Murder on Mokulua Drive

by Burrows-Johnson, Jeanne;

  Keoni then cleared his throat. “Well, you certainly didn’t forget the food. That’s one thing both you and Nathan are great at—providing excellent food. Your helpers never go away hungry.”

  “That’s courtesy of our Auntie Carrie. What would she say—bless her spirit—if we ever allowed someone to depart hungry?” observed Nathan.

  “Speaking of her, let’s lift our glasses to her memory, and to what I suspect will be her continuing presence in the cottage,” I said.

  “Hear, hear. I met her just once, but she seemed like a grand old gal,” remarked Keoni.

  “You have no idea,” started Nathan.

  “We’ll probably never know the full details of her life,” I said, jumping in.

  “You’re right, Natalie. I’m sure there was more to Auntie Carrie than she revealed to us,” summed up Nathan, extending his glass to clink against Keoni’s and mine.

  Following up on the theme, I said, “When we hired her caregivers, I thought we might discover details of her life. Patients with dementia often remember facts from their early years, despite forgetting nearly everything of their current day-to-day existence. But that wasn’t the case with our Auntie. Oh, sometimes in cleaning and positioning furnishings for easier access, they’d unearth some letter, photo or keepsake with a note taped to the bottom. I guess note-writing was an art form practiced by both our mother and her sister Carrie.”

  We all laughed and got up for another round of sorting through the few open boxes poised for departure. After touring each room and pronouncing our work complete, we called it quits. While I sat consolidating my final short checklist, Keoni walked Nathan down to the lobby to chat until the Souzas arrived to take him to dinner.

  It was too bad Keoni and I did not have time to join in their night on the town, because Evelyn and Jim Souza are two of my favorite people. They had been Nathan’s neighbors for about ten years prior to Ariel’s murder. I do not know how we could have managed her memorial celebration without their assistance.

  They had been successful restaurateurs in California, Oregon, and Washington before moving to Hawai`i. To keep themselves busy while their Kāne`ohe Bay shore home was being remodeled, they opened one last bistro in Kailua. With all their experience and connections, Nathan’s every need was quickly met with such style that I know Ariel looked down with delight at how her family and friends were fêted in her honor.

  Evie had offered to help with a similar event when Auntie Carrie passed this last winter. But with Carrie’s friends having predeceased her—or being on the mainland in nursing homes—we kept our gathering small and simple. Despite our designated honoree, we could not help thinking about Ariel, as we realized the last time some of our attendees had gathered together was for her memorial. I smiled at the thought of the two of them flitting about the Universe in delighted tandem as they shared new discoveries.

  Although I had taken possession of the property several months earlier, tomorrow would be my first night in what had been my Auntie’s home for many decades. The time has passed quickly with the sorting of her belongings and renovating the cottage. The most important work had been strengthening the structure’s integrity after removing termite-damaged wood. Then we had updated the windows and doors, modernized the kitchen and two bathrooms, and repainted every room.

  Tomorrow Keoni and I would be able to sit on the back lānai at sunset. I could already picture us toasting Auntie Carrie with champagne, in thanks for the opportunity to live in her wonderful little home. Now where had I put that new peignoir set I had gotten at Neiman Marcus during their July Fourth sale?

  As the door opened and Keoni came in, I realized I had been off in a romantic daydream for a while. Noticing a large cooler in his hand, I commented, “It looks like you’ve brought more than Chinese takeout for supper, honey.”

  “I confess you’re right. You’re so organized, I thought we could just laze about and enjoy a picnic and the condo’s amenities for one last evening.”

  “Good planning, Prince Valiant. What’s on the menu?” I asked, following Keoni and our dinner into the kitchen.

  With everything in closed boxes and sacks, I could not get a good sense of the tasty treats awaiting me. But with Keoni coordinating the meal, I knew I would be delighted.

  Concentrating on finalizing arrangements for our dinner, Keoni stood with his back to me as he unloaded nearly everything from the hamper into the refrigerator. Turning around, he cleared his throat.

  “Let’s begin with our agenda. It’s a little before five o`clock. To ensure you can enjoy the evening, are there any calls you need to make before we shut down business for the day?” he asked with a quizzical mischievous look on his face.

  I paused. “Mmm. I guess I should check in with Anna to verify when I should take Miss Una down to play with Mitzy kitty—and to make sure nothing has come up to interfere with our use of the freight elevator between eight and eleven in the morning.”

  Gesturing around the kitchen crowded with boxes, he said, “My, aren’t you being optimistic. Do you really think we can get all this down the elevator in three hours?”

  “As you said, we’re very organized. It might take longer than three hours to get it in the truck, but I think we can get everything down to the loading area. And if no one else has booked it, I’m sure Anna will give us some leeway. That is, if your buddy is here on time.”

  “Hey, Ben’s already proven himself reliable. Remember, he’s the one who picked me up at the hospital after I damaged my ankle last year.”

  “Don’t misunderstand my questioning his arrival time. I’ll be grateful for his help, whenever he gets here. I’m just thinking he could get caught in traffic, since Waikīkī is brimming with locals as well as tourists late on Sunday mornings.”

  Leaning against the sink, he looked me in the eye with a reassuring smile. “Ben and I have already taken timing into our considerations. We’re renting the moving truck from another ex-cop who’s pretty flexible in helping friends. Ben will be picking up the truck tonight so he can get an early start in the morning.”

  “Uh, not too early. Remember the condo rules; the loading bay won’t even be open ‘til eight.”

  “You’re worrying too much. It’s like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It won’t be too early and it won’t be too late; it will be just perfect. Trust me.”

  “I just want the move to be complete. I wish I were a genie who could snap her fingers and this move would be over.”

  Keoni looked serious as he said, “It would be nice if everything in life could be done that way. But you seem especially anxious about something. What’s really bothering you?”

  “It’s Miss Una. I’m really concerned about her. You know those stories where a cat or dog escapes from their new home and walks hundreds of miles in search of their old one?”

  I paused, picturing my little tortoise shell colored kitty trudging all the way over the Pali and down into Waikīkī, only to stare up at all the high rise condos.

  “I don’t think you have to worry about her,” Keoni reassured me. “She had a great time when we took her over while we were drawing up the plans for the master suite. Remember how she loved running up the stairs to the attic and opening every closet door she could hook her paw under?”

  “That may be true. But I also recall how she scooted outside when the Italian tile for the master bath was delivered. It took us half an hour to woo her back to the lānai with some dried `ahí. I don’t know what she was doing in the neighbor’s garden, but she was staring at that house intently—even after she was back in the kitchen. She knows she’s not supposed to be on counters, but there she was—up in the garden window above the sink.”

  “What’s a girl kitty to do, when there’s no furniture to sit on? Like I’ve said before, Natalie; a good scout is always prepared. You never know when you or someone you care about might ge
t hungry. I have an entire glove compartment of turkey jerky at the ready.”

  “My, you do think of most everything.”

  Pulling me toward him, Keoni hugged me and whispered, “Yes, I do. And I have planned a lovely evening for all of us tonight.”

  With a brief squeeze of my derriere, he drew me to what I thought was an empty hamper. Pulling back the top, he tipped it over until two cans of Danish herring dropped onto the counter.

  “You see? I wouldn’t forget Miss Una. One can for bedtime and one for tomorrow when we take her to Anna’s. She and Mitzy will have a great time fighting over who gets the lion’s share. Then, if there are any complaints in the truck, you’ll just pop open some turkey jerky and pacify her until we get to Lanikai. Okay?”

  I laughed and agreed that he had done well in planning for my favorite feline.

  Keoni led me by the hand into the living room. After gesturing for me to sit on the sofa, he handed me my cell phone and sat down beside me. Before I knew it, he had pulled my legs up onto the sofa and was rubbing my feet.

  After I finished talking to Anna, we walked back through the condo and took a final inventory of our toiletries and clothing for the next morning. Although Keoni still has his bungalow in Mānoa, he keeps nearly half of his clothes with me. That way we are ready for any spur–of-the-moment occasion that arises.

  “You didn’t pack your swimsuit did you, Natalie?”

  “No dear. This morning you told me not to. What are you planning? A quick jaunt to the old Waikīkī Natatorium for a moonlit swim?”

  “No, that sounds like too much effort. I was thinking we’d have our picnic down by the pool and enjoy the spa one last time.”

  “That’s a lovely idea. Once the place is rented out, I’m not supposed to be using the amenities….Of course I could be a guest of Anna’s from time to time. Like when we come into Waikīkī before dinner on the town.”

  “Have you run these ideas past Anna? She might have some qualms about letting you obliterate the rules of the house.”

  “She’s done it for other off-site owners. And besides, I don’t think there will be that many occasions when I would ask to impose on her good will.” I then grabbed my swimsuit and cover up from the chair which was piled with clothing I might need in the next fifteen hours.

  “I’ve already got my suit on, so I’ll pull our dinner together while you change,” said Keoni with a large grin across his face.

  I could tell he had more than supper on his mind as he kissed my shoulder before walking out the bedroom door. That inspired me to take a couple of moments to tidy the mattress and dress it with some clean sheets.

  When I joined Keoni in the kitchen, I found Miss Una was enjoying her fresh `ahi supper. In a couple of minutes, we were on our way to the pool, hamper and towels in hand. As the elevator doors opened onto the pool deck we were greeted by Anna.

  Holding a beach bag in one hand and a travel mug in the other, she looked at us and said jokingly, “Well, how are you two doing? It seems like ages since we last spoke.”

  “If we’d known you were coming down for a little play time, we could have come earlier,” I said.

  “Don’t worry yourself about it, honey. I barely got in three laps before I got a call about some stopped-up plumbing. No rest in the condo business, you know.”

  Looking at the hamper, she added, “I have it on good authority that there’s a pool party scheduled to celebrate the engagement of Kenny and Diane on the seventeenth floor, so you two enjoy some peace and quiet before the crowd arrives.”

  Keoni smiled and said, “Isn’t that the couple that won the grand prize on some kind of reality show?”

  “That’s right. So now they’ve bought their dream home in Hawai`i and are planning their platinum wedding. I just hope they can get through the party without damaging anything around here. If you’re lucky, all their guests will be out of your way by tomorrow morning.”

  Thinking about my condo being on the sixteenth floor, I saw Anna’s point. Even though Keoni and Ben would be using the freight elevator, I was planning to use the regular elevators for smaller loads of personal items.

  “Have a nice evening. I’ll see you and Miss Una in the morning.”

  While I spread out our towels on a couple of loungers near the pool, Keoni took the hamper over to one of the tables under an umbrella. Turning on the sparkling LED lights in advance of sunset, he started pulling out the mysterious packages he had hidden from me.

  “I hope you’re hungry, Natalie. I’ve got several of your favorites here.”

  “Am I allowed to come and look yet? Or are you planning to hand feed me, one morsel at a time?”

  “Very funny,” he said, pulling out a chair. “If you’ll start serving, I’ll open the wine.”

  “Lovely,” I replied. I realized Keoni really had thought of everything to make our meal and even the cleanup as delightful as possible.

  As I began opening the packages in the hamper, I saw that he had bought large and sturdy sectioned paper plates and even deluxe over-sized flatware. It was nearly as good as china and silver.

  Within a couple of moments, Keoni handed me a stemmed plastic glass, brimming with my favorite bubbly, Mondoro Asti Spumante.

  “This really isn’t appropriate for all of our dishes, but it should go well with the strawberries on top of our chocolate fudge cake.”

  “Mmm. You really outdid yourself,” I congratulated him on his shopping. “Where all did you go?”

  “I simply worked my way along Ala Moana Boulevard. Actually, I should be honest and confess it was just one pit stop at Ward Warehouse. The Patisserie had the pastrami on pumpernickel sandwiches for tonight and cake and blueberry scones for the morning. Kincaid’s provided crab and artichoke dip with artisan bread, plus seafood Louie salad to share, and, ah…”

  “You didn’t forget the Horatio’s Burnt Cream did you? The best interpretation of a crème brulée I’ve ever had!”

  “You know me better than that. This meal is rather heavy on the carbs, but I figure we’ll work it off tomorrow.”

  “Now that’s the man I adore!”

  Keoni listed the key ingredients of each menu item as he unboxed them with great fanfare. Without further delay, we dove into our meal with enthusiasm, if not finesse. Between sips of my bubbly, he fed me bites of bread with crab dip and I offered him forkfuls of shrimp from the Louie salad.

  Soon we had finished everything—except the second sandwich and half of the cake. We were definitely well satiated, at least in the food department, and sat back to enjoy the last of our bubbly.

  “That was `ono my love, but if you continue to spoil me with such delights, I may never learn to use that fully-loaded kitchen you’ve installed at Auntie Carrie’s cottage.”

  “I’m not going to let you off that easily, Natalie,” he said with his blue eyes sparkling in the twilight. “With all the work you’re expecting from me tomorrow, I’m hoping for a five-course dinner on Sunday.”

  He then patted his `ōpū, to indicate how full he was. We agreed we were not up to any Olympic diving or racing. But before going back upstairs, we enjoyed soaking in the spa. Almost on cue, half an hour later, the doors of the elevator lobby opened and about two dozen partiers emerged, holding drinks and beach towels. Wishing them well, we gathered up the remains of our delightful repast and exited the scene quickly.

  After dropping off items for the recycling bin, we tossed our perishable leftovers in the refrigerator.

  “And now, my dear, what do you say to a warm shower before turning in early?” he leered with an all-encompassing hug to inspire me. “I only hope there’s enough hot water!”

  CHAPTER 3

  Let him who would move the world first move himself.

  Socrates [469 BCE - 399 BCE]

  With the brush of a playful feline paw, I came to cons
ciousness, just before the alarm was to ring at six-thirty on the first Sunday in August. I looked up and saw that my dear tortoise shell kitty was enjoying the rosy morning light from the top of the headboard that rested against the wall. Realizing Keoni was already in the shower, I surmised I did not need to turn off the alarm.

  “So, what do you think about all this, my little cutie?” I asked, reaching up to stroke her silky fur.

  Wrapping her tail around herself, she sat up regally and looked down her nose at me. She then jumped down to the floor and pattered over to the bathroom door.

  “Okay, Natalie, it’s your turn,” called out Keoni. “I let you sleep in a bit, but now that I see your bitty buddy, I’m guessing you’re among the vibrantly awake.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me when you got up?” I could have washed your back,” I said teasingly.

  Coming out of the bathroom with just a pair of shorts on, Keoni observed, “You know where that would have led, and Ben is due here in about half an hour.”

  “Why so early, if we can’t use the freight elevator for another hour?”

  Pulling on a University of Hawai`i aloha shirt, he said, “Because I figured we’d share some coffee with the blueberry scones I picked up yesterday. Then I thought we’d plan how we’re going to load the truck. Satisfied? So hit the shower, honey, or you’ll be sharing my favorite views of you with a near stranger.”

  Running past him into the bathroom, I began my morning routine. I emerged twenty minutes later with my short hair pulled back in a scrunchie and wearing a tank top, tennis skort and my new zippered walking shoes. It might not do a lot for diminishing the size of my tush, but I could move without worrying about providing a floor show.

  The fragrance of a medium-blend Kona coffee, with a hint of cinnamon, wafted through the air. Pulling off the sheets and pillowcases from our makeshift bed on the floor, I tossed the linens into the washer. Next I went into the kitchen and poured some coffee into a travel mug. When I walked out onto the lānai, I found Keoni flicking a bird-on-a-line toy at Miss Una. He barely looked up as I slid into a chair across from him.