Poe's First Law: A Murder on Maui Mystery

by Robert W. Stephens

  Instead, I waited for Mara to catch up with me and then we exited the law office together.

  “Sorry I helped get you removed from the case,” I said as we walked over to her car.

  “No need to apologize. I was looking for a way to bow out anyway. You opened the door for me. What kind of blowback do you think this will get?”

  “What is Mele Akamu going to do? She and her enforcer are in jail.”

  “What made you think to ask Ruben Dalton to tear up the prenuptial agreement?” Mara asked.

  “Not here. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to head back to your office. I know he can’t hear us out here, but I don’t want him seeing just how much information I have to tell you. I’d rather keep him guessing,” I said.

  “Of course.”

  We climbed into our cars and I followed Mara back to her office. It was late in the day and her assistant had already left. We went into the back and sat on the sofa I mentioned a moment ago.

  I told Mara about my various meetings with Lee Walters, Gracie Ito, Tavii Akamu, and Samson Opunui, as well as a detailed account of my conversation with Oleen Akamu and her acknowledgement that she’d lied to the police.

  “You even got her on audio?” Mara asked.

  “Yes, but Ruben obviously doesn’t know that, and I have no intention of telling him.”

  “I sensed you were holding something back.”

  “Was it that obvious?”

  “No, but I’ve worked with you enough to know that’s how you operate. There’s something else I know.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “You’re not really going to quit the case, are you?”

  “No, but I finally realized something today after I met with Oleen.”

  “Which is?”

  “I need to disentangle myself from Mele Akamu. This case is way more complex than I originally thought, and it’s time that I renew my partnership with the Maui police, at least one detective in particular.”

  “The lovely Detective Hu.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Just curious. What made you think that Oleen had conspired with Stan Cross?” Mara asked.

  “It was something that Samson said. He told me that he was surprised that Oleen would walk away from money. So I assumed she might have had another source of cash lined up. I also assumed she couldn’t get money from anyone unless she had something to sell.”

  “Her false testimony.”

  “Exactly.”

  “That leads us to one conclusion. Stan Cross killed him,” Mara said.

  “I thought about that, but I’m not sure it’s correct. Stan Cross could just be an opportunist. I’m sure word got out fast in their circles that Eric’s body had been found. It would be easy for him to discover that Oleen was unhappy in her marriage and make her an offer.”

  “You said this case is more complex than you originally thought. What makes you believe that?”

  “A feeling I have and it’s all because of a non-existent dog.”

  “A non-existent dog?”

  “Check that. I’m sure the dog is real, but the guy who claimed to own it was never his actual owner. I need to find who convinced him to lie to the police and then I’ll find the killer.”

  “It could still all point back to Stan Cross,” Mara said.

  “Yes, I expect it does, but I’ve been wrong before.”

  “I can’t believe you called Ruben Dalton an obnoxious, little man. You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to say something like that to him.”

  “I wanted to think of a more original insult, but nothing came to me.”

  “I wish someone would tell him to stop wearing that God-awful toupee.”

  “Ah, you noticed it too,” I said.

  “It’s impossible not to. It looks like an old bird’s nest on top of his head.”

  “We’ll have to tell him that the next time we run into him.”

  Mara smiled.

  “Yes, we will. Have a good evening, Mr. Rutherford. It was memorable, as always.”

  21

  A Turn of Events

  The sun was starting to set on the drive back to Kaanapali. It was its usual brilliant mix of reds, oranges, and yellows. There was something spectacular about the way the light looked as it dipped behind the nearby island of Lanai. I didn’t think I’d ever grow tired of it.

  When I finally arrived at the house, I spotted Alana and Maui on the back patio. The dog had his head buried in a new toy Alana had bought him. It’s a bit difficult to describe, but it’s a round patch of fake grass. The grass is made of strips of green cloth and the basic premise is to hide treats in it. The dog is supposed to have fun hunting for the treats, which Maui certainly does.

  Alana turned when she heard me open the sliding glass door.

  “I was wondering when you were getting back. How did the day of interviews go?”

  “How can talking to people make you so exhausted?” I asked, and I made the decision to leave out the part of the day where I was attacked with a two-by-four. I would save that story for a later date.

  “Happens to me all the time. Learn anything of value?”

  “Yes, I’m even more convinced that Mele Akamu didn’t kill Eric Ellis,” I said.

  “Any idea who did?”

  “A guy named Stan Cross.”

  “You picked a good one. He’s one nasty piece of work.”

  “There’s something else that happened today. I quit the case. So did Mara.”

  “You did what?”

  I told Alana about my run-in with Ruben Dalton.

  “I heard about his reputation. I’m not surprised you two didn’t get along,” Alana said. “I’m assuming this doesn’t mean you’re walking away for good, though.”

  “No, but I’m only going to stay on it if I can convince a third person to join Foxx and me.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “I’m looking at her.”

  “Me?”

  “Why not? Detective Parrish isn’t going to listen to me, but he needs to be convinced that he’s got the wrong people locked up.”

  “I don’t know that you’ll ever convince him of that,” Alana said.

  “Tavii’s wife admitted to me that she lied about seeing the murder. I also interviewed the guy who found the body, only to find out that he doesn’t actually own a dog.”

  “How’s that?”

  “One. We saw no evidence that a dog lived in the apartment. Two. Daniel Davis said his dog was having surgery today, but I called every vet clinic on the island pretending to be Daniel and no one had a record of having his dog. Three. He seemed really nervous about us even asking questions about the dog.”

  “You have had a productive day, haven’t you? Did you try to tell Josh about any of this?” she asked.

  “No. I’ve been too busy, but I’m more than willing to meet with you guys tomorrow.”

  “He won’t have warm feelings about me butting into his case.”

  “I get that, but better to have his ego bruised than to send the wrong people to prison,” I said.

  “I don’t know, Poe. The dog thing seems like a stretch to me. Why would he lie about that? Maybe he just got rid of the dog and he felt guilty about it.”

  “Why would he care what I think about that?”

  “People can be weird. You know that. That makes more sense to me than some conspiracy theory.”

  I didn’t know how to respond, so I said nothing.

  “That thing you said about Oleen lying. Is that just your gut instinct?” Alana asked.

  “No, she said it. Foxx was there too.”

  “How did you get Oleen Akamu to admit to that?”

  I told Alana about my hunch that Oleen was involved with Stan Cross and how I’d secretly recorded the conversation. I even played parts of it for her.

  “Did you send this recording to Ruben Dalton?” she asked.

  “Not yet but I will eventually. I wanted you and Detective Pa
rrish to hear it beforehand so you wouldn’t be caught off-guard.”

  “It certainly makes Stan Cross a likely suspect, unless Oleen went to him first. He might just be taking advantage of the situation. Everyone knows he’s Mele Akamu’s number one rival. I’m sure Oleen knew that too. I wouldn’t be so quick to write off Mele and Samson as the true killers. You know they lied to you already.”

  It was a good point.

  “How did your day go? Sorry I haven’t asked you about that until now,” I said.

  “Well I have big news too. Hani called right before you got home.”

  My stomach sank as I thought about my morning talk with Hani and how she’d admitted to me that she’d secretly seen her father. I wondered if she’d found the courage to tell Alana that, but then I dismissed that thought. Alana was in too good of a mood for it to have been that. There was only one thing it could be. The wedding was officially back on.

  “The wedding is back on,” Alana said.

  “Good. I wonder what made Hani decide that.”

  “She said she thought more about it and realized that Yuto’s heart was in the right place, even if he had done something really stupid. She isn’t willing to throw their relationship away over that.”

  “I’m happy for them both. It’s going to be a hell of a wedding.”

  “I think so too.”

  “I’m going inside to get something to eat. Let me know if you want me to call Detective Parrish tomorrow.”

  “Regarding what Oleen told you, do you think she was being honest with you? Do you think she didn’t see anything?” Alana asked.

  “I think Oleen will say whatever will make her the most money.”

  “But that’s the point, isn’t it? A person like that makes for a horrible witness in court, regardless of whether they’re telling the truth or not. If Josh is basing his case on her word, then he’s in trouble. He has to be told.”

  “I agree.”

  Alana didn’t respond. I turned from her and walked back into the house. I made myself a sandwich and had a Negra Modelo. I watched television for about twenty minutes or so before I fell asleep on the sofa. When I woke, it was a few minutes after midnight. Maui was asleep on the floor in front of me. He was snoring, by the way. I managed to drag us both upstairs and immediately fell asleep again once my head hit the pillow.

  It was nearly five in the morning when my phone alarm went off, which was weird since I didn’t remember setting it. Then I realized that it wasn’t my alarm. Rather, it was someone calling me. I opened one eye and glanced at the display. It was Alana.

  “Hey, everything all right? I didn’t even hear you leave.”

  “You were out like a light. You didn’t even hear when my phone rang earlier. I’m hoping you can do something for me,” she said.

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “I’m in Pe’ahi on the beach. There’s been a drowning. Can you come out here and take a look?”

  “At a drowning victim? Why?”

  “Because I think it might have been murder.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  I ended the call and climbed out of bed. I slipped on a t-shirt, shorts, and a ballcap and walked downstairs to my car. I opened the garage door and backed out. The sun hadn’t risen yet and the air was cool.

  It took me over an hour to get to Pe’ahi. It was a pleasant drive, though, and my senses were heightened by the reason for my early morning drive. There’s something about death, especially a sudden death, that makes you feel even more alive and more appreciative of the things you still get to experience.

  I thought I might have a bit of trouble finding the exact location of the alleged drowning, which in hindsight had been a foolish thought on my part. I spotted the flashing lights of the ambulance well before the turnoff for the beach. The police officer blocking the area must have been alerted to my impending arrival for he waved me through.

  He nodded as I passed, and it was at that moment that I recognized him as the officer who’d put me in handcuffs. What a difference a couple of days makes, huh?

  I parked my car on the side of the dirt road and made the long walk down to the beach. I eventually saw Alana standing beside a woman I recognized as one of the department’s medical examiners.

  The drowning victim was a few feet away on his back. His long, wet hair was partially covering his face. There were several other surfers nearby, and they were being interviewed by two uniformed police officers.

  “Hey there,” I said.

  “Hey, Poe. Thanks for getting here as quickly as you did,” Alana said.

  “Hey, Doc,” I said.

  “Good to see you again,” she said.

  “We keep running into each other in these lousy circumstances, don’t we?” I asked, and I smiled.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” the medical examiner said.

  “Do you ladies still think it was an accidental drowning?” I asked.

  “We found swelling on the back of the head,” the medical examiner said.

  “Maybe he hit his head on the surfboard or even a rock in the sand,” I said.

  “Maybe, but there’s also bruising on his neck and shoulders,” Alana said.

  I turned and looked at the surfers being interviewed.

  “Did they see anything?” I asked.

  “No, they’re the ones who found the body. Take a closer look at him if you don’t mind,” Alana said.

  I kneeled beside the victim and looked at his face. The sun was just starting to rise so it was easier to get a good look at him. I’d met the man before.

  “This is Daniel Davis,” I said.

  “We found his vehicle right before you got here. This is the same man you interviewed yesterday?” Alana asked.

  “Yes, that’s him,” I said, and I stood. “You know he didn’t drown. That’s why you called me out here.”

  “No, he drowned all right. The question is, did someone help him,” Alana said.

  I said nothing. Instead, I stepped away from Alana and the medical examiner. I looked out toward the ocean…an ocean that had just claimed the life of Daniel Davis.

  “Are you all right?” Alana asked as she approached me.

  “I got him killed, didn’t I?”

  “How do you figure?”

  “He panicked after Foxx and I met with him. He called whoever put him up to pretending to discover the body. They figured it was only a matter of time before the police got him to admit the truth.”

  “That’s all probably true, but this isn’t your fault. Daniel Davis put himself in jeopardy when he agreed to lie to the police,” Alana said. “But maybe we both have this wrong. Maybe this is just a drowning. It happens all the time.”

  “The day after I talked to him? Kind of a big coincidence, don’t you think?”

  “It is, but sometimes these things do occur. It doesn’t mean there’s a coverup.”

  “You’re going to tell Detective Parrish about this, aren’t you?” I asked.

  “Of course. I’ll let you know what he says.”

  “Is there anything else I can do here?”

  “No.”

  “I can’t just let this go and chalk it up to an accident,” I said.

  “I know. That’s why I got you out here. I better go check on those interviews with the surfers. I’ll talk to you later.”

  I looked back at Daniel Davis once more before making the walk back to my car. I knew in my gut that his death was connected to Eric Ellis. It had to be.

  22

  Maui Animal Center

  It was still early in the morning when I left the beach in Pe’ahi, but it wasn’t too early to see an acquaintance of mine. Her name is Apikalia and I’d met her during my interactions with the Maui Animal Center. As a reminder, that’s the place where I adopted Maui. I frequently donate the fees for my investigations to the center. I do this for a couple of reasons. The first is that I don’t need the money. The second is even more obvious. I want t
o help the center.

  After a particularly large donation, Apikalia, who serves as the director for the center, offered to rename the facility after me. I politely declined. The name The Rutherford Animal Center didn’t have a good ring to it. Instead, I asked her to name the place after its more famous former resident, my dog, Maui. So, the facility kept the name the Maui Animal Center. There are only three of us on the island who know who it’s truly named after: me, Apikalia, and Alana.

  There’s a fourth person or living creature – my dog. I told him the facility was named after him once I got home from meeting with Apikalia. The pooch was not impressed. If memory serves, Maui rolled onto his back and went to sleep after I delivered the exciting news. I sensed that he was still offended that someone had decided to drop him off at the center in the first place, although that person’s loss was my gain.

  I knew from prior conversations with her that Apikalia arrived at work around six in the morning. I phoned her on my way home and asked if I could swing by the center to ask her a few questions. The place had doubled in size since my first visit years before. I was delighted that my donations had made such a significant impact, and I made a mental note to send them another check when I got home.

  I swung into the parking lot and was thrilled to see that they’d redone their main sign. It now featured a photo of my dog’s face beside the name the Maui Animal Center. I parked my car and walked over to the sign. Then I took a photo of it with my phone and texted it to Alana.

  “I was so glad you called earlier. How do you like the new sign?” she asked.

  I turned at the sound of Apikalia’s voice and saw her standing just outside the main entrance. Apikalia is of Hawaiian descent, which I suppose is obvious given her name. She’s around fifty, about Alana’s height, and she has black hair that falls just below her shoulders. She was dressed in khaki pants and a dark-blue polo shirt with the name of the animal center on the breast pocket.

  “We just got the new sign in earlier this week. I was going to invite you up here for the surprise,” she continued.

  “It’s beautiful. That’s why you asked me for a photo of Maui the other day.”