Murder on Easter Island

by Gary Conrad

  That evening Daniel again paid a visit to his now-favorite Rapanui, Tiare. As they sat in the living area sipping hot tea mixed with honey and milk, Daniel asked, “Tiare, why is it that some call you Crazy Tiare?”

  Her wrinkled face broke out into a big smile. “Do some still call me that?”

  Daniel grinned.

  “Well,” she said, “I suppose it’s because I like to tell stories of old Rapa Nui. These tales must sound crazy at times, but my people often forget that the legends of our culture are ingrained within us, no matter how outlandish they sound today.”

  Daniel said, “I’d like to hear more.”

  “Very well, then — I will try to blend the mythology of Rapa Nui with what historians tell us. The tales I have heard when I was a child — and there are many — are mixed in with this telling. Are you ready?”

  “I’m listening.”

  Tiare had a faraway look in her eyes as she related, “Legend tells us that the first chief who led his people to our island was Hotu Matu‘a, who lived on what we now believe was Mangareva in Polynesia. His clan had lost a number of battles to a nearby clan, so he asked Haumaka, his shaman, to dream and find a new location they could travel to and live.

  “In his dream, it is said that Haumaka saw our unspoiled isle. He told Hotu Matu‘a of his vision, and six scouts were sent to find it. Many miles of ocean southeast of Mangareva they discovered their future home and felt it was ideal for colonization.”

  “When was Rapa Nui actually settled?”

  “Sometime between 600 CE and 800 CE—”

  Daniel interrupted, “CE?”

  Tiare explained, “Common Era. It is a term often used in place of AD by those who wish to be sensitive to non-Christians. Likewise, ‘Before the Common Era,’ BCE, is used as an alternative to BC. Understand?”

  Daniel nodded.

  “Our legends state that two large canoes were built, one captained by Hotu Matu‘a and the other by Tu‘u ko Iho. Historians tell us that these canoes were large enough to hold up to forty people each.”

  “Pretty big canoes.”

  “Bigger than I’ve ever seen,” she added. “And in these canoes were all the supplies necessary to begin a new Polynesian society.”

  “Such as?”

  “Many different food plants, as well as paper mulberry — for making barkcloth for clothing. As far as animals on board, the most important was the chicken. Likely there were also pigs and dogs, and even the Polynesian rat, which could be eaten.”

  “Eat a rat?”

  “Obviously you’ve never tried one. When I was a child there were many times of hunger, but one thing there was plenty of was rats. The rumor is true — they do taste like chicken.” Tiare laughed at the look of disgust on Daniel’s face.

  Tiare continued, “While legend tells us the first landing was at ‘Anakena, the early settlers eventually migrated to the southwest part of the island, where bird meat and eggs were plentiful.

  “From their Polynesian roots, the islanders brought with them a similar social order. The noblemen were called ‘ariki, while the most exalted of this class was the ‘ariki mau, who was considered to be a living deity and had absolute authority. The ‘ariki mau always came from the royal Miru clan.

  “Next in line were the shamans, who were not only respected but also feared because of their spiritual powers. Following the shamans were the masters of stone and wood carving, and last were the commoners, which included farmers and fishermen.”

  Daniel said, “About shamans. They are also in our Native American culture, though I don’t know a lot about them. What exactly does a shaman do?”

  Tiare answered, “A shaman is one who acts as an intermediary between the natural and supernatural worlds. They might use magic to cure illnesses or even foretell the future.”

  “I see.”

  “And so, as my ancestors populated the island they formed clans, and legend tells us each of these clans have a common ancestor who was supposed to be a son or grandson of Hotu Matu‘a.

  “Once the island was settled, construction began of ahus — ceremonial stone platforms — and moai, the carved stone figures. From the twelfth to the fifteenth century, the island’s entire purpose seemed to be to construct these platforms and statues. As hard as it is to believe, there were almost nine hundred of these moai carved.”

  “Did the islanders see these statues as gods?” asked Daniel.

  “No, Daniel, the moai are not depictions of gods; rather, they represent the living, powerful essence of our ancestors. Nearly every one of the erected moai was placed on an ahu along the coastline, facing inland toward us, protecting us with not only their presence, but also their mana. Do you know what mana is?”

  Smart as Daniel was, he’d somehow never heard the word. “Help me here.”

  “Mana is a supernatural force or power,” Tiare explained.

  Daniel asked, “Where on the island do you believe that the moai have the most mana?”

  “All have some degree of mana, but for me, it is the old moai you have seen at ‘Anakena — I feel quite connected to it. Now as to the rest of the mo —”

  Daniel heard an abrupt whizzing sound through the open window, then a thud as Tiare screamed and fell face-forward from her chair, a spear buried in her left upper back. She lay on the floor moaning, blood pouring from her wound.

  Daniel heard footsteps running away from the window and fought back the urge to chase after them — Tiare needed him. He pulled out his phone and speed dialed police dispatch.

  The minute the phone was answered, he screamed into it, “This is Detective Fishinghawk — I need an ambulance — now!”

  Chapter 12

  September 19, 2014

  Daniel was worried sick.

  He sipped on a cup of coffee and paced the beige-tiled hallway of Hospital Hanga Roa. Though he arrived there shortly after Tiare’s ambulance, in the hustle-bustle of the emergency department, Daniel was unable to see her before she was whisked away to the operating room.

  Tiare had been in surgery for around three hours when a man dressed in green surgical scrubs approached him.

  “You Detective Fishinghawk?” he asked as he extended his hand.

  Daniel shook hands. “Yes. How is Tiare doing?”

  “I’m Doctor Fuentes. She’s doing amazingly well, even though the spear almost went completely through her chest. It barely missed her heart but did collapse and form a blood clot in her left lung. I’ve put a chest tube in to keep the lung expanded, and we’ll remove it in three or four days if all goes well. She’s lost a lot of blood, but I believe she’ll pull through.”

  “What about the spear?” Daniel asked.

  “That’s the interesting thing. It’s an old-style weapon, a spear with a point of sharpened obsidian. This knife-like tip is what the islanders call a mata‘a. It’s one of the deadliest weapons I’ve ever seen; it passed through the tissue of her chest like a hot knife through butter. The minute I pulled it out, I passed it along to a courier from the police department. I might guess by now they’ve had a few hours to look at it.”

  “Good. When can I see her?”

  “Not tonight. She’s just too groggy, and I want her to be as quiet as possible. In the morning you should be able to visit her.” He paused in thought and said, “I must share with you that I did speak with her after surgery, and suggested we fly her to Santiago in the morning to get more intensive care. She informed me that she’s staying right here, saying something to the effect that ‘We’ve got a killer to catch.’ She is the most strong-willed old woman I’ve ever seen.” Doctor Fuentes smiled. “Because of that, I’m sure she’ll pull through.”

  Daniel thanked the surgeon profusely as tears welled in his eyes. The thought of losing his new friend had been almost too much to bear.

  “One more thing. What blood type are you?”

  “I’m O positive,” Daniel said. “Why?”

  “It just so happens that our patient ha
s the same blood type, and we don’t have any of that in this small hospital. She needs at least a unit to get her by. Do you mind donating?”

  “I’d be honored,” Daniel said.

  “Good. We’ll have the blood bank come in and collect a unit. It shouldn’t take long to cross-match, and we’ll have it in her before the night is up.” Before he turned to leave he added, “Don’t worry — I’ve instructed the nurses to keep a close eye on our patient, and I’ll be checking on her first thing in the morning.”

  As the surgeon retreated, Daniel noticed José walking down the hall toward him.

  As José approached, he asked, “Hawk, how’s she doing?”

  “She’s tough as a boot,” Daniel said. “She nearly bled to death, but the doctor says she’ll be fine.”

  “That’s a relief. We’re lucky the spear didn’t kill her.”

  “An inch or two in the wrong direction, and she’d be dead,” Daniel explained.

  “That’s what I’ve heard. I wanted to let you know that we’ve done a preliminary on the weapon, and the killer’s fingerprints match with those from all the other crime scenes. It’s definitely the same guy.” José then asked, “Hawk, you’re the expert imported all the way from New York City. What’s your take on this?”

  Daniel thought for a moment and answered, “First of all, this is the only murder attempt where our suspect didn’t succeed. The question in my mind is whether or not he really tried, or if he just hoped to scare her away from helping us further.”

  José ventured, “As close as he came to her heart, it would seem to me that he wanted to kill her.”

  “Remember, José, our murderer is an expert at killing. I believe if he wanted to put it through her heart, he would have.”

  José shrugged. “You could be right. I just don’t know.”

  “Think,” said Daniel, “this is the first Rapanui he has attacked. My best guess is that our killer has his eye on us and somehow knows our every step. The reason he attacked Tiare was because he was afraid she might give us some useful information.”

  “I agree, but I’ll add one more thing. I believe he also wants to scare you away as well. I have to ask you, would you prefer to step away from this case?”

  Daniel angrily said, “Not just no, but hell no. José, this isn’t just a police case anymore — now it’s personal.” He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. “But until this is finished, can you give Tiare protection?”

  “The best protection I can give her is to fly her off the island till this settles down. Somehow I don’t think she’s going to allow that.”

  “No way she’ll leave Rapa Nui — ever,” Daniel confirmed.

  “I had suspected as much. I’ve already talked with Diaz, and he has agreed to place a guard outside her room twenty-four seven. Don’t worry, we’ll keep her safe.”

  A woman in white with a red cross embroidered on her pocket approached and asked in English, “Sir, are you Detective Fishinghawk?”

  “I am.”

  “I’m here to collect your blood,” she explained. “Would you follow me?”

  “See you later, Hawk,” José said.

  As he walked away, Daniel grinned and said, “I sure hope so,”

  Daniel arrived early the next morning at the hospital and sat in the waiting area, hoping to see Tiare. A white-clad nurse soon appeared.

  “Sir, come with me,” she said to Daniel. “You may see her now.”

  Daniel followed closely behind as she walked down the hallway to Tiare’s room. Sitting next to the doorway was a uniformed Chilean police officer, who grimly nodded at them as they entered.

  Tiare was sitting up in bed, wearing an off-white hospital gown tied behind her. A large plastic tube appeared to be coming out of her left chest, which led to a suction bottle attached to a humming machine. It was nearly half-filled with dark blood.

  The nurse closed the door behind her as she left the room. Daniel walked up to the bedside and carefully hugged Tiare.

  “ ‘Iorana, Daniel,” Tiare said with a weak smile.

  “ ‘Iorana,” Daniel said softly in return as he sat down in a bedside chair.

  “Daniel, I understand you donated some blood for me.”

  “That’s true.”

  She reached out her hand to him. “Thank you. I felt much better about receiving blood knowing it was from you.”

  He took her hand and squeezed it. “That’s what friends are for. Considering what you’ve been through, you’re looking great! I’m so glad to see you alive and kicking.”

  “It’s certainly better than the alternative.”

  Daniel smiled at her words and asked, “Do you have any family coming to check on you?”

  “Yes. My son and daughter, who are both married and living in Santiago. They will fly here tomorrow with their spouses.”

  “Oh, you must be delighted.”

  “I am. The doctor says I will be in the hospital for around a week, and my family will stay for another week or so after, until I’m able to make it on my own.”

  Daniel offered, “After they leave, I’m at your service.”

  “I don’t believe that will be necessary, but thanks all the same. Now,” she sternly said, “I want to see you every evening — starting today — to continue our lessons.”

  “But —”

  “Daniel, don’t you see? The killer has made it obvious that he’s worried about the two of us working together, and to give in would be exactly what he wants. No, we have to keep going. You think a little spear wound can slow me down?”

  Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle. “Somehow I don’t think so.”

  “Very well, then, I want to see you here at six p.m. sharp, and that’s an order!” She added, “I have heard that I would have made quite a good drill sergeant. Do you agree?”

  “Sir — yes sir,” Daniel said as he saluted, a grin on his face.

  The nurse reappeared. “Sir, it’s time for you to leave. We need to run more tests.”

  “Take very good care of my good friend,” he instructed her.

  After he spoke, he glanced over at Tiare.

  She was smiling from ear to ear.

  As Daniel drove away from the hospital, he knew there was something he had to do, and he had to do it alone. While he wanted to believe the stories of the akuaku that Tiare had told him, he felt he had to go check it out for himself, and the only way to do that was to go to the alleged haunting ground of Hitirau: Puna Pau.

  When he was young he had been taught by his grandfather that the best way to learn something was by personal experience. As he thought about it, all he expected to have was a nice walking tour of the place where the beautiful red scoria topknots — pukao — were mined in Rapa Nui’s remote past.

  He parked the SUV at his hotel, gathered his backpack from the rear seat and hiked up the road, which gradually wound upward through verdant hills. Before long he came to a parking area, which was absent of cars. At that place stood an ancient, gnarled tree, which looked like it could have come out of a horror movie. Perched in the branches was a pair of caracaras.

  Daniel smiled at them as they once again reminded him of the red-tailed hawks from Oklahoma. Perhaps, he thought, I’m feeling just a little homesick. Could be? Here he was — in as remote a location as anyone could imagine — and thinking of Oklahoma. He wondered if anyone visiting Rapa Nui had ever thought of Oklahoma while they were here. Somehow he didn’t think so.

  He shoved the memories of his home into the back of his mind and began to walk uphill on a graveled trail, which moved in a circuitous manner along the hillside. Soon he began to see the unfinished red pukao scattered along the trailside. Daniel knew from his previous studies that many weighed as much as ten tons, and in the past some had been moved as far as twelve kilometers to rest on the heads of the moai. It boggled his mind to think of how a primitive culture was able to not only move them such a distance, but also to place them on the top of the statues, some over thi
rty feet high.

  Daniel stopped at the top, looked down upon the crater the pukao were mined from and saw several more of them at the bottom. He lowered his backpack from his shoulders, grabbed his water bottle from it, took a long drink and then bushwhacked down into the crater.

  When he reached the bottom, he pulled off his backpack and sat on a large boulder. Suddenly the clear sky became overcast with dark clouds and a distinct chill filled the air.

  Goose bumps rose up on both of Daniel’s arms.

  Something about this doesn’t seem natural, he thought.

  Even the caracaras, which now circled above him, screeched and seemed agitated.

  What used to be gentle gusts of wind suddenly became forceful and howling, and when lightning began to strike in the area around the crater, Daniel thought: I’d better get out of here.

  He stood to put on his backpack, when suddenly he was shoved down to the rocky ground from behind. He turned around to find nothing. Daniel stood again, and this time he felt something like a club hit him in the back. Again he fell to the earth, only now he felt himself pressed facedown into the dirt, jagged stones scratching his face.

  The sky became pitch black and the weight on his back seemed as heavy as an elephant. Daniel began to crawl and stopped when he saw a skeletal form coalesce in front of him, sitting on a boulder. He had a long hooked nose with a dark goatee and earlobes which hung to his neck. He was bent over and emaciated — a nightmare from hell.

  He leered at Daniel and spoke Rapanui in a deep, gravelly voice, which was painful to hear. “My name is Hitirau. What is yours?”

  Daniel could barely catch his breath, yet somehow said, “Daniel.”

  Hitirau scowled and croaked, “You are an outsider — you do not belong here. Feel my power.”

  With that the heaviness in Daniel’s chest increased tenfold, and he was frozen in position on the cold ground.

  I’m going to die . . .

  Suddenly the pressure lessened, and Daniel was able to gradually stand and stumble away. The blows to his back continued, but somehow Daniel found the strength to keep going. As he began to scale his way up the crater walls, the sky slowly cleared and the winds lessened.