Maui Murders

by Kathy Callahan

  “Good to see you again, Sheriff. Anything exciting happening in our little city?”

  “Not much, arrested a couple of kids selling pot to tourists last weekend. Arrested five for being drunk in public last week. And I’m sorry to say arrested a spouse on domestic violence.”

  “Damn, I hate to hear that a man has beat up on his wife. Hope she leaves him,” George said.

  “Well, actually, she was arrested for beating the bejesus out of him with a frying pan. Said she couldn’t stand him watching another soccer game, and he didn’t take her seriously. Think he understands now. The poor guy is still recovering from head injuries.”

  “My goodness, and I thought the late Mrs. Soo was the only spouse trying to kill her husband,” Mr. Soo said in all seriousness.

  George and the sheriff looked at each other, both suppressing grins.

  “Anything new on the Okamoto murders?” George asked.

  “Tell you what, once you get your malt, let’s go and sit in a booth where there is more privacy and I’ll tell you the latest.”

  Otis brought a large malt glass, oozing with richness, to George along with a regular-sized water glass also filled with chocolate malt. George took a long draw on the straw.

  “Ah, like manna from heaven. No one makes chocolate malts like you do, Otis. We’re going to take our drinks over to a booth,” George said, laying five dollars on the counter. He, the sheriff, and Mr. Soo walked to a booth and sat down. “Can I offer either of you gentlemen this other glass of malt?”

  “Not me,” said the sheriff, “I’m not a chocolate malt fan, but a strawberry malt, that’s another story.”

  “I have to admit I’m full,” said Mr. Soo. “I had the jumbo bacon cheeseburger and a large order of fries, most satisfying.”

  “I don’t think I could handle all that in one sitting,” said George.

  “What latest developments do you have to share with us on the murder of my dear friends, the Okamotos?” asked Mr. Soo.

  “There was a meeting about two weeks ago, all the bigwigs involved. The case is being put in the unsolved files. They all felt it was just someone passing through, and since they have no leads, they have chosen not to continue any investigation. I told them I disagreed with their assessment, but when they asked me what I based my assumption on and I said it was my gut instinct, they laughed and teased me about being the old guy and that ended that.”

  “This is very disturbing news, Sheriff,” Mr. Soo said, shaking his head, his brow furrowed.

  “Doesn’t seem right to me either,” said George.

  “Funds have been cut back everywhere, so they didn’t feel they could waste any more man-hours working on a case with absolutely no clues. They did tell me, in my spare time, I could pursue my own investigation. Which I thought was damn considerate of them since it happened on my watch,” the sheriff said heatedly.

  “Anything we can do to help, Sheriff, just let us know. I’m sincere about that. Mr. Soo and I are out and about daily. We see all sorts of things, and we would be good at asking questions informally.”

  “I make many stops daily and speak with many people. Perhaps I will begin asking them if they have heard any news on the murders,” offered Mr. Soo.

  “That’s a good idea, Mr. Soo, and get back with me right away if anyone offers anything. The same goes for you, George. I’m still in the belief that these murders were committed by someone local. I have felt that from the beginning, and I’ve told you both that before. Gentlemen, I got to be going. It was a pleasure speaking with you both,” the sheriff smiled, leaving the booth.

  “George, can you speak with some of the young windsurfers to see if they have any ideas? I will causally talk with the many friends I encounter daily. Who knows we may be able to learn something accidentally that these people don’t even realize they know.”

  “I will talk with the young folks. This is a good idea of yours, Mr. Soo. I hope we can find something that will help the sheriff. In the meantime, we’ll still lock up.”

  “I’m very cautious, and I’ve been sure Layla is also. I wonder how she and Dewey are getting along.”

  “I have a feeling they are doing just fine,” George said with a knowing grin.

  Annie stood at the kitchen sink, dicing tomatoes for the evening’s salad when she saw George come toward home. She met him at the back lanai screen. “How was your tour of the Visitors Center?”

  George walked into the dining room, pulled a chair out, grabbed Annie around the waist, and sat her down on his lap. “Honey, wait till I tell you what’s happened. Most of those off-the-cuff ideas I threw out to Donnie have been incorporated into the final design. I couldn’t believe my eyes. You know, my engineering background has been more in the mechanics of things. How to get luggage from plane to passenger sooner, how to route planes safely, but this time I gave Donnie some design ideas more in the architectural vein and, damn, if he and the architect didn’t use them. There’s more. On the usual bronze plaque by the entrance door, they are listing my name as a design consultant.”

  “I’m so proud of you! What an honor and well deserved, I might add.” Annie reached up to give him a kiss. As she placed her lips on his, she suddenly pulled back, saying, “I smell chocolate malt.”

  “You certainly do. I knew Mr. Soo was next door at Otis’s, and when I left the Visitors Center, I decided to celebrate, so I went next door and had a chocolate malt. It was so damn good.”

  “You deserved it, my brilliant engineer,” Annie said, continuing with the kiss she had previously started.

  After their kiss ended, George proceeded to tell her about the center. He emphasized the wonderful large photographs that hung below the windows, telling her she would be awed at the old photos of their town.

  “That does it. I want to go next Friday. Will you go with me? I’ve really got to see it now. With your contributions and those old photos, it’s time I got myself acquainted with our new Visitors Center.”

  George hugged Annie to him and said softly into her ear, “Sweetheart, I’m so glad you’re ready to make this move, and you’ll be fine. I’ll be there for you.”

  “I knew I could count on your support,” Annie said softly.

  George went on to mention that the sheriff was sitting with Mr. Soo when he arrived at Otis’s and that they all had moved to a booth to discuss privately the Okamoto murders.

  “Is there a suspect?” Annie asked hopefully.

  “No, actually, it’s the opposite. The other agencies have declared it a closed case and filed it away. The sheriff said he believed it was a local, but they ignored his theory as that of an old-timer.”

  “That’s terrible news,” said Annie, dismay in her voice. “How can they dismiss the murders so easily?”

  “I guess because there were no clues or suspects, just nothing to go on. The sheriff suggested to Mr. Soo and me that we keep vigilant on our home security. I told him it had become habit for us to lock up even when we are home. Mr. Soo and I offered to, very casually, when talking to various people, start up a conversation on the murders. We would start things out by our dismay at it being a closed case and then see if we can find out anything. Someone may know something but have no idea that they know something. Know what I mean?”

  “That’s a terrific idea. I’ll apply the same approach when I go to the retirement centers. Although I’m sure none of those folks were at the scene, the gossip mill works overtime at those places and no telling what I might hear. Let’s hope between the three of us, we can pick up a little clue somewhere.”

  CHAPTER 54

  Layla and Dewey were having breakfast on their patio, opting to discuss their marriage plans in private. They agreed to the ceremony in Salt Lake City in deference to the many employees at DewMaster and others in the area that would want to attend. Layla said she realized it was his first marriage, and it sho
uld be a big event, considering who he was and his company representation. She did insist they use one of his company planes to fly Mr. Soo, Annie, George, Fiona, and Ned over and thought maybe they could be housed in the empty house that Dewey’s father had built.

  “Splendid idea. Now what about a date or some estimate?”

  “Dewey, you’ve got to understand that I must finish the restoration of my home, which will be our home-away-from-home when we’re married. In fact, I hope we can fly back with everyone and spend our honeymoon in Paia. I do love this place, the people are friendly, and the pace is easy. I can’t quite put my finger on why I feel so at home there, but I just do, and I know you also have good feelings for the town and people.”

  “Absolutely, the six months I spent hiding out there were terrific. I made many friends. No one knew who I was or how much I was worth. It didn’t matter. I was just Dewey, and they accepted me. The windsurfers are extra special people, and of course, George and Annie and Mr. Soo are a very important part of my life now. I imagine you will help me get to know Fiona and Ned. I guess my initial opinion of Fiona was off the mark.”

  “Definitely, she’s been a spark of life for me. She is a moving force, and yet she is caring, kind, and extremely fair and honest. She and Ned share a loving relationship, actually much like Annie and George. She and George are more alike, more ornery, and Annie and Ned are akin, more reserved. Those four are fun together, and Fiona has some great stories. They had a rich and active life in Oahu but chose to come to Paia when their children were ready for high school and raise them in a slower atmosphere. Fiona told me it was a hard decision at the time. They were used to a fast-paced life with high-profile clients and million-dollar deals, but it was the best choice they ever made for their family. She firmly believes that it has extended Ned’s life by reducing his stress level. She sees that, most of the time, they eat well and exercise almost daily. She does work for locals occasionally, and believe me, she has great contacts and works hard, but she handles no more than two projects a year. She said her main focus is Ned.”

  “Honey, I have a feeling I’m going to learn to like Fiona, and she might be responsible for that wicked sexy grin you’ve come by.”

  Layla laughed. “You’re probably right. Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” Dewey said, leaning across and kissing her.

  “That was yummy,” said Layla. “Now getting back to our marriage, I know we will be living in Salt Lake City, that’s where your business is, and you have a lot of people depending on you for their livelihood. As long as we can keep the Paia house for vacations and relaxing time, I think it will take between four and five months to have everything finished. Fiona thinks it will be sooner, but when I go inside, I see so many things to be accomplished. I get scared of a faster time frame. Do you think it might be possible for you to take a quick look before you have to get back?”

  “I would like that since it will be our vacation home and where we spend our honeymoon, the least I can do is see how things are coming along. Do you want to start making wedding plans now or wait a bit? There are a lot of plans we will have to make well in advance.”

  “When I married Kyle, our marriage was one of the big events in the Hamptons that season. My parents had a lot of European friends in for the event and Kyle’s family had big-time politicians and Wall Street types in attendance. It wasn’t a wedding, it was a production. It was horrible. Do you think we could hire a wedding planner to work with you and make it what you had in mind? I have a couple of friends from New York and our Paia friends. Other than that, I don’t want to invite anyone else. I will ask my parents, but I’m sure they will have other plans.”

  “If you’re serious, then I would love to ask Agnes to plan things, and my secretary can assist her. She would love planning our wedding. She feels very close to you, did you know that?”

  “No, I didn’t. And it would make me extremely happy for Agnes to plan our wedding. Perhaps we could have it in your fabulous backyard, providing it’s late summer or early fall.”

  “That would be terrific. Ted can get the yard fixed up like a something out of nurseryman’s dream. We can have a large tent for the reception with a dance floor and make it warm with space heaters.”

  “Great, see how much we’ve gotten decided. We work well together. We do a lot of things well together,” Layla teased.

  After breakfast, they decided to put on swim gear and go out to the pool/beach area. After some sun time, they stopped by the shops, and Layla picked up gifts for Annie, Fiona, and Mr. Soo. She also picked out something for Agnes and Ted from both of them, then insisted Dewey select something for his secretary. They enjoyed a leisurely lunch outdoors, then went back to their suite.

  The rest of Saturday and Sunday seemed to fly by, and when Sunday evening rolled around, they decided to dine in their suite, enjoying the intimacy of being alone with each other. They made love often, and each spoke of their past, the happy times and sad times and how much they were looking forward to married life together.

  “Layla, tomorrow before I leave Maui, let’s find a jewelry store and at least look in the window so you can give me some idea what type of engagement ring you would like.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “What’s the matter, honey? I can afford anything, so don’t worry if you want something outrageous.”

  “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t want an engagement ring. I had a bad experience with my last one, and I would simply prefer a gold band for each of us. If you want to add diamonds, that’s fine, but no big, gaudy engagement ring.”

  With a surprised look on his face, Dewey asked, “What could possibly have happened to make you feel this way about an engagement ring?”

  “When Kyle and I became engaged, he gave me a fabulous ring from his mother’s side of the family. It had been her grandmother’s. Lord, it was something to see, a huge blue-white diamond surrounded by deep blue sapphires and set in platinum. Everyone always was commenting about its beauty. Heck, most of the time I was afraid to wear it, easy picking for a thief.

  “When Kyle and I divorced, I didn’t want to return it to him, damned if I wanted to see Kim wearing it as a pinky ring. Kyle’s mother and I were always close, and I drove up to their Hamptons estate one day and returned it to her. She understood why I brought it back and thanked me, saying it would stay in her direct family. She would pass it on to her sister for her to give to her eldest daughter when she became engaged. That’s my story and why I’m not into engagement rings.”

  Dewey smiled. “Gold bands for both of us.”

  CHAPTER 55

  Annie and George invited Ned, Fiona, and Mr. Soo over at ten Monday morning. Annie provided coffee, tea, and made a coffee cake. At twenty minutes past ten, Dewey made the turn off the Hana Highway, and all on the Boones’ lanai stood up and waved.

  “Look, Dewey, we have a welcoming committee,” Layla said, waving from her side window.

  “They want to know how our weekend went.”

  “I’ll tell them we made love so much, walking is a chore. That ought to appease them.”

  “Layla, you wouldn’t! That Fiona has really changed you.”

  “No, sweetheart, I wouldn’t say that, but I know I’m glowing.”

  Dewey held the car door for Layla, and then they made their way where all were assembled.

  “I’m so glad to see you both,” said Annie, hugging Layla and giving Dewey a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  George went over and gave Dewey a manly hug, saying quietly, “Hope that special box is now empty.”

  “Nope, not even opened.”

  “What?” George said, stepping back wide-eyed.

  “Layla said not to bother, as long as I didn’t mind if she got pregnant. I said fine with me, so the contents of the box never saw the light of day,” Dewey said with a broad grin.

>   “Just the best, isn’t it?” George said knowingly.

  “First time I had not used protection, it was wonderful.”

  “What are you two chatting about?” asked Mr. Soo, coming over to greet Dewey.

  “Mr. Soo, I’m so glad to see you,” Dewey said, giving the little man a hug.

  “I’m most happy to see you too, Dewey. I’ve missed you, but I’ve been happy to have Layla staying with me. I will be sorry to lose her once her home is completed.”

  “Dewey, let me officially introduce you to Fiona and Ned Keller,” Layla said, making the introductions.

  They shook hands, and then Dewey said to Fiona, “I believe I have you to thank for spicing Layla up. She has been slightly wicked, and I love it.”

  “I’m guilty and proud of it,” Fiona said, laughing.

  “Folks, we have an official announcement to make,” said Dewey, slipping his arm around Layla. “Layla and I are engaged and will be married as soon as her home is finished to her liking. We will use it as our vacation home, and we also plan to honeymoon there. We will be married in Salt Lake City. However, I will send a plane for all of you to bring you to the festivities. I have a second home on my compound. In fact, my father built it for him and Mom to live in, but he died before they could move in, and you folks can stay there. It is a lovely home, and I will have a housekeeper assigned to it while you’re there.”

  “It sounds like you two have really planned things out. All of us would be honored to attend your wedding, something we have been anticipating,” said Fiona.

  “In my heart, you are my family, and I couldn’t be married without you in attendance,” Layla said, tears coming to her eyes.

  Annie went and placed her arm around Layla. “Honey, you and Dewey are so special to us, and I’m going to miss you terribly, but I’m so happy for you both.”

  “I knew the minute I saw my angel, she was the only woman I would ever love, and I feel so lucky she now feels the same way,” Dewey said, beaming.