Murder on Easter Island

by Gary Conrad

  Daniel walked over to another case, which from a distance looked to contain five wooden figures propped up on wooden braces. As Daniel got closer he caught his breath.

  Hitirau! They look like Hitirau!

  All were skin and bones with prominent ribs, goatees and hooked noses. He read the explanation below them, and discovered they were all representations of akuaku called moai kavakava. Daniel found it hard to look at them. They appeared darkly sinister and angry.

  He left quickly. Just being in the same area as the carvings brought up memories he would just as soon forget.

  It was a busy afternoon. Daniel turned in his car and cell phone and rented another of each — on his own nickel. For the time being, he decided to stay at the Te Manutara Hotel and foot the bill himself, at least until he could make other arrangements.

  The only good news about the day was that apparently Gomez had not told anyone about the loaning of the Beretta to Daniel, so he was not asked to return it. Daniel felt better knowing Tiare still had it in her possession. Now, whether or not she knew how to use it properly was an entirely different matter, an issue he would have to address in the near future. But not now. His immediate priority was to encourage Tiare in her recovery.

  Daniel entered the hospital and made his way to her room. When he walked through the unguarded door, he discovered two couples, who appeared to be in their sixties, sitting around the bedside. The two men stood up to greet him.

  “Daniel!” Tiare exclaimed. “I’m so glad to see you!”

  “I’m glad to see you as well. This is your family?”

  The closest man smiled and extended his hand, and Daniel shook it. He said, “My name is Eduardo Rapu. I am Tiare’s son.” He motioned to an attractive, dark-haired woman sitting next to him. “This is my wife, Carla, and on the other side of the bed are my sister, Sofia, and her husband, Pablo.”

  Pablo reached across the bed to also shake Daniel’s hand.

  They all smiled and nodded at Daniel.

  “Please sit down,” Daniel said to the men.

  As Eduardo and Pablo took a seat, Eduardo spoke, “As you may know, mother far outlived her husband, our father Ernesto, who died about twenty years ago.”

  Daniel glanced over at Tiare and thought he saw tears form in the corners of her eyes.

  Eduardo didn’t seem to notice. “Mother also has eight grandchildren, twenty-eight great-grandchildren, and seven great-great grandchildren. All of them live in Chile, but we can’t talk her into moving away from here.”

  “Why does that not surprise me?” Daniel said with a grin. “Anyway, I don’t want to take away from your family time, but I wanted to check in and make sure your mother was doing well.”

  Eduardo replied, “My mother, as I’m sure you’ve already discovered, is extremely strong-willed and has told us that when you arrive, we need to leave. I hear you are a student of hers?”

  “Yes, she is teaching me Rapanui and the history of the island.”

  Eduardo said, “We understand that you were one of the investigators for the murders that have occurred here?”

  “Yes.”

  Eduardo added, “Mother has told us that the wrong man has been accused of the crimes. Is that true?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.”

  Sofia then stood and said with a look of concern on her face, “We are worried about Mother’s safety. Are you planning to stay until the real man is caught?”

  “I am.”

  Sofia said, “We in the family have talked about this, and we have decided to hire a guard to protect her. We have chosen Felipe Nahoe, who is an old friend of the family and a retired police officer. He has agreed to keep watch mainly during the night, which seems to be the riskiest time. As additional protection, we were hopeful that you would agree to stay at her house.”

  Tiare blushed. “Children, I know you are concerned about me, but Daniel may have made other arrangements. Anyway, I only have one bedroom.”

  Daniel said, “I’d be honored to stay with you and keep an eye out. I can sleep on the couch.”

  “Then it’s settled,” concluded Eduardo as he stood with all the others. “We’ll be here for around two weeks to make sure she’s doing well, but you can move in now. Mother had invited us to stay at her home, but it’s too small for all of us. We’re staying at a local hotel.”

  Sofia walked around the bed and took Daniel’s hand. “We also want to thank you for saving Mother’s life. If you hadn’t been there when she was attacked, we don’t believe she would have lived.”

  “I’m glad I was able to help,” Daniel replied.

  With that the four filed out the door of the hospital room.

  As they left, a wave of guilt hit Daniel:

  Tiare had nearly died — because of me.

  Chapter 15

  September 21, 2014

  As Tiare propped herself up in the hospital bed, she asked, “Daniel, what did you think of the museum?”

  “It was interesting to say the least. Did you send me there to see the moai kavakava?”

  “That was one of the reasons,” Tiare said. “What are your thoughts about them?”

  “After my experience with Hitirau, it was hard to look in their direction. I have to admit they had an uncanny resemblance to him.”

  “There’s a reason for that,” she explained. “In legend, the original carvings of the moai kavakava were based on an early sighting of Hitirau. These carvings were made of toromiro wood —”

  Daniel interrupted, “Toromiro?”

  Tiare said, “Toromiro is a species of tree native to Rapa Nui. It is now extinct — gone with the rest of our native trees.”

  Daniel asked, “What about the symbols I saw on the wooden planks?”

  “That is called rongorongo — Rapa Nui’s own unique script. As you saw, many different symbols are engraved in the wood. Rather than represent a true language, these designs stand for concepts or ideas. While researchers have made progress in trying to crack the code, the exact meaning remains a mystery.”

  “Why wasn’t the way to interpret rongorongo passed on from your ancestors?”

  “Rongorongo could be read only by the ‘ariki mau and the elite members of our society,” Tiare said. “Remember me telling you about the period that started in eighteen sixty-two, when many of my people were killed?”

  “I do.”

  “Everyone who knew how to translate rongorongo died over those seventeen years.”

  Tears began to roll down Tiare’s face, and Daniel handed her a tissue.

  She wiped her eyes. “We not only lost much of our heritage during that time, but also many of our basic human rights. In eighteen sixty-nine the Frenchman Dutrou-Bornier negotiated a contract that converted the whole of Rapa Nui into one big sheep ranch. He brutally ruled the island and treated us as if we were his slaves.

  “The final straw was reached in eighteen seventy-six, when he began kidnapping young girls for his own personal pleasure. He was killed by islanders who had reached their breaking point. One year after he died, the population dwindled to an all-time low of one hundred and ten.”

  “What?”

  “It is true,” Tiare grimly said. “As I have told you, disease, blackbirding and emigration took their toll. Considering the population was estimated to be five to twelve thousand in eighteen sixty-two, it was a catastrophic drop.”

  Daniel sat in stunned silence.

  “The next landmark event for Rapa Nui was the annexation by Chile in eighteen eighty-eight —”

  “Why Chile?” Daniel interrupted, recalling his question from long ago.

  “Because the French, who had occupied the Leeward Islands the previous year, seemed content to allow Chile to have possession of Rapa Nui. As you might have guessed, we weren’t allowed to choose our conquerors.”

  “I see,” Daniel replied.

  “Anyway, in eighteen ninety-seven,” Tiare continued, “the Chilean government leased out our island — you guessed
it — as a sheep ranch, and all of my people were confined behind a wall around Hanga Roa, much like human livestock.

  “In nineteen hundred, when protestors demonstrated about the subhuman conditions, they were rounded up and taken on a boat to be exiled to Chile. They never arrived because they were thrown overboard at sea, and none survived. This reign of terror finally ended in nineteen sixty-six, when we were released from our prison of Hanga Roa and were allowed at long last to roam our own island. Finally, we were granted Chilean citizenship.”

  Daniel said, “How can you not hate the Chileans for what they have done to you?”

  “Hate is a strong word,” she said, “though there are many who feel that way, and some in the indigenous rights movement have called for autonomy. But, in fairness and especially over the recent years, Chile has done much for our island. They have helped develop the infrastructure and have promoted cultural tourism. While this is good financially, it is challenging ecologically, with the increase in cars, waste, and demands on our power and water supplies.”

  Daniel said, “I can’t help but wonder if these murders have something to do with those who wish to secede from Chile.”

  “It’s possible, but there is more to it than that. I have had a lot of time to think while I’ve been lying in this bed. So, let’s put our heads together for a moment.”

  Seeing Daniel’s nod, she continued, “First of all, I think we have both agreed that the killer wishes to stop the tourist industry on Rapa Nui. The motivation for this is uncertain.

  “And since your experience on Puna Pau and the note left by Gomez, we believe the killer has been influenced by Hitirau. And you have also told me there are no fingerprints which match those of the killer on Rapa Nui, or, for that matter, anywhere in the world. Correct?”

  “Correct.”

  “Now,” Tiare said, “two more facts make this even more interesting: One is the cannibalism that is occurring with these murders and the second is the obsidian-pointed spear I was impaled with. Both of these are from Rapa Nui’s distant past. Why have these suddenly reappeared in modern times?”

  “Could it be that the killer is performing these bizarre acts simply to scare people away?”

  “Well, yes,” Tiare agreed. “But a piece of the puzzle is clearly missing.” She paused for a moment. “What I say next should be kept between the two of us.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Please close the door.”

  Daniel stood and pushed it shut.

  Tiare’s spoke softly. “I believe I have an idea which would explain why the killer wants me dead. You see, my young friend, it is not only my age that connects me to the past. There is something else about me you do not know, and I have purposefully waited until you were ready to hear it. While a few on the island are aware, the knowledge of my lineage has generally faded away as those of my age have passed on.”

  Daniel sat, waiting.

  “You see, Daniel, like a select few of my family before me —

  “I am a shaman.”

  Chapter 16

  September 21, 2014

  “What?” Daniel couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “Yes, it is true,” declared Tiare, “I am a shaman. While most of my predecessors were men, of the nine children in my family, I was the one, according to my shaman father, who had the gift. So, he took me under his wing and instructed me.”

  Daniel said, “You had told me a bit about shamans before. What exactly do you do as a shaman?”

  “Most of what my father taught me was of the ways of healing. While in my childhood we were restricted to the Hanga Roa area, when we were able we would sneak over the wall and pick the various herbal plants in the countryside that had medicinal qualities. The quantity was limited because of the deforestation, but my father taught me much about the ones we were able to find. I have treated many an illness over the years.

  “Also, in our culture, shamans have a reputation for using dreaming to find answers to challenging questions. Dreaming for us is not falling asleep, but is actually a deep form of meditation, one from where the world of spirit can be entered. In this way, sometimes the waves of the future can unfold before us.”

  Daniel asked, “Have you dreamed about these murders?”

  “I have, many times.”

  “What have you seen?”

  Tiare frowned. “Not as much as I would have liked. Some years ago I began to sense an upcoming evil presence. Any attempt to enter and understand it was blocked time and time again, and I’m certain the entity is aware of me. What I was able to perceive was that it was from deep within the Rapa Nui past.”

  “Could it be Hitirau?”

  Tiare answered, “Hitirau is part of it, of that I am certain. But there is at least one other being involved, and that is where the mystery lies. I am unable to discover who that is. This person sees me, a ninety-four year-old woman, as a threat because of the information I could give you. His first attempt was to try and frighten me away. Since that has failed, the next will be to kill me.”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  “Thanks for that. But you should also know, Daniel, if the opportunity arises, he will try to kill you. Because you are younger and stronger, you would not be as easy a target. I’m certain you’ve noticed that most of his victims have been older — much easier prey.”

  Confused, Daniel asked, “Why am I that important?”

  Tiare sighed, then looked directly at him. “Because, my friend, I have seen you in my dreams, and you are one that is capable of stopping this evil.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes — you.”

  “Why not someone else?”

  “Daniel,” Tiare explained, “it is because you are like many shamans; you are able to perceive things that others cannot. Your senses, inner and outer, have been extremely fine-tuned. I would venture to guess that is one of the reasons why you are such a good detective.

  “And another thing, Daniel, you should know that to succeed you must go to the source of this evil and confront it. You must pull it up by its roots. Where exactly you will go, I don’t yet know. But go there you must.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I just do.”

  “Tiare — will I live through this?” Daniel asked.

  Tears came into her eyes as she said, “I . . . just . . . don’t . . . know.” She covered her face with her hands, as if the future was too much to contemplate, and repeated, “I just don’t know.”

  After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Daniel and Tiare continued on with his Rapanui lessons. It was hard to believe how well he was grasping the language after such a short time, but his razor-sharp mind, along with his eidetic memory, served him well. Simple conversation was getting to be second nature, and he was even becoming accustomed to understanding more complex sentence structures.

  Before Daniel left, Tiare handed him the key to her home, and he was on his way. As Daniel stepped out of her room into the hospital hallway, he discovered a stocky, white-haired Rapanui man sitting in a chair outside the room with what appeared to be a .45 pistol clipped to his waist.

  He had a big smile on his face as he spoke in Rapanui, “My name is Felipe Nahoe. You must be Daniel.”

  “Yes I am. I understand you are here to protect Tiare?”

  The smile left his face and he said, “As long as I’m alive, no one will lay a hand on her — that I promise you. By the way, the rumor is that you are staying around until the real murderer is caught?”

  “That’s true.”

  “The whole community is behind you. Roberto Ika is an odd one, but we all know he is innocent. When the right man is caught, we want Roberto back. Life is a lot more colorful with him around.”

  Daniel grinned and said, “I’m sure it is.”

  Daniel’s head spun with thoughts of his conversation with Tiare as he drove to her home.

  Why me? He kept saying over and over to himself.

  It was around nine p.m., and only mome
nts earlier he had stopped at the Te Manutara Hotel and checked out. Daniel had hoped to chat with Alame Koreta, but she was out for the evening.

  Daniel pulled into Tiare’s driveway, and when he walked up to the front door and started to put the key into the door lock, he caught himself. The faint hint of a distinctive odor emanated from the side of the home. He cautiously walked around the house to a partially open window. It was there that the smell was the strongest, a curious mixture of body odor, campfire smoke and earthiness.

  The killer had recently been here, Daniel sensed by the freshness of the odor. Maybe even just a few minutes ago, looking in the window.

  Could the killer be in the house?

  Daniel had to unlock the front door and step inside; he had to be very alert and careful. He must not forget:

  Tiare had warned him.

  Chapter 17

  October 13, 2014

  It was late in the evening, and Daniel sat at an outside table at his best-loved restaurant, El Tiberon. He had just eaten a freshly grilled filet of nanue fish with all the trimmings and was enjoying an after-dinner cup of Darjeeling tea.

  Daniel gazed at the beach and smiled as he discovered parents closely following two squealing young children who frolicked in the sand with their toy plastic buckets and shovels. Very soon it would be dark and given the lack of light pollution, unless there was a moon, the surroundings would be pitch-black.

  The past weeks had been a whirlwind of activity. Tiare had come home a week after her surgery and seemed as good as new. Her family stayed another week to be sure she was doing well and then flew back to Santiago.

  Daniel enjoyed living with Tiare. Since his grandpa’s death all those years ago, he had lived alone. It was nice to have someone in the house, someone to talk and share with.

  He reflected on the hour he had arrived at Tiare’s house, the time when he stood by the window, almost afraid to return to the front door, turn the key in the lock and step inside.