Veils and Vengeance Read online

  The identity of her company was top secret for some reason, but I had ways of figuring things out. They couldn’t hide forever. Someone at the hotel was bound to slip up. I didn’t like the sensation of fear and anxiety my encounter with that woman had brought on. A line from my therapist came to mind. “The best way to overcome fear is to recognize it, identify it, and define it. Pull back the scary layers and face the source of the fear.” That’s what I had to do—discover the company trying to trump Malia’s wedding, layer by layer if necessary.

  I wondered how much Jon knew about my crazy day. “Did Malia tell you about Mrs. Harper and her mysterious company trying to trample the wedding plans?”

  “Yeah, I was really surprised. Malia said you handled things well—that you came out on top.”

  “If you don’t count the threats.”

  “Really?”

  I nodded. “I told her not to threaten me, and she said she wasn’t.” The elevator doors opened and I saw a flash of hot pink and stiffened. Jon noticed immediately.

  “You okay?” His voice was a low murmur. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

  “Uh, you know how we were just talking about psycho-lady?”

  His eyes widened and he looked around. “Is she here?”

  “I thought I just saw her, but I’m not sure.”

  “C’mon.” He tugged on my hand. “There’s another way out.”

  He led me around a large tree and exaggerated checking to see if the coast was clear. I covered my mouth, but a laugh still escaped.He grinned as he led me through the shopping areas and out a side door. “I feel like a spy or something,” he whispered.

  “I wish you were. It’s really bugging me that I don’t know what company that horrible woman works for.”

  “Tell you what—forget her, enjoy the day with me, and when we get back, I’ll see what I can find out. No one should get away with that kind of behavior.”

  I studied his face. He wasn’t teasing—there was a tightness around his eyes that indicated he was serious and maybe even concerned for me. “That sounds great.”

  We drove to a little bike shop where we rented two cruisers with oversized, cushioned seats. Jon shouldered a backpack that he said contained secret spy food and rolled his bike into the street. I laughed when I straddled the pink bike, and Jon began ringing the little bell attached to the handlebars of his baby blue bicycle.

  Less than five minutes later, the ocean roared nearby and a cool breeze brushed my skin as I pedaled leisurely alongside Jon.

  “Having fun?” he asked.

  “This is awesome.” It had been too long since I had taken a real vacation, and even though this was classified as work, it felt like a break to me.

  We passed other bikers, runners, and several people out for an early afternoon stroll. A large green bush with dark pink blossoms trailing toward the ground caught my eye. It was the same type I had seen in several places on the island. “What is that flowering bush called?”

  “That’s bougainvillea.” Jon pronounced it bogan-viya.

  I grinned. “I’ve read about those flowers in so many books, but I never knew how to pronounce the word. I’ve always wanted to see one in real life.”

  “They’re everywhere. Some people keep them trimmed for hedges. There are some red ones by the resort.”

  I breathed in, rolling back my shoulders as I pedaled. “The air smells like flowers here.”

  Jon smirked at me. “I think someone’s a romantic.”

  I pushed the lever on my bell and raced past him. “Not me, but don’t tell my clients.”

  He laughed and caught up with me. “So tell me more about the Adri outside of wedding planning.”

  “I like the outdoors, running, hiking. I love my family. I’m a farm girl.”

  “Hey, I know some things about farming.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Ha, how many sprinkler pipes have you moved?”

  Jon placed a hand over his heart. “Ouch, did you just call me a wimp?”

  “’Fess up, city boy. How dirty do your hands get with your so-called farming?”

  “I feel threatened,” Jon said. “Malia told me, ‘Adri is a sweet, beautiful girl.’” He pointed at me. “This chick has attitude.”

  I laughed so hard I snorted and that set Jon off. He braked and leaned over his handlebars. He had a great laugh, and when he slapped his thigh I was reminded of my dad. We continued riding, and I asked him about the company his father owned. I had learned that Tri-C was a GMO—one of several companies specializing in genetically modified organisms, or GMOs as they were referred to on the isle of Kauai. But Malia had insisted the Connellys had a unique approach—I was interested to find out why they thought their approach was different than the other companies on the isle.

  “I still don’t understand why your parents don’t live here.”

  “Part of the year they do.” Jon stopped pedaling so I could catch up. “My dad likes to keep up with the competition. He does a lot of work monitoring crops in several different areas of the country.”

  “How did your dad start the company?”

  “Tri-C is a huge company—my dad is only part owner—there are actually four other guys who are part-owners. They all went to school together at Stanford. My dad studied agronomy and genetic engineering. Two of the guys are agronomists from Utah State University. When they transferred over to Stanford with big ideas, the company was formed.”

  I coasted past Jon and pulled the lever on my bell. “I watched a documentary a few years back and no offense, but I came away with the opinion that GMOs are bad guys.”

  Jon chuckled. “Yeah, my dad loves those films—don’t bring it up, by the way, but our company is different. At least my dad’s vision is different. He’s not trying to drive small farmers out of business and take them to court for “stealing” genetically modified seed. The mission of our company is to create smart seeds that produce more nutrient dense plants.

  “But I thought the soil was in charge of the nutrients.”

  “It is, but our smart seeds work with the soil to take the most important trace nutrients into the plant. For us, it’s not all about creating a weed-proof, bug-proof plant, but one that produces a true organic food.”

  “That sounds a lot more noble than I suspected.”

  He grinned. “Well, if you talk to any of the islanders, you might get a different story. GMO is a bad word here because pretty much all the farmland is tied up in crop testing. Kauai is almost completely dependent on imports for its sustenance.”

  We passed by a young couple snapping pictures of the shoreline. I rang my bell as I caught up with Jon again. “Hmm, now who is the tour guide of little known facts?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bore you.” He tilted his head and gave me a crooked grin.

  “Actually, you’re not. I think it’s very interesting, considering my family homesteaded in Rupert. My grandparents had to clear out the sagebrush and plant around lava flows to get a good crop.”

  “See, now that’s interesting to me. Kyle has been trying to explain the desert terrain in that region of Idaho—it sounds fascinating.”

  We continued to talk about farming and my Idaho roots until we reached the end of the bike path. The path continued on in to a narrow red-dirt path, but our cruisers weren’t equipped to do much off-roading.

  “I thought you said we were going to the beach.” I motioned to the red dirt trail beyond us and then to my bike. “This is not a mountain bike.”

  “We are. We passed the trail head about a quarter mile back. I just wanted you to be able to say you rode the entire Kauai bike trail.” He turned his bike around and began pedaling back the way we had just come. “We can bring a mountain bike on our next date if you’d like.”

  With a shake of my head, I followed him. Jon was easygoing, and I liked his fun personality, but I wasn’t sure about his ideas of future dates. I was here to put all of my plans for Malia’s wedding into action, not chase after he
r brother-in-law. If only his toned surfer’s body didn’t look so good. I bit my lip when I noticed how the bronze color of his skin contrasted with the unruly curls at the nape of his neck—my internal debate was heading in the wrong direction.

  “We’ll leave our bikes right here.” Jon rode off the paved trail into the grasses on the side of the hill. He hopped off his bike and laid it in the grass. I followed suit. We were at the top of an incline overlooking the ocean.

  “Beautiful.” My feet itched to feel the cool water and warm sand. The day had heated up nicely. It was time to reapply sunscreen.

  Jon stood next to me. “That’s Donkey Beach. The waves can be rough, so it’s not great for swimming, but it’s a nice place for a picnic.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  We walked down the hill and through a border of trees that lined the edge of the sand.

  “Oh, I forgot to lock up the bikes—my gorgeous date distracted me.” He squeezed my hand. “Go on down near the water. I’ll catch up with you.”

  “I can come back with you, it’s not that far.”

  “No problem. Here take my pack. Pick out where you’d like to set up for lunch.” He shrugged off the backpack and handed it to me.

  I was surprised at how heavy it was. “Wow, there must be some picnic in here.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up, my mother—the vegetarian—volunteered lunch.” He pointed toward the beach. “There’s a big piece of driftwood right there. I’ll be right back if you want to head for a good picnic spot.”

  He jogged up the hill, and I kicked off my flip-flops, grabbed them from the sand and began walking barefoot across the warm sand. The noise of the surf and waves pulling back and forth across the shoreline gave me a thrill. I loved the ocean. It was so powerful. I wanted to dip my feet in the water, but first I deposited the backpack near the driftwood and stretched out my legs. I re-applied sunscreen and decided to set up lunch.

  The backpack held two reed mats, sandwiches, sliced pineapple, and what looked like two homemade smoothies in insulated mugs. I set everything out and then watched the waves for a few minutes, and still Jon hadn’t returned. Every few seconds, I turned my head to look back toward the trees at the base of the hill. I was just getting up to go and see if everything was okay when he jogged through the trees.

  “Sorry about the wait,” he said when he reached the picnic spread. “I dropped one of the keys in the grass. It took me a few minutes to find it. There may have been some swearing involved.”

  I grinned. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

  “Thanks. Now let’s eat.”

  I was starving by the time we unwrapped the sandwiches. “I’ve never had a Hawaiian picnic.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t call this Hawaiian,” Jon mumbled around a bite. “But these are my mom’s specialty island sandwiches.”

  I took a bite and nodded. Mine had red and yellow sliced peppers, gouda cheese, spinach, and avocado. It was delicious on the sweet roll that was now warm from the sun.

  “At least my pack will be lighter on the way back.” Jon motioned to the water bottle I’d just guzzled.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, should I have saved some?”

  “No, there’s two more in the pack. I’m just teasing.”

  After we finished eating, I removed my cover up and Jon raised his eyebrows. “Now who’s on the pity date?”

  I threw a handful of sand at him and leaned back on my mat. Jon tried not to be obvious in his staring as he pulled off his shirt and reclined on his mat. A smile pulled at the corners of my mouth, but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I closed my eyes, dozing under the tropical heat. I was almost asleep when the image of an arm moving slowly with the current of the water invaded my senses. I opened my eyes and sat up. “Do you think the police found out who that woman was?”

  Jon shaded his eyes with his hands. “I haven’t heard anything yet. It’s been bothering me too.” He sat up and leaned toward me. “I know it was disturbing, but I don’t want it to ruin your visit.”

  I swallowed. I wouldn’t admit that the nightmare last night was too vivid. When I awoke with sweat dripping down my back, I felt compelled to find out the identity of the dead woman. Flicking some sand off my knee, I turned to Jon. “I’m still upset by it. I think she was young.”

  “Did you get that good of a look at her?” Jon sat up straight. “I didn’t realize you were able to get down that close.”

  “I grabbed onto the rock and pulled myself close enough to see the chains wrapped around her. I think she had green eyes.” With a shudder, I closed my eyes and my throat went dry.

  “Don’t do that to yourself.”

  I opened my eyes and blinked rapidly.

  “Hey, it’s going to be okay.” His voice was soft and he tilted his head to look at me.

  I met his gaze. “But someone killed her. Someone took her life.” The pitch of my voice rose, so I paused, whispering, “Why?”

  Jon shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s a crazy world, but you finding her was a good thing. Now the police can investigate, and whoever is missing her will get some closure.”

  “I guess.” I dug my toes into the sand and watched it reshape around my feet.

  “C’mon, let’s get your mind off that.” Jon took my hand and pulled me up next to him. I wobbled and leaned into his chest as I got my footing. It was only for a second, but the warmth of his chest sent tingles through my arms as we walked down to where the waves were crashing into the shoreline.

  The water caressed my feet and for a moment we stood there letting the bubbly surf wash over our ankles. “Wanna jump a few waves?” Jon asked.

  “Sure.” I rubbed the back of my neck where the sun warmed my skin. “I haven’t done that for at least five years, but that was in California.”

  “Warmer here, and we won’t go out too far.”

  “Oh, I meant to take my ring off and leave it in the backpack.” I motioned to the amazonite ring I had purchased from a vendor at the hotel. “It doesn’t fit quite right, and I don’t want it to fall off in the water.”

  “Give it to me. I have a zippered pocket in my shorts.” He motioned to his dark blue board shorts.

  “Thanks.” I handed Jon my ring and watched him slide it into his pocket and zip it closed. Then he reached for my hand and when our fingers intertwined, I made eye contact with him again. The light blue color of his eyes looked almost crystalline in the bright sun, and I studied the flecks of green that created an almost turquoise hue. My face flushed. I looked back to the ocean.

  “You sure you’re okay?” He squeezed my hand gently.

  I nodded. “Thanks for this. I needed a break today.”

  “Well, let’s go then.” Jon broke into a run, pulling me with him. I gasped when the water hit my thighs. The first wave was cold, but after a few minutes I didn’t notice as swell after swell rose and broke on the sand. We jumped a few waves, but Jon didn’t think it was a good idea to go too far out.

  We returned to our beach mats which were pretty much covered with sand. My breath came in short puffs. Jon was quiet as he caught his breath. We watched a group of guys trying to catch a good wave, but mostly getting pounded a little ways out.

  “The ocean’s angry today,” Jon said. His voice was soft, and I had to lean closer to hear him above the crashing waves.

  “I think it’s beautiful. I wish I could capture it in a picture, but it’s something you just have to see in person.”

  “Mm-hmm, I could say the same thing about you.” He put his arm around me.

  It felt good being close to him. I rested my head on his chest and allowed myself a few deep breaths. The inner struggle returned, with the good, no-nonsense Adri reminding me that I didn’t have time to date Jon, and the bad Adri thinking about how it might feel if he were to kiss me right then.

  He rubbed his hand up and down my arm, sand flaking off with the movement. “If I helped you, could you make time for a hike in the next couple of days
?”

  I lifted my head. “Help me?”

  “Yeah, with your work. Maybe I could run errands for you? Or better yet, see if one of my dad’s secretaries could.”

  With a smirk, I pounded his shoulder. “I should make you come and pick out flowers just for that. But you know what would help me is if I could track down your dad’s personal assistant.”

  Jon stiffened. “She quit.”

  “What?”

  “It was sudden, and my dad’s not happy about it.”

  “She was my main contact person for the files and the new company logo. Your dad wanted me to make sure they were on the napkins and some new bracelets for the wedding party. Do you know who I should contact now?”

  “Uh, I do remember hearing something about the logo, but I’m not sure what’s happening with locating it. Let me talk to Dad—I can definitely do that for you.” He looked at me and the tenseness in his face relaxed. “Will that earn me another date?”

  He was staring at my lips. It took all my willpower not to look at his mouth. Instead, I dropped my gaze. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Adri,” he whispered and I lifted my eyes to his. He leaned toward me, and I felt the electric pull of a kiss about to happen. My eyelids fluttered, but I didn’t close them. I swallowed and Jon hesitated, his lips inches from mine. He lifted his hand to my cheek. “Why are you afraid?”

  It all came crashing back then. The reasons my heart was definitely not ready to go where Jon was trying to lead it—even if it was just a kiss. The last person I’d kissed was my boyfriend—someone who had proclaimed his love for me. I didn’t even want to think his name, let alone speak it aloud. After stalking me for months, he’d tried to kill me. He was in prison now, and I was safe. My chest tightened. I sucked in a breath, leaning back. My movements were jerky as I started to pull myself to my feet—what was I going to do, run away? I sank back into the sand and with a noisy exhale, rested my head on my knees.