Free 4 Kaua'i Me a River by JoAnn Bassett

most
of all, it creeped me out to learn my father had been lurking in the shadows all
along and he’d never once shown his face or owned up to his responsibilities.
    “You know,” I said when we made
it to the ground floor. “Can I take a rain check on the shave ice? I’m feeling
a little overwhelmed right now and I need some alone time.”
    “Sure, we can talk later. Where
are you staying?”
    “I’m down in Poipu with my
boyfriend but we’re flying back to Maui this afternoon. We both need to get back
to work tomorrow.”
    She smiled. “Actually, if you
think about it, only oneof you needs to get back to work.”
    “Not if Peggy has her way.”
    “No worries. Valentine’s right,
the will is solid. The truth is, Peggy never got over Phil. She and her father
were always lurking in the background. Phil put up with it because he needed
the mayor’s support for his business. But your father wanted the two of us to
have the money and we’re getting it. End of story.”
     I nodded. “I guess I just need
to go home. I’m kind of in shock.”
    “Yeah, I get it. How about this?
When Valentine sets up the date for probate court, I’d like you to stay up at
the house with me. I’ve got a great little ohana guest house, so you’ll
have privacy. You could even bring your boyfriend if you want.”
    I bit my lip.
    “It’s okay; you don’t have to decide
right now,” Sunny went on. “Just keep it in mind. Here’s my card. Call me if
you want to talk.”
    She handed me a pale lavender
card that said, ‘Healing Waters Spa’ along with her name and the words Masseuse
and Aesthetician.
    “You’re a masseuse?” I said.
    “I was. That’s how I met your dad.
I’m also an aesthetician. I didn’t work on any of them myself, but three of those
so-called ‘ladies’ you just met upstairs are clients at the spa.”
    “Did you know I even existed before
meeting me today?” I asked.
    “Of course. Dying men don’t keep
secrets.”

 
     
    CHAPTER
9
     
    I got in the rental car but didn’t
start the engine. Instead, I sat and stared at my cell phone. I tried to call
Hatch, but my hands were shaking so much it took a few tries before the call
went through.
    “Hey babe,” he said. “How’d it
go? You okay?”
    “I’m fine,” I said. “No problem.
Everything’s good.” I’m a lousy liar and Hatch picked up on it right away.
    “You don’t sound fine. You sound
freaked. What happened?”
    “I can’t really talk about it now,”
I said. I watched as people went in and came out of the Ching Young shopping center.
The archway leading into the center brought up a vague memory of coming there with
my mother.
    “Are you okay to drive?”
    “I’m fine. But before I come
back to Poipu I’d like to drive  up to Ke’e Beach for a quick look around.
That’s where they held my mom’s memorial service. I want to pay my respects.”
    “You sure you want to do that alone?”
    “Yeah. I’m good. By the way, how
was your baseball game?”
    “We smoked ‘em. Nine to two.”
    “Good. Where are you now? I can
hardly hear you.”
    “We’re at the pizza place. Say,
are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
    “I told you; I’m fine. I’ll be
back in plenty of time to make our flight.”
    “Okay, but give me a call me if
you need me to come get you. I’m sure I could snag a ride from one of these
guys. Trust me, they’d rather take me up there to get you now than have to shovel
your mangled carcass into a body bag later.”
    That’s what I love about Hatch. He
always knows how to make me feel better.
    ***
    The road out to Ke’e Beach was
curvy and narrow, but there wasn’t much traffic. It was just after one o’clock on
a Wednesday afternoon. Too late for surfers and way too early for sunset-watchers.
I went over a series of one-lane bridges and past gaping dry caves. But when I got
to the end of the road at Ke’e Beach I was surprised to find the parking lot completely
full. And, for a quarter mile,