Killer Confections8 Delectable Mysteries(51)
“Maybe it’s her method of escape. Burying her head in a spreadsheet could be an accountant’s security blanket.”
“Humph.”
The noise level increased as we drew closer to the pavilion. The structure resembled a gazebo on steroids and could easily provide enough room for several hundred attendees. I didn’t see any TV cameras so this must be an informal pre-taping gathering. As we drew closer to the grand pavilion, I noticed a familiar face.
“It’s Amanda, the naturalist from the Sea Jinx,” I said to the others. “I wonder what she’s doing here.”
The three of us approached the covered structure.
“Hi, Laurel.” Amanda beamed a wide smile at us. The red hibiscus over her ear matched the short polka-dot sundress she wore. “Are you involved in the show?”
I shook my head. “My sister-in-law works at Koffee Land so we stopped to see her. What about you? How come you’re not out on the Sea Jinx today?”
“I’m one of the contestants on The Bride and the Bachelor.” She bounced up and down in excitement, her long blonde curls and bosom bouncing in tandem. If they judged the contestants on bounciness, she was a shoo-in.
“Congratulations,” I said. “So what’s the show about?”
Amanda put her hand over her heart. “The girls are all competing for the bachelor, Jacques Andre Cointreau.”
Stan whistled. “Isn’t he the grandson of Philippe Cointreau?”
She smiled, bubbling over with youthful optimism. “Yes, we have so much in common. I think we’re a perfect match.”
“That hunk won the Survivor, the Amazing Race, and Dancing with the Stars,” Stan said. “He is a fox-trotting, sea-faring survivalist. You go get him, girl.”
She giggled. “I’ll give it my best. I just hope I can measure up to the other contestants.” She glanced around the pavilion, and I followed her gaze.
Talk about island beauty. Every girl in the room was gorgeous and dressed to kill. But Amanda was equally lovely, and I admired the way she used simple native flowers to accessorize. Some of the women glittered more than the showroom at Tiffany.
“We just learned Keiki was a contestant too,” I said. “It’s so tragic what happened to her.”
Amanda shook her head. “I still can’t believe she’s gone. We’ve known each other since high school. It would have been so much fun to be on the show together. I heard the police finally arrested her killer so that’s good.”
“They did not arrest the right man,” Mother shouted, surprising me with her intensity.
Amanda edged away from our group. If the young girl thought my mother was intimidating now, she should try negotiating a contract with the Queen of Centurion Realty.
“The man they arrested is my brother,” I explained to the frightened young woman. “We’re all upset because we know he didn’t do it. We just need to prove it to the police before we leave the island Sunday. That gives us only two more days. Do you have any idea who would want to kill Keiki?”
She shook her curls, her eyes welling with tears. “Poor Keiki. You probably heard what happened to her former boyfriend, Joey?” She looked at us and we all nodded. “Well, his brother, Timmy, hated Keiki. I was on the Sea Jinx one night when he threatened her, although I can’t imagine him following through with it.”
“How about any new boyfriends?” Stan asked. “We heard she started dating an older man.”
She pondered our question. “Keiki never mentioned anything to me. Although I did see her with––,” Amanda stopped and eyed the ground. “It was probably nothing.”
“No clue is unimportant when it comes to my son,” Mother said using a gentler tone this time. We didn’t want to frighten the young woman away if she possessed some valuable information.
Amanda toed her sandal in a circular motion in the grass, seemingly reluctant to disclose one of her friend’s possible suitors. A tall woman with a clipboard and a frown called out Amanda’s name, beckoning at her.
“I’ve gotta go,” she said.
“Please tell us what you were going to say,” I pleaded with her. She waved back at the other woman indicating she was on her way.
“Okay, I saw Steve and Keiki together a few times. But it was almost a month ago and probably didn’t mean anything. “She blasted a Crest-white smile at me. “Besides, I think Steve really likes you, Laurel.”
The clipboard-carrying woman called Amanda’s name again, angrily tapping her foot as she glared at our group.
“Sorry,” Amanda said. “I really must go.”