Wings in the Dark Read Free Page B

picture of an Oriental building of some kind. Japanese? Chinese? Hawaiian? I thought I’d seen the place before, but I drew a blank.
    Mikayla caught me looking and closed the door. As they say, once a private detective, always a private detective.
    Understandably, the woman was reserved and kept her personal life to herself.
    “I didn’t realize you lived here.”
    “I could rent a place with more comfort, but I have a wonderful view and the lapping of the gentle waves helps me sleep.”
    I gave her a slight bow. “Thanks again.”
    Mikayla returned the bow. “Wait, Mr. Donovan. Most tourists with enough money to vacation in Hawaii are not as…as pleasant as you and your wife.” She nodded toward the front window where a soft breeze stirred Laura’s hair as she gazed toward Tony and a group of surfers riding the waves. Him again.
    “A woman so beautiful, you should take dancing. Plenty of nightclubs in Honolulu.” She pointed out the window on the other side of the shop where a five-year-old Oldsmobile sat beside a gray pickup. “I also rent automobiles. Ten dollars.”
    The car looked like it had seen plenty of miles, but if Mikayla maintained the vehicle as well as her bicycles, the Olds would serve our needs. “Any particular club you’d recommend?”
    She shrugged. “Tourists say good things about the Mambo Club. It’s down the road from the hotel. You could walk if you prefer.”
    I’d had enough exercise for the day. A drive would be a relaxing change. I’d come to value Mikayla’s recommendations more than those of the hotel’s staff. “Have you been there?”
    She laughed. “I possess many skills, Mr. Donovan. Dancing isn’t one of them. And besides”—she held up her nails—“who’d ask me to dance?”
    “I would, for one.”
    She dismissed me with a laugh.
    “I think I’ll take you up on your suggestion and rent the Oldsmobile.”
    “After I clean it up a bit, I’ll leave the car parked in front of your hotel.”
    “Thank you.” Excited by the prospect of surprising Laura and taking her to a place where she could dress up, I went outside and took her hand. The sun began to set as we strolled down the beach toward our cabana.
    Laura moved closer to me, her hip bumping mine, suggesting another night of romance ahead.
    As we reached a beachfront bar lit with flickering torches, Laura offered to buy me a drink.
    I was still getting used to the availability of booze everywhere, including beaches. “Sure.”
    “Let me order something tropical.”
    “You mean fruity, without whiskey?”
    Laura smiled. “When in Rome…”
    A minute later, she handed me a red, sweet-smelling concoction in a coconut cup. I took a sip. Though the drink lacked any sense of booze, it was sweet and delightfully Hawaiian. As we made our way toward our cabana, a high-pitched shriek shattered the calm of the beach.

Chapter 3
Papa Loves Mambo
    The shrill scream stopped everyone. As a reflex, I reached to my side for a gun I no longer carried and spilled some of my red drink on my trousers. A teenage girl on a beach towel beneath a bright yellow umbrella held both hands pressed to the side of her face and stared in our direction. What could have prompted the outburst?
    The girl scrambled to her feet and raced toward us. She skidded to a stop, kicking up sand. Her face neared the color of my drink, and she appeared ready to collapse. “Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Laura Wilson!”
    Since her first movie came out, plenty of fans had fawned over Laura, but this was ridiculous.
    Laura smiled. “What’s your name, darling?”
    “It’s…it’s…”
    For a moment, I didn’t think she’d be able to recall her name in all the excitement.
    She blurted out, “Eleanor, Eleanor Caldwell from Cincinnati.”
    When the flush faded, even her dark bookworm glasses didn’t hide her pretty, fresh-faced innocence. She was sixteen, maybe seventeen, with strawberry blond hair, green eyes, and a face sprinkled with freckles.