Blood like the Setting Sun: A Murder on Maui Mystery

by Robert W. Stephens

“I’m going to ship those wine bottles off to a lab in Oahu. Alana gave me the address of the place they use. I don’t think the pack-and-ship place opens for another hour, though.”

  “Use the time to rest. You can’t think straight if you’re this exhausted.”

  I closed my eyes for what I thought would be a few minutes. I woke up when Foxx shook me.

  “What time is it?” I asked.

  “You’ve been out for a few hours. I thought about letting you sleep even longer, but I figured you’d want to get started.”

  “Damn,” I said.

  I stood and stumbled back to the bathroom. I stripped off my clothes and climbed into the shower. I hoped the cold water would wake me, but it didn’t really help that much. I got dressed, grabbed the wine bottles, and drove to the store to ship them off. After I left the store, I called Alana.

  “How’s it going?” I asked.

  “I feel like a zombie. What about you?”

  “The same. Any news on Mrs. Chambers?”

  “I was just about to head over there,” Alana said.

  “Mind if I meet you there?”

  “Not at all.”

  I ended the call and got into my car. I put the top down because I thought the wind would help me wake up; it didn’t. The sun was bright, and it was already starting to get hot, which made me even more tired. I saw Alana’s car when I parked along the curb in front of Mrs. Chambers’ house. Alana exited the front door. I climbed out of my car, and we met at about the half-way point on the driveway. I could instantly tell something was wrong by the look on Alana’s face.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Alana said.

  “What happened?”

  “Mrs. Chambers released the security detail, and she’s left the house. No one knows where to, and no one’s talking.”

  “What?”

  “She told the security guys they weren’t needed.”

  “Did they call you?” I asked.

  “No, and I just got off the phone chewing their asses out about that. They said they were instructed not to inform me, and since I wasn’t the one paying them, they couldn’t go against their client’s wishes.”

  “What about Patricia?” I asked.

  “I couldn’t get anything out of her.”

  “This is absurd.”

  I walked past Alana and headed toward the house. Patricia opened the front door before I could knock.

  “I know what you’re going to ask me, and I’m sorry, but Mrs. Chambers specifically told me not to call you.”

  “When did she leave?” I asked.

  Patricia said nothing. I really didn’t know how to respond to her silence. It was infuriating, and my fatigue only made the situation worse. I wanted to walk back to my car, drive home, climb into bed, and sleep for a couple of days straight. What was the point in trying to help someone who apparently no longer wanted your help? Unfortunately, by this time, I felt a certain obligation to help Mrs. Chambers. I couldn’t just walk away.

  “You realize she’s in danger. You saw the note last night,” I said.

  Patricia still said nothing.

  “Did she even tell you when she’d be back?” Alana asked.

  Patricia shook her head.

  “So you’re really not going to say anything? Your employer’s life is in danger, and you’re apparently okay with keeping your mouth shut?” I asked.

  “Do you think I wanted any of this to happen? I don’t know where she went. I don’t know when she’ll be back. I know nothing except she wanted her plans to be kept secret, even from me.”

  “There’s nothing we can do,” Alana told me.

  “Can you put out a BOLO for her car?” I asked.

  “I could, but the lady doesn’t even want to be found. She apparently left on her own accord. She’s committed no crimes. We can’t force her to come back. We can’t keep her locked up in her home.”

  I knew Alana was right. Mrs. Chambers’ behavior made no sense to me, but it was her decision, not mine. I turned to Patricia.

  “Will you at least call us when she comes back?”

  Patricia said nothing. She turned and walked back into the house. Alana and I waited another minute, and I did my best to breathe and return my blood pressure to normal. We walked back to Alana’s car.

  “Look. I’ll unofficially call a few people who I know are on patrol today. I’ll ask them to look for the car. It couldn’t hurt.”

  I nodded. “So what now?” I asked.

  “I go back to the office, and you go home.”

  It seemed like a lousy plan, but it wasn’t like we had any better options. I hugged Alana goodbye and got back into my car. I watched her drive away.

  I tried to figure out who else might know the whereabouts of Mrs. Chambers. I half-way considered calling one of her children but quickly dismissed the idea since the prevailing theory was one of them was responsible for the threats. I thought about Mara. She was the one who got me involved with this in the first place. Maybe she’d heard from Mrs. Chambers. I pulled out my cell phone and called Mara. Her assistant connected me.

  “Mara, this is Poe. I don’t suppose you’ve heard from Mrs. Chambers today.”

  “No, I haven’t spoken to her since last night.”

  I quickly brought her up to speed.

  “I don’t know where she could have gone,” Mara admitted.

  “You don’t happen to have a cell phone number for her?”

  “I don’t even know if she has a cell phone. I only have a home number.”

  “Does she have an office somewhere? I remember her children telling me she was still involved with the business.”

  “I believe she has one at the hotel.”

  “I’ll give it a shot. I’ll let you know if I find her.”

  I ended the call and started the car. I thought the hotel was only about ten minutes from the house. If she wasn’t in her office, I would poke my nose around and see if anyone had seen her that morning.

  The hotel was even closer than I imagined. It took me a grand total of four minutes of driving time down the coast. It was easy to see why the larger hotel corporations would want to snatch this property up. It was right across from a gorgeous beach. You would be hard-pressed to find a nicer location on this part of the island.

  The hotel was around fifty years old. I wish I could say it had an older elegance to it - maybe something that captured the style and grace of the house Millard Chambers had designed on a restaurant napkin. Unfortunately, it didn’t. It was rather plain, but it was well kept. The paint job looked relatively fresh, and the grounds were clean and well-groomed. The parking lot was relatively full, so at least it was good to know they were still doing decent business. Maybe they kept their rates lower than the competition. That, and the Wailea location, could be more than enough to keep attracting customers for years to come.

  I parked my car and walked into the lobby. It was large and had an open-air design that allowed the cool ocean breezes to blow throughout. I spotted the door to the administrative offices behind the front desk. I waited a minute while the desk clerk finished checking in a family of four. She eventually handed them their room keys, and they wheeled their luggage away.

  “Hello,” I said. “I was wondering if you could tell me if Mrs. Charlotte Chambers is in her office today?”

  “No, I haven’t seen her, but that’s not unusual. We don’t see her here that much.”

  “I don’t suppose you have a cell phone number for her?” I asked.

  “I’m afraid we aren’t allowed to give information like that out.”

  “Of course,” I said.

  I just stood another minute at the front desk. I wasn’t sure what to do next. I was wondering if I should just throw my hands up and go home when Mill Chambers walked out of the office. He immediately recognized me. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

  “Poe, what are you doing here?” he asked.

  “I came by to have lunch
with your mother,” I said.

  The lie just flew out of my mouth, and I didn’t even consciously recall thinking about it before spitting it out. I went into a minor panic as I realized I wasn’t even sure if they had an on-site restaurant. Many hotels did, but this was an older one, and I didn’t know if they’d made the investment.

  “That’s odd. My mother usually has her lunch dates at the house,” he said.

  “Well, she also promised me a tour of the hotel,” I said, and the lies kept getting deeper and deeper.

  “Sounds like you two really hit it off. Let me give her a call and see where she’s at.”

  Mill removed a cell phone from his front pocket and dialed his mother. There were two potential outcomes, and neither was good for me. Option one was she didn’t answer the phone, and I’d be no closer to discovering where she was. Option two was she’d answer the phone and inform her son that I’d just lied to him. I thought about both options as the phone continued to ring. I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to unfold.

  “Hey, mom, it’s me. Your lunch guest is waiting here in the lobby. Give me a call and let me know how late you’re running. Bye.”

  Mill ended the call and slipped the phone back in his pocket.

  “Is there anything I can get you while you wait?” he asked.

  “No, I’m good. Thanks for calling her. I’m a little early, so maybe I’ll just take a short walk around the property and then come back to the lobby.”

  “Can I show you around?”

  “No, no. I’m good,” I said.

  “Okay, but don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”

  I shook hands with Mill, and he walked away. The desk clerk eyed me. I knew she didn’t buy the lunch story, but I also knew she had no way of guessing what was really going on. I looked around the lobby for a few more seconds, and then walked toward the back of the property in case Mill was still watching me and wondering why I hadn’t started my self-guided tour.

  I quickly came upon a large pool behind the hotel. It was several times the size of the one behind Mrs. Chambers’ home. There were about twenty guests in and around it. I circled the area. There were several neatly manicured bushes and flower beds that enclosed the area and lined the building. Again, it wasn’t the nicest property I’d ever seen, but it was well cared for. I didn’t know much about the hotel business - practically nothing, actually - but judging by the crowds I saw, the Chambers family had to have been making a decent living off this place.

  I walked back to the lobby. Mill wasn’t around, and the desk clerk was busy with another family. I left the lobby and walked back to my car. I called Alana along the way.

  “I don’t suppose anyone’s seen her car?” I asked.

  “Nothing. Any news on your end?”

  “No, nothing here either.”

  I told Alana about my call to Mara and my trip to the hotel.

  “So Mill didn’t seem concerned about anything?” Alana asked.

  “No, the guy acted like he didn’t have a care in the world.”

  “This just gets weirder by the minute. Call me if something changes. I’ve got to go.”

  I ended the call and climbed into the convertible. The traffic was heavy, and it took me over an hour to get home. I was more exhausted than ever before, and the hot sun beating down on me left me feeling cranky. Foxx was gone when I got back, which was probably a good thing. I hate being around others when those moods strike.

  I let Maui the dog out back with me, and I stripped off my shirt and shoes and dove into the swimming pool. I swam underwater the length of the pool. When I came to the surface and wiped the water out of my eyes, I saw Maui standing at the edge staring at me. I’m pretty sure dogs can tell when their owners aren’t feeling well.

  I climbed out of the pool and walked over to a chair. The dog followed me. I leaned over and scratched the top of his head. Then I plopped down on the chair. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing, but I accomplished something for the first time in my life. I actually fell asleep sitting up straight. I awoke for the second time that day with Foxx shaking me.

  “You all right?” he asked.

  I said nothing and rubbed my eyes.

  “Damn, buddy. I thought you’d had a heart attack and died. How did you sleep with your head slumped over like that?”

  “What time is it?” I asked.

  “It’s after seven. How long have you been back?”

  “I’m not sure. I don’t remember when I got back exactly.”

  “You ever find that lady?”

  “No, she apparently doesn’t want to be found.”

  I stood, and we both walked inside. Maui the dog followed us. I went into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. I was drenched in sweat from sleeping in the sun for so long. I gulped the water down and poured myself a second glass.

  “I’m sure she’s okay. This just sounds like a greedy child or two trying to scare their mother into selling the place off.”

  “Maybe,” I said.

  I wasn’t even sure why I’d become so obsessed with the case, though I thought I knew why. I had thoroughly dismissed Charlotte Chambers when I met her in Mara’s office. I’d viewed her as a crazy old lady. It’s true that we all make snap judgments that are often incredibly unfair, and there was really no positive thing to come from me beating myself up about it, but I had essentially laughed her concerns off. The threatening note changed all of that, and I really wanted to do my best to make things up to her. I couldn’t, though. She obviously no longer wanted my help.

  I drank the second glass of water and ate a banana. I followed Foxx into the living room, and we watched a show about aliens being responsible for all the great accomplishments throughout history like the pyramids and the Sphinx. It was mindless television, but that’s what my brain needed at the moment. I was tempted to go to sleep again, but I knew I needed to get my body clock back on track. The episode ended and another began. This one was about Bigfoot really being an offspring of an extraterrestrial. I was saved from watching it when the doorbell rang. Maui barked and took off running toward the door. I pried myself off the sofa and walked to the front of the house. I gazed through the peep hole and saw Alana. I opened the door.

  “Man, you look so much better than I do. I’ve slept twice today and still feel like I’m about to fall over,” I said.

  “Trust me. I’m not far behind you. I’m running on pure adrenaline right now.”

  Alana bent over and patted the dog. “Hey there, Maui.”

  He wagged his tail in appreciation.

  Alana and I walked back into the living room.

  “How’s it going?” Foxx asked.

  “Long day. I’d love to sit down, but I don’t think I’d be able to get back up,” she said.

  “You want something to drink?” I asked her.

  “I’d love a beer,” she said.

  “I’ll take one, too,” Foxx said.

  I waked into the kitchen and pulled two beers out of the refrigerator. My cell phone vibrated on the kitchen counter as I walked back into the living room. I handed the beers to Alana and Foxx, and then dashed back to the kitchen to grab the phone before the call ended. I didn’t recognize the number on the display.

  “Hello,” I said.

  “Poe, this is Patricia.”

  I wasn’t sure how to respond. This was the lady who refused to talk earlier, and now she was calling me?

  “Mrs. Chambers returned home about twenty minutes ago.”

  “Is she okay?” I asked.

  “She seemed fine, a bit grumpy, but fine.”

  “May I speak with her?”

  “I’m not at the house any longer. She told me to leave.”

  “I assume she gave you her permission to call me and tell me she was all right,” I said.

  “Not exactly. She told me not to come back to work until she contacted me.”

  “Why would she say that?”

  “I don’t know. We’
ve always gotten along fine. I care for her. I don’t know why she would send me away without an explanation. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you anything this morning, but I just wanted you to know she was home.”

  “Thanks for the call,” I said.

  “Was that Patricia?” Alana asked.

  I nodded and relayed the conversation.

  “That makes no sense,” Alana said.

  “None of this does. Do we take a trip over there?”

  “I don’t feel like it, but I think we should.”

  We said good-bye to Foxx and headed outside.

  “I’ll drive. It looks like you’re about to pass out,” Alana said.

  The traffic was much lighter than my last drive. We got there in about fifty minutes. I called Charlotte Chambers a couple of times on the way over and got no response, not even a voicemail or answering machine.

  It was dark by the time we arrived. We drove up to the house, and I recognized Charlotte Chambers’ car from the last time I saw it outside Mara’s office. Alana parked on the street, and we made our way to the front door.

  “See that?” I asked.

  I motioned to the front door. It was slightly ajar.

  Alana slid her foot against the bottom of the door and pushed it open.

  “Mrs. Chambers,” she called out.

  There was no response.

  Alana stepped a foot inside the house.

  “Mrs. Chambers,” she said again.

  Still nothing.

  Alana turned to me.

  “Stay behind me.”

  She removed her gun and went farther inside. I stayed behind her as she requested. Sometimes it’s tough to date a police detective. The male side of you has the instinct of protecting the woman. I’m sorry if that sounds chauvinistic to you female readers, but it’s the truth. On the other hand, Alana had a lot more training than me, and she was armed. Plus, I’d displayed a tendency to get myself seriously hurt on my two previous investigations. I’m sure Alana was tired of visiting me in the hospital.

  The house was completely dark. We made our way into the living room. Alana found a switch on the wall and flipped the lights on. Charlotte Chambers was nowhere to be found.

  “Mrs. Chambers, this is Detective Alana Hu. Are you home?”

  “Should we try upstairs?” I asked.