AWOL at Ala Moana (Maile Spencer Honolulu Tour Guide Mysteries Book 1) by Kay Hadashi

Author:Kay Hadashi [Hadashi, Kay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-02T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

It was a zigzagging two-mile course to follow from the Manoa Tours office near the university to Waikiki, taking her along the streets she knew growing up. There were the large Buddhist temple and neighborhood churches her childhood friends had gone to, and apartment buildings that had changed little in twenty years. She stopped at a small grocery store for a packet of pickled Chinese plums and water, and somehow felt reassured that the place still had the same owner.

When she got to the Kamehameha Canoe Club on the canal directly across from Waikiki, she sat in the shade and watched as a team of paddlers checked their outrigger before practice. It was something she had taken up as a teenager, but never had the time to get involved with competitions. With the simplest of talk, the six-man crew was able to get their canoe flipped over and carried to the water. Taking their assigned places on the narrow benches, they got paddles arranged, and with only a single word cue from their steersman in the back seat, they set off. As always, she was impressed by the precision in working together as a team, even with the minimal guidance. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do, how, and when. After a few minutes, they had passed from her view, and she was left alone at the park.

Crossing the McCully Bridge over the canal, it occurred to her she was following the same route her team followed when she was on the college track team. She’d been one of the distance runners, and it was along here that she’d begin to pull away from the others, even though it had been her second time over the course during a workout. The memories of those sweaty runs seemed to energize her legs, and she picked up the pace. She was at the modern end of Waikiki now, an area of glamorous business plazas and luxury condominiums. The restaurants and bars in this neighborhood catered to high-end clientele, and made most of their money from people on evening dates. Twisting through the maze of narrow streets and lanes, she found an old favorite mixed in with the new, and went in for a quick meal. She’d just been paid, and buying lunch would be Maile’s pat on the back to herself for finding a new job.

In the couple of years since she’d been there with Robbie, it had changed hands to Korean ownership. There were fewer meals and a bigger selection of fruity mixed drinks, and the place seemed to cater to the Japanese youth that flocked to Hawaii. Getting a salad and hard lemonade was all her budget allowed. That gave her the chance to scroll through her contact numbers in her phone. It was Friday afternoon, she had an open evening, and maybe a few extra dollars to spend. More than that, she needed companionship.

“Mom can wait till Sunday to badger me.”

It took an hour of scrolling, calling, texting, and more scrolling to discover her friends already had plans.

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