The Howling Cliffs

by Mary Deal

  Birdie shook her head and shrugged. Sara shook her head. “A lot of different people come and go from this neighborhood. Maleko's an artist. He's also a musician and has a soundproof studio behind his house.”

  “That's what he told us.” The officer spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, not believing or disbelieving. “Said he hadn't seen anyone all morning, that he was in his studio playing music. Said two friends spent the night recording and left before sun-up. This morning he was in the studio working out some notes.”

  Two officers approached from Sara's back yard and joined the conversation. Their shoes and edges of their pant legs were wet and soiled. They stopped at the water spigot to squirt their shoes and wash their hands, drying them on handkerchiefs before joining the group on the sidewalk. “Someone came up from that trail back there from the river.” They stomped around to get the remaining mud off their soles. “We followed those prints backward through your yard. That trail's where the mud came from, but we lost the direction among the rocks farther down.”

  “So anyone could have climbed that trail.” A look of quiet recognition showed in Officer Makamai's eyes. “This could be a random hit.” His comment didn't say what Sara guessed he could be thinking.

  “Yeah, looks like they left the same way too.” The officer looked doubtful. “A couple of illegible prints are in mud, some weeds stepped down over them, evidently to avoid leaving footprints. No amateurs there, but nothing more to see.”

  Bao finally crossed the street. It was strange that Birdie had said he remained a quiet, reclusive neighbor as long as she had lived across the cul-de-sac from him. Sara's suspicious nature triggered again, warning her not to say too much. She wondered about Bao's interest.

  He could be just another caring neighbor who took a long time getting to know people. He could also know something about the attempts on her life, and about Leia being missing. She intended to find out more about his background to put her suspicions to rest. Anyone could be a perpetrator and simply show up to assure suspicion was directed onto someone else.

  Suddenly, the sound of an out of tune motor sputtered and choked and finally came to life. Maleko's junker lurched backward out of his driveway, flying over the rolled curb, coming down on half-deflated tires as the truck creaked and groaned. He stopped, got out and slammed the rolling gate closed, jumped back into the pickup, and sped away without looking at anyone.

  Ka'imi had been whining from inside her gate. Birdie let her out since Maleko left and told her to sit. She sat but soon got up and wandered around sniffing at people, the bushes, and along the street and had to be called back twice. Usually Ka'imi would not wander away with Birdie present. Yet, when Sara looked again, Ka'imi had disappeared.

  Officer Makamai got a call and left. The other officers sat in their patrol cars writing reports. As Bao was looking at Sara's wounds and saying how sorry he was, Ka'imi came prancing up with a mouthful of what seemed to be rags. If ever a dog looked both guilty and proud at the same time, it was Ka'imi at that moment, high stepping it like she was on a mission. She stopped in front of Birdie and dropped the cloths at her feet and then sat down thumping her tail on the sidewalk.

  Sara gasped. “My blue blouse!” Sara picked up the blouse and turned to the officers, who sat several feet away in their cars. She held up the blouse and shook it intending that they understand. Both officers rushed over.

  One officer grabbed at the blouse. “Where did that come from?”

  “Ka'imi dragged it up. It's one of my missing blouses.” Sara looked toward the end of the cul-de-sac, the direction from which Ka'imi approached. Maleko had slammed his gate so hard it had not caught properly and rebounded open. “She may have come out of Maleko's yard.”

  An officer looked in that direction. “So maybe he wasn't writing music like he claimed.”

  “That means my other blouse might be in his yard too. What I'm wondering is why?”

  Birdie had restrained Ka'imi by gripping her harness. “I have an idea.” She let go of the harness. “She'll come back if I call her.” Then Birdie held Sara's blouse to Ka'imi's nose. “Find, girl.”

  Ka'imi pranced, didn't saunter and sniff around, she pranced right up to Maleko's gate and would have gone all the way into the yard but Birdie called her back. Ka'imi's actions could be hilarious at times. Now she stood half way inside the gate but peered out when Birdie called. She whined, as if given something to do but then prevented from doing it. Birdie ran to Ka'imi who ducked into Maleko's yard and went to sit over by the rock wall. Sara and the officers caught up as Birdie called again. Finally, Ka'imi came to her side.

  An officer reached for his shoulder Rover and paused. “Given he allegedly broke into your house and took your blouses, we need to know too.” He called in and asked that a search warrant be issued saying something about the string of break-ins that had occurred.

  “What he hide?” It was only a matter of time before Bao jumped into the situation.

  Sara wasn't positively sure that her blouse was in Maleko's yard, so why did Bao jump to the conclusion that Maleko might be hiding something?

  Birdie shook a finger toward the area of their back yards. “He could have come up from the trail, just crossed over from his yard somewhere down among the rocks.”

  “Or one of his guests could have done the deed.” Sara remembered that Hien was one of Maleko's visitors. She still questioned why Hien had called to check on her. “Ka'imi didn't break into my house, so why were my blouses taken, and by whom?”

  “Please to see?” Bao pulled on the dirty older-looking rag that Ka'imi brought along with Sara's blouse and that an officer held. The officer let him have it. Bao held it up as it blew in the breeze and examined it as they watched. “I know dis…” He scratched his head. “I know dis… dis…” His expression was one of disgust.

  They were standing in the direct sun and heat in the street at the side of the cul-de-sac. Everyone perspired, but all seemed oblivious to the weather. All were focused on the old rag and why Ka'imi might have bought it to them.

  Sara shielded her eyes from the glare and stared at the rag. It appeared to be a young boy's shirt, very old, tattered and dirty, though it might have been white when new.

  It seemed to be some sort of sailor shirt. The three remaining buttons were white plastic with a design on them but dirt had caked making the design undecipherable. One button had cracked and little more than half remained. Sara took the shirt, stooped down and laid it on the sidewalk, and then smoothed it into shape as the officers looked over her shoulders.

  The shirt had decayed over time, some of it falling apart at the folds. If it came from Maleko's property, it was probably just another remnant cast-off like all the rest of the trash piled high in his yard. Just as she was about to fold it up and hand it over to the officers, she gasped. “I know what this is!” She stood again, holding the shirt, hands shaking. “I know what this means. We need to get Officer Makamai back here right away.” He was the main officer on the case. On the small island, officers were not rotated off but kept on cases for continuity.

  Bao had backed away looking frightened and in disbelief. He shook his head, like trying to get something out of his mind. “No can!” That was his pidgin-English way of saying it can't be. Surely, he knew more than he was saying but wouldn't disclose much to keep suspicion off himself.

  Sara held the shirt again and examined it thoroughly. She would stay one jump ahead of Bao by making her own discoveries. She held it up so Birdie could better see. “Wasn't this the shirt I saw in the old newspapers, the shirt that Maleko was wearing the day Leia went missing? The one his mother found soaking in the laundry room sink?”

  “I don't know what you saw. That was over a decade ago. A shirt couldn't have lasted that long, could it?”

  “But why would he steal my blouses? Just broke into my house and helped himself?” She caught the officers eyeing her chin guard but wasn't about to explain for the umpteenth time.

  Ch
apter 39

  Bao stumbled around while scratching his head. He paused, stared at the ground, looking as if trying hard to remember something. Then he turned suddenly, walked across the street and disappeared into his cluttered garage. Loud voices came from inside his house. It wasn't angry talk, however, just excited and even pleading. Moments later, he reappeared, encouraging a woman to follow him. She carried a flat wooden box in her arms.

  Birdie leaned close. “That's Bao's wife, Ling.” Birdie whispered though she wouldn't have been heard across the cul-de-sac.

  Bao introduced her. She seemed demure. He spoke. “We move in house. We first owner. Grass not planted. Find good luck piece.”

  This was not something Sara wanted to hear at that moment. A good luck piece was not going to solve the life-threatening mysteries unfolding around her. “Can this wait?” What could he possibly do with a good luck charm or talisman?

  “No wait.” Bao raised his voice and spoke in a commanding way “Find good luck charm with boat piece.”

  Sara sighed. Nothing else could be done but hope Maleko would return to answer some questions. However, with his offensive attitude and seeing the police standing about, things could get messy. Then she realized that Bao had mentioned that his yard was not yet planted when he and Ling moved into their new home. “Okay, Bao, what did you find in your yard?”

  Ling held the box, which was a display case with a glass top. Bao spoke as he fumbled with the lock. “We move in. Plant grass, flower. Find one item in dirt with boat piece. Chinese believe good luck charm tell story. Piece of boat say we going travel.”

  “Excuse me?” an officer asked.

  Bao gestured toward his garage. “Pretty soon, close shop, storage all in garage, travel ever since.” He threw up his hands. “Good luck charm say travel.”

  Sara could only shake her head. They may as well hear what he had to say, but how might he clear up some of these questionable acts? “What is this charm?”

  Bao looked pleased and yet frightened, like he might have done something wrong. He retrieved a round disk from inside the case. “We collect.” He gestured again toward his open garage stuffed full of who-knew-what, surely trying to explain his motives. He shook his head and looked sorrowful. “We buy house where neighbor fight with boys.” He gestured around the area. “No other house yet. When house finish, find this in yard.” He slowly opened his hand for all to see. The police leaned in. She and Birdie leaned in. What Bao held was an old button with an embossed ship's anchor. “Anchor say we sail. Good luck charm. Travel ever since.”

  Sara put out her hand and Bao placed the button in her palm. She held it next to the buttons on the ragged shirt and then scratched away some caked-on dirt from a button on the shirt. Both buttons matched. “So you held onto this button because it was good luck?”

  “Yah, I collect Chinese artifact like for gift store long time. Ling collect button. She sew many thing, have many jar of button. Good luck charm keep here.” He motioned to the display case. “All piece here bring luck, make good Feng Shui.”

  Bao having bought the newly constructed home and finding one of the lost buttons could validate Maleko's alibi at the time his sister went missing.

  “Why didn't you turn the button over to the police?” Sara looked straight into his eyes to challenge him. “Surely back when Leia went missing you heard about the buttons on the shirt.”

  Bao waved an arm but looked sheepish. “I no hear about button. We find. Ling put in box. We travel all over world. Only now make connection.”

  Sara felt uneasy. She turned to the officers. “Two buttons are missing on this shirt.” She held up the torn front seam showing where two buttons had been ripped off. “If one button was found in Bao's yard, that only confirms it was the place where Maleko fought with the boys.”

  Without the use of sirens, two additional officers arrived in yet another patrol car. Officer Makamai arrived behind them.

  Ka'imi sniffed at officers' pant legs, then went to sit between two officers looking as attentive and proud as the officers were surprised. She wagged her tail and drooled, sitting in the heat of direct sunlight, but looked attentive and ready to receive an order. Birdie explained to the officers that Ka'imi was retired from forensics. Birdie seemed pleased but reached to fasten Ka'imi's leash. “She remembers the uniforms.”

  Dogs supposedly had short memories but Sara knew that was not always the case with, perhaps, trained animals. “She wants to work.” This German Shepherd's memory seemed intact. It was her body that wouldn't cooperate.

  Detective Nohea Lio, in street clothes, and Police Sergeant Kanani Inoa, uniformed, arrived in separate cars half an hour later and introduced themselves. Till then, Maleko was a no-show.

  Det. Lio propped his sunglasses on top of his bald head and then pulled a clear plastic bag from his shirt pocket. It was sealed and marked as having been entered into evidence. It contained the old disk found with the child's skeletal remains. “I followed this case from the beginning.” He held the bag for all to see. “Given the history about this child's disappearance here, when I heard the call to this address come in a few minutes ago, I knew something was breaking.” He held the bag close to the shirt buttons. The white disk inside the evidence bag was weather-worn but the same color as the shirt buttons and the impressions of an embossed anchor showed in the deeper grooves. “It's a match.” His voice held no excitement.

  “One of Maleko's shirt buttons ends up on the cliff with a child's skeleton?” Sgt. Inoa spoke quietly, having only observed. “That's added proof that the remains belong to that little girl.”

  “We've sent the skull and bones to Honolulu to try to extract DNA.” Det. Lio pocketed the plastic bag. “We're trying to keep this quiet till we can come up with something to identify the remains.”

  “Even if it was little Leia up there, it doesn't prove malicious intent on anyone's part. Except that it should have been reported.” Office Makamai shook his head slowly. “Maybe just fell. Evidence shows one leg bone snapped below the knee.”

  “Someone knew,” Sara said. “That child did not walk herself all the way up that trail.” The thought of the pain, both emotional and physical, that child must have suffered was overwhelming. The circumstances were disturbing.

  Sgt. Inoa pinched his lips together and nodded. “True, true.”

  “She laid there with a broken leg till she died?”

  “Unfortunately, that doesn't prove the child was thrown over the cliff by her brother.” Officer Makamai examined the old shirt again. “I mention her brother because these buttons match.”

  Sara agreed. “It almost proves he was up there with her when she went over. Otherwise, how would she have that button in her hand?”

  Det. Lio paced, walked away briefly speaking on the phone, then turned back. “This Maleko allegedly broke into your house. You're right about it being possible your other blouse could be on this man's property. Because of the dog finding one of your blouses with his old shirt, and then the matching buttons, and this alleged crime being kept secret all these years, I've requested a rush on the warrant.”

  Chapter 40

  The search warrant arrived via yet another officer who rushed to join the conversation and view the evidence. “Looks like the media didn't get wind of this yet.” He, too, curiously eyed Sara's chin guard, bandaged knee, and multiple scratches.

  Blocking off the trailhead in the Arboretum and making it look like a crew was merely clearing brush from the trail had worked. Not even these officers seemed to know about her connection. Det. Lio quickly updated the officer, making sure all present knew what to expect should Maleko suddenly show up.

  “So the Police kept this hushed because…?” Sara wanted more information, wanted these crimes solved before anything more happened to her or anyone else. “Because you think the perpetrator has felt safe and might still be on the island?”

  “Glad the media got left out.” Det. Lio smirking and admitting that much said t
he police might be tired of the media exposing more information than should have been and dissolving the Police Department's leverage. “We need to close this cold case without the perp getting wind before we have enough evidence to make our move.” He jerked his head in the direction of Maleko's house. “If he's our perp, his mother is somewhere unknown on the Mainland and he'd have gone there and we'd never find him.”

  If a perpetrator of any crime had a chance to get off the island or escape to the mainland, chances of locating the person would be slim to none. In their present situation only minute circumstantial evidence existed, more reason the police remained tight-lipped. If Sara, Birdie or the neighbors didn't leak information to the media or even friends, any leaks would come from within the Police Department. Thankfully, it seemed that hadn't happened.

  “It's a small island.” Being new to Kauai and to island living was a lesson in itself for Sara as far as solving crimes was concerned. Due to the island's diminutive size, known perpetrators of other crimes were caught within hours or a few days, or simply gave up, having no place to hide.

  Birdie, keeping Ka'imi tethered at her side, remained quiet, but Sara wrapped an arm around her shoulders to let the new officers know that Birdie and her dog could be trusted. “She lives next door.”

  “Known sexual deviants had alibis at the time the girl went missing.” Officer Makamai was only making conversation, bringing the younger officers up to date. He glanced down the street, possibly awaiting the arrival of additional police. “It's procedure to suspect the victim's relatives but we learned nothing. This family had an impeccable reputation on this island.”

  “Then Maleko's mother moved to the mainland.” Sara would never understand why someone would leave a missing child and never return. Yet, peoples' reactions would differ widely in such a situation, especially when so much grief had to be dealt with. “If she can be found, couldn't she shed some light on family friends, that sort of thing?”