“Of course,” Mara said without hesitation.
For me, that wasn’t so easy of a response. My marriage to Alana has its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to my investigations. The advantages are obvious. She often provides me with vital information.
The disadvantage comes into play during moments like this one. I’m bound to keep things I hear in client meetings with Mara a secret. In full disclosure, I’ve not always followed that rule. Each time I’ve broken that oath, though, it was to bring a murderer to justice. Does that make me less honorable in your eyes? I guess that’s your decision to make.
“I have a source who informed me of a recent discovery that could have a significant impact on me and my business,” Mrs. Akamu said.
How’s that for vagueness? I thought.
“What is the nature of this discovery?” Mara asked.
“A body was found in north Maui in the old pineapple fields near the Jaws surf break. I don’t know who found it.”
“Do you know the identity of this person?” I asked.
“I was told it’s Eric Ellis. He was an employee of mine,” Mrs. Akamu said.
“What did Mr. Ellis do for you?” Mara asked.
“He assisted me with a variety of tasks.”
“Were those tasks of a sensitive nature?” Mara asked.
“There are very few people who know my business. Eric was one of them.”
“How long ago did he leave your employ?” I asked.
“It’s been at least five years. Things didn’t end well between us.”
“How exactly did they end?” Mara asked.
“Eric got it into his head that he was going to try to shake me down. Things didn’t turn out the way he thought they would.”
“What happened?” Mara asked.
“After he tried to blackmail me, I sent Samson to talk to him and explain the situation. But Samson was unable to find him. I thought Eric had finally realized how foolish he was being, and he’d left the island years ago,” Mrs. Akamu said, and she paused a moment. Then she continued, “I know what you’re thinking. You believe I had Eric killed back then. I didn’t.”
“Mrs. Akamu, we both know your butler is very resourceful. Do you expect us to believe he couldn’t locate Eric Ellis? I’ve seen Samson’s handiwork up close. Is it possible he got carried away?” I asked.
“No, it’s not.”
“How do you know?” Mara asked.
“Because I asked Samson myself. He said he couldn’t find him, and I believed him.”
“If Samson didn’t kill him, who do you think did?” I asked.
“It could be any number of people. Business associates. A scorned lover. How would I know?”
“But there’s no one person who jumps out at you?” I asked.
“Other than me? No, I can’t think of one person in particular.”
“That’s why you assume the police will look at you for this?” Mara asked.
“Of course. The Maui Police Department has been trying to get me for years. Trust me when I say this is not how I’m going down. I didn’t have Eric Ellis killed and I want Mr. Rutherford to prove it. First, I suggest you discover what the police already know. I’ll expect a report from you in two days. After that, I want an update every few days. I appreciate you both coming over here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an important call to make.”
Mara looked at me and I knew why. She knows me pretty well by now and she was bound to think I’d have a response. I didn’t want to disappoint her.
“I understand you’re busy, Mrs. Akamu. I’ll let you know when I’ve made my decision.”
“When you’ve made your decision? I’ve already hired you,” she said.
“No, ma’am, you didn’t. Mara mentioned in the beginning of our meeting that she doesn’t have an exclusive agreement with me, which is another way of saying that I don’t work for her. I actually don’t work for anyone. I’m not sure this is a good time for me to be taking on a new case, especially one as daunting as a five-year-old murder case.”
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Akamu asked.
“My sister-in-law is getting married and she might need my help for last-minute wedding details,” I said.
“People don’t say no to me, Mr. Rutherford.”
“I’m not saying no. I’m saying I’ll need some time to make a decision.”
“What do you want?” Mrs. Akamu asked. “Is it more money?”
“I like you, ma’am. But I’m also not blind to your reputation. I’m sure you understand the difficult position I’m in being married to a Maui detective. I don’t want anything to blow back on her and I’m certainly not going to ask her for privileged information.”
“You think I’m guilty, don’t you?”
“I don’t, as a matter of fact. I suspect that I would be the last person you’d call if you’d really killed Eric Ellis. Instead, I think you’re deeply worried. He had way more on you than you’re willing to admit.”
“I’ve already told you that he knew my business. What else do you want to know?”
“Ah, now I’ve figured it out. He stole something from you, and it was almost certainly information. You never got it back, though. You’re worried it was on his person when he died, or he hid it so well no one has found it yet. The killer didn’t, otherwise you would have heard about it by now.”
Mrs. Akamu said nothing.
“Step one of your plan. I find out what the police know, mainly whether they have this information and how imminent your arrest is or isn’t,” I continued. “Step two, I find a suspect for you, someone your people may have missed. Step three, you take what I’ve discovered and give it to your people, hoping they can find this missing information.”
“It seems I’ve underestimated you, Mr. Rutherford.”
“People tend to do that,” Mara said.
“I don’t know whether that’s a compliment or not, but I’ll take it as such,” I said.
“That’s the way I intended it,” Mara said.
“In that case, thank you,” I said.
“Eric downloaded a copy of all of my business files. If someone were to get those files, I would be finished,” Mrs. Akamu said.
“That was Samson’s other task when he went to see Eric. Get the files back,” I said.
“We never knew what happened to Eric. I thought he was working out a deal with the police once he realized I wasn’t going to pay him what he wanted. When the police never came to my door, I didn’t know what to think,” Mrs. Akamu said.
“Then his body appears recently, and the worry starts all over again,” I said.
“Essentially.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Akamu, but I can’t take this case. It’s one thing to find the identity of a murderer. It’s another to inadvertently help recover these files for you. I’m not going to assist you in any illegal activities,” I said.
Mrs. Akamu smiled, which wasn’t the response I was expecting.
“My earlier impression of you was correct. I like you,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll make a new deal with you. I don’t expect you to find the files for me. I’ll do that on my own. You don’t even have to tell me what the police know, but I want you to discover who murdered Eric.”
“I’ll still need to think about it,” I said.
“I’ll need an answer by tomorrow. Is that agreeable?” Mrs. Akamu asked.
“Yes,” I said, and I stood. “I’m sorry for making you late for your important phone call.”
“I don’t have one.”
I laughed.
“I find you delightful, Mrs. Akamu.”
“Delightful? I’ve never been called that before.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” I said.
Mara stood.
“It was a pleasure seeing you again, Mrs. Akamu,” Mara said.
“Thank you, Ms. Winters.”
We turned and almost ran into Sam
son. I hadn’t heard him walk down.
“Samson will show you out,” Mrs. Akamu continued.
We followed Samson back through the house and he walked us to the front door. I’d just stepped outside when he called to me.
“Mr. Rutherford.”
“Yes, Samson.”
“I’ve only seen her husband and son push back on her like that and get away with it.”
“Then I should feel honored.”
“You should.”
“Where are her husband and son now?” I asked.
“Sadly, they’re both deceased.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Rutherford, Ms. Winters.”
“Thank you, Samson,” Mara said.
We both turned and continued toward our cars.
“Let’s not talk here. I’ll call you in a minute,” Mara said.
“Sounds good.”
I climbed into my convertible and started the engine. I’d just made it around the first bend in the road when my phone vibrated on the passenger seat.
“How do you think that went?” I asked after pulling over to take the call.
Mara laughed, which isn’t a very common thing for her to do, at least when I’ve been around her.
“I wasn’t sure we were going to get out of there alive.”
“Sorry if I scared you,” I said.
“Are you sure you want to get into this?”
“Who says I’ve decided to take the case?”
“A dead body recently discovered after being buried for five years. Missing files. Of course, you’re going to take it,” Mara said.
“It’s possible. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
“Thank you. I’ll talk to you then.”
I ended the call with Mara and continued my drive home. As I got closer to Lahaina, I decided to turn off and head to Harry’s. It wasn’t until I pulled into the parking lot and saw Foxx’s Lexus SUV that I realized I’d completely forgotten to call Yuto the day before. I made a mental note to call him once I left Harry’s.
I walked inside and saw Kiana and Foxx behind the bar. Kiana has worked at Harry’s since it opened under the original owner.
There were a few other customers inside, but they were seated in booths on the opposite side of the room.
“How’s it going?” Foxx asked.
I slid onto one of the barstools.
“Can I get you anything, Mr. Rutherford?” Kiana asked.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
“You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” Foxx asked.
“I do. A new case. Well, maybe I should say a potential new case. I haven’t decided whether I’m going to take it.”
“Why not?” Foxx asked.
“Two words: Mele Akamu,” I said.
“Mele Akamu wants to hire you?” Kiana asked.
“She does and that goes no further than here,” I said.
“Mum’s the word,” Kiana said.
Then she walked to the other end of the bar where two new customers had just sat down.
“What’s the case about?” Foxx asked.
I gave him a general rundown on what I’d learned, leaving out my correct guess that Eric Ellis had stolen incriminating evidence from Mele Akamu.
“When do we start?” Foxx asked.
“What do you mean we?”
“Sounds like you’re going to need help on this one. I think I’ve more than proven my worth in past investigations.”
“Yes, but look what happened to you on the last case you helped with. You almost got killed,” I said.
“And you would have definitely been killed had I not been there to save you.”
There was no sense in denying that since it was most definitely true.
“There’s one other thing you haven’t thought about,” Foxx said.
“What’s that?”
“If this case involves Mele Akamu’s business, then you’re going to be dealing with some pretty unsavory types.”
“I do on all my cases.”
“True, but Mele Akamu is in a different league. Let’s be honest. You don’t exactly have a stellar track record when it comes to defending yourself.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“How do I put this delicately, Poe? You’ve gotten your ass kicked more times than I can remember. You’ll need a bodyguard if you’re going to start questioning people who run in that world.”
“Those weren’t ass kickings. I was luring my opponents into a false sense of security.”
Foxx laughed.
“Is that right?”
“So, you want to be my protection?” I asked.
“Not just that. I think we both know I’m more than brawn,” Foxx said, and he tapped the side of his head with one finger. “There’s a lot going on up here.”
At six-four and two-hundred and forty pounds, Foxx is a physically intimidating guy. But it would be a mistake to underestimate his intelligence. He’s one of the smartest men I know.
“Plus, with this Hani wedding coming up, I could use a good distraction,” Foxx said.
“Is there something bothering you about the wedding?”
“No, I’m just tired of hearing Hani talking about it. Every time I go to pick up Ava, she has to remind me that she’s getting married. I don’t know what her angle is. She’s got to know I’m not jealous.”
I thought I had a decent theory as to why Hani was doing that. Foxx was right when he’d said that she must have known he wouldn’t be jealous of Yuto. But I didn’t think that was what she was really doing. Instead, I thought she was trying to one-up him. Sort of like, “Look at me. I’ve found someone to marry and you’re all alone.”
If that was the case, then it was a petty thing for Hani to do.
“By the way,” Foxx continued. “You’re not going to believe who called me this morning.”
“Who?”
“What’s-his-face.”
What’s-his-face was Foxx’s moniker for Yuto. Did I also find that petty? Of course, but like the previous example, I swallowed it and said nothing.
“What did Yuto want?” I asked.
“He told me about that big party you and Alana are throwing for him and Hani.”
“We’re not throwing them a party. Yuto is having it for Hani and he asked if they could have it at our house.”
“He said it was some kind of surprise party for Hani and he thought I should be there. Do you know what he’s giving her?”
“No idea. I asked a couple of times, but he wouldn’t tell me. Are you going to come to the party?”
“First, I’m mad at you for not saying anything about it,” Foxx said.
“Sorry. I was going to, but Alana was trying to secure you an invitation first.”
Unfortunately, that little fact came out of my mouth. I’d done one of those things where your brain is telling you it’s a bad idea to say it, but your mouth keeps talking anyway.
“Oh, so Hani didn’t want me to come? Is that right?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I think she just hadn’t made up her mind yet.”
“Nice spin job, Poe, but it’s not going to work. Hani says she wants things to be better between us. Then she goes and does something like this.”
“Look at it this way. I’m sure Yuto didn’t invite you without mentioning it to Hani first. Since he called you, that tells me she changed her mind and wants you there,” I said.
“Or she decided it’s another chance for me to see how great her life is without me.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I get the picture.”
“I’m sorry she’s acting like this.”
“I’m a big boy. I can handle it. The truth is that Hani’s a good mother to Ava and that’s all I really care about. The rest of the stuff is unimportant. Now, let’s get back to this Mele Akamu investigation. Where and when do we start?” Fox
x asked.
“As far as the where goes, I have no idea. As for the when, that all depends on how my conversation with Alana goes later. I’m not going to do a job for Mele Akamu without running it by her first. This could have major ramifications for her.”
“Understood, but I have a strange feeling she’s going to tell you to do it. So, call me when you’re ready to go. Hey, you want that drink now?”
“Yeah. Suddenly I feel like having a beer.”
Foxx grabbed two cold bottles from behind the bar. He popped the tops on them, and we tapped our bottles together.
“Here’s to Hani’s upcoming wedding,” he said.
“You really want to toast to that?”
“The way I see it, the more preoccupied she is with what’s-his-face, the more she’s off my back,” Foxx said, and he laughed.
4
The Philanthropist
I left Harry’s after having a second beer and a hamburger. My midsection definitely didn’t need the burger, or the fries, and I knew I should have opted for a salad instead. Sometimes you just feel like eating something greasy, though, don’t you?
I’d planned to spend the rest of the day hanging by the pool and going over the pros and cons of working for Mele Akamu. As I approached the house, any thoughts of a relaxing afternoon vanished when I spotted Hani’s and Ms. Hu’s cars in my driveway. I was tempted to pull a quick U-turn and head to the farthest parts of the island.
Unfortunately, I’d already texted Alana from Harry’s and had told her I was on my way home. She’d failed to mention the presence of her mother and sister. Did I suspect that was intentional? Of course, it was.
I parked my little car on the street so there would be no impediment to Hani and Ms. Hu leaving. Then I walked into the kitchen, only to almost get runover by Ava as she raced past me. Maui was just a few feet in front of her, and judging by his playful demeanor, they hadn’t been at the house very long. The dog was good for about thirty minutes of playing with the little girl. Then he’d grow tired of her and he’d try to find somewhere to hide, usually under the sofa.
The three Hu women were all huddled around the kitchen table. Ms. Hu was the only one to turn to me as I entered. She took a quick and indifferent glance my way and then turned back to Alana and Hani.
Poe's First Law: A Murder on Maui Mystery Page 3
