Maui Madness (Zoe Donovan Mysteries Book 7) (5 page)

The
single-story house was spread out over the flat landscape beyond a pool and deck area and, as Zak had promised, it was spectacular. He hadn’t mentioned the size of the estate, but I was willing to bet that the square footage rivaled Zak’s home at least.

“Look at the view
.” I sighed.

“And the outdoor kitchen,” Zak added.

“And the girls.” Levi drooled as his eyes lit up at the sight of dozens of beautiful women gathered in small groups around the elaborate deck.

“Remember
, we’re at an engagement party, so be careful who you canoodle with,” I warned.

“Don’t worry
; I’ll stay away from the bride-to-be, but everyone else is fair game.”

I laughed. It was good to see Levi back to his old self.

“Is that where they’re cooking the pig?” I nodded toward an area set well away from the gathering, where smoke was curling its way into the air. The BBQ pit had been placed behind a wall of shrubbery so as not to disturb the peaceful landscape.

“Looks like,” Zak
said. “We should find Keoke to let him know we’re here.”

“You guys go ahead
. I’ll catch up with you later.” Levi headed toward a group of women who were sitting near the pool, sipping brightly colored drinks.

Zak wound his fingers through mine as we continued toward the house. There were a lot more people attending the party than I’d initially thought there would be. I wondered why
Malie wasn’t attending as well, since she knew Keoke and was familiar with the island and so must have visited in the past. There was a stage set up at the edge of the grassy area. Zak had mentioned that there would be entertainment. I couldn’t wait to watch the fire twirlers. I’d seen a demonstration on television and it had totally amazed me that the men who participated never got burned. If it were me twirling fire batons, it would be safe to bet that I’d have the entire island engulfed in a firestorm in a matter of minutes. In addition to the fire twirlers, Zak had promised hula dancers, knife throwers, and Polynesian drummers.

“Zachary.” An elderly Hawaiian woman who had to be in her late eighties greeted us as we walked through the front door
and into the cool interior of the house. “Where have you been, child?”

“Tutu
, how are you?” Zak hugged the old woman.

“What has it been
, a year? Two?” the woman scolded.

“I’m not traveling as much as I used to,” Zak explained. “I’ve decided it might be time to settle down and stay in one place for a
while.”

The woman looked at me.

“This is Zoe Donovan. Zoe, this is Tutu, Keoke’s grandmother.”

“I’m glad to meet you.” I extended my hand but was quickly wrapped in a hug.
I found the woman was surprisingly strong for her age.

“Aren’t you a pretty little thing
?” Tutu commented after taking a step back and looking me up and down.

Normally
, I hate it when people make reference to my diminutive size, but coming from this lovely woman, I could only smile at the compliment.

Tutu turned to Zak. “I can see why you’ve been staying close to home. She’s lovely. I hope I’ll be invited to the wedding.”

“Oh, there’s no wedding,” I said. “We’re just dating.”

The woman smiled in such a way as to suggest that she knew things about me even I didn’t know before leading us f
arther into the interior of the house.

“Is Keoke around?” Zak asked.

“He was here a minute ago,” Tutu answered. “I think he might have gone to check on the pig. If he isn’t there, you can most likely find him in the kitchen. He takes the food for these shindigs very seriously.”

“Leia and Anton?” Zak inquired about the bride
- and groom-to-be.

“I haven’t seen either
of them all day. I’m sure they want to make a grand entrance. You know Leia; she’s had a flare for the dramatic ever since she was a little girl.”

“I gues
s we’ll go and find Keoke then,” Zak said. He kissed Tutu on the cheek. “Save me a dance?”

“Count on it.”

“She seems nice,” I commented as we left the house by the side door and headed down the path to the BBQ pit.

“She
is
nice. Very nice. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I saw her standing in the entry. I really do need to make an effort to get back here more often.” Zak turned to me and kissed me lightly on the lips. “
We
need to get back here more often,” he clarified.

“I’d like that. It really is beautiful here
, and the people are so nice. Did I tell you that Ellie and I met a woman by the name of Malie yesterday? She’s involved in the rescue and preservation of the animals in the area, much as I am in Ashton Falls. She really hit it off with Ellie, which is why she decided to opt out this evening. Her organization is having a planning meeting of some type tonight.”

“
Malie is a friend of the family.”

“
Which made me wonder why she isn’t here.”

Zak stopped walking and turned to face the ocean. We had
come to a slight rise that afforded us a spectacular view. “I haven’t been here for a couple of years, so I only know what I do via hearsay, but it seems Malie dated Anton before he started seeing Leia.”

“She didn’t mention that,” I
said.

“When Anton first came to Maui
, Malie was involved in a movement to block a business complex he wanted to build. In the course of arguing the opposite sides of the issue, they got to know each other and started dating. I think it was pretty serious for a while. Anton and Pono didn’t get along, and since Pono is Malie’s best friend, that caused a certain amount of tension in their relationship, but from what I heard, things were moving along until Malie brought Anton to a party here on the island and he met Leia. From what I understand, it was love at first sight between the two. Anton broke things off with Malie, who was crushed. Even though Pono never approved of Anton and Malie’s relationship, he was outraged that his sister stole his best friend’s guy. I guess it colored his judgment, and not only did he effectively disown his sister but he began to aggressively challenge Anton over every project he became involved in.”

“So why is he here today?”

“Tutu and other family members convinced him to attend. Leia is his sister, and the family has always been very close. The general feeling is that it would be destructive to the family as a whole to let something like this come between the two of them. Pono is a good guy, so he agreed to attend, but based on what Keoke has told me, he isn’t thrilled to be here.”

“Wow, that’s really too bad.
”

“Yeah. It is unfortunate
, although Keoke tells me that Anton and Leia really love each other, and he believes everything will work out in the long run. Malie has forgiven Anton and Leia, so I’m sure she can convince Pono to as well.”

“I never did have a chance to tell you about the treasure hunt Malie invited us to participate in if Pono agrees.”

“Treasure hunt?” Zak looked intrigued.

I
explained about the relics Malie and Pono had found and the wreck they hoped to find.

“A treasure hunt is every diver
’s dream,” Zak said. “Maybe we should find Pono and talk to him about it.”

“Any idea where to look? I asked.

“Let’s ask Keoke if he’s seen him.”

“So about this pig
. . .” I changed the subject back to the wonderful smell emitting from the pit. “They roast the whole thing?”

“Head and all,” Zak verified.

I felt my stomach roll.

“Don’t worry
; there’s plenty of other food if you don’t want to eat the pig, although it is delicious.”

“Yeah
, well . . .” I hesitated. “We’ll see.”

The trail wound its way from the house along an incline to
the flat expanse where the pit had been dug. While the pit was isolated from the lawn side by high shrubs, it was open to the water on the ocean side. Keoke was sitting on a rock wall overlooking the ocean. Most of the guests were in the house or on the deck near the pool, so Keoke was alone with his BBQ masterpiece.

“You made it
.” Keoke grinned. He hugged both Zak and me.

Keoke is a large man with a commanding presence
and a genuine smile. He was dressed as if he were preparing to enter a boardroom rather than entertain guests at a luau. I had the feeling that the man was a workaholic who didn’t know how to relax. The only concession to his immaculate presentation was a small tattoo on the inside of his wrist.

“You
’re here alone?” Zak asked.

“I needed some quiet time. It’s been a hectic and stressful couple of days.”
Keoke gazed out over the horizon. He looked like a man with serious things on his mind. I had to wonder what had caused the worry lines around eyes that appeared not to have seen a full night’s sleep for quite some time.

“I can imagine,” Zak
said. I was pretty sure Zak was referring to the stress caused by planning the party, but I was pretty sure there was more going on than met the eye.

“Your
home is lovely,” I offered.

“It’s actually my grandparents
’ home, but I love it here.”

“You live on Oahu
?” I asked.

He nodded. “
My business is there, but I come out here whenever I can get away.”

“We
’re really enjoying your home on Maui. The house is spectacular and the view . . . let’s just say it has to be one of the best on the island. We’re having a fantastic time and I want to thank you again for letting us use it.”

“I’m happy to have the whole gang,” Keoke assured me. “Although I was sorry to hear that things didn’t work out with your friend. Breakups can be tough.”

“Yes,” I acknowledged, “they can, but Ellie seems to be doing better. She’s doing things to take her mind off her problems. She even made a new friend on the island. I think you know her: Malie.”

“
Malie and I are good friends. She is a wonderful person with a genuine heart. Your friend will do well in her care. I’m guessing she has her involved in some project already.”

“She does,” I informed him. “How did you know?”

“That’s Malie’s way. She adopts strays and finds things for them to do that will keep them busy and give them a sense of belonging and purpose. She really is an exceptional person.”

“She mentioned that she was also friends with your cousin
Pono. I hope to meet him while I’m here.”

Keoke frowned
. “I’m not sure where Pono got off to. I’m afraid he got into an argument with Anton early this morning before anyone else arrived and both of them stormed off. I haven’t seen either since. My guess is that they left the island, although I’m not supposed to tell anyone that until we can verify it. Poor Leia is beside herself with worry. She insists that Anton wouldn’t just take off on such an important day, but we’ve looked everywhere. I hoped the men would return before the party got underway, but it looks like they’ll both be no-shows.”

“It
’s a shame Leia will have to attend her own engagement party alone.”

“
I knew it was a bad idea for the elders to insist that Pono attend.” Keoke ran a hand through his black hair. “There is too much tension between the two men, and Leia is stuck in the middle of their battle. It’s hard when your fiancé and brother basically hate each other.”

“Malie told me about the injunction.”

“That is just one of many conflicts,” Keoke said. “If Pono shows up, I’ll tell him you were looking for him.”

“If I don’t meet him today
, I’m sure I will tomorrow. Malie invited us to go diving with her and Pono,” I informed our host.

“That will be fun,” Keoke promised. “I’d come along myself
, but I really need to get back to Oahu. Maybe we can get together another time.”

“I’d like that.”

“There’s a path that leads down the hill and into the jungle. I would recommend it as an ideal path for young lovers,” Keoke suggested. “It winds through beautiful flowers and ends at a cascading waterfall that flows into a freshwater pond. I doubt the others will bother to make the hike, so it should be deserted as well.”

Zak looked at me. “You game for a hike?”

“It sounds perfect.”

“Before we go
, is there anything we can do to help you?” I asked Keoke. “Anything other than uncover that pig, I mean?”

Keoke laughed. “
Go ahead and take your walk. I imagine the festivities will begin at sunset, which will give you a couple of hours to enjoy some time alone.”

Zak and I set off
. It was warm but not hot, and the narrow path through dense foliage was deserted, lending an air of tropical isolation to the journey. It would have been easy to imagine we were all alone on a deserted island if not for the faint sound of music in the distance.