Wedding Day Dead: A Murder on Maui Mystery Read online

  “A bit slow. This damn party isn’t helping either. We’re losing an entire Friday night’s revenue.”

  “You’ve got a great location,” I said, not sure what else I could say or how I could possibly comment on the party hurting his business.

  “Yeah, but the rent is astronomical. That’s always the trade-off. Good location or cheap rent.”

  “Why are things slow for you?” I asked.

  “Things started going downhill once my chef quit. He and Panos didn’t get along.”

  Surprise, surprise, I thought.

  “Sorry to hear that,” I said.

  “I hoped he would come back once Panos moved to Los Angeles, but he landed another job in Kihei. I couldn’t talk him out of it.”

  Just then we heard laughter, and we both turned to see Panos talking to several ladies. They all looked utterly entranced with him.

  “A little piece of advice for you. Never go into business with someone else, especially if that person is a self-absorbed piece of shit,” Wes said and stormed off.

  Wow. I can’t say I saw that comment coming. I have to admit it made me smile, though. It was good to know I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like Panos. I know that may seem small of me, and it probably is, but I want to be as honest with you as possible regarding how I felt at the party.

  I rejoined Alana and was introduced to various friends and acquaintances. It was all typical party chatter. “What do you do?” “How did you two meet?” Stuff like that. Nothing at all inspiring or surprising, but it was refreshing when no one else seemed to find the need to point out Alana’s past relationship with Panos. After a couple of hours of more drinking and talking, I found myself at the bar with Foxx.

  “Where’s Michelle?” I asked.

  “Dancing,” Foxx said, and he nodded toward a section of the restaurant someone had cleared to make space for an impromptu dance floor. I saw Alana and Hani were out there with Michelle. The three of them were dancing away to some ‘80’s song I recognized but couldn’t remember the name of. I was surprised to see how much Alana was enjoying herself. I didn’t expect her to be miserable, and I certainly didn’t want that either, but she’d made it seem like this was going to be one awkward event for her. Now she looked like she was having the time of her life. Maybe it was the martinis. I turned to Foxx.

  “You and Michelle seem to be getting along great.”

  “Yeah.”

  “That didn’t sound too enthusiastic.”

  “Sorry. She’s a great girl. I really like her.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Okay,” I said and dropped it.

  We both ordered more beers and sat in silence for another few minutes. The 80’s song transitioned into another one, and the three ladies and their companions continued to dance.

  “I just feel a little guilty,” Foxx admitted.

  “For what?”

  “Over Lauren. I miss her. I still can’t believe she’s gone.”

  “Of course you do. Why wouldn’t you miss her?” I asked.

  “And that’s why I feel guilty.”

  “You mean being with Michelle makes you feel guilty? Like you’re somehow betraying Lauren,” I said.

  “Exactly.”

  “You shouldn’t feel that way. Lauren would want you to be happy.”

  Foxx laughed.

  “Come on, Poe. I guarantee you that Lauren is looking down on me right now and is royally pissed off I’m with this other chick.”

  It was my turn to laugh.

  “Probably. But she’d still understand the situation,” I said.

  Foxx and I drank more of our beers.

  “Have you always felt this way? You’ve been with other girls since Lauren passed,” I said.

  “Yeah, but none as serious as Michelle. It’s only been a couple of weeks, but I’m surprised at how much I like her. She’s done things to me in the bedroom that no one has ever done before.”

  If you knew Foxx like I did, you’d know that was really saying something.

  “So that’s why you like her so much?”

  “No, of course not. Well, that’s part of it. She’s also so damn easy to talk to. I just enjoy being around her.”

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Foxx. First you end up in a serious relationship with Lauren. Now you seem to be starting another one with Michelle. That’s two in a year. Did some alien kidnap your body? Am I’m talking to your clone?”

  Foxx smiled. He turned to the dance floor and watched Michelle for a few moments.

  “Look at that body, Poe. Have you ever seen anything so incredible?”

  But I wasn’t looking at Michelle. My eyes were glued on Alana. And to answer Foxx’s question, no, I had not seen anything as magnificent as Alana.

  A few more hours passed, and the party was still going strong. Drinks were flowing and the conversations were getting louder. I assumed everyone was going to be hung over for the wedding the next day.

  “Leave me alone!”

  I turned to see Hani yank her arm out of the grip of some guy I didn’t recognize. He was about her age, average height and build. He looked like a native Hawaiian. I walked toward them, wondering if there was going to be a problem, but Panos beat me to the scene.

  “What’s going on?” Panos asked.

  “This isn’t your concern,” the stranger said.

  “You’re hassling my fiancé. How is that not my concern?” Panos asked.

  “No one is hassling anyone.”

  “You want her back. Is that the problem? You think Hani should be with you and not me?” Panos asked.

  The stranger glared at Panos.

  “It’s fine,” Hani said.

  “It doesn’t matter if she’s with me or not. She just shouldn’t be with you,” the stranger said.

  “And whose decision is that to make? Is it yours?” Panos asked.

  The stranger said nothing. He looked away from Panos and Hani, and that was the first time I got a good look at his face. He looked embarrassed to me.

  The music was still playing. By this point, though, everyone had stopped talking and was watching the argument unfold.

  “It’s time to move on. Get a life. You can’t have mine,” Panos said.

  I studied Hani. Despite her earlier outburst, she seemed concerned for the stranger now. Panos laughed and further humiliated the guy.

  “Get out of my restaurant before I have you thrown out, and don’t let me see you at the wedding tomorrow.”

  The stranger didn’t move.

  “Are you going to test me now?” Panos asked.

  “No, Panos. He’ll leave,” Hani said. She turned to the stranger. “Please leave. This is supposed to be a joyous event. I don’t want it to turn ugly.”

  Too late for that, I thought, but Hani’s soft words had the desired effect. The stranger turned and made his way through the crowd.

  “Everyone, please, get back to the party. My wedding is tomorrow! Everyone have fun!” Panos yelled.

  Alana walked up to me.

  “Poor guy,” she said.

  “Who was that?” I asked.

  “His name’s Makani. He used to date Hani all through high school and college. Everyone thought they were going to get married. I thought so too, but she just broke up with him one day. Never gave him or anyone else a reason. He never got over it.”

  Poor guy was right, I thought. He looked utterly defeated, like the life had been drained from him.

  “I guess he thought tonight was his last chance,” Alana continued.

  “I guess so,” I said.

  I looked around the restaurant. The party was back in full swing as if the argument between Panos and Hani’s former boyfriend hadn’t even occurred. I turned back to Alana.

  “How are you enjoying the party?” I asked.

  “I’ve had way too much to drink, but that’s the point, isn’t it.”

  I nodded, and then
a song came on that Alana liked.

  “Dance with me?” she asked.

  “Maybe the next one,” I said.

  “You sure?”

  “The next one. I promise.”

  Alana smiled and ran back to the dance floor. She found Foxx and Michelle and started dancing with them.

  I went back to the bar for another beer. I drank it slowly while I watched the television behind the bar and thought about this past week. It was surreal to say the least.

  I finally finished my drink and turned to find Alana. She wasn’t on the dance floor anymore, and I didn’t see her anywhere near the bar. I walked around the entire restaurant but still didn’t find her. I walked outside, thinking she might be out there to get some fresh air. Instead, I found Hani. She was sitting on the curb in front of the parking lot.

  “That’s a hell of a party you guys are throwing,” I said.

  Hani smiled.

  “I hope you’re enjoying yourself,” she said.

  “Mind if I sit down?” I asked.

  “Of course not.”

  I sat on the curb beside her.

  “Sorry about that scene in there,” she said.

  “No problem. It wasn’t your fault, and it seemed to resolve itself.”

  “Not really. He’ll be back, either later tonight or tomorrow.”

  “Are you worried about him? Has he threatened you?” I asked.

  “No, nothing like that. We were together a long time. Makani won’t let it go.”

  I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing.

  “I wish Panos hadn’t made fun of him. He didn’t deserve it,” she continued.

  “I’m sure he’ll be okay. He looked like a tough guy.” I knew that wasn’t true. The guy looked like an injured puppy.

  “He’s not tough,” Hani said. “That’s the problem.”

  “Well, now’s not the time to be thinking anymore about that. You have a wedding to think about. You nervous about tomorrow?”

  “Not really. I feel like I’m doing the right thing, so what’s to be nervous about?”

  “Marriage is a big deal. It’s perfectly natural to have butterflies.”

  “What about you and my sister?” she asked.

  “What about us?”

  “Don’t avoid the subject.” She smiled. “When are you going to be walking down the aisle together?”

  “We’ve only been together a few months,” I said.

  “Yeah, but I can see the way you two look at each other. Why waste time, Poe? Life is short.”

  I smiled. The truth was that I had thought of proposing to Alana. We had only been together a short while, but I knew I already loved her more than I’d ever loved another woman before. I couldn’t imagine those feelings going away. I’d changed my entire life to be with her. I’d sold my house and moved thousands of miles away. I took everything I knew and left it behind. What was I waiting for? Some arbitrary time to pass before it was acceptable to propose? Yes, I had thought about marrying her. Maybe Hani was right. Maybe I needed to give it more serious consideration and start thinking of a plan.

  “I’m happy for you and Panos,” I said. “I think it’s great you found each other. I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing wedding. And I’m sure you’ll look gorgeous in your dress.”

  Hani smiled.

  “I should go find Panos. If I don’t get him to go to sleep soon, he may not be awake for the wedding.”

  Hani and I stood, and we both walked back inside the restaurant. I took another quick look around but still didn’t see Alana. I checked the dance floor and the bar and all four corners of the place. Nothing.

  I saw Hani again. She was walking toward the back offices. I decided to follow her. Maybe Alana had gotten tired after all that dancing and drinking and decided to lie down in the back for a few minutes. I hadn’t quite caught up with Hani before she opened the door to the manager’s office, but I was close enough to see inside. There was Alana, kissing Panos. When they heard the door open, Alana stepped away from him.

  “You son of a bitch,” Hani said.

  I wasn’t sure if she was talking to Panos or her sister, but she ran inside and started hitting Panos on the chest. He was so much bigger and stronger than her that the blows did nothing. I felt confident I could do far more damage to him, but I was too stunned to move. Panos laughed. I knew it was directed toward Hani, but I couldn’t help but feel it pierce me instead.

  “It meant nothing,” he said.

  Alana looked at me. Her eyes seemed glazed over. She didn’t say anything. I didn’t either. I just turned around and walked to the exit. Everything went a bit fuzzy after that. I’m pretty sure Foxx said something to me on the way out, but I don’t remember what it was. I don’t even remember if Michelle was with him or not. The DJ’s music seemed to fade away, as did the sound of people talking and laughing. The crowd seemed to part for me, like they had all seen inside that office too and wanted to let me go without interference.

  I went outside and fished my car keys out of my pocket. I jumped into the car and slammed it in reverse. I looked toward the restaurant. Alana wasn’t at the doorway. She wasn’t running out to stop me or explain herself. I put the car in drive and sped away.

  I was home in no time. Maui the dog greeted me at the door. I grabbed his leash and took him outside. I had my phone with me and kept expecting it to ring. It would be Alana begging me to forgive her, telling me how sorry she was and how she didn’t intend to hurt me. She just had too much to drink, and Panos had forced himself on her. I knew that wasn’t true, but part of me allowed myself to believe the lie. Alana didn’t call.

  I walked Maui the dog for at least an hour. When we got back to the house, I saw that Foxx’s car wasn’t there, and I wondered if he had seen or heard what happened between Panos and Alana.

  I looked down at the dog. He was exhausted. I don’t think anyone had ever walked him that far before. He collapsed on the cool tiles of the living room floor. I sat down on the sofa and turned on the television. A second later, I turned it off. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. My mind was buzzing too hard.

  I went into my bedroom and fell on the bed. I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling. I knew I couldn’t go to sleep, despite how late it was, but I didn’t know what else to do. I checked my cell phone again. I assumed I might have put the phone on silent mode and didn’t feel it vibrate when Alana called. The display showed no calls. No text messages. Nothing.

  I don’t know how long I lay there. Eventually I heard the back door open. I climbed out of bed and saw Foxx scratching the dog behind his ears. He looked up at me.

  “How are you doing?” he asked.

  I could tell by his tone that he didn’t expect me to be doing well.

  I didn’t answer him. I just watched him pat the dog.

  “I gave Alana a ride home. She told me what happened,” he continued.

  I still said nothing.

  “I’m sorry. It’s really shitty.”

  I nodded.

  “For what it’s worth, she was crying the whole way to her house. She’s devastated.”

  “She is?” I asked, my tone harsh and bitter.

  “I’m guessing she didn’t intend for it to happen. It was pretty obvious she had too much to drink,” he said. “I had to help her into her house.”

  “That doesn’t excuse anything,” I said.

  “I’m not saying it does.”

  “So why hasn’t she called?” I asked.

  “Maybe she doesn’t know what to say. Maybe she doesn’t want to hear how bad she’s hurt you.”

  “She should call,” I said, “even though I don’t want to talk to her.”

  “I understand, buddy, but give her a chance. I’m sure she’ll call you in the morning once her head has cleared. You two can get past this. I know you can.”

  Foxx walked up to me and patted me on my shoulder.

  “It will be okay, man. It will be okay.”

  He
walked into his bedroom. I sat down on the sofa. Maui the dog jumped onto my lap. I looked down at him. He wagged his tail. I couldn’t tell if he knew I was hurting or if he just wanted some affection. Probably the latter. He was a pushy little thing after all.

  I kept my phone by me the entire time, but Alana didn’t call that night. She didn’t call that morning either. No texts. No e-mails. No messages by carrier pigeon. Nothing.

  I hung out by the pool all day and alternated between sitting in the sun and swimming underwater laps. Maui the dog stayed in the shade the entire time. Later that afternoon, Foxx came outside. He was wearing a nice pair of pants and a silk shirt. I looked awful by comparison. I hadn’t showered that morning, and I was dressed in ratty swim trunks and no shirt.

  “Off to the wedding?” I asked.

  Foxx nodded.

  “Give Alana my best,” I said and tried not to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

  Foxx walked over and sat down beside me.

  “I take it she hasn’t called,” he said.

  I shook my head.

  “I’m a little surprised by that. Maybe she feels you don’t want to talk to her. Hell, maybe she’s too embarrassed to face you.”

  I said nothing.

  “For what it’s worth, I don’t want to go to this damn thing. If Michelle wasn’t in the wedding party, I’d blow it off,” Foxx said.

  “I’m sure it will be a nice wedding, provided Alana can keep herself from making out with the groom during the service,” I said.

  “I know you’re really hurting, but don’t let it consume you. Things have a way of working out. Hell, do you know how many girls have walked in on me doing the act with other girls. They all forgave me.”

  “Yeah, but that was them catching you. What would you do if it was the other way around?”

  “I see your point, but I think the principle is the same. It’s about forgiveness.”

  “No, Foxx. It’s about her humiliating me. It’s about her being more interested in him than me. I thought we had something, and in one moment, she shit all over it.”

  “Yeah, she did, but that doesn’t mean she can’t make it up to you.”

  “Why are you on her side?” I asked.

  “Look. I like Alana. I like her a lot. But make no mistake about it. I’m on your side ten times out of ten. I’d do anything for you, and I think you know that. That’s why I’m defending her. I know what you two have. I’ve seen how she makes you feel, last night not included. She’s changed your life for the better. I don’t want to see you lose sight of that.”