Page 81 of Duty and Desire

“Then a mai tai can only improve the situation.”

I laughed. “Bring it on.” I’d avoided alcohol the last two days. The state I was in, it wouldn’t have helped. If anything, it would have made things much worse.

“Did Aulani pass my message on?” I nodded, and he inclined his head toward the rear of the bar. “Then watch your step,” he murmured. “That’s the journalist, last table on the left. The guy on his phone.”

“In that case, I’m staying right here with my drink.” I grinned. “The company’s better too.”

Kai got on with the job of pouring juices and rum into a cocktail shaker, and I helped myself to peanuts, keeping my back to the ocean. When Kai cleared his throat, I knew it meant trouble.

“You’re Giovanni Colonna, aren’t you?” Hans Hasler leanedagainst the bar, regarding me with an intense gaze that made me squirm.

“You have me at a disadvantage.” I kept my tone neutral, my voice low and even.

“The name’s Hans Hasler. I’m a journalist.”

“I wanted to be a journalist once,” Kai muttered. I blinked, then spotted the twinkle in his eyes. “I had to rethink that. Turns out I could never be one.”

Hasler frowned. “Why on earth not?”

“I didn’t qualify.” He gave Hasler a polite smile. “My parents were married.”

I had to fight the urge to snort.

Hasler bristled, then returned his attention to me. “Can we pick a quiet corner and talk?”

I stared at him with wide eyes. “Sure, but I can’t think for the life of me what you’d want to talk about.”

I could play dumb too.

He gestured to a table out on the deck. “How about there?”

“Fine by me.”

Kai handed me a bigger than usual glass, filled to the brim, and adorned with two cherries and slices of pineapple. “Here. You’re going to need this.”

I had a feeling he was right.

I followed Hasler to the table, and we sat. “So, what can I do for you? I’ll be honest. I didn’t think anyone knew I was here.”

Hasler frowned at me in obvious confusion. “Excuse me?”

I arched my eyebrows. “You’re here to interview me, aren’t you? About my next book?”

He blinked. “Well, not exactly.”

Nowhewas at a disadvantage, and it felt just fine.

Hasler leaned back. “You’re an author?”

I nodded. “I write under the name G. Meyer. I assumed that’s why you wanted to talk to me.”

“Sorry, but I’ve never heard of you.”

I brought my hand to my chest. “Well, that’smyego crushed.” I frowned. “Then why are you here?”

He opened his bag and removed a photo. It was of Nick, the same one that had been all over the news. Then he pulled out another. This time it was Kai’s photo from the bar. He pointed to it. “You know this man?”

“Sure. That’s Nick. He works all over the island. He isn’t around at the moment.”

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