Wedding Day Dead: A Murder on Maui Mystery (4 page)

“Shae!” Panos exclaimed.

He kissed her on the cheek, and they exchanged pleasantries. She told him how great it was to have him back on the island, and he told her how wonderful it was to see her and the restaurant again. I looked at Hani to see how she was dealing with this obvious display of affection between her guy and the hostess. Hani had a smile plastered on her face. I didn’t know her well enough to know if it was genuine or one of those “I’m-going-to-kill-you-later” smiles women can do.

After a couple of minutes of listening to them talk and ignore the rest of us, we were shown to a table in the back corner that offered a terrific view of the ocean. I noticed on the way to the table that the restaurant was half-full at best. Maybe the food wasn’t that great, or maybe I was about to pay three hundred dollars for a steak dinner. Shae handed us our menus and made Panos promise to come see her again.

Our waitress appeared, and the same scene repeated itself. She ignored the three of us while she lavished all of her attention on Panos. I looked at Hani again. She still had that plastered smile. I turned to Alana. She seemed more annoyed than ever. I turned back to the waitress, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if the waitress jumped on Panos’ lap while she took our orders based on the way she giggled at everything he said.

I scanned through the menu and confirmed my original suspicion that I would have to rob a bank to cover the cost of an entrée and drink. I did notice, much to my surprise, that Panos was one of the owners of “the View.” His photo, along with another man, was featured prominently on
the back cover of the menu. There was an accompanying story detailing how Panos and Wes, his co-owner, opened the restaurant a few years ago and, of course, were dedicated to the usual tenets of quality food, attentive service, and fair prices. But you tell me, is sixty-five bucks a fair price for prime rib?

The waitress reluctantly left the table after I ordered last. I thought she might go into Panos withdrawal before she reached the computer where she input our orders for the kitchen staff.

Panos turned to me.

“So, Hani tells me you and Alana met on a murder investigation.”

I nodded.

“Is that what you do? A private investigator?” he asked.

“No, it was more of a one-time thing,” I said.

“So what do you do?” he asked.

“I just moved to the island. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do,” I said. I felt like a complete zero.

“Of course, of course,” he replied. “Well, you’re certainly one lucky man to end up with Alana.”

He turned to Alana, but she didn’t smile at his compliment.

“Yes, I am,” I replied.

“I’m so glad you agreed to have dinner with us,” Panos told Alana. “I was worried you wouldn’t see me.”

Alana said nothing. I was tempted to ask what the hell was going on, but I kept my mouth shut.

Panos turned to me.

“Sometimes things can be cold between former lovers,” he said.

“Former lovers,” I repeated more than asked.

“Yes, Alana and I were once an item. But it was not meant to be.”

Hani reached over to Panos and held his hand. I wasn’t sure if she was doing that female hand squeeze that says “Shut the hell up” or if it was a natural display of affection. Maybe she was trying to emphasize to Alana that Panos was now hers. Either way, I really didn’t care.

“That’s interesting to hear, Panos,” I said.

Hani turned to me.

“You didn’t know?” she asked.

I smiled. She turned to Alana.

“You didn’t tell him?” she asked.

“No, I wanted more time, but you insisted on dinner tonight,” Alana said.

We were saved when a man walked over to our table.

“I heard you were back in town,” the man said.

Panos stood and hugged the man, but I could sense the tension between them.

Panos turned to us.

“This is Wes, my business partner,” Panos said.

So he did own the restaurant. This was shaping up to be a shit storm of an evening. Panos showed up in a Lamborghini, we’re eating at a place he owns, and now I’ve found out he used to bang my girlfriend. How nice.

“I wish you had told me you were coming,” Wes said to Panos.

“But then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.” Panos laughed.

“I really need to talk to you,” Wes said.

“Some other time. Tonight is a time for celebration.”

“Then when? Every time I call you, you say some other time.”

“I promise. We’ll get together this week before my wedding.”

Panos sat down.

“I have your word?” Wes asked.

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Wes nodded to us and walked away.

“So, you own this place,” I said.

“Yes, Wes and I opened it a few years ago.”

“It must be difficult running a restaurant from Los Angeles,” I said.

“Wes is more of the general manager. I would just bring in the customers.”

So that explained the lack of a crowd. Panos was the draw, but he was thousands of miles away.

Panos held up his glass of wine.

“I’d like to propose a toast - to sisters reuniting.”

He turned to Hani.

“And to my beautiful bride-to-be.”

Hani smiled.

We joined our glasses together. I was tempted to throw mine at Panos, but I just smiled and sipped my wine. This was going to be a long dinner.

The food was okay at best, but I really wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it anyway. We spent most of the evening being interrupted by Panos’ friends coming to our table. It didn’t seem to bother Hani. She just smiled throughout the evening. I didn’t look at Alana that much. I was royally upset with her for not telling me about her relationship with Panos. On my first date with Alana, I sensed she had come out of a bad relationship and was hesitant to date again. I spent the evening wondering if it was the relationship with Panos that had almost stood in the way of Alana and me. How could it not be? She was clearly in pain. I didn’t know how much animosity there was between Alana and Hani and whether it was 100 percent over Panos. Part of me didn’t really want to know. I just wanted this damn dinner to end.

Panos informed us the dinner was on the house. At least I had that going for me. We walked outside and said our goodbyes at the cars. Panos and Hani climbed in their car and drove away. Alana and I just stood beside my car and watched them leave.
Well, this is about to get worse,
I thought. We got into my convertible and left. I expected Alana to immediately apologize now that we were alone, but she said nothing the entire drive back to her house. I pulled into her driveway. She didn’t invite me in, which was fine since I didn’t want this evening to last any longer. But she didn’t say anything. No good night. No nothing. She climbed out of the car and started for the door.

“You have nothing to say?” I asked.

She stopped but didn’t turn around to face me.

“What would you have me say?” she asked.

“I don’t know. An explanation. Maybe a simple heads-up about your relationship with the guy before I went to dinner with him.”

Alana turned to me.

“I’m sorry. I should have said something this morning. I intended to. I just didn’t know what to say.”

“What am I missing here? It’s not like I thought you never dated anyone before me.”

“We dated for about six months, and then he left me for my sister. Shortly after that, they moved to Los Angeles.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Less than a year. She’s tried to contact me a million times, but I haven’t spoken or emailed either of them since they left the island.”

“So your relationship with Panos ended just a few months before you met me?” I asked.

Alana nodded.

“You still could have told me,” I said.

“I should have, and I’m sorry.”

Alan turned and walked toward the house. I just stayed in the car and watched her the entire way. She pulled out a key and unlocked her front door. She entered her house and shut the door behind her. She didn’t even wave goodbye.

I started the car and drove back to Foxx’s. His car wasn’t in the driveway. I assumed he was with Michelle or maybe another girl he’d met at Harry’s Bar. I opened the front door and was greeted by Maui the dog racing toward me. At least someone was glad to see me.

I took him for a walk around the neighborhood, and he did his business. Then he and I went into the backyard and sat by the pool while I listened to the ocean waves. The dog walked to me and rolled onto his back. I scratched his belly.

How did everything go so horribly wrong tonight?
I wondered.

I would call Alana in the morning. Maybe she would be in a better mood. Maybe things would improve.

But I was wrong. Things were about to get much, much worse.

IV

The Sea Serpent

I
got up early the next morning and took the dog for a walk again. I took him around to the back yard and jumped into the pool to wake myself up. I climbed out of the pool and plopped down on one of the chairs. Within a few minutes, Foxx slid open the glass door.

“Hey, Poe, look who’s here,” Foxx said.

He walked outside. Alana was a few steps behind him. Maui the dog raced around the pool and ran up to her. The dog completely ignored Foxx.

“What? I don’t get a hello? It’s my house you’re living in dog,” Foxx said.

But Maui the dog continued to ignore him as Alana rubbed him behind his ears.

“How did last night go?” Foxx asked.

Alana shot him a look.

“That good, huh?” he said.

“Were you showing Michelle the island last night?” I asked Foxx, trying to change the subject.

Foxx smiled.

“Who’s Michelle?” Alana asked.

“A friend I met a few nights ago,” Foxx said.

“A friend?” Alana asked.

“She’s new to the island,” I said. “Foxx has been kind enough to volunteer his services as a tour guide.”

“I’m sure,” Alana said.

“What are you two lovebirds up to today?” Foxx asked.

“That’s actually why I’m here,” Alana said, and she turned to me. “Hani has invited us out on their boat.”

“You’re actually thinking of going?” I asked.

“I don’t want to.”

“Then why do it?”

“Because I need to get over this. She’s my sister. I can’t spend the rest of my life avoiding her.”

Alana turned back to Foxx.

“You’re invited too. You can even bring your new friend.”

“And Panos?” I asked.

“He’s going to be my brother-in-law. I need to accept that.”

Alana walked over to me.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him. I was embarrassed. When Panos left me for my sister, I was humiliated. I didn’t want to even think about it, and I was worried you’d get upset if you knew I dated him.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I said nothing.

“Will you come with me today? I don’t think I can get through it without you,” she said.

I certainly didn’t want to spend the day with my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. Would you? I was stunned by her change in attitude. It didn’t make sense to me, but I didn’t know how to get out of it without creating even more tension with Alana.

“I’ll go,” I said, “on the one condition that Foxx goes with us. I need some kind of buffer between me and that guy.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Foxx asked.

“He drives a Lamborghini Aventador,” I said.

“Huh, must be compensating,” Foxx said. “Count me in. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out on a boat. I’ll give Michelle a call.”

Foxx laughed and walked back into the house.

“Do you forgive me?” Alana asked.

“Sure,” I said. “Just no more surprises.”

Alana leaned down and kissed me. Maui the dog tapped her on her lower leg with one of his paws. She looked at him. He wagged his tail.

“Pushy little guy, isn’t he?” Alana said.

A few hours later, Alana and I were on the dock where Panos kept his boat. It was a forty foot sailboat with a beautiful, sleek design that must have cost him a small fortune. We were the first to arrive, so we just sat down on the dock and let our legs hang over the side as we looked out to the water. The deep-blue sky matched the water perfectly, and it was difficult to tell where the two met on the horizon. It should be a fun day of sailing if I could keep myself from getting riled up by Panos.

“Do you know if they intend to go back to L.A. after the wedding?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Alana said. “But I assume so.”

“It would be nice if they did.”

“Yeah,” Alana said.

“Hey, you two,” Foxx yelled.

Alana and I turned to see Foxx walking down the dock with Michelle. I had only seen her once before, and it was only a partial view at that. As was usually the case, though, Foxx had found another looker. Her hair was as black as Alana’s, but her skin was pale. She was maybe a few inches taller than Alana. She had a small waist that seemed to accentuate her large breasts. I tried not to stare, but it was difficult. What did I tell you before? Foxx had a way with women.

“She’s pretty,” Alana said. She turned to me.

“She’s okay, a solid five,” I said.

“Really?” Alana replied.

“No real comparison to you,” I said.

“Good boy,” she said. She sounded like she was talking to Maui the dog. I halfway expected her to pat me on the head.

Alana and I stood as Foxx and Michelle walked up to us.

“This is his boat?” Foxx asked.

“We think so,” Alana said.

Foxx looked over the boat’s smooth lines.

He whistled. “Hell of a beauty.”

“Hi, I’m Alana.” Alana extended her hand to Michelle.

“I’m Michelle.”

“Sorry,” Fox said. “This is my best friend, Poe, and his girlfriend, Alana. This is Michelle. She just moved to Maui.”

I shook hands with Michelle.

“How do you know the owner?” Michelle asked.

“Alana used to date the guy,” Foxx blurted out.

I could have killed him, and Foxx caught the meaning of my glare.

“What? Better to get it all out in the open,” Foxx said.

“It’s okay. His name is Panos,” Alana said.

As if on cue, Panos and Hani drove up.