Murder on Mokulua Drive

by Burrows-Johnson, Jeanne;

  Meanwhile, the rest of us shared perspectives on the morning’s activities. It was good that the Chinese were fluent, if a bit stilted, in English. Although reserved in manner, they were interested in everything we had to say, and offered keen analysis of potential benefits from similar environmental projects in China. Next, we enjoyed hearing travel anecdotes from all of the tourists. Most of their encounters with local life had been benign, but Canadian Andre Chambre had had an unpleasant interchange with a Portuguese man-of-war, and sported a red bite from the stinging jelly fish. I enjoyed listening to his sexy French accent and was pleased when he and his girlfriend Monique decided to stay for at least a short hike.

  The numbers in our party declined rapidly after lunch. The Chinese scholars expressed their gratitude for being included in the picnic and departed for a tour of the University’s libraries. Izzy and Joanne then announced they would be going home for a rest. I wasn’t sure how long I would last, but I decided to join Samantha, the General, Joey and the Canadians for at least the first part of the hike. But before linking up with them, I walked The Ladies back to their van with some of our leftovers and a couple of bags of trash.

  Waving them off, I turned back to join the hikers. On the way to the trail head, I called Keoni to see how he and Makoa were progressing. In case they needed some quick nourishment before the end of the day, I had held back some of the papaya and sports water. As we were chatting, I sent Keoni a picture Joanne had taken. It showed our feast in the foreground with passing hikers behind.

  “It’s really been a great day. I think I told you Larry Smith and his grandson Joey came today. And there were a couple of tourists from Quebec. Boy, is he sexy, with a lean body and French accent. Too bad he’s with his girlfriend, since Samantha could use a fresh start in the romance department.”

  “From Quebec?” Keoni asked.

  “Yes. As he and his young girlfriend began describing the city, I remembered how much it reminded me of parts of Paris the first time I traveled there. It’s a good alternative for those who can’t afford a trip to Europe,” I said envisioning the time when Keoni and I would begin taking trips of our own.

  “The picture you sent has me thinking. Would you send me all the pictures you have? I’m hoping you might have one at the picnic and another of the hiking party setting off?”

  “Sure Keoni. But they aren’t very good images. In the picture of the picnic, the Chinese profs were chatting among themselves and Andre and Monique were looking down at their food. When the hikers left, nobody was looking our way.”

  “That’s doesn’t matter, just send me the pics.”

  As I tried to pull up the images he wanted, Keoni began asking me for a detailed description of Andre. “Well, he’s a bit younger than we are. I’d say he’s about your height. Slimmer, no offence intended. Kind of blah brown hair. But his eyes are very unusual. They’re gray, sort of like silver or steel…but not sparkly, like yours.”

  I sent the pictures he wanted and within a minute, he sent back an enlarged image of Monique and Andre. In the center was Andre’s left hand, with the sun glancing off of four points of steel framing the face of his watch.

  Everything around me stopped…including my breathing. I thought of the man’s slim build and penetrating gray eyes. Then I gasped.

  “Oh, my God, Keoni. If you’re right and he’s…he’s the man who killed Miriam, then…”

  “Never mind God at this point. Say a prayer if you want, but get moving toward that hiking party. You can bet your tourist friend Andre did not come along to learn about the romantic doings of Princess Lili`u. And by the way, he’s probably the one who offed Samantha’s husband.

  “The main thing is that two people are already dead, so don’t get too close. With the skills that man has honed, he’s probably been responsible for many deaths through the decades. If you see anything odd taking place, hurry and call 911. Okay?

  “Yes, Keoni. How long will it take for you to get here?”

  “We should be near you within five minutes. Makoa took a call about a downed monkeypod tree over your way, so we decided to have a quick look at it. We’re in my truck since Makoa’s is full of the alahe`e tree and was blocked by mine. We stopped a couple of minutes ago so Makoa could take the wheel and I could edit the photos you sent. I’ve already sent them to JD with a text for him to join us. Lucky for us, he’s on the windward side of the island enjoying another golf day at the Kāne`ohe Bay Marine Corps Base. Where are you now?”

  “I’m almost at the fork where everyone agreed to take the path on the left. It goes into the trees a bit, but remains on flat land.”

  “Okay, our ETA is now about three minutes from where you had your picnic. Try to get close enough that you can see the hiking party, then pull back and call to keep me in the loop.”

  I hurried as fast as I could without chancing a fall onto the softened ground. I did not know if it was my nerves playing tricks, but it seemed the temperature had dropped and the wind was starting to gust. I was hoping the combination of a soggy pathway and Andre’s ignorance that a pair of strong men were on their way would give the righteous side a chance for success. But what would I do if I did catch up with the hikers? I had a delicate hip and no strength in my hands or arms. Even if I had a weapon, what good would I be against a successful hit man and a mysterious female companion who might be a criminal herself?

  Just as I was approaching the fork in the path, I saw Monique walking slowly toward me. I put on a smile and greeted her as though I knew nothing about her companion. “Well, hi. Aren’t you going the wrong way?” I asked.

  “I slipped and my knee is too sore to go all the way to the end of the trail, so Andre suggested I start back slowly.”

  “I see. How thoughtful of him.”

  “You are so right. I’ve only known Andre for two weeks, and he’s always very polite.

  “Is everyone else still up ahead,…on this path?” I asked.

  “Yes. They’re only a little bit behind me. You should be able to catch up with them in a couple of minutes.”

  “That’s good. You take it easy. I’m sure the hike won’t last much longer,” I concluded, knowing there was more than one reason to predict an early end to the day’s events.”

  I waved to her as we parted and watched as she walked around the bend. Then I hit number one on my phone and updated Keoni on both the short-term relationship between Andre and Monique, as well as my proximity to the hiking party. “So what’s your ETA?” I asked anxiously.

  “We’re parking right now. I’ve got my Glock and Makoa’s got an axe. Can you see the hikers?”

  “No, but I must be close.”

  We hung up and I began moving toward the hikers as fast as I could. Although the path had been packed down through the years, summer rains the day before had left puddles and slick spots. With my hip to remind me of the consequences if I took a wrong step, I moved steadily but carefully.

  Between the rapid walking and talking, I was getting tired. Moving into thicker shrubs, I caught sight of Larry’s red cap passing a tree several yards ahead of me. How close could I get without being visible? Would I be heard approaching? Would I be able to hear their conversation?

  My head was overflowing with questions. Would Andre really be willing to kill an old man and little boy just to get Samantha? Why did Andre even care about Samantha? She had not seen him. And Luke was dead. Maybe Andre followed some kind of twisted ethical code of honor that decreed he had to complete every contract. I wondered how he would feel about someone who tried to prevent him from completing his task?

  CHAPTER 21

  Come at once if convenient — if inconvenient come all the same.

  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [1859 – 1930]

  Soon I was at the fork in the road. Monique had said I would find our party of hikers on the path to the left. As I moved in that direction, I saw
a family of four coming toward me. They greeted me with smiles and I had to decide whether to say anything about my predicament. They looked so happy and chatted about making it to the end of the trail, where they had found the swimming hole our tour guide had mentioned. They had even seen a waterfall spurting uphill because of recent rains and the wind that had risen in the last half hour. Looking at the boy and girl who appeared to be about six and seven, I decided to go it alone for safety’s sake—theirs that is. After they confirmed having seen my group, I waved goodbye. I hoped I was not dooming myself, or those I cared about.

  Knowing I had paused long enough for my party of hikers to move out of hearing range, I called Keoni. In a whisper, I confirmed that I was about three minutes behind Andre and his intended victim or victims. Keoni said he and Makoa were moving rapidly and should catch-up with me before I got to Andre.

  “Be careful of the paths, Keoni. There’s been some rain you know, and that ankle of yours isn’t up to another battle with Mother Earth.”

  “Never mind me, honey. You just take care of yourself. I don’t think our perp will try anything in the open. He’ll be looking for an opportunity to get Samantha alone. If he can take her out without collateral damage, he will. But if he thinks his survival is on the line, he won’t hesitate to kill you all. And don’t be expecting another scenario of death by piano wire. He knew he was coming to a group outing today. That means he’ll have a firearm. And with his background, he’s undoubtedly an excellent shot.”

  On that note we cut off our connection. I stood there for a moment, rocking from side to side to ease my hips. Then I inhaled deeply and continued my trek, contemplating how I would handle myself when I caught up with Andre. Within a couple of minutes I caught sight of Joey. He was standing on tip-toe looking up at a tree. I didn’t mean to startle him, but he was in conversation with something or someone I could not see.

  “Hi, Joey” I called out softly. “What are you doing?”

  “I think I see a mynah bird. I thought he might answer if I talked to him,” he replied. Does it look like a mynah to you?”

  “I’m not sure. It looks black. That’s about as much as I know about mynah birds,” I admitted. “I saw Monique a few minutes ago, but where is everyone else?”

  “It’s too bad Monique got hurt. Andre told her to go back to the car. Grandpa is kind of tired. He’s right behind me, resting on a big rock. Andre and Samantha are going on to the end. There’s a pond for swimming, but I didn’t bring my swim suit and Grandpa needs me to stay with him.

  “I see,” I answered. That took care of one issue; I would not have to worry about Joey or Larry becoming targets. “I have a surprise for you. Keoni and a friend are coming to join us in a couple of minutes. It would help if you would point them to where I’ve gone. Can you do that for me?”

  “Sure, Natalie.”

  “After that, I want you stay with your Grandpa until we all come back. Okay?”

  “Okay,” he said, turning back to look up into the trees.

  I continued on a few yards until I spotted Larry Smith seated on a tall stone. “You look very regal, Larry.”

  “I can assure you I feel nothing like the royals who used to cavort in these marshes. I’m feeling every one of my years right now.”

  He smiled ruefully. “Maybe I shouldn’t have let Joey out of my sight, but he’s kept his promise to call out to me every few minutes.”

  “With all the scientific knowledge he’s demonstrated today, I’m surprised he hasn’t told us its Latin name.”

  We laughed and I wondered how much I should reveal about Andre and Monique. “I guess Samantha and Andre have gone on?”

  “Yes. They aren’t very far ahead. Samantha said even she was tiring and won’t be going very fast. You should catch them in a couple of minutes,” said the General.

  “That’s good. Keoni and his friend Makoa are right behind me. They’ve uh, got some questions for Andre, so please tell them how far ahead I am,” I requested, trying not to sound too anxious. “Oh, I told Joey to make sure he stays with you after the guys arrive.”

  “That’s good.”

  I tried to smile cheerfully and departed. When I was out of sight of Larry, I pulled out my phone and texted Keoni that I had not told Joey or Larry about the situation and that I must be close to Andre and Samantha. He replied that he had caught sight of Joey. That confirmed that he and Makoa were closing in quickly. I just hoped we were all being quiet enough to be able to approach Andre without inviting a violent response.

  Just then I heard laughter from Samantha. “You seem right at home in the wild, Andre.”

  “You could say I’ve had some experience in survival with nature,” he replied. “But I think my age is speaking to me. Why don’t you go on ahead and let me catch my breath for a moment. I’ll be right with you.”

  “If you’re sure. I seem to be getting a second wind,” she said.

  I crept forward slowly and watched Samantha moving away from the small clearing where she had been standing beside Andre. At that moment, he reached toward his waist and I had no illusions about what he was preparing to do. As expected, he made a quiet movement with his left hand and reached down into his pocket.

  Suddenly I remembered the end of my dream about the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. I had seen Samantha. Standing in a forest. Just like now. I knew that Andre was about to pull out a semi-automatic handgun. He did. Then he drew a cylindrical object from his breast pocket. I knew what it was, and what it would do. The silencer I watched him screw onto the barrel of the gun would allow Andre to easily take out Samantha…and anyone else who got in his way.

  Just then I heard a slight rustling behind me and looked up to see Makoa placing a finger to his lips as he moved past me quickly. Coming on his heels was Keoni, with his Glock already drawn. He briefly squeezed my shoulder and moved forward as stealthily as Makoa had.

  The next few moments were a blur of action. First I watched Andre position himself to take aim at Samantha who had continued moving forward, oblivious to the nearing danger. I watched in horror as Andre raised his weapon. Then I heard a tree branch snap and there was a slicing of the air beside my head.

  For a second there was nothing. No sound. No movement.

  And then I watched Andre fall on his side. As I rushed forward, I realized Makoa had thrown his axe to halt Andre. The man lay still, crumpled at the foot of a small monkeypod tree. Blood was oozing from the side of his head.

  A single-edged axe was embedded beyond him in a tree limb lying on the ground. Although the incident had been short and nearly silent, I saw that Samantha had stopped and turned around. As I hurried to apprise her of the situation, I passed Makoa who had kneeled to wrap Andre’s head with a T-shirt. Meanwhile, Keoni stood to the side making a call, presumably to John Dias.

  Within a few moments we had all gathered around the man who had been determined to commit one final crime in Hawai`i. Distracted by the call of a bird, I glanced up. It seemed ironic that the axe that felled the murderer was fragrant with the small white flowers of an endangered alahe‘e tree.

  * * * * *

  Much had happened in the few days between the harrowing incident in Kawai nui Marsh and Miriam’s memorial. With an unidentified perpetrator in medical lockdown, I knew that some issues might never be resolved in the deaths of Miriam Didión and Luke Turner. We might have to live with such questions, but I was not resigned to accepting the fact that a premeditated murder resulted in the death of the wrong person.

  As I thought about Miriam, I was conscious that the roots of my connections to her predated her killing in many ways. In addition to being my neighbor for a short while, she had lived next to my Auntie Carrie for over two decades. My vision of her escape from Denmark to Sweden in early childhood had introduced her personally—even if I did not recognize her as the central figure in the sepia scenes I ha
d seen. Then, following her death, I had read her private thoughts in journals spanning most of her adult life.

  It seemed like more than a couple of months since I had had that vision of Miriam’s family escaping from the Nazis. I wondered about the other experiences that had filled the months, if not years, she and her family had lived on the road. For her there had been no home, no Teddy bear beckoning from a rocking horse, or candles to light on Chanukah.

  And companionship? There had been no neighbor with whom to share dolls, no schoolyard adventures, no outings with friends to the zoo on a lazy Sunday afternoon. She had had a single possession to call her own—a necklace that had to be hidden from authorities who should have been dedicated to keeping all children safe. Beyond that, she had survived on handouts of clothing and food, when she was lucky. On the cold nights when there was nothing to eat, there might have been a single cup of warm water to fill her empty stomach.

  And what of the parents who saved her? I could only imagine what they had given up for her. I could almost hear the whispered sorrows they had kept from the ears of their precious daughter. Surely if those who have passed beyond can see the loved ones they leave behind, Rose and Samuel Reznik must have found joy and pride in seeing the life their Miriam lived.

  As to the man who had probably shortened that life, his own end might arrive quite soon. Although a craniotomy to relief pressure was scheduled, the brain surgeon had said he did not expect his patient to regain consciousness. And with no identification, let alone next of kin, I wondered if he would be disconnected from the technology that was keeping his lungs aerated and his heart pumping.

  * * * * *

  Completing plans for Miriam’s memorial service was fairly simple. Izzy and Samantha had pulled images from Miriam and Henri’s photo albums and scrapbooks, which Joanne digitalized for the memorial website. She then added shots of Mokulua Hale and its surroundings to provide visitors to the site a sense of the couple’s life in Lanikai.