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After she ended the call, she glanced around at her tour group.
Angel wished he could do more to help the situation, but he suspected Leilani had everything under control.
“I’m sorry to inform you that we will not be able to continue our waterfall tour due to multiple flat tires,” Leilani said. “I have help on the way, but if you’d like to take a seat in the bus, you’re more than welcome, and I can run the air conditioner.”
The older members of the group filed into the crippled bus and sat in the seats.
Angel and his teammates gathered around Leilani.
“Someone slashed those tires,” Reid said.
“Any idea who might have done it?” Angel asked.
Leilani shook her head, her brow creased. “No, and this isn’t the first incident like this.”
Angel reached for her hand. “What else has happened?”
Her fingers curled around his. “Someone tampered with one of our tour boats.”
“In what way?” Angel asked.
“They filled it with diesel,” she said.
“That could happen to anyone not paying attention at the pump,” Angel countered.
Leilani nodded. “The only thing is there’s no credit card record of the boat being refueled. My guys use the company credit card every time. They don’t pull that kind of money out of their pockets. And the boats don’t come out of the water often, only when they’re drydocked for maintenance. Diesel pumps aren’t anywhere near where my guys fuel up. Someone had to bring the diesel to the boat and pour it in.”
“Your guys?” Dev’s eyebrow cocked. “You’re not just a tour guide?”
Leilani shook her head. “No. I’m the lucky owner trying to keep my business afloat until we can return to some sense of normal.”
“Color me impressed,” Dev said. “I admire strong, smart women.”
“Because you’re a wimpy dumbass,” Reid quipped.
Angel ignored his teammates' banter, more concerned about this woman’s troubles. “Any other issues?”
She nodded. “I might’ve counted the diesel off as an employee mistake, but one of the rails on the boat had been cut almost all the way through. When my boat captain leaned against it, the rail snapped, and he fell overboard.”
“Damn.” Angel squeezed her fingers gently. “Is he okay?”
“Fortunately, he wasn’t injured, but the boat has been out of commission for a couple of days to drain the tank, change the spark plugs and repair or replace the damaged rail. That’s several days of canceled tours, and that crew has been out of work.” She sighed. “Today’s event will be another hit to Windsong Tours when I refund money because we couldn’t complete the entire tour. As it was, we were going to be tight on making payments on the new bus we had to buy when the old one burned in the fire.”
“Didn’t your insurance cover the bus?” Reid asked.
Leilani laughed. “They covered the current value of the older model bus, not the replacement value of getting a new one. Without the income from the storefront businesses we had on Front Street in Lahaina, our only sources of income are the land and sea tours—and we were just starting to get reservations as tourists return to Maui.”
“Why would someone want to sabotage your business?” Teller asked.
Leilani raised her hands, palms up. “I don’t know.”
“A scorned lover?” Dev offered.
Angel shot him a narrow-eyed glance.
“What? It could happen,” Dev said. “I had an old girlfriend key my truck. Slashed tires aren’t that different.”
Leilani chuckled. “No old boyfriends. I haven’t been on a date in over a year. Between the businesses, the fires and recovery...” She shook her head.
