Accidental Eyewitness. Alice Zogg
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of Guadalajara. Her plan was to share that house with her older daughter, who could then afford to get rid of that savage husband of hers.
Domenica tried not to dwell on the scary five-hour flight that awaited her. Instead, she concentrated on the practical side of the undertaking. She recalled the end of her talk with Señor Nobel. He had said, “It is your decision who and how many helpers you want to take along. I trust your judgement. The only requirement is that they are legally documented in the US. I will pay them more than the going rate for domestics, and of course take care of their travel expenses. I haven’t yet talked to Hermina Tovar, our cook, but see no reason why she’d refuse to come on board.” To that, she had answered, “With Hermina in charge of the kitchen, I’ll only need one person to help me. Between the two of us, we can cope with a dozen people.” Then Señor Nobel had asked if she had someone in mind, which she did. And now she needed to ask that person and then report back to him.
Domenica’s choice was her friend Rosa, a homemaker who would welcome earning some extra money. She was sure her friend was going to jump at the chance but uncertain whether her husband, Carlos, would let her go. He was old-fashioned regarding his wife. If Rosa couldn’t come, she had at least three other people in mind who would be more than happy to fill the spot.
My daughters won’t believe me when I’ll tell them that I’m flying to Honolulu, Hawaii, she thought. In fact, she had a hard time believing it herself.
CHAPTER 7
Kurt, Barbie, and their domestic employees were on the way to the island a day ahead of time to get the place ready. On Friday, April 7, they boarded an early-morning flight from LAX to Honolulu, Hawaii. Except for a few executives, the newlyweds and the musicians hired for Barbie’s performance had the business class cabin to themselves. Kurt had booked a couple of extra seats to accommodate the band’s instruments.
Soon after takeoff, Kurt reached for Barbie’s hand and said, “You’ll love the Isle of Ease! This coming week is dedicated to celebrating with our friends, but afterwards, we can vacation on it anytime we please.”
She nodded, but was doubtful whether she would have the time of her life there. From what she’d gathered, the place was cut off from civilization, not exactly a happening spot.
She asked, “How big is it, again?”
“The isle is less than 0.4 square miles. It doesn’t even take an hour to walk its perimeter.”
“And there are no other people on it?”
“Our estate is at the southern shore with no one nearby. On the north shore, I’ve rented out a few vacation cabins, and an old Polynesian hermit lives on that part of the island. He wasn’t happy when I built the hotel. I have no idea how he feels about the private residence. There is also a general store up there, but it’s not always in operation.”
“So how does the hermit get his supplies when the store is closed?”
“As far as I know, a boat with provisions, such as food and other necessities, anchors periodically at the north shore. Maybe monthly, or once every two weeks. I’m not sure.” He smiled at her and said, “You won’t come in contact with the man, so don’t worry about him.”
Back in economy class, Domenica kept her eyes closed in silent prayer. At take-off, when the jet engine had made the most horrible racket and she had been pushed deep into her seat during the steep ascent, it had taken all her self-control not to scream out loud in panic. Instead, she had held on tight to Hermina to her left and Rosa on her right. Her grip had been hard and would likely leave blue marks on both their arms.
Now, with the seatbelt sign off and the plane cruising steadily above the clouds, Domenica made the sign of the cross, thanking God to have survived so far. And when the flight attendant offered her a snack, she gratefully accepted it, realizing that she was starved. She had skipped breakfast at home, too nervous to eat with the worry of the ordeal that lay ahead.
The two men in the seats immediately behind Domenica and Rosa introduced themselves - - not bothering with last names - - after realizing they were both part of the Nobel household.
“I’m Chris, the pool maintenance guy,” the young, sun-bleached towhead said, “and I’ve seen you around the Beverly Hills Estate. You’re the gardener, right?”
The middle-aged Latino said, “My name is Emilio and I think for the next week I’ll be more like the maintenance person. There isn’t much gardening to be done. For instance, I have to install strings of lights and set up tables and chairs in preparation for the outdoor party tomorrow night. And for the rest of the week, I need to make sure the grounds surrounding the vacation house are in tip-top shape. Should be a piece of cake. Mr. Nobel assured me that all equipment needed is still there from when the place was a hotel.” He chuckled and added, “I’m also gonna be the official porter, helping people with their luggage.”
“I was told to give you a hand when needed, as taking care of the pool won’t keep me busy for long.”
“Good to know.”
Chris asked, “What is the name of the boat we are to board out of Honolulu?”
“I don’t remember. The boss flies on the same plane. Knowing him, he’ll have an escort show us the way to the harbor and his yacht if he can’t do it himself.”
“Have you been to the Hawaiian islands before?”
Emilio replied, “My wife bought a church raffle ticket and won a trip for two to Maui a few years ago. We loved the place. I haven’t been on Oahu or any of the other islands.”
“I’ve never visited there at all. Come to think of it, I’ve never even been farther south than the Baja California Peninsula.” Seconds later he wanted to know, “Do you suppose we’ll have time to visit Pearl Harbor?”
“No way, young man! We’re not tourists but the working crew. Remember?”
That established, they donned their headsets, and Emilio watched a movie while Chris played video games.
CHAPTER 8
Kurt had it all arranged like clockwork. Bedding, linens, and other nonperishable supplies had been transported to the island previously. On that Friday, a day ahead of the guests, they lunched on sandwiches on his yacht before he moored it at the Isle of Ease’s landing. He told Barbie to wait while he escorted the domestics and musicians to their accommodations in a separate structure behind the main house, which had served as the hotel employees’ quarters.
When he came back with the gardener, who would help with their luggage, he found Barbie at shore’s edge, looking up at the three-story dwelling, mesmerized.
Kurt said, “You like the looks of it?”
Entranced, she replied, “It’s an enchanted castle!”
He nodded. “I opted for a fairytale appearance with the hotel’s exterior. As for the remodeling, I had them change the overall look as little as possible. Most of the conversion was done to the interior.”
As they approached the entrance, he made a point of carrying her over the threshold, ignoring the weak spot in his back that periodically flared up.
From the outside, the building gave the impression of a charmed castle out of a fabled storybook, but once one stepped indoors, the place was modern with every contemporary comfort imaginable. From the high ceiling entrance hall, there was a spiral staircase leading up to the second and third floors, but Kurt led them straight to the elevator.
Stepping into it and pushing “P” for penthouse, he turned to Barbie and said, “I’ll show you around the ground floor later. I’m sure you’re anxious to unpack and freshen up.”
When entering the master bedrooms he thanked the gardener, now acting porter, for his help and dismissed him.
Barbie checked out the gigantic rooms. The first sported a sturdy four-post