After hearing Aunt Audrey's news, I didn't make it to the Overlook Chapel. Instead, I walked back to the Wedding Center and mentally tried to sort out everything that had happened.
I called the police station and talked to the same desk sergeant. I was disappointed but not too surprised when they said Jake wouldn't be able to have visitors for the rest of the day.
I knew Jake's parents lived on Maui. I hoped they'd heard about what had happened and were working on getting him a lawyer.
Since it was Friday, Dorothy had left at three o'clock. I knew she'd be doing happy hour with her friends at Beachcomber's, a local dive bar on the other side of town. Actually, I was a little relieved I didn't have to answer any more of her questions about Jake.
Leilani came into the office and shrugged off her backpack, letting it fall with a plop on the conference table. "Well," she asked, "what'd I miss today?"
I sighed and shook my head. "Plenty. I'll have to tell you about it on the way to the Overlook Chapel. I'd planned on checking on it during the afternoon, but I didn't make it. I'd like to go over early and make sure it's set up for the rehearsal."
"Okay, let's go now," she said as she grabbed the video camera and the tripod. "Don't forget to take the office digital. We'll get everything set up at the chapel, and then you can tell me what's been happening while we wait for everyone to show up."
* * *
As Leilani and I were winding our way through the resort, we saw Wealthy Derek and Long-haired Victoria. They were strolling down one of the walkways leading from the bungalows to the beach. Victoria was smiling and holding his arm, appearing to have dropped all pretense of only being friends.
After hearing that Derek had been missing, I was thrilled when I saw he was alright. I'd been having visions all afternoon of yet another dead body.
As we watched the couple coming towards us, it looked like Derek had been doing better than simply okay. When he spotted us, his face flushed red with annoyance and maybe a touch of embarrassment. We often see the look, and we know exactly what it means.
"Aww," Leilani said, "That's sweet. Derek's doing the walk of shame. It's our first confirmed hook-up of the week."
"It seems like it," I said. "I only hope it doesn't lead to more problems between the sisters."
As Victoria and Derek strolled past the entrance to the main pool, we heard a high-pitched shriek and watched as a woman ran up to the couple.
What the …?
The new woman also appeared to be Victoria. Both versions of Victoria had on the same vibrant makeup and colorful floral aloha shirt. They both wore the same white denim shorts and had the same long honey-blonde hair.
"What did you do?" the new woman bellowed out at the Victoria who'd now let go of Derek's arm. "How could you do that to me?" she yelled. There was a lot of pain and anger in her voice.
"You stupid freaking cow," the first Victoria shouted at the new one. "Derek's mine. You know he's always been mine."
For his part, Derek's eyes shifted back and forth between the two identical women, confusion etched on his face.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Leilani asked. "Why are there two Victorias arguing over Derek?"
"Geez," I moaned as I took in the situation. "One of them must be Madeline."
"Yeah, okay, I get that. But which one is which?"
I studied both women as they shouted at each other, hands-on-hips.
"Look at the shoes," I said. "The new woman who just ran up is wearing cobalt heels. That's the real Victoria. I talked with her a couple of hours ago. I wonder if she's been at the Hula Hut the entire time?"
The Victoria in the cobalt heels turned to Derek. "And you," she said as she shoved him hard in the chest. "You can't even tell the difference between my sister and me? Are you a complete idiot?"
"Don't call him an idiot, you stinky little turd," Madeline yelled back at her sister.
Victoria reached out and grabbed a handful of Madeline's long hair. As she pulled, a fistful of blonde strands came free.
"Extensions?" Leilani asked. Then understanding came into her eyes. "Oh, she must have had them put in yesterday. She had me set up a long appointment for her at the Hair Affair."
"I guess that explains the hat she's been wearing," I said.
Victoria then gave Madeline a hard shove, causing her to topple backward, landing on the grass with a thud. Victoria quickly scrambled on top and sat on her chest, straddling her. I could imagine them doing the exact same thing as girls growing up.
"How could you do that to me?" Victoria moaned as she looked down at her sister while trying to hit her in the face. Madeline easily blocked the punches. Her sister was crying so hard she couldn't land an accurate blow.
Leilani and I hurried over to try to calm the situation. To his credit, Derek quickly stepped in and pulled Victoria off her sister, even as she tried to get in one last punch and kick. Both sisters then stood and glared at each other, panting for breath.
Madeline glanced at Derek, then back to her sister. Suddenly, she relaxed and flashed Victoria a wicked smile. It was a grin that said she'd gotten what she'd wanted, and now her sister could do with Derek as she pleased.
Victoria caught the meaning behind the looks and the smile. She burst into fresh sobs, turned, and hurried down the path in the direction of The Lava Pot.
Madeline looked down at her aloha shirt. "Huh, my stupid sister ripped off one of the buttons," she said with a tone that implied she couldn't care less about her shirt. "I'd better go back to my room and change."
She then lightly placed her fingertips on Derek's cheek. "See you at the rehearsal, tiger."
With that, Madeline turned and sauntered back in the direction of her bungalow, presumably to get dressed for the evening.
For his part, Derek still seemed a little stunned. "Uh, I guess I'd also better go and, um, get ready for the run-through tonight," he said, clearly at a loss for words.
"It's a crazy world, isn't it?" Leilani asked the billionaire, a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.
As Derek disappeared down the path to his bungalow, I looked at my best friend. "You really love the drama, don't you?"
"Are you kidding?" she asked. "It's the best part about this job. I can't wait to see what happens at the reception."
* * *
The group met at the Overlook Chapel a few minutes before five for the rehearsal. I introduced everyone to Reverend Blake, the short, heavyset minister who'd worked with me many times before.
During the afternoon, Carly had recruited Deshawn, another friend from college who'd arrived at Aloha Lagoon the night before. She'd explained what had happened, and he'd agreed to stand in for Alex.
The parents of both the bride and groom had arrived and were sitting with Aunt Audrey on some white wooden chairs we'd placed on the lawn. The rest of the wedding guests would be arriving on the late flight into Lihue.
Justin, the groom, introduced me to his two brothers, who would act as the ushers. They both seemed competent and friendly, two good qualities for attendants.
Except for Derek, Madeline, and Victoria, the group was in a relatively good mood, all things considered. The two sisters spent the entire rehearsal staring daggers at each other while Derek looked mildly amused at the turmoil he'd helped cause.
I quickly discovered I needed to juggle my original grouping of groomsmen and bridesmaids. I'd already mentally placed everyone by height, but that would have put Madeline and Victoria next to each other.
Clearly, that wasn't going to work anymore. I was surprised they'd both shown up, and I wasn't going to risk another fight by having them stand next to each other.
The rehearsal went as well as I could have expected. Carly started to cry as her father escorted her down the aisle and then again as she took Justin's hand. I always take that as a good sign.
Reverend Blake smoothly went along with all the last-minute changes. He'd told me previously he'd had more than his share of difficult weddings over the years, and he seemed to take everything in stride.
After the rehearsal, I'd arranged for two of the resort's big ten-person golf carts to drive everyone over to Starlight on the Lagoon. As I'd come to expect, the restaurant was truly spectacular.
With colors inspired by the ocean, the décor was simple and clean. The waitstaff was efficient and mild-mannered, and, of course, the food was fresh and flawless. Even the smiling man playing the piano seemed to do so effortlessly.
As the best man, Derek was in charge of the toasts. He turned out to be quite adept at telling funny stories about the bride and groom from their days back in college.
Although Victoria and Madeline didn't openly misbehave, I caught several sideways glances and whispered conversations as the rest of the group learned what had happened. The fact that Madeline now had the same long hair as her sister filled in some of the missing details for those who already knew about the siblings' dating history.
The ongoing drama seemed to amuse everyone, and the sisters' situation only added to the festive mood. I even overheard Justin telling Carly that having Victoria and Madeline fight over a man brought back some fun memories of their time together in college.
After dinner, the men and women split into groups for the bachelor and bachelorette parties. The women were going down to a local bar called The Lanai Lounge, where an assortment of male strippers would be performing.
The men planned to start out at Beachcomber's, the dive bar where Dorothy had gone for happy hour. After nine o'clock on Fridays, the men could cheer on some of Aloha Lagoon's finest ladies as they danced.
Although I'm often asked, I never attend these parties. As the wedding planner, I don't want to know what happens when the bride and her maids go out for an evening of drinking.
* * *
I had a restless night, and when my alarm went off, I felt more tired than when I'd gone to bed. Feeling anxious and fidgety, I quickly dressed and drove to the office.
Since Jake was still being held by Detective Ray, and there was a killer on the loose at the resort, I knew I had to keep alert to ensure things went perfectly with the wedding. Even though the first event wasn't going to be until noon, I planned to spend the morning going over every little detail.
Opening my tablet, I started my ritual of setting up for the day's festivities. I'd been a wedding planner for almost ten years by this point. Going through the checklist always calmed me and filled me with the confidence that everything was covered.
Since the weather was forecast to be perfect, with no rain and only a light breeze, the reception would be held outside on the Maluhia Patio. It was a cozy spot between two buildings with an area for a DJ and a good-sized dance floor.
The patio was one of my favorite reception areas at the resort. Thousands of tiny white Christmas lights were strung overhead and in the coconut palms. When turned on, they looked like a sky full of stars. They gave the space a warm, soft glow at night.
I went out to the patio and was happy to see the tables and bar already being arranged into their proper places. Tonight's music would be provided by one of my regulars, DJ Ocean Motion. I knew he'd arrive about an hour before the reception and get set up.
I then delivered the stationery box, which included the place cards, napkins, and menu cards, along with the bride's custom decorations to Juls in her office. She'd apparently just arrived for the day. Like me, she was working off a checklist as we reviewed the final arrangement details.
After ensuring everything at the main building was on track and going smoothly, I decided to go out and see how things were coming along with the setup of the Overlook Chapel.
As always, the morning was peaceful and quiet. Other than a few guests going to breakfast or returning to their rooms, there wasn't a lot of activity as the resort slowly came to life.
I walked by the main pool, where a maintenance man was hosing down the deck. Another man rearranged the poolside chairs and umbrellas to prepare for the crowds that would soon be arriving.
As I passed by The Huts, I saw Orson sneaking down a path leading to one of the bungalows. Rather than the happy expression he usually wore, he seemed focused and perhaps even angry. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were staring straight ahead.
What is he doing?
I purposely hung back to see what he was up to, although a deep sense of dread had started to creep over me. There was only one of The Huts down that path, and I knew it was the one we'd reassigned to Derek earlier in the week.
My mind started to race. Orson had the strongest motive to have committed the first murder, and his hatred of Derek was well known. Now he was creeping towards Derek's cottage. I foresaw a series of horrible events playing out in my head.
Keeping close to the bamboo foliage lining the path, I watched as Orson went up to Derek's door. He then searched the ground around the hut, as if looking for something specific. He finally picked up a short but stout branch that had fallen off a nearby kauwila tree.
Orson tested the branch's weight—it was apparent he'd chosen it as a makeshift club. He then went to the bungalow's entrance, pulled a small black box from his pocket, and used it to open the door.
As Orson disappeared inside the cottage, I pulled out my phone and called Jimmy Toki. Even without my prior suspicions about the groomsman, breaking into another guest's room was definitely crossing a line, even for someone else in the wedding party.
I stood impatiently on the path while the phone rang several times, then rolled into voice mail.
"Jimmy, this is Kristy," I said, trying not to let the panic I felt creep into my voice. "Something's going on in Derek Williams' hut. It's 1207. Orson Cross just used a keycard and went inside. Come over right away."
I disconnected and sighed in frustration. Sure, Jimmy could check his messages right away, but he could also do so in an hour.
I waited about a minute, then decided to call Jimmy one more time. Maybe he'd simply ignored my first attempt and would answer when he saw I was calling him back. If not, I'd need to call Detective Ray directly.
The phone had rung once when a voice whispered into my ear: "What are you doing?"
I squealed and dropped the phone. Derek calmly reached down and picked it up. "Sorry, Kristy," he said, handing the phone back. "I didn't mean to startle you. Why are you sneaking down the path to my place?"
"Orson's in your hut," I said quietly. "I was calling security to come over and straighten things out."
"Well, now there's no need," he said. The wide sarcastic smile from earlier in the week was back. "We can go together and figure out what he's up to."
I was about to tell him to wait for security, but Derek was already striding down the path to his bungalow. When we were almost at the door, he paused and pulled a small semi-automatic pistol out of his pocket.
"What are you doing with that?" I whispered frantically. Seeing the gun caused my anxiety level to rise several notches.
"Are you kidding?" he whispered back. "After everything that's happened here this week, I thought I might need it."
Derek took out a keycard and pressed it against the lock in his door. It opened, and he slipped into the room.
I looked around for Jimmy, hoping he would magically appear. When he didn't, I waited for a few extra heartbeats, then followed Derek inside.
We crept through the lower story, which consisted of a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Fortunately, a TV was on in the living room, and I knew it would help hide the noise we were making. We didn't see Orson, but we heard some movement on the second floor.
Derek didn't hesitate. Still holding the pistol, he crept up the stairs.
I'd decided to stay on the first floor when Derek turned and looked at me. He urgently motioned me to come along with him. Foolishly, I followed him up to the second floor.
When we reached the top of the landing, Orson was clearly visible in the bedroom, going through Derek's luggage. His back was turned toward us, and he was too intent on what he was doing to notice we were there.
"Here it is," Orson said to himself as he pulled out something from the suitcase.
I felt a deep wave of disappointment roll over me. I'd genuinely started to like Orson. Even after everything I'd discovered about his grudge against Alex, it had been hard for me to think of him as a murderer and a thief. Still, I couldn't dispute what I was seeing.
"Don't move," Derek said in a quiet yet firm voice as we walked into the bedroom. "I have a gun. You'll need to explain yourself."
Orson's head jerked up. It seemed he'd been so intent on what he was doing in the suitcase that he didn't hear us come in. He made a move to grab the club lying on the bed, but Derek brought up the pistol and pointed it at Orson's chest.
"Don't even try," Derek said. "I don't want to shoot you, but I will."
Orson stared at the gun, and he knew the game was up. His face went pale, and he took a couple of slow steps backward, his hands raised in front of him.
"Have a seat," Derek commanded, gesturing with his pistol to the side of the bed. He then used his free hand to pick up the club.
As Orson carefully lowered himself on the edge of the mattress, I saw what he'd been holding in his hand.
"What are you doing with Aunt Audrey's necklace?" I asked.
"You better ask him that," Orson said, looking at Derek. "It was in his luggage. I just pulled it out. Everything makes sense now."
Derek slowly shook his head. "So, you found the necklace? That's a shame."
With a smooth, swift motion, Derek swung the club. It made contact with the side of Orson's head with a thud.
The game designer's eyes rolled up into his head, and he let out a soft moan. He then slumped over on the bed, and the room became quiet.