North Shore Nanny

by Terry Ambrose

Kai crossed her arms over her scrawny chest. “That is so not true! Mom paid the bills every week.”

  Juliana gave Kai a reassuring hug. “I know.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “What?” Juliana stared at me. “How do I know she paid the bill? June called me and asked how the new service was doing. I told her it was fine, but I wasn’t being paid. She exploded and said she’d get to the bottom of it. She even offered to advance me a week’s pay, but I refused. I figured it would only complicate matters.”

  Logical, but was it true? If June had been aware of a payroll issue, why hadn't she mentioned it before? Would she cite attorney-nanny privilege, or claim it slipped her mind? “Did anyone else know about this?”

  Juliana nodded. “I did find the other nannies at the bar and Maisy started complaining about how tight money was. It didn’t take long for us to figure out we were all getting the same excuse from Trinity.”

  “So what happened?”

  “We made a pact to go see Trinity on Monday. We never got to do that because she died over the weekend.”

  “You should have told my mom. She would have made Mrs. Kraft pay.”

  Juliana knelt next to Kai. “I know, but we wanted to keep this out of the courts. Especially me. I’ve already got a reputation as a troublemaker, so the last thing I need is another lawsuit.” Juliana looked up at me. “Put yourself in my position. If your resume says you sue your employers, who’s going to want to hire you?”

  I cocked one eyebrow at Juliana. For me, an even bigger issue would be a potential employee who kills their employers. That would definitely be grounds for a “thanks, but no thanks” response. “I’m not judging your life, Juliana. I just want to get to the bottom of this. Do you think—no, I don’t care what you think of the other nannies, Chance and I need to check them out. Who are they?”

  “Maisy Docks, Leilani Smith, and Willie K. I can never pronounce her last name, but it flows off her tongue and sounds like music. I doubt if any of them are the killer.”

  “You can’t worry about anyone else. It’s your innocence we need to prove. We have to make the cops look elsewhere. If you didn’t commit murder, someone else did.”

  Juliana nodded and her shoulders slumped. “Well, if you’re looking into who else knew about our little pact, there’s also Haku.”

  Off to the side, Alexander shook his head. “Haku wouldn’t commit no murder.”

  “You know him?” I asked.

  “He a nephew. Him and his wife bought the Tiki Trades bar a couple of years ago when he retired from surfing.”

  “Let me guess,” I said, “another champion in the family?”

  “Nah. He wasn’t so good. He won some money a couple of times, but the guy was reckless. He took one too many chances. Now, he got a wife and kid. He still surfs, but nuthin’ like the old days.”

  “No monster waves?” I asked.

  “Kinda like you—only in his dreams.” Alexander smiled at me.

  For some reason, the idea of surfing terrified me. I’d never been on a real board. When Alexander’s Great-grampa Kimu visited me in my dreams, however, I usually ended up in the middle of the ocean surrounded by trouble. Every time Kimu tried to drown me in one of those dreams, my fear intensified.

  Kai was all smiles as she tapped my arm. “I’ll teach you how.”

  “This, I’ve got to see,” Chance said.

  I swallowed hard, determined not to cave—yet. “We’ll see. Alexander, why are you so certain Haku wouldn’t kill the big nanny boss?”

  “He ain’t got no reason, for one. Him and his family real big Christians. He kinda seen the light after the accident.”

  I turned to Juliana. “These other nannies, do you know how to reach them?”

  “We exchanged phone numbers, but I don’t have addresses. They should be there tonight.”

  “Does Haku work Friday nights?”

  “Course,” said Alexander. “He got a manager, but that’s a U of H kid who only work a couple nights a week.”

  “Would he be receptive to answering questions for a couple of haoles? Or will we need you to go along to make things happen?”

  “It’s a poi dog family, McKenna. His wife’s hapa haole—half-and-half, you know? Her mom was a sailor from Minnesota; her dad was a local with a bit of everything in him."

  "So, he doesn't hate haoles?"

  Alexander shook his head. "You shouldn’t have no problems.”

  Sounded good to me. A cooperative witness. I turned to Chance. “You want to make a field trip to the North Shore tonight?”

  He flipped me a thumbs up. ""Traffic will be atrocious now, but if we wait a little while…"

  He was right. If we waited until after dinner, we could cut our commute time in half.

  “Alexander, can you stay by the phone tonight?”

  “I can do better than that.” He pulled out his cell. “I can call him and get you cleared.”

  “Don’t tell him why we’re coming. I don’t want him letting the ladies know what we’re up to by accident. Surprise is our friend in this case.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Chance and I agreed to leave for the Tiki Trade bar at “seven-ish.” To me, this was a clear definition of the time as between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. But at 7:22, Chance was just getting out of the shower. This was a clear indication to me that we interpreted the qualifier “ish” in very different ways.

  I couldn't grouse too much. Chance was the one driving. Plus, the Ferrari's gas mileage stunk. Since Chance was footing the bill for the gas, I entertained myself by watching the rain fall in the courtyard while I waited in his living room.

  When Chance had finished his primping, he came out of the bathroom and peered outside. "Oh, man."

  "Don't worry, it's a small cell."

  He gave me a thumbs up. "I love days like this. It just means we have to keep the top up on the Ferrari."

  The rhythmic pattering on broadleaved plants continued as he ducked back into the bedroom. He reappeared a minute later, keys in hand.

  We’d been unusually dry for nearly three weeks, so the rain was a real treat. By now, the cell had moved on, but another hung offshore with a promise to bring more of the island’s lifeblood.

  It was the first time I’d been in the Ferrari with the top up. The confinement took away much of the thrill of driving in the fiery red car. But, what the heck? It was free transportation and so much faster than the bus. Fortunately, traffic was light and we were soon headed north to the Kamehameha Highway. Off and on, the wipers slapped back and forth to clear the windshield of drops that dared to fall on Chance’s baby.

  Unlike in a larger city, there were no “bars” in Hale‘iwa. This town was a destination where ocean activities ruled. Here, locals made a living in one of two ways. They either sold services to water enthusiasts or provided services to those who did. Even the tourists didn’t party late into the night. Most were here for the day, but those who stayed in the area were committed to daytime activities and quiet nights.

  We saw a moderate semblance of action at Breakers on our way in. Pizza Bob’s was doing a good business. I’d heard they had a killer gluten-free pizza, but we weren’t here to sample the cuisine. No, we needed information.

  Tiki Trade Burgers & Beer was on the Kamehameha Highway, just like most of the other businesses in town. It was in a little strip mall a short distance after Pizza Bob’s. Much like the competition, the Tiki Trade bar also had sedate lighting. No garish neon signs or other big-city obscenities. The entire picture was consistent with the area's laid-back lifestyle.

  We parked and made our way inside. A single candle sat atop each table. Downlighting behind the bar and around the room's perimeter complemented the candlelit atmosphere. In a nod to originality, the candles weren’t enclosed in red glass, but in little brass hurricane lamps.

  At one table, three women were laughing when we walked in. One’s eyes went up as she caught Chance’s attention, but she quickly ret
urned her gaze to her friends. A moment later, she stole a second peek at my companion, then turned away. If that was our nanny group, we were in luck. I was sure Chance could get himself an invite to the table without even trying.

  At another table, an older couple, both on the heavyset side, sipped glasses of wine—white for her, red for him. He had receding gray hair and wore glasses, she was perfectly coiffed and wore a bright red tank top.

  A couple at the bar paid us little attention. She had long, blonde hair worn up with sunglasses perched on top of her head. He had the bronzed skin of a local who spent hours in the sun on a regular basis. Her white, lacy blouse and light pants contrasted sharply against the “Blue Islands” tank and board shorts worn by her companion.

  The bartender, a large man with wide shoulders and bulging arms, nodded to us as we approached. “What’ll it be, guys?”

  “Are you Haku?”

  He nodded, then did some sort of instant bartender-scan of us both. His assessment took only a second, but I could tell he’d already cataloged us. I wondered where we’d landed. “You must be McKenna.”

  It sounded more like an accusation than a greeting, but I wasn’t going to argue about his customer service skills. “And this is Chance Logan. Alexander called, yah?”

  “He did. Can I get you something?” He glanced at the table with the three women. The one who had snuck a peek at Chance was pointing at us—more likely him—and giggling as she spoke to her friends. All three burst into laughter when she finished. My guess was Chance had just been propositioned. Either he hadn’t noticed or was ignoring the offer.

  I ordered a glass of the house red from Haku.

  “Beer for me.” Chance leaned against the bar and made eye contact with the woman who’d been stealing glimpses at him.

  Maybe he did know she was interested. “What about Lexie?” I whispered.

  Chance shook his head. “Nothing’s happening, McKenna. This is business.” He shrugged. “On the other hand, you might need a place to stay for the night if this business goes well.”

  My jaw fell and Chance snorted.

  “Gotcha,” he said.

  “I’ll remember that.” I gave him a dirty look, determined to get him back for the cheap joke. There was the usual assortment of alcohol behind the bar. In the middle of the bottles, there was a wall on which they'd hung three framed photos. All three were surfing scenes. The largest was a man squatting on his board inside the curl of a wave three times his height.

  Haku returned with the drinks. “You're lookin' at Keawe Ferguson. He’s a big deal around here. Local boy went almost to the top of the pro circuit. Local girl tamed him, though. She said she wouldn’t marry him until he was going to be around.” Haku pointed at the photo. “That was his last pro ride. They got married five years ago and got two keiki. Now, he gives lessons and runs a shop down the street. Guy ain’t never been happier.”

  We waited while Haku left with Chance’s money. When he returned, Chance waved off the change. Haku nodded his thanks as he laid the bar towel down and used it as a cushion for his elbows. Though a big man, he had the same teddy-bear softness about him as Alexander. He kept his voice low. “Alexander said you guys had questions about Juliana. I don’t know much.” He cocked his head toward the table with the three women. “She hung out with Maisy, Leilani, and Willie a few times. Stopped coming in when their boss died. Ain’t seen her since.”

  I sipped my wine, pursed my lips, and nodded. “Not too bad for a house red. The girls only come in on Friday nights, yah?”

  “Sure. I got a lot of regulars who only come in once a week. That ain’t unusual.”

  “So, Juliana only started coming in a few weeks ago?”

  He did one of those direct contradiction things people often do. He shook his head as he agreed with me. “Never saw her before. Think she’s kind of a loner. Never had no time to talk with her. I like getting to know my customers. It’s good for business. Anyway, she seemed pretty easy-going.” He raised his eyebrows and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Maybe those are the ones you gotta watch out for. Eh, brah?”

  Being something of a loner myself, I wasn't appreciating the sentiment. Was he implying I might be a killer, too? McKenna on the rampage? I took another sip and held Haku’s gaze. He must have gotten the message because he broke eye contact before he answered. “They ain’t all like that.”

  “Agreed.” Chance poked me in the ribs. “McKenna used to be a loner. Big Island girl tamed him, too. Now he wants to settle down. There’s hope for us all.”

  “Bartenders hear a lot,” I said. “Did the ladies ever discuss their boss?”

  Haku shifted his weight and grimaced. “Brah, maybe you ought to be asking them that question.”

  “I need a baseline, Haku. You know them. You know what they're like. Give me something so I can evaluate their responses. I’m not looking for you to rat them out, just give me your best guess. As I said, bartenders hear a lot. Am I right?”

  He groaned. Leaned forward on one elbow while rubbing his forehead with the other. “Alexander said you a good guy, but you asking some tough questions. I can’t answer that one.”

  Couldn’t? Or wouldn’t? To my surprise, Chance didn’t jump in and offer to let Haku off the hook. I was also thankful he didn’t just whip out some cash and try to buy the answers. I still had June’s five hundred, but this was one of Alexander’s cousins. If I went around offering cash to Alexander's ‘ohana, it would taint my reputation. So far, everybody knew me as an upstanding guy. If I started trying to buy information, I'd be just another haole who thought he could buy whatever he wanted.

  I wondered if a little sharing would loosen Haku up. “You know about Kimu, yah? You ought to see the dreams he brings me.”

  Haku chuckled. “Those dreams for real?”

  “They happen. Whether they’re real or not is anybody’s guess. All I can tell you is I tried summoning Kimu one night. I couldn’t sleep until I let go. He shows up when he wants and uses all this weird imagery to show me what’s going on. He leaves the interpretation up to me.”

  “He don’t cut you no slack, huh? I was off in the army when he died. I wanted to come back for the service, but couldn’t make it. Those that was there say the trades stopped blowing when they lowered the coffin into the ground. All the family says it was Kimu getting a welcome from the ali‘i.”

  “That's the Hawaiian royalty, right?” Chance said.

  “Correct. He was quite the big deal in his day,” I said.

  Haku nodded. “Anyway, you didn’t come in here to talk about the ‘ohana. There ain’t much more I can say about Juliana.”

  “And the group? Do they—did they—complain about the boss a lot?”

  “Some.” He pursed his lips. “Yeah, a lot. But, she wasn’t paying them.”

  “Do you think she did it?” It was the question I’d wanted to ask, but Chance had beaten me to the punch.

  “What? You mean Juliana?”

  “Bartenders are a pretty good judge of character,” I said.

  “Yes,” Chance said. “Do you think she killed Trinity Kraft?”

  “I only been here a few years. I don’t know if I got the qualifications yet.”

  “Humor us,” I said.

  He shook his head. “Loner or not, she was real good with Kai. Had the kid on the straight-and-narrow.”

  I felt my brow wrinkle. “When did you talk to June?”

  “It was right around the day of the murder. Come to think of it, June came in the same morning. It was Juliana’s last night here and for some reason, she got rip-roaring drunk.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  June Palakiko had never mentioned a meeting with Haku on the morning of Trinity Kraft’s murder. In fact, her comment about working long hours had led me to believe she’d worked all day. I assumed she felt guilty about not being around for Kai. This news made me wonder if she'd chosen her words carefully to give that impression while she hid something bigger.
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  “What’s up, McKenna?”

  It was Chance, interrupting my rambling line of thought. Haku was serving one of the other customers. Thank goodness we had a moment to strategize alone. “Epiphany time. Do you think it’s possible June did visit Trinity Kraft on the day of the murder?”

  “She’s an attorney. So, who knows?”

  Well, didn't that just sound like a guy who was working on his fourth career? “Care to explain?”

  “You know, whatever job I’ve had, if I worked long hours like what June was talking about in the condo, I took time off for other things. If she worked late, it doesn’t mean she didn’t go in late. Or take time out in the middle of the day. She could say she had a client meeting and disappear for hours. Nobody would be the wiser.”

  I huffed. Lawyers. Maybe June had been playing us, too. I gestured at the table with the nannies. “Let’s go satisfy the curiosity of your admirer.”

  The first thing Chance did was signal Haku to bring another round to the ladies. He got a nod in return and, about a minute later, Haku must have been making introductions at the table. They all looked at us and smiled. Under my breath, I muttered, “Show off.”

  “I thought June gave you spending money.” Chance pointed one finger at me as if it were a little gun.

  Heat rushed up my neck and into my jaw. I’d become so used to being cheap, I didn’t know how to spend money. Even if it was someone else's. I stammered, “I’ll reimburse you.”

  “No worries. It’s only twenty bucks.”

  More like thirty. Without thinking, I said, “Maybe I should raise your rent twenty bucks and pocket the difference.”

  “I’ll hire Kai.” There was the hint of a smile on Chance’s face.

  “You wouldn’t dare. You like your landlord too much.” I could only hope.

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” He stood and walked to the table.

  I hurried to catch up.

  “Good evening, ladies. Chance Logan, PI. Can I ask you a few questions?”

  The young woman who’d been eyeing Chance had dark, curly hair parted in the middle. She raised her glass, then motioned for him to pull up the chair next to hers.