Page 62 of Tiki Beach
“That sounds about right,” I said, making my way over to them. “How are you feeling today, Pearl? I hope this isn’t too much.”
Pearl waved away my concern with a beringed hand. “After so long in that hospital room, being surrounded by friends feels like medicine.” Her gaze swept the room and she smiled with evident satisfaction. “Besides, how could I miss the victory celebration?”
“We’re calling it a ‘case review,’” I reminded her. “Lei was very specific about not labeling it a celebration while some aspects of the case are still proceeding.”
“Semantics,” Pearl said dismissively. “When justice begins to unfold, after so many years of waiting, I reserve the right to consider it celebration worthy, regardless.”
Before I could respond to this characteristically Pearl-like proclamation, Lei appeared from the kitchen. Her curly brown hair was down, a plumeria decorated her ear, and she’d exchanged her gun and badge for casual jeans and a linen blouse. She looked pretty, young, and relaxed.
“Your aunt’s pulled out the good stuff for the ‘official debrief,’” she informed us, carrying a small tray with glasses of champagne and tumblers of amber liquid. “For those who are in the mood for a little day drinking. Fae says we’ve earned it after navigating ‘the most convoluted conspiracy since Watergate’—her words, not mine.”
“Hear, hear!” exclaimed Edith, snatching a tumbler of Scotch off the tray. Josie, beside her, claimed a glass of champagne, as did Rita and Opal.
My good friend Elle went for a Scotch. “It’s been a while since I’ve done any day drinking,” she said.
“I’ll take mine with ice, please,” Pearl said, extending a slightly tremulous hand. When Lei raised an eyebrow, Pearl added, “Dr. Patel cleared me for one medicinal drink per day. I’ve been saving today’s allotment for this precise moment.”
Lei carefully placed a glass in Pearl’s hand and steadied it, while Lani fetched the ice bucket and added a few cubes with a pair of tongs. I smiled at the sight, because the two of them reminded me of courtiers waiting on a queen.
“Aunt Fae has been binge-watching political documentaries again,” I explained to the group, accepting my own glass of champagne. “Last month it was lunar landing conspiracies. The month before that, it was cold cases from the 1970s. Her subscription queue is a journey through humanity’s darkest and strangest moments.”
“Keeps the mind sharp,” Aunt Fae declared, appearing behind Lei with another tray, this one holding a bowl of tropical fruit cubes speared with toothpicks for easy eating. “They provide excellent inspiration for my mystery writing group.”
“How are the ‘Poison Pen Pals’ doing these days?” Keone asked, using the formal name of Aunt Fae’s writing circle—five women, some right here in the room. They met monthly to craft murder mysteries that were, according to their own description, “demographically underrepresented in the genre.”
“Thriving,” Aunt Fae replied with satisfaction. “Edith’s working on a serial killer novel featuring a retirement community gardening club as the investigative team. Rita’s crafting a locked-room mystery set in a knitting circle and in a house full of cats—imagine the tangles, ha! And I’m outlining a true-crime-inspired thriller based on—” she lowered her voice conspiratorially, “—recent local events, with names and identifying details changed to protect the guilty and to avoid libel suits.”
“I didn’t hear that,” Lei said, a dimple in her cheek betraying amusement. “As the detective of record on those ‘recent local events,’ I am not endorsing any fictionalized accounts of real events, particularly those featuring elected official cover-ups or plant toxins.”
“Who said anything about plant toxins?” Aunt Fae asked, though her blue eyes were mischievous. “Now that you mention it, there are some fascinating recipes involving oleander . . .”
Pearl’s soft laugh turned into a cough, and Lani immediately produced a glass of water and swapped that for the Scotch. “Perhaps we should avoid detailed discussions of the substance that nearly killed me,” Pearl said, after taking a sip. “Though I like the idea of transforming my near-death experience into a mystery novel.”
“Uncovering the plot certainly was convoluted enough for one,” I said. “And that’s my cue to redirect this conversation.” I raised my glass slightly and tapped the side of it with serving tongs to get attention. “Shall we move to the actual debriefing portion of this gathering? I believe everyone who should be here has arrived.”
Indeed, our core group had settled in: Lei was sitting comfortably in one of the Adirondack armchairs, Keone and I moved over to claim the porch swing, Artie and Opal were together on the padded bench near the palms, Pearl had positioned her chair in the middle where she could see everyone, with Lani standing behind her. Aunt Fae perched on the wide arm of Lei’s Adirondack chair with the air of a co-host at an official proceeding. The Red Hat Society members—Josie, Edith, Clara, and Rita—formed a vibrant semicircle of purple and red on the settees arranged around a low table, while Ilima sat slightly apart in the second Adirondack, her expression thoughtful, with Elle perched beside her on a stool.
The special election following Mayor Santos’s removal from office had concluded just last week, with Ilima winning in a landslide that surprised no one. Her transition from community activist to mayor-elect of Hana-Ohia had been swift, but already the office seemed to suit her well, adding a new gravity to her already dignified persona.
“First,” Lei began, setting her champagne glass on the small table beside her, “I want to thank everyone here for their contributions to this investigation. What began as a seemingly straightforward poisoning case expanded into something far more complex.”
“And that poisoning wouldn’t have been detected if not for Tiki,” I said, as my one-eared, kink-tailed former feral feline pranced through the gathering to jump on my lap. “She was the one who knocked the fatal dose of tea right out of Pearl’s hand.”
Everyone clapped spontaneously until Pearl made an imperious gesture. “Now, Sergeant Texeira, please continue with your update. Some of us are operating on limited energy reserves and would like to hear the official status before requiring a nap.”
Lei smiled. “Of course. I’d like to update everyone on where things stand legally, and then perhaps our mayor-elect can share the latest developments regarding the Heritage Garden project.”
Ilima nodded in acknowledgment, inclining her head for Lei to go on.
“David Santos is in custody and has been formally charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and evidence tampering,” Lei said. “The recording from Pearl’s safety deposit box, combined with Kawika Pali’s confession and testimony, has provided us with compelling evidence of his direct involvement in planning Pearl’s poisoning and the conspiracy to stop the Heritage Garden from going forward.”
Pearl’s expression remained neutral at the mention of Kawika’s name, but I noticed her fingers tighten on the armrest of her wheelchair. Lani placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, a gesture of support that Pearl acknowledged with a slight nod.
“What about Mayor Santos?” Clara asked, leaning forward with interest, straightening her graceful violet muumuu.
“Former Mayor Santos,” Ilima corrected, the emphasis meaningful.
“Former Mayor Santos,” Lei continued with a nod, “is currently facing multiple charges related to corruption and his role in the conspiracy. While we don’t have direct evidence linking him to the poisoning, financial records and communications uncovered during our investigation show he was working with Councilman Akana to block the Heritage Garden project in favor of their Cultural Corridor development.”
