by Kathi Daley
“It couldn’t hurt to ask around to see if anything pops. Komo was seen chatting with members of the pack,” I reminded Luke. “Bobby thought he might have been with them to hire them to do a job, but what if he suspected Whitmore was involved in some illegal activity and figured the pack would be in the know about whatever was going on in the area? Of course to confirm that theory we’d need to track down Komo.”
“We could go to the pack directly to ask them what sort of business they had with Komo,” Luke suggested.
“The guys who run with the pack aren’t the sort who are going to answer random questions asked by random people. I know a couple of people who might be able to arrange a meeting, but it might be better to explore our other options first. We still have a couple of truck owners to interview and I can think of a couple of Komo’s regulars who could be helpful as well.”
“I’m game for doing whatever you think is best, but I should head back to the ranch to check on Lucifer first,” Luke said.
“Okay, but can we stop by my condo before that? I need to pick up a few things and I want to see if Shredder is back. In fact, you can just drop me off and I’ll meet you at the ranch later.”
Chapter 8
As it turned out, Shredder wasn’t at home when I arrived, but one of his next-door neighbors, Kevin, had seen him pass by his window earlier that morning and then leave the complex several minutes later.
“Did you talk to him?” I asked the large, casually dressed man who enjoyed cooking and sports of all kinds.
“No.” Kevin shook his head of dark hair. “I’d just gotten up and was making coffee. Sean was still asleep. When I saw Shredder pass by the window I didn’t think anything of it. He does tend to come and go on his own timetable. I took some coffee in to Sean because he had a flight today and needed to get going, and when I returned to the kitchen to make breakfast I saw Shredder pass the window again, heading toward the parking lot. He might just have been going surfing. He does that most days.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I took a sip of the coffee Kevin had offered me. “So if Sean has a flight why are you here? Don’t you usually team up?”
Sean and Kevin were flight attendants who were away more than they were home.
“Working and living together was becoming too much of a good thing, so we requested different assignments for a while. I love Sean, but we were starting to argue over the tiniest things. I think this break will do us good.”
“I know a lot of couples who find it hard to work and live together. Are you home all week?”
“Until next Tuesday.”
I paused while Kevin refilled my coffee cup before I continued. “If you see Shredder again will you ask him to call me? Tell him it’s important.”
“I can do that, but why don’t you just call him yourself?” Kevin asked.
“I have. Multiple times. My calls just go to voice mail and he hasn’t called me back. I was actually getting worried about him, but if you saw him this morning at least I know he’s okay. What was he wearing?”
“Wearing?”
“When he passed by. Did he have on a jacket or a T-shirt?”
Kevin frowned. “I’m not sure I really noticed, but it must have been a T-shirt. I’ve never seen him wear a jacket, so I would have noticed. I don’t know that he even owns one. Why do you ask?”
“I saw someone the other night from a distance. He looked like Shredder from behind, but he was wearing a dinner jacket.”
“Then it probably wasn’t Shredder. I’ve never seen him in anything other than shorts and T-shirts since I’ve known him.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “You’re probably right. Did you notice if Shredder had Riptide with him?”
Kevin frowned. “I didn’t notice, but now that you mention it I don’t think he did. I guess that’s odd. Shredder takes Riptide with him everywhere.”
“I suppose if you only saw Shredder pass by from the window Riptide could have been trotting along behind him, so you wouldn’t have noticed him.”
Kevin shrugged. “I suppose.”
“Thanks for the coffee.”
“Are you staying out at Luke’s?”
“Probably tonight, but I’ll be home tomorrow.”
When I returned to the ranch I headed to the barn to inform Luke that I’d decided to take the three dogs for a walk while he saw to the horses. Luke had ended up calling his father, who had recommended a course of action he hoped would help stimulate Lucifer’s appetite. Luke currently had ten horses at the ranch that required quite a bit of time on his part. Sometimes I forgot that just because Luke didn’t have a job outside his work on the ranch didn’t mean his time wasn’t occupied. The ranch was located high on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I preferred my spot right on the beach, but the view from the bluff was breathtaking.
Sandy was my only dog, so he loved to visit the ranch, where he could hang out with his buddies, Duke and Dallas. All three dogs trotted ahead of me as I climbed the trail to the highest point on the property. It was a perfect day for a hike, sunny and warm but not hot and not overly humid. I felt myself relax and enjoy the journey as I made my way toward the summit. I wished I could say my mind was relaxed and serene as I hiked, but the reality was I was worried, not only about Komo but Shredder as well. On one hand, Kevin had seen Shredder with his own eyes and Sarge had seen him as well, so I knew he was most likely okay. On the other, he’d been acting in a very un-Shredderlike way. Not that he wasn’t usually mysterious, because he was, but in all the time I’d known him, he’d never once spent any significant time away from his condo without letting someone know he’d be gone.
By the time I arrived at the top of the bluff my thoughts had shifted to Komo. While I supposed I should at least consider that Komo actually might have killed Blaze Whitmore, I still doubted that was the case. Komo didn’t own a boat, so if he had killed Whitmore he would have needed to borrow one. I tried to figure out who he would have gone to if he’d needed to dump a body. Komo had a network of cousins and other family members, and some of them probably had boats, so he could have enlisted someone he could count on to keep his secret.
I sat down under a large tree and looked off into the distance, wondering how Komo’s family was taking his disappearance. Actually, speaking to one of his cousins might tell me quite a lot. If they were worried that Komo hadn’t taken out his truck for two days that would mean they also had no clue where he’d gone off to, but if they weren’t worried, it would seem to confirm my theory that he was hiding out. Komo’s cousin, Pomo, worked at a bike rental place near the beach. Once Luke had finished his chores we could stop by there on our way to talk to the two food truck drivers we still had to interview. I knew Pomo and Komo were close and hung out pretty often; it made sense that if Komo had planned to be away, Pomo would know about it.
“Whatcha got?” I asked Sandy, who had trotted over with something in his mouth. The last gift he’d brought me hadn’t been pleasant, so when he brought me a brown paper bag I took it gingerly. I slowly opened it and discovered it contained the remnants of someone’s lunch.
“Where did you get this?”
Sandy turned around and headed to a wooded area. Just beyond the cover of the trees was a rough campsite. It was currently deserted, but it looked as if someone had been there recently. I looked toward the house, which was clearly visible from where I now stood. I was pretty sure I’d be able to see in some of the windows with a pair of binoculars from here. Had someone been spying on Luke, or was this where Tommy and his uncle had been staying?
I decided to return to the ranch to tell Luke what I’d found. He was on the phone in his office when I got there, so I headed over to the pool house, where Brody lived, to ask if he’d noticed any strangers in the area. Brody said he hadn’t, but he reminded me that the bluff had an excellent view in all directions; chances were someone had hiked up to the top of the bluff and decided to spend some time enjoying the isolation. Of course Brody didn’t know about the brea
k-in. For some inexplicable reason Luke hadn’t wanted anyone to know that the information on his computer and in his files might have been compromised. It seemed odd to me, to say the least, but I trusted Luke to know the best way to handle the situation. It was, after all, his home, his office, and his files.
Luke finished his phone call and I told him I thought it might be a good idea not only to interview the food truck vendors but members of Komo’s family as well. We made certain the dogs had fresh water, climbed back into his truck, and headed toward Pomo’s bike rental.
“Did you ever figure out what the person who broke into your office was looking for?” I asked as we drove. I’d been thinking about the break-in quite a lot since finding the camp on the bluff.
“No. I did a complete search of my computer, but I couldn’t find any evidence that it was hacked. Either I’m losing my mind and did just leave it on or the person who hacked into it really knows what they’re doing and didn’t leave a trace behind.”
“And the files in the cabinet?”
“The same. They were out of order, but I didn’t notice anything missing. I’ve been thinking about the fact that Duke and Dallas wouldn’t have let a stranger walk into my office. Maybe I really am losing my mind.”
Luke seemed to have completely changed his mind about the likelihood that someone had been on the property. “Did you ask Brody about the house alarm?”
“Yeah. He said he wasn’t home at all that day. I’m not sure this particular mystery is one we’re going to be able to solve.”
“I still think you should have called Jason. He could have dusted for prints. He might have found something.”
Luke shrugged. “Yeah, maybe, but it’s too late now. Besides, I’ve pretty much decided the break-in never happened.”
I paused. “I don’t want to worry you, but when I was up on the bluff I found a deserted camp. The view from the bluff into the windows was direct. Anyone with halfway decent binoculars could have been spying on you.”
Luke frowned. “You found the camp today?”
“Yes. While I was walking the dogs.”
“I took a ride up there yesterday and didn’t notice anything.”
“The camp was hidden in the trees. I wouldn’t have seen it, but Sandy found a bag with a half-eaten meal and led me to it.”
“I’m sure it was just someone who climbed up for the view.”
“Maybe. That’s what Brody thought anyway.”
Luke slowed and made a left-hand turn. After driving several blocks he asked, “Are we heading to the bike rental shop near the parking area?”
“Yeah. The first one you come to. I don’t know for certain whether Pomo is working today, but it won’t be all that far out of our way to pop in. He shouldn’t be overly busy at this time of day; most people rent bikes in the morning and return them in the late afternoon.”
Luke pulled into the parking area, where he found a spot near the front. We both got out and headed toward the rental counter, where I could see Pomo, who was built like a sumo wrestler, wearing a bright yellow shirt you couldn’t help but notice. Komo’s cousin had an unusually outgoing personality. I didn’t know him as well as I knew Komo and I wasn’t certain he’d tell me where Komo was even if he knew, but it couldn’t hurt to ask.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Pomo, I’m Lani Pope. Komo’s friend.”
“Oh, hey, Lani. It’s been a while. I didn’t recognize you right off. Do you need a bike?”
I looked around to see if anyone could be listening to our conversation. “No. Actually, I’m here to see if you’d seen Komo. He hasn’t opened the food truck since Tuesday and I was getting worried about him.”
A look of concern came over his face. “Yeah, we’re worried too. The dude just disappeared. I spoke to his brother yesterday and he hasn’t been home or called anyone.”
“Has he ever taken off like this before?”
“Never.”
“Do you think he would call you if he could?”
Pomo hesitated. “I’m not sure. We’re pretty close, even closer than he is with his brothers, but he’s been acting strange lately. We hadn’t hung out for a few weeks, so if he’d planned to be away he wouldn’t necessarily have mentioned it to me. I know the stress of the whole food truck thing was getting to him.”
“If Komo hasn’t been talking to you can you think of anyone else he might have spoken to?”
“I’m sorry, but I really have no idea. I wish I could be more help.”
“If you hear from him will you please ask him to call me? I’m really worried.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Luke and I thanked Pomo and then returned to the truck. I wasn’t sure if my chat with Pomo had made me more or less concerned about Komo. The fact that Komo hadn’t even mentioned to Pomo that he’d be away made me more worried, but if he really was in trouble it seemed he would have gone to Pomo for help.
“What now?” Luke asked after we’d both climbed into the truck and fastened our seat belts. “Do you still want to visit the other two food trucks?”
I paused before answering. It felt like we were on a wild-goose chase, but I didn’t have anything more important to do. “I guess as long as we’re in the area it couldn’t hurt to find out what Roxy and Keoke know. When I first started looking into Komo’s disappearance I was certain he was innocent in Blaze Whitmore’s death, but now I’m not so sure. It seems like even if he was hiding out he would contact his family. I wonder if the stress got to him and he went off the deep end completely.”
“I guess it happens. Although…”
“Although what?”
Luke hesitated. “Never mind.”
“It’s too late for never mind. What were you going to say?”
“I don’t want to worry you.”
“I’m already worried.” I gave Luke a hard look, and then it hit me. “You think Komo might be missing because he’s a second victim.”
“It’s really a long shot but it did occur to me.”
I sat back in the seat. The sun had been shining through the windshield while we spoke to Pomo, so the leather seat was warm. It should have occurred to me sooner that Komo might be a victim, but why would the killer try to frame him first if he was going to turn around and kill him? Unless Komo had figured out who it was who was setting him up and had confronted him. No matter how you looked at it, this was becoming more and more confusing.
“Let’s go talk to Keoke,” I said. “We can’t know what’s really going on with Komo, so it seems the best course of action at this point is to continue to look for him.”
Luke turned the key and started the ignition, then carefully pulled the truck out of the parking area and headed for the highway. Keoke’s truck was just down the beach, so it only took a few minutes to drive there. When we arrived, Luke pulled into a spot in the shade. There was a long line at Keoke’s truck, which would make a conversation about Komo difficult, but I supposed we could order a drink or small snack and ask as many questions as we could in the time permitted. Investigating a murder involving a food truck was turning out to be a fattening endeavor indeed.
“Keoke has a pineapple pastry that’s pretty good if you don’t want a heavy meal,” I told Luke as we got out of his truck and headed in Keoke’s direction. “He also sells really yummy musubis if you aren’t in the mood for a sweet.”
“Something light sounds good. I’m still full from the two breakfasts, even though it’s been hours since we ate.”
“Let’s go with the pineapple pastry for now. Something sweet sounds good to me. We won’t have long to talk with him, so we’ll need to get right to the point and ask him if he knows where Komo is. If we get the sense he knows more than he’s able to say now, we can come back later when he isn’t so busy.”
“How well do you know Keoke? Do you think he’ll talk?”
“I know him well enough to engage in casual conversation but not necessarily well enough that he w
ould share confidences with me. I guess we’ll just initiate a conversation and see how it goes.”
We got into line behind a harried-looking woman who was trying to control three children who seemed more interested in fighting among themselves than they were in the food she was in line to buy. She asked them repeatedly what they wanted and no matter what any of them said it ended in an argument. It was times like these that I was pretty sure I never wanted kids of my own. Some women were maternal, but it seemed Kailani Pope had been born without that gene.
When we finally arrived at the window I greeted Keoke, a short, thin man with dark hair and eyes, and ordered the pineapple pastry and two sodas. Then I immediately asked if he’d seen or heard from Komo.
“I talk to him last week,” Keoke said.
“But not in the past couple of days?”
“Afraid not.”
“What did you talk about when you spoke to him last week?” I asked.
Keoke shrugged. “Surfing. Food. You know, just stuff. That’ll be six twenty-five.”
Luke paid him.
“Did Komo mention anything about taking a trip?”
“Nope. Didn’t say a word about anything like that.”
“Did he say anything about Blaze Whitmore or the food truck war?”
Keoke leaned in and lowered his voice just a bit. “Actually, he did. He said he had a plan to get rid of Whitmore, though he didn’t say what it was. Napkins?”
“Please. Did he talk about meeting with the pack?”
“Nope, but I guess that makes sense. If you want someone gone the pack always seem willing to lend a hand for the right price. Of course Komo doesn’t have any money, so I’m not sure how he arranged a hit on the guy.” Keoke placed the hot pastry on the counter. “Next,” he called out, forcing me to step to the side.
“The more we dig, the more I really don’t like what we’re finding out,” I said to Luke as we sat down on one of the picnic benches a few steps away. “If Komo is guilty I don’t think I want to be the one to prove it.”