Poe's First Law: A Murder on Maui Mystery

by Robert W. Stephens

  “That’s ridiculous. Foxx sees Ava all the time. He also completely supports her financially. I’m one of the few people who knows what he pays Hani. The truth is that she wouldn’t even have to work if she didn’t want to. Foxx’s payments are beyond generous,” I said.

  “I’ve come to realize that my earlier negative opinions of Douglas were heavily influenced by Hani.”

  “Foxx is a good guy. He may not have handled his relationship with Hani well, especially the way it ended. But he’s not the villain in this story. Neither is Hani. They’re simply two people who broke up and couldn’t get along.”

  “He showed me a lot of kindness after what happened at the party. I was surprised.”

  “You shouldn’t have been.”

  “I know that now.”

  “You said Hani wanted to see her father again. Did she ever try finding him?” I asked.

  “I encouraged her to do it several times. She said she didn’t have the courage. As we got closer to the wedding, she told me how sad she was that her father wouldn’t be there to walk her down the aisle.”

  “Hani really said that?”

  “At least three or four times. That’s why I went looking for him. I knew his name and I knew his family had a successful business. It took me less than a minute to find him online.”

  “What did you say when you contacted him?” I asked.

  “I sent him a long email. I explained who I was and why I was reaching out to him. We emailed each other several times. Then we finally spoke on the phone. It’s my fault that he came to the party. He didn’t want to reintroduce himself to them that way, but I thought Hani would be thrilled that he would be at the wedding. She’d told me it was what she wanted.”

  I’ve never claimed to be the wisest fellow, but there are several truths I’ve learned over the years. One of them is that you can’t always believe people when they say they want something. In fact, I’d wager that you should disbelieve them most of the time. If they wanted something, I mean truly wanted it, then they’d find a way to get it themselves.

  “Have you spoken with Sora since the party?” I asked.

  “I spoke with him this morning at breakfast.”

  “He’s a guest here at the hotel, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, I booked him a suite once he agreed to come.”

  “He told me last night that he’ll be here on the island for another two weeks. Is that still correct?”

  “I don’t know. When we spoke this morning, it sounded like he was going to change his flight and head back to Japan early,” Yuto said.

  “That makes sense.”

  “Is there something else you can do for me?”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “Can you let Alana know I’m sorry for any hurt that I caused her? I intend to apologize to her in person, but I assume I’m the last person she wants to see right now.”

  “I’ll let her know. Alana knows your heart, Yuto. She understands you’re a good person.”

  “Thank you. I would have been honored to have you as a brother-in-law. I’m sorry it hasn’t worked out.”

  “Don’t give up hope. The fat lady hasn’t sung yet,” I said.

  “The fat lady?”

  “Sorry, it’s probably not polite to use that phrase anymore, but it generally means that the show isn’t over until the woman of above-average weight appears on the opera stage to sing the final song. The point is, until you hear from Hani herself, I wouldn’t assume anything.”

  Yuto didn’t respond.

  “I do have one question,” I continued. “What do you think of Sora Hu? Does he seem sorry for what he did?”

  “He does. He thanked me for opening the door to a possible reunion with Hani and Alana. You should have seen the look on his face when I picked him up at the airport. It had been over thirty years since he’d been on Maui. All he wants to do is repair his relationship with his children.”

  I nodded.

  “Thank you again for coming here, I appreciate your friendship.”

  “You’re welcome, Yuto. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

  Yuto walked me back to the lobby and I got my car out of valet. I thought about driving to Harry’s to get something to eat, but then I decided to go home instead. The truth was that I wanted to be alone. It wasn’t even night yet, but I was already feeling wiped out.

  The alone time was not to be, though. I saw Alana’s car in the garage when I got back to the house. I found her sitting on the sofa and watching some trashy reality TV show.

  “I was surprised you weren’t here when I got home. I was just about to call you,” she said.

  I sat beside her on the sofa.

  “I had a couple of meetings today.”

  “With who?”

  I told Alana about my meeting with Guy Livingston and his attorney. I also broke the news that I’d agreed to look into his case, which was embarrassing to admit. My decision seemed even more ridiculous when I told someone else about it.

  “Why are you helping him? I thought you were convinced he was guilty,” Alana said.

  “No one is more surprised by my actions than I am. I guess I just wanted to keep myself preoccupied.”

  “And one murder investigation isn’t enough?”

  “Good point.”

  “Sorry, I’m not trying to criticize. I’m doing the same thing. I cancelled the rest of my vacation. I go back to work tomorrow.”

  “Does that mean what I think it does?”

  “I’m not sure yet. Hani’s still trying to decide what to do about the wedding. What was your second meeting about?” Alana asked, changing the subject.

  “I met with Yuto.”

  “He called you?”

  “Yes, right as I was leaving the jailhouse. I drove by the hotel and we talked in his office.”

  “Let me guess. He wants you to solve his problems and get Hani to take him back.”

  “Not at all. First, he said Hani won’t communicate with him, so he’s in the dark as to what she wants to do. Second, he asked me to let you know that he’s sorry for any pain he caused you. He says he intends to apologize in person, but he knows you don’t want to see him now,” I said.

  “Well, that’s one thing he got right.”

  “I’m not interested in defending Yuto’s actions.”

  “Then don’t.”

  “But there are two sides to every story.”

  “I already know his side. He wanted to make Hani happy. That doesn’t excuse his stupidity.”

  “Yes, but did you know that Hani expressed to him many times that she wanted to be reunited with your father? She also told him that it was her wish for your father to walk her down the aisle.”

  Alana said nothing.

  “I figured Hani didn’t tell you guys that,” I continued.

  “So now you’re on Yuto’s side?”

  “No, I just thought you should know that little piece of information. Did you three come to any kind of conclusion today?”

  “No, other than the fact that we’re going to do everything we can to avoid my father.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that. Yuto said he’s probably going back to Japan early. For all we know, he could be at the airport now.”

  “Wouldn’t that be nice.”

  I stood.

  “I think I’m going to prep for my interview with Eric Ellis’ former girlfriend. Foxx and I are going to try to meet with her tomorrow.”

  “Do me a favor, Poe. Don’t try to fix this.”

  “I’m not. Yuto needed someone to talk to. That’s all. He doesn’t have family on this island, and I wanted to lend an ear. I didn’t commit to anything but listening. As far as your father goes, I recognize that’s up to you, Hani, and your mother to work out. I’m here, though, if you need someone to talk to. I’m even available if you need someone to yell at,” I said.

  “Thank you. I’ll do my best not to yell.”

  “Don’t hold back. Sometimes
we need to let it out.”

  Before Alana could respond, Maui walked up to the sofa. He sat by her feet and looked up at her.

  “See, even Maui wants to help,” I continued.

  Alana bent over and scratched him on his head.

  “Thanks, Maui.”

  Alana turned back to me.

  “My father is staying at Yuto’s hotel, isn’t he?”

  “I found that out today,” I said.

  “Did you see him while you were there?”

  “No, I didn’t. Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious.”

  “I understand.”

  And I did. Alana was saying more than she realized. She might have told me that she had no interest in seeing Sora, but I didn’t believe that. There was still a part of her, somewhere deep inside, that wanted to see him again. Did that mean that I was going to try to create another meeting between them? No. There was no way I was going to do that. Alana would need to make that move on her own.

  11

  The Girlfriend

  Alana was gone by the time I woke the next morning. I doubted she was really anxious to get back to work. Rather, it was obvious that she wanted to throw herself into something that would help her mind escape the mess we were all in.

  Foxx and I had arranged to meet at Harry’s around eleven since Gracie Ito lived in Lahaina. That left me plenty of time to do my morning exercise and take Maui on a walk. I realized during this time that I had a big decision to make.

  If Gracie implicated Mele Akamu and offered no other possible suspects, I needed to decide whether to continue with the investigation. I had no desire to work for another guilty client. Yes, I know that makes me a hypocrite since I’d agreed the day before to look into Guy Livingston’s case. What can I say? I was possibly off my game as much as Yuto was. Okay, I wasn’t that bad.

  I drove to Harry’s a little early so I could get lunch, which was another ridiculous move on my part since our refrigerator was overflowing with the leftover food from the party. Sometimes, though, you just want a change of scenery, and I was anxious to be around people once again.

  Kiana was behind the bar. I said hello and ordered a burger and fries – a guilty indulgence intentionally designed to improve my sour mood. The food was good, as I knew it would be, and I’d almost finished when Foxx arrived. He looked at the remnants of my lunch and turned to me.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting here early? I’ve just been hanging out at the house.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t really think about it,” I said.

  “You ready to go? I’m anxious to get to this interview. I have a feeling this is the one.”

  “You’ve really thrown yourself into this case, haven’t you?”

  “It’s fun. I like a challenge.”

  “Then let’s get to it.”

  We left Harry’s and drove about ten minutes to Gracie’s apartment. I’d learned from her social media accounts that she worked as a waitress at a nearby hotel. The photos she’d posted indicated that she worked the night shift, so I thought there was a good chance she’d be home. I wasn’t wrong.

  Gracie cracked open the door and I saw she’d kept the little chain lock engaged.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “Yes, Ms. Ito, my name is Edgar Rutherford. This is Doug Foxx. We’re hoping you could spare us a few minutes of your time. We’d like to talk to you about Eric Ellis.”

  “You’re with the police? I already talked to that detective.”

  “Yes, Detective Josh Parrish. We’re consultants with the Maui Police Department. We spoke with Lee Walters the other day. He told us to say hello.”

  The Lee Walters comment must have convinced her that we were trustworthy, for she closed the door, unlocked the chain, and then opened the door again.

  “Please come in,” she said.

  Gracie Ito looked a lot like Alana. She was around the same height, maybe five-six, and she had long black hair and dark eyes. She was dressed in a light-blue surfer t-shirt and tan shorts.

  We followed Gracie into her apartment. It was typical of Maui apartments, which is to say it was small. Of course, that didn’t mean the rent was cheap.

  Gracie walked over to a chair and sat down. Foxx and I sat on a sofa beside the chair that probably should have been left on the side of the road where Gracie had probably acquired it. I felt a spring go right up you-know-where, and I assume Foxx did too based on the grunting sound he made.

  “What did you want to know about Eric?” Gracie asked.

  “You were Eric’s girlfriend at the time he went missing, is that correct?” I asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “Did you two live together?” Foxx asked.

  “Yes, we lived in Eric’s house. I moved out after he disappeared. I’m sure the bank foreclosed on the property.”

  “Another member of his family didn’t take over?” I asked.

  “Eric’s family was poor. It wasn’t like they could handle the payments. I certainly couldn’t. That’s why I left.”

  “At that time, were you aware that Eric was leaving Mele Akamu’s employ?” I asked.

  “Eric and I told each other everything. I knew he was unhappy, and he was willing to do anything to get out.”

  “Does that mean you knew his plan to blackmail the Akamu family?” Foxx asked.

  “I told Eric not to do it. I told him to just walk away.”

  “Do you know why he didn’t follow your advice?” I asked.

  “He said Mele Akamu would never let him leave. He needed to force her to let him go. That’s why he threatened her. It wasn’t about the money. It was to let him leave. Eric had changed. He wanted out of the game.”

  I didn’t believe that for a second, nor did I think Gracie believed it. But we all create little fantasies in our mind to protect the images of the ones we love.

  “Do you know if Mele Akamu sent Samson to speak with Eric?” I asked.

  Gracie laughed.

  “Speak with him? Is that what you call it?”

  She stood and walked into the kitchen. She grabbed a laptop from a small table and walked back into the living room where she had a seat again. She clicked a few times on the mouse pad and then turned the laptop so we could see the display. It was a photograph of a badly beaten Eric Ellis, at least I assumed that’s who it was. The man’s eyes were black and blue, and he had bruises and scrapes on his cheeks and chin.

  “Does this look like ‘speaking’ to you?” Gracie asked.

  “You took that photo, I assume?” Foxx asked.

  “Yes, I came home from work and found him like that. I wanted to call the police, but he wouldn’t let me. I took the photo as proof of what they’d done to Eric. I transferred it to my laptop because I couldn’t bear to have it on my phone any longer.”

  “Is it possible for you to email me that photo?” I asked.

  “Of course.”

  I gave her my email address, and a moment later, I heard my phone ping.

  “How much time passed between this beating and when Eric disappeared?” I asked.

  “Maybe a couple of days. He got a call at night from Mele Akamu. He said he needed to go see her to make peace. Eric never came back.”

  “Did you call the police then?” Foxx asked.

  “I was going to, but then Samson came to see me. He said he’d kill me if I spoke to anyone about Eric, especially the police.”

  “Did Samson hurt you too?” I asked

  “No, he didn’t lay a finger on me.”

  “I’m surprised you stayed on Maui,” Foxx said.

  “Where was I going to go? My family was here. I didn’t have any money.”

  “We heard that Eric had problems with Tavii Akamu. Do you know anything about that?” I asked.

  “Eric hated Tavii. He thought he was spoiled. Plus, Tavii always gave him a hard time.”

  “Do you know why?” Foxx asked.

  “Eric would always say tha
t Tavii took a disliking to him on the first day they met. I think Tavii was jealous of Eric. Mele Akamu always asked Tavii why he couldn’t be more ambitious like Eric, at least that’s what Eric told me.”

  “Did Eric have any more enemies other than Tavii and Mele Akamu?” I asked.

  “There was one argument I overheard. The same day that Eric went missing, he got into some heated exchange on the phone with someone. I asked him about it afterward, but he told me not to worry about it. He said it would blow over.”

  “Did he tell you the person’s name?” Foxx asked.

  “No, but I heard him say Stan on the phone.”

  “No last name?” Foxx asked.

  “No, just Stan, and I don’t know anyone by that name,” she said.

  “And you have no idea what the argument was about? Did they mention money or anything like that?” I asked.

  “No, I definitely didn’t hear anything about money. I would have remembered that.”

  “Did you hear Eric say Tavii or Mele’s name to this person?” Foxx asked.

  “No, I’m sorry, but I don’t know what it was about. Eric raised his voice a few times during the call. He usually didn’t do that.”

  “Other than members of the Akamu family and this Stan person, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Eric?” I asked.

  “No, there was no one.”

  “Thanks, Ms. Ito. We appreciate your time,” I said.

  “Do you really think you can prove Mele Akamu killed Eric after all of these years?” she asked.

  “We’re going to do our best to find who killed him,” I said.

  “What do you mean? We already know it was Mele Akamu.”

  “It certainly might have been, but we still have to find the evidence,” I said.

  We stood and Gracie walked us to the door. We thanked her again and made our way back to Foxx’s SUV.

  “How do you think that went?” Foxx asked as we climbed into his vehicle.

  “We got one new lead out of that interview,” I said.

  He put the SUV in reverse and backed out of the parking space. Then he pulled onto the road and we started the drive back to Harry’s.

  “Yeah, but a pretty thin one at that. Some guy named Stan, but she had no idea what they were talking about. Do you believe her?”