“It’s my treat.” He was smiling as he watched her.
Hotshot’s eyes always made her feel like her feet were too big or something, and she didn’t know why. He was an interesting person and had been places like Alaska and Mexico. She liked to hear him talk about all the things he’d seen. She walked beside him as he led the way to the shave-ice stand.
“Your dad seems kind of quiet lately. Is he all right?” Hotshot took her arm and guided her through the trees. “Let’s go this way. We don’t want anyone to see us and make you go home.”
She nodded and moved the way he indicated. No way did she want someone butting in. She clutched the knife in her hand. “He’s been sad since he got fired. It wasn’t his fault though. I don’t know why the thief had to break into my dad’s museum. It’s mean to take things.”
“We all know it wasn’t his fault. You’re a good daughter to be so concerned about him. The sleds he makes are very interesting. I’d like to look at one.”
“I could take you to his workshop and show you.” She nearly bounced on the balls of her feet.
“Maybe you could get one and bring it to me to look at. I wouldn’t want to bother your dad.”
“I could do that. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“You go buy the ices, and I’ll wait here.” Hotshot gave her some cash and stepped back into the trees.
Eva swelled with pride that he trusted her with his money. She hurried to the stand with it clutched in her hand.
The cemetery overlook offered a great view of Maui and Lana’i across the channel. The warm breeze, heavy with the scent of the wood rose that climbed the crumbling brick walls, riffled Leia’s hair, and she craned her neck to catch a bit of fragrant air on her face. Everyone on the island had turned out for Tony’s funeral, and she half expected the building’s walls to bulge and burst any minute.
She hadn’t seen Bane in three days, and she told herself she wasn’t watching for him as she scanned the sea of faces around the casket suspended over the hole. She hoped he was dealing okay with Tony’s death. Candace stood shaking hands and receiving consoling hugs as the mourners filed past her. Dark circles ringed her eyes, and she hadn’t bothered with makeup—not that it mattered, Leia thought, gazing into Candace’s lovely, haunted face.
Leia was in line with the other divers who had gone down with Tony the day he died. She eyed the fifty-something couple in front of her and mentally composed a question.
“I can’t believe he’s dead.” Rae shifted from one slippered foot to the other. “He had such an impact on us. I still keep expecting to hear his big laugh and see him on the boat with the wind in his face.”
“The police have been talking to everyone who was there when Tony died,” Eric blurted. “You don’t think they suspect murder, do you? I don’t see how it could be anything but a weird accident.”
Leia forgot her question. “I had a message from Detective Ono in Maui on my answering machine several days ago and called him back, but he was out. I haven’t heard back from him.”
“With a name like that, I bet the detective gets teased a lot,” Shaina said. “Doesn’t ono mean delicious?”
“Or fish.” Rae smiled. “Maybe that’s why he’s such a jokester,” Rae said. “He was more interested in telling jokes than asking me questions.”
“He’s an oh no, all right,” Jermaine said, standing behind Leia. “He called me too, but I’m not staying on the island while he takes his time figuring it out. I’ve got a singing gig in Vegas next month. This is my big break to escape this dullsville island. Tony was a great guy and all, but I can’t miss out on it because he was murdered. He’d want me to go.”
Why do you say murdered ? Did the cop say the death was suspicious?” Leia asked. She had always liked Jermaine. He was about Eva’s age and had gone to school with her. Eva had adored him ever since he’d defended her in a schoolyard bullying session.
“He’s acting like it.” Jermaine fingered the gold clock guitar around his neck.
“That’s ludicrous.” Shaina Levy bit her lip, and her voice rose. “Ono is just a small-town bureaucrat trying to act important. It was an accident.”
“I can’t imagine the investigation would take long. It seemed to clearly be an accident,” Rae Jardin said. She tugged self-consciously at the red shirt she wore that did nothing for her short, plump figure.
Leia wondered if she realized it was an insult to wear red to an Italian funeral. Probably not, she decided. The couple was too nice to deliberately show disrespect to the dead. “I suppose I’d better try Detective Ono again when I can get to a phone.”
“You can use my cell,” Eric said, tugging the clip free from his belt. “I have a plan where there’s no roaming charge.”
“Mahalo no. I hate cell phones. They cause acoustic neuroma,” Leia said.