year or so. Usually for the family reunion. Really nice lady. Do you know her?”
“Actually, I do. One of my friends works for her firm. She’s on a six-month vacation because she retired.” He hated to lie, but he lied anyway. “Kala does legal work for me from time to time. I’m going to miss her because now someone else has to do my work.”
The bartender relaxed. The guy knew stuff about his cousin that no one else knew, so he had to be legit, and besides, he was the number two golfer in the country. “One of her partners was here a few days ago. Didn’t stay long.”
“That so? Must have been Linda.”
Convinced that it was okay to keep talking to this guy, seeing as how he knew the partner’s name and all, the bartender said, “Yeah. Yeah, that was her name. Guess she was doing some business for Kala since she’s away.”
Nick swigged at the beer and picked at the nuts in the bowl. Macadamia nuts. His favorite. Now all he had to do was find out where Kala’s house was. He struggled for nonchalance when he swiveled around on the bar stool and looked around the room. “I think her house is somewhere around here,” he said vaguely. “Hey, can I buy you a beer?”
“Can’t drink on duty. Yeah, she lives on Liliuokalani Street, the biggest house on the street.”
“I knew it was something like that. I wouldn’t even try to spell it. Well, if you see her before I do, give her my regards. Tell her had she been here, I would have taken her out to dinner. It’s been a tough day, so I think I’m going to retire. Thanks for the conversation. Nice meeting you.” Nick stuck out his hand and so did the bartender.
Suddenly shy, the bartender asked for his autograph. It wasn’t just one autograph, though. It was several dozen for his assorted cousins and nephews. “And a few nieces.” He grinned.
Nick laughed and signed his name on cocktail napkins till his hand went numb. He waved and left the bar and took the elevator to his room. He popped another beer from the small fridge and carried it out to his balcony. He sat down and propped his feet up on the table and tried to relax. It was still light out. He could have taken a taxi to Kala’s house. He told himself it was better to wait till morning. He’d have all night to dream about Sophie Lee. If he was right, he might even
Downstairs in the bar, the happy-go-lucky bartender made sure all his customers were served and needing nothing before he made a call on his cell phone. “Kiki, listen up.” The bartender rattled off what had happened with the golfer Nick Mancuso. “You told me to report anything with all the statesiders here, so I’m reporting. I think the guy is who he said he is, and he knew Kala, and she did legal work for him. No, he said he was sorry she wasn’t here because he would have taken her to dinner. He didn’t say how much longer he would be here, but his people left the hotel earlier and are probably on the eight o’clock flight to California. I checked with the front desk, and Mr. Mancuso is the only one who remained behind. He signed a bunch of autographs. Nice guy, but he did want to know where Kala lived, and I told him. I have one of the bellboys watching to see if he leaves his suite. Yeah, Kiki, you do owe me.”
The bartender stared out across the room. He felt like a snitch, and he didn’t like the feeling.
But family came first. That was all there was to it.
Chapter 14
SOPHIE LEE WAS WATCHING A RECAP OF THE GOLF TOURNAMENT with tears in her eyes. In a million years she never thought Nick would be the second leading golfer in the country. She knew that he would be a success in whatever he did, but golf had never entered her mind. She remembered how he caddied on the weekends, thanks to Father Davidson, who had gotten him the job. The best perk, though, was that the part- time job came with free golf lessons.
When Nick lined up his winding forty-foot birdie putt on the fifteenth hole and it undulated into the cup, Sophie held her breath before letting out a whoop of joy as both clenched fists shot in the air. “Way to go, Nick!”
And Nick was right here, so close she could walk to his hotel. She could even call the hotel and leave a message. Did she dare? She wanted to call him so bad she could taste the feeling, but she knew she wouldn’t. She had promised to follow the rules, and she would keep that promise. Sister Julie had taught them early on that if you didn’t live by the rules, then you courted disaster. And this time, she would follow the rules to the letter.
Sophie Lee loved Nick Mancuso. She had loved him from the age of seven but had never let on, not for a minute. One day, when she was sixteen, Sister Julie had taken her aside and had a long talk about what the nun called the birds and the bees. Sister Julie had also said that Father Davidson was having the same talk with Nick. From that day on, many eyes were on them, and that was okay; neither one of them minded. They were friends. Just friends. No one could get inside her mind, or know what she dreamed about at night. Well, that was then, and this was now.
Sophie continued to watch the recap of the tournament, riveted. When the cameras were still on her old friend in the clubhouse, she could restrain herself no longer. The tears came gushing and flowing down her cheeks. So close and yet so far away.
Just as the sportscaster was asking Nick how long he was staying in the islands, Sophie heard voices in the downstairs foyer. Kiki. What was he doing there at that time of the evening? She half heard Nick say he was going to stay on a few more days to do some island hopping because he wanted to see and possibly play on Hawaii’s other famous golf courses. She was more intent on listening to what Kiki was saying, but she couldn’t understand a word because he and Mally were talking in their own language. While Mally understood English, speaking it was another matter. Pidgin English was how Kiki had explained it to her. Mally was shy and worried that her English wouldn’t be understood, so she kept all conversations short and relied on her smiles to get her points across.
Sophie knew there was a problem by the tone of Kiki’s voice, and she also knew in her gut that the problem was Dominic Mancuso. She waited a few more minutes before she made her way into the huge walk-in closet to pick up the packed bag that was ready for her. She was holding it when Kiki knocked on her door. Without saying a word, she followed him out to the hall and down the long staircase. Mally hugged her, then placed a lei around her neck.
Settled in the car, Sophie was struck again by how handsome the young man was. He looked like he belonged on a surfboard in a television commercial advertising the islands.
“We’re not going far. A cousin who is on the mainland on sabbatical has offered his house for emergencies. We take care of it for him. There is only one hitch.” He grinned. “You have to take care of his dog. She’s a female, and her name is Ursula. We call her Sula. She guards the house, and we take turns taking her for walks and feeding her, but she can do all of that herself. It is our obligation to do this. With a family as large as ours, there is always someone willing to do what is needed. Sula will also take care of you. By the way, no cook or housekeeper this time around. But someone will do your shopping, and there’s plenty of food in the fridge. You still stay to ground until they say otherwise. You can still walk the beach, swim, whatever you want, but do not go to town. You call us at the numbers we gave you if something comes up. Like I said, Sula will take care of you. You okay with this, Sophie?”
She was okay with it. And she liked the idea of no one else being in the house with her. She knew how to cook and clean. What she liked best about the move was the dog. She loved animals. “Is this move because of Nick?”
“Yes,” Kiki said curtly. “And another reason. Two reservations were made from the district attorney’s office in Georgia for an early-morning flight tomorrow. A cousin works for Hawaiian Airlines.”
“Oh,” was all Sophie could think to say.
“My cousin has already called Kala’s office to tell them, so you see the importance of the move. Your golfing friend just wants to renew your friendship; the others want something else.”
Sophie nodded. “I wonder if they
“Your friend might have something to do with it. He’s here, and they know you know each other and have a history. They probably have someone watching him. Who that would be, I don’t know. We have cousins in Hawaii Five-0, and they would tell us. They have a duty, I’m told, to help out fellow law-enforcement agencies. Having said
