by Kathi Daley
I reached across the seat between us and took Jason’s hand in mine. “I know. I love you too. And I will be careful. In fact, my plan for today includes a shady spot on the lanai and a tall glass of iced tea.”
“That sounds perfect.”
Jason helped me into the condo where Kekoa and Elva were waiting for me. It looked like being nursed and fussed over was going to be part of my day no matter how much I wished otherwise. I knew that my cousin and neighbor loved me, and I knew they’d been worried about me, but I really wasn’t the sort to want all the attention that came with the package.
“I was so worried.” Kekoa wrapped her arms around me the minute I walked in the door.
“I’m fine.” I hugged her back. “A little banged up, but fine.”
“And Uncle Keanu?”
“He is fine as well. The hospital is going to keep him overnight as a precaution, but he seemed totally fine. I’m sure he’ll be back to work by next week.” I headed to the refrigerator and grabbed a soda. “So how was the party?”
“Great until I realized that you had been gone a lot longer than you should have been. When I couldn’t get ahold of you, of course, I panicked. I guess it was a good thing I knew where you were headed.”
“It was. You might very well have saved my life. Shredder would never have known to come to look for me if you hadn’t decided to check on me.”
“He would have missed you eventually as well.”
“Perhaps, but let’s not worry about what happened yesterday and focus on today. I’m starving. I never did get dinner last night, and I haven’t eaten today.”
“I know the guys had leftover enchiladas. I would be willing to bet they could be persuaded to share.”
“I’ll go and ask them,” Elva offered.
“And I’ll grab the tequila,” Kekoa joined in. “You can’t have enchiladas without margaritas.”
Chapter 9
By the time Shredder arrived at the condo, the five residents on the premises were well fed and happy. Normally, I would have immediately pulled Shredder aside to grill him about what he knew, but today I was just so happy that we were all together, I found myself greeting him with an icy drink rather than a bunch of questions. Of course, we both knew that the questions would come later, but for now, I was going to take my brother’s advice and take it easy.
“You look better,” Shredder said after I handed him a drink.
“The hospital took care of my injuries, a cool shower took care of my itchiness, and this margarita took care of the rest.” I glanced down at the clunky shoes I had on. “I won’t be making any fashion statements for the next few days, and I have to stay out of the sea for ten days, which is frustrating, but I’m going to be fine thanks to you.”
“I’m glad I was here to provide the rescue.” Shredder smiled. “I really hadn’t realized how much I’d missed this place until I was back. It’s going to be hard to leave again.”
“So don’t leave. You just got here, and we missed you.”
“I have a job to do.”
“Perhaps, but you seem to have some pull with the people you work with. Just tell them you need a break and are taking some time off.”
“If only it were that easy.”
My smile faded just a bit. Shredder was the sort to put his responsibilities first, and I knew he would go as abruptly as he’d shown up. “Are you leaving soon?”
“Not yet. I want to make sure that whatever is going on here is all wrapped up before I leave. We really should go over things again. I feel like there are a lot of pieces that don’t really seem to fit. I also know that you have been working on it for a while. If I know you, which I do, I suspect that you are already honing in on the missing piece or pieces.”
I loved the fact that Shredder wanted to consult with me and actually seemed to value my input. “Do you want to talk now?”
“Let me grab a bite to eat, and then maybe we can go next door and talk where it is quieter.”
After Shredder downed two chicken and two beef enchiladas, we told the others we were going to head over to his condo so he could show me the surfing videos he had taken while he was away. As far as I knew, Kevin, Sean, and Elva all believed he actually did spend his time chasing the waves, although, with the pasty white skin he had returned to Hawaii with, I didn’t know how they could believe that. I was pretty sure that Kekoa suspected there was actually more to his story, but, as I already mentioned, I was the only one living at the complex who knew the extent of his secret.
“So here is what we know,” Shredder began after we were both seated. “Three men have been murdered in the past three weeks. All three were killed in a location other than the site where the body was dumped, and all three dump sites seem to coordinate to a location where the likelihood of you finding the body would be significant. None of the locations where the bodies were dumped are exclusive to you, however, which means that while the killer seems to prefer that you find the body, your finding it isn’t really critical to whatever is going on.”
“I agree. While it seems like the killer wanted to create a link between the men who were murdered and me, there is no way he or she could know that someone else wouldn’t stumble across the bodies before I did, so the actual discoveries of the bodies by me must be less important than establishing the link.” I paused to let this really sink in. “Any idea why the killer wanted to involve me at all? These men weren’t our clients. Hokulani Palakiko hired us to find her husband, but the other three men, the men who were murdered, wouldn’t have been on my radar if I hadn’t found the bodies. My involvement seems to be intentional, but I really don’t know why. I didn’t know these men. I wasn’t invested in their lives or their deaths. Why bring me into the equation at all?”
“That is actually a really good question. Maybe if we can find a link between the three men, we can figure out how you fit into it. I have been looking into things since you told me about the murders, and I have a general idea of who each of your three murder victims was. On the surface, it doesn’t seem that the three men are linked in any way, but if you dig deeper, connections begin to appear.”
“I agree. Dad and I spoke to the cousin of the last victim who owned a food truck. He told us that before he died, Ano had been seen speaking to the same woman who we found out that Walter Evans met up with at the Dolphin Bay Resort. The woman checked into the resort under the name Samantha Jones, but according to Dad, it looks like that is a fake name. I don’t know if there is a link between Samantha Jones and the nightclub owner, Vinnie Travano, but there does seem to be a link between Vinnie and Spade. And, of course, as we know, Spade seems to be working with Mikayo Tatsuo in some way, and it looks as if Kinsley Palakiko is working for Tatsuo. While there aren’t enough clear-cut relationships to definitively say that Kinsley Palakiko, Walter Evans, Vinnie Travano, and Ano Hanale are all connected to the same person or organization, it is beginning to look that way. Although, I have no idea why the three men turned up dead, and I have to wonder if Kinsley Palakiko won’t end up being victim number four.”
“I think we need to track down this Samantha Jones. It sounds like she might have one or two of the missing pieces. If nothing else, she can probably fill in a few of the blanks relating to Walter Evans and Ano Hanale.”
“I can find out if she is still at the resort.”
“Okay. Why don’t you check on that while I make a phone call? If she is at the resort, maybe we can get her to meet us for a drink. It’s still early, so she might be willing.”
“She might be willing to meet for a drink, but I doubt she’ll be willing to tell us what she knows, if she does, in fact, know anything.”
Shredder grinned. “Generally speaking, I can be pretty persuasive.”
I bet he could at that with his bad boy looks and sweet, sweet smile.
Since I worked at the resort, I knew everyone, so a call to the front desk netted me the information that Samantha Jones was still staying at the resort and
that she had nine o’clock reservations at the restaurant. It was only around seven now, so I figured if Shredder really wanted to speak to her, we could change into something appropriate for the restaurant and arrange to bump into the woman as she arrived or perhaps as she left the facility after finishing her meal. Of course, we had no way to know if she was alone or with another person or even a group, so I supposed our best bet was just to head to the resort and play it by ear.
Shredder liked my plan, so I changed into a dress. There wasn’t a lot I could do with my feet since they were bandaged the way they were, but I did find a pair of sandals that were more attractive than the clogs the hospital had given me. The bandages on my hands seemed unnecessary now that the bleeding was under control, so I took them off and hoped they didn’t look so gross that everyone would be staring at them. Perhaps once we got to the resort, I should allow Shredder to speak to Samantha alone. I was afraid that my cuts and abrasions, along with the bandages on my feet, would make her suspicious right off the bat. I mentioned this to Shredder, and he agreed. He gave me an earpiece so I could listen in on his conversation. Jason would have told me to wait in the car and not get in the way, but Shredder was treating me like a partner. I liked that.
Chapter 10
Samantha Jones was stunning. Long black hair, a tall thin frame, perfectly tanned skin, and dark eyes that were as alluring as they were mysterious. When we first arrived at the resort, we found Samantha in the bar having a drink with a dark-haired, dark-skinned gentleman, who looked to be in his early fifties. Shredder didn’t recognize the man, so he took a photo of him and sent it off to whomever he was working with. Once that was done, Shredder entered the open-air bar and took a seat several stools down from where Samantha and the man were discussing paddleboard races. There didn’t seem to be anything sinister about that, so I had to assume the man she was with was simply someone she ran into while stopping to have a pre-dinner drink. Confirming my suspicion, Samantha remained after the man left. Shredder lifted a glass in greeting, and Samantha waved him over. He ordered another round and asked about her day. Since Shredder wore a wire, I could hear everything he could. I looked around and found a hiding place behind a giant Tiki statue. I had a decent line of sight, although I was mostly looking at everyone’s back, except for those occasions when someone would turn and look away from the bar toward the larger seating area beyond the bar.
“So where are you visiting from?” Shredder asked the woman, I assumed as a means of entering into a conversation.
“Actually, I am between homes, but I have business on the North Shore, so I’m staying at the resort for a few weeks. How about you? Based on your lack of tan, I assume you are not a local.”
“I’m actually a private investigator. I’m on the island to look into the deaths of Walter Evans, Vinnie Travano, and Ano Hanale. I understand that you met with Evans prior to his death. I hoped you would be willing to tell me what you know about the man.”
“So this meeting wasn’t a random event?”
“No. I’m afraid not. So how about it? Maybe we could have another drink and discuss the matter.”
The woman didn’t answer right away. Since I couldn’t see her face, I wasn’t able to read her expression, so I wasn’t sure if she was thinking things over or if she had simply clammed up. Shredder didn’t speak either. He seemed to be waiting her out. After a full minute, she finally spoke. “I might know a thing or two, but I can’t discuss what I know here. I might be able to help you, however, if you are willing to come back to my private cottage.”
“I would be willing to do that.”
“I was supposed to meet someone for dinner, but I’ll cancel and just have food brought to my room. Oh, and lose the wire. Anything discussed between us will need to stay between us.”
“Can you give me a minute?”
“I can give you several minutes.” The woman borrowed a pen from the bartender and jotted something down on a napkin. She passed the napkin to Shredder and then got up and walked away. Talk about anti-climactic.
“You heard?” Shredder asked.
“I heard.”
“I’m going to need to lose the wire, so you won’t be able to listen in. I would suggest you take the Jeep and head home, but I know you can’t drive until your feet have healed a bit. I can call you a car.”
“I’ll just wait here in the bar. I know the bartender. If it gets too late, I’ll have Kekoa come and get me. It’s frustrating not to be able to listen in, but I get it.”
“I know, but the woman is obviously a professional. I don’t know how she knew someone was listening in, but she did. I don’t want to risk her clamming up.” Shredder glanced at the clock. “Hopefully, I won’t be long. I’ll be in cottage number four.”
“It’s at the end of the first row of cottages closest to the beach.”
“I’ll try to hurry. If you get tired of waiting and decide to leave, just text me and let me know.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
Shredder smiled. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”
I grinned back. “I know, but be careful all the same.”
After Shredder left, I went into the bar, sat down at the counter, and ordered a drink.
“What happened to you?” asked the bartender, whose name was Steve.
“Misadventures in hiking. Seems like a slow night for June.”
“It’s been slow ever since they opened the nightclub at the resort down the road. Personally, I’d prefer an open-air bar overlooking the water, but it seems that quite a few of our guests are heading down the road for the nightlife and it has really cut into our bottom line.”
“I know the management of the resort has been talking about the idea of a nightclub, but I think the majority agree that the atmosphere they want to offer to our guests is one of peaceful reflection. In my opinion, the whole nightclub vibe doesn’t seem to fit.”
“I don’t disagree, but it is hurting business. I’ve heard rumors that the management is working on its own version of the sort of club that went in down the road.”
“In my opinion, a club would ruin the environment the management at Dolphin Bay had created, but I supposed keeping up with the current trends was always an issue.”
Steve nodded in agreement. “By the way, I heard that Kekoa quit.”
“She did. I guess you heard that she didn’t get the promotion she was expecting.”
“I heard, and I agree it should have gone to her. I’m sorry she is gone, but I don’t blame her for quitting. In this day and age, you need to look out for yourself. In fact, no one knows this yet, but I might be on my way out as well.”
“Are you leaving the island?”
Steve shrugged. “I might be. There is a woman staying here who told me she could hook me up with a job that will pay triple what I am making now.”
I raised a brow. “Would this woman’s name be Samantha?”
“It is. Do you know her?”
“Not really, but I know who she is. She’s been staying here for quite a while. Several weeks it seems.”
“She seems to be here on business of some sort. She’s met with a lot of different men since she’s been with us. I’m not exactly sure what she does, but it seems like she is some sort of a recruiter.”
I pulled a photo of Walter Evans out of my purse. “Do you remember if she met with this man?”
Steve took the photo. “Yeah, he was one of the first men I saw her with, although I think they’d already been working together. I overheard part of their conversation, and it sounded like the guy is a pilot who has been working with Samantha providing private transportation for those in need of it. From what I could tell, the gig took the man all over the world.”
“I suppose that being a pilot could be exciting.”
Steve shrugged. “I guess, although to be honest, the vibe I picked up on wasn’t one of excitement but one of secrecy. I could be wrong since I only heard snippets of the conversation, but it seemed as if th
e guy Samantha was with actually had a contract with someone to ferry passengers between Hong Kong, Honolulu, and LA under the radar.”
“Under the radar?” I asked.
“I’m guessing he was going to sneak folks who didn’t have proper paperwork into the country, although as I already said, I really only heard snippets of the conversation. It wasn’t like I could linger for too long. That would have been obvious.”
“Yeah, I get that.” Shredder had told me that Tatsuo was dealing in human trafficking. It would seem he would need a pilot who could get those women into the country without detection. If I had to guess, the guy had access to his own plane and a private airstrip. Assuming Evans agreed to take the job, I had to wonder how he ended up dead. It sounded like he had been working with Samantha for a while, but maybe the guy had his limits. Maybe he tried to back out once he realized exactly who he’d be transporting. That would get him dead, but why had his body been left for me to find? That part still didn’t make sense.
Next, I slipped a photo of Vinnie Travano across the bar. “Do you recognize this man?’
“Sure, that’s Vinnie Travano. He recently died, but he used to own a nightclub on the South Shore.” Steve looked up at me. “Aren’t you the one who found the guy propped up on your lifeguard tower?”
“I am. I’m just trying to find out if he was linked to Walter Evans in any way.”
“Not that I know of. Vinnie has been hanging around, and I’ve seen him talking to members of the senior staff, but I don’t remember him speaking directly to Samantha. Of course, I’m not around all the time, so they may have met at some point.”
I was about to ask Steve if he had seen Ano with Samantha when Shredder walked in. “That was fast.”
“I got everything I was going to get and got out. Are you ready, or do you want to finish your drink?”
“I’m ready.” I passed some money to Steve. “If you do decide to quit, text me a contact number. I’d like to stay in touch.”