He laughed. “You do realize that I’m easing into middle age, right, Auntie Wang? I think I might’ve grown up some since the day you caught me swiping Old Man Johnson’s pineapples at the farmers market. And much of my wisdom comes from you. How many times have you set me on the straight and narrow?”

She laughed. “You aren’t the only one I’ve had to crack the whip on. Don’t forget what your brother—”

“I do have one other name,” Quinn interrupted, remembering the photo from the jewelry box. “I found a picture of what looks like my mom from probably just before she got pregnant with me, posing with another girl. On the back, she wrote Carmen Crowe.”

Auntie Wang lost the smile. “Now that is interesting.”

“You know someone by that name?” Liam asked.

“I’m not sure I know who Carmen is,” Auntie Wang said, “but anyone who has been on Maui for very long knows the name Crowe. There are stories tied to that name.”

Her reply sounded ominous. Quinn wasn’t even sure she wanted to know, but she also didn’t want to not know.

“Can you tell me more?”

“Oh, I can tell you quite a bit,” Auntie Wang said, then stood and gestured toward a red velvet sofa and chair on the far wall. “But we’d better go sit somewhere more comfortable for this. It might take a while.”

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Auntie Wang took center stage in what Quinn assumed was some sort of Asian emperor’s chair, holding court over them as she wove her tale. The painting behind her was a contradiction to the chair, its vivid colors and majestic Maui scene as Hawaiian as it could get.

As Auntie Wang spoke, Quinn scrutinized her face, marveling at how the woman could look Chinese and Hawaiian at the same time. Her skin was nearly flawless, and her eyes were expertly outlined and of the most unique shape. Her nose was small but beautifully sculpted. Yes, the woman was a classic beauty, and Quinn decided she was a masterful storyteller too.

“I don’t know if this Carmen Crowe is of the Maui Crowes, but if she is, then she’s connected to a colorful family,” Auntie Wang began. “Back when I was a kid, the Crowes were known around here as one of the richest families on the island. But they weren’t always that way. Theirs was a true rags-to-riches story, having sold most of the property they owned to a developer for one of those fancy resorts up in West Maui. But before the deal went through, there was a lot of fighting about it.”

“Fighting between who?” Quinn asked.