“Not sure. That’s a question for the D. A.”
“By the way, are you hungry? I just bought a supreme pizza.”
“Maybe later. I’ll need to meet up with this Donna first.”
“You don’t want me there?” I asked.
“No, there’s something else I need to talk to you about, but I’d rather do it in person. I can swing by your place tonight, if that’s okay.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Just do me this favor and let me meet with Donna on my own.”
I could tell by the tone in her voice this was an argument not worth having.
Chapter 13
Game Changer
I drove home, and Foxx and I ate most of the pizza and had a few beers while we watched an old movie on television called Big Trouble in Little China. In some ways, it was a ridiculous film - a bizarre combination of action, comedy, and fantasy - but we loved it. I’d lost count a long time ago of how many times we’d watched it together, but the film never got old to us, and we still predictably laughed at all the same places.
I managed to put aside a couple of pizza slices for Alana. The pizza was decent. It wasn’t even close to being the best I had ever had, but I figured it was more than adequate for the tourist zone, which was probably the reason they were still in business. After the pizza and the movie, we grabbed some more beers and went out to the pool.
“I’m sorry I kept the Hani thing from you,” Foxx said.
“No big deal.”
“You mean that?” he asked.
“Yeah, you said it was nothing serious, right? It’s not like you need my permission anyway.”
“Hani seems to think Alana would be upset. I’m not sure if I should take that as an insult or not. Maybe Hani’s embarrassed by me.”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“Then what is it?” Foxx asked.
“You’ve sort of developed a reputation as a womanizer. She probably thinks Alana would be concerned by that.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Come on, Foxx. You’re with a different girl every other week.”
“That’s what everyone thinks? That I’m just going to cast Hani to the side once I’m bored with her?”
“Who’s everyone? I thought I was the only person who knew. And, no, I don’t think you’re going to cast her aside. I think she’s going to cast you aside.”
“Dump me?” Foxx asked.
“Watch your back. That’s all I’m saying. You have a lot of money now. Don’t be surprised if she’s coming for it.”
“You think I’m that naïve? You think I can’t take care of myself?”
“Is this heading into an argument?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Foxx said.
“Well, I don’t want it to. Just know this. I’m not ever going to judge you. If you want to be with Hani, that’s cool. And if you don’t want me to tell Alana, I won’t.”
The doorbell rang at that moment, and I hoped to God that we weren’t loud enough for Alana to hear us, at least I assumed it was Alana who was at the front door. Maui the dog barked and ran toward the front of the house.
“I think that’s Alana,” I said.
“Don’t say a word about this.”
“I told you I wouldn’t.”
It wasn’t Alana, though. It was Hani. She looked fantastic, as usual.
“Hey, there,” Hani said.
She walked inside and bent over to pat Maui on the head. Hani looked up at me.
“Is Foxx here?”
“Yeah, he’s in the back by the pool.”
Hani walked toward the back of the house.
“Can I get you a beer?” I asked.
“That would be great,” she said.
I walked into the kitchen and grabbed three beers. Maui the dog followed me back outside. I handed Foxx and Hani their beers.
“Alana’s coming over later,” I told Hani.
“Cool. I haven’t seen her in a few days,” Hani said.
I was a little confused by Hani. I wasn’t sure if she intended to leave before Alana’s arrival. If she didn’t, I wasn’t sure what her excuse would be for her presence. But it was their little secret, and I wasn’t overly worried about it getting out. I didn’t think Alana would necessarily endorse the relationship, but I also didn’t think she’d be upset by it.
We all sat by the pool and watched the sunset. None of us said much. It was just a relaxing time to kick back and enjoy the beauty of Maui, the island, not the dog.
“You guys have such an amazing view here,” Hani said.
“What are you up to these days?” I asked Hani.
“Still trying to figure out what I want to do.”
“Understandable. Foxx and I are in the same boat.”
“Not you. I heard you were basically working as an investigator for Mara,” she said.
“Nothing official. I just did one case for her.”
Hani laughed. “Foxx told me about that one. I can’t believe that doctor would do that out in the open.”
“It was a little surprising,” I admitted.
“You’ve handled two cases, though,” Foxx pointed out.
“Something tells me the Chambers case was just taken away from me,” I said.
“Why’s that?” Hani asked.
“I’m not sure, but I think Alana is going to let me know later tonight.”
I hung out with Foxx and Hani for a few more minutes. Then I went inside to watch television. Alana arrived about thirty minutes later. She saw Hani outside with Foxx as she sat down beside me on the sofa.
“What’s Hani doing here?” she asked.
“She just stopped by to say hello.”
Alana shot me this look that managed to say “Don’t give me that B.S. What are you holding back from me?” Yes, women have a way of communicating multiple points with one look.
“Were you able to meet up with Donna?” I asked.
“I went by the restaurant, but she called in sick tonight.”
“She must have heard about Joe.”
“That was my guess, too. I got her home address from the manager, and I went to see her.”
“What’s she like?” I asked.
“Young girl, maybe mid-twenties. She said she never dated Joe Chambers. She said they only hooked up a few times after work. She sometimes got drinks at the hotel bar. That’s where she met him.”
“What about the drugs?”
“I asked her that, and she said the most she ever did was smoke pot with Joe. She said he offered her the hard stuff, but she always said no.”
“Did she see him doing heroin last night?” I asked.
“Not according to her. They drank a little and then had sex. She left around three in the morning, which I was able to confirm from the security-camera footage.”
“Is there any way to estimate a time of death for Joe?”
“The M. E. said Joe had been dead around an hour or two before Mill found him.”
“When did Mill discover the body exactly?” I asked.
“He called 911 at seven fourteen. I verified that with the phone records. The security-camera footage shows him going into the room at five after seven.”
“He sat there and looked at Joe’s dead body for nine minutes?”
“Apparently,” Alana said.
“And the M.E. said Joe died a couple of hours before that?” I asked.
“Yes, he estimates the time of death was between five and seven in the morning.”
“How does he estimate that? Is it body temperature?”
“That’s one of the indicators. There are others indicators, like rigor mortis.”
“That must clear Mill and Donna,” I said.
“Joe’s fingerprints were the only ones on the syringe. There was also a small plastic bag of drugs on the nightstand. His prints were the only ones on that, too.”
“So even if Donna brought Joe the drugs, she was careful enoug
h to wipe her prints off.”
“I doubt she did that. I got a good look at her arms while I was talking to her. I didn’t see any indication of drug use, at least nothing that would leave needle marks. Plus, I don’t think she had anything to gain by Joe’s death. She seemed pretty shaken up by it all. On the other hand, she could just be a good actor.”
“I still don’t understand why Mill waited so long to call an ambulance,” I said.
“Maybe he wanted to make sure Joe was really dead.”
“Who knows? Maybe he even considered not calling at all, but he thought it through and realized his images would be all over the security footage. It wasn’t like he could selectively erase anything without making himself look guilty.”
I realized we were doing some major guess work here. The truth was Mill might just have been in serious shock. The guy had just walked in on his dead brother, lying on a bed with a needle sticking out of his arm. He might have had major issues with Joe, maybe he even hated him but that didn’t mean he wanted him dead.
“Do you know how the department’s going to rule this?” I asked.
“Probably an accidental death. That’s not official, though.”
“What was it you wanted to talk to me about earlier?”
“I got a call from Mara Winters right before you called me, and she told me about your meeting with Candi. Mill and Bethany have lawyered up. Mara informed me that I’m not to interview any members of the Chambers family without her presence.”
“What does that have to do with me being there for your conversation with Donna?” I asked.
“Mara’s not exactly a friend of the department,” Alana said. “Anyway, after her call, the captain had a change of heart regarding your involvement. He wants you out of this.”
I nodded. It wasn’t like this was a major surprise. I didn’t see it coming, exactly, but it wasn’t unpredictable either.
“Of course, as long as you aren’t breaking any laws, the department can’t tell you what you can and can’t do with your time,” she said.
I knew what Alana was really saying. She realized I was probably going to continue my own investigation. She knew she couldn’t stop me, but she was requesting that I not make her life difficult by asking her to bail me out of trouble.
“I get it,” I said.
Alana turned from me and looked outside. Hani and Foxx were laughing.
“They’re having sex, aren’t they?” she asked.
I said nothing. Alana turned back to me.
“How long have you known about this?” she asked.
“Known about what?”
“What do you think I’m talking about? Did you make some kind of promise to Foxx or Hani not to speak to me about it?”
“I haven’t technically seen the sex, so I can’t answer your question with any reliability.”
“You sound like Mara Winters. Does Foxx know about Hani’s issues with telling the truth?” Alana asked.
“I’m sure he does.”
“And does Hani know about Foxx’s issues with not being able to commit to someone?”
“I’m sure she does.”
“What happens to us when my sister and your best friend end up hating each other after the messy breakup?” she asked.
“Let’s just hope there isn’t one.”
“You really think this is going to last?”
“Not a chance. But maybe they’ll both be adult enough to acknowledge what it is and just let it end on a peaceful note,” I said.
“And what is this relationship exactly?”
“Two people who have both lost someone and are giving each other comfort.”
“By comfort, you mean sex?”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, we’ll just see how it goes.”
“Are you going to let on that you know?” I asked.
“What would be the point? I’m not sure why they didn’t want me to know, but I think it will be fun watching them come up with excuses for why they keep bumping into each other.”
“Did you tell Hani you were coming here tonight?” I asked.
“She called me a few hours ago. I might have mentioned it.”
“Then there you go. This is her way of telling you without having to actually tell you.”
Alana stood and walked outside. I followed her, but I had no idea what she was about to do.
“You guys want to do a double date tomorrow? We could do burgers at Harry’s or something,” Alana said.
“You told her, didn’t you?” Foxx asked.
I shook my head.
“He didn’t say anything. My guess is you started this the night of the party. Is that right?” Alana asked.
Neither Foxx nor Hani said a word.
“You guys were really into each other that night. It was obvious, and you were drinking. I’d say one thing led to another…” Alana continued.
Foxx laughed. “Poe said you were one smart lady.”
Alana turned to me and smiled. “You said that?”
“Yep.”
I hoped that my comment had just scored me major brownie points. Alana turned back to Foxx and Hani.
“There’s no reason to keep secrets between us,” she said.
Foxx held up his beer as if in a toast. Alana turned back to me.
“Did you and Foxx eat all that pizza, or did you save me a slice?”
“I saved you two slices,” I said.
“Poe wanted to eat them, but I told him not to,” Foxx said.
“Thank you, Foxx, and my stomach thanks you too because I’m starving.”
Chapter 14
The Funeral – Part 2
I didn’t have much of a personal involvement in the Chambers’ case for the next few days. I spent most of my time either walking the dog, going on long runs, or photographing the island. I’d shot just about every place on the island more than once, but Maui is so beautiful and always worth multiple photographs. I think I could spend the rest of my life here and never get tired of it.
Alana was good enough to keep me apprised of the case. Much of her recent attention seemed to be on nailing Candi and Dick Halverson for their role in Joe’s false will.
Alana said they scared the hell out of Candi for her involvement. Apparently, it’s a felony to provide false witness, if that is, in fact, the legal term for what she did. Candi had already been arrested a couple of times before, so she was looking at serious jail time. She was offered immunity, though, if she was willing to testify against Dick Halverson for his part in providing a false witness. I think the D. A. viewed Candi as small potatoes. It was much better publicity for the department to be seen taking down a disbarred attorney who was still practicing law by creating fake wills and fake witness signatures for cash under the table.
I expected to get an angry phone call from Candi. After all, I had implied to her that the police would probably just drop the matter. Yeah, I was seriously wrong about that one. I didn’t intentionally mislead her. We’ll just have to chalk that one up to a case of me being really naïve. At least Candi’s record was cleared, and she wasn’t going to serve jail time. By record, I mean the matter of the fake will and not her previous arrests for prostitution.
I didn’t touch base with Mara Winters regarding the will. I knew she’d refuse to discuss client issues with me, and I certainly understood and respected that position. I imagine, though, that the will Joe produced was now considered null and void, and that they’d go back to the last will Charlotte was known to have actually signed. That will gave the Chambers’ fortune to Mill, Bethany, and Joe - all in equal parts.
Now that Joe was gone, I didn’t know how Joe’s shares would be distributed. Maybe Joe had a will of his own, and he could have potentially left his shares to someone else. As far as I knew, he’d never been married and had no children. I wasn’t sure if there was even someone outside the immediate family that he would want to leave anything to. Let’s face it, he didn’t like anyone in his im
mediate family either. He impressed me as being a serious mess, so I couldn’t see him as having the foresight to create a will of his own.
There was little to no progress made on the investigation into Charlotte’s death. The case had turned cold, and Alana admitted to me that she had no idea where or how to generate new leads. It was a serious embarrassment to her because the media was constantly demanding updates. Charlotte was a well-known member of the Maui community. Her murder had to be solved.
Joe’s funeral was held about a week after his accidental overdose, and that’s exactly how the D. A. ruled it, probably to the great relief of Mill and Donna.
Joe was buried in a plot beside his parents. I went to the funeral by myself. I must be honest with you and freely admit that I didn’t want to go. I felt no connection to Joe at all, but I went out of a sense of obligation. I’m not sure why I felt that sense of obligation. I just did. So I broke out the dark suit for a second time.
I was one of just a few people at the funeral. Neither Mill nor Bethany attended, which I found appalling, despite their feelings toward their brother and his role in trying to defraud them. Maybe I’m too forgiving, or maybe it’s unfair of me to have expected them to come. But it wasn’t like he could do anything to steal from them now. What would it have hurt to show their respects? Surely there had to have been some moments when they all loved and cared for each other.
Candi and Donna were also no-shows. Maybe they were worried they’d run into each other. Perhaps Donna didn’t want to be associated with Joe in any way anymore. I couldn’t blame her, and I guessed Candi felt too betrayed by Joe to attend. On the other hand, Candi and Joe had had an open relationship. It wasn’t like Candi was faithful either. The woman worked as a prostitute. She still worked as one as far as I knew.
The minister that presided over Joe’s funeral was the same guy who handled Charlotte’s. He used almost the same exact speech, confirming my earlier suspicion that he used a Mad Libs template to officiate these things. “We lay INSERT NAME to rest. May God bless and watch over INSERT NAME’s soul.”
I scanned the few attendees’ faces during the service. There was only one person I recognized, Trevor Edelman. I’m pretty sure he saw me, too. Hell, he couldn’t have missed me. Neither of us said anything or even acknowledged the other person’s presence, but I was curious as to why he was even there. It was my understanding that he hated the Chambers family. He didn’t come to Charlotte’s funeral, at least I don’t remember seeing him there, so why had he come to Joe’s? I made a mental note to explore that later. I didn’t think speaking to him about it there was either the right place or time. There was no wake afterward, either.
Blood like the Setting Sun: A Murder on Maui Mystery Page 14