Carol Clark - Burned

“Stolen again? What’s going on out there, Regan?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. And I’ve got to tell you, this guy Kit has hooked up with seemed iffy, but then to see his picture in Dorinda’s ‘Prospective Dirt’ file is really disturbing. On the back of the photo, Dorinda wrote, ‘Retired from WHAT?’ ”

“What’s his name again?”

“Steve Yardley.”

“I’ll run a check on him. Maybe you should try to get his fingerprints on something.”

“They’re all over Kit.”

“He’s really putting on the moves, huh?”

“I’m afraid so. And Kit is falling for it. Maybe he’s all right, but now I just don’t trust him. We’re invited to his house for dinner tonight. Don’t you think trying to get his fingerprints is a little extreme?”

“Nah. See if you can nab something small with his prints. I’ll ask Mike Darnell to process them. Then I can find out if he has a criminal record. It’s not a big deal to check him out.”

“I feel a little guilty,” Regan admitted. “Kit really likes this guy. He might be just fine, but my gut tells me he isn’t. I may be paranoid but seeing him in Dorinda’s file…”

“You remember what happened with Kit’s last suitor,” Jack reminded her. “He wasn’t a criminal, but he was a liar. You didn’t go with your gut then because Kit’s your friend, and she ended up getting hurt. You obviously won’t tell her your suspicions. If this guy checks out, then all the better. We’ll be relieved, and Kit will never know.”

“Okay. If Steve weren’t in Dorinda’s dirt file, I might let it go, but there he is along with a few of the other suspicious characters around here. Maybe I’ll give Mike a call later and ask him if they have any leads about the leis. That’s not my problem, but Will, the hotel manager, is worried that they have nothing interesting to auction off at the Princess ball. There’s no hook for the event, so to speak.”

“I’ll just be glad when you’re back,” Jack said. “And when we’re on our honeymoon, I’m not going to let you take on any cases.”

“As if.” Regan laughed. “If I can help Will out at least a little bit, I’ll be happy. If the ball is a success, then that will be good for him. And if I can find any leads about how Dorinda ended up in the water the other night, then that’s all to the good. But I don’t see how I can do that and figure out the source of the problems at the hotel in just a couple of days.”

Jack, who always was so calm, reassured her-“Regan, I know that no matter what, you’ll end up helping Will. I’m sure he feels better just having you around. I know I always do.”

“And I feel much better when you’re around.” Regan smiled. “Oh, Jack, you’d get such a kick out of Dorinda’s cousin. He’s a trip. I can’t believe he’s her only living relative. Even though she had a bad rep in a lot of ways, I’m sure one thing she never worried about was embarrassing her family.”

“Are you going to see him again?”

“He managed to score a free ticket for the ball tomorrow night.”

“Well, don’t be too much of a princess at that ball. I don’t want some guy sweeping you off into the night.”

“If there’s anything that I’m sure of in this world, it’s that that won’t happen.” When she hung up, Regan looked at her watch. It was 5:15. The beach was peaceful, mellow, and nearly empty. I think I’ll pay a quick visit to Will, she decided. Then it’s off to dinner at Steve’s with Kit.

Somehow she had no appetite.

A t 5:15, Glenn went on his dinner break. As he left the lobby area, he saw Will standing and talking to the concierge. They looked as if they were deep in discussion. I’ve got to make this quick, Glenn thought. He quickly headed to his car, took the bag with the leis out of the trunk, and snapped it shut.

He hurried out of the garage and up onto the circular driveway where the cars pulled in and out of the reception area. His destination was Will’s office. He planned to gain access through the sliding glass doors that looked out onto a small garden of lush tropical vegetation. It was an isolated area that you could only get to from the main path where hotel guests strolled to the shops and different towers. The solid brick wall of the ladies’ clothing store was right across the little garden. If I can just slip into that area without being seen, he thought, then I can be in and out fast.

Once on the main path, Glenn ducked into the narrow grassy area that led to Will’s own private little garden. He was sure no one had seen him. He stayed close to the building, and when he reached the door, he hid behind a shrub and took a quick peek into Will’s office. There was no one there. The screen of the sliding glass door was closed. Will inched forward and quickly pulled on it. The screen door slid open easily. Glenn took the leis out of the bag and placed them on the floor so they couldn’t possibly be missed. He then turned and dashed off. When he was in the clear, he called his contact and told them to call the police.

Within minutes, the police received an anonymous tip that the stolen leis from the Seashell Museum were in Will Brown’s office at the Waikiki Waters Playground and Resort.

“W ill, there you are,” Regan said as she approached the concierge’s desk.

“Hi, Regan. This is Otis, our concierge. He tells me that people are still looking for tickets to the ball.”

“That’s good news. It’s nice to meet you, Otis.”

Otis had a thin mustache and seemed very efficient. His expression indicated that he was overly pleased with himself. “You, too,” he said to Regan almost dismissively. “Mr. Brown, I am doing my best to accommodate everyone. But a couple of people from the tour group from Hudville are insisting that we find them tickets for the ball. I told them they should have made reservations days ago. I told them I would put them on the waiting list and consult with you.”

“They want to buy tickets?” Will asked. “I’m surprised. They usually don’t want to spend money. Are the twin sisters the ones requesting the tickets?”

“No, sir. A woman and a man from the group were asking,” Otis said primly.

Lighten up, Otis, Regan thought. This is the land of aloha. And this might be the Princess Ball, but we’re not talking Buckingham Palace.

“Were they planning to pay for the tickets themselves?”

“No, sir. They said if we were able to procure tickets, we should charge them to the sisters’ room.”

Will whistled. “That’s a new one. How many tickets do they want?”

“Two. Possibly four.”

“If they’re finally going to start spending money, I’ll have to find them some seats. Tell them they can have the tickets.”

“Very well.”

“I hope that we don’t get too many cancellations for tomorrow night now that the leis are off the menu,” Will said.

“Sir, it appears that the interest in the ball has waxed rather than waned.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Will, could I speak to you in your office?” Regan asked.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

Regan followed him through the reception area, which as usual was bustling. They went behind the desk where people were checking in and entered the inner sanctum.

Janet was at her desk. She handed Will a piece of paper. “The head of the auction committee called. She just got word about the leis being stolen. She wants to know if you have any suggestions about what they can auction off in place of the leis.”

“How about my head on a platter?” Will muttered. He took the paper with the phone number on it and entered his office. He stopped short so fast that Regan almost bumped into him. “Oh, my God!” he exclaimed.