Honolulu Blues

by Larry Darter

  "Now you're talking," Kevin said.

  We rolled up in the car park at my flat.

  "Go pack a bag," Kevin said. "I’ll unload your board. I've got an old wood plank in the back. When you return, we can use it as a ramp to load your bike."

  "Sure," I said. "It shouldn't take five minutes. Just put the board over there under the cover where I park my motorbike."

  I dashed upstairs to my flat.

  19

  After tossing a few things in a suitcase, I helped Kevin load my motorbike into the back of his ute. On the way to Kevin's place I tried to ring Madison Edwards three times, but all the calls went to her voicemail. That worried me.

  Kevin's house turned out to be a tidy one-story Hawaii plantation-style home. The house had a large portico in front, deep-bracketed eaves, and vertical plank-siding painted a pale shade of yellow. The landscaping in front was gorgeous, all done with native plants and shrubs. Kevin told me he had inherited the house when his mum passed away. His dad had died several years before he lost his mum.

  Inside, the house was as tidy as the outside. Kevin said he tried his best to keep it the way his mum had. He showed me to the guest room, and I stowed my suitcase. After I visited the loo, Kevin and I took beersies out on the back deck to hatch a plan and work out what to do about warning Madison.

  "I still think we need to get HPD involved," Kevin said.

  "I'd rather handle it myself, Kevin."

  Kevin shook his head and ran a hand through his thick graying hair. "Just what is it you plan to do?" he said.

  "First, I want to get in touch with Madison to see how she is going," I said. "It's a worry she didn't answer when I rang her. Then I'd like to organize a plan to encourage the Hong Kong contingent to go home and leave me be."

  "I thought you said Madison was flying back to L.A. today."

  "Yep, when I spoke with her yesterday, she said she had a one-thirty flight this afternoon. But, it's not quite eleven-thirty now. I reckon she hasn't left for the airport yet, so I can't imagine why she isn't answering her phone."

  "We could call Yu and have him send someone to the hotel to check on her," Kevin suggested.

  "Yeah, nah, at the moment I can't say she is in danger. I think I'll ride over to the hotel first to see if she is still there."

  "Once you check on Madison, what then? I hope you aren't planning to go into Chinatown guns blazing. I don't know how it works in L.A., but Honolulu isn't the Wild West. If you go looking for trouble in Chinatown, and get into a shooting scrape, you will end up in trouble with the Honolulu police. Even if you don't catch a charge, you could lose your license."

  "Why?" I said. "Wasn't it your Dirty Harry who once said, there is nothing wrong with a little shooting as long as the right people get shot?"

  "Yeah, he did, but that was a movie, T.J., and this is real life."

  "Right," I said. "But, no, I'm not planning to shoot up Chinatown. I was thinking more of trying to find the Triads’ boss and having a word to him. Maybe I could convince him I will be a lot more trouble than getting revenge will be worth."

  "I'm sure that won't work," Kevin said. "They are looking to save face."

  "Ah, well, first things first, Mate," I said. "What I need to do now is to make sure Madison is all right."

  "Okay, let's finish the beer and I'll drive you to Waikiki," Kevin said.

  "You needn't be bothered with it," I said. "I can ride my motorbike."

  "I'd feel better tagging along," Kevin said. "After what happened this morning when the Triads tried to grab you, I expect they won't underestimate you the next time."

  "Sure, cool," I said. "If you insist, I'm happy to have you along."

  We finished the beersies and tossed the bottles into the rubbish bin. On the way through the house, Kevin detoured to his bedroom. He came back into the lounge carrying a Colt Model 1911 pistol. He inserted a magazine into the well and racked the slide. Satisfied, he stuffed the pistol into his waistband in back and covered it with his shirttail.

  "Mate, you really going to carry that pistol that way?" I asked. "It's cocked with the hammer back."

  "It's safe," Kevin said. "The 1911 has two manual safeties. Unless you have a firing grip on the pistol, the thumb safety off, and pull the trigger it won't go off."

  "Still, it looks a bit dodgy," I said.

  "Don't worry about me, I know what I'm doing," Kevin said. "I just hope you got rid of that ankle rig."

  "Yep, no worries," I said. "I have my .38 in my waistband at the back, just like you."

  "Great, let's roll then."

  We went out the front door and got in the ute for the drive downtown. I tried Madison twice more on my mobile but only got her voicemail.

  It was twelve-twenty when we rolled up outside the hotel Madison was staying at. Kevin found a parking space at the curb on a side street off Kalakaua Avenue. We walked into the hotel lobby and went to the front desk. I stepped up to talk with one of the staff members behind the desk, a young Hawaiian woman.

  "May I help you?" the woman said.

  "Yep, I wanted to see whether a friend of mine has checked out yet," I said. "Her name is Madison Edwards."

  "I'll check that for you," the woman said, typing on the computer keyboard in front of her.

  "No, actually Ms. Edwards has extended her stay here through next week," the woman said. That news was a bit shocking considering Madison had told me the previous afternoon that she was flying back to L.A. today.

  "Can you ring her room for me and see if she is in?"

  "Certainly," the woman said. She picked up the telephone receiver to dial when the young man standing beside her interrupted.

  "Are you looking for Ms. Edwards?"

  "Yes, I am," I said. "We're friends. I thought I was meant to give her a ride to the airport, but it seems something has changed since I spoke with her yesterday afternoon."

  "Ms. Edwards called the desk earlier for lunch reservations at the Veranda," the man said. "She should be there now."

  "That's the restaurant here in the hotel?"

  "Yes," the man said, pointing over my shoulder. "The Veranda is down that corridor off the lobby."

  "Thanks, mate," I said. I turned to Kevin who had been eyeing the people walking through the lobby. "Do you fancy having lunch?"

  "Why not?" Kevin said, with a grin.

  Together we headed towards the restaurant. When the maître d' greeted us, I told him we were meant to join Madison Edwards for lunch and described her. He looked perplexed.

  "Yes, I'm acquainted with Ms. Edwards," the maître d' said. "She is a frequent guest here. But, she didn't mention anyone was expected to join her party."

  "I told Maddie we'd try to make it," I said. "But, it hadn't been certain we could when we spoke."

  "Very well," the maître d' said. "She and the gentleman are likely about finished with lunch, but please follow me."

  The Veranda was next to the Beach Bar. It was an elegant restaurant of classic Victorian architecture, shaded under the canopy of the same historic banyan tree. The maître d' escorted us outside where there was the sound of ocean waves lapping the shores of Waikiki. Madison looked up as we approached her table. Her smile turned to a frown when she saw me.

  "The other members of your party, madam," the maître d' said to Madison. He then pulled over two more chairs from a nearby table for Kevin and me.

  My eyes almost popped out when I saw the gentleman seated beside Madison, who I recognized as none other than Bernie Clements. Clements wore a teal colored Aloha shirt with printed sail boats and palm trees over a pair of white linen pants. His hair looked freshly barbered. I had to admit he cut a dashing figure for a man his age. Both Kevin and I sat down without an invitation while Madison was still searching for words.

  After the hesitation, Madison spoke. "What are you doing here, T.J.? We have concluded our business."

  I ignored Madison's remark and instead stared at Clements. "I heard in Hong Kong that you were
dead," I said.

  Clements smiled at me like the cat who had swallowed the canary. "I'm sorry?" Clements said. "And who might you be?"

  "T.J. O'Sullivan," Madison blurted. "She is the private investigator I told you about, Bernie."

  Clements continued to smile at me, but not as if he intended to invite me over for a Luau. "Oh, I see," Clements said. "Well, you must have misunderstood. As you can see, I'm very much alive, Ms. O'Sullivan."

  A waiter arrived. I broke my rule about booze during the day and ordered a gin and tonic for lunch. Technically, I wasn't working. Kevin ordered a beer. The waiter left to get our drinks. While we waited, Kevin excused himself to visit the loo.

  "Everything is fine now," Madison said. "Bernie told me the whole story, and all is forgiven."

  "What story?" I said.

  "Bernie told me why he took the jewelry, and then how guilt-ridden he had been afterward. He told me how he had gone to Hong Kong to get the jewelry back for me. And, just look at this."

  Taking hold of Clements' right arm, Madison lifted it above the table edge. His right forearm, just above the wrist was swathed in a tight white bandage.

  "Those beastly men in Hong Kong who had my jewelry lopped off poor Bernie's hand with a meat cleaver."

  "And what did poor Bernie tell you about why he nicked your jewelry to start with?" I said.

  "Because he was desperate. His little grandson needs an organ transplant, and there was no money to pay for it. I cried when he told me about it, the poor child. Bernie came to my room yesterday and told me everything. He was so upset. He had heard I'd hired you and said I'd made a mess of things, that he had every intention of straightening things out."

  "Madison, have you gone mad?" I said. "I reckon everything he told you was just another pack of lies."

  "That was uncalled for, T.J.," Madison said. "Apologize to Bernie immediately, or I must ask you to leave." Bernie smirked at me.

  Kevin arrived back at the table just as the waiter brought our drinks. I was about to throw a wobbly and gulped down half my drink.

  "Listen Madison," I said. "Bernie took your jewelry to Hong Kong to fence it a second time after stealing it back from the crims he fenced it to here. He didn't go there to recover it. If the crims hadn't got him first, you would never have heard from him again."

  "You just don't understand," Madison said.

  "So, where is your jewelry now, Madison?" I said.

  "That's really none of your business," Madison said. "Our business is over. You provided me the services I asked for, and in return, you have been well compensated."

  "It is my business," I said. "Some people in Hong Kong tried to kill me while I was there trying to retrieve your jewelry. They kidnapped my best friend in the process. Now there are some very bad men in town from Hong Kong looking for me. I reckon it isn't because we're meant to have a friendly chat. Now, where is your jewelry, Madison?"

  Madison looked at Bernie. "I thought you said you had straightened everything out? Why are those men looking for T.J.?"

  "Darling, I only meant that you and I were in the clear," Clements said. "Evidently, Ms. O'Sullivan has earned their ill will, and they feel there is a score to settle with her."

  "I won't have it, Bernie," Madison said. "It was my mistake. I hired T.J. when I shouldn't have. But, she only went to Hong Kong to do as I asked. I won't see her harmed."

  "Sweetheart, it's out of our hands," Clements said. "I haven't any influence with those men. I'm lucky they allowed me to live."

  "There must be something that can be done," Madison said. "I'll give them money if I have to, but I don't want T.J. hurt because of my mistake."

  Just then, four burly uniformed Honolulu police officers appeared. They walked directly to the table where we were all sitting and surrounded Bernie.

  "What's this?" Madison said.

  Kevin got to his feet and addressed the officers. "I am Kevin Laanui. I called."

  One officer, with chevrons on his uniform sleeves and who seemed in charge smiled at Kevin. The officer walked around the table and shook hands with him.

  "Yes, I remember you," the officer said. "I was three classes behind you at the academy. I'm retiring, too, early next year."

  Then the officer turned his attention to Clements. "Bernie Clements, you're under arrest."

  "No, that's unnecessary," Madison said. "You don't have to arrest him. I'm not pressing charges."

  The officer turned to Madison. "I know nothing about that, ma'am. What I know is we have a warrant for his arrest, and he is coming with us."

  Two of the other officers took Clements beneath his arms and pulled him to his feet.

  "Well, please be careful of his right arm," Madison said. "His hand was recently amputated."

  One officer looked at Clements' bandaged hand and nodded. He put a handcuff on Clements' left wrist and then locked the other handcuff to Clements' belt. The officer in charge nodded to Kevin, and the four of them escorted Clements away.

  Madison was sobbing, watching Clements being taken away. She looked at me with her tear-filled eyes. "You've ruined everything. Why did you have to stick your nose into this? I told you everything was fine."

  I looked over at Kevin. Kevin was looking out at the sea. Turning back to Madison, I said, "I'm sorry, Madison. It wasn't my idea to call the police. Nevertheless, Bernie nicked jewelry off several other women besides you. He would have been arrested eventually."

  Madison looked away from me and covered her face with a linen napkin from the table. After several minutes, she stopped weeping and dabbed at her eyes with the napkin. I held up my empty glass and rattled it at the waiter who quickly brought me another drink and Kevin another beer.

  "What happened with the jewelry, Madison?" I said, once she had regained her composure.

  "We gave it back to those criminals," Madison said. "They allowed me to keep the heirloom pieces, which were of less significant value, and they gave Bernie almost all the money back that they had paid him before. Bernie said it was enough for his grandson's operation. We had no choice. They would have killed Bernie if we hadn't given them the jewelry. And, Bernie said they wouldn't have allowed me to leave the island with it. They would have taken it by force, and Bernie feared the criminals might hurt me in the process."

  "I may not be able to get it back for you again," I said.

  "I don't even want you to try," Madison said. "Except for the heirloom pieces, it's only jewelry. And, the rest is insured and easily replaceable."

  "Yep, I wouldn't count on your insurance company paying the claim," I said. "While it may not have been what you intended, you sold the jewelry to the crims at a discount."

  "I don't care," Madison said. "I just wanted those awful men to leave Bernie and me alone, and I wanted his grandson to get the medical care he needs."

  "Madison, I can almost guarantee you that if Bernie even has a grandson, there is no operation in the offing. Bernie was only saving his own arse by helping the crims get the jewelry back."

  "I love him, T.J.," Madison said. "Can't you understand that? Neither the jewelry nor the money is of any concern. I plan to stay here until we can get Bernie a prosthetic to replace his missing right hand, and I'm paying the medical bills. I wasn't even planning to go back to L.A. at all. But, now that the police have arrested Bernie, I'm terrified he will go back to prison."

  "He will go back to prison, Maddie," I said. "I feel sympathy for you, but with plenty of encouragement from him for all the wrong reasons, I think you have made Bernie into something he isn't."

  "Please go, T.J.," Madison said. "I don't want to be with anyone right now. And I don't want you trying to get the jewelry back. I am sorry that I've apparently got you into serious trouble with those criminals now. I never wanted that to happen."

  "All right, Maddie," I said. "But, if you need to talk later, I'm always available for you."

  "Thank you, T.J.," Madison said. "But, I just want to be alone right now."


  I stood up. Kevin was already standing. We walked away and left Madison sitting alone at the table. There wasn't anything more we could have done, really. We left the hotel and got back in Kevin's ute.

  "I can't believe you did that," I said. "You knew I didn't want the police involved. Clements might have given me some leverage."

  Kevin put the ute in gear and pulled out into traffic.

  "If you don't want help from the cops, that's your decision," Kevin said. "But, Clements wasn't your call. I'd already told Yu that Clements was back in Honolulu, and I promised to call him if I got a lead on his whereabouts. Clements victimized those women, and he needs to answer for it."

  "But I might have been able to use him to get the Triads off my arse," I said.

  "Look, T.J., Clements may not be violent like his pals, but he is still just as much a criminal. He can't be trusted. If you tried using him, he would have got you jammed up somehow. It's best that he is back in jail where he belongs."

  Neither of us spoke again on the drive back to Kevin's place. Slowly, my anger dissipated. I knew Kevin had been right and reckoned I owed him an apology, but I wasn't ready to give him one. I still felt that he shouldn't have called the police without even discussing it with me.

  When we got back to the house, I was thinking about going to the guest room, but Kevin spoke up.

  "Want a beer?" Kevin said.

  "Yep, sure," I said.

  As we had done earlier that day, we took the beers outside and sat on the deck. Some clouds had blown in, but that had dropped the temperature a bit and made it even more pleasant outside on the deck.

  "You were right about Clements," I said. "Sorry for the rark up."

  "Forget it," Kevin said. "No offense taken. I'm thick-skinned."

  "Gave it a think, and you're right about getting help from the police, too," I said. "While I know what I'd like to do to the bastards to resolve things, as you pointed out, doing that would likely end with me in jail."

  "Now you're talking sense, T.J.," Kevin said. "I think you just don't like having to ask for help. You want to prove you can handle everything on your own. You're a capable woman, and most situations I expect you can handle on your own. But sometimes we all face circumstances where we need a hand. Especially if we want to stay on the right side of things."