Hawaiian Princesses

1 The Kala

They were all walking leisurely down the pier to where Marvin was smiling as he welcomed them to the virgin tour of the “Kala.”

There were sixteen of them that were going out to celebrate the first excursion of the refurbished yacht that Brian and Kekoa had been gifted by Remi after he had been captured trying to escape in it.

The yacht at that time was named “Escape” something that Remi had not been able to do.

Brian and Kekoa had renamed it Kala, which meant princess in Hawaiian. It had taken almost a year for it to be repaired, refurbished and then sailed to Maui.

Marvin had applied to be its captain. He spent the year becoming a registered sea captain. He and his experienced deck hand had gone to Houston and then brought it back to Maui.

Brian and Kekoa had spent a great deal of time negotiating a place to dock the one-hundred-foot yacht.

They had reached agreement to have the yacht anchor in the middle of Maalaea Harbor and be allowed to have it pick up people at one of the piers used by a snorkeling tour business. This arrangement allowed them to keep the yacht in Maui.

They had spent a year preparing for the recommissioning party that they were now going out on.

Kekoa had arranged for his aunt to cater the party.

He and Brian would provide the mood music on guitar and piano. The baby grand was attached to the deck so that it would not end up causing an accident.

There were sixteen people in the party itself plus three caterers, Marvin and his deck hand, which meant that twenty-two people were on the trip going around the entire island.

The number seemed large but once they all got on board and situated they seemed to disappear.

The early morning sun had not yet cleared Mt. Haleakalā when the Kala left the harbor. This was Marvin’s first official trip with passengers on the Kala.

He had brought the yacht “Escape” from Houston and then the final internal refurbishment of the yacht took place, and it was transformed into the Kala. He and his deck hand had become close friends as together they monitored the refurbishing.

Marvin was keen on having a smooth trip and making sure that everyone enjoyed the celebration.

He had been surprised by Brian’s and Kekoa’s generosity in both time and money.

He had been able to hire one of the most experienced Hawaiian deck hands who was as eager as he to make sure everyone was able to relax and enjoy the cruise.

Had he been able to listen to the conversations going on he would have been surprised by how varied and in some cases personal the conversations were.

Alex teased Annie about her husband trying to outdo her with the size of his yacht. She had just bought the Golden Goose which was sixty-five feet in length and she was planning to have a party on it as a celebration.

She pointed to the baby grand piano and commented that it was going to be hard for her to put anything like that on her yacht. Additionally, she did not have an island like Maui to sail around and was only planning to take her guests out onto Lake Michigan to fish.

A few moments later she got into a serious conversation with Linda and Lorie about their desire to become detectives. This led her to agree to spend some time with the two of them on the following day.

Aurea was the youngest person on the yacht and wandered around to see what the bedrooms and the internal part of the yacht was like.

She was a little bored, but she found the snacks were delicious and she filled her plate and went up to the bridge where Marvin was located and sat down in the chair next to him and asked questions about what she saw along the shoreline.

It wasn’t long before Sister Ella joined the two on the bridge and engaged Aurea in conversation.

She was curious about Aurea being adopted by Alex and wondered how that had come about.

She was surprised at the Aurea’s confidence and astute description of how it had all come about. She commented that a helping hand from above had taken her to the right home.

Aurea smiled and replied that was most likely true, but it was the heart of a woman she now called mother that had made it all possible.

Sister Ella nodded and said that she had also witnessed how her mother, Alex, had made a difference on the Island as well.

Marvin had been quite during the exchange, and he looked at Aurea with new appreciation for how mature such a young person could be.

Leilani, David, and Malia were enjoying a cool one and discussing the Pool of Blood case that Alex had helped them solve. It had resulted in all three of them being promoted, receiving a bonus, and moving to Honolulu. They were still operating as a team but now had jurisdiction over all the islands. They agreed that it had been a life-changing experience.

Matt was sitting with Kekoa and Brian and sharing the fact that he and Alex were planning to move to her parent’s home in Evanston.

He shared that Alex had purchased the marina where the Golden Goose was anchored and that he planned to become the skipper of the yacht.

When asked what Alex would be doing, Matt smiled and said that he was going to let Alex share that information.

Kaia and Anokoni had been listening to several of the on-going conversations. They looked at each other, Kaia smiled and said that she was glad that they were in business of taking care of young kids at their Day Care and didn’t have to deal with the complexities of the lives of the adults around them.

Lunch time found the yacht on track to make it around the island by late into the afternoon.

Alex chose that time to share the fact that she was planning to leave her position as a lead detective in Cincinnati and move to Evanston. She shared that she had bought the marina where her father kept his boat.

She was planning to hold a celebration and a fishing trip out on Lake Michigan, and they were all invited. She then added that she was going into private practice as an investigator and was working on cementing some deals with the state of Illinois.

She laughed and added that unlike, Brian and Kekoa she did not have the multi-billions that they had amassed, and she would have to do real work.

Annie laughed and added that she agreed that Brian and Kekoa seemed to have too much time to sit by the pool doing their hard seemingly non-existent work.

A short time later Alex was cornered by Lorie and Linda. They both asked if they could join her in her private practice.

Alex smiled and replied that if they were serious they should sit down in the next few days and discuss how that might work.

Brian had overheard the conversation and asked if he could join in so he could relax about where his two princesses were going.

The three of them looked at each other, Lorie shrugged and said that it would be a good idea.

Alex suggested they meet at her place for the discussion and afterwards she would grill some fish and vegetables for lunch. And after lunch they could go for a swim from her private beach.

Marvin announced over the speaker that he was slowing down for the last part of the cruise so everyone that wanted to could try their hand at fishing.

Alex took up a pole strapped into the fishing chair and cast it out behind the yacht. She was chatting with Matt when suddenly she got a hit. If she hadn’t been wearing her seat belt she would have ended up in the water.

Marvin saw the action and slowed down enough so that Alex and the fish which he thought was a yellow fin tuna known in Hawaiian as Ahi could fight it out. It took about thirty minutes for the fish to be alongside.

It was a large one.

He asked if Alex wanted it mounted and smiled when she said that she had plans to put part of it on her grill the following day.

He liked the fact that the fish would end up being eaten and not as a trophy on the wall. He called ahead to have the local fish house be at the pier to handle it.

There were two Wahoo known locally as Ono caught before they made the harbor. Matt caught one of them and Alex decided that it would be the one that got grilled for lunch. She arranged for the Ahi to be cut up and a portion given to each of the guests on the boat.

When they were dropped off at the pier, Alex posed with the Ahi she had caught and had a picture taken. The Ahi was as long as Alex was tall.

It looked like she had caught a giant-sized fish.

Annie asked if it was OK for her to come over with Brian and while the discussion about what Linda and Lorie had in mind she would prepare the lunch with Matt.

On the drive home Matt commented that their lives were taking on a very different path than the last time they had vacationed on Maui.

Aurea asked if she was part of the difference.

Alex laughed and looked at her and said that there was no doubt that she was the most important difference. She had changed her, and Matt’s lives in a dramatic and wonderful direction. And this Maui vacation with her was a very enjoyable one and one that she hoped would be memorable to her.

Aurea nodded and commented that she was happy that she had been left on the porch of very successful and rich parents.

Parents that could afford a magnificent home on the Maui waterfront. Have a black Jaguar in Evanston and a red one on Maui. Be able to take her out to great restaurants and surfing from their home.

She then added that now she would have to get use to fishing off of a boat called the “Golden Goose”, but she preferred her grandfather’s smaller boat which she had named the “Minnow”. She added that she was going to apply to work in the bait house.

Alex smiled and said that the new owner would consider her application for a job as long as homework got done and grades were kept up.

Aurea stood up and gave both of them a hug and said that she loved them.

Alex said that she was a treasure that needed to get her seatbelt back on.

They got to the house and they all carried in the food that they had been given when they got off the yacht.

Alex suggested that they put everything on the kitchen table, get their swimsuits on and go for a quick swim before they got dinner prepared.

That night she and Matt lay in bed talking. She asked if he was OK with all the changes that were going to be happening.

Matt said that he was more than OK, but he was worried that she would be working in an area of the country where she had faced some of her more threatening scenarios.

He made the point that Evanston was nothing more than a northern part of Chicago. He added that he was going to have a much less stressful job, and she seemed to be stepping into a much more dangerous situation.

Alex gave a small laugh and commented that she had faced danger across the whole of the US of A, into Mexico, Canada, and Brazil while she had lived in the sleepy little city of Cincinnati. She had run ins with the Chicago Mafia three times during that same period. She shook her head and said that knowing that the Chief, Bob, and Trevor were all retiring meant that the department would take on a totally different culture. She was going to see if Trey and Johnnie would want to join her organization and move with her to Evanston.

Matt said that he understood her desire to get back to her hometown where they could raise Aurea in a place where she would have similar experiences to that which she had experienced with her father.

Alex nodded and said that her early years with her father and mother had molded her and given her confidence throughout her career. She wanted Aurea to experience the same thing with the two of them.

Matt smiled and said that he was looking forward to having those experiences with Aurea and he agreed with Aurea that they were rich.

2 The Discussion

Alex was preparing some pancake mix when she looked out the window and saw that Aurea was not in bed as she had been thinking but was fishing near the end of the opening that led away from the house out to the ocean. She watched as Aurea caught what turned out to be a nice sized sea bass.

It seemed clear to her that Aurea enjoyed fishing as much as she did.

Aurea came into the house with a big smile as she put the fish into the sink. She said that she was going to clean and prepare it to be grilled for lunch.

Alex went over and complimented her on the great catch and gave her a hug.

She complemented her on getting up early to do some fishing.

She suggested that after she got her fish cleaned and sautéed she get ready for a pancake, egg, and sausage breakfast.

Aurea smiled and added that the pancakes would get smothered in lots of syrup.

Matt came down to the kitchen and helped himself to a cup of coffee and asked if there was a nice hot pancake or two for him. He walked around and gave everyone a hug, saw the fish in the sink and asked who had been up early enough to go fishing.

Aurea said that she had caught the bass and was planning to have it, some grilled corn, and other grilled vegetables for lunch.

“Well, you can work with the grill master who will get everything ready for the grill and later you can be sure to time how long to grill everything,” Matt replied as he put butter and syrup on his pancake.

He broke the over easy egg and watched the yolk slowly spread out over the syrup-soaked pancake. This was one of his favorite breakfasts. He got a combination of pancake and egg to his mouth with his fork, said it was a great way to wake up as he took a sip of his coffee.

Only a few miles away, Linda and Lorie were sitting in their apartment discussing their desire to work with Alex.

Both of them considered her their aunt and called her that. They had fond memories of growing up in Cincinnati and often being visited by Alex and Matt.

They agreed that Matt was their favorite “uncle” to play with.

They were in the process of setting up a private detective office and were trying to get clients. One of their friends had introduced them to an acquaintance who said that she had been raped and that she had filed a complaint that had never been followed up on by the police.

Friends in Cincinnati had also sent them a few potential clients.

They had done their homework and knew that they were just two more people in a sea full of many young men and a few other women trying to get into the same field.

They had talked about applying to some up and running private investigative firms but knew that they once again would be vying against many people trying to do the same thing and in that endeavor they were not sure if they would fit the mold that the investigative firms might want.

They were now discussing how they could get their aunt to hire them or be partners with them and somehow help them get their feet on the ground. They agreed that getting an opportunity with her would be the greatest thing that could happen.

Just down the hill from their apartment building, Brian and Annie were having a conversation that very closely mirrored Linda’s and Lorie’s but from the perspective of concerned parents.

Both of them wanted their daughters to be successful even though they wished that the two were choosing to go into painting or some profession other than private investigators.

Brian commented that the two did not actually need to work but had refused to accept living off the fortune that he and Kekoa had amassed.

Annie responded that she understood and respected their two daughters desire to be on their own. She said that made her proud and she was sure the two would be successful once they got their feet on solid ground

She hoped that Alex would provide some guidance and perhaps be a bridge to that solid ground.

Back in her oceanside house, Alex closed her eyes and relaxed in the shade on the reclining chair. She loved the back yard and the variety of plants that provided the shade. Her favorite were the small coconut trees with small coconuts that were just getting ripe. She loved the sweet juice when she chewed on them.

Her mind was on what Linda and Lorie were likely to ask. She knew they were very good artists but were also into the intrigue that their father, Brian was into, in his quest for wayward billionaires.

She wished the two had followed Annie into being artists but knew that it would be as hard for them to get started there as it would be to get started as independent investigators.

But she knew that art was dramatically less dangerous then being an investigative detective.

She had thought about how she could help the two. It depended on the work relationship the two wanted to set up. She had been on the gun range with them and knew they were both excellent shots and both owned the latest top end revolvers.

They had both graduated close to the top of their classes. Linda had a BS in Finance and Lorie had a BS in Mechanical Engineering and both had minored in art.

She knew from talking with Johnnie that the two were very good at surfing the internet in search for information. There was no doubt in her mind that the two were very talented.

She was not surprised when Annie came around the side of the house carrying a dish. She was followed by Linda, Lorie and Brian all carrying a dish of some sort. She got up and led the way into the house and had them put the food on the kitchen table.

Aurea lifted the lid of each dish and commented that they would all go well with the fish and vegetables that they would grill for lunch.

Matt welcomed everyone and said that he was leading the way out for a swim and then when he got back he would get the grill fired up and get lunch set up in the backyard.

Alex suggested that Linda, Lorie, and Brian pour themselves a glass of lemonade or iced tea and follow her to the lounge chairs in the back yard.

Once they were all seated she asked Linda and Lorie to share what they had in mind.

Linda shared that she and Lorie had talked about having offices in Oahu, and Cincinnati where they hoped to get coaching from her. They were both open to some sort of business relationship but would be honored if they could be junior partners in her new investigative practice that she was starting in Evanston.

Alex said that she had thought about how the three of them might work together. She suggested that they become junior partners in a firm that might be called Evercrest and O’Neil. They would begin by becoming licensed private investigators in the states of Hawaii, Ohio, and Illinois.