O'ahu Lonesome Tonight? (Islands of Aloha Mystery Series #5) by JoAnn Bassett Page A

nowadays.”
    “Just give me
the address, Stuart. I can figure it out.”
    He gave me the
address. Nothing about it sounded familiar.
    “It’s way out
beyond Diamond Head. You know the Kahala Resort by
the Waialae Country Club? We’re just a few blocks shy
of that.”
    “ Mahalo . I’ll find it. See
you at six.”
    ***
    An hour later I
plugged in my phone to recharge it. By then I’d become nearly frantic about
Steve. It was after five o’clock and still no word.
    I turned on the
TV. There was a ‘breaking news’ banner running across the bottom of the screen.
It said due to the storm the sewer system had failed in Waikiki and thousands
of gallons of untreated sewage had been diverted into the Ala Wai Canal. It warned boaters and swimmers to stay out
of the canal until further notice.
    I mindlessly flipped
through the channels until Jeff came out of his room. He looked stricken.
    “Everything okay back home?” I said.
    “No.”
    “You want to
talk about it?”
    “Not really.”
    I changed the
subject. “Stuart and his wife Natalie have invited us to dinner at their place.”
    “Won-der- ful ,” he said, dragging out the word. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do right now.”
    “I thought as
much. But I need to go.”
    “Why?”
    “You know why.
It’s family. It’s kind of ironic, don’t you think? All my life I’ve been
bitching about not having any ohana and then
when I finally get some I inherit this bunch.”
    “I’ll stick
around here and wait for Steve,” Jeff said.
    “I’m really
worried about him,” I said.
    “Yeah, me too.   By the way, how are you planning to get
to your brother’s place? Steve’s got our car, remember?”
    I called Stuart
and explained the situation.
    “Your friend’s
still not back from surfing?” he said. “Haven’t you heard? A bunch of surfers
had to be rescued out at the North Shore. Maybe your guy is one of them.”
    I didn’t say
anything.
    “Sticking
around there waiting won’t help, you know,” Stuart said.
    “I know, but
Jeff wants to stay, just in case.”
    “Fair enough. But I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes. You
mind waiting outside? Parking’s a bitch in Waikiki.”
    “No worries.
I’ll be downstairs.”
    I hung up and
grabbed an umbrella. “Call me the minute you hear from Steve,” I said to Jeff.
I headed for the door and my phone started up. The caller ID showed STEVE’S
CELL.
    I answered
without saying ‘aloha,’ or even ‘hello. “We’ve been so worried about you! Where
are you? Are you okay?”
    “Calm down. I’m
good. I had a little excitement, though.”
    “We heard some
surfers had to be rescued up there. Is that what kept you?”
    “Matter of fact, yes. Hang on, I’m
just getting off the freeway. I’ll be there in ten minutes and tell you the
whole story.”
    “We’ll be
here.”
    I clicked off
and Jeff said, “What about Stuart? Isn’t he already on his way?”
    “Crap.” I
looked at the clock and then dialed Stu’s number. I got his voice mail. “Stu,
something’s come up. Can we make it six-thirty instead of six? Call me back,
okay?”
    When I didn’t
get a call back I said to Jeff, “Maybe Stu doesn’t answer his phone in the car.
I’ll go downstairs and tell him what’s happening.”
    A big tan
Mercedes sedan was idling in the portico when I got off the elevator.  I
went outside and the bellman rushed over. “Miss Moon, I was just about to call
your room,” he said. “There’s a gentleman here to pick you up.”
    Stu grinned and
gave me a finger wave from the driver’s seat. He was wearing a silly-looking
blue baseball cap with the Mercedes emblem emblazoned on the front.
    “ Mahalo , ” I said to the bellman. I started
rummaging in my purse for tip money.
    When I pulled
out my wallet the bellman said, “No worries. Mr. Wilkerson has already taken
care of me. Very generously.” He grinned as if Santa
had brought him a new bike. He opened the passenger door and I slid onto