Page 18 of Wired Fear

Penny slipped on a pair of reading glasses and pulled out a yellow pad from a small stacking organizer. She grinned up at them, looking more Buddha-like than ever. “Oh, I have a perfect plan in mind. We can do print and online exposure for you and your event, and also some signage around town and the dock area where travelers and visitors would see it.” She slipped off the glasses to make eye contact with Sophie. “How did you hear about us?”

“We are big fans of the Merrie Monarch Festival.” Sophie smiled back at the woman—it was impossible not to. “We heard you handle their PR. Did you do that big billboard over by the airport? Very attractive.”

“Well, it’s not a billboard,” Penny temporized. “Billboards are against the law in Hawaii. But it is the maximum signage size allowed.”

“I loved the image of the hula dancers,” Jake enthused. “We thought we’d like to get a package similar to what you provided for the Festival. You must really blanket the state and beyond to draw the kind of crowds into Hilo that the Festival brings!”

“The Festival is a unique event.” Penny was still smiling, but it had gone stiff at the edges of her mouth. “Merrie Monarch has a life of its own, a following that is dedicated to supporting it. Not much is needed to keep it visible in the public’s eye and imagination.”

“You don’t have a big budget with them?” Sophie raised her brows inquiringly. “I know I saw that sign by the airport. What else do you provide for them?”

“Well.” Penny put her glasses on and looked down at her notes. “As I was saying, these two things are apples and oranges. One is a big, annual, well-established event and has a lot of momentum and huge local support. Your event? Forgive me for being blunt, but no one cares about it. It’s going to need a lot of money and effort to get you even a margin of the same kind of visibility. I’m thinking TV and radio spots. Ads in the newspaper and local publications. An online presence on all the popular Hilo and Hawaii travel sites. You’re talking fifty to a hundred grand, depending on what options you choose.”

“Hmm.” Jake glanced at Sophie. “We’ve got some venture capital funds, but I think we should get a budget from you, a rough outline of what you could do for what kind of spend, before we make a final decision. Right, honey?”

Sophie liked the sound of the endearment—it definitely gave her a warm feeling to play the part and call Jake her boyfriend in public. “That seems like a reasonable plan. But first, tell us about your staffing. Do you have many people working for you, to put all this in motion?” She gestured to the closed door. “I didn’t see anyone but your receptionist.”

“We have several other employees, but most of them operate remotely. A lot of the work can be done via computer and phone,” Penny said. “What are your deadlines? Branding? I need a lot of information on your company to come up with a proper package.”

“Our date is flexible.” Jake was already getting to his feet. He took Sophie’s hand and drew her up to stand beside him. “We’re just shopping right now. Please put together your best offers for different spend levels, send it to this email address, and we’ll get back to you.” He handed her a business card with a name and logo they’d created.Follow Me Faraway Travel Agencywas printed on the card, along with a burner phone number and email they’d use for this investigation.

“By the way. Are you related, by any chance, to Terence Chang?” Sophie tilted her head demurely. “I met Terence in college, and he told me he was from Hilo. I thought we could look him up since we are new to the area.”

Penny’s smile was a mere twitch of the lips this time. “Terence is my cousin. But then, so is half the island.”

Sophie chuckled politely. “Does he still live around here?”

“He does.” Penny’s dark brown eyes glinted coldly. “You want his number? Look in the phone book.”

“There will be many, many Changs in the information database.” Sophie frowned. “That is not helpful.”

Jake cut in. “Ah, ha! Not your favorite person. We get that. Friends you choose, and family you’re stuck with. I know the feeling. Thanks for your time, and we’ll look for your estimate on email, or give us a jingle on the phone.”

“You’ll hear from me,” Penny said. Sophie felt a shiver zip up her spine at the woman’s glare. Jake tugged Sophie’s hand, and she followed him out of the building and down to their SUV.

Evening cast long shadows over the narrow, two-lane, winding road as they headed back toward the Banyan Tree Motel with Jake in the driver’s seat. “What was that about?” Jake asked. “You spooked her. What does Terence have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know.” Sophie rubbed the scar on her cheekbone, her gaze on the tall, swaying grasses and spreading albizia trees edging the highway as Jake drove. “I just think Terence might be useful to us here. I know he has been trying to go legit. I’ve been thinking of reaching out to him.”

“But why would he help us with anything? You testified against his cousin!”

Sophie shook her head. “Perhaps it was a foolish mistake. But now we know that Penny Chang is not a friend of Terence. Maybe that could be useful.”

“And maybe she’s going to call him and tell him a couple of suspicioushaoleswere asking about him,” Jake grumbled. “I doubt she even does the estimate for us.”

“We’ll have to feed her more info about our travel company. Maybe even put down a deposit. But I could hear in her tone when talking about the Merrie Monarch what her rationale is for not spending all the funds. She thinks the Festival doesn’t need the advertising. She doesn’t think stealing that money is wrong.”

“I heard that loud and clear, too,” Jake said.

Sophie yawned. “I took that nap but I’m still tired. I wish we could finish the day now, but I need you to take me back to the office. I have to meet Hamilton for more work on our confidential project.”

Jake tightened his mouth but said nothing.

Sophie reclined her seat and curled up, tucking her hands under her chin.Was tiredness a sign of early pregnancy?

She really needed to just find the courage to take that test.

They drove toward Hilo in silence, and Sophie fell asleep again.

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