Chapter 3

3

The next morning dawned bright, clear, and just the right temperature; the kind of perfect Hawaiian day that still took my breath away. As I walked down to the beach for a morning exercise swim in my bikini, passing the rec center, I could feel excitement about the upcoming auction buzzing through Ohia like electricity. Aunt Fae had already been out and about since the crack of dawn, zipping around working on the event.

I spotted Elle jogging towards me, her long legs eating up the distance effortlessly.

“Kat!” Elle slowed to a walk beside me. Even exercising she looked gorgeous, her mixed heritage giving her a natural tawny glow. “Heading to Rita’s after the beach?”

“Yeah. Aunt Fae brought in more donations for me to take over.”

“I’ll join you. Aunt Fae wants me to double-check the items and start an inventory so we can separate the silent auction and live auction items.”

“Sounds good.” I was grateful for the company. “How’s the planning going?”

Elle grinned. “Like a well-oiled machine.” Her medical researcher’s precision was evident in her work as an event planner, too. “The rec room at the state park is going to look amazing. We’re even setting up a little stage for musicians and a dance area near the pool.”

We arrived at the beach. Elle had a fear of water she was working to overcome, so she shed her shoes and socks and waded in up to her knees. I dove into the bright blue water of Ohia Bay and did my laps. As always, getting my blood flowing in the beautiful clear sea lifted my spirits.

We chatted on the way back to our neighborhood. “I’m excited my parents are coming out to visit this year,” Elle told me. “They’re bringing my little sister Gabby. She is going to love Ohia. They arrive tomorrow.”

“Oh, let me know if you need any company showing them the sights,” I said. “I’ll be sure to give Garbanzo a warm welcome.”

“Don’t you dare use her full name,” Elle scolded. “I’ll be in so much trouble for letting the Beane out of the bag.”

“Elle L Beane, her secret’s safe with me.”

Freshly showered and changed, the two of us arrived at Rita’s in Elle’s car to find Aunt Fae already there, clipboard in hand. Rita was busy in the kitchen, and the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air. Maile was helping Aunt Fae as Lilikoi played around their feet, batting around a stray piece of Styrofoam packing material.

“Morning, girls!” Aunt Fae called cheerfully. “Ready to turn this garage into a staging area for our auction?”

We nodded. “I’ll bring these boxes in,” I said. “I’m the muscle.”

Elle pulled out her tablet. “I’ve got the floor plan for the community room right here. We should organize things based on where they’ll be displayed.”

“Excellent idea,” Aunt Fae said. “Let’s begin with our star attraction, the Queen’s Ornament. We’ll need to set up a special display for it.”

“Oh, I like that name for it,” Elle exclaimed. “Great PR title.”

As Aunt Fae reached in among the piles for the ornament box, Keone arrived in his truck. He got out, his phone pressed to his ear. He seemed deep in conversation, his brow furrowed in concentration, and this was the third time I’d seen him like this lately. What was going on? My curiosity was definitely piqued.

Aunt Fae’s sharp intake of breath snapped my attention back to her. “Girls,” she said, her voice unnaturally calm, “please tell me one of you moved the ornament.”

Elle and I exchanged worried glances. “What? No, we haven’t touched it since yesterday. Why?” I asked.

Aunt Fae slowly turned to face us, her expression a mix of disbelief and growing worry. “It’s not here.”

The world seemed to tilt for a moment.

“I brought it here yesterday, straight from the Pahinuis,” I said, rushing over to the box with Elle right behind me. But Aunt Fae was right.

Where the ornament should have been nestled in its bed of kapa cloth, there was nothing but empty space.

“Oh no,” Elle breathed. “This is not good.”

Keone, apparently finished with his call, joined us. “What’s wrong?”

“The Queen’s Ornament,” Aunt Fae’s voice was tight. “It’s missing.”

As the reality of the situation sank in, I felt a familiar mix of dread and determination settling over me. “Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s not panic. We need to retrace our steps and talk to everyone who was in and out of this garage since yesterday when I dropped it off.”

Elle, ever the organized one, already had her tablet out. “I’ve got a list of everyone who’s been involved in the auction prep and might have stopped by. We can start there.”

Aunt Fae nodded, her composure returning. “Good thinking, Elle. Keone, can you check the security of the garage? See if there’s any sign of a break-in. I’ll go talk to Rita.”

As Aunt Fae headed into the house, I turned to Keone and Elle. “I’ll start looking around here. Elle, can you start calling people on that list?”

They both nodded, but I couldn’t help noticing Keone seemed distracted, his eyes flicking to his phone. “Sure, good idea. I’ll, uh, check the perimeter first.”

As he walked away, Elle and I shared a look. “Is it just me, or is he acting weird?” Elle whispered.

“It’s not just you,” I murmured back. “But let’s focus on finding the ornament for now.”

Fifteen minutes later, we regrouped, all empty-handed. Rita joined us, looking worried.

“I can’t believe this,” she said, wringing her hands. “Nothing like this has ever happened here before.”

Suddenly, Aunt Fae straightened, a familiar glint of determination in her eyes. “Kat, Keone,” she said, her voice taking on a tone I recognized from childhood—the one that meant she had made up her mind about something. “I need to speak with you two privately.”

Exchanging curious glances, Keone and I followed Aunt Fae to a quiet corner of the garage, away from the others.

“Listen,” Aunt Fae began, her voice low but intense. “This isn’t just about a missing auction item anymore. That ornament is irreplaceable, and its disappearance could have serious repercussions.”

I nodded, feeling a knot form in my stomach. “We understand, Aunty.”

Aunt Fae took a deep breath. “I want you to find the ornament as K it was about preserving history, protecting our community’s trust, and hopefully, saving the auction that meant so much to Aunt Fae and Ohia.

No biggie. No pressure at all. “We got this,” I muttered. But did we?