House of the Hanging Jade Read Online Free

isn’t easy,” Akela said with a laugh.
    I followed her along the lanai, which seemed to run the entire length of the house, to a large covered seating area. It contained a dining table and ten chairs, a huge daybed with batik coverings and pillows, a comfortable-looking sofa and matching armchairs, several occasional tables, lots of large potted tropical plants, and a small wet bar.
    â€œIs this where the family eats dinner?”
    â€œMost nights, yes. Once in a while they eat in a small dining room on the other side of the kitchen.”
    â€œHave the Jorgensens always had a personal chef?”
    â€œAs long as I’ve been here. The last one left about a month ago.”
    â€œWhy did she leave?” I knew I was being nosy, but I couldn’t help asking.
    â€œHe. And it was because he hated working for Mrs. Jorgensen. But you didn’t hear that from me.” Akela grinned.
    â€œUh-oh.”
    â€œI wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll probably get along with her much better than he did.”
    â€œI hope so.”
    I followed Akela down the length of the lanai. She stopped at an open doorway and gestured inside. “This is Justine’s room. She’s the Jorgensens’ daughter and she’s a sweetheart. You’ll like her. You probably don’t really need to know where her room is, but I figured you ought to know your way around the house.”
    I nodded, looking in and noting more beautiful koa furnishings and light pink, girly accents. Akela continued to the end of the lanai and turned a corner. This side of the lanai overlooked the pool, guesthouse, and more gardens. She stopped and indicated another open doorway. “This is Marcus’s room. He’s the Jorgensens’ son. Your typical teenage boy. Again, you probably don’t need to know all this, but this is just to give you an idea.” I peeked in the doorway. More koa furniture, this time decorated in navy blue. Clearly a masculine bedroom.
    My tour continued; near the door where I had entered the house there was a massive spiral staircase. Upstairs was the master suite, which occupied the entire top floor of the home.
    â€œI shouldn’t really be showing you this,” said Akela conspiratorially as we climbed the stairs, “but you’ve got to see it.”
    It was a magnificent space with an airy bedroom, his-and-her bathrooms, two huge sitting rooms that doubled as closets, and a sauna. The entire suite overlooked the ocean, just as the rooms downstairs did. At the bottom of the spiral staircase, the lowest level of the home contained a huge family room, bigger than any I had ever seen, and more storage space than I could have imagined. The family room led directly to a lush ground-floor courtyard and a sparkling pool. We walked out to the pool and Akela indicated the guesthouse nearby.
    â€œThe guesthouse has two suites, each with its own bedroom and living room. The suites also share a workout room, a common den, and a huge common kitchen. Whenever guests stay here, they’re invited for meals in the main house. They could cook in the kitchen in the guesthouse, but they usually don’t.”
    â€œAre there guests here often?”
    â€œYes. One of the doctors who works with Mrs. Jorgensen stays here all the time. He lives on O’ahu, so he only goes home once or twice a week. You’ll meet him soon, I’m sure.”
    â€œWhen will I meet the Jorgensens?”
    â€œMrs. Jorgensen will be here in a little while. She wants you to stay until she gets here. You’ll meet Mr. Jorgensen eventually. Well, that’s the end of the tour. I need to get back to work,” she said with a smile.
    â€œAkela, do the Jorgensens have any pets?”
    â€œNo. Why?”
    â€œIt’s just that I have this cat, Meli, who moved from Washington with me. I was wondering if I’m allowed to have her here.”
    â€œI don’t know. No one has ever had