by Toby Neal
It made Lei feel a little sick with loneliness and worry. What if Kamuela ever connected her with the Kwon murder? It would devastate Marcella and drive a wedge between all of them. Lei had confronted the pedophile in his apartment on the day he was shot, dressed in a disguise Marcella had unwittingly given her.
Lei ducked into the unisex bathroom and flipped the lock on the door. She did a nervous pee, washed her hands. Her oval face with its sprinkle of cinnamon freckles reflected pale in the silver metal of the paper towel dispenser as she yanked out a handful of towels, running a little water on them and patting her face.
Lei’s full mouth tightened as she remembered Charlie Kwon: her mother’s boyfriend, drug pusher, and pedophile. Just when she started to forget about it, his unsolved murder would bubble up with its taint of the past. Charlie Kwon, on his knees in front of her with his eyes shut, saying, “Do what you came to do!”
Sophie Ang sat in her computer bay with three large screens ranged around what she called “the cockpit.” The low lighting of the FBI’s information-technology floor, the sound-deadening walls and carpet, gave the space a womblike feel—but the cool temperature kept the computers humming and agents alert.
And right now, Sophie was feeling more than alert—she was what she’d heard called “wired in.” Time seemed to stop, and she entered a state of total synchronicity between the computers, her brain, and her body. Sophie called it “the zone.” If she could have, she’d be plugged directly into the mainframe, but such technology didn’t yet exist. She knew it was only a matter of time, and she’d be one of the first to sign up.
Sophie had a mug of strong Thai tea at her elbow, and her long golden-brown fingers flew over the keys as she typed in the latest information on Corby Alexander Hale III direct from the scene, piped to her from Lei and Ken through their secure laptop. The photos Lei had taken, their notes, pictures of the suicide note, porn, and heroin kit all flowed through her fingers into the program she’d built.
She’d named it DAVID. The Data Analysis Victim Information Database was designed to analyze crimes into trend-driven subgroups. Unbound by geography or human bias, DAVID was able to mine law-enforcement databases and use statistical probability to hunt down trends that would be missed any other way—and this time, she was finding a trend with an 80-percent confidence ratio. She could add and take away variables that reconfigured the data based on information as it came in. Nationwide, there was an uptick in suicides. Suicides with inconsistencies. Suicides that weren’t really suicides.
Sophie still vividly remembered watching the news report a few weeks ago that had caught her interest—a series of odd suicides in Portland. One of the victims, a woman with chronic depression who’d overdosed on sleeping pills, looked uncannily like Sophie’s mother.
When she’d entered all the data and hit Submit, DAVID hummed a long moment, the screen blank.
DAVID didn’t produce conclusions. It used a probability algorithm that had taken her almost a year to write to provide a percentage of confidence that a given hypothesis was true or false. She had typed in the code for “suicide,” having ruled out accidental death herself because of the note and posed quality of the body.
A window popped open: “30-percent chance suicide.”
That made it 70-percent probable that Corby Alexander Hale III had been murdered, or assisted in his suicide by someone else—still technically murder.
Sophie pushed back from her bay and stood up, stretching her arms high above her head, arching her back. She bent back down to lay her palms flat on the plastic chair guard on the floor. Other agents dotted around the room didn’t look up; they were used to Sophie’s frequent workout breaks.
At five foot nine and a hundred and fifty pounds, Sophie Ang was a tall woman with a rangy build and the long muscles of an athlete. She wore loose black rayon pants and a stretchy white blouse with black rubber-soled athletic shoes, well within Bureau guidelines but an outfit that was all about comfort.
Sophie rolled an exercise ball out from under her desk and lay backward, arching all the way over it to stretch. She picked up and crossed two dumbbells on her chest and began a series of sit-ups. When she’d done a hundred, she put down the weights, turned over on her stomach, rolled the ball down to her feet, and did a hundred push-ups.
It was hard to keep fit at a desk job, but Sophie loved mixed martial arts too much to let sitting all day make her soft. After she joined the FBI and learned combat skills, she discovered the Women’s Fight Club at her local gym, and she’d been hooked on the intense sport that was a combination of boxing, wrestling, and martial arts.
As Sophie did the push-ups, her busy brain ticked over this new information on the Hale case—information she knew Special Agent in Charge Waxman wouldn’t like. In fact, she still had the DAVID program under wraps. She dreaded the moment she had to tell the SAC she was running her own software on the Bureau servers. Truth was, she’d hoped to get some results before she disclosed how she’d come to them.
Any defense attorney would have a field day with the fact that an untested, unsanctioned computer program had generated results pointing to their client. Which was, in fact, a good reason to keep the program secret for the moment—there wasn’t a suspect yet to point to, just a confidence ratio that said the boy’s death wasn’t suicide.
The suicide note appeared to be in his handwriting, though frustratingly general. The fact that there was a note claiming suicide was consistent with those other odd deaths—she’d started a subfile on them, and so far there were forty-eight. Forty-eight suicides across five states with oddities, inconsistencies, evidence others had been involved—but they all had solid, uncoerced-looking suicide notes.
DAVID thought that constellation of factors was statistically improbable with an 80-percent certainty…
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TURN THE PAGE FOR RECIPES FROM AUNTY’S KITCHEN!
Recipes from Aunty’s Hawaiian Food Place
Submitted by Paradise Crime Readers, kitchen tested and organized by Erin Finigan
Recipe Abbreviations
tsp. = teaspoon
Tbsp. = tablespoon
c. = cup
oz. = ounce
fl. oz. = fluid ounce
pt. = pint
qt. = quart
gal. = gallon
lb. = pound
pkg. = package
°F. = Fahrenheit
Savories
Hawaiian Beef Stew
Lei’s favorite!
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. quality beef (stew beef, chuck, Angus, or better) cut into 1-inch cubes.
1½ c. flour (for dredging beef and thickening the sauce)
Salt and pepper
1-3 Tbsp. canola, vegetable, or olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1 large onion
1-2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 can (14-15 oz.) diced tomatoes, regular or stewed (Low sodium is recommended.)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (or fresh)
2-3 c. water or low sodium beef or vegetable broth (or 1 c. of each, adding more water later if needed.)
2 bay leaves
1-2 medium potatoes (depending on whether you are using a turnip)
1 c. sliced carrots
1 c. chopped celery
Fresh parsley for garnish and bright flavor
Optional:
Garlic/onion powder for seasoning/dredging meat
Red pepper/chili flakes (to taste for a bit of added depth)
½ Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
Fresh mushrooms
1 medium turnip
1 tsp. of sugar
STEPS:
(Below are instructions for cooking slow cooker, stovetop and Instant Pot versions.)
For all versions:
1. Put the flour (hold out 3 tablespoons of flour) in a zip-top bag. Add salt and pepper and any other seasoning that you like. (For suggestion, see the optional list
above under the Ingredients section.) Shake well to mix. Add meat, a few pieces at a time, shaking bag to coat well. Remove the coated meat from the bag and set aside to rest.
2. Chop the onion into small pieces and chop the garlic fine (and shallot if using it) and set aside.
3. Chop the potatoes, carrots and celery, (and turnip if using it) into bite-size pieces and set aside.
4. Heat a skillet (if using the stovetop option, use a Dutch oven or deep pot) to med-high heat, and then add the oil.
5. Once the oil is heated, add the meat a few pieces at a time. (Don’t crowd it and do not turn over till the underside is brown. You are not cooking the meat, just browning it to add a bit of caramelization.)
6. Once the meat is browned on all sides, remove from pan.
7. Add the onions to the pan and decrease the heat to low. When the onions become translucent, add the garlic and stir well. Cook 2-3 minutes.
If you are using a slow cooker:
1. Place the meat, onions and the rest of the ingredients (except the remaining flour and parsley) into the slow cooker.
2. Slow cook on low 7-9 hours (best) or 3-5 hours on high.
Optional:
If, at the end of cooking, you would prefer your sauce thicker, make a roux with the remaining flour and equal amounts of butter, water or oil. Stir in pan over high heat until thick. Remove from heat. Scoop 1 cup of liquid from the stew and add to ½ of the roux, then stir well while heating on low. You can add more roux gradually, but be careful not to add too much. Once you have the consistency you like, add the mixture to the slow cooker and stir well. Cook a few more minutes till your sauce has thickened. You may need to add more pepper/pepper flakes, etc. at this point.
If you are using an Instant Pot:
8. Place the meat, onions and the rest of the ingredients (except the remaining flour and parsley) into the Instant Pot.
9. Select the meat/stew option (35-40 minutes cook time and 10-12 minutes cool-down time, depending on the model).
Optional:
If, at the end of cooking, you would prefer your sauce thicker, make a roux with the remaining flour and equal amounts of butter, water or oil. Stir in pan over high heat until thick. Remove from heat. Scoop 1 cup of liquid from the stew and add to ½ of the roux, then stir well while heating on low. You can add more roux gradually, but be careful not to add too much. Once you have the consistency you like, add the mixture to the Instant Pot and stir well. Cook a few more minutes till your sauce has thickened. You may need to add more pepper/pepper flakes, etc. at this point.
If you are using the stovetop method:
8. Place all the ingredients except the potatoes (and turnip if used), carrots, celery, flour and parsley into a large deep pot or Dutch oven.
9. Bring to a boil, then, reduce heat to medium-low.
10. Simmer with a cover for 2 hours.
11. After two hours, taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed.
12. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer 20-30 minutes more until the vegetables are done.
Optional:
If, at the end of cooking, you would prefer your sauce thicker, make a roux with the remaining flour and equal amounts of butter, water or oil. Stir in pan over high heat until thick. Remove from heat. Scoop 1 cup of liquid from the stew and add to ½ of the roux, then stir well while heating on low. You can add more roux gradually, but be careful not to add too much. Once you have the consistency you like, add the mixture to the other ingredients in the pot and stir well. Cook a few more minutes till your sauce has thickened. You may need to add more pepper/pepper flakes, etc. at this point.
For all versions:
Serve with fresh chopped parsley as a garnish.
Taro/Poi Rolls
SERVINGS:
18-24 (depending on size)
INGREDIENTS:
1⅓ c. warm water (90-105°)
2½ tsp. yeast (Rapid Rise or traditional)
1 egg
1 c. cooked mashed taro root or 1 c. poi (fresh, frozen-thawed, or reconstituted from powder) (Note: Purple potatoes work, but they must be WELL-cooked: steamed or boiled and allowed to completely drain and dry before being mashed.)
½ c. butter or oil (canola or vegetable)
¾ c. to 1 c. of sugar (or bakeable sugar substitute)
¼ tsp. salt
4 c. flour
Optional:
Butter for brushing tops of buns
Sesame (or other) seeds for decorating tops of buns
Garlic/onion powder for the top or for seasoning dough any way that you choose.
STEPS:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Start by blooming the yeast. (Add the yeast to warm water and allow it to become fizzy/bubbly; this should take about 10 minutes.)
3. In a large bowl (a mixer bowl if you want to make the dough using dough hooks, or you can mix it all by hand), add the water/yeast mixture.
4. Whisk the egg to break up the yolk.
5. Add the remaining wet ingredients and stir well.
6. Add dry ingredients except flour and stir well.
7. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Dough should be sticky. (If it seems dry, you can add a tiny bit of water, but start with less and you can always add more.)
8. Flour a flat surface.
9. Turn dough onto floured surface. Break dough into small pieces (dinner roll size, keeping in mind that they will rise a bit).
10. Place rolls onto a greased (or parchment-lined) baking pan or pizza pan.
11. Cover with oiled Saran Wrap or parchment and put in a warm place to rise. (Rolls should double in size in 30-60 minutes.)
12. Once rolls are doubled in size, remove cover, brush with butter and season (if desired).
13. Bake 20 minutes at 400°F.
Hawaiian Style Ribs
SERVINGS:
Dependent on the amount of ribs used. (One pound of ribs makes approximately 2 servings.)
INGREDIENTS:
Beef or pork ribs
Marinade:
1 c. ketchup
1 c. low sodium soy sauce
1 c. juice (orange for a sweet/tart taste, or pineapple, apple or any juice that you prefer)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ c. brown sugar
1Tbsp. chopped ginger (fresh or pre-chopped)
3-5 cloves chopped garlic
1 star anise
½ medium onion- chopped in chunks
Fresh ground pepper
Optional:
4 oz. crushed pineapple (if using, cut the sugar in half)
Chopped scallions
PREP NOTES:
Ribs can be cooked in a slow cooker.
If roasting or grilling, parboil ribs to tenderize them and to help infuse the marinade and prep ribs 24 hours in advance.
If your ribs are not pre-cut into single pieces, cut them to make cooking and marinating easier.
If you bought a slab of ribs, before you cut them, turn them over and look for a silvery-white membrane. If you find one, peel the membrane off. The ribs will be more tender this way.
STEPS:
1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
Slow cooker:
2. Add the ribs to the cooker and cover with marinade. If you have extra, set aside.
3. Slow cook 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
Optional:
If you like browned ribs, broil for 10 minutes after cooking, or toss them on the grill until brown.
Boil any remaining marinade for 5-10 minutes (until the onion and garlic are soft) to use as a sauce when serving.
Roasting:
2. Parboil the ribs with onion, salt and pepper in a pot big enough to cover the ribs with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil 3-5 minutes, then lower the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes.
3. Place parboiled ribs in a container big enough to hold them. Cover with marinade and set in refrigerator for 24 hours. Stir once or twice d
uring the 24 hours. (You can marinate for 8-10 hours if you prefer.)
4. When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Remove ribs from marinade and place in a roasting pan.
6. Cook in a pre-heated, 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until browned.
Note:
If you do not want to parboil, marinate the ribs as above, lower the oven temp to 325°F, , and increase the cooking time to 2 hours.