“So we could be looking at a double murder,” I clarified.
“We?” He lifted an eyebrow at me.
“Hey, you’re the one who invited me over. By the way, what is the deal with you and Regan? Why are you spending the night here at Steve’s?”
“I honestly don’t know what’s going on with my wife. Three years ago, when we first put together plans for the restaurant, it was such an exciting adventure. It was risky putting all of our assets into a business with a ninety-percent failure rate, but Regan couldn’t have been more supportive. And the restaurant did well. Not enough income for the two of us to live on, but not bad for a new venture. She enjoys her profession and never complained about working to keep us afloat.”
“When did Regan start working at Koffee Land?”
“Their controller quit about six months ago. Walea told Regan about the opening after Victor mentioned it to his family. He said they were having a tough time recruiting someone. CPA’s don’t exactly grow on palm trees on this island. And it was a lot more money than she was making at her old accounting job.”
“Regan seems devoted to her boss and her job.”
“Yes, she is.” He rubbed his reddish beard that seemed to have acquired some new white hairs in the past few days. “Shortly after she started working there, she began putting in long hours. I couldn’t figure out if it was all work or if some play had crept into the equation. Have you met Ritz? He’s very smooth, very––”
“Very Cary Grant,” I acknowledged, “but just because she works for a handsome boss doesn’t mean Regan is having an affair with him.”
“I know, but in the last few months we’ve drifted apart. I was afraid to question her because I wasn’t sure I wanted to know if something was going on between her and Ritz. When Keiki approached me about her problem, it felt good to be needed by someone.”
“Especially someone as gorgeous as Keiki.”
Dave lifted his arms, palms out, and threw me a sheepish grin. “Hey, middle-aged guys need an ego boost every now and then, especially when their forehead is expanding an inch a day. And I have to admit, I was fairly certain Regan and I were headed down the highway to divorce court.”
I felt like whacking him on his ever-increasing forehead. Middle-aged men can be such putzes around beautiful young women. “Okay, so Keiki came to you regarding something going on at Koffee Land. Why wouldn’t she share the name of the person she was troubled about? Was she worried about their reputation? Or concerned that revealing the problem could result in some backlash to her?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It could be something involving her family. Or maybe she was working up the nerve to disclose something about my wife and Ritz.”
“I wonder why she thought Joey could have been murdered.” I nibbled on my lower lip. “He must have seen something while he was working on the zip-line.”
Dave nodded. “So the killer could be anyone. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it could even be my wife.”
Whether it was the breeze shifting from the north, or Dave’s comment, I suddenly shivered.
“Do you think Steve owns a light jacket I could wear?”
“Sure. He won’t mind if you help yourself.”
I opened the slider that led from the lanai into the master bedroom. It felt weird being alone in Steve’s room, which was exceptionally tidy. A dark forest-green quilt and oversized pillows covered his king-size bed. His three-drawer bureau was a beautiful piece of furniture, made out of teak wood and carved in an intricate pattern. Beautiful though it looked, the last place my fingers should be walking was through Steve’s drawers. I needed the answer to some serious questions, and they did not include whether the Sea Jinx captain wore boxers or briefs.
I pushed the mirrored door aside, hoping I could reach in and grab a windbreaker or sweater from his closet. The door jammed, leaving only a four-inch opening, not sufficient for me to reach inside the closet. I glanced down and noticed a piece of paper stuck between the door and the runner.
I reached for the paper, but it refused to budge. I yanked one more time and discovered the paper was actually a small photo. I brought the photo up to my face. Huh!
Why was Keiki smiling at me and what was she doing in Steve’s closet?
Chapter 39
I raced back to the lanai.
“You didn’t find anything to wear?” Dave asked.
The goose bumps on my arms seemed to be increasing exponentially. I threw the photo at my brother.
“What are you––?” Dave stopped mid-sentence as he grasped the photo. “Where did you find this picture of Keiki?”