Blood like the Setting Sun: A Murder on Maui Mystery

by Robert W. Stephens

  I looked over to Alana and almost laughed when I saw the smile plastered on her face. I knew what she was doing. She forced this fake smile so she wouldn’t appear as bored as me, but the smile was so huge that I knew it wasn’t genuine. If she wasn’t so darn good looking, she might have come across like Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Fortunately, Bethany and Barry were too engaged in talking about themselves that I didn’t suspect they noticed both Alana and I were close to committing hara-kiri. Scratch Bethany and Barry Williams off my imaginary suspect list.

  Alana and I eventually drifted away from the couple when they headed back to the table for more snacks. We left the pool area and went searching for Bethany’s siblings. We ran into Foxx and Hani first. They were inside the kitchen, enjoying what looked like a dirty martini and a whiskey sour.

  “How’s it going, guys?” I asked.

  Foxx turned to me.

  “I know what you’re thinking. Hani and I have been doing nothing but taking advantage of the free drinks,” Foxx said.

  “I wasn’t thinking that at all, but now that you’ve mentioned it…”

  “We actually have something to report,” Hani said.

  “Lay it on us,” Alana said. “It’s bound to be more interesting than what we just lived through.” Alana turned to me. “You owe me big for this.”

  Hani looked around the kitchen to see if there was anyone else within earshot. There wasn’t.

  “You know the youngest son who supposedly has been clean for a couple of years?” Hani whispered.

  “I think his name’s Joe,” I said.

  “Well, he’s off the wagon,” Hani said.

  “You saw him drinking?” Alana asked.

  “Better,” Hani said, and she turned to Foxx. “You tell them.”

  Foxx hesitated. I knew he didn’t like spying on people. I couldn’t blame him.

  “Out with it, Foxx,” Alana said.

  “I went into the bathroom and found him doing a line of coke on the counter.”

  “Here? In the house?” I asked.

  “I guess he thought the door was locked. The dude freaked out when he saw me. I told him not to worry about it, and I left.”

  “Did he say anything after he came out?” Alana asked.

  “Nope. He walked right past me and Hani and didn’t even make eye contact. I haven’t seen him since.”

  That’s interesting, I thought, but I had no desire to add more stress and pressure to Mrs. Chambers by putting it in my report.

  “What about you guys? Any luck?” Hani asked.

  We filled Foxx and Hani in on our conversation by the pool.

  “That does sound like an awesome software system for reservations,” Foxx said. “I’m sorry I missed that conversation.”

  “I’m pretty sure I’m now an expert on it. I may teach a class,” I said.

  “That just leaves Mill and Jen,” Hani said.

  “We saved the best for last,” I said.

  Alana and I left the kitchen and went back on the hunt. We eventually found them near the beach. They were talking to another couple. We waited at a discreet distance and then moved in once the other couple left.

  “Can you believe this view?” I said.

  Mill and Jen turned to us.

  “It was a hell of a way to grow up,” Mill said.

  We introduced ourselves to Mill and Jen and, of course, discovered what we already knew. Mill was the oldest son of Charlotte and Millard Chambers. He grew up on Maui and now ran their hotel. I didn’t bother mentioning that his sister told us she basically ran the company. I also didn’t mention that Mill’s mother thought it important to write in her notes that Jen supposedly never worked a day in her life.

  “You’re the first Millard I’ve ever met,” I said.

  “It was a tough name to grow up with,” he admitted.

  “Well, I see your Millard and raise you an Edgar Allan,” I said.

  “Ah, that’s why people call you Poe.”

  “I can relate is my point,” I said.

  “Yes, I’m sure you can. Fortunately, we both found beautiful women who were willing to overlook our unfortunate names.”

  I thought the comment a smooth move on Mill’s part, but putting Jen in the same company as Alana was like comparing a child’s paint-by-numbers kit with a masterpiece like the Mona Lisa. Regardless of the truth of Mill’s statement, Jen squeezed his hand, and I knew he had accomplished his intention. Alana thanked him for the compliment as well.

  We spoke for several minutes. Mill described what it was like growing up on Maui. We asked him about his father, and, like his siblings, he had nothing but glowing things to say about Millard Sr.

  Alana asked how Mill and Jen met. They confirmed they met in college. Mill described how he first spotted Jen as she sat under a tree, reading one of her text books. He was so sappy about the encounter it sounded like he was reciting a romance novel by a second-rate writer, but I could tell Jen loved every minute of it. They asked us how we met, and Alana told the story of me stepping on her toes at an art show. It was a true story, unfortunately, and I was glad she left out the part about the murder investigation that essentially started within minutes of me accidentally stomping on her delicate toes. I really wished she had stuck to my fantasy story in which I was a timeshare salesman.

  All together it was a pleasant conversation, and my instincts told me this couple could not have planned the demise of Mrs. Chambers either. It did raise an interesting question, though. If everyone was so nice, why was Mrs. Chambers utterly convinced one of her children was wicked enough to kill her? Obviously there were dark secrets under the surface waiting to be uncovered. On the other hand, maybe Mrs. Chambers was just losing it. Maybe the stress of running a company was enough to cause her to invent dastardly deeds when there were none present. There was also the pressure of the potential sale of their company. That had to weigh heavily on her.

  We spoke with the couple for a few more minutes when Mara approached us.

  “I need to borrow you two,” she said.

  I could instantly tell by the look on her face that something was wrong. She spoke in a hushed tone as we walked back toward the house.

  “I told Mrs. Chambers about your plan to have the remaining wine bottles tested. She told me she would pull a few bottles for you. A minute ago, she showed me a note she found in the pantry when she went to get the wine,” Mara said.

  “What did it say?” Alana asked.

  “I think it’s better for you to read it for yourselves. She’s in her bedroom now. She still has the note.”

  We increased our pace and made our way to her bedroom which was on the second floor of the house. It was a massive master bedroom, which overlooked the pool and the ocean, but I didn’t have much time to take in any other details because I saw the look of fear on Mrs. Chambers face as she sat on the side of her bed. The note was clutched in her hand. I turned to Alana.

  “Mrs. Chambers, may we see the note?” Alana asked.

  Mrs. Chambers didn’t say anything. She just held out the note. Alana carefully took it by the edges. She held the paper up so we could both read it. It was black type on plain white paper. I’m not an expert on font styles by any means, but it looked like your typical Times New Roman. The note read: “You know how this ends.”

  Alana and I looked at each other. We were both at a complete loss for words.

  “What do we do?” Mara asked.

  “I’m not leaving my home. I’m not letting this person scare me away,” Mrs. Chambers said.

  Too late for that, I thought. I didn’t blame her for being scared, but I had a hard time believing the threat could have come from one of her children. The two couples seemed like decent people. I thought about the youngest child, Joe. Foxx had seen him doing drugs at the party - in his mother’s house of all places. Of course, that didn’t mean he wrote the note.

  “Mrs. Chambers, Alana is a police detective,” I said. Before I could continue, she sn
apped at me.

  “I thought I said I didn’t want the police involved.”

  “I didn’t invite her here as a detective. She’s my girlfriend, but now that we’ve seen this note, I think you need to get her officially involved.”

  “You need protection, Mrs. Chambers. I can arrange for a security company to protect you. We can also launch an investigation into these threats,” Alana said.

  “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

  Mrs. Chambers was a very proud woman. I understood her fears of having her family problems dragged into the public arena, but I couldn’t allow the woman to keep her life in jeopardy.

  “I insist, Mrs. Chambers. You hired me to discover who made this attack against you. If you want me to stay on, the security company is part of the deal.”

  Mrs. Chambers hesitated and then nodded. I turned to Alana.

  “How soon can you get someone here?” I asked.

  “Tomorrow morning, probably.”

  “This is a big house, Mrs. Chambers. I’m sure you have a spare bedroom for me. I’d like to spend the night here until the security company can take over,” I said.

  Mrs. Chambers hesitated again, and I feared I would not be able to convince her to let me stay. I was about to plead my case again when she spoke.

  “Very well. There’s a spare room down the hall,” she said.

  “I’ll go make some calls. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Alana said, and she left the room.

  “Mara said you found the note in the pantry. Is that correct?” I asked.

  “Yes. It was slid between two bottles. I pulled one of the bottles out for you to test, and the note floated to the floor.”

  “And you still think it’s one of your children?” I asked.

  “I can’t think of anyone else. They’re really the only people I interact with.”

  “Did any of them confront you tonight?”

  “No. They all expressed how much they missed their father and told me what a wonderful idea this party was.”

  I told her they had made the same comments to me. Alana came back in and told us she’d arranged for a security company to be here first thing in the morning. She pressed for tonight, but they couldn’t arrange it in such short order. They planned to send two guards. One would walk the surroundings, and the other would be posted inside the house.

  “Alana and I can’t stay without raising suspicion, especially if you think one of your children is responsible. Didn’t you tell Mara and I that you had a personal assistant?” I asked.

  “Yes, she’s here somewhere. I told Patricia to enjoy the party and not worry about working tonight.”

  “Please call her and ask her to stay with you in this room. Once everyone has left, she should call me. Alana and I won’t be far away. We’ll be back at the house in no time and stand watch until the security firm arrives in the morning.”

  Mrs. Chambers reached for her phone on the nightstand. Alana and I headed downstairs while Mara waited in the bedroom for Patricia to arrive. The party was in full swing, and I guessed it would be hours before everyone left. Bethany and Barry departed early in the evening. I caught a glimpse of them as they headed to the door. They looked tired. I never did see Mrs. Chambers’ youngest child, Joe, although I did search for him - thoroughly. Alana and I stayed at the party until almost everyone had left. It was us, another couple I didn’t know, and Mill and Jen. We said good-bye to them and exited the front door. Foxx and Hani were waiting for us outside.

  “What do you want us to do? I don’t mind staying with you guys,” Foxx said.

  “Can you take Hani home and then come back for us in the morning?” I asked.

  “Sure. No problem.”

  We said good-bye to them. Alana and I then walked down the street past a few houses and cut over to the beach. We sat on the sand and looked out to the water. The moon was full, and it cast a soft white light across the ocean.

  “I find it so weird when these bad things happen in such a beautiful place,” I said.

  Alana said nothing, but I knew she was asking herself the same question I was. How could someone threaten an elderly woman like Charlotte Chambers?

  We sat on the beach for about thirty minutes. Neither of us had anything more to say. My cell phone vibrated. It was Mrs. Chambers’ assistant, Patricia. She told me everyone had left, including Mara. We stood and headed down the beach until we arrived at the house.

  We walked through the yard to the front of the house so as not to frighten Patricia by knocking on the back-door.

  “Is she any better?” Alana asked as Patricia opened the door.

  “She’s asleep now. The stress has worn her out,” Patricia said.

  Not to mention the time, I thought. It was after two in the morning. I was exhausted myself. I’m sure Alana was as well.

  We entered the house and followed Patricia to the living room.

  “I have a room down the hall from her. I’ll spend the night, too,” Patricia said.

  “Thank you for your help,” I said.

  “Of course. Mrs. Chambers means so much to me.”

  Patricia headed upstairs while Alana and I elected to remain in the living room. We didn’t turn the television on because we were worried we would disturb Mrs. Chambers. Instead, we sat on the sofa and spoke quietly.

  “I doubt anyone will make a move tonight. It’s too risky, especially with us here. They’d probably come at the house from the beachside, and anyone can easily see us in this house through all these windows,” Alana said.

  “Do you think that note is just meant to scare her?” I asked.

  “Probably. At least now we have concrete proof that something is really going on. I feel bad about this, but I really thought she was making the whole thing up for attention.”

  “I can send those bottles out tomorrow,” I said. I looked at my watch. It was close to three. “Or today, I should say.”

  Alana and I sat in silence a few more minutes. The sofa was incredibly comfortable, and it was difficult not to fall asleep. Alana leaned forward and picked up a photo book that was on the table in front of the sofa. The title was “The Chambers Family Travels.” Alana scanned the book. There were several shots of the family in well-known tourist spots throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.

  “This family gets around,” Alana said.

  She continued to flip through the book.

  “I’ve been to several of those locations,” I said.

  “I didn’t know you traveled that much.”

  “It was with my parents, really. They were big travelers. They took at least three to four trips a year. They started taking me with them once I got older.”

  “Where have you been to?” Alana asked.

  “Mostly places throughout Europe. London, Paris, Rome, Athens, Berlin, Barcelona, Prague, Istanbul…”

  “You guys did go places. The only place I’ve ever been other than the islands, is California.”

  “Why didn’t you ever hit Europe?” I asked.

  “Didn’t have the money.”

  “Where would be your top destination?”

  “Paris, by far. I’ve always dreamed of seeing the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, walking down the Champs-Elysees…”

  “We’ll have to go sometime,” I said.

  “I still don’t have the money.”

  I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to tell her that I’d cover the costs because I wasn’t sure if that would sound like I was bragging. Alana put the photo album back on the table.

  “How do you think this turns out?” she asked.

  “I think whoever wrote that note is going to get freaked out once they see the security team show up. They’ll probably drop the matter. It will take time, but Mrs. Chambers will eventually get over it.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Alana said.

  Chapter 5

  The Swimming Pool

  The security team showed up at seven. Alana showed them around the house and
gave them instructions. Patricia came downstairs just as Alana was finishing talking to the two security officers. She looked exhausted, and I guessed she’d spent most of the night staring at the ceiling and wondering who would want to hurt her boss.

  “Mrs. Chambers is still sleeping,” Patricia said.

  I assumed she’d anticipated the question.

  Alana introduced the security team to Patricia. I’d hoped their presence would make her feel somewhat better, but she didn’t act like it. She just stared at the ground the entire time they talked to her. Alana thanked the team again, and they walked away to take up their posts.

  “Are you going to be all right? Do you need me to stay longer?” I asked Patricia.

  “No, I’ll be fine.” She turned to Alana. “Thanks for getting those guys.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  “May I have the two wine bottles Mrs. Chambers selected so I can have them tested?” I asked.

  Patricia left for the kitchen and returned with the bottles. She handed them to me.

  “Thank you. I’ll be back in a few hours to speak with Mrs. Chambers,” I said.

  Patricia nodded and walked us to the door.

  “Call me if you need anything before that,” I said.

  “Thanks.”

  Alana and I went outside just as Foxx pulled into the driveway. I’d texted him during the night after Alana had confirmed the arrival time of the security team. Foxx drove Alana to her house, and then we headed back to our home in Ka’anapali.

  “Do you really think someone is trying to kill her?” Foxx asked, while we pulled into the driveway.

  “I don’t know what to think,” I admitted.

  We went into the house, and Maui the dog ran up to us.

  “I took him for a walk this morning, right before I left to pick you guys up,” Foxx said.

  “Thanks.”

  I walked over to the sofa and plopped down.

  “What’s your next move?” Foxx asked.