Murder on Mokulua Drive

by Burrows-Johnson, Jeanne;

  Izzy then said, “And I was originally Miriam and Henri’s housekeeper. After my husband passed on, bless his soul, and Joanne had joined Miriam, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I couldn’t handle all of the housework anymore, and that’s when Miriam offered me a home.”

  Looking at each of her housemates, Miriam summed up. “So, Samantha, that is our story. You can see Mokulua Hale from here. It’s not too big. We keep things picked up on a daily basis and twice a month, I have cleaners who come in to perform normal maintenance. I also have a wonderful gardener who does the heavy work in the yard. Do you think you would be interested in joining us? Shall we say as a supervising housekeeper? You would not have to do a lot. Your primary work would involve keeping our schedules straight and ensuring everything is done that needs to be done.”

  Samantha immediately nodded. “Oh, I’d be pleased to join you, ma`am. The one thing I have to confess is that I’m not much of a cook.”

  “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that—at least not when I’m in town,” responded Izzy with a smile. “And if I’m going on vacation, I leave plenty of meals in the freezer.”

  “Izzy’s quite the cook and baker, my dear. So I hope you don’t have to keep to a strict diet,” said Joanne. “I provide fresh produce from our little garden and she whips everything into mouth-watering delights.”

  “As long as my hands hold up, there will be fresh malasadas every week,” promised Izzy.

  Just then, the house phone rang and I went inside to answer it. I was pleased at how things were working out for the women. It looked like a real win-win. Being uncertain what I had in the refrigerator for dinner, I was glad that Keoni had called to suggest he bring home a pizza around sunset. When I returned to my guests, Nathan was explaining the goals of Hale Malolo.

  “We try to provide a lot of support to the women and children in our care. One topic we cover is stranger-danger. In the case of the families at the shelter, we have to emphasize that it’s not enough to be concerned about strangers. Friends, neighbors and even family members who were once in their lives can’t be relied on not to reveal something the women or kids might say. It’s not so much that the intentions of these people are suspect, but anything someone says or does can have an unexpected impact.”

  “It must be hard on the kids. Deciding who they can talk to or play with,” commented Izzy.

  “There’s really no one who’s safe for them to visit with outside of the shelter. That’s why most of the children are home schooled. If they do meet someone, they can’t refer to the shelter, or describe it in any way—let alone tell anyone where it is. Most importantly, they can’t let anyone give them a ride back to the home,” clarified Nathan.

  “That’s quite a lesson for a little person to handle,” said Joanne, shaking her head.

  “You’re right about that. It’s hard on everyone. The staff, the moms, and even those of us who are on our own,” added Samantha.

  Shortly after confirming that Samantha would move in the next day, Nathan and she left to return to the shelter for an appointment Nathan had scheduled with the director. Switching to the topic of party planning, The Ladies and I continued chatting for a while.

  “I’d like to keep it a surprise, if I can,” I said. “I’ve decided to hold the party the Saturday after next. That should give me time to invite everyone he’d like to see.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I’ll make sure there’s plenty of room for any supplies and food you need to keep out of sight,” suggested Izzy.

  “Oh, thank you. That means I won’t have to be sneaking around wondering where to hide things. I’ll just call you when I have a few things ready to stash away.”

  “There won’t be any problem with space, Natalie. You know how these old cottages are; they may look small on the outside, but they’re full of surprising nooks and crannies,” said Joanne.

  “I could make a cake, if you’d like,” offered Izzy.

  “Oh, that would be great. His favorite desserts begin and end with chocolate, so any variation on that theme would be fantastic,” I answered, mentally licking my lips at the thought of whatever she would bake.

  “Well, I think we have a plan for moving forward,” concluded Miriam. “And now we should return home to prepare for Samantha’s arrival tomorrow.”

  After saying goodbye to my guests, I tidied up and went into the bedroom for a brief rest. With so many delectable scents, not to mention all the choices of activities both inside and out, I was surprised that Miss Una still showed up whenever I took a siesta.

  “Hello, my little bunny. Have you had a good day? Where were you when The Ladies were here? You’re always so interested in their doings and you missed their visit.”

  Calmly washing her whiskers with her paw, Miss Una did not seem concerned with my questions. Within a couple of minutes, we were snuggled together and I fell asleep thinking of her soft fur. I wondered if a pet shampoo might soften my sometimes bristly hair.

  Awakened by the abrupt sinking of a heavy body next to me, I opened my eyes to see Keoni had brought me a sliver of pizza.

  “You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to disturb you when I came in, Honey,” he said. “But if you’ll put on a little something so we aren’t putting on a floor show for The Ladies, we could eat in the dining room.”

  Rousing myself after a couple of bites of the delicious mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and onions on the cheesy crisp crust, I put on a short mu`umu`u. The menu was hardly what I had envisioned for our first meal in the formal room. But when Keoni escorted me to my seat, I caught my breath at the charm of the room with its glass-fronted corner cabinets and a credenza. It was a very romantic place to dine at this time of day. The scenery of the backyard was highlighted by the waning twilight showing through the new French doors and with the dimmer set low, light sparkled on our plates from the crystals of the classic chandelier.

  Sitting beside me so that we could both enjoy the view, he raised his glass of Chianti and said, “Here’s to another wonderful night in your private corner of paradise. You’ve worked hard your entire life, Natalie, and now you even get to enjoy pizza in a grand setting. I’m just sorry it isn’t from your favorite Peppino’s Italian Food, but they’ve been closed for a couple of years!”

  I raised my glass in turn and looked into his eyes. “You know how rough the last year has been, Keoni,” I said. “There’s no way I could have survived it without your support and…and I just want to say, that through it all, my love for you has grown.”

  As we looked at each other deeply, the movement of a swirling ball of red light caught our attention to the left of Miriam’s home. Always alert to his surroundings, Keoni broke eye contact with me and moved swiftly to the doors. Opening them, he strode quickly onto the lānai, where he stood watching the light move out of the driveway and turn onto the road.

  “It’s an ambulance leaving Miriam’s house,” he said, with a frown of obvious concern. “But there’s no siren and there are no police or other official vehicles.”

  “Should I call?” I asked.

  “Mmm. Not knowing the situation, I think we should wait. If they needed us, we would have heard from them already.”

  He hesitated for a moment before adding, “I’m sure they’ll call as soon as things calm down. And if we don’t hear from them tonight, we’ll call them in the morning.”

  Feeling there was nothing we could do, our dinner continued in a silent and restrained atmosphere.

  CHAPTER 6

  May your home always be too small

  to hold all of your friends.

  Irish Toast

  Despite our efforts to return to our romantic meal, we both remained on edge as we finished our pizza and wine. As we cleared the last of the dishes from the dining room, the landline phone rang. I dashed to set the glasses down and answered the call on the second ring. It was
Izzy, out of breath and quite stressed.

  “You probably saw the ambulance. I’m just calling to let you know we’re okay,” she said.

  “Mmhm,” I answered, putting the phone on speaker so Keoni could hear.

  “She’s going to be fine, but Miriam fell and broke her leg and had to go to Castle Hospital. Graças a Deus, it’s not too bad. It’s what they call a “hairline fracture. They’re putting on some kind of cast and she’ll be ready to come home in another hour or so.”

  “I’m glad you called, Izzy. We didn’t want to bother you by barging in, but Keoni and I were worried when we looked up from dinner to see the lights of an ambulance.”

  “Thanks for your concern, but you couldn’t have done much…except watch the EMTs. Joanne went with Miriam to the hospital. I’m about to drive over to pick them up.”

  “We appreciate your letting us know she’s okay,” said Keoni. “Is there any way we can help?”

  “There might be something tomorrow, but I think we’re okay for tonight. The only problem that’s come up is that we need to change our arrangements for Samantha. Until Miriam can climb stairs, Samantha will be upstairs in Miriam’s suite.”

  “Are you sure you want to go ahead with having a new person in the house?” I asked.

  “It might be confusing for a couple of days, but we need the help even more now.”

  After telling Izzy that I would update Nathan, I reconfirmed that Keoni and I were available for whatever the women might need. As we tidied the kitchen, my love and I discussed windward O`ahu’s good fortune in having an excellent hospital. Although nothing traumatic had occurred in our lives that day, we both felt exhausted and turned in early. I fell asleep wondering if Miss Una was watching over The Ladies’ home from her usual vantage point.

  Later that night I awoke with a start. Hearing Miss Una mewing from afar, I pulled myself from another dream of the girl in the boat. All that I remembered clearly was her father’s arm holding her tightly as her small hand stroked the Star of David at her throat. Wandering through the house, I found my darling feline sitting on the kitchen table looking out the door.

  “What’re you up to? You know the rule. No cats on the table, even to admire the view.”

  It was mid-morning before we had an update. Miriam called to say she was home and doing fine, but would appreciate our helping to reposition some furniture in time for Samantha’s arrival. Joanne met us at the backdoor soon after, saying Izzy had gone to get a few supplies before Nathan and Samantha were to arrive. She escorted us into the living room, where we found Miriam ready to hold court from the sofa. Her leg was in a walking cast that she had raised on a footstool. With a cheery smile she greeted us.

  “Good morning. I am so grateful for your help. Even without my accident, I was thinking of doing a bit of rearranging, now that there will be four of us in the house.”

  “That’s what neighbors are for. Just tell me what you need done, and I’ll get right to it,” said Keoni.

  “Joanne and I have gone over several issues. She’ll show you what we have in mind. However, if you think of something else we should consider, please speak up.”

  With that, he and Joanne left the room and went upstairs. Soon after, we could hear furniture being moved around.

  “You seem pretty chipper, Miriam,” I said. “But how are you really feeling?”

  “It hurts,” she replied. “I won’t lie about that. But what’s worse is my breathing. I have had congestive heart failure for some time, but the accident put me over the edge. It is frightening to feel you cannot breathe. But if I take it easy while adjusting to my new meds and add a few seated exercises, my doctor thinks I should be able to return to my normal routine.”

  “I’m so sorry. Thank goodness you’ll have Samantha to help out here and run errands.”

  “Indeed. I am very grateful that that young woman needs our help, because we certainly need hers now!” Miriam confirmed.

  “Well, don’t hesitate to call on us, if there’s anything else we can do,” I offered.

  “I assure you I will. With my limited movement, I will not be doing much on my own for a while.”

  “How did you break your leg?” I inquired.

  “It was the silliest thing. I was on my stepstool, trying to finish organizing my closet—which I was doing when Miss Una came calling. I had just picked up a hat box when Izzy called me to dinner. I do not know why I was startled, but when she pushed the door open, I fell off the stool and hit the corner of the chair I had positioned for stacking things.”

  Just then, Keoni entered from the hallway. “Okay, Miriam. Joanne and I adjusted the upstairs bedroom per your instructions. She’s now making the bed. Where would you like me to put the recliner? In here?”

  “No, I think the best place is the maid’s quarters. I did not rest very well last night. If I cannot sleep in the bed, I may as well be able sit comfortably.”

  As Keoni joined me on the sofa, Joanne arrived with a tray with tea for us, plus a glass of pineapple juice and a couple of prescription bottles.

  Laughing, Miriam said, “As you can see, I am well supervised. I am not allowed to miss my meds by as much as a quarter of an hour.”

  “That’s right, Miriam. I’m not going to have your health decline because one of us failed to keep you to your schedule,” Joanne said with a nod as she returned to the kitchen.

  “I have a feeling these next two months are going to be awfully boring. Maybe you two could encourage Miss Una to visit us on a regular basis.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll bet if you sit out on your back lānai and called her, she’d come running,” Keoni reasoned.

  “She certainly seems concerned about your welfare. There isn’t a night I don’t see her perched on the table watching your back door,” I announced.

  “That brings up a matter I have been meaning to discuss with you, Keoni,” said Miriam.

  Immediately on the alert, Keoni looked down at her with concern.

  “I have heard via the grapevine that you are not only a private investigator. I believe you also help clients with security systems.”

  “Why yes. High tech equipment is a new aspect of my security business.”

  “Well, now that we are getting organized, I think it would be good to update my old system. What do you think?”

  “It’s a very good idea Miriam, especially with your helping women from Hale Malolo. Even if you select candidates for ‘housekeeper’ carefully, neither you nor they can be sure that the circumstances that led them to seek help from the shelter wouldn’t impact them here.”

  “You’re right about that,” commented Joanne, who had returned with a plate of Izzy’s latest batch of chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies.

  “How do you recommend we proceed?” asked Miriam.

  “Being neighbors, I think we can bypass the pitch I’d give a new client,” responded Keoni. “I’ll give you a survey to fill out while I inspect the house and grounds, and we’ll go from there. I assure you I won’t be trying to talk you into anything over the top.”

  “That sounds great. I trust your judgment, but I should remind you we’re not exactly electronic wizzes.”

  “You’ve got a landline phone, cell phones and computers, right?”

  “Yes,” said Joanne, passing the cookies. “I’ve got an old clunker of a tower, but Miriam has a top-of-the-line laptop and tablet.”

  “I got them for my last overseas speaking tour,” explained Miriam.

  “Before I get that survey, is there anything else I can help move?”

  The Ladies looked at each other before Joanne responded. “Izzy might have something in mind, but I can’t think of anything right now.”

  “Well, if you’re okay, I’ll run home for a couple of tools, the survey and some product brochures for you to look over.�
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  “I don’t think I’ll be much help in this discussion, so I’d better get back to further organization at our house,” I said, following Keoni out the door.

  After a brief call to update Nathan, I turned to files in the office. I became so engrossed that I failed to notice Keoni was gone most of the day. Late in the afternoon Nathan surprised me by standing quietly in the office doorway, just as he had when we were kids.

  “So, what’s up, Sis?”

  “Oh, you gave me a start, Nathan” I said, looking up from the floor where I was sorting through a pile of papers in front of the shredder.

  “Sorry. You looked so intent, I hated to interrupt your concentration.”

  “The neighbors should be grateful I’m not screaming bloody murder. In the back of my mind I knew you were coming. But with Keoni strategizing how to update Miriam’s security system, I assumed I was alone for a long time.”

  “What time do you think it is, Natalie?” queried Nathan with a smile.

  “Okay, I get it. It’s after five o’clock somewhere in the world, and you’d like a ‘wee dram as my favorite old Scotsman used to say.”

  “Actually, I came over because Keoni and I just finished moving a couple of things for Izzy and Samantha. We’re thinking it might be a good night to run to Buzz’s for dinner.”

  “Samantha is settled in?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “Your suggestion is greatly appreciated. I keep meaning to get into the dinner thing, Nathan, but it’s hard to break the take-out habit,” I said laughing. “Help yourself to a beer and chill out on the lānai until Keoni’s home and we’re ready.”

  “Sounds good to me,” he said.

  With so many restaurants in Hawai`i looking like they belong in L.A., it was great to be in an old style beach-side restaurant. Buzz’s is noted for its fresh food and island preparations. Its patrons are a blend of locals plus visitors—like the President and other members of an international cadre of the rich and famous. Of course, being near one of the most celebrated beaches in the world, the influx of tourists often makes it difficult for a Kailua resident to make it onto the veranda, let alone into dining room.