Page 32 of Mai Tais and Murder

Mel wanted to argue, to insist Helen retreat to the safety of the hallway, but she knew that determined tone. Instead, she squeezed Helen’s hand once before letting go. “Stay behind me then. And if I say run...”

“I know,” Helen replied softly. “I will.” They moved through the apartment slowly, Mel checking each potential hiding space with the thoroughness ingrained by decades of police work. The living room had been searched systematically. There were drawers opened, but the contents weren’t dumped onto the floor, and things were moved but not thrown aside. The kitchen showed similar signs of a careful invasion.

“Whoever did this, I think they knew what they were looking for,” Mel said as they entered the bedroom. She moved to the bureau. What she found made her jaw clench. Their clothes had been removed from drawers and replaced, but not quite perfectly. Someone had gone through their most private space.

“The thumb drive,” Helen said, her voice steady despite the circumstances. “They must have guessed we took it.”

Mel nodded, noting how their suitcases had been searched too. “Felicity saw us watching from the balcony. She must have figured out we had whatever was in that drawer.”

The bathroom was the final room to clear. Mel’s reflection in the mirror looked grim as she checked the last possible hiding spot. “It’s empty,” she announced, though the knowledge brought little comfort. Their sanctuary had been violated, and their safety compromised.

Back in the living room, Helen sank onto the couch, her usual composure cracking slightly. “What do we do now?”

Mel sat beside her, pulling her close. “We can’t stay here,” she said, her mind already working through options. “They will likely be back.”

“A hotel like you thought we should?” Helen suggested, leaning into Mel’s embrace.

“Yes, but not an obvious one. Somewhere they wouldn’t expect us to go.” Mel pressed a kiss to Helen’s temple, trying to convey comfort even as guilt churned in her stomach. “I’m so sorry, Helen. I never meant for this to get dangerous.”

Helen pulled back slightly to look at Mel directly. “Don’t you dare apologize,” she said firmly. “We’re in this together, remember? Besides, I’m not some fragile flower who needs protecting.”

The fierce determination in Helen’s voice made Mel appreciate her all the more. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“So you keep telling me,” Helen replied with a small smile. “Our flight is in the morning so should we just pack all our things and get somewhere safer? Preferably before whoever did this decides to come back?”

They packed quickly, filling their suitcases much more haphazardly than when they left the mainland to go on their vacation. Mel noticed how Helen’s hands shook slightly as she gathered their things, but her movements remained purposeful. The thumb drive was secure in Mel’s pocket, while Helen’s tablet was in her purse. Mel had the hard copy of the book in her carry-on suitcase. “Ready?” Mel asked, doing one final sweep of the apartment.

Helen nodded, adjusting the strap of her purse. “Ready. Though I have to admit, this isn’t quite how I imagined our Hawaiian vacation ending.”

“No?” Mel replied, managing a small smile as she checked the hallway before letting them out. “You mean you didn’t plan on investigating a possible murder and uncovering what looks like major sports corruption?”

“Oddly enough, no,” Helen replied, her attempt at humor not quite hiding her tension. “Not quite.”

* * *

Helen sankonto the edge of the hotel bed, finally letting exhaustion catch up with her. The room was smaller than their resort apartment but clean and anonymous and exactly what they needed. Through the window, she saw palm trees swaying in the moonlight. Mel was doing another security check of the room, testing the locks and examining potential entry points. Helen knew better than to tell her to relax. After their apartment was searched, Mel’s protective instincts were in overdrive. “The balcony door has a decent lock,” Mel reported, drawing the curtains closed. “And we’re high enough that access from outside would be difficult.”

“That’s good,” Helen said, though her mind was still processing the violation of their vacation home. The way their belongings had been searched haunted her. “Do you think they’ll figure out where we’ve gone?”

Mel sat beside her, taking her hand. “Not likely. I paid cash, used a fake name, and we’re on the other side of town from the resort. Basic counter-surveillance.”

Helen couldn’t help but smile slightly. “You make it sound so routine.”

“Well, I did spend thirty years dealing with this sort of thing,” Mel replied, but Helen heard the tension beneath her casual tone. Her phone buzzed making them both jump. The screen showed an unknown number. Helen’s hand trembled slightly as she showed it to Mel. Mel nodded. “Put it on speaker and let me do the talking.”

Helen answered, holding the phone between them. “Hello?”

“Mrs. Hardy.” The voice was electronically distorted, impossible to identify as even male or female. “I see you and Ms. Nelson have left the hotel.”

Helen felt Mel’s hand tighten on hers. “Who is this?” Mel demanded.

“Someone who knows what you took,” the voice replied. “And someone who strongly suggests you forget everything you’ve seen and learned during your vacation. Go home, enjoy your retirement, and leave this alone.”

“Or what?” Mel’s asked, her tone hard as steel.

“Or your peaceful retirement might become significantly less peaceful.” The threat hung in the air for a moment before the voice continued. “Return what you’ve taken for your continued wellbeing.” The line went dead.

Standing abruptly, Helen began to pace. The hotel room suddenly felt too small, too exposed. “Maybe we should just give it to them,” she said. “Whatever’s on that drive, is it worth risking our safety?”

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