A Quest for Murder by Kay Hadashi

Author:Kay Hadashi [Hadashi, Kay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

As soon as she was out in the departures area of the airport, a young skycap baggage handler in a red vest and white shirt came up to her.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any bags. I’m not even sure of where to…Natsuko?”

“Yes, I’ve already managed your luggage.”

“Do you know what flight I’m supposed to take? Or even the airline?”

“Island Hopper Airlines.”

“I see. I’ve never heard of them.”

“They are just inside. Please, to hurry. Your flight will be leaving soon.”

“I really need something to eat,” Melanie said, feeling some whining in her near future.

“Mustn’t miss your flight, Miss Kato.”

With her newly updated passport in her hand, Melanie went off in search of Island Hopper Airlines. It was a small counter with only one clerk there, in fact, Natsuko. She smiled as Melanie approached.

“I sense a pattern starting,” Melanie said, as she walked up to the counter.

“I have your boarding pass ready to go, Miss Kato. It is leaving soon, so please hurry to your gate. Have a pleasant flight.”

Walking away slowly, Melanie looked at the boarding pass. It indicated Gate A, unusual since the Maui Airport’s gates were all numbered. All she could figure was that it was a new airline using a new gate constructed specifically for it.

The gate was at the far end of the main terminal, and as expected, Natsuko was the airline gate agent, ready to scan the boarding pass and send Melanie down a set of stairs to the tarmac. It was midmorning by then, the weather warm and sunny, with strong trades blowing through. It was the first thing that had made sense all morning. Climbing the stairs at the rear of the small airliner, she discovered the cabin attendant was indeed Natsuko, which was no longer a surprise. Taking her seat, she drank the complimentary carton of juice that was brought for her before letting her eyes close. When she felt a bump and a jolt, she realized she had dozed off again, and the plane had landed at Honolulu International Airport.

“Do I take another flight from here?” she asked Natsuko as she left the plane. “Or do I have something to do here?”

“Please go to the arrivals curb, where you’ll be met.”

“I need a meal if you expect me to keep going at this pace.”

Natsuko’s face began to change from its usual soft and feminine way. Cheekbones bulged, eyes widened until they wrapped around the sides of her head, and her nose grew into a sharp point. Her gentle features had been replaced by something wicked and ugly, a beast that only a spirit could reckon. “Please go to the arrivals curb, where you’ll be met for the next segment of your journey.”

Melanie took a step back. The message was clear: no more questions, no more requests, no more permission. Once it was apparent Melanie was going to be obedient, Natsuko’s face returned to its usual appearance as a youthful, pleasant woman.

Her stomach grinding, and feeling as though she was carrying a full military rucksack on her back, she went to the arrivals curb where Natsuko was waiting.

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