

We sat there in silence for several minutes, my hand in his, both of us sipping our drinks and not saying what we were thinking or feeling. It was weirdly comfortable. I glanced at my watch, breaking the moment.

"It's 10:15. Shouldn't she be here already?"

Pulling my hand from his, I took out my phone and dialed her number. It went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Kailani, it's Autumn. I'm at the pool bar and was just making sure I had the right place. Hopefully, you're just running behind. See you soon." I clicked off and then tried again, thinking maybe she'd been dialing out at the same time I was calling her. But it went to voicemail once again.

Jimmy stood. "I've got to get back to work. Let me know if you hear from her, ok?"

Nodding my head, I looked up, and our gazes caught and held. Jimmy bent down and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. "Later, Red."

I reached up and touched the spot where his lips had lingered, as if to capture its essence and keep it with me. Shivering, goose bumps popped out along my arms, and I rubbed them to bring back the warmth.

Jimmy tossed a wink over his shoulder at me, causing him to almost run right into someone. He placed his hands on the woman's arms to steady her, and when he released her like a hot potato, I realized why. Patti Stone. She wore a tiny string bikini that didn't come close to containing her enormous breasts. Over her top she wore a shear mesh cover-up. Not that she was covering anything up since it was completely see-through.

I was close enough to hear Jimmy's muttered apology, and since Patti had a big mouth, everyone on the pool deck heard her reply. "Oh my. That's quite alright, honey. But I know a way you can make it up to me."

Patti squeezed his bicep, brushing her breasts against his arm. Jimmy forced out a fake laugh (when he was your best friend, you knew when he was faking it) and pulled his arm loose. "Maybe some other time, Mrs. Stone."

"Patti, please. I think we should be on a first name basis. Don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." The ma'am must have irritated her as well because she visibly bristled at the comment, color rising to her cheeks. She spluttered a bit as if to say something else, but Jimmy pushed by her.

"Goodbye, Patti," he said and then dared a look over his shoulder at me.

Patti followed the exchange, narrowing her eyes into a glare when she saw me. I gave her a finger wave and picked up my things, hightailing it out of there before she could sink her claws into me.

Since Kailani hadn't made it out to our meeting, I decided I'd check to see if she was at her apartment. I texted Jimmy that I was going to check on her and to get her address. As head of security, he had access to files I did not.

He texted me back her street name and number, and moments later I pulled into a run-down complex near the resort. I had no idea what she drove as I eyed the cars, wondering if one of them was hers. I should have thought to ask Jimmy that too.

Kailani lived on the third floor, and I was pretty much out of breath by the time I reached her door. No wonder she was in such good shape. I knocked several times, and on the last one, the door swung open.

A chill crept up my spine. It never was a good sign when you knocked on someone's door in the middle of the day and it was open. Especially after that person had just missed a scheduled appointment and called you at 1:30 in the morning to tell you she needed your help. I should have called the police. I should have called Jimmy. I shouldn't have entered that apartment.

If I had a nickel for every time I should or shouldn't have done something, I'd be a rich woman.

Kailani's apartment was a studio, an open floor plan where you could see the entire place in one sweep. A tidy bed sat in the corner, pillows lining the back to make it look more like a couch. A petite wood table held a small flat screen TV, and the kitchen was efficient but not spacious.

A quick glance told me that Kailani wasn't in there. I stepped inside, calling her name. "Kailani? It's me, Autumn. I just came by to check on you."

I walked toward the only door in the place and assumed that was the bathroom. Hesitantly I raised my hand to knock. "Kailani?"

The door swung open, and the coppery smell of blood and other stuff I didn't want to think about rushed out, knocking me over with the stench. I gasped in horror, stumbling backwards, but what I'd seen could never be unseen.

There, lying in the bathtub in a pool of water and blood, was Kailani Chan.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Kailani's lifeless eyes haunted me as I raced to my car and waited for the police to arrive. I barely remembered calling 9-1-1 and Jimmy. Death was always terrible. But violent deaths had a way of sticking with you, I was finding.

A rap on the window startled me, and I looked into the eyes of my savior and friend. With a gasping sob, I pushed the door open, throwing myself into Jimmy's arms and letting all my pent-up emotions run out my eyes to soak his black T-shirt.

"I got here as soon as I could." His hands rubbed my back in a soothing caress. Unable to speak, I just nodded against his chest. Now that Jimmy was here, everything would be ok.

Finally under control, I pulled back. "It was terrible, Jimmy. All the blood…her eyes—"

"Shh. Don't talk about it right now. Detective Ray and his guys should be here any minute."

As if he'd conjured them from thin air, the sirens grew louder as several police cars pulled into the parking lot. Detective Ray emerged from one of the cars, his face grim. Jimmy lifted his hand, and Detective Ray made his way over to us, barking out orders to the other police as he did so.

"You ok?" he asked me.

"Yes. Just in shock, I guess."

He nodded his agreement, turning to one of the guys and asking for a bottle of water. As the guy jogged back to the car, Detective Ray turned back to me. "I'm going to need your statement, but I want to make sure you're good and hydrated first. Can't have you passing out on me and suing the station."

What looked like an almost grin tugged at the side of his mouth, but it disappeared so quickly it was hard to tell. He reminded me of a Hawaiian Tommy Lee Jones, sans the southern accent. I giggled, and both Detective Ray and Jimmy looked at me like I'd gone crazy. Maybe I had.

"Shock, remember?" I said as Jimmy squeezed me tight against his side.

Detective Ray noticed the exchange and lifted one eyebrow.

The policeman returned with the bottle of water, and I chugged it down. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I felt stronger to face the detective's questions.

"I'm ready."

"Can you tell me what happened, Ms. Season?" Detective Ray's hand was poised over his little notebook, ready to take down anything interesting I said.

I went over the events of the last twenty-four hours, starting with the luau and the argument I'd witnessed with Patti Stone, followed by Kailani's fear-filled phone call. I wasn't sure it was important but felt like I needed to tell him as much as I could.

"Why would she call you instead of the police?" Detective Ray asked, and I could tell he was a little miffed.

"Maybe she felt intimidated by the police? She mentioned that when I spoke to her a couple of days ago. I don't know. Maybe she thought I'd tell Jimmy and he could intervene? I'm not sure why she called me first."

"You've been snooping around this investigation, haven't you?

"I may have asked a question here or there. I wouldn't call that snooping," I said defensively.

"Well, I would. Now I have another dead body on my hands." He pushed his hands through his hair in what I assumed was exasperation. I seemed to have that effect on people. He took a deep breath and continued, "You say she seemed upset. Any way this might be suicide?"

I hadn't really thought of it. I guess by all appearances suicide would be the most logical answer. My mind shot back to the cuts on Kailani's wrists that puddled blood onto the floor. But for some reason it didn't feel right.

"I guess it would appear so, but for some reason that doesn't sit well with me. If she'd wanted to kill herself, she wouldn't have called me last night wanting to meet. And I don't think she would have asked me to help her."

"All of that is speculation, Ms. Season."

"Well of course it is. It's not like I can ask her. She's dead." I realized I'd raised my voice, and quickly got myself under control. "Sorry," I muttered.

"We'll get to the bottom of what happened. But until then"—he paused, waiting for me to meet his eyes—"stay the hell out of my investigation. Understand?"

I nodded curtly as the detective walked over to the crime scene. Jimmy grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around to face him.

"Are you sure you're ok? I can take you to the hospital."

"I'm fine. Just processing it all. I can't believe Kailani would kill herself. So that means we're looking at another murder. But why?"

"Do me a favor, Red. Listen to Ray and stay out of this, ok? Do you know what it would do to me if I found you like that?" He nodded toward Kailani's apartment, and I could see the pain in his eyes. His hands gripped my shoulders tighter.

"I'm not going to end up like that. I promise." I leaned in, borrowing strength from his embrace. I made the promise to reassure myself and Jimmy. It wasn't like I had any control over when I died or whether or not the killer would come after me. But it felt like the right thing to say at the time.

"I'm going to stick around and see if I can do anything to help. I'm not the police, but I might have answers to their questions. Do you need a ride back to the resort?"

"Nah. I'm good."

"I'm calling Juls to tell her what happened. I suggest you take the rest of the day off."

"I don't need to, Jimmy. I'm fine."

"Just let me take care of you, please."

He seemed so broken up and sincere, so I nodded, figuring why argue.

An old model, beat-up sedan whipped into the parking lot, barely keeping all four tires on the ground. The driver's door opened, and Phil Mano jumped out, rushing to Kailani's front door. As he reached it, two policemen put out their hands, blocking his entrance.

"That's my girlfriend's apartment," he yelled.

"I'm sorry, sir. You can't go in there right now," a policeman said.

"Kailani! Kailani!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face.

My heart broke as I watched the scene.

"Sir, come with us until you calm down." The other police officer took him by the upper arm, guiding him to the police car. The officer spoke to Phil in a hushed voice. A heart-wrenching cry tore from Phil's chest, and he collapsed against the side of the car, sinking to the ground.

"No! No, Kailani, no!"

Tears welled in my eyes. It wasn't fair for someone as sweet as Kailani to die the way she had. And there was no way you could convince me she'd killed herself.

A sleek, black sedan pulled in behind Phil's, and Derrick Stone got out, rushing toward Phil.

Seeing him, Phil jumped up, running at Derrick as fast as his feet would carry him. He grabbed him by the collar and shook him.

"This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, she'd still be alive. You killed her!"

I gasped in horror.

Derrick yelled back. "Don't be ridiculous, Phil." His voice lowered, but it was still loud enough to be heard from where we were standing. "And keep your voice down. You have any idea what you're accusing me of?"

"Of course I know!" Phil growled.

"Then shut up. Now go home. I'll call when I know something more." Derrick shoved Phil toward his car. Phil stormed off, throwing deadly looks over his shoulder at Derrick.

"What was that about?" I asked Jimmy. Before he could answer, I found myself walking over to Derrick to find out. Jimmy's hand shot out, stopping me.

"What in the world do you think you're doing, Red?"

"I'm just going to ask him a couple of questions. No big deal."

"No. Under no circumstances are you to get involved in this. Do you understand?

"That sounds an awful lot like a command, and the last time I checked, you weren't the boss of me!"

Jimmy sighed, pushing his hands through his hair in a violent manner. Second man in less than ten minutes I'd driven to insanity. It must have been a record.

"Look, I'm worried about you. I don't want to lose you. Please, just—"

"Toki!" a policeman shouted from the doorway of Kailani's apartment. Jimmy turned, and the guy motioned for him.

"Just promise me—"

I raised my eyebrows in challenge.

He sighed. "Promise me you'll be careful?"

Before I could respond, he bent down, placing a kiss on the top of my head, then ran toward Detective Ray, who now stood outside Kailani's apartment with his arms folded across his chest, glaring at us. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

It took me all of five seconds to decide to disregard Jimmy's warnings and make a beeline for Derrick, who was in a conversation with one of the officers. Phil's car was no longer there, and I waited until he'd finished his conversation.

He turned to leave, but I ran after him. "Derrick!"

Whirling around, Derrick pinned me with a hateful glare. I stopped cold, taking a step back and wondering if everyone was right and maybe I should just leave well enough alone. But just as quickly the glare disappeared, and he schooled his features into a bored expression, as if he'd found me to be like a speck of lint on his charcoal pants that he could just brush off with a flick of his fingers.

"Ms. Season. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He knew my name? Well, that couldn't be good news.

"Um, well, I just—"

"I don't have all day, young lady. So if you don't mind—" He turned to leave.

"Did you kill Kailani Chan?"

His whole body froze, and he turned slowly to look down at me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Why did Phil say you killed her?"

"Phil is overcome with grief and talking out of his head. How should I know why he would make such an accusation? I assume he's willing to blame anyone."

"But he didn't blame anyone. He blamed you."

Derrick sighed. Make that three men I'd had the honor of infuriating that day.

"Ms. Season, we spoke with Juls Kekoa and let her know that Kailani's behavior as of late was not becoming of the resort. We had recently heard that she was going to be fired. I assume that the news of her unemployment status as well as losing her fiancé were too much for her to bear and she took her own life. Such a shame."

"But she wasn't."

"I'm sorry?"

I took a step closer, emboldened in catching him in a lie or at least a piece of information he had wrong.

"I spoke to Juls this morning, and they had no intentions of firing Kailani."

The news appeared to shock him, his mouth opening and closing like a guppy's.

"Well then, I'm assuming it was grief."

"I think it was something else."

"Like?"

"What were you doing with Dax the night of Noe's death?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Kailani had pictures of you handing Dax something that looks rather incriminating. What was it?"

"Dax is my employee. When we meet and what we do is none of your business. Now if you don't mind, I have an appointment I must get to."

The formality of his words was in stark contrast to the rage on his face. Suddenly I wasn't sure of what I was doing. If Derrick Stone was the killer, I'd just given him another reason to want me dead.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

On my way back to the resort, Juls called, telling me how sorry she was that I'd found Kailani and that I had the rest of the day off. I didn't argue. I knew Jimmy had probably suggested it to her.

I did not want to go home and sit in my apartment all day, so I swung by the resort to see what time Summer got off.

"Hey, Summer," I said as she finished up with a customer.

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok?"

Man, word really spread quickly around here. "I'm fine. Better than poor Kailani."

"I can't believe you found her. It must have been terrible."

"Understatement of the year." I gave her a sad smile. "What time is your shift over?"

"In a little over an hour. Why? What did you have in mind?"

I shrugged. "Maybe some pool time? I just need to unwind and process all these emotions going on inside me."

"Excuse me," a snobby voice said behind me.

I turned around and found Patti Stone, big black sunglasses covering most of her face, a wide-brimmed hat on her head, a hot pink velour tracksuit, and—No. It couldn't be. I looked down at her feet just to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Yep. Hot pink high heels. Did she own any other kind of shoe?

Summer looked as if she were trying to hide a grin. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Stone?"

"My spa appointment. I missed it this morning, and I need to reschedule for now."

"I'm not the one that schedules for the spa. You'll need to call the spa and do that." Summer looked as if her patience was wearing thin, and I wondered how many times a day Mrs. Stone used the resort staff as if they were her very own personal assistants.

"What kind of customer service is this anyway? I want you to call the spa for me and switch it. Tell them it's an emergency." Since Patti wasn't exactly a guest, I wasn't sure why she insisted on acting like one. Last I checked, having a contract with a resort to use the facilities didn't mean that the front desk staff were your personal assistants. People around the island used the spa services at Aloha Lagoon, as they were top notch. But most people didn't ask the front desk to reschedule their appointments, especially when they weren't staying there.

Summer picked up the phone, catching my gaze behind Patti's back and rolling her eyes. After a brief conversation, Summer hung up.

"They said to send you on back. They'll work you in."

"Now, was that so hard?" Patti spat, turning on her very high heels and waddling away. I wondered if she knew just how silly she looked walking in those things.

Fortunately, Patti didn't stick around for Summer's answer, because I had a feeling she was within seconds of throttling her. As soon as she disappeared around the corner, Summer whirled around.

"Can you believe that woman?"

"Not at all. Isn't she even a little bit upset that one of her surfer's girlfriend and fiancé of another one—" I paused mid-sentence. "This whole thing is a little like a soap opera, isn't it?" Summer laughed, and I continued. "Anyway, isn't she the least bit troubled that Kailani was found dead in her apartment this morning?"

"Maybe she doesn't know."

"You know. She has to know."

Summer shrugged. "You should ask her."

"I should. Any chance the spa has an opening for me?"

Summer grinned and dialed the spa. When she hung up, she said, "You're in luck. They have an opening for a facial in thirty minutes. You can use the indoor pool or sauna beforehand if you want. I'll meet you there in about an hour when my shift's over."

"Perfect."

*  *  *

I stopped by my locker, taking out the bag of clothes I'd decided to stash in case I needed a swimsuit or change of clothing. I quickly pulled on my swimsuit and threw on my cover-up then headed to the spa.

I wasn't sure how I was going to find Patti Stone. She could be there for a massage or Brazilian waxing for all I knew. Gross. That was an image I didn't want in my mind.

Checking in with the front desk, I signed the release papers. Then the receptionist gave me directions to the sauna and indoor pool.

"I'm meeting my friend Patti here. Any idea where she might be?" I was hoping that she wouldn't question the huge whopper of a lie I'd just told. I was also hoping that Patti wasn't already buck naked under a sheet, getting a rubdown while I spoke.

The young girl grimaced before schooling her features under the guise of professionalism. I guessed she must have experienced Patti Stone in her usual state of unpleasantness.

"Yes, ma'am." There was that wretched word again. "She's also waiting in the sauna."

"Thank you."

The long hallway was adorned with green, aqua, and blue mosaic glass tiles on the walls and slate floors. It was stunningly gorgeous and another area in the resort where you could tell that no expense had been spared in its décor.

I pushed through double doors that opened to a heated pool, the same glass tiles decorating the walls and sides of the pool. A small waterfall flowed from a rock feature in the corner. It felt like walking into a small indoor oasis, with the potted palms and other tropical flowers arranged to appear as if one was still outdoors in a private lagoon.

There were two sauna rooms, one on each side of the pool. I chose the one on my left, hoping I'd find Patti there. When I opened the door, steam rolled out of the room, nearly knocking me over with the humidity. I peered in but didn't see anyone.

Hurriedly I power walked around the edge of the pool. Just as I approached the other sauna door, it flung open, a woman in a thong bikini storming out with her cell phone in hand. Patti Stone.

But wait—her cell phone? In a sauna? Where in the world did she keep it in that getup? I followed close behind her, ducking behind palm trees and plants to keep from being caught. Patti slipped into one of the empty massage rooms, and I flattened myself against the wall to listen in.

"What about the boards?" Patti hissed.

I waited for her response.

"Yes, but did you get the"—she hesitated—"the merchandise?" she asked in a loud whisper. "Meet me and Derrick at the house this afternoon. We received the new shipment of boards from the warehouse last night…I don't care what you have planned today. Listen to me and listen closely. That merchandise better be all set for the Classic, or there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me? If we go down, you go down."

Realizing that Patti was done with her phone call, I rushed to hide behind one of the palm trees, watching as she marched herself back to the sauna room, her thong-clad backside jiggling behind her. As soon as the sauna door opened, I came out from my hiding place and started toward the sauna, looking behind me as I did to make sure no one was watching.

Unfortunately, I failed to look in front of me and ran right into Annie Morris.

"Umph! Oh, Annie. Hi!" I said, much too cheerfully.

"Autumn, hi. What are you doing behind that plant?"

"Oh, that thing? I was just, um. I was just—"

"Waiting for me," Summer's voice called out from behind me.

I tried not to let the relief show on my face, but I was afraid my acting abilities weren't up to par.

"Right. I was just waiting for Summer. Just getting some sauna time in before the pool."

Annie eyed me dubiously. Maybe it was the lack of sweat on my body or the fact that I was crouched down behind a potted palm that gave me away.

"Well, I was just glad I got away early," Summer said, taking me by the arm to steer me away from Annie's knowing eyes.

"Good to see you, Annie," I said as I hotfooted it away from the awkward situation.

"Bye, Autumn," Annie said, watching us as we fled the scene.

As soon as we were out of earshot, Summer turned on me. "What were you thinking, skulking about behind potted plants?" She threw her hands up in exasperation, and I just shrugged. "Also do you not understand the words 'be careful'?"

"I was being careful. That's the whole reason I was behind the plant in the first place. I was listening to Patti's conversation and then realized too late she was off the phone. I had to hide somewhere, or she'd know I was listening."

"Well, I'm sure Annie will tell her you were lurking about. I don't think she believed you." Summer's face looked concerned, and I didn't have any words to put her at ease.

"Not much I can do about it now. I'll just have to be more careful in the future."

"In the future? Do you even hear yourself right now? Let's just say Patti is the killer. What do you think she's going to do to you when she discovers you're listening to her phone conversations and asking too many questions?"

I swallowed hard. I didn't have an answer for that. All I knew was that Kailani deserved better. Noe deserved better.

What merchandise was Patti talking about? I thought back to the pictures Kailani had taken of Derrick and Dax at the luau. I was pretty sure Derrick wasn't giving Dax a bag of powdered sugar for him to take home to his mama. So that left drugs.

Were the Stones running drugs somehow through their surfboard business? But how?

I hadn't put all the pieces of the puzzle together yet, but I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that whoever did this might also have my camera. My favorite, very expensive pride and joy, I might add. It didn't seem that the police were getting very far with this case, and I was tired of waiting for the killer to turn his sights on me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Did you hear the news?" Juls squealed as soon as we approached the front desk. Gabby Le Clair of Gabby's Island Adventures Tour Company stood next to her, her clipboard in hand.

"What news?" I asked.

"We got the bid for the Classic! Can you believe it? Oh my gosh! Do you know how much work has to be done in the next two days?" Juls asked in a tone that would have dogs running away from her in pain.

"It will all get done, Juls. I'll help you," Gabby said, squeezing her arm and giving me a look that screamed what a crazy person!

"That's great, isn't it?" I asked. I knew it would be a lot of work, but it was fantastic exposure for the resort.

"It is." Juls exhaled loudly. "I'm just freaking out because everything has to be perfect. You'll be there to take pictures, right? Like, of the surfers and everything. Just like you see in magazines and on the internet?"

Butterflies took flight in my stomach. This was my big break! This was what I had moved here to do. And finally I was going to be able to realize my dreams. Except now I had to go and buy lenses for my backup camera since my good camera was stolen.

It's hard for people to understand my obsession with my camera. A camera is a photographer's best friend. It's the paint an artist uses to create a beautiful masterpiece. Or the voice of a singer. Not having my camera was like a musician not having her instrument.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I said quietly, and Summer grinned at me.

"This is what you've dreamed of, right?" she asked, pulling me in for a quick hug.

I nodded, tears forming behind my eyes. I would not cry. I would not cry.

I pulled away before I made an idiot of myself. "I've got to go. I need to stop by the camera store and pick up some lenses. I'll talk to you later?"

Summer waved and grabbed her things from behind the desk to leave as Juls and Gabby talked animatedly about the details of the event. For me, I'd need to be armed with all the tools necessary to take the most amazing pictures of my life.

*  *   *

I found Jimmy sitting at his desk several minutes later.

"Hey! Did you hear the big news?"

He looked up at me with a smile on his gorgeous face, but his eyes looked tired. "I did. Great news. Big event though. I've been working all afternoon on getting coverage. Fortunately, the police will be here to help as well."

"I didn't think of that. Will you be working late tonight?"

He shook his head, standing to stretch. All his muscles bulged and flexed, and I was momentarily stunned by the view. I heard a rough chuckle and jerked my gaze up to meet Jimmy's.

"When you look at me like that—"

I could feel the warmth crawling up my neck, and my cheeks burned.

"Want to go with me to the camera store?" I blurted, hoping he wouldn't finish his sentence.

Jimmy shook his head from side to side, a grin lifting one side of his mouth up. "Eventually we're going to have to talk about this," he said. Then mercifully answered my question. "Sure. When are you leaving?"

"As soon as I can. I'm not sure what time they close, so I'd like to get there early enough to catch them."

"I'm ready now, if you are," Jimmy said, flipping the power off on his computer screen and rounding the desk. The light in his eyes said he might be talking about something besides the camera store.

We walked to the parking lot in relative silence until Jimmy asked, "So why are you going to the camera store?"

Great. Safe topic. "I have to buy a long lens and a few other lenses for my backup. I hate doing it. I feel like I'm cheating on my real camera."

"That one—" He motioned toward the camera on my hip. "It isn't a real camera?"

"Of course it's a real camera. It's just not as good of a camera. Anyway, I didn't buy insurance for the other one, which is why I'm so determined to get it back. But since I'll need a long lens for tomorrow, I have to go ahead and get one for what I have on me."

I was still regretting not taking insurance out on my camera. Would a business owner not insure their brick-and-mortar building and equipment? It was a mistake I wouldn't make again once I had it back in my possession. And I would get it back.

I drove since it was my errand, and Jimmy slid into the passenger seat beside me. He was so large he took up all the space in my tiny Cooper. His legs were folded almost to his ears. I snickered, and Jimmy gave my shoulder a slight push.

"I can't help it if you drive a clown car, Red."

"It's a perfect size for me. I can't help it if I'm vertically challenged."

"All you need is some rain, and maybe you'll grow an inch or two."

I couldn't help it. I threw my head back in laughter. That was the funniest short person joke I'd ever heard. I usually didn't like to encourage him, but this time it was out of my control.

"Liked that one, did you?"

"Yeah, but don't get used to it."

We drove to the camera store that was in the next town over. The drive was scenic, the water on one side and the lush Hawaiian foliage on the other.

"How are you feeling since finding Kailani this morning?"

I couldn't believe it had only been that morning. I'd spent the day trying to keep the images out of my head, but with Jimmy's words they all came flooding back. I shook my head as if to dislodge the horrible memories.

"I'm ok. It was terrible. The worst thing I've ever seen." My hands had started to shake, so I squeezed the steering wheel a little tighter. Jimmy must have noticed, because he reached up and grabbed one of my hands, clasping it firmly in his.

"I'm sorry."

Shrugging, I said, "I know. Me too. I just want to figure out who did this to her. We weren't close, but I felt like we could have been. I hate that she died that way. Any word from Detective Ray?"

Jimmy still held my hand, and I was struggling to keep my attention on the road and not where he was touching me. He'd rested our hands on his very firm thigh. It was distracting.

"He called right before you walked into my office. They found heroin in Kailani's system. Enough to take down a large animal. You were right. She didn't kill herself."

"Couldn't she have overdosed on her own?"

"She could have, but there's no evidence of drugs in her apartment. If she had been the one to OD, she would still have had the syringe and vial there. It looks as if the killer made a mistake not leaving the evidence at the scene that would have indicated that Kailani took her own life. I'm assuming he'd hoped that her slashed wrists would be all the proof the police needed to deem it a suicide."

I thought back to the substance that Derrick had passed to Dax. It was hard to believe that Dax might have killed Kailani, but it wasn't as hard to believe that Derrick could have had a hand in her death. Phil had indicated him already. Maybe Derrick knew she'd caught him on her cell phone and had made sure Kailani couldn't testify about what she'd seen and photographed.

"That's terrible. But maybe that means she didn't suffer. I'd hate to think that she was aware of what was going on." I trembled, and Jimmy brought my hand to his chest then bent his head and kissed the top of my hand.

"I won't let anything happen to you." His eyes were solemn, as if he'd fight to the death for me. Friendship? Or was it more?

I smiled in return, not really having a response to that statement. I wasn't sure it really even needed a response. Pulling into the parking space in front of the camera store, I was loath to get out of the car and let go of Jimmy's hand. It felt nice. Right.

The camera store was tiny, but being that it was located in Hawaii, a place where surfing was king, I knew it'd have what I needed.

After putting an obscene amount on my credit card, I picked up my purchases and walked back to the car. "Want to get a bite to eat?" I asked, putting the purchases in my trunk and locking the door.

"Does a fat baby eat cake?"

I gave him an eye roll of epic proportions. I was surprised my eyeballs didn't get stuck in the back of my head.

"It was better than the one I'd originally planned."

"I don't even want to know."

"You know you love me," he joked.

But I went utterly still. He meant as a friend, right? But the feelings I had for Jimmy were starting to feel like something other than friendship. Fortunately, Jimmy didn't seem to notice my lack of response, and we walked to a taco place nearby. I'd heard they had amazing fish tacos but had never stopped while visiting the camera store.

After ordering our tacos, we sat at a table, and I filled Jimmy in on the conversation I'd overheard with Patti and whoever was on the other end of the line.

"What could she mean by boards and merchandise? Aren't the surfboards the merchandise?" Jimmy asked.

"That's what I was thinking. Why would she separate the two? And then to threaten someone that if she goes down, they go down too? None of it makes any sense."

"Well, Patti tends to be a bit dramatic, so for all we know, it could be wax for the boards or something she'd planned to have shipped together."

Jimmy didn't look as if he believed his words, and I just let it go. We both knew it was more than that. The question was, what could it be?

"I spoke to Derrick after you went to talk to Detective Ray."

Jimmy's expression hardened, and I could tell he was trying to keep his temper in check.

"Oh?" he asked, deceptively calm.

"He still thought Kailani had been fired. And he acted ignorant about what was going on in those pictures we have of him and Dax at the luau."

"You told him?" Jimmy practically yelled.

"Shh. Keep your voice down. Geez."

Jimmy lifted one eyebrow in warning.

"Ok fine. Yes, I told him. I didn't really mean to. It just came out."

Looking up at the ceiling, Jimmy murmured something under his breath. I could tell he was trying to control his anger toward me. But I also knew he was worried about me, so I gave him a pass on the overprotective bear act he was performing.

"Autumn, you know I'm worried about you," he started.

"I know, but you don't have to be."

"Of course I have to be. If I don't worry about you, who's going to? You certainly aren't worried about yourself."

"I just need answers, you know? And I want my camera back."

"I'll buy you another dang camera! Just let it go. Please."

"I can't do that."

He sighed, the sound filled with regret and resolution. "Then at least be careful?" He said the words like a question.

I nodded.

Taking my hand in his, he lifted our joined hands up to his mouth once again, placing a chaste kiss on my knuckles. "If anything happens to you—"

"It won't," I assured him. But I wasn't so sure I had the power to keep that promise.

Night had fallen, and I was anxious to get home and chill out for a little while. The events of the day had worn me down, and I was desperate for a little downtime.

I stopped my car next to Jimmy's.

"I'm going to run home and get some things to keep at your place so I don't have to run home every day."

"Jimmy, you don't have to stay with me."

"I won't sleep otherwise."

"At least take my bed. You don't fit on the couch."

"Just drop it. I can sleep anywhere," he said with a wink. He got into his car and drove off.

I started to head to my apartment, but I remembered I'd left my bag of extra clothes in the locker. Since I'd worn those several times, I figured it was time I gave them a good wash. I wouldn't have time over the next few days to wash them with the Classic on the horizon, so I darted in to retrieve them.

On my way out, I sent Jimmy a text to grab some chocolate ice cream from his place. He always had a stash of it in his freezer. I had a sneaky suspicion it was because he knew how much I liked it.

I looked up from my phone and saw two figures huddling in the corner of the parking lot. As I walked closer to my car, their features came into focus. It was Derrick and Dax.

I tried to be nonchalant as I crept up to my car, all the while keeping an eye on them. They were talking in raised voices, both leaning in as if they wanted to tear the other one apart. Dax lightly pushed Derrick's shoulder, and Derrick's face got so red I could see it from where I was standing, halfway across the parking lot.

"Don't you ever touch me like that again, or I'll kill you," he said, his fist raised as if he was going to hit Dax.

I must have gasped audibly, because at that moment both men turned and looked my way. Derrick's face grew even redder, while Dax turned white as a ghost.

"Oh crap," I said under my breath and closed the distance to my car. As soon as I slid into the driver's seat, I saw Dax making a mad dash my way. Fumbling with my keys, I tried to put them in the ignition and start the car. I kept hitting the drive shaft and not the little hole where the key goes.

"Come on, come on!" My hands were shaking so badly, I couldn't get the key to go in. After several failed attempts, I finally got the key in, and the engine turned over. When I raised my eyes, Dax was at the driver's door, his hands on the lever. With a yelp, I quickly hit the lock button and punched the gas, leaving a gasping Dax in my wake.

My breathing came hard and heavy as I spun out of the parking lot, making a beeline for my apartment. After a couple of miles, I relaxed. My hands shook on the steering wheel, and my legs felt like rubber.

"That was close," I said, wondering what Dax would have done if he'd caught me.

I thought about calling Jimmy to let him know what I'd just seen, but I decided to wait until he arrived at my place. No need to worry him.

I took the turn toward my house, the coast on the horizon. There were no streetlights on this side of the town, so it was pitch-black outside. Headlights shone from behind me, and I glanced in my rearview mirror. Whoever was behind me was coming up fast.

I slowed down, hoping they'd go around. The car kept coming, and my pulse picked up its pace once again. What were they doing?

The car was dark, and I couldn't tell what kind it was, even though it was right on my back bumper now. I sped up, seeing that the driver had no intention of going around me.

The car revved its engine, lunging forward as if it was going to hit me. With a scream, I stomped on the gas, trying desperately to keep my car on the road. We were fast approaching a portion of the road that narrowed considerably, with very little room on either side of it.

As I increased my speed again, the car behind me made contact, ramming me from behind. My head flew forward as I braced myself, and my car jerked to the right.

Glancing behind me, the car was still there. Tears fell down my face, but I barely noticed. I'd never been so scared, and I wasn't sure how to get out of this situation. I looked at the passenger seat for my purse, hoping I could make a call to 9-1-1, but it had fallen onto the floor after the car had rammed into me.

I looked into the rearview mirror, seeing the car pick up speed once again. This time, I was prepared for the bump, but I didn't anticipate the force with which he hit me. My forehead slammed into the steering wheel, momentarily making me see stars. The car lurched to the left, and I lost control of the wheel. I spun around, feeling the car do a 360-degree turn before finally resting on the bank next to the road.

The night was eerily calm, as if I hadn't just been run off the road by a crazed driver. Wait! Where was the other car?

I peered through the windshield, but no one was nearby. Grateful the deranged person hadn't stuck around, I unbuckled my seat belt and bent over the console to retrieve my purse from the floor.

With shaking hands, I dialed 9-1-1 and told them what happened. Then I dialed Jimmy.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I brought the hot coffee up to my lips, trying to control the tremors that wracked my body, as Jimmy and I sat in my living room waiting for Detective Ray to come by for my statement. I was in no shape to drive after my accident. My car was being driven back to my house by one of the officers since, although suffering some serious fender damage, it was still drivable. Good thing since I didn't have the money to have it fixed right now.

It was hard enough for me to get into Jimmy's car after my accident, and I couldn't stand the thought of riding or driving all the way to the police station. Fortunately, Detective Ray was nearby and offered to swing by.

Jimmy handed me an ice pack, which I placed on the tender spot on my forehead. I'd probably have a nice bruise, but fortunately the EMTs had deemed me concussion-free with strict instructions to go to the ER if my symptoms changed.

A knock at the door sent my blood pressure through the roof, and my coffee almost spilled on my lap.

"I got it," Jimmy said, jumping up off the couch and checking the peephole in the door before opening it.

Detective Ray entered my apartment looking almost as bad as I was sure I did. His hair was mussed. He had what looked like a yellow mustard stain on his white Hawaiian shirt with green flowers. His pants were wrinkled, and it looked like one of his pants legs was tucked into his sock. How that happened, I wasn't sure.

"Good evening, Ms. Season. I hear you've had a rough night."

"It was definitely one of the worst days of my life so far." Finding a dead body and being run off the road all in the same day had to be some kind of record for bad days.

"I have a feeling your meddling in my case is the cause of these unfortunate events." Detective Ray pointed a heated glare in my direction.

I shrank back against the couch. Who knew he could be so intimidating? Even with the stains and overall general rumpledness.

I decided to just keep quiet. I would not confirm or deny my recent activities.

"Tell me what happened," he said, sitting down in the armchair across the room.

"I dropped Jimmy off at his car then remembered I'd left my bag in my locker. So I ran inside to get it. When I came out, Derrick Stone and Dax Toki—" I looked at Jimmy apologetically. He just nodded at me to continue. "Well, they were in some kind of heated argument. Pushing each other and yelling. Then Derrick said if Dax ever touched him again, he'd kill him."

"Did you confront the two men?"

"No, sir. But they saw me. Dax ran toward the car, but I pulled away before he could open my door."

"I see. Did either of them say anything to you?"

"No, sir."

"Continue, please."

I finished telling him about the car ramming me and eventually running me off the road.

"Did you see the car?"

"Not really. It looked dark. Maybe black. It's hard to say."

Detective Ray flipped his notebook closed and placed it in his pocket. "Well, we'll keep an eye out for any dark cars with front-end damage. Until then, and I feel like a broken record saying this, but it seems as if you're not hearing me. Ms. Season. Stay. Out. Of. My. Case. Is that clear?"

I nodded my agreement, knowing full well I was lying to a police officer. This last scare only fueled my determination to get to the bottom of this mess. I wasn't about to be intimidated by a little car accident.

Actually, that was a lie too. I was very much intimidated. But I rationalized that the only way to deal with my fear was to figure out who was trying to scare me. If the killer was warning me off, then I must be getting close. For the life of me, I had no idea what I was close to. None of the things I'd discovered made any sense at all.

Jimmy walked the detective to the door and stepped outside with him, pulling the door to but not closing it all the way. I could hear their hushed voices and figured they were talking about me. Or the case. I guessed that was to be expected since Jimmy was security at the resort.

When Jimmy returned, I'd started to doze off on the couch. I was exhausted. Too many emotions, too much adrenaline. It was all too much.

Jimmy slid onto the sofa, gathering me in his arms and pulling me close to his side. I sighed, curling up into him. Just as my lids began to close, Jimmy whispered, "Can I ask a favor?"

I sat up a bit and caught his eye. "Of course."

"Will you leave this alone now?" I started to protest, but he interrupted me. "Hear me out. You could have been killed tonight. If you'd gone over the embankment, it would have been bad. Please, Autumn. I don't want you to end up like Noe or Kailani, and I'm afraid if you keep this up, the killer will target you next."

"I can't make any promises, Jimmy. I must be getting close to something. I just need to figure it out."

"And what happens if this person doesn't want you to figure it out? Then what?"

"I'll be careful. More discreet. I won't go looking for trouble."

Jimmy laid his head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "That's the problem, Red. Trouble seems to find you."

I poked him in the ribs and settled back against his chest. He tightened his hold on me.

A few hours later, I awoke with Jimmy wrapped around me once again. We'd somehow managed to lie down on the couch and were entangled together.

I moved to get off the couch, and Jimmy tightened his hold. "Don't go," he whispered.

Not knowing what else to do, I sank back into the sofa. I'd let myself enjoy this for the night. I could wonder what it all meant later. That sounded like a great plan.

At six a.m. I woke again, but this time I was lying on top of Jimmy. Embarrassed, I eased off him and ran to the shower. I didn't think I could face Jimmy yet. I had no idea what all this meant. It felt like we were becoming more than friends. But was that what Jimmy wanted, or was I just thinking wishfully? And was this what I really wanted? If it all ended badly, could we remain friends?

I didn't think we could. Friends shared things with each other, and if we got together and it ended, I didn't think I could go back to hearing about what swimsuit model he was dating that week.

I got ready for work in record time. I had so much to do that day, with preparations for the Classic tomorrow. I managed to get out of the house without waking Jimmy and left him a note on the counter, saying I was getting an early start on the day and would see him at work. Cowardly, I know.

As I slid behind the wheel of my damaged Coop, I had to take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and my shaking hands. I hated feeling out of control, and last night's accident had rocked my confidence. I started the engine and curled my trembling fingers around the wheel. I could do this.

When I arrived (uneventfully, thank God) at the resort, it was the quiet time of the morning, only a few tourists bustling about, getting ready for their excursions for the day. Gabby was hard at work, wrangling guests into groups, as I passed by her office. I waved and turned toward the locker room.

With my quiet exit from my apartment, I hadn't taken the time to put on any makeup that morning. Even though I took a minimalist approach, opting for a simple lip gloss and face powder to blot any shiny skin and the nice bruise I had from the car accident the night before, a girl needed time to primp, right?

I could hear someone moving around inside the elegant space as I entered, and I called out a cheery "hello" just to let her know someone else was there. It sounded as though someone had taken advantage of the shower and was dressing.

I'd just moved toward the lockers when someone dashed from the dressing area and ran toward the door. For a woman, I thought she was sure tall. And buff. And dressed all in black, including the hoodie tied tightly around her face. Only a pair of dark eyes peered out at me. The woman, who looked more like a man, pushed by me, sending me tumbling down to the floor.

"Hey!" I cried out, knocking my elbow on the hard tile floor.

Before I could get to my feet, the intruder was gone. I knew those eyes. In fact, I'd seen them up close and personal, on my couch just the night before. My heart took a dizzying tumble from my chest to my stomach.

But of course, it wasn't Jimmy, because I'd left him sleeping on my couch just moments before.

The only other person I knew who had those same eyes was Dax Toki. But why was Dax in the women's locker room?

I scrambled to my feet, rubbing my elbow and fumbling with my bag. When I reached my locker, I stopped, goose bumps sprouting up all over my arms, and the hair on the back of my neck standing at attention.

My locker door was open. In red letters the words Stay Out of This or Else! were splayed across the inside of the door. The makeup bag I left there lay open, its contents spilling out onto the floor. The red lipstick I wore on special occasions lay open inside the locker door. Guess that explained the red lettering.

Rummaging through my purse, I found my phone and clicked on Jimmy's name.

He answered on the first ring. "Red? Where are you?"

"I came to work early. Listen, Jimmy. When I got here, someone was in the women's locker room. I thought it was another woman, but it wasn't."

"You're not making any sense. Why are you at work this early?"

"Never mind. It was Dax. There's a warning on my locker door written in red lipstick. And I swear it was Dax I ran into. I had an initial gut punch reaction that it was you, because of the eyes, but realized immediately that was a ridiculous notion since I'd left you on the couch."

"Yeah, we're going to have to talk about that last part, but let me get this straight. You went into work early, and Dax was in the women's locker room vandalizing your locker?"

"Exactly!" I squealed, thankful he was finally making sense of my rambling.

"What does the message say?"

"Stay out of this or else."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Sure it does. He wants me to stop snooping around, obviously." The duh was evident in my tone.

"Cool your jets, smarty pants. What I mean is, I don't understand why Dax would warn you off like that."

"'Cause he's the killer, and he wants me to stay away."

"If he was the killer, Red, he would have just killed you by now. No, it has to be something else."

My blood ran cold at his words, and I was momentarily speechless. Jimmy took advantage of my quiet and pressed on.

"I'll be in as soon as I can. Leave the locker the way it is. I'll call Juls and have her put an out of order sign up until I get there. Until then, just go do what you ran off so early this morning to do, and stay out of trouble, please."

"Yes, sir!" I said sarcastically. Jimmy didn't reply, and I immediately felt guilty. He was just trying to keep me safe. Jimmy was the least tyrannical person I knew.

"I'll stay out of trouble."

"Thanks."

I only hoped I could keep my word.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The day passed quickly. So much had to be done to get ready for the next day's Classic, and I'd volunteered myself to help Juls in whatever capacity she needed.

Jimmy found me after lunchtime, talking with vendors who would be exhibiting the next day. He stood a little ways off, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the wall, black T-shirt stretched tight over his biceps, and a hint of a smile on his face. I finished my conversation with the sunglasses guy and walked over to where he stood.

"Hi," I said a little timidly. I was still a tiny bit embarrassed about waking up on top of him this morning. I mean, I was a grown woman and all, but until I knew what was going on between us, it was hard to relax.

"Red," he said, with a gleam in his eye and a smirk on his mouth. A very tempting looking mouth.

He pushed away from the wall and closed the distance between us. I had to look up. Way up to meet his gaze. The smirk had yet to leave his face. My breathing came faster, and my heart felt like it would jump out of my chest and straight into the waiting hands of Jimmy Toki. I had a feeling he knew exactly what he was doing to me. He reached out a hand and pushed a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Huh?"

Jimmy chuckled, a rough, low rumble that did all kinds of things to my insides.

"To go? To talk to Dax?"

I waited for the eye roll that was implied in those questions, but it never came.

"Sure," I chirped, much too brightly and not at all like my usual voice.

Jimmy's laughter rolled over me, and he took my arm and led me to his car. On our way, I handed the clipboard Juls had given me earlier back to her. "Need me later on tonight?"

"No, I think we have it covered. Thanks for all your help, Autumn."

"My pleasure," I said and grinned. I loved being part of a team.

Jimmy drove us to Dax's house, and we rode in relative silence. There was so much unsaid between us. I was such a coward, but I simply didn't want things to change. What if I was imagining it all? What if he was just being his normal flirty self, and I was reading things into it? What if my feelings were the only ones that had changed and Jimmy was completely unaware of it all?

Of course none of that made sense. He'd been the one to almost kiss me, not the other way around. But Jimmy wasn't known for long-term relationships, at least not in the three years I'd known him. So what else could it be except maybe an itch he wanted to scratch?

The thought saddened me, so I decided to think of something else. Like why Dax Toki had vandalized my locker that morning.

Jimmy turned down a long driveway that was lined with palm trees and bushes with huge, thick, shiny leaves. The mass foliage opened up into a green lawn, where the cutest house I'd ever laid eyes on sat before us. Though not stunning in its size or opulence, the brightly colored teal siding with the corrugated red roof was simply striking.

The lush Hawaiian forest sat behind the house, and I grinned at Jimmy.

"Dax lives here?" I was so confused. I thought Dax was young and had been working as a pizza delivery guy. No way he could afford this house on that salary.

"My aunt and uncle live here. Dax still lives with them."

Now that made way more sense.

We got out of Jimmy's piece-of-junk car and strolled up the front steps to the French doors. Jimmy knocked, and the door flew open, and a short, round woman, her dark hair falling over her shoulders, stood smiling widely. I smiled back, noting that I probably had a good inch on her. How in the world had she produced a behemoth son like Dax?

"Jimmy Toki! To what do I owe this surprise?" she bellowed, her large bosom heaving as if she'd run a marathon and we'd interrupted her. She stood on tiptoe and planted a loud kiss on Jimmy's cheek.

"Hi, Aunt Jan. We've come to talk to Dax. Is he here?"

"You want to introduce me to this beautiful young lady first? Aloha, E komo mai. Nou ka hale!"

"Hello, come inside. The house is yours," Jimmy translated for me.

I smiled.

"This is Autumn Season, my, um, friend," Jimmy said, and if I wasn't mistaken, there was a tiny bit of a blush in his cheeks. Interesting.

"Hi Autumn, Jimmy's, um, friend," she said, a light in her eyes and teasing in her tone.

I stuck my hand out, but she grabbed me by both shoulders, pulling me in for a hug. I waited while she kissed me on both cheeks, breathing in a scent I'd smelled before on Jimmy, a spicy aroma that reminded me of the incense from my college dorm room, with a touch of patchouli.

"Nice to meet you. I'm so sorry to show up unannounced."

"Oh hush. Jimmy's family. And family always has an open invitation. And any friend of Jimmy's is a friend of ours. Ohana."

She motioned us toward a bar at the kitchen. It was obvious that Jan did all her entertaining from her kitchen, and from the smells wafting from the stove, she already had dinner underway. My stomach rumbled. Jimmy quirked a brow at me, and I shrugged it off. I'd not had the stomach to eat breakfast after finding my locker vandalized, and I'd not had time for lunch since I'd been helping Juls all day.

"Are you hungry?" Aunt Jan asked.

I was afraid she must have heard my stomach growl. I started to assure her we were fine, when Jimmy interjected. "Aunt Jan, you know I'm always hungry."

"That you are, my boy. I never stop cooking around here. Between your uncle and Dax, I don't have time to rest between meals. Dinner's still a ways off from being done, but I've got some mango salsa and chips, if that's ok."

"That sounds amazing," Jimmy said and looked at me with a grin on his face. He was always taking care of me—and his stomach.

Jan pulled out the mango salsa and the chips and placed them in front of us. I tried not to inhale the food, but I hadn't realized how hungry I was.

"I've got some fresh banana bread here too."

"Banana bread sounds lovely," I said. "And it smells lovely too," I added as she lifted the foil.

When I was little—ok, younger is a better word since I was still rather small—visits to my Great-Aunt Jean's house had always meant banana bread. She'd let me peel and smash the overripe fruit while she mixed together the other ingredients. My brothers had never hung around the kitchen, heading instead out to the barn that Great-Uncle Louis had built for his Shetland ponies, small equines with large tempers. But when the bread was ready, everyone had gathered around the kitchen table and had eaten slice after slice, some slathering it with fresh butter, others choosing to drizzle honey laced with cinnamon.

And here I sat, many miles and years away from Great-Aunt Jean's kitchen, where banana bread still meant "welcome." Life could be strange sometimes, I thought. I caught Jimmy looking at me, and tingles started low in my belly. If this was strange, then I seemed to be adjusting to it just fine.

"You say you came looking for Dax?" Aunt Jan asked as she busied herself cutting the banana bread, placing a generous slice on a napkin in front of me.

"Yeah, I've got some things I'd like to talk to him about."

Jan raised her eyebrows at that but then seemed to shake it off, as if Jimmy being vague was par for the course.

"He doesn't live here anymore. He lives out back in one of those tiny houses."

"Wait. When did that happen? And since when can he afford something like that?" Jimmy asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Since he started working for that Stone fellow. Dax has been wanting his own place, but land being such a premium around here, this was all he could afford. It's actually pretty nice. Very trendy," she said with a wink.

Jimmy was dumbfounded, but an idea occurred to me. If I could get into Dax's tiny house, then maybe I'd find some clues as to what was going on between Derrick and him.

"Jan, can I use your bathroom, please?" I asked sweetly. Maybe a little too sweetly if the look on Jimmy's face was any indication.

"Of course, kaikamahine."

Jimmy snorted, but Jan snapped the dish towel in her hands at him, and he practically choked on his banana bread. What was that about?

"It's down the hall, third door on the left."

"Yeah, third door on the left, little girl."

Ah, that must be what kaikamahine means. I could be upset, but Jan had said it with such affection I knew she'd meant it as a term of endearment, so I let it go. But if Jimmy thought he'd be able to give me yet another nickname, he had another think coming.

I walked toward the hallway, noticing the back door was right across from the front door. We'd gone to the left when we came in, as the house was split in two. Kitchen and living room on the left and the bedrooms and bathrooms on the right.

Stopping at the entrance to the hallway, I peered behind me, finding Jimmy inhaling the food in front of him and Jan at the stove stirring whatever heaven she had cooking. They chatted pleasantly, as families do. I had a small twinge of homesickness for my own family, but then again, maybe that was just indigestion.

No, it was definitely homesickness, and I vowed to call my mom and dad that night. It'd been a couple of weeks since I'd spoken to them. They would be happy to hear about the Classic tomorrow. My parents were supportive of my dreams, even if it did take me away from them. I kept hoping they'd visit, but they weren't really travelers.

I darted to the back door and carefully turned the knob to the French doors. Pushing one open quietly, I crept outside and immediately saw Dax's tiny house and a small fiberglass shed standing next to it. Dax's house looked like a little caboose, red with teal trim. It fit right in with his parent's home, as if it had been specially made. It was adorable. And tiny. How did Dax fit in that thing?

I walked quickly across the lawn, hoping that Dax hadn't locked his front door. I was in luck when I turned the knob, and it opened up into the coziest of spaces. Wood planks lined the walls, with a small countertop, sink, a tiny red microwave, and dishwasher. It was clear by the lack of dishes on the counter or in the sink, or the lack of a stove top, that Dax clearly got his cooking done by his mama on a regular basis.

There was a couch built into the side of the caboose, a red cushion lying on top. A TV large enough to span the entire back wall of the house was the focal point. A stove was clearly not on Dax's list of priorities, but a TV most certainly was.

A ladder stood to the side that led up to a loft, where I assumed Dax slept. Again, I had a hard time thinking of the behemoth of a man living in this teeny-tiny space. But I guess it beat living with your mother and father.

I looked around, wondering where to start searching for something. Anything. But not having a clear idea of what I was looking for, it was hard to know where to start. I looked in the cabinets for any packages wrapped up in brown paper like I'd seen Derrick hand to Dax in the photos. Then I crawled up the ladder to look around his bed, but there was no way to search that without taking a chance of being caught. Resigned to failure, I climbed back down the ladder and let myself out. That was when I noticed the fiberglass shed again.

What did Patti say? Something about the merchandise and the boards. Maybe whatever it was that I was searching for was in that shed.

I looked around to make sure I was still alone. Not seeing anyone, I dashed over to the shed and opened the doors. The smell of coconut oil and board wax flooded out of the shed. There were rows and rows of boards. But they were all plain ones, cheaply made. Nothing like the boards I'd seen Dax use the two times I'd seen him on the beach.

So if he didn't keep his fancy boards here at his home, where would he keep them? At the beach in lockers there? That seemed kind of risky though. What if someone broke in and stole them? Did the Stones have sheds at their place? But what did the boards have to do with Kailani's and Noe's deaths?

I wasn't sure, but for some reason I felt like I needed to find the fancy Ecoboard surfboards that Dax had been using of late. They had to be part of the puzzle I was trying to put together.

I stepped back, closing the doors, and bumped right into something hard. With a yelp, I spun around and looked up into the angry face of Dax Toki.

"Um, hi?" I said, the question in my voice unintentional.

Dax crossed his arms across his chest. "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking at your tiny house, of course."

"This isn't my house. That's my house," he said, pointing to the little red caboose.

"Oh, well that makes sense. This one didn't seem that homey."

"I'm not buying it. Why are you out here snooping around?"

I decided to play the defensive card. "I'm not snooping," I said, maybe a little louder than I'd planned to.

"It sure looks like it to me," Dax said, his voice rising as well.

"What were you doing in the women's locker room today? And why did you vandalize my locker?"

Dax's eyes shifted, but it seemed he was going to play dumb too. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I could have you arrested for trespassing, you know!" he shouted.

"What's going on out here?" Jimmy said from behind Dax.

I hadn't noticed that he'd come outside.

I finger waved around Dax's enormous body. It seemed I was doing a lot of that lately. Jimmy's gaze narrowed at me, and I could tell he was trying to keep his patience.

"Your girlfriend here"—Dax sneered at the word girlfriend—"was snooping around my house and shed. You want to tell me why?"

"You want to tell us why you wrote that message on Autumn's locker today?"

"I didn't—"

"Cut the crap, Dax. I have it on the security videos."

I wasn't sure if that was true. I knew he wouldn't have cameras on the inside of the locker room since that violated all kinds of privacy laws, but I guessed it was plausible that he had caught him coming out of the locker room.

Dax visibly sagged in defeat. "Fine. I was just trying to scare her. Make her stop asking questions."

"What do you mean 'scare her'? Why would you want to scare her?" Jimmy asked.

"Because. She doesn't know what she's messing with!" he shouted.

"The she in question is standing right here. I'd appreciate it if you boys would quit talking about me as if I'm not here."

Dax turned his dark gaze on me. "Look, you seem like a nice girl. I don't want you to get hurt. So I wrote that message to get you to quit asking so many questions."

"If the Stones are so bad, why do you work for them?" I asked, confused by his behavior.

"It's complicated."

"Did you send those pictures to my house and try to run me off the road too?" My anger was rising as I remembered the fear of looking at my face X'ed out as well as almost being roadkill last night.

"What? No. I don't know what you're talking about. You were run off the road?"

"Someone hit Autumn with their car last night. If she'd gone off the road any further, she could have been killed. As it was, her car did a 360-degree turn and lost its momentum. She's lucky to get out of it unharmed."

"I would never do that. I'd never hurt someone. And I didn't send you any pictures either. I just wanted you to stop snooping around, or you're going to get hurt. And I don't want anyone else dying."

Dax's face fell, and he seemed so genuine. Then the look of anger on his face last night when I'd caught him fighting with Derrick came to mind, and I was hesitant to believe him. What else could he say? Yes, I killed two people and was warning you so you'd stop asking questions and getting closer to my secret and exposing me?

Ok, maybe he wouldn't say all that. That was a pretty lengthy sentence. But something to that extent.

"Kids? You want some more banana bread? Oh, Dax, honey. I didn't see you. When did you get home?"

We all looked at each other, doubt warring with tension. Finally, Jimmy looked up and smiled at his aunt. "We were just about to leave, Aunt Jan. Thank you so much for the snack."

"You need to stay out of this, Autumn. You both do." With those parting words, Dax sauntered into his house and closed the door.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I sat in the passenger seat of Jimmy's POS car, my legs bouncing up and down as I tried to make sense of what I knew. I needed to regroup. Make a list of what information I'd gathered. But since I didn't have any paper on hand, I decided to talk about it instead.

Just as I was about to open my mouth and say something, I felt the warmth of Jimmy's hand on my leg. "Stop. You'll break my car."

I looked up at him and saw the teasing glint in his eye. I took a deep breath. "Let's talk about what we know."

He sighed, and I knew he wished I would just let it go, but I couldn't. Not only for my beloved camera, but because at this point it had become personal.

"Dax and Derrick are doing something illegal, or shady. That we can be sure of. All the covert conversations and passing of packages. That has to mean something, right?"

"That's all speculation, Autumn."

"Well, that's all I have right now, Jimmy. Of course I'm speculating!"

Exasperated, I ticked off another fact. "Derrick Stone threatened to kill Dax last night in the parking lot. He might have just been mad, but a death threat is a death threat all the same."

Jimmy just nodded, so I continued. "Patti Stone said something about merchandise and surfboards and that if she and Derrick got caught, they'd go down with them. Whatever that means."

"Definitely sounds ominous. But she does work for a surfboard company, and she's also known for idle threats."

"True. But Patti and Kailani had argued the night of the party, and Patti tried to get Kailani fired. What if when she called, Juls said no, so Patti took matters into her own hands?"

"It's possible, I guess. But then why did she kill Noe?"

"A crime of passion? But then Phil told Derrick at the crime scene yesterday morning that it was all his fault and that he killed Kailani. Could they all be in it together?"

"I think we're missing something. I just don't know what it is," Jimmy said.

"I agree, but I plan to figure it out."

Sighing loudly (Jimmy seemed to be having a problem with that lately), Jimmy placed his hand on my knee. "Just be careful. What do you want to do?"

I thought about it for a moment. I needed to get to bed early since I'd need to be up before dawn for the Classic. But something was niggling at my mind. "Phil!" I said and realized belatedly that I'd said it way too loudly.

"What about Phil?" Jimmy asked.

"I need to talk to him. I want to know what he meant about Derrick being responsible for Kailani's death."

Jimmy did a U-turn in the middle of the road. "You're not talking with him without me."

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his number. "Phil, hey, it's Jimmy. If you get this in the next few minutes, I'm on my way to your house. Need to talk to you about something. Thanks."

We drove a couple of miles, taking several turns off the main road. We pulled up to a small duplex. A couple of guys were hanging out on the porch on one side. One guy had a guitar in hand, while the other strummed a ukulele. The peaceful music wafted on the wind, and I shivered. It was hauntingly beautiful.

Jimmy knocked on the door of the other duplex, but no one answered. He peeked his head around the porch. "You guys seen Phil today?"

"Nah, brah. He's been in there all day," the guy with the guitar said.

"Thanks." Jimmy knocked again and then turned the handle.

Immediately something felt off. The air was still. Too still. There were no sounds of snoring or movement. The tick, tick, tick of the air-conditioner unit cooling off was an eerie soundtrack to the otherwise silent room.

"Phil? It's Jimmy. I've got Autumn with me, so if you're not decent, put some clothes on."

No answer.

Jimmy pushed open the door to the bedroom. I heard a scream that seemed to go on for days. When Jimmy's hands pulled me against his chest and patted my hair, I realized it was my scream that I'd heard.

There, hanging from the ceiling fan, was Phil Mano.

* *   *

I sat on Phil's couch, my head in my hands and a blanket around my shoulders. Jimmy had said something about shock, and the EMS guys had insisted I sit still until they cleared me to leave. Detective Ray and the homicide team filed in. I guess with all the murders of late, everyone wanted to be sure they documented this before ruling it a suicide.

I didn't think Phil had killed himself, but then again, I didn't really know him. He'd been completely devastated yesterday morning at the news of Kailani's death.

A few minutes later, one of the policemen came out of Phil's room. "Detective Ray, you need to see this." He handed Detective Ray a piece of folded-up paper.

"You've got to be kidding me," Detective Ray said.

Jimmy jumped up off the couch from where he'd been sitting beside me and walked over. "What is it?"

Detective Ray looked as if he wasn't going to tell him but then must have changed his mind. Maybe since Jimmy was head of security at Aloha Lagoon, the detective decided to keep him clued in.

"It's a love letter from Patti Stone. If you can call it that. She professes her undying love for him but then says if she can't have him, no one can."

A chill crept up my spine. Could Patti Stone have killed Phil? It would make sense. She'd clearly had a thing for him. She'd made a pass at him in front of everyone at the party she'd hosted. And she'd also tried to kiss Noe at the luau the night he was killed. Maybe she murdered Kailani to remove her competition and Noe and Phil for rejecting her attentions. Talk about a scorned love.

As far as I knew, she'd not had an affair with either of the surfers, but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. Patti's constant flirting and groping were so over the top, even her husband had taken notice. I thought back to the conversation I'd overheard between her and Derrick when he'd told her to quit making a fool of herself.

I stood up, needing to get my circulation moving. One of the EMS guys looked as if he'd stop me, but I just ignored him and walked toward the front windows. Propped up beside them was a beautiful surfboard, similar to the one that Dax had. The branding at the bottom said Ecoboards.

Curious to see these one-of-a-kind eco-friendly boards up close and personal, I brushed my hands along the surface. It was a work of art. Teal paint with yellow and black filigree on the bottom and top. I ran my hand along the edge, admiring the shiny coat, when something popped out of the side. Interesting. It was like a small compartment built into the side. Maybe people kept their wallets or keys or something in it while they surfed? You'd have to be a pretty confident surfer, in my opinion. I'd lose the thing and then be stranded on the beach.

I reached inside the compartment and pulled out a small bag. In it was a white powdery substance. It looked very similar to what I'd seen in the photos of Dax and Derrick. I wasn't a genius, but that didn't look like a wallet or keys. It looked like drugs. Was this how they were transporting the drugs? Smuggled inside the surfboards?

"Detective Ray?" I called out over my shoulder, not taking my eyes from the baggie.

"Detective Ray?" I repeated louder.

"What is it?" he snapped, clearly irritated by my interruption.

"I think you'll want to come over here, sir," I said.

I could hear his footsteps as he crossed to me, then his sharp intake of breath.

"Is that—"

"Yep, I think it is," I said back.

"Where did you find it?"

"In the surfboard."

"In it?"

"Yes, right here," I said, motioning to the little hidden compartment on the side.

"Ms. Season, why are you contaminating my crime scene?" the detective growled.

I turned then, my hand on my hip. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have this little piece of evidence, now would you?"

He looked up at the ceiling. I wasn't sure what was so exciting up there. The men in my life were always looking up at something extremely interesting on the ceiling. I followed his gaze. Nope, nothing. I shrugged.

"You want to take this?" I asked, holding out the baggie to him.

"Yes." He took the bag from my hands. "Fortunately, we have your fingerprints from Kailani's crime scene. Anything else you touched?"

"Nope." I turned and walked out of the apartment. About that time, the coroner walked out with a gurney, a white sheet draped over it. My knees went weak, and they buckled. Strong arms caught me from behind.

"Let's go home," Jimmy's warm voice whispered in my ear.

And my knees went weak again, this time for an entirely different reason.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The thing about cameras is that every one of them is different. It takes time and practice to learn how to use the camera effectively, learning each little nuance. It's the same with lenses. Each one is just a little bit different. I really needed time to practice with my camera and the new lenses I'd bought. The following day would be a huge event and could make or break my career. If I took a premium shot, I'd be set.

But as much as I needed to practice with my camera, I couldn't stop thinking about all the little pieces of the puzzle. If Patti wanted to have affairs with Phil and Noe, why would she kill them?

I just couldn't see either of those guys hooking up with Patti. Did their refusal send her on a killing spree?

Or maybe Derrick killed Phil and Noe out of jealousy? He had seen Patti acting the fool over them, twice now that I had witnessed. So many moving parts, and my head was starting to hurt.

I'd asked Jimmy to drop me off at the resort so I could get my bag and my car. He'd cleaned up my locker, so I sat on the bench in front of it, pondering what to do next. I needed to find out more about the Stones. Were all their boards equipped with the secret compartment? Did it have another function, or was it specially made for Phil's board?

Patti's conversation about the surfboards and the merchandise came flooding back to me. The drugs had to be the merchandise she was speaking of. It was just too coincidental for it not to be. So that had to mean that Patti was in on the drug business, as well as Derrick.

I remembered Phil's weird reaction during our conversation on the beach when he and Dax had said that Derrick hired them to transport things. It all made sense now. Derrick had hired them to transport drugs in their surfboards. If Phil's had a compartment, I was sure Dax's did too, even though I'd yet to find his board to check. I assumed Noe had been in on the business as well. Or did Noe find out about it and want to go to the police? Maybe that was why he was killed.

And how did Kailani fit into all of it? Was she an accomplice? Or did she just know too much?

I needed to get into the Stones' house and see where they were keeping the boards for the Classic. I had to see if all their surfboards came with secret compartments. And maybe I'd find more drugs, and I could turn it all over to Detective Ray.

But how would I get into their house? I looked up at the ceiling—the men were always fascinated with it when they were around me—and it hit me! The pictures! I could take my computer to Patti's house and show her the proofs.

I pulled out my cell phone to call her and then realized I didn't have her number. Summer would have it.

Grabbing my things, I rushed out of the locker room and to the front desk. Fortunately, there were no guests around, so I slid to a stop in front of the desk.

"Did you hear about Phil?" Summer asked.

"How do you hear about these things so quickly?"

She just smirked at me.

"Yeah, Jimmy and I were the ones to find him."

"What? Oh my gosh, Autumn. That's two dead bodies in two days. I'm sure that's some kind of record."

"Yeah well, not one I ever had any interest in breaking. Anyway, I need Patti Stone's number. Do you have it?"

"Why do you need her number?"

"Because I need to show her these proofs," I lied.

"No you don't. What's the real reason?"

"Fine." I looked around and then lowered my voice. "I need to get inside their house. I think they may be running drugs or something. That has to be connected to all the murders, don't you think?"

"Have the police ruled Phil's death a murder?" she asked.

"Well no, not yet. I just left the crime scene, and they're still processing everything. But they will."

"Maybe he killed himself out of grief."

It was a solid assumption, except I couldn't accept that idea. "Maybe. But I don't think so. Something doesn't feel right about that."

"So you're going to go into the lion's den? Right into their evil lair? Alone?" Summer shrieked.

"I can't tell Jimmy, or he won't let me go," I protested.

"I can't imagine Jimmy being able to stop you, but he's right. You can't go."

"Summer, I have to figure this out. My camera—"

"Don't give me that line about your camera. You want to figure this out for other reasons. Admit it." She cocked her hip, trying to pass off an imposing figure—her blonde hair, pert nose, and slight figure at odds with her façade.

"Fine. I need to know. I need to know why three innocent people were killed and why I was run off the road."

"You were run off the road?" Summer shrieked a piercing shrill that I was sure broke some sort of noise law.

"Shh. Keep your voice down. Geez."

"Sorry. When?"

"Last night."

"And still you want to go into the den of thieves?"

"What's with all your weird allusions? Yes, I want to get inside. And I want to check for where they might keep the shipment of surfboards I heard Patti talking about on the phone."

I filled Summer in on what I'd found in Phil's board. Her mouth hung open in shock.

"It's like something out of a spy novel," she whispered, looking around as if someone was surely right then eavesdropping on our conversation.

"Tell me about it. So, Patti's number?"

"Fine. I'll give it to you on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You take me with you!"

*   *   *

That was how I found myself sneaking around a beach shed on the Stones' property with Summer an hour later. I'd called Patti to arrange a time to meet, and although she'd declined, claiming grief over another one of her family's deaths, I'd finally convinced her that it would do her some good and would be a great way to memorialize Phil and Kailani since I'm sure I took some amazing photos of them. She'd finally agreed, and after grabbing my laptop from home, we'd driven to the Stones' mansion.

The place was enormous—all glass windows and teakwood. There was a veranda that appeared to span the entire perimeter of the house and tall hedges that had been carved into intricate shapes. The driveway was circular with a stone water feature in the center. The Stones had obviously done well for themselves.

We parked the car and walked around the house, looking for some kind of storage where they might keep the boards. As we came around the front of the house, I noticed a shed out on the beach below.

Traipsing down the hill to the coast, we kept looking behind us to make sure no one was watching.

"What do we do if we get caught?" Summer asked.

"We'll just say we wanted to look at their private beach before coming inside. I just need to get a peek inside the shed. You be the lookout."

Summer nervously twisted her hands in front of her. It was distracting.

"Stand right here," I said and then moved to the front of the shed, while Summer took the back, watching the house.

I opened the doors and stepped inside. There were rows and rows of Ecoboards, just like the ones that Phil and Dax owned. Quickly I ran up to one and slid my hand along the side, hoping to find the little button that popped out the door for the compartment. But there was nothing there.

I tried two more before realizing they weren't fitted with the compartment either. Strange. I thought for sure I was onto something.

A weird birdcall came from outside the shed, and I hurriedly left, pulling the doors closed behind me.

"What was that?" I hissed at Summer.

"Someone's on the veranda," she hissed back.

I looked up but couldn't make out who it was. "Just act like we're admiring the water." We turned and looked out at the waves crashing onto the shore for a few short minutes. "Ok, now as nonchalantly as possible, let's make our way back up the path."

Summer skipped up the walk, and I rolled my eyes. She looked like a deranged third grader, not a grown woman out for a leisurely stroll along the beach. I reminded myself not to bring Summer along on any other covert operations.

We reached the front door, and I rang the bell. The song "Hakuna Matata" chimed out, and I giggled. I couldn't help myself. Here we were standing at a presumed drug runner's house, and they had a song from The Lion King as their doorbell chime. I wasn't sure what I expected—rap music?

The door opened, and a woman in a black dress with a white apron stood there, a dour look on her face. What a cliché!

"May I help you?" she asked, her thick accent hinting at German descent.

"We're here to see Mrs. Stone," I said and motioned to my bag. "I have proofs I need her to approve."

The bored maid turned her back on us, and I assumed we were supposed to follow her. She wasn't much on manners.

The inside of the house was just as beautiful as the outside. It had a sleek, modern feel with dark wood beams and white marble floors. The walls were all a soft white, but there was nothing on the walls in terms of art. White couches sat facing each other near a contemporary fireplace that ran up between the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Autumn! How lovely to see you. Isn't it awful what's happened to poor Phil?" Patti appeared clothed in another gosh-awful velour tracksuit like she'd worn the last time I'd seen her. This time in purple. I glanced down. Yep. Sky-high purple stilettos graced her feet. When my eyes met hers, I was taken aback. It appeared that she'd been crying, so maybe her grief was real. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose was red and slightly swollen. It looked as if her makeup had been worn off and smeared around her eyes.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but I thought that maybe Phil's or Kailani's friends and family might want some of these pictures for the funerals."

"That was very thoughtful of you, Autumn." Patti smiled slightly and motioned toward one of her uber white couches.

I was terrified my jean shorts would rub off on it, leaving a blue butt mark in its wake.

"Please sit."

As I stepped inside the room, an enormous aquarium taking up the length of one wall caught my eye.

"Wow! That's amazing!" I said, passing by the couches and going straight to the aquarium.

"It's our pride and joy," Patti said. "Those are my babies."

I'd heard of purse-carrying socialites, but never fish-touting ones. I approached the aquarium, and the cutest little fish with spiky scales swam over to the glass.

"He'll follow your finger," Patti said over my shoulder.

"Really?"

She nodded, and the smile on her face took years off her age. "Go ahead. Try it."

I put my finger on the glass, and the little fish swam over, flipping its back fin like a dog would wag its tail. When I moved it, the fish's mouth opened as if it were smiling at me, and it started following my finger.

I laughed. "I can't believe this."

"He'll let you pet him too. Watch." Patti stood on a stool next to the aquarium and put her hand on the top of the water. The little fish swam up, and Patti stroked his back. He moved like a dog or cat might, making sure she hit all the right places.

"That's so cool," I said, looking over my shoulder at Summer. She didn't seem quite as impressed.

Patti's face fell, and I noticed a change in her demeanor. "I had two. This one's Charlie, and I had a little girl pufferfish named Lola, but she died a few days ago."

Pufferfish. One died. It couldn't be.

Alarm bells were going off in my head. "How did she die?"

"I'm not sure. Gerta must have found her and disposed of her little body. I know people think I'm crazy"—they did, but probably not for the reasons she was thinking—"but these little fish are just the sweetest, and you don't have to clean up their piddles and diddles all over the floor."

Piddles and diddles? Was she nine?

The urgency to search the house increased as the realization that Patti Stone owned pufferfish and one of them went missing recently settled around me. I was having a difficult time controlling my breathing, and Summer was looking at me like I'd grown a second head. "Could I use your restroom?" I blurted, startling both Patti and Summer.

Patti looked slightly miffed, as if the thought of someone announcing they needed to use the facilities was unladylike. Sighing she said, "I'll get Gerta to show you—"

"I'm sure that's not necessary. Is it down that hall?" I asked, pointing to the hallway that I assumed led to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

"Yes. Seventh door on the right."

Good Lord, how many rooms were in this place?

I opened my MacBook and handed it to Summer. "Will you show Mrs. Stone the pictures in the luau file, please?"

Summer gave me the stink eye but nodded her agreement, and I hurried down the hallway, trying to peer into the open rooms as I passed. I peeked inside a room to my right, finding what looked like someone's office. When a noise sounded down the hall, I quickly ducked inside, gently pushing the door without closing it all the way.

I sank back against the wall, trying to get ahold of myself. What did this mean? The Stones clearly had access to a pufferfish, one that was no longer with them. Could Patti be lying? Did she filet her own pet and feed it to Noe in order to kill him? She looked genuine when she'd talked about her fish so affectionately, but maybe she saw it as a necessary sacrifice. Or did Derrick kill his wife's pet?

I wasn't sure, but now I had more proof that the Stones had something to do with the murder of three people. The fish, the arguments, the threats, the drugs, the love letter.

I opened my eyes, taking in the nauseatingly pink walls and hot pink accents all around the room. I assumed this must be Patti's office. Crossing to the desk, I opened several drawers, finding one brimming with chocolate, what looked like a hot pink vibrator (ew!), and an obscene number of paper clips. What would Patti need with all those paper clips? And don't get me started on the vibrator!

I rummaged through the papers on top, but I didn't find anything concerning, just a bunch of receipts for shoes. The woman sure liked her stilettos.

Voices sounded in the hall, and I rushed to the door to peer out the crack I'd left open.

"Nothing can go wrong tomorrow. Nothing!" a male's voice said in hushed tones.

"I promise you, everything is taken care of."

That voice I recognized—Dax Toki. I cracked open the door just a little bit more to see if I could catch a glimpse of whoever else was out there. As soon as I did, the two figures stopped right in front of the office door. Derrick Stone was with Dax.

"The drop will happen right after you surf, so don't go flirting with girls and lose track of time. The place will be crawling with police. Make sure your board is secure as well as the other guys'. With Phil and Noe gone, we're shorthanded."

Derrick Stone spoke of Phil and Noe as if they just had the day off.

"I know what I'm doing," Dax replied, his voice growing angry.

"The police have been nosing around here asking questions. We can't afford for anyone to intercept this drop. It means more money than you've ever seen. International exposure."

"I know. I've got it under control."

"Like you had Kailani under control? She overheard us talking, Dax, and she had pictures of us together. In a compromising situation. I can't afford those kinds of mistakes."

The men started walking again, and I waited till they ducked inside another room. As soon as they were out of sight, I opened the door and rushed toward the bathroom and right into a vase of flowers sitting on a table along the wall.

The vase fell crashing to the floor, water and flowers bursting out and covering the hall floor.

Derrick and Dax rushed out of the room they'd just entered.

"What are you doing here?" Derrick snarled, and Dax didn't look too happy to see me either.

"I'm so sorry. I was trying to find the bathroom and my hip hit the vase?" I said in more of a question than a statement. I wasn't even reassuring to myself.

"But why are you in my home?" he clarified.

Annie came out of the room across from the office I had been in, and I froze. I'd had no idea she was in there. As I peered inside the room she was standing in front of, I saw that her desk was in full view of the door. Had it been closed when I ducked inside Patti's office? Had she seen me go in? Would she tell Derrick about her suspicions?

"Ms. Season was showing the proofs to Mrs. Stone from the luau," Annie said in a tight voice.

"Um, yes. And I was looking for the bathroom and must have miscounted the doors," I said, realizing too late that room three was nowhere near room seven. Annie narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying my BS.

"It's down there," Derrick grunted, pointing to the door at the end of the hall. "Annie get someone to clean up this mess."

Why Patti hadn't said the last door on the right, I had no idea. Maybe she liked people knowing how big her house was?

"Yes, of course. Thank you."

I speed walked to the bathroom (I'd put Juls to shame with my skills) and closed the door behind me, trying to catch my breath. I took the appropriate amount of time that I would usually take if I ducked in there for true reasons and then quietly opened the door.

Seeing the hallway empty, I crept down it, looking into rooms as I went. When I got to the room Derrick and Dax had entered, the door was closed. I briefly considered putting my ear to it but decided not to chance it. I'd already been caught once.

When I turned back around, I ran right into Annie.

"Umf! Oh, sorry."

"You should be more careful, Autumn. It's not polite to be snooping in other people's houses." She smiled then and returned to her office.

She'd seen me go into Patti's office. I was so screwed. I knew she'd tell Patti or Derrick. If that was the case and they were the killers, I was in deep doo-doo.

Hurriedly, I ran into the living room, sliding to a stop in my slick flip-flops. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Stone. I um, I have to go unexpectedly. I'll email you the file since you've been able to see most of them on my computer, and you can just tell me which ones you'd like. Summer?"

Summer jumped off the couch at the crazy look I had in my eyes.

"Oh, well. Ok. I hope everything is ok," Patti said.

I was a little surprised at how accommodating she was being. Maybe murder did that to a person. Maybe she had a high after killing Phil this morning and was still feeling the effects.

Whatever the reason, I wasn't going to wait around to figure it out!

Grabbing Summer's hand, I walked as fast as I could drag her out to my car, turned the ignition over, and peeled rubber out of the driveway.

As soon as we hit the road, Summer turned to me. "Want to tell me what that was about?"

The reality of what I'd discovered and overheard hit me like a punch to the gut. The Stones had access to the murder weapons. And Derrick had known that Kailani had the photos of him and Dax and the drugs.

"I think the Stones killed Noe, Kailani, and Phil."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I dropped Summer off at the resort. It was late afternoon, and I swore this was the longest week of my life. I needed to call Detective Ray. Although he was going to crap a brick when he heard what I'd uncovered. I was imagining a whole bunch of yelling and name calling, and I wasn't really in the mood for it all. So I dialed Jimmy first. Unfortunately, Jimmy didn't pick up, which left me having to call Detective Ray myself.

I dialed his number and blessedly got his voicemail. It wasn't that I was a coward. It was just that I didn't want to deal with the confrontation. I'd experienced more in the last several days than I had my entire existence, so cut a girl a break!

I left a message for him to call me, said I had pertinent information about the case, and then hung up. Anxious about what I'd figured out and the shock starting to wear off, I decided a mai tai on the lanai (hey, that rhymed!) was in store for the evening. I had an early morning the next day, so I needed to relax and get my thoughts in order for my conversation with Jimmy or Detective Ray when they called back.

I made my drink (I'd become an expert on perfecting the perfect blend of tangy and sweet) and settled into one of the chairs I'd bought when I moved in. The lanai was a perfect place to rest and relax, and I was grateful I'd found this place. Tom and Doris were excellent landlords, mostly because they were never at home, and I had free rein of the gorgeous backyard. It was a large plot of land surrounded by beautiful Hawaiian flowers and exotic bushes. I had no idea how to take care of it all, but the Berrys hired a landscape crew to come in and keep it in pristine condition, while I managed to water the few plants around the lanai.

Trying to settle in and calm my still racing heart, I took a sip of my drink and closed my eyes. Breathing in a lungful of sweet tropical air, I blew it out and felt my pulse begin to calm.

Rustling in the bushes perked my ears, and I opened my eyes and sat up to see if an animal was stalking me. I surveyed the surrounding area, but the thick foliage left me at a disadvantage. Something whizzed by my ear, followed by what sounded like the sharp bark of a gun. Another whizzing sound, and the wood siding next to my head exploded into pieces. With a scream, I jumped up and ran through the French doors that opened into my bedroom.

The glass shattered when another bullet flew through, and I dropped to the floor, trying to lock the doors from the ground. Which was ridiculous since someone was shooting the windows out. If they wanted in, a lock wasn't going to keep them out. Giving up, I crawled to the other room to the tune of bullets hitting the walls and the shattering of glass. When I glanced back, the shards were raining down over the carpet.

I grabbed my phone off my bed and hid behind it as I dialed Jimmy's number. Thank God he answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Red, sorry about earlier. I—"

"Someone's shooting at the house!"

"What?" A new barrage of bullets hurled themselves into the glass of my back door, or at least what was left of it, lodging themselves into the opposite wall.

"Someone's shooting at me!" I screamed.

"Stay down. I'm almost to your house."

I prayed that he was as close as he said he was. I crawled into the bathroom and locked the door. There were no windows in there, so I was safe from the bullets at least, but if the person decided to come inside, I was screwed.

Trembling, I waited for an eternity, but it was probably more like 60 seconds before I heard the front door open and slam shut. Searching for a weapon, I grabbed the toilet plunger and held it up like a baseball bat.

"Autumn! Where are you?" Jimmy's frantic voice called out.

"In here," I said, relieved that Jimmy was there. I unlocked the door, and it crashed open. It was a testament to Jimmy's stalwart iron constitution that he simply gave me a single eyebrow raise when he saw I was prepared to take on the shooter with a toilet plunger.

"Red?" he asked.

"Shut up and tell me what to do!" I snapped. My patience was wearing thin.

Jimmy rushed in, taking the plunger from my hands and wrapping me in his arms. I wanted to fall to pieces, but as far as I knew, there was a shooter still out there waiting to put bullets in my head.

Jimmy pushed me back and rubbed his hands over my arms and person. "You're ok? Nothing's hurt?"

I shook my head, distracted by how good his hands felt on my body.

His hand reached up and swiped at my cheek. "You've got some blood here," he said.

I looked to my right at the bathroom mirror. Sure enough, there was a bloody scratch just under my eye.

"It doesn't hurt." But it went great with the bruise from the car accident. Nice.

"You're in shock. It will probably hurt later. You may need stitches."

I cringed. I hated needles. If I could help it, I wasn't getting stitches.

Sirens sounded from a distance, and I was relieved that Jimmy must have called the police.

"Stay here. I'm going to go see if the person's still here. The sirens may have scared him off."

Jimmy pulled a gun out of his waistband. I always forgot that he carried a gun. It wasn't like he had many opportunities to use it.

I decided the best place for me was the bathroom, just in case the gunman decided to use my apartment as target practice again.

I waited for eons of time. Ok, it was probably just a few minutes, but in those few minutes I had all kinds of horrible visions in my head. Jimmy lying in a pool of blood, a bullet to his torso. Jimmy wrestling a gun out of a giant bad man's hand. Jimmy's lifeless eyes as he stared into mine.

A sob broke out, and I realized I was crying. And not the cute little tears you see the heroines in movies cry. These were loud, ugly, body-wracking sobs. All the pent-up emotions over this week came out of my eyes, my nose, and probably every other orifice on my face. I was cold and clammy yet sweating like I'd run twenty miles.

When Jimmy returned, he found me curled up in a fetal position on my side, my bathroom rug saturated with my tears.

"Shh. It's ok, Red. I'm here." Jimmy scooped me up in his arms and lifted me as if I weighed barely anything.

"She's in here," Jimmy shouted to the EMS guys, who rushed in. "I'll take her out to the ambulance."

Jimmy carried me and placed me in the back of the ambulance, pushing my hair back out of my eyes and looking at me with such tenderness it almost brought back the tears.

"You ok?"

I nodded. My throat was dry and raw from the sobbing, so words weren't necessary right then.

The paramedics began their work on me, taking my blood pressure, shining a light into my eyes, and then trying to convince me to go to the ER.

"I'm fine," I said, probably a million times.

"Ma'am, we really think you should go with us," one of the technicians said.

But since he called me ma'am, I decided I didn't have to do what he said.

I shook my head resolutely. "Not going to happen."

He sighed, then turned to his partner and said something under his breath. Finally, they placed a butterfly bandage on the cut under my eye and pronounced me as good as I was going to get without further treatment.

I hopped out of the ambulance and went inside through my front door. My bedroom was a mess, and from where I stood, I could see the shattered glass of the back door. Tom and Doris were going to have a fit. Insurance covered shootings, right?

I found Jimmy talking to Detective Ray, and determined to tell them what I'd discovered, I marched over.

"I called you both earlier," I started.

"Hello, Ms. Season. We really should stop meeting this way, don't you think?" The detective raised his eyebrows.

"It's not exactly my idea of a good time, Detective." And ok, I should really dial back the witchy, but I'd just been shot at. "Anyway, I called you to let you know that I overheard something today while I was at the Stones' house."

"Why were you at their house?" Jimmy asked, his tone not quite as gentle and tender as it had been earlier.

"I'm a photographer, and I had proofs I needed to show to Mrs. Stone," I said defensively.

"Proofs you could have emailed," Jimmy smarted back.

"True, but excellent customer service is what makes the world go 'round," I said with a fake smile on my face.

"Could you two cut the foreplay and please tell me what you found out?" Detective Ray interrupted.

Momentarily speechless at his observation, I stood there with my mouth hanging open. I knew it was hanging open, because Jimmy closed it with his hand, all the while snickering like a teenage boy.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and continued. "I overheard Derrick and Dax talking. They said something about a drop happening tomorrow at the Classic. Derrick said that Kailani had heard them talking about it, and they knew she had incriminating photos of them. He said that nothing could get in the way because there was a lot of money at stake."

Detective Ray took notes then looked up at me as I waited for him to finish writing. "And?"

"What do you mean and?" I sputtered. "Obviously they killed Kailani for overhearing their plans and taking those pictures. And that's not even the best part!"

I realized I was getting a little loud, so I lowered my voice. "One of their pufferfish went missing earlier this week."

I waited for the congratulations to come that I had single-handedly delivered the evidence to the police that would put the Stones away for life. When Detective Ray finished his notes, he looked up at me again. "Is that all, Ms. Season?"

"Don't you see?" I was indignant now. "They have to be the murderers! They had access to the pufferfish poison and the drugs. Two of the murder weapons. And I don't know how they killed Phil yet, but I'm sure if you dig around, you'll figure out they had the means to kill him also!"

"Ms. Season, everything you have here is circumstantial. We have to have more than hearsay to make an arrest. I appreciate your information, but please. Please. Stay out of my investigation. Did Derrick or Dax see you?"

"Well they—"

Jimmy groaned, and Detective Ray rolled his eyes.

"You are not a detective, Ms. Season. Stay out of it!" he said firmly.

"But they killed Noe, Kailani, and Phil!" I yelled.

"Phil's death was just ruled a homicide a couple of hours ago. How did you know Phil was murdered?" he said, his gaze narrowing.

"Well, I didn't know for sure. I just had a hunch…"

"Now that I think of it, you've been present at every murder. That seems a little suspicious, don't you think?"

I sputtered. Words wouldn't form. My mouth worked into an O like the little pufferfish following my finger. Surely he didn't think I killed these people?

"I would never—" I started.

"Relax, Ms. Season. You have no motive for killing anyone. But if you continue to stick your nose where it doesn't belong, I'll have no choice but to arrest you for obstruction."

With those final words, Detective Ray turned and motioned for Jimmy to follow him. They spoke just outside the front door. The police finished up, and Jimmy returned, shutting the door behind him.

"You need to gather some things. We'll stay at my place tonight."

"What did the detective say?" I asked, ignoring his words.

"They found casings at the tree line in the backyard. No footprints. Nothing else to give them any indication of who could have done this." Jimmy sat heavily onto the couch, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

He looked tired, and I wondered if I looked that way too.

I sat down next to him and took his hand in mine. He laced our fingers together and tugged me until we were settled hip to hip.

"At this point it could be anyone. Derrick, Patti, and Dax all saw you at the house. They all had reason and time to try to kill you tonight. And don't be mistaken, Autumn. Whoever did this—they had every intention of killing you. You're just lucky they're a bad shot."

I shivered at the implications of his words. I could be full of lead right now, or worse, dead. But I wasn't. And I had to be close to figuring this thing out, or the killer wouldn't be worried about my questions and snooping.

"What about Phil?" I asked, hoping to get our minds off my hypothetical dead body.

"Phil's tox report came back full of heroin, just like Kailani. It looks like the killer drugged him then tied a rope around his neck and hoisted him up like a pulley."

I cringed, and Jimmy tugged me tighter to him. "This isn't a game, Red. It's life or death. I just wish you'd leave it alone."

I didn't respond. What could I say? I was more determined than ever to find who had done this. The killer had tried to take me out today. I was tired of feeling scared and looking over my shoulder. I planned to prove that the Stones and Dax were involved, and I knew just the way to do it.

CHAPTER TWENTY

I awoke the next morning around four a.m. I hadn't slept well last night since I wasn't in my own bed. Jimmy's place was a typical bachelor pad—no decorations, sparse furniture, and a queen-sized bed in his bedroom. His couch was hard as a rock, so we slept on his bed. Together.

It wasn't the first time we'd slept on his bed. I'd once had too much to drink and had to stay the night. And even though we remained fully clothed, this time seemed different. More intimate somehow. So I'd lain awake most of the night, pondering the change in our relationship, while the bear slept soundly on the other side, snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Not to mention, Jimmy was a big guy. The two of us on one queen bed was a tight squeeze.

I got out of the shower, realizing too late that I'd left all my clothes in Jimmy's room. Praying he was still asleep, I wrapped the tiny towel—seriously, he was the size of a mountain, and he had the smallest towels ever—around my body and crept into the dark room. Rummaging through my bag, I heard a noise and jerked around.

My gaze fell on Jimmy's. He was sitting up in bed, his bare chest reflecting the light from the bathroom. I could feel the heat of his gaze on every inch his eyes touched. Groaning, he lay back down, pulling the covers over his head.

"I was worried when you weren't in the bed. Thought you'd left," he said.

"No, I was just getting a shower. I have to be there early for the sunrise."

"I'm right behind you. Let me know when you're done. We can go together."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me, and hightailed it back to the bathroom.

Rushing through my bathroom routine, I donned my swimsuit, short cotton shorts, and a yellow tank top. I'd be on a board part of the day or having my hair blown around by the ocean breeze. There was no sense in getting all dolled up for a day on the beach. I put on sunscreen, pulled my hair into a messy bun, and pronounced myself ready.

Jimmy was up and making coffee when I left the bathroom. He looked me over from head to toe when I entered the kitchen, and grunted. Pushing past me, he went into the bathroom and closed the door. Moments later, the shower turned on. Someone was grumpy!

Heat flooded my face as I thought about him being naked just in the next room. Shaking my head, I tried to steer the train of thought that was clearly going off track. "Get a grip, Autumn."

I took a sip of the scalding coffee and grabbed a doughnut off the counter. I checked all my equipment and took it out to the car. When I finished and returned to Jimmy's apartment, he was standing in the doorway of his bedroom, his hair slightly damp from the shower, board shorts hung low on his hips, and a tight tank top stretched to its limits across his broad chest.

I heard a sigh before realizing that it was from me. Embarrassed, I turned to top off my coffee and poured it into a disposable one. "You ready?" I said, my voice sounding strangled and weird.

A light chuckle was Jimmy's response. He touched my lower back as he scooted past me into the kitchen, reaching up to grab another disposable cup to pour his coffee into. The intimate nature of us sharing a morning routine felt odd and yet strangely right. As if this intimate time together was exactly as it should be.

"I'm ready. How 'bout you?" Jimmy asked, his voice close to my ear.

I turned around and found him standing very close. My gaze shifted to his mouth, and I wondered what it would be like to kiss him. I bet he tasted of mint and coffee.

With a grin—just a sideways tip of his mouth—Jimmy broke the moment and strode to the door. He opened it, turning to see if I'd followed. Scrambling to keep up—what had just happened?—I hurried out the door and to the car.

When we arrived at the International Surf Classic, photographers and vendors were already there setting up. I took out my equipment and took my spot on the beach. Jimmy retrieved a board for me so that I could follow the surfers out into the ocean for closer shots. Sometimes there was just no getting around being in the water with them.

Just as the sun began to peek over the horizon, I took picture after picture. Several surfers had begun warming up, and the shots I was able to get were simply stunning. Once the sun rose, the hustle and bustle began, and people flocked to the beach.

I saw Juls speed walking with her clipboard in hand, hurrying from one person to another. I lifted my hand to her, and she nodded in reply. No time even for a wave, I guessed. I was finding that Juls was more of a perfectionist than I was. There was no doubt that every i had been dotted and every t crossed for the day's event.

Jimmy stuck close by my side all morning. I knew he had work to do, but somehow, he managed to make it all happen within shouting distance of me. I had the amazing opportunity to make connections with the surfers and some of the sponsors. After a couple of hours, my pockets were full of business cards and phone numbers had been hastily written on the small notebook I'd thought to bring with me.

I noticed the heavy police presence and thought that maybe Detective Ray took my words more seriously than he'd let on. I'd decided last night that I needed to find a way to get to Ecoboards' shelter, which had been temporarily erected for the event, and examine their surfboards. If I could find more of the boards like Phil's, then maybe I could alert the police and they could take them down today before the drop happened. But with the watchdog named Jimmy with his eyes on me all day, it was making it difficult to get away.

Jimmy jogged over to me, his walkie talkie in hand. "Red, I have to go down the beach a little ways. There's a missing kid, probably just wandered away from her parents, but I need to go over and see if we can find her."

"Of course. Go." I could only imagine the fear her parents were enduring at that moment. But I couldn't help the little twinge of excitement that I was going to have a few moments to do a little digging. I just hated that it was a little lost girl that was giving me the opening.

"Don't go far, ok?" Jimmy asked, eyeing me with suspicion.

"I won't." And I wasn't lying. Ecoboards' shelter was just a couple of hundred feet down the beach. That wasn't far.

*   *   *

I watched after Jimmy as he left and then turned my attention down the beach. I casually walked, taking pictures of the crowds and some of the surfers warming up. They were on a break, so it was the perfect time to do a little snooping.

As I got nearer to Ecoboards' shelter, I saw Dax and Derrick with their heads together, standing right out front. I waited, hoping they'd leave so I could go in. Sure enough, after a couple of minutes, they disappeared around the side.

Seeing my chance, I darted into the shelter, thankful it was open. I patted my camera bag, making sure I had the pepper spray Jimmy had given me last night before we'd turned in. In case we get separated, he'd said. I had to admit, it made me feel a little safer having it on me.

The shelter was dark, smelling of wax and sunscreen. I would just take a look, see if the boards were there, and then call Detective Ray. I saw the board Dax had used at the beach. It was very distinctive, with its swirling strokes of teals and reds. It looked more like a high-dollar contemporary work of art than a surfboard.

I moved quickly, running my hand along the side to find the little button for the secret compartment. Finding it, I pressed down, and the compartment opened. Feeling around, I pulled out a small brown package. I went to open the bag, when a sound caught my attention.

I whirled around. Dax stood in the door of the shed.

"What are you doing here?" he growled, angrier than I'd ever seen anyone.

He lunged for me, and I tried to move away, but I wasn't fast enough. Grabbing at my arms, Dax tried to pull me up against his body. I broke free, and he grabbed my hair. Yelping, I found the pepper spray in the pocket of my camera bag. Spinning around, I wrenched my ponytail free of his grasp. Then with my hands lifted in front of my face, I sprayed him right in the eyes.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

As soon as I knew I'd put enough space between us, I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone.

"Jimmy!" I shouted into the phone.

"What is it, Red?" His voice sounded menacing, as if whoever might have put the fear he heard in my voice there better watch out.

"Dax. I found drugs in his surfboard. He caught me and tried to hurt me, but I sprayed him with the pepper spray." The words came out jumbled, and I didn't have time to take a breath between phrases, so I gulped in air once I was done.

"Where are you?" he asked calmly. Almost too calmly.

"Back where you left me."

"Don't move." He clicked off, and I looked at the phone, puzzled.

After a few minutes, I saw Jimmy jogging up the beach toward me.

I ran to meet him, and he scooped me up in his arms, burying his face in my neck.

"I'm sorry. The little girl. Did they—"

"We found her. She'd just wandered down the beach. Fortunately, she knew enough to talk to a lifeguard. Let's go someplace we can talk."

I was confused as to why we needed to go somewhere private. And why wasn't he calling the police?

"Don't we need to call Detective Ray and tell him?"

"Just hang on, Red. I'll explain it all."

I didn't understand his words or why we weren't notifying the police, but I didn't have a choice but to go along if I wanted answers. And I definitely wanted answers.

We ducked into one of the security tents, and I found a chair and sat down. My legs were sore from the running I'd done. Maybe I should work out more. I brushed that thought aside. Not going to happen.

Jimmy sat in the chair across from me.

"Look, Autumn."

It must be serious if he was using my given name and not my nickname he loved so much. I leaned forward, wary now of what he was about to tell me.

Dax Toki burst into the tent, and I scrambled to my feet with a squeal. Reaching for the pepper spray again, I stopped when Jimmy put his arms up between us. "Calm down, Red. I can explain."

"He tried to hurt me—" I yelled.

"I was trying to help you," Dax said. His eyes were bloodshot, and snot was running out of his nose.

That pepper spray really messed him up. Good. I snorted in disbelief.

"He's telling the truth," Jimmy said.

Shocked at his words, I turned. "What?"

"Sit."

"I'd rather stand."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Jimmy took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Dax has been working as an informant for the police."

"What? You're just now telling me this?"

"I couldn't tell you. It was police business."

"You're not the police."

Oops. Low blow. "Sorry, I just mean, you're resort security. And really good at it, I might add." I had to make up for my snide-sounding remark.

"But why would they fill you in and not me?" Anger blurred my vision. "Is it because I'm a woman? It's because I'm a woman, isn't it?" I cocked my hip out and placed my hand there, hoping I looked angry and intimidating. By Jimmy's exasperated look, I wasn't doing a great job at it.

"No, it wasn't because you're a woman. Geez, Red, will you shut up a minute so I can talk?"

I started to get mad at his attitude but then met his eyes. The pleading there softened my response, and I took a seat and shut my mouth.

"Detective Ray told me last night because I was getting ready to go over and beat Dax into a bloody pulp."

"You could try—"

"Shut up, Dax," we both said at the same time.

A slight smile lifted Jimmy's lips at our precisely timed response. "Anyway, Detective Ray needed my help today with the security. They're planning to take down the whole ring. Not just the Stones but also the buyers. If they're assumptions are right, this could be a huge bust. The DEA is here too. My guys were just on the lookout for anything suspicious, and we have radio contact with all three departments. I couldn't tell you. Plus, I'd told you to stay put, so I didn't think you'd be in any danger, especially since I'd planned to stay by your side the whole day. Then the girl went missing, and you didn't cooperate—"

I glared at him.

"Sorry. It's just you can be so impulsive!"

I glared harder.

"I'm not helping myself, am I?"

He bent down and took my hands in his. "I love that you're impulsive. And smart. And so damned beautiful it hurts my eyes. But keeping you safe is feeling like a full-time job these days." He smiled.

I might have taken offense at his last assertion, except for the smart and beautiful comments. I was too rattled by the tenderness in his eyes and sincerity of his words. Jimmy cupped my face in his hands. "So do you forgive me?"

I nodded. What else could I do?

"Ok, so now that you know, it's important that you don't say anything. Dax's safety, as well as the officers' and agents' here, is at stake."

"I won't say a word."

"And please don't run off without telling me? The whole thing will be going down soon, and I don't want to be worried that somehow you'll be caught in the crossfire."

"I won't."

He squeezed me tight, and Dax made a gagging noise from behind him.

"Shut up!" we both said again. Jimmy pulled back, a grin spreading across his cheeks.

I glanced at my watch. "I have to go. The next competition is getting ready to start."

Jimmy released me. When I passed by Dax, he stuck his hand out.

I paused. "And you had nothing to do with the murders?"

"I cross my heart. I'm just trying to help the police. I'll admit I've been working for Derrick for the past several months, but once Noe was killed and Detective Ray called me in for questioning, I agreed to go undercover in exchange for immunity."

He looked ashamed, and I felt for him. Just a little. He was a young guy, not even old enough to buy alcohol. It was easy to get caught up in things.

I shook his hand. "I'm sorry I scared you," he said.

"That's ok. I'm sorry that I sprayed you in the face with pepper spray." I shrugged, and Dax laughed.

"So if you aren't responsible for the murders, does that mean the Stones are?"

"We don't know. Detective Ray has only told me to be careful. He hasn't shared anything pertaining to the deaths."

And my plan to give the police the final nail in the coffin had failed. Now what?

*  *  *

The second competition required me to be on a board in the water. I loved this part because the shots I could get were stunning. The down side was you had to have really good balance and fast paddling skills. Since I tended more toward the klutzy side of things and not the graceful side, this wasn't a part of the job I was particularly good at. Every time I went out was an improvement, though. I planned to kill it out there, no pun intended.

I paddled out, following a particular surfer as he steered his surfboard along the swell. The guy was really good, but I wasn't sure what country he was from. I took the shots and continued on to another contestant. After clicking several amazing shots, I glanced down at my camera to see what I had.

As I scrolled through the pictures—the only nice thing about a digital camera was instant gratification—my mind started to wander, and I tried to piece together what I knew.

Derrick Stone was running drugs hidden in specially made surfboards. Patti Stone must know about it, hence the phone call she'd taken that day in the spa. Patti had a thing for Noe and Phil and was angry that Kailani had garnered both their attention. Jealous, unrequited love? Derrick knew that Kailani had known about the drugs and had photos of him and Dax in a compromising position. Did she threaten to go to the police? Was that why she was so scared the night she'd called me?

I heard shouts behind me and looked up. A surfboard came out of nowhere, knocking me off my board. I tumbled head over heels under the waves, not knowing which way was up. Salt water went up my nose, and I tried to keep from inhaling it. I scrambled under water, my air supply running low. I was going to drown. I'd been run off the road and shot at in the last two days, but a rogue surfboard was going to be my undoing.

Talk about bad luck!

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I started to see spots. Dark shadows were closing in. Just as I gave up hope of ever finding my way to the surface, strong arms grabbed me around the waist and pulled me up, breaking the water.

Immediately I gulped in huge mouthfuls of air, getting a little salt water mixed in. Coughing and sputtering with water coming out of my mouth and nose, I was pulled to the shore by a surfer, if the looks of him was any indication. He laid me down on the sand, and Jimmy was instantly at my side.

"Red! Are you ok?"

I nodded, too tired to answer. Plus my throat was killing me from all that salt water I'd ingested.

Jimmy placed his hands on either side of my face. "Someone call the paramedics over."

"No," I insisted. "I'm fine. It didn't hit me in the head—just knocked the breath out of me. I'm good. Honest."

I tried to sit up, and Jimmy tugged on my hands, helping me. I dropped my head between my legs. Someone placed a towel around my shoulders, and I was grateful for the warmth.

"Didn't you hear all the people yelling for you to get out of the way?" he asked, rubbing my arms back and forth, creating a delicious sensation deep in my belly.

"No. I was looking at the shots I took, and I guess my mind was elsewhere."

"Red, you gotta pay attention if you're going to do this job."

"Tell me about it."

"Seriously though. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. My pride is bruised a little, and I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow, but otherwise I'm ok."

"You are going to be the death of me, woman," he said, but there was no heat in his words.

Instead I heard affection and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he looked at the screen. "I gotta take this. It's Detective Ray. Looks like things are happening. You going to be ok?"

"Go! I'm fine."

Jimmy kissed the top of my head and ran down the beach. He was absolutely gorgeous, like a lifeguard off Baywatch. Now if only I could do the slow-motion thing like in the show, it would be perfect. I snapped a photo of him since I didn't have a slow-mo reel in my mind. At least I was able to capture the image. Maybe I'd blow it up and put it on the wall in my bedroom. Only, knowing Jimmy, he'd get an even bigger head than he already had.

I was grateful I hadn't lost my camera in the tumble. I might not be graceful, but I was smart enough to buy a waterproof camera and keep it attached to me at all times.

A nice nap would have been a great idea, but there were still several competitions left in the day. I set up my long lens and camera on the tripod. As I was lining up my view for the next match, my phone rang from my camera bag.

Hoping it was Jimmy, I leaned down and grabbed the phone, sliding it to answer without looking at the screen.

"Hey!" I said.

"Autumn?" a female voice whispered.

"Summer? Is that you?" I glanced down at my screen but didn't recognize the number.

"Autumn, I need help."

"Where are you?" Panic was clawing at my insides.

"I'm at Derrick and Patti Stone's house." Summer sounded off somehow, almost as if she was drunk, her words slurring together as she spoke.

"What are you doing there?" Unease prickled my spine.

"I need you to help me. Please."

"Of course, Summer. Just tell me what to do."

"She said come alone, or she'll kill me."

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

I packed away my long lens and camera into my camera bag as quickly as I could. I left the tripod where it stood. There was no time to mess with it now. Running as fast as my feet would carry me in the sand—which wasn't very fast, considering I'd already run away from Dax earlier and had been run over by a surfboard—I jumped into the car and raced out of the parking lot.

As Jimmy had indicated earlier, the place was crawling with cops, so my racing was really more of a crawl. I was stopped twice before I was allowed to leave the resort. Fortunately, I had my handy-dandy Aloha Lagoon Resort ID badge and was waved through quickly.

I knew the Stones were behind the murders, but I still hadn't figured out why they'd killed those young people. And why kidnap Summer? None of it made any sense.

It dawned on me that I'd left without telling Jimmy. He was going to be so pissed.

I dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail. He must have it turned off.

"Jimmy, it's Autumn. Summer called me. She said she's at the Stones. I think Patti has her. Summer said 'she,' not 'he.' Anyway, I know you're going to be mad, but I have to help her. I'd never be able to live with myself if something happened to her. I'm sorry."

I hit End and dialed Detective Ray's number. It also went straight to voicemail. The drug bust. They were both handling that right now. Which meant no one would be coming for me.

Taking in a shaky breath, I left him the same message I'd left Jimmy.

Before I had another chance to think things through, I was pulling into the Stones' driveway. The place looked sinister this time, a dark shadow falling over the house. A chill crawled over my skin, and I mustered every ounce of courage I had to get out of the car. I grabbed my phone and stuck it inside the waistband of my shorts. It wasn't the best hiding place, but maybe Patti would forget to check me for it.

Summer's car sat in the driveway, so it looked like Patti had duped Summer into coming to her house on her own accord. I prayed that she was ok. I couldn't stand the thought that something terrible had happened to her.

It made sense to scope out my surroundings first, so I crept along the veranda encircling the house and peered inside the windows. I checked the kitchen and a couple of the bedrooms and rounded to the front of the house where the living room was. I peered into the window and found Derrick lying face down on the floor, blood encircling his head. His eyes were closed, and I couldn't tell if he was breathing. I ran to the front door and burst inside, rushing over to Derrick. Nothing was adding up. Why would Patti try to kill her own husband? I thought they were in this together.

I knelt beside him and checked for a pulse. I could feel the slight flutter under my fingers. He was alive. Thank God!

I reached under the waistband of my shorts and pressed the Emergency Call button. I was startled by a noise behind me and turned my head. Blinding pain shot through my skull.

Then everything went dark.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The first thing I noticed was the smell—damp earth and mildew. I cautiously opened my eyes, and pain ricocheted through my head. Gingerly I tried to reach up to touch the back of my head where the pain seemed to be originating but found I couldn't because my hands were bound behind my back. Well that sucked.

I looked around. It was dark in what appeared to be a storage shed, and the light coming through the door was dimmer than I thought it should be. How long had I been out? I assumed it was the shed Summer and I had snooped around earlier, if I was still on the Stones' property. If it was the same one, someone had moved all the surfboards. Turning my head to my right, I gasped.

"Summer!" I called out. Her head was lolling on her chest, her blonde hair stringy and sticking to her face. Her eyes were closed, but surely she wasn't dead. I choked back a sob. I scooted over as close as I could get to her.

Bumping her with my shoulder gently, I tried again. "Summer, honey. Can you hear me?"

She mumbled something incoherent. Oh, thank God! She was alive at least. But what had Patti given her? And how much?

I looked around for something I could use to get out of these zip ties. I had one of those moments where I regretted not paying more attention to those videos on Facebook about how to escape from zip ties. Something about moving your hands to the front and pulling? I couldn't remember. It just goes to show, you never know when you'll need seemingly useless information.

A groan sounded from the far corner of the shed. I peered through the darkness to find a woman in a pink velour tracksuit propped up in the corner. Her head lay listlessly to one side, and she tried to lift it and open her eyes, only for it to fall back to her shoulder.

Patti Stone. But if Patti hadn't killed all those people, then who—

"Hello, Autumn. Glad you could join us."

"You!"

Standing in the doorway, her mousy brown hair flat against her head, glasses perched slightly askew on her nose, and a sick, twisted grin on her face, was Annie Morris.

She threw her head back in maniacal laughter. It did weird things to her face, contorting her features as if she was possessed.

"Of course it was me. Who else would have the brainpower to orchestrate all this? Patti Stone?" She laughed again. "That woman has nothing but hot air up there."

"I don't understand."

"That's no surprise. Although you were starting to get a little too close for comfort. When I overheard Patti telling you about the pufferfish and saw you snooping in her office, I knew the time had come to do away with you. I'd hoped all your snooping would lead to Patti dearest and not to me. But you just wouldn't leave it alone." She crossed the threshold and paced back and forth. "You have more lives than a cat. I'd hoped your car would tumble down the embankment or that one of those bullets would have found its place in your skull, but as with everything else, it seems taking care of things up close and personal is the better choice."

"Derrick. He's up at the house, bleeding. You need to call the police, Annie."

She laughed that crazy laugh again and shook her head. "How do you think Derrick got in the condition you found him in?"

"But why? You seemed so grateful to him for the job and home he'd given you."

"A job. That's all I was to him, stupid man."

Annie's pacing was starting to make my head hurt.

"Do you know that for four years he's promised to leave that airheaded bimbo over there? Four years he's dragged me along."

"But I saw him at the Classic earlier. How did he get here?"

"Just a well-placed phone call informing him that the cops had the place surrounded and were going to bust him. When he arrived back home, I'd hoped he would take me with him. That finally we'd be together. But he told me to stay behind while he and Patti fled the island. A pewter candlestick to the head took him down. His head wasn't quite as hard as yours is."

Did that mean he was dead? He'd still had a pulse when I checked him, but maybe he'd died after Annie had hit me.

"But why kill him?"

"Why? I've done everything for him. I wasted my best years on him. Lied for him. Killed for him. And what do I get in return? Nothing."

"You killed Noe, Kailani, and Phil?"

"Duh."

This Annie was so unlike the quiet, awkward girl I'd met.

"And what did he say when I told him? That I'd done it all for him? He called me crazy. Crazy!"

There she went with the hysterical laughter again. It was the creepiest thing I'd ever heard. I kept waiting for her head to do a 360-degree turn.

"He said he loved me. But it was all a lie. So he had to die. And her too." She motioned at Patti.

I followed her gaze and took in the drool on Patti's velour jacket. Patti did not do stoned well. If I hadn't been tied up and looking into the eyes of a crazy person, I might have found that funny.

"How did you know the cops were there?" I asked.

"I set it all up. I'm the one that leaked the tip to the police."

So she didn't know that Dax was working with the police then.

"So why am I here? And what about Summer? She's innocent in all of this."

"You were eavesdropping in the hallway at the spa. I knew then that you were onto us. Then I saw you that day from the veranda, snooping around the shed. You knew too much. It's why Kailani and Phil had to die. They'd decided after I killed Noe that they were going to go to the police with what they had on Derrick. Of course they never suspected me. If they'd taken out Derrick, then where would I be? I hadn't had the time to syphon enough funds to get out of here. And don't be mistaken. I plan to leave just as soon as this nasty little business is behind us."

Annie started towards me, determination in her gaze.

"Wait!" Oddly enough she stopped her forward progress, her head tilting to the side like those demon possessed girls in horror flicks. I shook off the shivers that ran up my spine and asked, "If you were on to me all this time, why didn't you tell Derrick?"

She shrugged, looking blankly at Patti as she spoke. "I thought he'd be proud of all I'd done for us. I wanted to handle all the problems myself, not go running to him like a little girl to her daddy."

Her lip curled as she stalked toward me like a lion to its prey.

"And you"—Annie pointed her long, skinny finger at me—"with your picture taking. All. The. Time. I mean, what is it with you? I thought stealing your camera would take care of that irritating habit, at least until all this was behind me, but no. You had another one."

I was getting scared that I wasn't going to have time to get out of this mess. Surely Jimmy had received my phone call by now. Or Detective Ray?

"So you killed those people? Because they were going to tell the police about Derrick's drug running?"

"No one suspects the mousy girl that blends in with the scenery. It's amazing what you can get away with."

She held up her fingers, ticking items off one at a time, backing away from me as she paced again, left to right. It was like watching a tennis match. Except she was a deranged killer and not Serena Williams in a cutting-edge catsuit. "No one saw me set fire to the Royal Orchid, ensuring Derrick would have the home field advantage. No one saw me switch out Noe's plates that night. Killing Patti's favorite pet fish was just an added benefit. It was easy to find his plate since Noe didn't like his food to touch. Prima Donna." Annie whipped back around and walked toward me. "I always have that big bag with me, so it was easy to make the switch as soon as Noe's plate was ready."

"And then Kailani. She was so trusting. No one saw me knock on her door that day. She never suspected the shy, meek personal assistant would do her harm. Boy, was she surprised when I injected her with heroin. I had to give her a lethal dose so that I could get her into the tub to slit her wrists. Who knew she was so heavy?"

"But how did you get the drugs?"

I knew the answer. At least I thought I did. But I wanted to hear her say it.

"Why Derrick, of course. I just snuck a little here and there. Enough to make my victims practically comatose, giving me ample time to set up the crime scene to make it look like suicide."

I wasn't getting out of this alive. The thought hit me like an anvil falling from the sky. No way would Annie be spilling her secrets if she intended to give me any chance of escaping. I couldn't see a single way out of here, but I hoped if I kept her talking it would give someone enough time to rescue me.

"And Phil?"

"Phil was another matter altogether. Once he was paralyzed, stringing him up was a bear. That boy was heavy."

The nonchalant way she spoke of hanging Phil sent chills scattering across every nerve ending in my body. These were no crimes of passion or even a jilted lover. This was the cold, calculated acts of premeditated murder.

"Everything I did, I did for Derrick. What did I get in return? Nothing. But who gets the last laugh this time? I do. And since he and Patti gave me all the passcodes and account numbers for their bank accounts, and since they'll no longer be among the living to protest, I'll be living in paradise for the rest of my life, while he's rotting in the ground."

I'd never thought about what evil personified looked like. Maybe Charles Manson or Osama bin Laden. But right then, looking into the eyes of Annie Morris, I was encountering evil at its finest.

"He made me feel special," she continued, not even concerned now if I was interested in listening or not, so caught up in her own tirade. "But it was all lies! And that, that tramp! Always getting in my way. And now she'll pay."

Annie walked over to Patti, and even though I wasn't Patti's biggest fan, I didn't want to see her killed right in front of me.

"Wait! Why did you pull Summer into all of this? What has she done?" I asked, hoping to divert her attention from Patti back to me. It worked like a charm.

"She was here that day when Patti opened her big mouth about that stupid fish. Plus, she's your friend, and I figured you'd shared your assumptions. I can't have her sticking her nose into things once you wind up dead."

"But how did you get her to come here?" I ignored the part about my impending death.

"I told her Patti lost the paperwork that Juls wanted signed to renew their contract with the resort. Of course she said she'd do it on Monday, but I explained that Patti was frantic and was insisting a new copy be brought over today. Patti's reputation was enough to convince her I was telling the truth, and she hurried right over."

Poor Summer. I hated that she'd been roped into all of this. Now she was going to die just for being my friend.

"How do you think you're going to get away with killing all of us? The police will figure it out as soon as you disappear, and you'll spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder."

"Why, a murder-suicide of course!"

"I don't understand."

"You and Summer stopped by the house unannounced, more of those annoying photos you take, and you stumbled upon Patti standing over Derrick's lifeless body. She was enraged and hit you both over the head with the same pewter candlestick. Don't worry. I'll give you the good stuff like I gave Kailani and Phil. You won't feel a thing."

"But the police—"

"The police will find the confession note, written by Patti, confessing to be the one to kill Noe, Kailani, Phil, and Derrick. Patti was jealous of the surfers' affections for Kailani. If she couldn't have them, no one could. She'll tell them that Derrick was responsible for the drug ring, and then she'll shoot herself in the head—too guilt ridden to continue on."

The picture she painted sent cold ice crawling down my spine. Annie reached behind her, pulling out a syringe and a vial. "Don't worry, Autumn. Just a little prick, and it will all be over."

She was going to kill me. She was going to stick that needle in my arm, and I wouldn't be able to fight her off. I had to do something. I wasn't going down without a fight!

As soon as Annie was within reach, I swept my leg out, catching her off guard, and she tumbled to the ground. I scrambled up on two feet as quickly as I could, trying to keep my balance since my hands were tied behind my back. Annie stuck out her foot, tripping me, and I fell to the ground. She pounced on top of me, trying to stick the needle in the vein in my neck. I felt a slight prick in my neck as she lowered her head closer. I rammed my forehead into the bridge of her nose. Blood spurted, spewing from her nose like someone had turned on a fountain, and I could feel the warm stickiness on my face.

Annie rolled off me, and I struggled to right myself. She was writhing on the floor, her hands over her nose, moaning in pain. I took a moment to revel in the hurt I'd caused her.

The joy was short lived. My body felt heavy, and my vision blurry. Black edges surrounded my vision, and everything started to look and feel so far away. I got to my knees to crawl to the door and get help, but my legs refused to cooperate. Annie had managed to inject the drug into my system.

I was dying.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

A loud bang sounded, and I jerked my eyelids open. A huge figure stood in the door. I tried to scramble backward, but my body wouldn't obey my commands. Lights came on, and I squinted at the brightness. Then I saw him. Jimmy Toki. But why was he so far away?

I tried to call out to him, but my tongue had a mind of its own.

"Autumn!" I heard him call my name.

I loved the way he said my name. Even when he called me Red, it was laced with such tenderness and affection. I tried to answer back, but I was so sleepy. I closed my eyes to rest them for just a minute.

Strong arms lifted me up, cradling me up against something hard and unyielding. My head fell back, and I opened my eyes. Where was I going? Annie was screaming, yelling obscenities and things that might have made me blush if I'd had the ability to do so in my condition. Two men surrounded her, picking her up by her arms.

"Annie," I tried to tell the giant that was carrying me. "Killer."

"We know, Red. We know. Just hang on, ok?"

Red. That was Jimmy's name for me.

Bright lights brought me to once again. Sirens were blaring, and police lights spread a red and blue glow along the beach. Everything was fading in and out.

A prick pierced my arm, and I tried to move away. "No!" I cried out.

"Shh, Autumn. We're trying to help you. Just relax." That warm voice that I knew so well but for some reason couldn't place the name whispering in my ear.

I didn't want to die. I'd never kissed Jimmy. I'd never told him how I felt. I'd never told him that I wanted to give us a shot. I'd die never letting my best friend know that I felt more than friendship for him. It wasn't fair.

Someone grabbed my hand, and I heard his voice, even though I couldn't open my eyes to see him. There was a siren going in the background, and it felt like the bed I was lying on was rocking gently. I tried opening my eyes and saw Jimmy's face close to mine.

"What happened?" I croaked. My throat hurt, and my body felt like it was so heavy, weighted down. Jimmy's eyes were filled with tears. He blinked, and one rolled down his cheek.

"I almost didn't make it in time."

"I left you that message." I tried to tell him that I hadn't lied. That I had told him where I was going.

"I know. But you weren't in the house. We searched the sheds on the beach, but there was more than one. You were in one about half a mile down the shoreline. It took us a while to figure out where you were. We followed the tracks from the large beach cart she'd used to get you all into the shed."

"Annie?"

"The police have her. Just rest, Red. You've been through hell." Jimmy leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. So gentle, as if he would break me.

I closed my eyes, letting sleep overtake me.

*   * *

When I woke up, there was a weight on my leg and a vice around my hand. I opened my eyes and found Jimmy sitting in a chair next to my bed. His head was resting on my thigh, and both of his hands were wrapped around mine.

I looked around, taking in the stark white walls, the IV in my hand, and the machines I was hooked up to. I was grateful to be alive.

I tried to adjust my position, and Jimmy jerked awake.

"Autumn?" His eyes were filled with worry. "Are you ok? Are you hurting?"

"I'm fine. I feel so weird. And my mouth tastes like ash."

Jimmy jumped up, grabbing a cup from a tray nearby and bringing it over for me to drink. I sipped out of the straw, taking in huge gulps of the water. Nothing had ever tasted so good.

"Why do I feel so weird?"

"Heroin. And then several doses of Narcan to combat the opiate effects. She didn't give you enough to kill you. I'm assuming her broken nose got in the way."

"Yeah, I wasn't going down without a fight."

"That's my girl."

I startled at the words. Of course he didn't mean my girl as in his. As in more than just his friend. I ignored the longing in my heart and pushed on.

"Summer!" I tried to get out of bed, and Jimmy pushed me gently back down.

"Is in the next room and going to be fine. She'd been given a heavy dose of heroin too, but the Narcan seems to be working. On top of being drugged, you also have a concussion. So double whammy."

"That's why my head feels as if construction workers are hammering away up there with a jackhammer."

"Cute."

"What happened to the drug bust?"

"We got everyone. As soon as we started wrapping it up, I looked around for you. I saw the vacant tripod and instantly knew only something urgent would make you leave it. I checked my phone, I'd had to turn it off during the bust," he said, almost apologetically.

I squeezed his hand. "I know. It's fine."

"But it's not fine. She almost killed you. Had we not shown up when we did, she would have finished the job.

"She was going to kill me and Summer and Patti and Derrick. Make it look like a murder-suicide when we caught her in the act of killing Derrick. Annie forged a letter from Patti, confessing to the murders of Noe, Kailani, and Phil."

"She knew Patti's handwriting well. She was also responsible for the note in Phil's room. As soon as they got her into custody, she sang like a canary, hoping she could bargain for a lighter sentence. But she'll never see the light of day," Jimmy reassured me, after I'm sure my face gave away my distress.

"Patti and Derrick are alive, although Derrick will have a headache for a long time. Annie got him good. They'll also serve a long sentence. They were both in on the drug ring. Patti will be tried as an accomplice and serve a lighter sentence, but Derrick was the ringleader. He'll go away for a long time."

I settled back into the pillows, my eyes starting to get heavy.

"They found your camera in Annie's room," Jimmy said, sitting back down in the chair and picking my hands up, wrapping them in his own.

Hope rose in my heart. It was a small thing. Something that could be replaced, but after so much death and destruction, the return of my camera lifted my spirits just a little.

"When will I get it back?"

"The police are developing the film. If you caught her switching out the sushi, there will be nothing her attorney can do to get her off. Maybe offer an insanity plea."

"She's definitely insane. But I think she knew what she was doing. Crazy in that she was obsessed with Derrick. They were having an affair. He kept promising to leave his wife but wouldn't. She went nuts trying to prove her love to him by setting fire to the Royal Orchid Resort and killing off those who threatened her beloved's drug business."

"She's the one responsible for the arson? I don't think the police know that. Detective Ray wants to talk to you, but I convinced him to do it tomorrow."

I yawned, worn out from the little effort it took to have this brief conversation.

"How's Dax?"

"Fine. He did what the police asked of him. Detective Ray said he wouldn't press charges. And he won the Classic, despite his watery eyes from the pepper spray."

I was proud of Dax. It took guts to do what he did. Also I was glad the pepper spray didn't inhibit his ability to win first prize. I might have felt bad about that.

"He says he wants to come work for me, if I'll have him. He's out a sponsor right now, and I guess he got a taste for being on the right side of the law."

"Will you hire him?"

"I'll start him off slow, but yeah. I think it'd be great to have him working for me. But after winning today, I don't think he'll be sponsorless for long. So it might be something he does later on."

Fatigue had settled in now, and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Jimmy brought my hands up to brush his lips across my knuckles. I felt the flutters in my belly and sighed in contentment.

"Sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

I knew Jimmy and I had a lot to talk about, but for now I didn't argue with him and settled back against the pillow.

That night, I dreamed of Jimmy.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

One Week Later

The knock at my door sent nervous butterflies all through my belly. I wasn't worried about psycho killers anymore. This time I was worried about my heart. I'd only had to spend one night in the hospital, and Jimmy had been by my side every day since. My back doors had been replaced, although I was still staring at bullet holes in my wall. I hoped after the insurance claim went through, Tom and Doris would have the Sheetrock replaced. Doris had nearly had a coronary when I told her what had happened.

I would start back to work on Monday, but that night Jimmy was taking me to dinner.

Only this time, he'd asked. Like on a date.

I brushed my hands over the yellow flowered sundress I wore. The skinny straps showed a lot of skin without being too revealing. The short flouncy skirt highlighted my legs and made them look longer than they were. I topped it off with red espadrille sandals that wrapped around the ankle. Rumor had it short girls weren't supposed to wear things that wrapped around their ankles—it shortened their legs. But these were way too cute not to wear them. The red fabric accentuated the red flowers on the dress.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. Jimmy Toki stood there in gray linen pants and a black V-neck T-shirt. It was tight and fit him as if it had been custom-made for his body.

The butterflies were flying around like crazy now. I couldn't keep the stupid grin off my face. I knew it was there. I could feel it stretching my lips and warming my cheeks.

"Hello, Red," his low voice rumbled.

My pulse picked up its pace. I noticed Jimmy looking at my throat, and I wondered if he could see it hammering away. A slight smirk pulled at the edge of his mouth.

"Hey, big guy." I grabbed my purse off the table next to the door and walked past Jimmy, who still stood blocking the door way. I had to duck under his arm, and his warm chuckle did funny things to my belly.

Jimmy closed and locked the door behind me. When I stepped onto the driveway, I paused.

"What's this?" I asked, confused at the blue Jeep I was staring at.

"My new ride. You like it?"

"Like it? I love it! When did you get this?"

"I couldn't have you riding around in that jalopy of a car, now could I?" He smiled warmly. "It was time. New beginnings and all that."

I hopped up into the Jeep, trying to keep my skirt from flying up. When Jimmy rounded the corner and slid into the driver's side, the look on his face indicated I might not have been successful.

We drove in companionable silence, and Jimmy pulled up to a local restaurant that I'd only heard about but hadn't had a chance to eat at. It was way too fancy for our normal meals together, and even though I knew this was a date, it still felt kind of weird.

The hostess took us to an outside table surrounded by candlelight and tiki torches. The restaurant was located right on the beach, and the view was stunning.

We'd still barely spoken other than thank yous and yes ma'ams to our waitress. After we ordered our food, Jimmy took my hands in his.

"I have something for you," he said.

I couldn't for the life of me guess what it might be. "Ok?" I squeaked. Hey, no one could say I wasn't smooth.

Jimmy dropped my hands and pulled a manila envelope out from the waistband of his pants.

"Did you have this in your pants?" I asked, incredulous.

"Where else was I going to keep it?"

"So basically this envelope has touched your bare butt?" I blushed a little at the thought but was grateful that our lively banter had returned.

"You know you're just jealous of this folder," Jimmy said and waggled his eyebrows. "Just open it."

I carefully opened the flap on the envelope and pulled out three 8x10 photographs. The first one was of Chef Aki working on his food art with Annie standing close by. The second one was of Annie, her hands in her purse, pulling out a plastic container. You could tell that I was aiming for one of Chef Aki's creations, but she was almost front and center. The final picture was of her placing the fugu sushi on Noe's plate.

"I did catch her!" I said, maybe a little too loudly for a public place. I glanced around at the people staring at me and lowered my voice. "I caught her red-handed, and I didn't even know it."

"You did. Annie will be going away for a long time."

"How did you get these?"

"I asked Detective Ray if I could have copies. I'm sure it's against protocol for him to let me have these, but since they are your property, he relented."

I gazed at the photo. Annie was staring right at the camera, the look in her eyes predatory. So unlike the mousy, unimpressive girl that she portrayed. But she hadn't been kidding about blending in. I'd never even noticed her.

"The transformation is unbelievable, isn't it?" I asked Jimmy.

"It is."

I slipped the photos back into the envelope and handed them to Jimmy. "I'm assuming Detective Ray would like to keep these in his possession? Not to mention, I don't really want them."

"He does, and I didn't think you'd want to keep them. But I wanted to show you what you'd captured."

"Thanks. I wonder why Annie kept the film? She could have destroyed it." It would seem that she would have wanted to destroy the concrete evidence that could put her away for life.

"Sometimes people are too confident and, in their arrogance, don't think they'll be caught. Maybe she wanted a memento of her evil deeds. Something to document the occasion. Who knows? I get the feeling Annie's got a few screws loose."

"You're not lying. I still hear her creepy laugh in my nightmares." I shivered at the memory.

Jimmy laid the envelope next to him on the table. The waitress brought our food, and we ate, chatting about the case and all the players. So many lives had been cut short by one woman's obsession with another man's wife. I hated that Noe, Kailani, and Phil had died such horrible deaths. But I was so glad that Annie would pay for her crimes.

"Want to take a stroll?" Jimmy asked after he paid our bill.

"Sure!" I said, the flips and flops in my stomach distracting in their intensity.

Walking along the shore, Jimmy slipped his hand into mine. The night was perfect. Warm with a slight breeze. The tang of the salty ocean air always brought peace to my heart.

Jimmy stopped and turned toward me, his silhouette outlined by the moonlight. Taking my hands again in his own, he brought them up to his lips.

"I thought I'd lost you," he said quietly, his lips brushing my skin.

"But you didn't."

"But I almost did. And it made me realize that I didn't want to waste another second apart from you."

My breathing came hard and fast.

"Red, I care about you. More than just as a friend. I know we've been dancing around each other for a while now, but I think it's time to take the plunge." He dropped our hands and wrapped his arms around me, drawing me close. I had to tilt my head way back to meet his gaze.

"We only get one life, and I don't want to spend mine wishing I'd taken a chance on something amazing."

"What are you saying, Jimmy?" I found myself staring at his lips, those lips I'd been dying to taste for longer than I'd like to admit.

"Let's try this out. See what we have here. Will you jump with me?"

Words wouldn't come, so I simply nodded my agreement. His gaze found my lips, and he dipped his head.

Our lips touched, and it was magic. Fireworks were exploding over our heads. Birds were chirping, and I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing the "Hallelujah Chorus." Those butterflies that had been ever present in my stomach were having a party, and when Jimmy traced the seam of my lips with his tongue, I was undone. I met him stroke for stroke, each of us battling for domination and control. I threaded my fingers into his hair, tugging slightly.

He smiled against my lips. "You kiss like you fight."

"What did you expect?"

"Exactly this. I want a future filled with all the same passion and fire that consumes your life, Red. I want you."

What was a girl to say to that? Since words wouldn't do, I pulled his head down for another kiss, showing him exactly just how hot this fire could burn.

* * * * *

FREE BOOK OFFER

Want to get an email alert when the next Aloha Lagoon Mystery is available?

Sign up for our newsletter today
and as a bonus receive a FREE ebook!

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 and Bloodshed

Death of the Kona Man

Lethal Tide

Beachboy Murder

Handbags & Homicide

Tiaras & Terror

Photo Finished

* * * * *

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dane McCaslin, USA Today bestselling author of the Proverbial Crime Mysteries series, resides in the state of Arizona with her very patient husband. She has been writing all of her life: poetry, short stories, journals, letters (yes, those old-fashioned epistles that require pen and paper), and now she brings her talents to the cozy mystery genre.

In addition to being an author, Dane McCaslin is an educator. She currently teaches advanced language arts classes for grade 11; additionally, she teaches beginning writing classes at the local university. Being an educator is an important part of her life, and passing on her passion for reading and writing is one of her great joys.

BOOKS BY DANE McCASLIN

Proverbial Crime Mysteries:

A Bird in the Hand

The Pen is Mightier (short story in the Killer Beach Reads collection)

When the Cat's Away

You Can Lead a Horse to Water

Aloha Lagoon Mysteries:

Photo Finished

Kimberly Griggs is a story-teller at heart. Whether sharing about her latest grocery trip or about the characters in her head, she's committed to all the details—much to her husband's dismay. Fortunately, he's a good sport!

As a fourth-grade student, Kimberly wrote her first romance story in which the hero died in a motorcycle accident, and his girlfriend vowed to love him forever. Her teacher thought the subject matter was a little heavy for a ten-year old girl, but Kimberly's zeal for a good story wouldn't be deterred.

When she's not writing, you can find Kimberly making music, watching a story on the big screen, and of course, reading as many books as her schedule will allow. Kimberly is living her own personal romance story with her wonderful husband of 20+ years. They have two wild and crazy boys, as well as two dogs that think they are humans. She resides in Northern VA near Washington, D.C.

To learn more about Kimberly, visit her online at: https://www.kimberlygriggsauthor.com

* * * * *

SNEAK PEEK

A BIRD IN THE HAND
a Proverbial Crime Mystery

by

DANE MCCASLIN

CHAPTER ONE

She stood to her feet in one swift motion, glancing around the small park to see if any of those maddening people were out and about, walking their equally annoying pets. As if they really knew anything about life and problems and those voices…

A sudden noise nearby set her head on a swivel as she tried to ascertain the direction from which it had come. Ah—there. She'd just caught a glimpse of movement from the house nearest the park. She sighed. One more loose end to tie up, but that couldn't be helped. No one and or nothing was going to stop her from achieving her goal. With good humor restored, she set off briskly in the direction of the town's main street, hands jammed into coat pockets, and whistling slightly under her breath.

*   *   *

"Come on, Caro. It's not that bad, just a few little drops. You could probably walk between them."

Straddling his road bike, my husband gave me his best encouraging smile, an uncanny likeness of the expression he'd worn when our godchildren were younger, teaching them how to solve a mathematics problem or to catch a ball. I don't like to exercise—never have—and I wasn't sure I liked being talked to as if I were five. I shrugged in response, glowering at the sky as if it were to blame.

My name is Caroline Layton-Browning, British expat mystery writer extraordinaire (in my own mind, of course) and spouse of Gregory Browning, Professor of International Law at the local university. We're generally described as "stilted" by our less formal American friends, something I am actively trying to correct, but I absolutely draw the line at using "like" every other word. Like, you know, like, what I mean? I would never say that Greg and I are competitive; rather that we hone each other's particular talents. Rather like iron sharpening iron, with much the same resulting sparks. At any rate, we never seem to have a dull moment, and in spite of his resistance I have managed to tug him along as I meander from one improbable scheme to another.

I am at that point in my life that when I look into the mirror, I am absolutely flabbergasted at what I see. I know that they say, "Forty is the new thirty,"—and I'd like to meet the genius who dreamed up that little phrase—but I beg to differ. With my forties just around the corner, I'm on a constant hunt for wrinkles and crow's-feet, something I never had to worry about when I was a tad younger. What hasn't changed though, is my love-hate relationship with the great outdoors.

To begin with, I detest precipitation of any kind. I figure if the good Lord wanted me to splash around in puddles and get my feet wet—not to mention my hair—he'd have given me feathers.

Be that as it may, my sweet husband, bound and determined to get me fit, had coaxed me outside one overcast afternoon. I was to take our dachshund for a short perambulation around the park that sits in the middle of our subdivision like a crown jewel, replete with shiny swings and a covered area for picnicking. Eating out of doors has never been high on my list of favorite things to do either, so it goes without saying that we've not made use of this particular area of the park yet.

Nor the swings, for that matter. Without the requisite children as props, I'm sure we'd look out of place and most likely be tagged as the local weirdoes that parents warn their children about.

"It's really not so bad, Caro," Gregory was saying, his tone cajoling and just a tad condescending. "And you could do with some exercise. So could Trixie," he hastily added as my eyes narrowed.

His own eyes, still as brilliant a blue as when we'd first met at Oxford University—yes, that Oxford—twinkled at me. I mentally stuck out my tongue at his reassurance. Childish, yes, but it felt good. He knows how I feel about weather.

Snapping the strap on his cycling helmet and giving me a cheerful wave, Gregory set out on a quick ride, only ten miles or so, he had assured me. He'd be back in no time. I succeeded in keeping the eye rolls controlled. Anything over one mile with a skinny seat tucked under my rather generous backside would constitute torture as far as I'm concerned, and I've steadily refused to take up Greg's offer of joining him and his pals on their jaunts through the verdant New York countryside.

I was already in a sour frame of mind, one hand shoving a worn baseball cap down over my hair and Trixie's leash looped over the other, so I returned his wave with a wrinkled nose. And judging by the glare she shot up at me, Trixie was in no mood to get anything damp either. I sighed, ducking down to give her coppery head a conciliatory pat.

"Let's get this over with, girl, so we can curl up with a clear conscience and a good book, okay?" Her eyes, twin chocolate drops in a tiny face, held a look that might have been a plea for mercy, but I ignored it and stepped out onto the wet walkway with the attitude of one being given a dose of very unpleasant medicine.

Half a block to the park, one sweep around its perimeter, and back home, I encouraged myself. Hopefully I wouldn't get too soggy, although I had to admit that it was more drizzle than drip. Trixie put her head down and began to trudge next to me, her entire body letting me know exactly what she thought of this adventure.

As we walked, I let my mind take whatever tangent it chose. My problem, I've been told more than once and by more than one person, is that I get easily bored. I prefer to think of myself as the epitome of a Renaissance Woman (capitals included), with interests in various directions, and usually substantiate this by doing two or three things at once. I've never seen a need to change. It's simply not in my character to plod. For instance, I cannot focus on one undertaking only but tend to multi-task with a fervor that could melt the heart of every Gemini for miles around. I'm not a Gemini, but I've been informed that I act just like one, so perhaps my birthday was wrongly recorded.

Gregory's idea of relaxation after a long day at the salt mines is to hop on one of his five bikes and cycle away the tension. He's done this for years, even before the phenomenon that was Lance Armstrong and yellow wristbands, and I see no end in sight. He'll probably add stability wheels as he gets older but will still be off for one of his short rides when he is eighty. To this I say, "Whatever floats your boat." I prefer doing new things and cannot imagine sticking with one hobby for as many years as he has.

But I digress. I was currently out in a drizzle, accompanied by a resentful dachshund, and neither one of us was getting much out of it. I tried humming to break the monotony of it all, but judging by the baleful look that Trixie gave me, I decided to give it a rest. Everyone's a critic.

Our homeowner's association, in its almighty wisdom, has decreed that the neighborhood park must have a certain amount of trees and shrubbery and flowering plants within its border. Since the park itself is more handkerchief-sized and not the large acreage that they like to pretend that it is, this tends to lend the entire park a claustrophobic air, or at least that is how I feel whenever I step between the myriad of things growing therein.

I had stepped one foot inside the park's perimeter in order to honestly tell my husband that I had indeed gone there when I saw something jutting out from underneath one of the larger shrubs. Unfortunately, I've always been a little vain when it comes to wearing the eye glasses that I've needed since childhood, so my first view was a bit on the blurry side. I patted my pockets for my glasses, not so silently cursing when I recalled putting them down on the coffee table in order to take this walk. Blast—there was nothing else to do except to step closer than I'd prefer in order to see what was lying there on the damp ground.

Sidling up to the shrub with Trixie pulling back in a manner guaranteed to trip me up should I need to run, I cautiously leaned down to get a better look. At first I was a bit perplexed, not quite taking in what my eyes were seeing. Leather shoes, made darker by the damp weather, seemed to be attached to legs, which in turn appeared to be covered in denim. Was someone actually sleeping out in this weather? I felt indignant for whoever it was, and mentally chastised our fair city for the lack of services available to help those who might need a place to lay their head in such inclement conditions.

I was contemplating giving the feet a nudge when I became aware of why the fellow might be wedged up under the shrubbery: A very large and very red puddle had gathered underneath his legs and had begun to spread toward his shoes in a macabre stream. One of my phobias, in addition to all things that jump and heights, happens to be blood, so I did what I always do when faced with the substance. I fainted dead away, nearly squashing a startled Trixie in the process, my final resting attitude a near mirror image to that of the unfortunate man I'd discovered.

I came to with Greg's anxious face hovering over my own, his hand on my shoulder, and Trixie's high-pitched barking echoing in my ears. The drizzle had become a full-fledged cloudburst, and the only reason that Trixie had stayed by my side was that her leash had twisted itself firmly around my arm and refused to give her purchase. The barking, therefore, was for her own distaste of the outdoors and not out of any concern for her mistress.

Thankfully, though, it was what had brought Greg to my side after discovering that I had not returned to our house. Knowing me as he does, he knew that something was either incredibly wrong, or I'd found something of interest to keep me, and he was determined to find out which it was. Thus it was that he discovered me flat on my back, my head near the pair of shoes that had started this entire episode.

"Caro? Can you hear me?"

My eyes fluttered open, and I looked straight up at my husband's concerned face and nodded, no mean feat since I was still prone. I began to scramble to my feet, but he held me firmly in place. He ran one hand along the back of my head and assessed my predicament, slipping his cell phone out of the case that hung at his waist.

Assuring the voice on the other end that his wife was fine but that the gentleman underneath the bush most certainly was not, he continued running a hand over my various parts, lingering, it must be said, on certain areas that had sustained no injury whatsoever. Judging by my reaction, he seemed entirely convinced that I was fine. With a quick grin at me, he reached over and grabbed my hand, hauling me to my rather unsteady legs. Apparently I was sufficiently enough recovered for him to turn his attention elsewhere, namely the figure lying so still under the shrub.

I took my time getting my bearings, not so much because I still felt woozy, but because I knew what lay just a few feet away from me. Granted, my husband was now between me and said puddle of blood, but I could feel a tremor beginning around my knees by simply recalling what I had seen. Gregory does not suffer from any such queasiness. His many hunting trips and position as one of our town's volunteer firefighters is a testament to this manly trait.

I took a deep breath, peered around my husband's shoulders, and saw that indeed it was as I remembered. With a small groan, I closed my eyes. Unfortunately, the scene had imprinted itself upon the insides of my eyelids, and I shuddered. Although the poor man, whoever he had been in life, could no longer feel the rain falling into his staring eyes or the wound that had caused his death, I still could not keep myself from imagining—in embellished detail—how he must have felt as the end had neared.

As a writer of mysteries—I believe I've already mentioned that fact but I like the way it sounds—I have found that there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to murder and mayhem. I have created enough of it myself to keep an entire police force busy twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year. Unfortunately, life is not a script to be written by the rules. Before I knew it, I was smack-dab in the middle of an investigation that would prove to be an albatross in more than one way and to more than one person. Thankfully, I had my dependable spouse to lean on when things got dicey. And believe you me, before all was said and done, they did just that.

A BIRD IN THE HAND
available now!

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

FREE BOOK OFFER

ALOHA LAGOON BOOKS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

SNEAK PEEK

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

FREE BOOK OFFER

ALOHA LAGOON BOOKS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

SNEAK PEEK