Poe's First Law: A Murder on Maui Mystery

by Robert W. Stephens

  “What did Alana say when you told her the news?”

  “I didn’t have to. Hani and her mother were already at the house when I got back,” I said.

  Foxx laughed.

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “I’m glad I can amuse you so easily.”

  “What did I say, pal? You don’t just marry the woman. You marry the family.”

  “Hani seemed more upset that she was the one who got dumped. My dear old mom-in-law sort of said the same thing. Then there was the news that I’d kept Hani’s meetings with her father a secret from Alana,” I said.

  “Oh boy, I bet that went over well.”

  “Not nearly as bad as expected. I think Alana was worn out by the whole thing. She cut me some slack.”

  Foxx laughed again.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “How can a guy as smart as you be so dumb sometimes?”

  “Dumb? What did I say?”

  “That Alana cut you some slack. Trust me. She’s still angry. She just decided to hold it in reserve until she needs to spring it on you at a later date. I can hear her now. ‘Remember that time you didn’t tell me what Hani was doing?’ It’s coming, buddy boy. Just accept it and rehearse your apology speech until then,” Foxx said.

  “Maybe I should buy her some flowers or something.”

  “I’d wait for the actual outburst to come. Then get the flowers. Maybe even some chocolates.”

  Our conversation about how dumb I was regarding women continued for several minutes. It certainly wasn’t the first time we’d talked at length on that topic.

  We eventually arrived at the warehouse but didn’t see any cars. Foxx parked by one of the warehouse doors and we climbed out of the vehicle.

  I opened the warehouse door without knocking and walked inside. The interior didn’t match the exterior. While the outside looked run down and abandoned, the interior was much nicer with a series of small offices and a large common room that had a billiards table, a large flat-screen television, and several pieces of comfortable-looking leather furniture. It resembled a bachelor’s recreation room.

  A guy about Foxx’s size approached us. He appeared out of nowhere, and he didn’t look happy.

  “You two lost or something?”

  The question had come out as more of a growl. I hoped Foxx had remembered to grab his gun from the SUV before coming inside, but it was too late to ask.

  “We’re looking for Stan Cross,” I said.

  Before the burly man could respond, we heard a voice coming from one of the offices behind us.

  “You found him.”

  I turned around and saw a man around fifty-years-old walking toward us. He was about six feet tall, muscular, and he had a thick head of light-brown hair that was gray at the temples. A moment later, two more men emerged from the same office. They were both about the same size as the muscle who’d initially questioned us.

  “I’d ask how you found me, but it’s not like this place is a secret,” Stan Cross continued.

  “Then why camouflage it?” Foxx asked.

  “I’m not. I just don’t see a reason to fix up the outside. We spend all our time in here.”

  Stan Cross stopped several feet away and sized us up.

  “Let me guess. You want to ask me about Mele Akamu,” he said.

  “That’s right,” I said.

  “Ask away. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

  “Do you know anything about Eric Ellis’ murder?” Foxx asked.

  “I know enough. The kid vanished about five years ago and then his body showed up. The cops arrested Mele Akamu and that thug of hers for the crime.”

  “We spoke with someone who told us that you were dealing with Eric in the days before he was killed,” I said.

  “That’s right. He came to me and asked for a job. I said no.”

  “Asked for a job? We heard he called you and offered to sell you information on Mele Akamu’s business,” I said.

  “That’s not exactly how it went down,” Stan said.

  “Then what happened?” Foxx asked.

  “He wanted a package deal. He said he’d help take down Mele Akamu by giving me details about her business. He also wanted to come work for me. I’m not a trusting man. I already knew who Eric Ellis was. I also knew everything that Mele Akamu had done for him.”

  “You thought Mele Akamu put him up to it?” I asked.

  “The thought crossed my mind. But if she hadn’t, I still didn’t want anything to do with the guy. If he’d turn on Mele Akamu, then he’d eventually turn on me too. There was also his woman. I looked into Eric and discovered he was two-timing her. It seemed that he’d turned on everyone in his life. Someone like that can never be trusted, and I can’t have guys around me that I can’t trust. I told him no.”

  “How did he react?” I asked.

  “How do you think? He was upset. He had no one else to turn to, if his story was to be believed.”

  “What did you think after he disappeared?” Foxx asked.

  “I realized I’d guessed wrong. He really had betrayed Mele Akamu and he got killed for it,” Stan said.

  “You think she killed him?” I asked.

  Stan Cross laughed.

  “You don’t? Who else would have done it?”

  “Maybe someone who wanted to frame her for the murder,” Foxx said.

  “And they waited five years to make their move? No. There’s no chance of that. People in this line of work don’t have that kind of patience.”

  “Oleen Akamu told the police that she saw Mele Akamu murder Eric Ellis, but then she admitted to us that you paid her to say that,” I said.

  “You boys really need to get your facts straight. She came to me all right. I must admit that I got a great deal of satisfaction out of it too. An Akamu begging for my help. It was priceless. She told me that she knew I’d benefit from having Mele Akamu out of the way. She asked me how much it was worth to me. I asked her what she meant. That’s when she told me that she’d claim to be an eyewitness to the murder if I paid her.”

  “What did you say?” Foxx asked.

  “I told her that I’d think about it. She went to the police before I gave her an answer. I guess she thought I’d show my gratitude and give her money. Why would I? The idiot already gave me what I wanted, and I didn’t have to pay anything for it.”

  “She’s retracted her testimony,” I said, although I wasn’t really sure if she’d gotten around to telling the police that she’d lied.

  “Does it make a difference? I heard the cops have the gun,” Stan said.

  “You seem to be well connected,” Foxx said.

  “Not necessarily. Good news travels fast, and the murder weapon found at Akamu’s house is certainly good news. I can’t wait to see how she tries to get out of that. Now it’s my turn to ask a few questions. I heard Tavii Akamu isn’t running for reelection. Is that true?”

  “It is,” I said.

  “Please tell me he’s going to take over his grandmother’s business,” Stan said.

  “Is that a question?” Foxx asked.

  “I suppose not since I can already figure out the answer. My guess is that he thinks he can pull it off. I look forward to going head to head with him,” Stan said.

  “One more question. Did you know a man named Daniel Davis?” I asked.

  “Never heard of him, but I assume he’s dead since you referred to him in the past tense.”

  “He drowned while surfing, at least that’s what it was meant to look like,” I said.

  “I think we’re done here. I’ve indulged you gentleman long enough.”

  “Not yet. Your man over here looked away when my friend commented about the drowning,” Foxx said, and he nodded toward one of the men who’d followed Stan Cross out of the office.

  “A man’s not allowed to look away?” Stan asked.

  “Of course, he is. My friend was just questioning the timing,” I said.

/>   “And I said I’m done with your questions. You can show yourself to the door,” Stan said.

  Neither Foxx nor I made a move.

  “Mr. Cross said to leave,” the man who Foxx had accused of looking guilty said, and he pushed Foxx in the chest.

  Foxx grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it hard. I wasn’t sure if he’d broken it, but the guy yelled and dropped to his knees. The burly man beside him rushed toward Foxx, only for Foxx to kick the man in the side of his knee. He started to go down too, and Foxx encouraged the movement to the floor by punching him in the jaw.

  The third bodyguard, the one who’d initially approached us, pulled a gun and pointed it at Foxx. I moved in front of Foxx and held up my hands.

  “That’s enough. We’re leaving,” I said.

  “That’s good to hear,” Stan said. “We wouldn’t want the husband of Detective Hu getting hurt.”

  “You know who I am?” I asked.

  “I do my homework, Edgar Rutherford. Or should I call you Poe? Consider yourself fortunate that I always think before I act. Tell your lovely wife that I said hello. I’ve got nothing but respect for law enforcement. They’re our modern-day heroes,” Stan said, and he smirked.

  “Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly how you feel,” Foxx said.

  “One more thing before you leave. Give Mele Akamu my best, and please deliver this message for me. Tell her that karma has a long memory, even after a couple of decades,” Stan said.

  I didn’t reply. Instead, I turned to Foxx and nodded.

  We managed to get out of the warehouse in one piece. I don’t think I breathed a sigh of relief until we were a mile down the road in the safety of Foxx’s SUV.

  “He knows way too much about the case. He must be guilty,” Foxx said.

  “I’m inclined to agree with you. By the way, did you bring the gun in with you?”

  “Yeah, but then I realized I could handle those guys without it.”

  “Until they pulled a gun of their own.”

  “A miscalculation on my part. How do you think he found out who you were? Someone must have told him you took Mele Akamu’s case. Who do you think it was?” Foxx asked.

  I had no idea and that scared me a little.

  29

  The Affair

  I looked out the window as we drove down the coast and headed toward Lahaina. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the beauty of the island. The truth is, I didn’t want to.

  Foxx turned on the radio and we heard the song, “Speak to Me,” from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon playing.

  “Great album,” I said without taking my eyes off that gorgeous view.

  “One of my favorites. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to it. Hey, what did you think about that comment Stan made about not trusting Eric Ellis?”

  “I agree with it. I wouldn’t have trusted him either.”

  “Yeah but does that mean Stan wouldn’t have done the deal with Eric? I don’t buy that Stan told him to get lost.”

  “No, he wouldn’t have. It would have low risk to hear what Eric had to say. Of course, that didn’t mean Stan had to act on it,” I said.

  “What about that comment that Eric was cheating on Gracie Ito?”

  “It’s certainly possible. Eric betrayed Mele Akamu. He probably did the same thing to Gracie.”

  “You realize what that means.”

  “Yep, we have another suspect. The jealous girlfriend.”

  “Want to question her about it? Her apartment is on the way back,” Foxx said.

  “Let’s do it.”

  “Do you think Gracie knew Eric was seeing someone on the side?”

  “Without a doubt. Women always know. And if Stan Cross was able to find out so quickly, then I’m sure someone who was living with Eric must have known too.”

  We got to Gracie’s apartment complex in no time. It was late afternoon by this point, and I hoped we’d get lucky and find her home. We did. When she opened the door, I could tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t exactly happy to see us again. I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t have been either.

  “Ms. Ito, do you have time for a few more questions?” I asked.

  “Not really. I was just on my way out for an appointment,” she said.

  Did I believe her? Not in a million years. She was wearing a tank top with a long tear on the bottom, short shorts that would have barely covered a bikini bottom, and no shoes. Did that look like someone who was on their way out the door? Of course, we were on Maui, so it was possible. Still, I assumed she was lying as most everyone else in this investigation was guilty of doing.

  “It will just take a moment,” I assured her.

  She paused for a few seconds. Then she nodded and allowed us to enter.

  “We just came from a meeting with Stan Cross,” Foxx said.

  “He said some interesting things,” I said.

  “He told us that Eric was cheating on you,” Foxx said.

  A woman ignorant of her boyfriend’s infidelity would have shown surprise, even hurt after all of these years. Gracie did not, but I’m sure you already expected as much. I certainly did.

  “You already knew,” I said more than asked.

  “Yes, I knew,” she admitted.

  “And you didn’t say anything because you knew how it would look,” I said.

  “No, I didn’t say anything because it’s irrelevant. I didn’t kill Eric.”

  “When did you learn about his affair?” Foxx asked.

  “About a week before he disappeared.”

  “Did you confront him about it?” I asked.

  “No, I wasn’t sure how,” she said.

  “I find that hard to believe,” I said.

  “Me too. I’ve had more than one woman tell me what they thought of my cheating. They don’t ever have problems expressing themselves,” Foxx said.

  “Well, I’m not like everyone else,” Gracie said.

  “I’m sure you’re not, Ms. Ito. Perhaps you were afraid to lose what you had,” I said.

  “And that’s exactly what happened when he died. I lost everything,” she said.

  “People aren’t acting rational when they kill, though. They’re emotional. They’re angry. They’re out of control,” Foxx said.

  “You can say whatever you want, but I didn’t hurt him. I loved him.”

  “Do you know who the other woman was?” I asked.

  “Not until the night he vanished. I already told you about the day Eric disappeared. He got that phone call from Stan. Later he said he had to meet with Mele Akamu.”

  “But you didn’t think that was where he was really going,” I guessed.

  “I didn’t know what to think. I followed him after he left. He went to that woman’s apartment.”

  “Did you see her?” Foxx asked.

  “Yes, when she opened the door. I thought about letting myself in and catching them in the act. I didn’t, though. I waited outside in my car. He never came out,” she said.

  “How long did you wait?” I asked.

  She didn’t respond.

  “How long?” I repeated

  “I’m embarrassed to admit it.”

  “Please. It’s important for us to try to establish a timeline,” I said.

  “He left the house around eleven. I stayed outside her apartment until a little after two in the morning.”

  “Did you ever find out who she was?” Foxx asked.

  “When Eric didn’t come home, I thought he was still with her. I went back to her apartment the next day and saw her coming out the front door. That’s when I said something to her.”

  “What did she say?” I asked.

  “She wouldn’t talk to me. She ran back inside.”

  “Was Eric’s car still in the parking lot?” Foxx asked.

  “No, it was gone.”

  “Did you ever find out the woman’s name?” I asked.

  “Yes, it’s Tiana Wise.”

  “How
did they meet?” Foxx asked.

  “I don’t know. I don’t really care,” she said.

  “Is there anything else you didn’t tell us?” I asked.

  Yes, I know. It was a bit of a dumb question, but I threw it out there anyway.

  “You know everything now, not that it matters. I already told you before that Mele Akamu killed him. He may not have gone to see her that night, but he probably went the next morning. He never came back.”

  “Thank you for talking to us again. We won’t keep you from your appointment any longer,” I said.

  “My what?” she asked.

  “You said you were on your way to an appointment when we knocked on the door,” I reminded her.

  “Oh yeah, that.”

  I knew she’d been lying before, but I wanted to see how good she was at remembering her lies. Apparently, the answer to that question was not very good. As I’ve said in the past, there are people who are accomplished at telling tall tales, but most liars are pretty easy to spot. Gracie Ito fit squarely into the latter category.

  “Can you tell us where Tiana Wise lived?” Foxx asked.

  “I can, but I have no idea if she’s still there,” Gracie said, and then she gave us the address.

  Her statement that she didn’t know if Tiana still lived there was another lie, based on her eye movement and body language. I assumed Gracie had swung by the apartment after our initial interview with her.

  Tiana Wise might not have been the killer, but Gracie Ito apparently thought she could be. The lover might have had enough of Eric’s false promises that he’d leave Gracie one day. Did I think that likely? Not really, but Tiana was one of the last people to see Eric Ellis alive. She had to know something, after all.

  We thanked Gracie Ito again and walked back outside to Foxx’s SUV. Here’s something I didn’t point out a few moments ago. After Gracie gave us the address for Tiana’s apartment complex, I realized that I’d been there before. And here’s the stunner. Tiana lived in the same twelve-unit duplex in Paia where Daniel Davis had lived. Did I think that was a coincidence? Nope.

  Foxx picked up on the same thing for he asked me about it when we climbed into his vehicle.

  “Hey, isn’t the–“