Maui Madness (Zoe Donovan Mysteries Book 7) (4 page)

“Keoke is a generous
sponsor of our organization,” Malie informed me. “He gives not only of his time but of his money. We are very lucky to have his support. His cousin Pono is also a valued volunteer as well as my best friend. He will be attending the luau tomorrow and so will miss our meeting, but I promised to fill him in. Be sure to introduce yourself. Pono gets involved in the political side of what we do, so he has a tendency to lecture anyone who will listen, but under the gruff exterior is a man with a heart of gold.”

“I understand that tomorrow’s
celebration is in honor of Pono’s sister and her new fiancé,” I said.

Malie frowned before answering.
“Leia has become engaged to a developer who moved to the Islands a few years ago. I’m afraid that Pono and Anton don’t really get along.”

“Really? That must be difficult for Leia.”

“I suppose.”

I couldn’t help but notice the guarded look that came across Malie’s face.

“Personality conflict?” I prodded. I realize the issue of Anton and Pono’s relationship was really none of my business, but you know me; I like to dig around in everyone’s relationships. Perhaps that’s because it keeps me from having time to look too closely into my own.

“
Anton is a nice enough man, but he doesn’t fully understand the fragile environment in which we live, or the long-range damage that can be inflicted if sensitive land is disturbed,” Malie answered, although her comment seemed canned. “I understand that environmentalists and developers must learn to coexist, so I make every effort to provide education and guidance where I can, but Pono is more apt to fly off the handle and organize a sit-in or vandalize building sites if he believes our wildlife is being threatened. Pono and Anton have butted heads on more than one occasion, most recently when Pono convinced a judge to issue an injunction preventing Anton from breaking ground on the new resort he is trying to build on the south shore. Anton is appealing the decision, but for now, I guess it’s causing him quite a large headache because he’s taken on some pretty big investors who make a point of getting a return on their money.”

“Is that the judge
who’s missing?” I asked.

“Actually
, it is,” Malie answered.

“There
’s a missing judge?” Ellie asked.

Between Malie and me
, we filled Ellie in on the facts surrounding the strange disappearance of the judge’s sailboat.

“I heard there were two
other men with Judge Gregor at the time of his disappearance,” I said.

“
Yes, an environmental attorney by the name of Brian Boxer and a developer named Trenton Baldwin.”

“Judge Gregor
was sailing with a developer and an environmental attorney? Seems like an odd group,” I commented.

“I know on the surface it seems that Judge Gregor must be a conservationist
because he blocked Anton’s project, but he’s actually pretty neutral, as a judge should be. He tends to look at the specific project; he blocks some projects, while others he supports. In Anton’s case, he wanted to build on a beach that is known as a favorite nesting place for hawksbill turtles. These turtles are considered to be an endangered species, so their nesting grounds are protected. Pono got the proof we needed and convinced the judge to issue the injunction.”

“I bet Anton was mad,” Ellie guessed.

“Mad does not even begin to describe the degree of his rage,” Malie confirmed.

“I’m surprised Leia and Anton managed to stay together through all of that,” I contributed.

Malie shrugged, but I could tell she wasn’t as indifferent as she tried to appear. “They seem to love each other.” Her face continued to be guarded. “I suppose that in the end love conquers all.”

“So what are you working on now?” I asked as I refilled the iced tea glasses.

Malie smiled with genuine enthusiasm. “We are currently developing a script for a series of educational films we hope to make that we believe will educate locals and visitors alike about the proper care and treatment of our local turtle population. Every year countless turtles are injured or even killed due to the negligence of the people who share their environment. While a few of these incidences are vicious attacks on these beautiful animals, most often the individual or individuals responsible are simply ignorant of the degree to which their behavior affects these delicate creatures.”

“
Your project sounds fascinating,” I said.

“You
’re welcome to join us if your schedule allows while you are visiting. During the development phase we try to meet once a week.”

Ellie turned to me.
“What time are the guys due back?”

“They didn’t say for certain
, but I’d guess any time now. I know they mentioned diving this afternoon. Do you dive?” I asked Malie.

“
As often as I can make the time. Pono and I were diving a few months ago and found what looked to be debris from a shipwreck. There was nothing to verify which vessel the objects came from, but we thought it would be fun to try to locate the ship, so we began a structured search of the area. We still haven’t found anything conclusive, but we’ve found enough to suggest something is there. We’ve been mapping our efforts, so we feel we are narrowing down the probable location of the ship itself, if there is indeed a ship to find.”

“I’d love to dive on a sunken ship,” I
told her.

“We could use some extra divers
. I should check with Pono, but if it’s okay with him, maybe you and anyone else in your group who is certified can join us.”

“Zak, Levi, and I are
certified,” I volunteered.

“Ellie?”
Malie asked.

“I prefer to stay on the surface
, but I like to snorkel. It would be fun to go along for the ride. Do you think the ship you’re looking for contains some kind of treasure?” Ellie wondered.

“We really don’t know. At this point
, all we have are a few random items we found on the ocean floor and a sense of adventure that propels us to keep looking. The first thing we’ll need to do is identify the wreck. If we can find something that is unique to a specific ship, such as an item with a name or family crest, or perhaps a unique piece of jewelry, we can go to the library to do some research to see what we’re looking at. Once we know which vessel the artifacts we have recovered originated from, we can come up with a better plan. If the items turn out to be a major find, we will need additional equipment and financial backing. Personally, I’m not sure I want to get into something like that, but there are people we can turn the salvage operation over to if we get to that point.”

“The local library would have this type of information?” Ellie asked
.

“
Not necessarily, but my uncle has an extensive library that has been handed down through the family for multiple generations. Within the library are very old documents such as ship manifests. I guess treasure hunting is in my blood; both my father and grandfather had the bug.”

“Maybe you can have them help you with your search,” I suggested.

“My father and grandfather are both dead. My uncle will be a valuable asset if we find something, but he never learned to dive. He’s much more of an intellectual than an adventurer.”

“Are there a lot of sunken ships in this area?” Ellie asked.

“Not as many as in the Bahamas, but we have our fair share of downed vessels.”

I found myself hoping that Pono would agree to let us tag along.
A treasure hunt for a sunken ship was exactly the type of distraction everyone in our battered group needed to take our minds off the problems we’d vowed to leave behind.

Later that evening, we decided to use one of the gift cards I’d won to treat ourselves to dinner in Kaanapali. Malie had recommended that we try one of the restaurants in the Whalers Village. Not only were there fantastic dining options but there were retail shops and a museum as well. Zak focused on the museum, Ellie preferred shopping, and Levi headed straight for the oceanfront bar at the Hula Grill.

I was torn. Either the bar or shopping sounded like a lot more fun than watching a movie about whales or looking
at centuries’ old artifacts, but Zak was my boyfriend and I felt that he deserved a little Zoe time.

“I think I’ll go with Zak,” I declared
, like the wonderful girlfriend I am.

“S
hould we meet for dinner in an hour?” Ellie asked.

“Sounds good.”

I slipped my hand into Zak’s as we headed up the stairs to the museum, though I couldn’t help but notice the tops in the window of the shop Ellie was heading into.

“This is nice
.” I leaned my head against Zak’s arm as we found a seat in the back. The tiny movie theater was empty at this time of day.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be shopping with Ellie?”

Yes, I would.

“Are you kidding?” I answered. “I love whales. Besides
, I missed you today. It seems like we haven’t had a lot of time together lately.”

“Yeah
.” Zak sighed. “Things have been hectic.”

“I’m looking forward to the luau tomorrow
, but it would be nice to have some alone time too.”

Zak put his arm around me and pulled me close to his body. I could hear his heart beating against my ear. I’ve
discovered that the steady rhythm of Zak’s heart has the ability to calm me even when it feels like the world is spinning out of control.

“I’ve been to the museum before if you’d like to do something else,” Zak offered.

“Did you have something in mind?”

“We don’t have to meet the others for an hour. We could take a walk down the beach
, or maybe look through a couple of shops.”

“You hate shopping.”

“Yes, but I love you.” Zak kissed me gently.

Suddenly
, I wished we could head back to the house, but we only had one car and Levi and Ellie had planned a full evening of entertainment.

“Besides,” Zak added
, “there’s one store I’d like to check out. You game?”

“Of course.”

Zak left a large donation for the museum and we left while the movie was still playing. We walked hand in hand through the village, which featured a variety of shops catering to a wide range of tastes and interests. When Zak walked into a jewelry shop, I almost had a coronary. It was possible he might be in need of a new watch, but I feared he was looking for something of a more personal nature. I knew Zak wanted to take our relationship to the next level, but to be honest, the next level really wasn’t something I was quite ready for.

“I saw this
the last time I was here.” Zak picked up a gold necklace with a delicate chain and an artfully crafted sea turtle. “It made me think of you. Do you like it?”

I frowned. “The last time you were here? When was that?”

We’d only been dating for six months, and Zak had only been back in Ashton Falls for eight.

“A couple of years ago.
When we walked by the window, I realized they had the same necklace.”

“You saw the
necklace and it made you think of me a couple of years ago? You weren’t even living in Ashton Falls then.”

Zak placed the necklace around my neck and latched the clasp. It re
ally was beautiful. “Just because I wasn’t living in Ashton Falls doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking of you.”

I
would never admit it, but I didn’t think about Zak much at all during the years he was traveling the world.

“You used to think of me after you left
Ashton Falls? Why?”

The truth of the matter was that we had been arch nemes
es before we’d reunited the previous fall.

“Why do you think?” Zak asked.

“You didn’t even like me,” I pointed out.

“Of course I liked you. I loved you. Always have and always will.”

I was pretty sure I was going to cry.

“Always?” I whispered.

“I can’t believe how beautiful this is,” I gasped as Zak helped me from the seaplane that had pulled up to the dock of the private island where Keoke’s grandparents lived. There were several smaller homes near the dock that I imagined must belong to the workers, while the main plantation house was set on the far side of the island to take advantage of the spectacular views.

“Keoke’s family has owned the island for
several generations and they take great pride in the home they’ve created. Wait until you see the house. You’re going to love the simplicity of the plantation style combined with the elegance and beauty of the natural wood and bamboo.”

The path leading from the dock to the house was heavily planted with
plumeria, hibiscus, orchids, roses, and other fragrant plants. Exotic birds greeted visitors with song as artful waterfalls cascaded into pools of clear water. No expense had been spared to create the perfect tropical paradise. As we neared the house, the path, which felt like something created for a Disney ride, opened up onto a large lawn with strategically planted shade trees. In the center was a big pond where birds of a variety of breeds floated on the clear, fresh water.