by Larry Darter
"Oshiro wanted to help me," I said. "I reckon she was doing the good cop bit, so you must be the bad cop. You plan to beat a confession out of me?"
Young smirked. "What was your relationship with Douglas Shaw?" Young said.
"He was a client," I said. "I’m a private investigator."
"Yes, I know. From Los Angeles. What kind of case were you working for Shaw?"
"Missing person, I was here trying to help him find his daughter," I said.
"Why would Shaw hire a PI from LA to come all the way to Honolulu? There are plenty of private investigators right here on the island."
"My colleague in LA, Ben Malone has done work for Shaw in the past. He wanted Malone to come to Honolulu for the case, but Malone already had a case he was working in LA. So, he sent me."
"So, what's the story on Shaw’s daughter?"
"She left without telling anyone where she was going. Then she didn’t come home. That wasn’t unusual. She did that quite often. But this time was different. She stayed away much longer than ever before. Shaw and his wife became worried, so Shaw called Malone."
"Voluntary absence?" Young said.
"As far as anyone knew. As you know, private investigators aren’t permitted to investigate crimes like kidnapping."
Young nodded. "Had Shaw reported his daughter as missing to us?"
"No, that’s the first question I asked. Shaw didn’t seem keen to involve the police. Maybe he was afraid the media would get onto it, and he would have found it embarrassing."
"Embarrassing?"
"Yep, you know, unable to control his own daughter, that bit."
"Okay, let’s talk about Jimmy Kamaka. How did you know him?"
"I developed information that Jimmy Kamaka had knowledge of Allison Shaw’s whereabouts. I found him and persuaded him to cooperate by taking me to Allison’s location," I said.
"And how did you manage that?" Young said. "Jimmy Kamaka was known for a lot of things. Cooperation wasn’t one of them."
"Can’t tell you that, Detective Young. A girl never tells all her secrets."
"Okay, so he took you to Allison’s location? What happened then?"
"Never saw Allison, so I’m not sure it was the proper location. But, he took me to some kind of military installation on the east side of the island."
"Where?" Young said.
"Not sure, Kamaka drove, and I’d never been there before. But, I assume the same place you found Kamaka’s body. A place with an overgrown airstrip, a brick building, and a small air traffic control tower."
"Okay, that’s the place," Young said. "What happened when you got there?"
"We had parked the car on the entry road. We walked through some trees to the building where the tower is. When we came out of the trees and started toward the building, someone started firing at us. I took cover behind a tree. I looked back, and Kamaka was on his back with a bullet wound to the head. I checked, and he was dead."
"Then what happened?" Young said.
"I heard an engine revving and tyres squealing and saw a sports utility tearing out of the carpark. I ran back through the trees to Kamaka’s car, but the sports utility had already gone past before I got there. I tried to follow, but I lost it. Too much of a head start."
"Why didn’t you call 911 and report the shooting?"
"No point to it," I said. "Kamaka was dead and beyond help. I didn’t see who shot him. I didn’t even get a license plate number from the sports utility. I didn’t have any information to give the police."
"Then what did you do?" Young said.
"I went back to the military facility. It wasn’t locked up. I searched the building and tower, but there was no sign of Allison Shaw."
"She in the SUV?"
"Don’t know. I told you I didn’t see who was in the sports utility."
"You know O’Sullivan, this is starting to sound a lot like a kidnapping," Young said. I didn’t say anything to that.
"Where did you go after you lost the SUV and searched the building at the airstrip?"
"I drove back to my hotel. I needed to call Shaw and report in," I said. "When I got to the room, I found Shaw dead on the floor."
Oshiro walked back into the interview room. Young looked up. "The ADA is next door," Oshiro said. Young nodded and looked back at me.
"You found Shaw, saw that he was dead, and decided to split," Young said.
"Yep, like I said, I knew how it would look to the police, and I wanted the chance to find out who was trying to frame me."
"Why would someone want to frame you for the murder?"
"I reckon to deflect attention from whoever did kill Shaw," I said.
"I have to tell you, O’Sullivan," Young said, "I'm finding it hard to believe you’re telling us the whole story. I’d be willing to bet you’re holding something back."
"I’ve told you what I know," I said. "I wasn’t there when Shaw died. I know I didn’t kill him, but I can’t very well tell you who did. I don't know. I wasn’t there."
Young leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair.
"I still like my theory," Oshiro said.
"What theory?" I said.
"Shaw came to your room wanting sex. You weren’t into it. He tried to force you. You managed to grab the wine bottle and hit him a little harder than you intended. You didn’t mean to kill him. It was an accident. Why don’t you help yourself out, and tell us the truth."
I dropped my eyes to the table top and sighed loudly. Then I raised my head and looked Oshiro right in the eyes.
"Ahkay, I haven’t always been a private investigator. I was once the same as you, a police detective. I know a fishing expedition when I see one. You have nothing, nothing but some circumstantial evidence. That's not enough to make a murder charge stick."
"Is that so?" Oshiro said.
"Yes, it’s so. I’m sure you have a time of death from the coroner by now. I’m sure it doesn’t track with the time stamp on the CCTV video of me arriving and leaving the hotel. Shaw was already dead when I arrived back at my room. I checked for a pulse, and he was already cold. He’d been dead for a while. I know my prints aren't on the bottle used to bash him. The bottle wasn’t in the room when I left that morning, and I didn’t touch it when I saw it on the floor."
"Maybe we don’t have enough to charge you with the murder of Douglas Shaw," Young said, "but how about Kamaka? You’ve admitted you were there when he was killed."
"Big difference between being there when he was killed and killing him," I said. "And to be fair, you have nothing there either. It’s obvious you don’t have the murder weapon. I wasn’t even armed when the cop arrested me. I expect the only way you connected me to Kamaka was another CCTV video. I'm guessing a video recording from when I left his car in the carpark after I arrived back in Waikiki. More circumstantial evidence."
"HPD has recovered a semi-automatic pistol from the trunk of your rental car," Young said. "It was concealed behind the spare tire."
"Bloody hell, it was a hire car," I said. "It wasn’t my gun. I didn’t even know it was there. Anyone could have left it there."
"That’s an easy claim to make," Oshiro said. "It wasn’t mine, officer. We hear that all the time."
"My prints aren't on that weapon," I said, "besides I picked up the hire car after leaving the hotel room after I found Shaw. That makes it obvious it wasn’t the weapon used to shoot Kamaka. You’ve got nothing. The gun is more circumstantial evidence that’s not even linked to any crime that you can accuse me of."
Oshiro crossed her arms, slumped against the wall, and glared at me. I looked at Young.
"Let’s cut to the chase, ahkay," I said. "I’ve been in the States a long while. I understand the laws here aren’t a great deal different here from those of New Zealand where I was a cop. It takes real evidence to lay a charge of murder. You have none in this case. I’ve cooperated, I’ve answered your questions, but I’m tired now. So, time to put up or shut up, Detective You
ng. Charge me, or I’m leaving after you return my property and my car of course."
"We can still hold you as a material witness in the murder of Jimmy Kamaka," Young said.
"That doesn’t mean I must be locked up," I said. "I’m on an island for fuck’s sake. It’s not like I can hop on a plane and leave Honolulu."
Young stood up and looked at Oshiro who shrugged. "I’m going to have a word with the ADA," Young said to Oshiro. He walked out of the room closing the door a bit harder than necessary. Oshiro didn’t say anything more. I reckoned she had given up trying to help me talk my way into a jail cell. Young came back in the room after only a few minutes. He placed his hands on the back of the chair he had sat in earlier and leaned across the desk towards me.
"Answer one more question," Young said.
"What?"
"You said you left the hotel room as soon as you discovered Shaw was dead. You said you ran because you figured someone was trying to frame you. Besides claiming that you didn’t kill him, what made you believe someone was trying to frame you."
"No harm in telling you that," I said. "A least since I met him, Shaw never drove himself. He had a driver named Ken, don’t know his last name, who chauffeured him in a black limo. The limo was in the drive at the hotel when I returned that afternoon. Ken was standing outside leaning on a fender having a smoko. He stared at me until I walked into the lobby. I wasn’t inside the hotel for more than a few minutes, just long enough to take the lift up to my room and find Shaw. When I walked back outside, Ken and the limo were gone, and the police were already arriving."
"Proving what?" Young said. "You saying this Ken must have murdered his boss?"
"Seems a bit sus that he drove away leaving his boss without transportation unless he knew Shaw was dead, eh?" I said. "I’d also wager that HPD received an anonymous call about the time I arrived at my hotel that afternoon. I'll bet a call that reported some kind of disturbance inside my room at the hotel. If I’m correct, no doubt Ken made the call so I’d be found in the room with Shaw’s body. Maybe you guys should look up Ken and have a chat."
Young straightened up and ran a hand through his hair again. I reckoned it must be a habit he had.
"Okay," Young said, "you’re free to go for now. But you’re not free to leave town. And, when we want to talk with you again which we will we better not have to hunt you down. If we do, I give you my word we will lock you up."
"What about my personals?" I said. "My bag, my cash, credit cards, and my clothing was all in the car."
"The arresting officer brought your property here," Young said. "I’ll escort you downstairs to sign for it. But we’re going to hold on to the firearm recovered from your rental car."
"Fine," I said. "Told you, it’s not mine. But, speaking of the car, I want it back."
"The property clerk will you give you the address where it was towed. You’ll have to pay the impound fee to claim it."
"Aww, stink one," I said. "Why should I have to pay to get the car back when I’m not being charged with anything?"
"That’s on you," Young said. "You should have come to us to start with instead of making us find you. Come on, let’s go downstairs."
I followed him out of the room. Oshiro walked out behind us but kept going down the hallway when Young and I stopped at the lift. Guess she didn’t fancy good-byes.
Downstairs in the property room, my beach bag, and other belongings were returned. That included my ID, credit cards, and the cash left from the packet of Shaw’s money I’d been using. I signed for the property, and Young escorted me to the front doors of the police station. He pushed open the door and held it for me. After I’d walked through the door, he said, "Don’t forget."
"Yep, I know," I said, "don’t leave town."
"Where will you be staying?" Young said.
"I’m still registered at the Sheraton on Kalakaua Avenue," I said. "I’m going back there, except I’m going to ask for a different room."
Young nodded. "See you soon," he said. Then he turned and walked back inside, and the door closed behind him.
After waiting on the sidewalk in front of HPD headquarters for about 10 minutes, I flagged a passing taxi. I gave the driver the address the property clerk had given me for the auto impound. He was wearing a bright colored Aloha shirt. The driver dropped the flag, and away we went.
I didn’t know why I hadn’t told Young and Oshiro that I’d seen Allison Shaw fire the gun used to kill Kamaka. I guess I wanted to talk to her and her mum first. It still might provide some leverage to get the information I wanted. Another part of me wanted to give Allison the benefit of the doubt. While it seemed the entire kidnapping affair was a bit sus, it was possible I was misinterpreting it. Maybe Allison had just been a frightened young woman trying to escape her captors. Yeah, nah, I didn’t believe that was what I’d seen when Kamaka got shot. But, I was certain it had been an accident of sorts. Allison had been shooting at Adam, the helicopter pilot. Kamaka had just been standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. That didn’t mean Allison wasn’t responsible for his death. But there was a good bit of difference between negligent homicide and murder. I intended to get Allison’s story before the cops got mine.
Chapter 15
IT WAS AFTER EIGHT when I woke up. By the time I’d retrieved the car the previous evening, feeling shattered I had come straight back to the hotel. When I spoke to the clerk at the front desk, I’d learned the hotel had canceled my original reservation. Shaw had organized the room for me and guaranteed payment. With Shaw dead, the hotel manager had feared payment might not be forthcoming. I had to agree to accept responsibility for paying for the entire stay and to present my credit card. The clerk then booked me into a new room.
After showering but before bed, I’d switched on my mobile and the disposable one I’d purchased. The police had switched them off after taking them when they had arrested me. I had three voice mail messages from Malone on each phone. I decided I better call him before he caught a plane for Honolulu. I rang up his mobile but got his voice mail. I left a message telling him I was all good and had sorted things with the Honolulu police for the time being. After promising to call back later, I’d hung up. Then I’d gone to bed and had fallen asleep straight away.
I had some breakfast and coffee in one of the hotel restaurants then I drove back to the place where I’d hired the car. I wasn’t a car person, actually. I quite liked motorbikes. I decided to return the car and to hire a motorbike from a place I’d driven past a few days before. I dropped off the hire car then walked the three blocks to the motorbike place. I chose a carbon gray Kawasaki Ninja H2. The motorbike came with a helmet, so I was all set. Too bad I hadn’t been on the Ninja yesterday instead of driving a car. I’d never have stopped for that cop, and he’d never had caught me either.
Merging onto the motorway, I again headed for Shaw’s house and my delayed meeting with his wife and daughter. This time I made it through Kailua without incident. I still hadn’t come up with a story to get past the gate guard when I arrived at the gate to find there wasn’t a guard. The gate was standing open. I continued through it to the house. I slowed after turning the last corner of the access road and stopped when I could see the house. There was no sign of the guard from before out front, and there were no vehicles about. There was no activity around the outbuilding either. I assumed it was where Shaw housed his security force. Strange. It was if there was no one here at all. I put the motorbike in gear and continued to the house, stopping in the driveway out front. I climbed off and removed the helmet. Leaving it on the seat of the bike I followed the side of the house to the back. I found an unlocked patio door. I opened it, stepped inside, and closed the door. I could hear voices from another part of the house and went looking for the people I heard speaking.
Outside the room, where I’d first met Douglas Shaw the voices were more distinct. There was no doubt that the people speaking were in the room behind the closed door. I twisted the knob and eased t
he door open so that I could peer around it into the room. Shaw’s wife and daughter sat together on the couch. A man was standing in front of them with his back to me. It was clear that the man had frightened the women. The door hinges squeaked when I opened the door a bit wider. Allison looked in my direction, and we made eye contact, tipping off the guy I was there. He spun around pointing a gun at me.
"Come on in if you don’t want to get shot," the guy said.
For an instant, I thought about slamming the door and making a run for it. But, out of concern for what might happen to the women I didn’t. I opened the door and stepped into the room.
"Adam, you rat bastard," I said, "are you still lurking about?"
"Well, if it isn’t psycho bitch," Adam said. He motioned towards the couch with the pistol. "Come in and have a seat on the couch with the other ladies."
I started across the room. "And don’t try anything," Adam said. "You won’t get the chance to sucker punch me again."
"Sucker punch?" I said. "I seem to recall it was a kick in the nuts, not a sucker punch."
"Yeah, whatever," Adam said, "sit down."
Allison scooted toward her mum. I sat down beside her.
"Where is the money?" Adam said to me.
"In a safe place," I said.
"Where?"
"Can’t tell you that," I said.
"You will tell me, or I’ll shoot you."
"Brilliant idea," I said. "Then you will never find the money."
Adam pointed the gun at Allison.
"No, please," Allison said.
"Then I’ll shoot Allison if you don’t tell me where the money is."
"I can’t tell you because I’m not familiar enough with the area to tell you where to find the money. You don't need to hurt anyone. I can take you to the money."
"You will not take him to the money," Kathleen Shaw said. "It’s ours." Glaring at Adam, she continued. "We agreed to pay you ten thousand dollars for your services."
