Shattered Palms (Lei Crime Series)

by Neal, Toby

  Lei felt frizzy and plain in comparison, but she shoved those feelings aside, excited to see her friends. She jumped out of the truck. “Welcome to Maui! Can’t believe you both made it over.”

  “Ken will be here tomorrow for the wedding,” Marcella said, referring to Lei’s former partner in the FBI, as they hugged. “Said he wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Good. Throw your stuff in the back of the truck. I want to take you for a drive to see where my latest case is. Marcella, you’re going to have to change.”

  “That’s what I told her,” Sophie said.

  “Well, hell.” Marcella looked around the busy airport, hands on her hips. “Should I change here?”

  “No. We’ve got to go to my fitting next. You can change there.”

  They drove to Ohana Wedding Design in Wailuku. Estelle, the designer, and Marcella greeted each other with cries and cheek kisses like long-lost friends, while Lei and Sophie exchanged a nervous glance—but both of her friends exclaimed when Lei stood on the little dais in the dress. Estelle buzzed around tweaking, but the gown needed very little adjusting, and Marcella assured Estelle they’d pick it up tomorrow morning.

  It wasn’t long before they were headed up the mountain. “You aren’t taking us up here to pick our brains for your investigation, are you?” Marcella asked, having changed into jeans and running shoes. “Because I’m pretty sure you should be on vacation as of now, and I’m in no mood to tromp around looking for clues for your case. I’d rather have a mimosa on that deck at Stevens’s apartment and look at the ocean.”

  “I have no ulterior motives,” Lei said. “I just want to show my two friends the beauty of a place I wish I’d seen before it became a crime scene. We can’t go into the preserve, but I can show you Hosmer’s Grove and the birds we’re fighting for, at least.” She described the birds and their habitat, how beautiful it was.

  Sophie chimed in from the backseat, “Yes, until you called and asked me to put an alert out for someone poaching these birds, I wasn’t even aware of them. Why don’t we see them at lower elevations?”

  “Avian malaria was brought in by nonnative birds, and it’s carried by mosquitoes. When these native birds are bit by mosquitoes, they die. They haven’t had time to develop immunity to the malaria before they’re being wiped out. They can only survive at the elevations where there are no mosquitoes.”

  “So birds like cardinals, mynahs, and doves that we see all the time are immune to malaria?” Sophie asked.

  “That’s right.” The women drove on in silence. Marcella and Sophie craned to look down the sweeping grandeur of the flank of Haleakala to the narrow waist of the island, where the ocean gleamed visible on both sides of the figure-eight shape of two volcanic ranges.

  “This island is really something,” Marcella said. “I thought Oahu was pretty, but wow.”

  “Maui has these vistas,” Lei said. “Having lived on the Big Island, Kaua`i, Oahu, and now here, I can tell you each island has unique features to fall in love with.”

  “I’d like to try some of my run hiking here,” Sophie said. “I’ve gotten into long distance outdoor running this last year, and I found a club that focuses on using the hiking trails. I bet there are some great places to run here.”

  “Absolutely.” Lei glanced back at Sophie’s face—her friend’s features reminded Lei of the famous head of Nefertiti sculpture. She and Sophie had been beginning a friendship when Lei decided to leave the FBI to come back to Maui, and Lei felt like they’d never had time to really get to know each other. “Maybe you could come spend a weekend with us, and I’ll take you on some long runs. Keiki would love it. She hasn’t been getting enough exercise lately.”

  “After the wedding,” Marcella said. “And the honeymoon. And after all of your cases wrap up…”

  “Yeah, those just keep coming.” Lei halted the truck at the entry booth and showed her park pass, and they drove in, turning left onto the short drive to Hosmer’s Grove. “I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to be gone a whole ten days.”

  Marcella leered. “I’m pretty sure Stevens has plans to keep your mind off dead bodies.”

  Lei grinned back. “I know he wants to try.”

  “When am I going to see him? Gotta give him my condolences.”

  Lei pulled the truck into a parking stall. A short path wound through eucalyptus trees and tall yellow-blossomed mamane bushes directly ahead of them. “At the wedding.”

  Something in her voice must have made Marcella suspicious, because she frowned, turning to Lei. “Something wrong? You’ve got the runaway bride reputation now. I’m sure he’s nervous.”

  “Not as nervous as I am.” Lei jumped out of the truck and slammed the door. “Trail’s through here.” She didn’t give Marcella time to quiz her any further, instead forging out into the underbrush.

  Sophie didn’t let her get away. The woman’s long legs easily kept stride with Lei.

  “So where are these famous birds?” Sophie asked. The hike was short, ending in a gulch overlook filled with ferns, sandalwood, and blossoming ohia trees. Lei held a finger to her lips as Marcella crashed through branches behind them, muttering.

  “See?” Lei whispered, pointing to the showy i`iwi hopping its feeding pattern over a nearby ohia tree. They stayed a half hour or so and spotted a green `amakihi and two bright red, short-beaked `apapane. Sitting on the bench, observing the peaceful beauty of the birds in their native habitat, Lei could see the magic of the place casting its spell on her friends. They walked back to her truck in silence, and in the parking lot, Lei frowned, spotting Takama’s navy-blue Ford with its distinctive pipe racks.

  “Hey. Ranger Takama’s here. He’s been helping with the case. Maybe he’ll be able to let us into the preserve.” Lei walked briskly to the ranger’s truck, looking around. Takama was nowhere in sight. Lei leaned on the truck and dug her phone out of her pocket. She’d inputted Takama’s number at the beginning of the case, and as she scrolled through her contacts, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye—a curved shape in the space behind Takama’s seat. Pressing his number and hoping there was cell service, she swiveled to cup her hand, cutting the glare so she could see into the truck’s window—and what she saw made her tighten her grip on the phone.

  “Hello?” Takama’s voice sounded tinny.

  “Ranger Takama? This is Lieutenant Texeira. Happened to be up here at Hosmer’s Grove and your truck is here—are you nearby?”

  “I’m about five minutes away. Would love an update on the case.”

  “Of course,” Lei said smoothly. “I’ll be waiting by your truck.”

  She hit Off and turned to Marcella and Ang. “What do you see behind his seat?”

  Marcella leaned in, looked. “A bow. One of those fancy ones.”

  “Yeah. That’s what we think was used to shoot our poachers.”

  The three law enforcement officers were lined up against Takama’s truck when he appeared, carrying a bag of litter, a backpack, and some tools. He unlocked the gate and came toward them. “What brings you up here, Lieutenant Texeira?”

  “Recreation, actually,” Lei said, gesturing to her casual jeans. “These are my friends, Agents Scott and Ang of the FBI.”

  “Are you working the case as well?” Takama asked them, slinging his bag of trash into the back of the truck.

  “Informal consult,” Marcella said.

  “The victim of yesterday’s shooting is in stable condition in the hospital,” Lei said. “Speaking of, I notice you have a compound bow in your vehicle.”

  Takama carried himself with the straight back of a much younger man, and his strength was evident as he unloaded the shovel, machete, and backpack he’d been carrying into the back of the truck. He turned to her, his dark eyes affronted. “Yes. What of it? We all use these weapons to bring down ungulates when we can.”

  “You know a bow is the murder weapon. I’d like your permission to check this one, rule it out.”

  Ta
kama appeared to be struggling with his temper. His lips were tight, brows furrowed, but he inclined his head. “Arrows, too?”

  “Please.”

  She took the weapon, holding it with a napkin Takama gave her. Marcella took the arrows in their plastic case. “Thank you. I just want to rule you out as a suspect. Who else of the Park Service staff has a compound bow?”

  “Pretty much everyone.”

  Lei shook her head. “We really missed the boat on this. I wish you’d said something.” Takama just glared, and she realized it was probably a stretch that he would offer up his Park Service colleagues for investigation. “What about the Hawaiian Bird Conservatory people?”

  “I think that’s your job to figure out,” Takama said, getting into his truck and slamming the door. He pulled out abruptly, leaving her holding the bow.

  The bow was bulky, weighing only about three pounds as she hefted it, made of black carbon fiber with an architectural look. A broad spread of pulleys, molded grip, and flexible cords gave the bow its power. She had to resist the urge to cock it, just to experience how it would feel to aim.

  Lei read the logo on the bow: “BowTech. I wonder how much these run.”

  “I think that brand’s between four and six hundred dollars,” Sophie said. “Nice rig.”

  “You ever do any shooting with these?” Lei asked her as they walked back to her truck.

  “Yes. I like to be as familiar as possible with a variety of weapons,” Sophie said, with the precise understatement that was such a part of her personality.

  “You’d better call Pono,” Marcella said as they got into Lei’s truck. “Looks like you guys missed a major lead here, and you’re off the case as of now—we have girl time planned this evening. The three of us are going to the Grand Wailea Spa in lieu of a bachelorette party.”

  “Dammit on missing this lead,” Lei said, speed-dialing Pono after stowing the bow behind the seats. She got ahold of her partner, explaining about obtaining Takama’s bow as she drove.

  “I’ll drop it by the lab for analysis,” she told him. “But you’ll have to subpoena all the bows and arrows from the Hawaiian Bird Conservatory staff and volunteers. I don’t know why we didn’t realize so many of them might have these weapons.”

  Pono cursed. “I’ll get things rolling, but the guys and I are taking Stevens bowling for his bachelor party. I won’t be hanging out in the lab for the next few days.”

  “Okay. Well, we need time to get the names and subpoenas anyway.”

  “We nothing! You have bride duties now! Get to it!” Her partner hung up on her, the second time in two days.

  “I’m forbidden to do anything more on the case,” Lei told the agents.

  “I told you that,” Marcella said. “We’re spa bound. The only person I know who needs a massage more than you is Sophie.”

  Lei swung by the station and submitted the bow and arrows to the evidence clerk. Waiting for Clarice to fill out the inventory slip, Lei looked down at her phone, thinking of Stevens, worried he hadn’t called by now. She wondered if he was waiting for her to do something, decided that was probably it—after all, she’d been the one to ask for “space.” She texted: I love you. Can’t wait to marry you tomorrow.

  Waited a long moment. No response.

  “All set,” Clarice said, and hit Enter on her computer, peering at Lei over her glasses. “Here’s a little something for you and Stevens.” She slid a square card envelope over to Lei. “I’m sorry I can’t make it to the wedding; I’m working, as usual.”

  “Wow, Clarice,” Lei said, feeling her cheeks warm as she took the card. “That’s really sweet. Thank you. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

  “Have fun,” the clerk said, and winked broadly. “I mean, have a lot of fun.”

  Lei’s face was still hot when they got on the road to Wailea for a night of feminine debauchery. Stevens still hadn’t texted back.

  Chapter 15

  Lei woke up the next morning by unwilling degrees, glad the wedding didn’t begin until four p.m.

  Last day as a single woman.

  She was glad she’d resisted Marcella and Aunty Rosario’s pleadings to join them overnight at the mansion—she wanted a little time alone.

  Keiki, alert for any stirrings, came up to whine in Lei’s face, threatening to lick her if she wasn’t let out. Lei swung her legs to the side of the bed, getting out and sliding her arms into the coral silk robe Stevens had given her a few months ago, saying, “I love the way this color makes your skin look.” Remembering that moment made her smile, but when she checked her phone, plugged in by the bed, he still hadn’t texted her. She frowned, picked it up, and called, needing to hear his voice. It went straight to voice mail.

  “Hi, Michael. I just wondered if you got my text. Because—I love you. And I can’t wait to marry you today. Call me when you get this, please. I’m nervous.” Lei hung up, setting the phone down, feeling anxiety rise up, strangling her. She thumped her chest to knock it loose.

  She needed a run.

  Lei bundled her hair into a rubber band and pulled on her running clothes. Keiki, seeing these signs, whimpered with eagerness, hind end gyrating and toenails clicking. Lei slid the phone into the pocket of her shorts.

  Running down the narrow, jungle-choked road a few minutes later, Keiki galloping beside her, Lei’s mind wandered around like worrying a sore tooth.

  Her aunty and father were working hard at the vacation rental house. She’d dropped Marcella and Sophie off there late last night. Their plan was to help prep during the day. Her own job was to pick up the finished dress and get ready. The hair and makeup people were arriving at the mansion timed for when Lei got there after picking up the dress. They were all supposed to take a limo from the mansion to Kanaha Park.

  Lei and her friends had enjoyed a lovely evening soaking in the baths, getting massages, and having drinks and dinner in the fancy restaurant the hotel sported, built over a tide pool with schools of fish swimming beneath. Lei had only one drink, but in spite of all the activity of the day, she’d had a hard time falling asleep.

  Her mind ticked over the details of the wedding. They hadn’t had a rehearsal, as Tiare said the format was so simple and casual, so it seemed like the next time she’d be seeing Stevens was at the ceremony.

  She really needed to hear his voice.

  She took her phone out, frowned at the blank screen. He still hadn’t called. Just then the phone rang, and she answered it quickly, seeing Pono’s number. She stepped off the narrow road onto the shoulder, stretching her hamstrings. Keiki flopped in the damp grass, panting.

  “Hey, partner,” she said.

  “You sound out of breath. Running?”

  “Yeah. I’m nervous. I told you. What’s up? You didn’t keep my groom out too late partying, did you?”

  “No, got him home at a decent hour. We won’t even have any embarrassing YouTube videos from the night,” Pono said. “Just wanted to let you know I’m going into the station this morning to get started on the bow you brought in and the other subpoenas. So don’t worry about it. Captain already gave me Gerry Bunuelos to help out while you’re gone.”

  “Oh good,” Lei said, blowing out a breath of relief. She’d worked with the energetic detective on several cases. “Gerry’s going to be a big help.”

  “I thought you’d like that. I hope it will let you relax a little more. So, see you at four o’clock at Kanaha Beach Park.”

  “So Stevens—he’s okay?” Lei found herself rubbing the medallion around her neck and let go of it deliberately.

  “Sure. Seemed fine. Why?”

  “Nothing. Just excited to be getting married today!” Lei said with false cheer.

  “Just show up, Lei. Seriously. It’s going to be okay. He’s a good man, and he loves you. Let him.”

  “Sound advice from my oldest friend,” Lei said, feeling tears prickle her eyes as a car whisked by. She looked out at the dense, multilayered jungle. “See you soo
n.”

  “Oh yeah, Tiare wants a few words.” He handed the phone off to his wife.

  “Lei, you must be so excited!” Tiare exclaimed.

  “Actually, I’m terrified. I’m taking a run to calm down before I go pick up the dress.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ve been on the phone with your dad and aunt; the food, the setup, the music, the photographer—it’s all a go and should be smooth as silk. You just relax and think about all the sex you’re going to be having later on tonight.”

  “Ha-ha,” Lei said hollowly. Everybody seemed more in the mood for that than she was. Half the items Tiare had just mentioned hadn’t even crossed her mind, and once again she felt inadequate—but that’s why she had Tiare handling things, she told herself. “I gotta get going, Tiare. I’m on a schedule for the day.”

  “You sure are. Marcella and I will be backing you up at the ceremony, and like I said, it’s all in hand. Don’t worry about a thing but having fun.”

  “I can’t thank you enough,” Lei said. “See you soon.” She slid the phone into her pocket, and this time ran as hard as she could, until the thoughts banging around in her head were silenced by the drumbeat of her heart.

  Lei came out of Ohana Wedding Design in Wailuku, carrying the dress. She draped it in its plastic wrap, like a ghost on a hanger, over the seat beside her. Firing up the truck to drive to the oceanfront estate to get ready, Lei thought of one last thing she could do for the investigation, and doing it would help calm her down, keep her distracted for a little longer. Ranger Jacobsen had said he lived in Wailuku; she could swing by his place and pick up his bow for Pono and rule him out as a suspect.

  She pulled down the Toughbook computer in its glove-box holder and typed Mark Jacobsen’s name into the DMV database. Sure enough, his name and address popped up in a subdivision nearby.

  He was probably at work. She should call first to see if he was home. If he wasn’t, she’d save a trip, but if he was, he could have the weapon ready for her to pick up. He’d been so helpful with the investigation, she didn’t imagine he’d insist on a subpoena. But when she checked, he hadn’t listed a phone number on his license information.