DEATH ON PARADISE ISLAND: Fiji Islands Mysteries 1

by B. M. Allsopp

  ‘And Mr Lee was waiting for you when you returned?’ she suggested.

  Maika surrendered. ‘Io. He needed them because he’s leaving today.’

  ‘Did you see Winston Lee attack Mr McKenzie?’ Singh asked.

  ‘No, it was dark. I told you. Mr McKenzie fell down on the sand, twitched a bit and was still. Then Mr Lee stepped into the light. I tried to help Mr McKenzie, but Lee stopped me. Said we had business to do first, that Mr McKenzie would come to in his own good time. I was scared. I handed over the thermos flasks and he paid me. Then I ran to the staff quarters and woke up Mrs Marama. She roused Sai and Tui. You know the rest.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us this hours ago, Maika?’ Horseman asked.

  Maika shrugged.

  Horseman persisted. ‘Was it because you knew selling the parrot eggs was illegal? You were ashamed to tell Mrs Marama, weren’t you?’ He felt his anger with this unthinking boy increase.

  Maika nodded.

  ‘Speak for the recorder, please.’

  ‘Io, sir.’ Maika certainly looked ashamed.

  ‘How could you, Maika? How could you sell out your Fijian heritage like that? You’ve lived through a campaign to save marine life by creating the Vula lagoon reserve, you witness natural wonders every day, you show them proudly to people from all over the world. You earn your living from that. I hope you’re ashamed of yourself! Maika Tavua, I am arresting you for offences under Fiji’s Wildlife Protection laws. The precise charges will be drawn up in consultation with officers of the Wildlife Protection Service.’ Maika hid his face in his hands.

  Horseman called a break in the interview to confer with Singh in the corridor. ‘If Maika’s telling the truth, it must have been Lee who attacked McKenzie. I’m not too surprised by his wildlife smuggling, but I am about the attack. What do you think?’

  ‘I believe Maika is telling the truth now and the whole situation’s starting to make sense. It’s clear Lee will do anything to protect his racket and evade discovery. Maybe he meant to knock McKenzie out, or maybe he meant to kill him. Now we’ve got a credible motive! Nisi or Dr Chakra, or both, must have presented a threat to Lee’s smuggling ring.’

  ‘I agree,’ Horseman replied. ‘The marine reserve had to be the key to this case but I couldn’t see how. If Chakra stumbled on the smuggling ring, or worked it out. . .’

  ‘He’d have got a kick out of dangling them on a string,’ she suggested.

  ‘Yep. Dropping hints, demonstrating his superior intelligence. Not realising how ruthless Lee might be. Can’t see that working with Nisi, though. According to Maika, she was willingly helping, part of the ring really.’

  He paused, decided on a plan. ‘Let’s get cracking. I’m going after Lee—unless we catch him red-handed with the eggs we’ve got nothing. He’s as cool as they come and he’ll deny everything. Can you wrap things up with Maika? I don’t think he’s the murderer but push him on any conflicts within the ring, if Chakra knew about it, and so on.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ she replied, her voice eager.

  ‘I’ll get Kelepi to trace the whereabouts of Anil and Steve. Steve should be back on Paradise by now. When he tracks them down, you go and bring them here for questioning. Arrest them on wildlife smuggling charges if you have to. Take Tanielo with you, I need Kelepi here coordinating. Okay?’

  Her green eyes lit up. ‘Better than okay, sir!’

  Horseman was slightly disconcerted by her relish for the chase, the kill.

  46

  SUVA

  Kelepi Taleca’s enquiries had been discreet. Ledua, one of whose cousins was a friend of Taleca’s wife, obligingly sent Essie to the camp with fresh sandwiches and scones to tell the scientists about Mr McKenzie’s attack. On her return she reported, along with the Professor’s profuse thanks, that the FIMS launch would be leaving shortly for Suva with their first load. Anil and Steve, who had returned as expected, would be on board to unpack at FIMS. The professor and Wes would stay in camp until the morning, when the students would return to load the remaining cargo.

  It couldn’t have suited Singh better. Her best chance of bringing Anil and Steve in was to meet the launch when it arrived at FIMS. ‘I may need a search warrant, Kelepi. I’ll do the form and leave it with you to get authorised. Rush it to me at FIMS, with Tanielo if he’s back by then. I’ll try to bluff them in the meantime. Can you alert the search guys, please? Customs, too. I’ll call you if I need them.’

  ‘Customs? I’ll say you need them urgently. But you’ll be lucky if anyone shows up before tomorrow,’ Taleca replied.

  As Musudroka hadn’t yet returned to the station, she set off on her own, on fire to catch the two smugglers. Petero was on gate duty again and waved her through with a smile. Best to avoid the time-wasting reception—Petero was sure to report her entry anyway. She’d go directly to the wharf. She hurried towards the narrow space between the main building and the concrete wall, which was bound to lead to the waterfront. She rounded the corner of the building and realised her mistake. A panel of tall railings between the old factory wall and the side of the building barred her way.

  So much for saving time! She strode across to the other side of the building. Petero was watching her, phone in hand. Luckily this way was clear. She went on swiftly in the general direction of the harbour through a pleasant jumble of old sheds and quirky new buildings designed to look like old sheds. A mango tree had somehow sprouted amid the stinking factory site decades ago, and now, glossily resplendent, shaded a triangular courtyard. She guessed the enclosing buildings had been designed around the tree. One of them must house the canteen—appetising spices overlaid the harbour’s salt and diesel smells. Students lounged at tables beneath the mango’s spreading branches, eating out of paper bags and drinking from bottles and cans. Ah, the student life. Nice.

  She turned into a narrow alley between two blocks and emerged into the glare at the concrete wharf. Too late! A launch was berthed at the wharf. Steve was heading away from her, wheeling a trolley stacked with boxes, smaller cases, bundled tarps and zippered bags. The boatman lifted a box down to a young man wearing a turquoise Paradise resort cap. It was Anil. She walked over to the boat and he spotted her, waved. She might increase her chances with Hindi.

  ‘Kaise, how are you, Anil. Busy day for you.’

  Anil smiled politely. ‘Ha, yes Sergeant. Did you come to see me?’ He’d bunched his hair through the back strap of his cap. No hiding behind his curtain of hair today.

  ‘Both you and Steve. Is Wes here too?’

  ‘No, he’s back at the camp. What’s this about?’ His tone was neutral, his eyes guarded. He put the box down on the concrete.

  ‘The attack on Mr McKenzie. We’ve added it to our other enquiries. It was very nearly three murders on Paradise, still could be. You can’t be surprised I’m here?’

  Anil gasped. ‘Mr McKenzie? I haven’t heard anything. What happened?’

  She suppressed a shiver as the hairs on her forearms rose. He was lying. Essie had passed on that news when she visited the camp this morning on her fact-finding mission. Singh suddenly had a very bad feeling about Anil.

  ‘Someone bashed him on the head. He’s in hospital now, unconscious.’

  Anil shook his head, looked amazed. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you. I know nothing about it at all.’ He was a good actor, she’d give him that.

  ‘The police need to speak to everyone who was on the island last night, Anil. We never know what might turn out to be helpful. Let’s go inside. Where’s Steve gone?’

  ‘Taking the gear inside to unpack. It belongs in different places. He’ll probably just dump the lot in the loading bay and come back for more. Let’s take a look.’ He led her through a huge roller door at the rear of the main building. A shipping container took up about a quarter of the space. Behind it were two rows
of industrial shelving, boxes piled beside them. The rest of the space, which could easily accommodate a couple of utility vehicles, was empty. ‘Steve must have taken the rest of the gear to the labs. Just along here.’

  Wary, she followed him into the familiar corridor beside the glorious pools and gardens. Anil opened the door to the same lab she’d been in before. The first sneeze shook her before she noticed the slight chemical whiff, but got her hanky out in time for the second. Steve popped up from behind a loaded trolley. ‘Bula,’ a half-smile, then he folded his thin body to a squat and started putting things into a cupboard under a bench.

  Anil switched to English. ‘Sergeant Singh wants to speak to us, Steve. You’ll never guess what happened at the resort last night. Mr McKenzie was attacked. He’s in hospital.’

  Steve sprang up. ‘W-what? I only got back to camp this morning.’

  She spoke firmly. ‘Better we talk about it at the station, guys.’

  Anil said, ‘When? We’re busy now, you can see that. We’ve got to finish unloading the boat! And all the unpacking! What for, anyway? Neither of us has any information to give you.’ His speech was an increasingly hostile crescendo.

  Singh forced herself to inhale deeply. ‘I need to ask you some questions, Anil. Just the same questions we’ve asked many other people today. We’re recording these interviews. Let’s go now. We should be able to get through it quickly.’

  Anil flung up one arm, openly aggressive now. ‘I don’t believe this shit! You can’t make me go! Are you arresting me?’ He wrenched his turquoise Paradise Island cap off and flung it on a bench.

  The time for smiling was past but she kept her tone soft and even. ‘No Anil, I’m officially requesting you both to accompany me to the station to assist with police enquiries into very serious crimes. But, if you choose to refuse, I can arrest you for obstructing a police investigation. Your choice. I know you don’t want to be seen leaving the building in handcuffs. . .’

  Steve stepped forward, shrugging. ‘It’s cool, I’ll come. Get it over with.’ He ignored Anil, who hung back. Susie held the door open while Steve went through to the corridor. Instantly the door slammed shut. Anil wrenched her arm, twisted it behind her back, rammed her head against the steel doorknob. One furious thought sliced through the flaming pain and terror: what an idiot she was to follow him in here on her own. She dropped to the floor, yanking him forward. He dropped her wrist. She kicked up to his groin as he tumbled over her. She missed but twisted round, glimpsed his hate-filled face before his fist blacked out everything.

  She came to on the floor of a small storeroom, knees and ankles bound, wrists cuffed behind her back. Her own handcuffs! She retched against the stinging sweetness of the gag jammed in her mouth. The room revolved hazily for a while. When it came to rest, she could make out shelves with what looked like cleaning stuff, brooms and mops, buckets. No window. Her brown shoulder bag hung on a hook high on the back of the door. That gave her hope, even though she couldn’t reach it. Her radio gear and mobile were gone, of course. Chloroform—that’s what the nauseating taste was! If she could only get rid of the gag! She twisted her head, scraping her taped mouth against her shoulder, against her knees. No good.

  She opened her eyes again—she must have drifted off. Anil’s head wobbled before her, then his body floated in, anchoring it. He looked sad.

  ‘I’m really sorry I had to hurt you, Sergeant. Truly. But Steve and I have an urgent job to do and we just can’t waste our time at the police station this afternoon. Or tomorrow for that matter. Professor Burgermeister needs our help, you see. You’re lucky it’s me looking after you. Now Steve, he’s really got a temper.’

  Nervous, shy Steve, who’d readily agreed to go to the police station with her? How pathetic, blaming him. And he hadn’t seen her own temper yet. It occurred to her that Anil now spoke in English, rejecting the solidarity she’d appealed to earlier. For heaven’s sake, pull yourself together girl! This was no time for psychological analysis. She struggled to focus her mind on action.

  Thoughts whirled in and out of her throbbing head, quite beyond her will. What a fool she’d been to assume this friendly, polite biologist was harmless because he was educated, because he was Indian like her. But beating herself up about a stupid mistake would not save her. The chloroform seared her mouth, she had to have water. With a supreme effort, she struggled to her knees, uttered a choked growl and thrust her chin at him. She sounded demented. That wouldn’t work—she must implore him.

  Anil laughed, much too close to her face. ‘You sound like a barking gecko.’ She hated inhaling his warm spit-laden breath. When he ripped the tape off she thought she’d pass out from pain. He wrenched the cloth gag out and held a bottle of water to her lips. Her mouth stung inside and out, her jaw locked, she couldn’t swallow. She gagged and the water exploded from her mouth. He sniggered. ‘Try again, you need it, Sergeant.’

  Now she could drink, but he was tipping the bottle too much, smirking at her desperate effort to swallow faster. Water ran down her chin, wetting her blouse and cotton skirt. Her reason began to return. Why let him control her like this? She pulled her mouth away and dropped to the floor, twisting her feet around beside her. ‘Thank you, Anil, that’s enough for now.’ She worked her jaw, heard the cartilage clicking. The bottle was half empty.

  ‘No time to chat. I’ll be back later. Shut up now. I really don’t want to hurt you, Sergeant.’ His voice was sarcastic, menacing. He wasn’t acting now. He uncapped a glass bottle from the shelf, held the wad of cloth over it and upended it. He used his right arm like a vice to immobilise her head and pressed the gag to her nose until she slumped, then stuffed it in her mouth and retaped it. She was glad to lose all sensation.

  47

  SUVA

  ‘Bula vinaka Litia, Joe Horseman here. I heard Winston Lee’s flying out this afternoon. Is that correct?’

  ‘Bula vinaka, Joe. Yes, Jona took him across on the morning launch and he should be in Nadi by now, traffic permitting.’ Her cool, low voice betrayed just a little curiosity.

  ‘What flight is he booked on, please?’

  ‘Korean Airlines at 1530. May I ask what this is about?’

  ‘It would be simpler to speak to him before he leaves Fiji, Litia.’

  ‘Would you like his mobile number?’

  ‘Great, vinaka.’ He jotted down the number with little hope of Lee picking up any of his calls, but grateful Adi Litia was trying to help.

  ‘There’s another thing you could help me with, please. Could you ask the maid if Lee left any clothes in his room? If he did leave anything behind, could you let me know? And if so, I’d be grateful if it could be put in a plastic bag and kept in your office.’

  ‘No problem, Joe. How’s Ian? Have you spoken to him yet?’ She sounded anxious.

  ‘Not yet. He’s conscious now, but so far he can’t remember anything about the attack. Maybe he will later.’

  Adi Litia sighed. ‘I’m so glad he’s going to be alright. He’s quite a good manager, you know. I don’t suppose he’ll want to stay on here now. It’s a shame. And I did wish to thank you for finding our outboard motor. It seems quite unimportant now, but we’re all grateful. However, I mustn’t hold you up, Joe. Moce.’

  He alerted Customs and Immigration, Quarantine, and the police at Nadi airport. Lee would be intercepted either at check-in or at Customs and Immigration and detained by the airport police until Horseman arrived. Still, he wanted to get there as soon as he could, so asked Taleca to check out the quickest option. After only ten minutes Taleca bounded up the stairs and into the office looking triumphant.

  ‘Cadged you a lift to Nadi, boss! Leaving in twenty minutes.’

  ‘Fantastic, Keli. From the car park here?’

  Keli laughed. ‘No boss. From the navy wharf.’

  ‘A boat? Surely it’d be quick
er by road?’

  ‘Not as quick as a helicopter, boss. The Commissioner’s just arrived back from yarning with the navy about disaster management in the outer islands. The helicopter’s got to go back to Lautoka, only twenty minutes by road from Nadi, so. . .’ Taleca gestured extravagantly.

  ‘Keli, you’re a genius! I’ll just grab my things and a cab.’

  ‘The problem is, boss there’s only one spare seat. You’ll be on your own.’

  He gave Taleca the thumbs up and was on his way.

  Horseman enjoyed looking down on the bright streams of uniformed school children trickling along the highway, the small plantations of root crops and fruit trees, all intense green. Quite soon they crossed the boundary between the rain-soaked east of Viti Levu and the drier western half in the rain shadow of the mountains. He’d never seen the contrast so clearly before. The lush emerald gave way to dusty yellow-green, more open country, grazing cattle and sugar cane farms.

  He pondered the case, now coming into focus through the lens of that bastard Winston Lee’s wildlife smuggling gang. How stupid these kids were. He could understand Maika and Nisi not seeing beyond the local and particular; they’d lived circumscribed lives, even if immersed in natural wonders. But Anil and Steve, university graduates, expected to take their places as leaders in the future? They were already privileged and better off than the inhabitants of the farms and villages laid out beneath him. Where did this greed come from?