Poe's First Law: A Murder on Maui Mystery

by Robert W. Stephens

  Vincent said nothing.

  “Are you there, Mr. Livingston?” I asked.

  “I am.”

  “This is the only working theory I have, but I can’t understand why your brother wouldn’t be willing to help me.”

  Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. I did have an idea and I was hoping the brother could be persuaded to confirm it.

  “I may know why,” he said.

  “Which is?”

  “Before they moved to Maui, Guy had an affair with a sixteen-year-old girl. Lucy found out about it and left him. I still don’t know why she took him back. If she’d known the full truth, I don’t think she would have ever spoken to him again,” Vincent said.

  “The sixteen-year-old girl wasn’t the only one,” I guessed.

  “No, there was one other girl. She was also sixteen or seventeen. I’m not sure. The truth is there could have been more. Those were the only ones Guy admitted to. He meets lots of women of all ages through his photography job. He’s always been partial to the young ones.”

  “He’s lucky he didn’t go to jail.”

  “The age of consent in Ohio is sixteen, but the parents of the girls never found out either. We both expected Lucy to tell the one set of parents. She didn’t.”

  “What’s your best guess? If Guy was having an affair on Maui, would it be with another young girl?” I asked.

  “Probably. He swore to me he would never do it again, but I never believed him. I assumed it was only a matter of time before he cheated again. I wasn’t that surprised when he told me that Lucy cheated on him. I guess she’d finally had enough, and she wanted to even the score.”

  “Do you think your brother is capable of murder?”

  “No, I don’t. He loved Lucy. He just had a lousy way of showing it.”

  “I appreciate your help with this. I know it’s a tough situation,” I said.

  “Do you think you can prove my brother’s innocence?”

  “I wish I could give you an answer, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  I ended the call with Vincent Livingston and completed my run. By the time I got back to the house, I had a pretty good idea of what happened the day Lucy Livingston was killed. I just needed to prove it.

  I went inside the house and took a quick shower. Then I changed into fresh clothes and walked back outside to my car. It was mid-afternoon by this point, and I thought there was a good chance I’d find Bella Bridges in her Lahaina-based office preparing for her early evening photoshoot. I knew the business address from my Facebook research, and it took me no time to get there.

  The photography business was located in a small office complex several blocks from Harry’s. I found parking in the back and walked around the building to the front door. The door was locked, so I knocked a few times.

  Bella eventually came out to greet me. My investigative career has made me more alert to people’s expressions, but even a clueless person would have noticed the change in her demeanor once she realized who I was. For a moment, I thought she might turn around and leave me standing outside. She didn’t, though.

  “What do you need?” she asked.

  “May I come inside? I’d rather not have this conversation in the open.”

  Bella hesitated for a few seconds. Then she stepped back and allowed me to enter.

  “I don’t know a gentle way to put this, but I had a conversation with Guy’s brother earlier today. He told me that Guy had a couple of affairs when he and Lucy lived in Ohio.”

  “How’s that relevant to what’s going on now?” she asked.

  “I don’t think Guy shot his wife because he found out she was cheating. I think this goes much deeper than that and I’m hoping you can help me prove it.”

  “How can I do that?”

  “Did Lucy ever come to this office?” I asked.

  “Maybe once or twice after Guy first rented the place. She didn’t seem to have a lot of interest in his photography, though. I know it was a bit of a sore spot for him.”

  “Did she have a key to the office?”

  “No, not that I know of. I can’t think of a reason why she would.”

  “I was told that Lucy suspected Guy was having another affair. She was monitoring his computer at home. She was also checking his phone, but she never found any proof. I think the proof is here in this office.”

  “What kind of proof? You think he had a second phone or something like that?” she asked.

  “No. I think it’s most likely photographic proof. What do you do after one of your photoshoots?”

  “We back everything up to a portable hard drive. Then we back that up to a second drive. All the drives are numbered, and we have a library program that lists the clients’ names on each drive.”

  “Did you both do the post-production work on the photos?”

  “Yes. I would do the basic sorting of the photos. I’d select the best shots and put them in a folder. Guy would then take those shots and do all of the color correction. Then the drive would come back to me and I’d put everything online for client review.”

  “So you both worked with all of the photographs,” I said.

  “That’s right.”

  “If Guy wanted to keep a photoshoot hidden from you, where would he have stored those photos?”

  “That’s easy. On his computer. We each have our own Macs so we can both be working at the same time.”

  “Do you know the password to his computer?”

  “I do. Follow me.”

  I followed Bella through the small lobby and into a back room. There were two large tables that were placed on opposite walls. One table was covered with photography equipment, including camera bodies, lenses, and two tripods. The other table had two iMac computers with Retina 5K screens. They were a thing of beauty.

  Bella walked over to one of the computers and jiggled the mouse to wake it up. Then she typed in the password and the desktop display was revealed. There were dozens of folders on it.

  “It could take a while for me to go through these,” she said.

  “Do you mind if I take a crack at it? I’m sure you have prep work to do for your next shoot.”

  “Sure. No problem.”

  I sat down in front of Guy’s computer while she sat a few feet away in front of hers. I saw Bella pull up some photos of a young couple and start to sort through them.

  I dove into the various desktop folders on Guy’s computer, most of which seemed to be dedicated to scheduling and budgeting. If Guy did have the photos that I thought he did, then I assumed they’d be hidden and named something innocuous.

  I’d been searching for about forty-five minutes when I finally found them. As predicted, the photographs were labeled in a subfolder called “Lahaina Architecture,” which was in another folder called “Investment Project.”

  I opened up the internet browser and logged into my email account. I then emailed myself several of the photographs.

  “Oh my God.”

  I turned at the sound of Bella’s voice and saw her looking over my shoulder at Guy’s computer screen.

  “I had no idea,” she continued.

  “People don’t generally change who they are.”

  “Do you know that girl?”

  “Yes, I met her once.”

  “How old is she?”

  “Not sure. It’s hard to tell, but Guy certainly had no business being anywhere near her.”

  “That’s why you asked me if Guy had ever been inappropriate with me,” she said.

  “And when you said he hadn’t, it occurred to me that you weren’t his type.”

  “Because he likes teenaged girls.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’m sorry I got upset with you. You were just doing your job.”

  “Not a problem. It’s completely understandable,” I said.

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “There’s one more move I need to make, and then the truth will be revealed.”

 
26

  Three Manhattans and a Shot of Tequila

  I was so disturbed by the photographs that I drove straight for Harry’s after leaving Guy’s office. I said hello to Kiana and then promptly ordered a Manhattan. One sips those types of cocktails, but I must admit that I drank mine a bit too quickly. I’d just started my second when Foxx walked out of the back office.

  “Oh, hey there, Poe. How long have you been here?” he asked.

  “Long enough to be on my second Manhattan.”

  “What happened since I saw you last?”

  I reached into my pocket and pulled up one of the photos I’d emailed myself. I handed the phone to Foxx.

  “Oh boy.”

  “That’s one of the tame photos. She still has her clothes on,” I said.

  “There are nude shots of her?”

  “Yep. Another guilty client to add to the list.”

  “Hence the second stiff drink. I think I’ll join you.”

  Foxx started mixing himself a Manhattan, a drink he doesn’t have very often, when the door opened. I looked up at the mirror behind the bar and saw Yuto walking toward us. He didn’t look happy.

  I turned to greet him as he reached the bar.

  “Hey Yuto, what brings you by?” I asked.

  Yuto looked at the drink Foxx had just finished making.

  “Is that a Manhattan?” he asked.

  “Yeah, you want it?” Foxx asked.

  “Please.”

  Foxx slid the cocktail across the bar and Yuto picked it up. He took a long sip.

  “Excellent drink,” he said.

  “Thanks,” Foxx said, and he started to make himself another Manhattan.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  Yuto took another sip of the drink.

  “Not really,” he said.

  “I assume you want to talk about it, otherwise you wouldn’t be here,” I said.

  “Can we go in the back?” Yuto asked.

  “Sure,” I said.

  “You too, Douglas. If you don’t mind,” Yuto said.

  “Not at all,” Foxx said.

  The three of us took our Manhattans and walked into the office behind the bar. Foxx was the last one in and he shut the door behind us. Yuto took another long sip of the drink. He was apparently trying to get drunk as fast as I was.

  “The wedding is off,” he finally said.

  “Hani changed her mind?” Foxx asked.

  “No, I did,” Yuto said.

  “You did?” I asked.

  “I found something out this morning. I didn’t know how to react at first, but the more I thought about it, the more upset I got,” Yuto said.

  “What happened?” Foxx asked.

  “I ran into Sora Hu by the pool at the hotel. He thanked me for inviting him to Maui and he told me that he’s met with Hani a few times since the surprise party. He said that they were getting along really well, and he had high hopes for their future relationship.”

  “I didn’t know they’d met. Did you?” Foxx asked me.

  “Hani told me about one meeting. I didn’t know there were others,” I said.

  “Did you tell Alana about it?” Yuto asked.

  “No, Hani swore me to secrecy,” I said.

  “I went to see Hani about an hour ago to discuss the wedding. We got into another argument and she blamed me again for bringing Sora to Maui without talking to her first. She was so angry with me. I asked her if she intended to see her father, and she lied to me and said she still hadn’t made up her mind.”

  “That’s not good,” Foxx said.

  “She likes to play the victim. I’ve known that about her for a while, but it was something that I thought I could accept. I then asked her if she was sorry that she’d thrown the glass at me, and she said the only thing she regretted was that she’d missed me.”

  Have you ever been in a situation like that when a person makes a cruel statement that’s also pretty funny? Despite the humor I found in Hani’s statement, I managed to keep a serious and concerned look on my face.

  “What did you say after that?” Foxx asked.

  “I told her the wedding was off. It was the strangest thing too because I don’t remember even wondering if I should make that decision. I just said it.”

  “Do you regret saying that? Do you want to get her back?” I asked.

  “No, I don’t,” Yuto said, and he took another drink. “I feel as if a weight has been lifted off me.”

  “That’s your gut telling you that you made the right decision. Listen to it,” Foxx said.

  “May I ask you a personal question, Douglas?” Yuto asked.

  “Ask away.”

  “How did you know it was the right move to end your relationship with Hani, especially after you’d learned she was pregnant with Ava?”

  “It wasn’t easy, but then I asked myself what I would do if she wasn’t pregnant. It was a quick decision after that,” Foxx said.

  “But what was it that made you want to end things in the first place?” Yuto asked.

  “I’m not sure we should be getting into the details like that. She was your fiancée up until a little while ago. She’s Poe’s sister-in-law too,” Foxx said.

  “I’d really like to know,” Yuto said.

  Foxx looked at me.

  “Don’t hold back on my account,” I said.

  He turned back to Yuto.

  “I didn’t think she’d ever put me first. Hani does whatever she wants to do and everyone else be damned. I knew I couldn’t make a relationship work in the long-term with a person like that,” Foxx said.

  “I understand.”

  Yuto finished his Manhattan and put the empty glass down on Foxx’s desk.

  “Thank you both for your time. I wanted you to hear the news from me since I’m sure Hani’s version of events will be quite different. I hope we can stay in touch,” Yuto said.

  “Of course,” Foxx said.

  “Absolutely, Yuto. We’re friends. This doesn’t change that,” I said.

  “Thank you.”

  Yuto turned from us and exited the office.

  I finished my drink and put my glass beside Yuto’s.

  “I think I need a third Manhattan and a shot of tequila after that news,” I said.

  “I’ll join you.”

  I stayed at Harry’s for another hour and was pretty buzzed from my multiple drinks. I realized I needed to get home and break the news to Alana. You may be assuming that Hani had already told her, but I didn’t think that was the case since I would have already gotten a phone call.

  I was in no position to drive, so I called a taxi to take me back. When it pulled up to the house, I saw Hani’s car and my mother-in-law’s in the driveway. So that’s why Alana hadn’t called, I thought.

  I paid the driver and then walked into the house. The three Hu women were in the living room, four if you counted the diminutive Ava, who was on the floor playing with my dog.

  Alana looked at me.

  “You okay, Poe?” she asked.

  I tried to figure out if I’d stumbled into the house. I didn’t think I had.

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  Yes, it was a dumb question, but my brain was dulled by the Manhattans and tequila shot, which had actually turned into shots, plural.

  “Hani has some terrible news,” Alana said.

  I waited for Hani to say something, but she didn’t. It must be noted that she wasn’t crying. Instead, she looked furious.

  “That idiot called off the wedding,” Ms. Hu finally said.

  “Yes, I know. I just saw him at Harry’s,” I said.

  “Then why the hell did you ask how we were?” Ms. Hu asked.

  “Sorry, you’re right. It was a foolish thing to ask,” I said.

  “Have you been drinking?” Alana asked.

  There was no point in denying it, so I decided to spin it in my favor.

  “Yes, I got so upset at the news that I had a few drinks,” I said. />
  Hani stepped closer to me.

  “What did Yuto say to you?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure you want to know,” I said.

  “Why wouldn’t she?” Ms. Hu asked.

  I said nothing.

  “Out with it,” Ms. Hu continued.

  “It’s a promise I made to your daughter,” I said.

  Hani looked away and it was obvious she’d figured it out.

  “What kind of promise?” Alana asked.

  Once again, I said nothing, and the hole I was digging for myself continued to get deeper and deeper.

  “Poe, we don’t keep secrets from each other,” Alana continued.

  “Just tell them, Hani,” I said.

  “Tell us what?” Ms. Hu asked.

  “You went to see Dad, didn’t you?” Alana guessed.

  I expected Hani to deny it. She didn’t. Actually, she didn’t say anything.

  “You saw your father?” Ms. Hu asked.

  “Yes, I did. More than once,” Hani said.

  “How could you?” Ms. Hu asked.

  “What does this have to do with Yuto calling off the wedding?” Alana asked.

  “We got into an argument about him inviting Dad to Maui. I didn’t know Yuto was getting regular updates on my meetings,” Hani said.

  “You got caught in a lie and Yuto walked. Is that what you’re basically saying?” Alana asked.

  “I don’t know. He didn’t even give me an actual reason. He just said the wedding was off and he stormed out,” Hani said.

  “There’s still time to get him back,” Ms. Hu said.

  “I don’t want him back,” Hani said.

  “It’s over, Mom, just accept it,” Alana said.

  “My daughter will not be humiliated. She’s too good for Yuto Takahashi. If anyone is going to call off the wedding, it’s Hani,” Ms. Hu said.

  Too late for that, I thought.

  “I’m sorry for what’s happened, Hani. Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” I said.

  I didn’t get a response, which was fine by me, so I walked upstairs and climbed onto the bed. I was asleep within seconds. I didn’t wake up until Alana sat on the side of the bed.

  “Are they still here?” I asked.

  “They left about an hour ago. How many Manhattans did you have?”