“Like Kenneth Racine?”
“Hey, stranger things have happened. Maybe he’ll save us all some trouble by fessing up.”
She wasn’t holding her breath. From Leila’s experience, most homicidal spouses were anything but accommodating. They usually preferred to blame everyone else for their problems, including the victim.
Or, in this case, victims.
Seymour pulled into the parking lot at Maui General Hospital where Doctor Kenneth Racine was on duty as medical director of the Behavioral Health Unit.
Leila hated hospitals, an emotion born from fear of having her tonsils removed as a child and added to by the death of her father ten years ago after spending the last two months of his life in a hospital bed.
They were directed to the third floor, where a nurse pointed toward a forty-something, tall man with thick gray hair. He seemed agitated after snapping his cell phone shut.
“Dr. Kenneth Racine?” Leila asked.
“Yes?”
She lifted her ID. “We’re detectives with the Maui County Police Department. Could we have a word with you in private?”
His brow furrowed. “Look, if this is about those parking tickets, I swear I’ll pay them. Things have just been a little crazy around here, you know?”
“We’re not traffic cops,” Seymour said curtly. “This is a homicide matter—”
Kenneth’s head snapped back. “My office is just over there...”
They followed him to the office, where he left the door open.
“You said homicide?” He looked at Seymour.
“Afraid we have bad news. Your wife, Elizabeth, was murdered.”
Kenneth’s eyes bulged. “That’s not possible! Liz is at a seminar in Honolulu.”
Leila blinked, wishing that had been the case for his sake and hers. “We believe a woman found shot to death at a condo in Wailea tonight is in fact Elizabeth Racine.”
He lifted his cell phone and pushed a button. “Yes, I need to speak to Elizabeth Racine. She’s a guest there.” A few moments passed. “What do you mean there’s no one registered there by that name?”
Leila regarded Seymour. She wondered if Racine’s reaction was mainly for their benefit.
He hung up, eyes downcast. “They said she never checked in, even though she had made a reservation.”
Leila supposed it had been smart to cover her tracks. That was, until someone made certain they ran out for good.
“Larry Nagasaka was also murdered at the condo,” she said.
“Larry—” Kenneth gulped. “Are you telling me my wife and Larry were having an affair?”
“Sure looks that way.”
“That bloody bastard.”
Leila didn’t disagree, but that was beside the point. “You had no idea your wife was seeing another man?”
Kenneth sneered. “Isn’t the spouse always last to know?”
“Not always,” said Seymour. “We need you to account for your whereabouts tonight.”
“You’re kidding, right? You think I actually had something to do with this?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time a vindictive spouse offed his wife and lover.”
Kenneth took a step backward. “Look, I loved my wife and would never have wanted her dead, no matter what. I’ve been working my ass off here since three o’clock trying to keep this unit together.”
* * *
“His story seems to hold up.” Seymour stood beside Leila in the elevator.
“Even in a busy hospital, people can sometimes see what they want to,” she said.
“True. Wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to believe Racine could’ve taken a break from his duties to get rid of a cheating wife and her lover.”
Leila ran a hand through her hair. “Aren’t doctors supposed to be in the business of saving lives?”
Seymour gave her a deadpan look. “That may well depend on whose life it is.”
He drove on the Honoapiilani Highway to West Maui where Leila lived.
“Do you want to get a drink?”
Leila didn’t look his way. “Tempting, but I think I’ll call it a night, if that’s okay. It’s been a long day.”
“You’re right, it has been, and that’s fine.”
“Another time?” She faced him.
“Yeah.” He turned to look at her and back to the road. A few minutes later Seymour dropped Leila off at home. “See you tomorrow.”
“Count on it.” She gave a little smile and waved.
Seymour drove off, thinking she was probably the most levelheaded cop he knew, including himself. And also the best looking, which may have been the problem. He loved her new hairstyle, a short bob with sloping edges. Of course he kept his compliments in check, not wanting to make either of them uncomfortable in what was a good working relationship. Partnering up with Leila might not have been his first choice, but she’d earned his respect and taught him a few things along the way.
Seymour took the Kahekili Highway to the place he was renting in central Maui. Unlike the resort areas on the west and south sides of Maui, there wasn’t much here to excite tourists. The fact that real people like him lived and worked in central Maui made it more to his liking, aside from living alone for the time being.
He would’ve preferred going to the house he once shared with his wife, Mele. That was before he screwed up, got caught, and was kicked out four months ago. She had yet to file for divorce, but since there was virtually no real communication between them, he feared it was only a matter of time.
When they did talk, it was mostly about their eight-year-old daughter, Akela. They had adopted her when she was less than a month old after learning that Mele was unable to have children. Akela was the one thing in his life Seymour was most proud of. He hated having to disappoint her. But he was a cop and had been for twenty of his forty-six years. Someday Akela would understand that people like him were needed to go after the bad guys in the world. Or at least within Hawaii. Until then, he would continue to try and balance the things most important to him.
Seymour thought about the crime that left two doctors dead. There was nothing more to be done tonight other than hope they caught a break and made an arrest.
As to what drove the killer to taking the two lives was pure conjecture at this point. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t up to some guesswork. Obviously the victims thought they had the perfect place for their affair.
Well, they were dead wrong.
They had ticked someone off. Or maybe one had been targeted and the other was just collateral damage.
Either way, a killer was on the loose and that was always cause for concern for you never knew what one might do next after experiencing their first kill and finding it agreed with them.
# # #
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. Barri Flowers is an award winning, bestselling author of crime, mystery, thriller, suspense, and young adult fiction. His novels include DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL, DEAD IN THE ROSE CITY, JUSTICE SERVED, MURDER IN MAUI, PERSUASIVE EVIDENCE, STATE'S EVIDENCE, CHRISTMAS WISHES, GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY, and DANGER IN TIME.
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Killer in The Woods: A Psychological Thriller Page 25
