Murder at Dolphin Bay (Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

deserves our respect.”
    “Cole?” Luke asked. “Are you referring to Branson Cole?”
    “Yeah,” Kekoa answered. “Do you know him?”
    Luke nodded. “He’s quite good friends with my father. How did he die?”
    “It’s inconclusive at this point, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say he was drugged,” I answered as I pulled my sweatshirt over my head. “Or at least that’s my theory based on the fact that he had an empty glass beside him that seems to have disappeared before HPD was able to retrieve it. I mean, why take the glass unless it was to hide evidence?”
    “I thought he died in his sleep,” Drake countered.
    “That’s what everyone was saying at the scene, but the guy’s eyes were wide open when I lifted the hat off his face and his features were somewhat distorted. I’m betting he died in some degree of pain but was unable to move or even call out for help. If you ask me, whatever drug was added to his drink paralyzed him before it killed him.”
    “Ew. Do you need to be so graphic?” Makena complained.
    I rolled my eyes. I really didn’t know what Cam saw in the newest member of our little group. She’s such a girl.
    “If he was drugged, do you happen to know if the HPD has made an arrest?” Luke continued.
    “Not as far as I’ve heard.” I made myself a plate of the food that had been set out on the table. The selection of fresh fish that had been grilled to perfection indicated that Brody had used his time off to do a little spearfishing.
    “Based on the deep furrow in Jason’s forehead when I saw him just prior to leaving the resort for the day, I’d say the ME confirmed my suspicion about drugs contributing to the man’s death. I also think he’s confused by my report about there being a glass on the table next to where the guy was sitting, and he’s been unsuccessful in tracking down the redheaded witness and the woman who brought over the drink.” I looked directly at Luke. “You know the guy; do you have any idea who might want him dead?”
    Luke didn’t answer right away, but I could tell he was seriously considering my question. I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised that Luke knew Branson Cole. Cole was rich and Luke came from a wealthy family. It had always seemed to me that the rich and influential among us tended to form a pretty tight bond that seemed to exist for the express purpose of keeping the less affluent at arm’s length.
    “Do you know how long Branson had been on the island?” Luke asked.
    “He checked into the tower suite three days ago,” Kekoa supplied. “I’m not sure if he had just arrived on the island or if he stayed somewhere else before his reservation with us.”
    Luke pulled his phone out of his backpack and headed down to the water’s edge. I watched as he paced back and forth, talking to someone. The sun had set some time ago so it was dark, but the moon provided just enough light for me to see Luke running his hand through his hair in a fairly agitated manner. Luke had said he knew the man. Maybe he did know who’d killed him.
    Luke himself had arrived on the scene almost two years earlier. I’m not sure how he got hooked up with Brody, who’s a very different kind of person than Luke appears to be. Not that I really knew Luke all that well. Sure, he seemed to pop up at a lot of the same events I attended, but I went out of my way to avoid him, so I’d really only said a handful of words to him in all the time I’d known him. I’d noticed Luke watching me from time to time with a serious look of contemplation on his face. I’m not sure what was going on in that head of his, but I found the whole thing to be both creepy and oddly exciting.
    “Looks like Kilo made it after all,” Cam announced just as I was on the verge of ripping my brain out for admitting even to myself that I found Luke somewhat exciting.
    My heart filled with anticipation as I turned toward the parking lot in anticipation of the arrival of the love