Prospect for Murder (Natalie Seachrist Hawaiian Cozy Mystery 1)

by Burrows-Johnson, Jeanne; June, Yasamine;

  The police dispatcher knew her job and spoke in a soothing voice, but I could not calm down. Despite my heavy breathing and a background punctuated by thunder, she quickly verified the address. Then she made note that a retired police officer was in pursuit of the perpetrator, who did not seem to have a firearm but was brandishing a wrench. Following her instructions, I remained out of the fray, although I began moving toward the stairs while narrating the scene unfolding below me.

  In a clearly altered state of consciousness, Richard Bishop chased Brianna around the volleyball net. “It wasn’t my fault. There wasn’t anything I could do,” he said with a justifying whine in his voice.

  Cautiously, I moved down the stairs, while continuing to relay what I was seeing and hearing to the police dispatcher. The man was wholly out of his mind.

  “I was getting up and you were almost on top of me. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just grabbed you to push you out of the way. All you had to do was stay back out of my way. But you flew through my arms and went out over the wall.”

  When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the three players in the drama were continuing to scramble around the volleyball net, as though inventing a new ball-less game.

  I paused, almost trancelike myself. I was afraid to get any closer, but did not want to miss hearing anything that would prove relevant later.

  Richard continued his diatribe. “Your…your earring. If you’ve come for it, I’ll give it to you. It’s behind the first washing machine in the laundry room in building B. And…your phone. You dropped it when …when you fell. I put it with the earring. I’ll get them both for you, if you’ll come with me.

  “They started it all, you know. Those old broads with their stories. How they’d brought their father’s treasure from China and used it to pay for their schooling and the real estate they’ve bought. They don’t have anyone but me to leave their treasure to. It’s only fair, after everything I’ve done for them. My whole life wasted.”

  Wasted? I agreed with that. Richard’s life had been flushed through his veins and down the toilet. But who did he blame for that? Everyone but himself. Just as I thought he was about to grab Brianna, she ducked under the net and dashed toward the back of the property. Richard then tried to cut her off as Keoni moved in on him.

  “I wouldn’t have gotten started on the stuff if it weren’t for them. I was trying so hard. Taking care of my Dad when he was sick. Doing their damned errands. What have I ever gotten? An occasional cash handout, like I was their doorman. And a lousy apartment—until they need it for someone else—usually some rich bastard’s kid getting’ a free ride at the University.”

  Regardless of any boost her adrenalin was providing, I could tell Brianna was getting winded. As she looked around for a place to hide, I was amazed that despite the difference in their age and weight, the crazed man was gaining on her. Eying the seven-foot dragon fountain, she quickly disappeared behind it.

  “I think I’ve found where the treasure is. Please come out. I’ll give you anything you want,” he wheedled, moving as quickly as the rain-soaked soil permitted.

  Despite the soothing tone of his words, Richard was edging toward the right side of the fountain. Jumping forward, Keoni tackled him and they collapsed in a bear hug in the fountain. In their twisted crash, Keoni’s left pant leg caught on a carved embellishment. Still in an adrenalin rush, Richard raised his wrench to beat back the man who was threatening him.

  With great effort, Keoni shoved Richard back before the pudgy man could strike him. Suddenly, the dragon shook and its white granite eye popped out. It dropped on top of Richard’s head with a thud loud enough to carry across to my vantage point. And then there was silence—except for the surge of water pouring from the dragon’s mouth onto the man’s head. When thick red foam splashed up, I knew that this tragic story had come to an end.

  A wail of sirens broke through the haze enveloping my mind. Brianna edged back into the open and stared down at the men who had fought a modern-day duel over her. The police operator asked what was happening. I told her the action was over and that the troops had arrived. We terminated the call and I rushed forward to join my grandniece and Keoni who were seated on the edge of the fountain.

  Looking at the spectacle of Richard’s seated harlequin-like pose, I was relieved that the tragic cycle of murder, discovery and attempted murder was ended. My physical and emotional relief was tempered by the realization that there would be a lot of explanation and paperwork to execute before our ordeal would really end. As I looked down at the remains of the man who had caused all of this, I could almost have felt sorry for the jerk who must have been a shell of a man for decades.

  Aside from the fact that someone had just died, there was one disappointing aspect to this outcome for me and for my family. Given Richard’s mental state, we would probably never understand the details of how Ariel had fallen out of the cutout in the wall. I was also sure the authorities would be frustrated in any attempts to learn whether the man had committed other offenses to support his addiction.

  As I wrapped my arm around Brianna’s shoulder, she sighed and squeezed my hand. I glanced across her to Keoni who signaled he was fine, in spite of the fact I knew he could not put weight on the ankle that was swelling from the trauma of being twisted severely.

  I thought about how close we had all come to being victims ourselves—from the attack of a madman determined to avoid being caught. Richard had not consciously meant to hurt Ariel. In the midst of committing a drug offense, he had simply struck out of fear in a less-than-rational state of mind. But after killing her, he felt no remorse for his actions, or for the resulting pain with which her family would live without reprieve. He had just covered his tracks and pretended he had not been present at the time of her death. Regarding today, Richard had been prepared to consciously commit murder to protect himself from the terrifying image of what he thought was a ghost who had returned to haunt him.

  One thing was certain. If it were not for the twin factor, we would never have learned the truth about who had perpetrated Ariel’s death. The appearance of a near clone of the deceased had been the stimulus that forced this killer to publically acknowledge his actions. Thank God all three of us had heard his confession, which at least clarified the sequence of events that ended with Ariel’s fall onto Al Cooper’s car.

  At that moment, the clouds rolled back and a hint of sun peeked out. Car doors opened and slammed shut and I watched as a procession of law enforcement and emergency service specialists gathered. Heading the pack were Lieutenant John Dias and his partner, Sergeant Nakamura. They quickly grasped the fact that none of us were moving, and that the unknown man in the fountain was clearly beyond any interaction with the authorities.

  The detective had never met Brianna and the initial look on his face showed almost as much surprise as Richard’s had. Quickly restoring his professional mask, he signaled to the officers flanking him. Obviously his sergeant and the others knew their tasks, as they quickly separated themselves and set about securing the crime scene.

  “Aside from the obvious, is anyone hurt?” The man called out, gesturing to the emergency medical team moving behind him up the volleyball court.

  “Only me, JD, and I’ll survive,” responded Keoni.

  John Dias then raised one eyebrow while looking at Keoni’s condition. “Don’t give me that ‘I’m just fine’ routine. Be a good retired cop and go quietly with the guys with the stethoscopes. I’ll take your statement after you’ve been checked out at the Queen’s Medical Center.”

  He signaled for the EMTs to treat Keoni and turned to Brianna and me. “Well, Natalie. It was looking like there was no reason for you to be here, and then, bam, you could have been the next victim.”

  Brianna was still clinging to me as I stared up with a pleading look for him to change the topic.

  “So you’re Brianna?” He said questioningly.
“From the playbook I just heard, you’re quite the sprinter!”

  She smiled weakly and straightened up a bit.

  Maintaining eye contact with me, the detective said, “Now, don’t you two worry about anything right now, except going with Keoni to Queens for a little checkup—of your blood pressure if nothing else.”

  That sounded okay to me. I had little feeling in my hip, but I knew that once the adrenalin drained, I would undoubtedly have a few aches of my own. All of a sudden, I thought of Nathan. Thank God, my terrifying update would conclude with a peaceful, if not happy, ending.

  Looking up to apartment B406, I noticed that the cause of today’s incident was sauntering back in the door without a look our way. “I won’t argue. But I’ve got a cat to secure first.”

  Nodding, John Dias turned away to supervise the crime scene. After the once-over by the EMTs was complete, I walked up to the apartment to make sure Miss Una was locked in with enough food and water to sustain her for a while. She barely acknowledged my presence and strolled into the master bedroom. Obviously I did not have to worry about her response to all the excitement. When I returned to ground level with a hastily packed overnight bag, Keoni had been placed on a stretcher. Brianna and I followed slowly toward two ambulances waiting in the parking lot. Although we were mobile, we willingly accepted a ride to the hospital.

  The police band call had attracted many vehicles. Aside from police units, the street was crowded with media vans and neighbors curious about what was occurring in their normally peaceful environs. The Lieutenant appeared in front of us as a television news reporter cried out, “Hey, Dias. What’cha you got? Isn’t this where that girl took a dive a couple weeks ago?”

  John pointedly turned his back on the man and gently handed us up to the medic waiting in an ambulance. As the doors closed, I saw my favorite detective turning to check on Keoni’s status. Since I would probably miss the evening news, I placed a rapid call to Nathan. There was no way of knowing the details that might be included in a report of the incident and I was concerned about anything that might cause his blood pressure to rise.

  CHAPTER 21

  The happiest moments of my life

  have been the few which I have passed

  at home in the bosom of my family.

  Thomas Jefferson [1743-1826]

  Brianna and I were soon given clean bills of health at the hospital. After completing our initial statements to Lieutenant Dias, we would be chauffeured to Kāne’ohe by Nathan. I would have invited Keoni to join us some greatly deserved R and R, but I knew he would have to see an orthopedist in the morning before he could be released. Once he had been checked into a private room, I was allowed to see him for a couple of moments. Already groggy from the shot he had been given for pain, it was unlikely that he would remember my visit.

  Placing my small hands on top of his large ones, I said “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m leaving under protest. I’ll be back in the morning to make sure you’re getting the attention you need.”

  His left index finger curled up over my hand. With a lop-sided grin, he whispered, “After today, I’m not going to let you out of my sight for a long time.”

  Looking into his pale blue eyes, I stroked his stubble-roughened cheek for a moment in silence. As his breathing slowed, his eyes closed and he started to snore softly. I gently tucked his hands beneath the sheet and left the room.

  Before leaving Honolulu, we stopped at the Makiki Sunset Apartments to get Miss Una. After enjoying an evening of my twin’s nurturing, I drifted to sleep listening to the lullaby of nearby waves. Again, I thought of the love my parents had poured into every aspect of this ocean-side retreat. While I did not experience a new vision of them, I dipped once more into the dream of their joyful island-wide forage for furnishings.

  Viewing the Chinese woman in her vibrant emerald green cheongsam, I again questioned my parents’ ability to converse so easily in her native language. There may be a lot of things that children do not know about their parents. But you would think that something as significant as proficiency in a complex language would have been discussed at some point over the years. The issue made me wonder where they had gone those times when I thought my mom was joining my dad for some holidays during his overseas assignments.

  Early the next morning, I awoke feeling somewhat revived. Nathan greeted Brianna and me with mellow Kona coffee, a salad of his fresh papayas and bananas, plus bagels with cream cheese. It was almost life as usual, sitting on the back lānai and watching the water lap at the edge of the property. Listening to a classic CD of Keola and Kapono Beamer, I wished we could put our lives on rewind and emerge in a past and glorious time.

  While we were enjoying our first peaceful family breakfast in a long time, Keoni called from the hospital. He said he would be released soon and that there was no reason for me to come into town. “You and your family have a lot going on and I’m fine. My neighbor Ben is being dropped off at the apartment to get my truck. Then he’ll pick me up and drive me home so I can catch up on some sleep. You know how it is in a hospital. With all the monitoring, there isn’t enough peace to get any solid sleep.”

  “As long as you’re sure you’re all right, I won’t come. Just try to get some rest for the next couple of days. But what about food and drink, or anything else you might need?”

  He assured me he was well stocked for a short period of hibernation and that Ben was next door if he required any help. We ended our call when Keoni’s orthopedic surgeon arrived to evaluate his prognosis.

  I turned off the phone and looked at Nathan who was idly flicking a fishing line toy at Miss Una. Awakening from what seemed to be a daydream, he looked at Brianna and me with a faint smile. “I’m so grateful you’re both safe and here at home this morning. It’s hard to believe it was only a few months ago that we were all here celebrating the holidays and making plans for the New Year.”

  “There were so many things we were looking forward to,” began Brianna. “After summer school, Ariel and I were going to wander around Europe for a while. I don’t know what I’ll do now. The trip wouldn’t be the same without her.” She then looked down at the table and began folding her paper napkin into an origami bird.

  How could I respond to that truth? With the follow-up statements we needed to make regarding Richard Bishop’s death, Keoni being injured, and Ariel’s upcoming memorial, each of us was taking life one breath at a time.

  Finally, I remarked, “Well, your calendar is blank until fall. With all the stress we’ve been under, don’t you think Ariel would want you to take some time to decompress?”

  Nathan added, “Did you know Ariel was thinking of delaying her final year of undergraduate study? She thought that if she made the right connections this summer, she might stay overseas and teach English as a second language for a while.”

  “I had no idea she was considering that,” I said, staring at the fourth chair at the table that seemed very empty. I sighed and looked at my companions. “I’ve been thinking about my own calendar. The memorial isn’t for a couple of days. And since we’ve completed most of the preparations, I’ve been wondering whether I should move back to the condo.”

  “If you do it now, I can help you, Aunt Natalie,” Brianna responded.

  “Well, first, I need to call Anna about using the elevator and then figure out the issue of transportation. Keoni’s ankle needs to heal and I don’t want him worrying about lugging my belongings back to Waikīkī any time soon. So if I move back to the condo now, he won’t have a chance to play Sir Lancelot.”

  Nathan looked up with a smile. “Why don’t you let me call the Jacksons next door? Their son Aidan has a big truck he uses in his landscaping business. It should do the job nicely, if you don’t mind the remains of his days in the field.”

  “That sounds fine. I’ll be glad to pay him a bonus to get it done quickly. And if you’
re sure you’re up to the company, Nathan, I think Miss Una and I will remain in the guest suite until things have settled down. There’s simply been too much going on and I don’t want to take the chance of my little feline explorer getting loose again during another move.”

  While Nathan went inside to call his neighbor, Brianna and I quickly finished breakfast. I then checked with Anna to verify the availability of the freight elevator. A few minutes later, Brianna and I were loading the dishwasher when Nathan rejoined us.

  “You have a golden touch, Natalie. Aidan is glad to help out, if you can manage it today. And since he’s just installed a new liner in his truck, your furniture should arrive home in pristine condition!”

  I agreed to leave in an hour and hurried to dress. When Aidan pulled up in his hard-worked dirt brown Dodge Ram, I was gathering bags and boxes from Nathan’s garage. It might not be an organized move, but seeing the size of his arms, I knew there was no need for additional help. As we departed, I saw Brianna and her grandfather aligning torches along the front walkway.

  Moving with Aidan was not the same as it had been with Keoni. While he was a perfect young gentleman and did everything I asked of him, the process was perfunctory and prolonged. At one point, when he was moving a stack of boxes with a hand-truck borrowed from Nathan, I went over to Mrs. Espinoza’s apartment.

  After letting her know my relationship to Ariel and that I would not be staying for the summer, I asked if she could use some of the food remaining in my refrigerator. She expressed shock that I was the grandaunt of the girl who had died in the parking lot and then shared some news of her own. Jade Bishop had suddenly become mobile. Immediately after Richard’s death, she had demanded that Al bring her to the apartment complex. And that morning, she had joined Pearl for breakfast. Apparently, Jade was resuming her role as the elder sister.