Page 13 of Mai Tais and Murder

“Wonderful,” Helen replied warmly. “We just came back from snorkeling. It was perfect.”

“Oh great! First time?” Kai asked, his enthusiasm clearly genuine.

“For me,” Helen said. “Though I had an excellent teacher.” She squeezed Mel’s hand, and Mel felt that familiar warmth in her chest.

“Always good to have someone experienced showing you the ropes,” Kai agreed. “Speaking of new experiences, we just had another guest check in. Always nice to see the resort filling up.”

Mel kept her expression neutral, though internally she celebrated the perfect opening. “Oh? We saw him arrive. Seemed a bit overdressed for Hawaii.”

Kai pursed his lips thoughtfully. “Yeah, that was different,” he said. “Usually, our business travelers lose the jacket and tie before they make it here from the airport.” He glanced around before leaning forward slightly. “Between us, he wasn’t exactly friendly during check-in.”

“No?” Helen asked.

“Let’s just say some people could use a reminder that they’re in Hawaii.” Kai straightened up as another guest approached the desk. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“Actually,” Mel said. “We were thinking of trying that new restaurant down the beach. The one with all the tiki torches? Any good?”

As Kai launched into a detailed review of the restaurant’s menu, Mel noticed a flicker of movement near the elevator. The pale man appeared, still in his suit but now without his luggage. He moved with purpose toward the exit, barely acknowledging the concierge’s cheerful “Aloha.”

“Well, thank you for the recommendations,” Helen said. “We should let you help your other guests.”

Together they walked outside where the Hawaiian sun was high and bright, making the pale man’s suit look even more out of place. He headed toward the beach promenade, and Mel felt Helen’s gentle tug on her arm. “Shall we take that walk now?”

Mel smiled. “Lead the way.” They maintained a discrete distance, letting other tourists provide cover as they followed the man along the path. He moved with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was doing, checking his phone periodically.

“What do you think is in those suitcases he checked in with?” Helen whispered as they walked.

“Impossible to know,” Mel replied. “But something tells me it’s not tanning lotion and snorkeling gear.”

The man stopped suddenly, pulling his phone from a pocket and turning to take a call. Mel guided Helen to a nearby beach vendor, pretending to examine Hawaiian-style jewelry while straining to hear the conversation. “…yes, I understand the urgency...” The wind carried away fragments of the man’s words, but his tone was clear that whoever he was talking to had authority over him.

“Should we head back?” Helen asked softly, holding up a shell necklace. Mel nodded. They had pushed their luck far enough for one day, and she didn’t want to risk being noticed. As they turned toward their building, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were escalating faster than she had anticipated.

ChapterSix

The taxi wound its way through Honolulu’s busy streets as Helen watched palm trees and storefronts blur past her window. She reached for Mel’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Thank you for agreeing to this,” she said softly. “We both needed a break from playing detective.”

Mel smiled. “You’re right,” she said. “Though I keep thinking about that man in the suit yesterday and his phone call.”

“Ah!” Helen pressed a finger to Mel’s lips. “No mysteries today. Just us, the ocean, and hopefully some beautiful views.”

The taxi driver chuckled from the front seat. “First time on an Oahu harbor cruise?”

“Yes,” Helen replied, grateful for the distraction. “We’re hoping to see some whales.”

“Good timing,” the driver said. “Lots of activity in the channel lately. Just yesterday, my brother-in-law’s tour saw a mother and calf.”

Helen felt excited at the prospect. She glanced at Mel, whose expression had finally softened, and she hoped that meant the mystery of their anxious neighbor was fading. For the day at least. The morning’s decision to step away from their amateur investigation had been the right one. They were supposed to be on vacation, after all. The harbor came into view, a forest of masts and rigging stretching toward the cloudless sky. Their boat, theIsland Princess,waited at the end of the dock, its white hull gleaming in the afternoon sun.

As they paid the driver and gathered their things, Helen couldn’t help but notice how Mel’s shoulders had already begun to relax. “It’s beautiful,” Helen said as they made their way down the dock. The air carried the smell of tropical flowers from the nearby lei stands. The late morning light danced across the water in diamond patterns, while seabirds wheeled overhead, their calls mixing with the distant sound of boat horns. Palm fronds rustled in the steady trade winds, casting shifting shadows across the sun-bleached dock planks. Everything felt perfect. “Now this is more like I imagined.”

Mel adjusted the bucket hat Helen insisted she wear against the bright sun. “Are you saying you want to spend more time on the water?”

“Not necessarily. I’m saying getting away from it all and seeing something beautiful is more what I imagined when we planned this trip,” Helen replied. “Before we got caught up in, well, everything…” She trailed off, remembering their promise not to discuss the mystery.

“Before we got distracted,” Mel finished with a smile. “That’s all that’s happened.”

“True,” Helen said with a sigh as they approached the gangway where a young crew member greeted them with a warm “Aloha” and checked their tickets. Looking for seats on the open deck, they found an elderly couple standing close together at the rail at the back of the boat. The woman wore a flowered muumuu and a broad-brimmed hat, while her husband sported a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts.

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