Page 24 of Mai Tais and Murder

Mel nodded, suddenly unable to form words. She stood, pulling Helen up with her, and couldn’t resist stealing another kiss. Helen laughed softly against her lips, the sound full of affection and promise. Mel pulled her closer, feeling the softness of her skin and the warmth of her body through the thin fabric. She savored the sweet taste of her.

Responding with a soft sigh, Helen’s arms wrapped around Mel’s neck, deepening the kiss. They moved slowly, exploring each other’s bodies with gentle touches and tender caresses. Mel’s hands traced the curve of Helen’s back, feeling the smooth fabric beneath her fingertips. Helen’s breath hitched as Mel’s lips moved to her neck, kissing every inch. Helen’s fingers tangled in Mel’s hair, pulling her closer, needing more. After a beat, they broke apart for a moment, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling. “I love you,” Mel whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

Helen smiled. “I love you too,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “Take me to the bedroom.”

Later, as they lay tangled in the sheets with the sound of waves drifting through their partially open window, Mel felt more at peace than she had all day. Helen’s head rested on her shoulder, her breathing deep and even. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges. Dealing with the cleaning service, hopefully opening the locked drawer, and whatever secrets they might uncover. But for now, everything was perfect. “Thank you,” Mel whispered into the darkness.

Helen stirred slightly. “Thank you, too,” she murmured sleepily. “Now stop thinking about the case and go to sleep.” Mel smiled, pressing a kiss to Helen’s temple. Even half-asleep, her partner knew her too well. Pulling Helen closer, Mel closed her eyes and let the rhythm of the waves outside lull her toward sleep.

ChapterTen

The next morning, Helen’s heart pounded as she and Mel waited in the hallway, positioned near the ice machine where they could observe Abramson’s door without being obvious. After tracking the cleaning lady’s movements, they calculated that she should arrive any minute. Despite the early hour, sweat beaded on Helen’s forehead in the humid Hawaiian air.

“Remember,” Mel whispered, her hand finding Helen’s in a reassuring squeeze. “Stay calm and move with purpose. People rarely question someone who looks like they belong.”

Nodding, Helen fought the urge to fidget with the hem of the sleeve of her resort-wear cover-up. The key from Abramson’s wallet felt impossibly heavy in her pocket. “What if she recognizes me? We’ve been here almost a week.”

“She won’t,” Mel assured her. “These resorts have high turnover, and the cleaning staff rarely pays attention to guests’ faces.”

“Okay,” was all Helen could muster. The sound of wheels on tile made them both tense. A cleaning cart appeared around the corner, pushed by a middle-aged woman in the resort’s white and tan uniform. She moved with the efficient manner of someone who had done this job many times, barely glancing at them as she passed. Helen watched as the woman used her master key to open Abramson’s apartment door, leaving it slightly ajar, as she prepared to go inside. This was it. The moment they’d been planning since finding the key.

“Ready?” Mel asked softly.

“No,” Helen said. “But let’s do it anyway.” Mel squeezed her hand once more before moving toward Abramson’s door. Helen hung back, waiting for her cue.

She heard Mel’s voice, pitched perfectly to sound like a concerned guest. “Excuse me? I’m so sorry to bother you, but I think there might be a problem with the towels in my room...”

Helen counted to ten, giving Mel time to draw the cleaning lady into conversation and away from the door. Then, moving as naturally as possible, she hurried to the door and slipped inside. The cleaning cart blocked part of the entryway, forcing Helen to squeeze past it carefully. The apartment felt different in daylight, less mysterious than last night but somehow more forbidden. Moving to the office, she heard Mel’s voice echoing from the hallway, asking detailed questions about the resort’s laundry service. The cleaning lady’s responses grew increasingly confused as Mel continued her distraction. Helen moved quickly to Abramson’s desk, her hands shaking slightly as she pulled the key from her pocket. The laptop was still missing. Helen inserted the key into the locked drawer, holding her breath as she turned it. The mechanism clicked softly, and the drawer slid open.

Inside, amid a scatter of paper clips and rubber bands, sat a small black thumb drive. Helen’s fingers closed around it just as she heard movement from the hallway. The cleaning lady’s voice was getting closer. Heart racing, Helen slipped the thumb drive into her pocket just as footsteps approached the office doorway. “...need to get back to work now,” the cleaning lady was saying.

Helen looked around frantically, not daring to take time to relock the drawer. The bathroom was too far, and the closet would be suspicious if the woman needed to clean it. The sliding glass door caught her eye. The small balcony was just wide enough to leave some space between the railing and the window. Without allowing herself to think about it, Helen moved swiftly to the door and slipped outside, pressing her back against the wall. Glancing over her shoulder through the glass, she could see through the bedroom turned office’s open doorway the cleaning lady walking with fresh towels. Mel’s voice drifted from the hallway, making one final attempt at distraction. “Oh, just one more question...” For a minute, the cleaning lady was out of view and then she entered the office. Helen could only hope the woman would realize there wasn’t anything to do in the room as her legs trembled from the tension of standing perfectly still. A bead of sweat rolled down her back. She didn’t dare move to wipe it away.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably fifteen minutes, Helen faintly heard the apartment door close. Still, Helen waited another full minute before carefully sliding the balcony door open and slipping back inside. She moved quickly through the apartment, pausing at the main door as she hoped her luck would hold and the cleaning lady wouldn’t be standing in the hallway. Taking a deep breath, she slipped out, relieved to find only the cleaning service cart in the hall. Her heart was still racing as she walked as calmly as possible toward their apartment. Mel was already there, waiting by their door. Once inside, Helen’s legs gave out, and she sank onto the couch.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” she whispered, though there was no need for quiet now.

Mel sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “You were amazing,” she said softly. “Did you find anything?”

Helen reached into her pocket with still trembling fingers and pulled out the thumb drive. “This was in the drawer. Nothing else seemed important.”

Mel took the small device, examining it carefully. “No labels, no identifying marks. Could be nothing...”

“Or could be everything,” Helen finished. She leaned into Mel’s embrace, letting her racing heart slowly return to normal. “Now what?”

“Now we need to find somewhere to look at what’s on it,” Mel said. “And fast.”

* * *

Mel turnedthe thumb drive over in her fingers. “We need somewhere with computers we can use,” she said. “Somewhere public but private enough that no one can see the screen.” She thought for a moment. “There’s that little internet café and bookstore we passed yesterday. I think they would have something we could rent time on.”

Helen smiled weakly. “That could work. We should go now, before...” She trailed off, but Mel understood. Before someone realized what they’d taken. Before whoever had attacked Abramson discovered someone had potentially crucial evidence.

She slipped the thumb drive into her pocket. “You’re right,” she said. “Let’s go.”

“I want to change first,” Helen said, standing on slightly steadier legs. “These clothes smell like fear and adrenaline.”

Mel nodded. “All right,” she said. “You did really well. I think you’re getting good at this.”

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