Blood like the Setting Sun: A Murder on Maui Mystery

by Robert W. Stephens

  “It took weeks for Poe to summon up the courage to ask her out.”

  “Why? Was she super pretty?” Alana asked.

  “She was nice looking, but Poe was too terrified to ask anyone out.”

  “Thanks, Foxx,” I said.

  “Poe finally asks her out and she says yes. Then she spends the entire prom dancing with this other guy.”

  “She didn’t dance with you at all?” Alana asked me.

  “One or two dances, but she seemed to do everything she could to avoid me,” I said.

  “That’s horrible,” Hani said.

  “Turned out she really wanted to go to the prom with this other guy, but her parents wouldn’t allow it,” Foxx said.

  “That’s about the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” Alana said.

  “They actually got married sometime after school, so at the very least, I like to think I had a small part to play in their relationship succeeding,” I said.

  “Poor baby,” Alana said.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you I saw on Facebook they got a divorce,” Foxx said.

  “She probably couldn’t stop pining for me after all these years. My memory drove the poor woman to leave her husband. I just hope she doesn’t turn up on our doorstep.”

  I took a swig of my beer. We told more stories designed to humiliate me. I didn’t mind. I knew it was all in good fun, and I was able to get in plenty of embarrassing stories about Foxx, too.

  Eventually, the chili was ready. We filled up our bowels and ate outside to enjoy the pleasant night air. The food wasn’t bad, but everyone was kind enough to tell me how tasty it was. Hani did mention it could have been spicier.

  We went inside after finishing dinner. Foxx turned on the television while I washed the dishes. He flipped over to the Discovery Channel. The guy has a thing for shows about couples killing each other. I really don’t have any clue how that has anything to do with “discovery.” I thought that channel used to be about science. Of course, I could be wrong about that.

  As it turned out, Hani was also a big fan of those shows, too, but who am I to judge? I kept my mouth shut, which is rather hard for me to do. Instead, I concentrated on finishing the dishes. I heard the dog whine and looked down at him. He was sitting at my feet and looking straight up at me.

  “Is he hungry?” Alana asked.

  “Always, but in this case, I think he has to use the bathroom.”

  “Want to walk him?” she asked.

  I grabbed Maui’s leash, and Alana and I left Foxx and Hani watching television. They both seemed utterly absorbed in watching the murder unfold on TV.

  “You’d think if anyone wouldn’t like that stuff, it would be those two,” Alana said after we got outside.

  “Human beings. You can never figure them out.”

  “I hope Foxx didn’t embarrass you earlier tonight.”

  “Not at all.”

  “Sorry your teenage years were so rough.”

  “Isn’t everybody’s?” I asked.

  “About this party, how can we make this assignment fun?”

  “I was just thinking about that. Maybe we should take on new identities. I can be a timeshare salesman here at a convention, and you can be my escort for the night.”

  “Very funny. I might have actually gone through with it if we weren’t living on an island and were most likely going to run into some of these people again.”

  “Have you ever met any member of the Chambers family?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so. I went to a wedding reception years ago that was held at their hotel, but I don’t know if I met anyone from the family.”

  “The mother described her adult children as lazy and entitled,” I said.

  “Should make for a pleasant evening.”

  As Alana and I continued to walk the dog, I thought about Mara’s last words to me right before I left her office. “You may be wasting your time, so at least you’ll get paid for it.” I don’t want to get all depressed on you since I know you’re reading this story for entertainment, but how many of us have jobs where we feel like we constantly waste our time only so we can get paid? I definitely didn’t want to be falling into another trap like I had with the architecture job.

  I would go to the party as a favor to Mrs. Chambers, but if I didn’t come up with anything substantial during the event, I would inform Mara that I was no longer able to pursue the case. At the time, I assumed that meant I would be finished with the case in a couple of days. I had no way of knowing just how wrong I was.

  Chapter 4

  The Party

  I received a package from Mara’s office the morning of the party. It contained copies of photographs of Charlotte Chambers’ adult children and a brief description of them - all written by her, I presumed.

  Millard Chambers Jr., sixty years old, and his wife Jen, also sixty. “Mill” is the oldest child. Mill and Jen met in college. Jen hasn’t worked a day in her life. Mill and Jen have twin boys, both of whom graduated from Stanford University. They both live in San Francisco and work for technology companies. Mill feels the company should be handed over to him because he’s the oldest, has worked for the company the longest, and is already the general manager.

  Bethany, fifty-six years old, and her husband Barry Williams, fifty-seven years old. Bethany is the middle child. She can’t stand her two brothers and has always believed they were favored over her because she’s a woman. She and Barry have one child, a girl named Olivia. Olivia graduated from the University of Southern California and spent several years in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry. Olivia recently moved back to Maui and started a wedding planning company.

  Joe Chambers, fifty years old. Joe is the youngest. He has had substance abuse problems but has been clean for over two years. He is unmarried and has no children.

  Nothing jumped out at me or seemed out of the ordinary beyond her obvious dislike of her daughter-in-law and the fact her son-in-law shared a name with one of the Brady Bunch actors. I flipped through the photos again and made superficial observations. Mill’s and Jen’s photograph must have been taken at a funeral, either that, or they’re two of the most miserable looking people I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know what Charlotte’s deceased husband looked like, but I guessed Mill took after him because I didn’t see any resemblance between Mill and Charlotte. It was difficult to determine their height. They were both of average weight.

  Bethany and Barry looked much happier. They were both quite large. Bethany’s facial features reminded me a lot of Charlotte’s.

  Joe Chambers got all of the looks in the family. He was a handsome guy with an insanely full head of hair for someone his age. His photo was taken on a beach. He was shirtless. The guy was in good shape. I’ll give him that.

  I shoved the photos and Charlotte’s notes back into the envelope. I called Alana and told her that Foxx and I would pick Hani and her up around six thirty. I had expected Charlotte would throw an afternoon event because of her age. I doubted an eighty-five-year old would want to party into the evening, but the invitation stated the event would start at seven.

  We took Foxx’s Lexus SUV since my two-seater was way too small. Alana opened the front door to her house just as Foxx and I pulled into the driveway. She and Hani both wore white shorts that showed off their firm, tanned legs. Alana wore a white, loose top with long sleeves. Hani had on a dark-blue tank top.

  “Those girls are gorgeous,” Foxx said.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” I said. “I’d advise you to stay clear of Hani. She’s dangerous.”

  “I got news for you, Poe. They’re all dangerous.”

  Alana and Hani hopped in the back seat.

  “Hey, you two,” Alana said.

  “Thanks for doing this for me,” I said.

  “No problem. Everyone loves a party,” Hani said.

  I handed Alana the package I got from Mara.

  “Here’s a description of each person we’re scoping out tonight.�
��

  Alana opened the package and removed the photos. The top photo was of Mill and Jen. Hani burst out laughing and then covered her mouth.

  “You okay?” Foxx asked.

  “Sorry. They just look, so -”

  “Miserable.” Alana finished her sentence.

  “The basic rundown is they all want their mother to sell to this giant hotel company. She refuses to sell, and they’re pissed about it,” I said.

  “Which hotel company?” Alana asked.

  “I don’t know. She just said it was an obscene offer for the property, and none of them would ever have to work another day in their lives.” I then told them about Charlotte’s promise to her late husband that she’d never sell the company.

  “Things change, though. I think she should sell, especially if all the kids hate each other. Seems like she’s inadvertently setting her family up for failure,” Foxx said.

  “I agree, but it’s her decision,” I said.

  It was a long drive to Mrs. Chambers’ house. It turned out she lived right down the street from Doctor Peterson’s beach house in Wailea. Mrs. Chambers’ property is three times as large as his, though. It’s a beautiful, multilevel house that reminded me of something Frank Lloyd Wright would have designed. We saw a valet as we approached the house.

  “Classy,” Foxx said.

  Foxx stopped alongside the valet, and we all got out of the SUV. We made our way inside and saw dozens of people milling about. The home was even more impressive inside. There were glass walls everywhere that showcased the tremendous views along the coast. Wow was the word that immediately came to my mind. The other word was expensive. I don’t mean to imply that Mara downplayed the family’s wealth, but it didn’t seem like they would ever be hurting even if they closed their hotel today. If the larger hotel company’s offer was enough to impress the Chambers’ kids, it must have been something else. I’m guessing lots and lots of zeroes were at the end.

  “So, where do we start?” Alana asked.

  “I’m going to find the bar,” Foxx said.

  “I’ll join you,” Hani said.

  Foxx and Hani turned one way, and Alana and I went in the opposite direction. We walked into the living room and saw Mara talking with Mrs. Chambers.

  “Mara, Mrs. Chambers,” I said as we approached them.

  Mara nodded to Alana and me.

  “I’m so glad you could make it, Mr. Rutherford,” Mrs. Chambers said.

  “Mrs. Chambers, I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Alana Hu.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alana said, and she extended her hand.

  “Likewise,” Mrs. Chambers said.

  They shook hands. Alana looked around the room.

  “You have a lovely home,” she said.

  “Thank you. My Millard designed it.”

  “I didn’t know your husband was an architect, too,” I said.

  “Oh, he wasn’t. He just sketched out what he wanted, and then we hired an architect to make sure it would work. I remember the exact day like it was just last week. We were eating lunch at a restaurant in Lahaina, and Millard took out a napkin and drew the plans. He had to borrow a pen from the waitress. Ninety-five percent of this place is exactly as he envisioned it that day. I still have the sketch somewhere in the attic.”

  “He sounds like he was a very talented man,” Mara said.

  “He was. My Millard could do anything he set his mind to.”

  A waiter walked by with a tray and offered champagne to Alana and me. I took two glasses for us.

  “You said today Mr. Chambers would have been ninety. Is that correct?” I asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “I’d like to propose a toast then to your late husband. To the man he was and the wonderful memories he evokes,” I said.

  We all raised our glasses.

  “To my Millard.”

  We sipped our champagne. I found it to be quite good, which surprised me because I usually don’t like the taste.

  “Well, Mrs. Chambers, I better get to work,” I said.

  “Thank you again, Mr. Rutherford,” she said.

  “Do you have a moment?” Mara asked me.

  “Of course.”

  Mara, Alana, and I left Mrs. Chambers and walked toward the corner of the living room.

  “I spoke with Charlotte before the party. She’s gotten a lot worse since our meeting. She’s completely terrified someone is trying to kill her,” Mara said.

  “You believe her now?” Alana asked.

  “No, I just don’t know how to help the poor woman. I certainly can’t go to her family. I offered again to take her to the police, but she still refuses.”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything the police would do,” Alana said. “A woman in her eighties who falls asleep while drinking wine and taking a hot bath…no one would ever suspect foul play.”

  “She did get two threatening letters,” Mara said.

  “Yes, but Poe told me she threw them away.”

  “So what do we do?” Mara asked.

  “How about this,” I said, “I’ll write up a lengthy report for her after the party and let her know I don’t suspect anything. We’ll even offer to have the remaining wine bottles tested.”

  “I can give you the name of the lab we use,” Alana said.

  “Hopefully that will make her feel better, and with time, she should eventually just let it drop,” I said.

  “I just hope it works. Thanks again for doing this. On a lighter note, maybe I shouldn’t put it that way, but I heard back from Karen Peterson this afternoon. Your photos sunk the doctor. He’s begging her to take him back, but Karen has already started the divorce proceedings.”

  “I hope the other woman was worth it,” Alana said.

  Worth millions? I asked myself. I didn’t think so, and I felt a little guilty for the part I played in Peterson’s downfall. It was true I didn’t force the guy to cheat, but we’re all far from perfect.

  Alana and I told Mara we’d talk to her later in the evening. We searched for Mrs. Chambers’ adult children throughout the house. We didn’t find them, so we decided to go outside. We immediately saw a huge seashell-shaped swimming pool that dominated the backyard. There was a large patio circling it. We spotted Bethany and Barry Williams a few seconds later. They were munching on hors d’oeuvres on the opposite side of the pool. They were only a few feet away from a large table that was covered in snacks. Bethany inherited her mother’s height, but she was round versus thin. Barry was the same height as her, and he was equally plump.

  “How do we introduce ourselves?” Alana asked.

  “I still can’t convince you to do the timeshare salesman-escort thing?” I asked.

  “Be serious, Poe.”

  “Okay, I say we just casually walk up to them and say hello. It’s a party. That’s what people do.”

  The couple turned and headed for the food table as we approached, so we followed them over there.

  “It all looks delicious,” I said.

  “Difficult to tell what to get,” Alana said.

  “It is delicious, isn’t it?” Bethany said.

  We introduced ourselves to the couple and after a few minutes of small talk, Bethany asked us how we knew her mother.

  “We’re friends with your mother’s attorney, Mara Winters. We ran into her, and she told us about the party. She said your mother told her to bring along some friends, so here we are.”

  “Your mother mentioned this party was to celebrate what would have been your father’s ninetieth birthday,” Alana said.

  “He was a wonderful man. We all miss him so much,” Bethany said.

  “I’m sure,” I said.

  “Do you know how he passed? He was playing golf with some friends and dropped to the ground after hitting a great shot. He died of a stroke right there on the fifteenth fairway.” Barry laughed.

  “Not a bad way to go,” I said.

  “The m
an could do anything. He was a brilliant businessman and great golfer. He even designed this house,” Bethany said, and she pointed to the house as if I didn’t know where it was.

  “Your mother mentioned that when we spoke inside,” I said.

  “Mara said your mother still runs the family business. Is that right?” Alana asked.

  I was grateful to Alana for bringing the business up in such a subtle way. It was a wonderful move, and I studied Bethany and Barry for reactions. I wasn’t disappointed. Their levity instantly vanished.

  “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told my mother she should retire. She simply doesn’t need the stress,” Bethany said.

  “So she really does still run the company? I thought Mara was joking,” I said.

  “I wish she was. Barry and I make most of the day-to-day decisions, but mother still likes to be involved.”

  “You and Barry manage the hotel then?” I asked.

  “That’s right,” Bethany said.

  That didn’t really make a lot of sense to me. I wasn’t sure how they could make the major decisions if her mother still technically ran the company. Also, Mrs. Chambers specifically mentioned in her notes that her oldest child Mill was the general manager. Maybe they were just trying to look like big shots in front of Alana and me, but the simple fact was they had just lied to us. A small lie? Sure. But maybe it was indicative of their characters. We spoke for several more minutes about the challenges of being in the hotel business. I wish I could say I found the conversation stimulating, but the truth was it was difficult to not fall asleep even though I was standing. If I heard one more comment about the new software they got to handle reservations, I might have dived fully clothed into the swimming pool just to escape.

  The only interesting observation I made during the conversation was that both Bethany and Barry were simply too dull to have thought up a plan to secretly poison Mrs. Chambers. Granted, I never thought for a second that any of the children were guilty, but it helped to make the evening more fun if I allowed myself to believe there was a slim chance this murderous plot was actually true. I just didn’t see them as having the imagination to cook up such an idea. They could have easily just have bored her to death with talk of the hotel, though. Mrs. Chambers was also in the business and would have found the topic far more interesting than I did, but Bethany and Barry had a way of talking that I suspected would have rendered any topic dull. They didn’t talk so much as drone on and on.