Read Online Maui Widow Waltz (Islands of Aloha Mystery Series) by JoAnn Bassett - Free Book Online
Authors: JoAnn Bassett
Ads: Link
fierce. “She’s busy
watching the boys.”
“I can see that. But this is a job
she could do while she watches them, and maybe a few of her friends could
help.”
At the mention of involving
friends, Kalani perked up.
I told them I had a client who
needed help folding her one thousand origami cranes. I avoided mentioning it
was Lisa Marie, since she and Akiko hadn’t seemed to hit it off too well.
“Do you know how to fold a perfect
origami crane?” I bent down to look Kalani in the eye.
She sniffed as if I’d asked if she
could count to ten.
“Great. Well, this client will pay
a quarter for every perfect crane you and your friends make. You’ll need to get
the gold paper they use for the wedding cranes, and you and your friends will
need to finish one thousand of them by next Tuesday. Do you want to do it?”
“Can I, tutu ? Please,
please.”
“I thought you say the bride need
help with the cranes. But you got the kids folding all of them?”
I shot her a puckish smile.
“I will ask her mother,” Akiko
said, throwing up her hands as she turned toward the door.
Akiko’s daughter called me on
my cell a half-hour later. She’d talked with a few of Kalani’s friend’s mothers
and they’d lined up six girls from her Girl Scout troop who were eager to earn
summer camp money. She told me the girls were already at work practicing their
folding technique. One of the girl’s fathers—a Hawaiian Airlines pilot—had
agreed to pick up the special origami paper in Honolulu and would bring it home
on his last flight into Kahului that evening.
I pulled into the alley behind my
shop feeling like a hero. Nice moment, but short lived. Noni Konomanu’s fancy
black car was parked in my spot. I double parked, blocking her exit. Now she’d
have to back all the way down the narrow alley to get out of there.
A few minutes later, after I’d
heard what she’d come for, I reconsidered my rudeness. I shouldn’t have blocked
her in; I should’ve taken a baseball bat to her windshield.
CHAPTER 6
I entered
the Gadda-da-Vida Grocery and quickly spotted Noni and Farrah in the far
reaches of the produce section. I listened, but heard nothing. I made my way
back there and found them staring each other down like a couple of tomcats.
“Hey, you two. What’s up?” I said.
“Nothing,” said Farrah in a clipped
voice. She held the small paring knife she used to trim lettuce, and she was
clenching the handle so tightly her knuckles were white.
“Oh, I beg to differ,” said Noni.
“I’m glad you showed up, Pali, because this concerns you as well. I stopped
over at your shop but you must have popped out for a latte.” Her snotty
attitude forced me to throw her my fiercest glare.
“I don’t have time for lattes.
Managing a successful bridal business requires a lot of running around handling
details.”
“I’m sure running a successful bridal business requires a lot of running around, but I think in your case any
time crunch is most probably due to a lack of organizational skills.” She shot
me a simpering grin. “Anyway, Mr. Sherman asked me to come by and talk to
Farrah about his plans to buy this building. He also said if I saw you I should
let you know he’s been in touch with the mortgage lender on your house up in
Hali’imaile. He’s going to be putting in a bid on it at the first possible
opportunity.”
Taunts don’t rile me much. Well, anyway,
that’s what I’d like people to think. In my younger years I might have gasped,
or talked trash back at her, but I’d trained myself to simply offer a steady
stare when attacked. I hadn’t quite mastered keeping my blood pressure from
shooting up, though, and I wondered if my cheeks were flaming.
“Too bad,” I said. “I know how much
Tank hates to lose. But by the end of next week my house will no longer be
available.”
“Says you.”
“No, says a lot of dead presidents
I’ll be collecting next Friday.”
I
watching the boys.”
“I can see that. But this is a job
she could do while she watches them, and maybe a few of her friends could
help.”
At the mention of involving
friends, Kalani perked up.
I told them I had a client who
needed help folding her one thousand origami cranes. I avoided mentioning it
was Lisa Marie, since she and Akiko hadn’t seemed to hit it off too well.
“Do you know how to fold a perfect
origami crane?” I bent down to look Kalani in the eye.
She sniffed as if I’d asked if she
could count to ten.
“Great. Well, this client will pay
a quarter for every perfect crane you and your friends make. You’ll need to get
the gold paper they use for the wedding cranes, and you and your friends will
need to finish one thousand of them by next Tuesday. Do you want to do it?”
“Can I, tutu ? Please,
please.”
“I thought you say the bride need
help with the cranes. But you got the kids folding all of them?”
I shot her a puckish smile.
“I will ask her mother,” Akiko
said, throwing up her hands as she turned toward the door.
Akiko’s daughter called me on
my cell a half-hour later. She’d talked with a few of Kalani’s friend’s mothers
and they’d lined up six girls from her Girl Scout troop who were eager to earn
summer camp money. She told me the girls were already at work practicing their
folding technique. One of the girl’s fathers—a Hawaiian Airlines pilot—had
agreed to pick up the special origami paper in Honolulu and would bring it home
on his last flight into Kahului that evening.
I pulled into the alley behind my
shop feeling like a hero. Nice moment, but short lived. Noni Konomanu’s fancy
black car was parked in my spot. I double parked, blocking her exit. Now she’d
have to back all the way down the narrow alley to get out of there.
A few minutes later, after I’d
heard what she’d come for, I reconsidered my rudeness. I shouldn’t have blocked
her in; I should’ve taken a baseball bat to her windshield.
CHAPTER 6
I entered
the Gadda-da-Vida Grocery and quickly spotted Noni and Farrah in the far
reaches of the produce section. I listened, but heard nothing. I made my way
back there and found them staring each other down like a couple of tomcats.
“Hey, you two. What’s up?” I said.
“Nothing,” said Farrah in a clipped
voice. She held the small paring knife she used to trim lettuce, and she was
clenching the handle so tightly her knuckles were white.
“Oh, I beg to differ,” said Noni.
“I’m glad you showed up, Pali, because this concerns you as well. I stopped
over at your shop but you must have popped out for a latte.” Her snotty
attitude forced me to throw her my fiercest glare.
“I don’t have time for lattes.
Managing a successful bridal business requires a lot of running around handling
details.”
“I’m sure running a successful bridal business requires a lot of running around, but I think in your case any
time crunch is most probably due to a lack of organizational skills.” She shot
me a simpering grin. “Anyway, Mr. Sherman asked me to come by and talk to
Farrah about his plans to buy this building. He also said if I saw you I should
let you know he’s been in touch with the mortgage lender on your house up in
Hali’imaile. He’s going to be putting in a bid on it at the first possible
opportunity.”
Taunts don’t rile me much. Well, anyway,
that’s what I’d like people to think. In my younger years I might have gasped,
or talked trash back at her, but I’d trained myself to simply offer a steady
stare when attacked. I hadn’t quite mastered keeping my blood pressure from
shooting up, though, and I wondered if my cheeks were flaming.
“Too bad,” I said. “I know how much
Tank hates to lose. But by the end of next week my house will no longer be
available.”
“Says you.”
“No, says a lot of dead presidents
I’ll be collecting next Friday.”
I
Similar Books
