"Unfortunately, some parents don't see it that way," Leila said sadly. "They would rather see the other in the grave—even if it came at the sacrifice of their own freedom—all in some misguided attempt to protect the child from a perceived threat in the form of the other parent."
Seymour lifted his mug, frowning. "Anyone who believes that murdering their current or former spouse is the best way to protect a child is the epitome of selfishness and deserves to rot away in prison."
"We can agree to disagree," Leila said, thinking about his relationship with his own daughter and the fact that he would never intentionally do anything to jeopardize it. "I think it's less about selfishness and more about power—the power to play judge and jury over someone else's life, damn the consequences."
"I have to side with Kahana on this one," Chung said. "Sorry Seymour."
He grinned. "Don't apologize. I used to do the same when we were partners. That's the way it should be—you've got each other's back."
Seymour lifted his mug at Leila for a toast. She met his eyes and followed suit, while thinking: Maybe he does still have my back in the ways that count.
The conversation drifted to the Zip Line Killer, which most of the homicide detectives had worked on, to one degree or another.
"We're gonna get that son of a bitch sooner or later," barked Chung, his third glass of beer in hand.
"Yeah, but I bet that's not what he's thinking," Ferguson said. "He's stayed on the loose, what, for more than a year now and still running rings around us."
"I think he's coming and going—perhaps from the Mainland," Leila suggested, "picking and choosing his opportunities."
"My sentiments exactly," Seymour echoed. "But I think he might live on the islands, possibly traveling back and forth between them. If he is actually staying on Maui, his job is one that probably takes him elsewhere and away from suspicion."
"He's definitely not through," Rachel muttered. "They never stop till they're caught or dead."
Leila grabbed a pretzel. "Or till they make a mistake. That's when we'll be ready to make him pay."
Chung lifted his mug. "I'll drink to that."
Everyone raised their glasses in agreement. For Leila, the concern was that, until such time, the Zip Line Killer was still a live wire, lying in wait to strike an unsuspecting target again.
* * *
The next morning, Leila was up early for her run. Afterwards, she watered her orchid and bamboo plants before getting ready for work. Just as she slipped into her shoes, her cell phone rang. She grabbed it and saw that it was her mother calling.
"Hey," Leila said in a sweet voice.
"Aloha kakahiaka," her mother said.
"You're up early," Leila responded, noting that her mother was usually a late sleeper.
"Not really," she said. "I get up earlier these days. I guess when you get to be my age you want to be up and at it as often as possible."
"You're not that old."
"Old enough," Rena said. "Anyway, I thought I'd come and visit you for a couple of days."
Leila raised a brow. "When...?"
"Tomorrow."
"This really isn't a good time," Leila hated to say.
"It's never a good time," Rena said. "I know you're busy being a detective and whatever. Don't worry I'll stay out of your hair. I still have friends there to socialize with."
Leila felt a bit guilty, as if she were neglecting her mother for everything else. Or maybe a guilt trip was just what she was hoping for.
"Of course you can come," Leila gave in. "Yes, my workload right now is pretty intense, but what else is new. It'll be good to see you."
"You too," she said. "We can take a walk on the beach the way we used to when you were young."
"That would be nice." Leila had fond memories of her childhood, but they often involved her father too, as family unity was important. She hoped to recreate that sense of togetherness someday in her own life, should she ever get married and have children.
Both seemed a long way off with no man on the horizon and her job pretty much the centerpiece of her life.
She took note of the time her mother was due to arrive tomorrow evening and headed to work.
* * *
Chung and Leila arrived at the outdoor shopping center on Wailea Alanui Drive and found the clothing store they were looking for.
"Think she'll back Yashiro up?" Chung asked, eyeing Leila beneath his shades.
"She better. Otherwise his alibi falls flat and he jumps right back to the top of our list as a suspect in his wife's death."
"So let's see what the lady has to say," he said.
He followed Leila inside the posh designer clothing store where a couple of people were browsing. Chung spotted a tall, attractive, dark-haired Hawaiian woman putting shirts on a shelf.
They walked up to her.
"Are you Willa Takeyama?" Leila asked.
She nodded. "Yes."
Chung flashed his badge. "We're detectives with the Maui Police Department. Wonder if we could ask you a few questions?"
Willa met his eyes coolly. "About what?"
"Verlin Yashiro," he replied.
"What about him?"
Leila moved a step closer. "We're investigating the murder of his wife, Joyce Yashiro. According to Mr. Yashiro, on the morning of her death last Tuesday, he was with you. We need you to verify that."
Willa smoothed a thin brow. "Yes, we were together."
"And where was this?" Chung asked.
"At his condo."
Leila peered at her. "Are you sure you have the right day?"
"Yes. When Verlin learned that Joyce had been killed, he knew he'd be the first suspect, as is usually the case. But since we were in bed till well after seven, we both knew he was innocent."
"You call sleeping with a married man innocent?" Chung asked flippantly.
Willa pursed her lips. "We did nothing wrong, Detective. Verlin was separated and I'm divorced. I'm sorry about his wife's death, but Verlin had nothing to do with it."
Chung realized they were not going to break her. Of course, even with the alibi, it was still possible that Yashiro could have hired someone else to suffocate and strangle his wife.
"Is there anything else?" she asked tersely.
"No, that covers it," he told her.
Leila eyed Willa. "Mahalo for your time."
When they were outside the store, Chung said: "I don't know about you, but I think she seemed a little too pat vouching for Yashiro. It was almost like they had rehearsed this. Think he tipped her off?"
"Perhaps." Leila hand brushed a few strands of hair from the side of her face. "Or, it could be they were together when Joyce Yashiro was murdered, which would mean someone else attacked her on Kaanapali Beach."
"Yeah," he muttered, though he was definitely keeping his options open. His cell phone buzzed and Chung answered. A moment later, he disconnected and looked at Leila. "Ayato Yashiro just made bail."
She frowned. "Why am I not surprised?"
Neither was Chung. "With only the drug charges sticking for the time being, any good lawyer would have been able to get him out."
"For his sake, I hope his problems aren't just beginning," Leila said.
Chung scratched his cheek. "My guess is trouble will follow that kid around wherever he goes."
"What happens to the dog now?" she asked.
"From what I understand, it's been put up for adoption—at least while there's still doubt as to who poisoned him."
Leila sighed. "It's for the best, as neither Yashiro seems very capable of caring for him."
"I was thinking the same thing," Chung said. "Either way, it's out of our hands." But still very much a part of this investigation, he told himself, with the killer likely the same one who made the dog sick.
Before going back to the police department, they made a detour to pick up some money Chung claimed he was owed by a friend. Unbeknownst to Leila, it was his cut of drug money as a carryov
er from his days with vice. If he thought for one moment that she wanted in on the action, he would be happy to make it possible. But knowing Leila was a straight shooter, Chung believed some things were better left unsaid by partners.
* * *
At her desk, Leila reviewed information on her latest case, while debating in her mind if Verlin Yashiro had played a role in the murder of his wife. Or had he been cleared, in effect, thanks to his girlfriend supporting his whereabouts? She wondered if the two had been carrying on an affair even before Yashiro separated from Joyce. Wasn't that often at the root of a marriage ending?
On the other hand, from Leila's own experience, her affair with Blake started after he and his wife had separated. So maybe the same was true with Yashiro and Willa.
Leila considered the still as yet unknown man on the surveillance video who visited Joyce the day before her death. Who was he and could he have killed her?
She put those thoughts on hold when she looked up to see Detective Tony Fujimoto of the Property Crimes and Robbery squad. Beside him was a thirty-something woman with braided dark hair.
"Here to see me, Fujimoto?" Leila asked curiously of the tall, lean detective.
"Actually, I was just passing through to talk to Seymour about a case. This woman said she wanted to talk to an investigator about the Joyce Yashiro murder, so I brought her to you."
Leila glanced at her and back at him. "Mahalo."
He grinned sheepishly. "Anytime."
After he left, Leila stood and eyed the woman, who was around her height. "I'm Detective Sergeant Kahana. And you are?"
"My name is Rosalyn Arbor."
"How can I help you, Ms. Arbor?"
"I'm an instructor at the College of Maui," she said nervously. "I worked with Joyce and have been keeping track of what happened to her in the news." She paused. "I think I might know who killed her—"
That caught Leila's attention. "Please have a seat."
Rosalyn sat beside the desk and Leila sat back down, peering at her.
"Who do you think killed Joyce Yashiro?"
Rosalyn took a breath. "Glenn Diamont. He also teaches at the college."
Leila was intrigued. "Tell me more about your suspicions..."
"Joyce told me that he was stalking her. She said they went out on one date and she made it clear to him that she wasn't interested in pursuing things any further. But he didn't seem to want to leave well enough alone—showing up at her house uninvited and sending harassing texts to her cell phone."
Leila took this in. That was certainly something new that warranted looking into. Could he be the man in the security video?
"Did you happen to witness any stalking behavior by him?" she asked.
"Yes, I saw Glenn acting kind of bizarre around Joyce on campus." Rosalyn made a face. "It was like he became obsessed with her."
"Did Joyce ever report this stalking to the school or the authorities?" Leila asked.
"I don't think she reported it to the police and I'm not sure about the department at school. I think she just wanted it to stop without jeopardizing his job or otherwise getting him in trouble."
Leila batted her lashes. "That may have been a fatal mistake," she said. "Protecting a stalker is the last thing you want to do, as they often see this as encouragement rather than a warning to back off. I'll have a talk with Glenn Diamont and get his side of the story."
"Joyce was a good person," Rosalyn noted. "To die in such a senseless way was terrible."
Leila nodded. "I agree. Once her killer is behind bars, maybe it will prevent some other woman from similar victimization."
For now, Glenn Diamont had just become her chief suspect in the death of Joyce Yashiro.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ferguson and Rachel entered the Aloha Architectural Group building for a meeting with the manager, Kalena Kimbrough. She greeted them with a smile and led them to a corner office with plenty of windows.
Ferguson waited until Rachel and Kalena sat down, before doing the same. He stared at the forty-something manager with stylishly cut brunette hair who wasn't bad on the eyes.
"So how can I help you, detectives?" she asked evenly.
"We're investigating the murder of Parker Breslin," Rachel informed her. "We understand that his company worked with yours..."
"Yes, we did some projects together," Kalena said. "I'm so sorry about what happened to Parker. He was a great guy and a hard worker, but I'm not sure what his death has to do with us."
"We need to know if anyone on your staff had a problem with Breslin," Ferguson said pointblank. "Or if there was any animosity with him or his company."
"None that I'm aware of. We always maintained a professional relationship with Parker and his partner, Vincente Miyake. If there were any problems on site, we always worked them out."
Sounds a little too harmonious to me, mused Ferguson. "It's great to hear that everyone got along so well between your companies. I just wish it was that cordial and understanding within my department," he said sarcastically.
Rachel regarded him, suppressing a smile.
"I don't know what to tell you, Detective," Kalena said. "No one here had any reason to harm Parker or want to see him dead."
Ferguson gave her a skeptical look. "All the same, we need a list of the employees who worked directly—or even indirectly—with Parker Breslin and his landscaping company."
She sighed. "Sure, I can get that information for you, but you're not likely to find anything useful."
"You never know what one can find if you dig hard enough," Rachel told her. "In any event, this is strictly routine stuff. No one's pointing any fingers."
Not yet anyway, Ferguson thought. But if there was a connection between Breslin's murder and the Aloha Architectural Group, they intended to find it.
* * *
Rachel sat in the nicely furnished living room of Carly Oshiro, who claimed she had been dating Parker Breslin off and on until his death. Rachel guessed she was about a decade younger than Breslin. Carly showed her several photographs of them together and, by all indications, they appeared to be a happy couple. So what went wrong?
As though reading Rachel's mind, Carly told her: "It was never serious between us, but I did enjoy Parker's company."
For an instant, Rachel choked up as she thought about her beloved late husband, Greg. She would do anything to have him back in her arms again. Instead, she was left to pick up the pieces as he would have wanted—starting with being the best detective she could be.
"Did he have any enemies that you know of?" Rachel asked, holding a cup of herbal tea.
"Yes, I can think of two," Carly said matter-of-factly.
Rachel gazed at her. "Who?"
"Parker's ex-wife Willa and her mother Lynnette. They hated him."
"And why was that?" asked Rachel.
"From what Parker told me, Lynnette didn't like the fact that he married Willa, because she felt he wasn't good enough for her daughter."
Rachel sat back. "Most in-laws feel that way about their children and spouses or spouses to be."
"True, but Willa's mother took it to extremes. She apparently badmouthed Parker every chance she got—often to Willa, who eventually turned against him. Parker also suspected her of cheating on him when they were still married, but she denied it."
"You said they both hated him. Why did Willa hate her husband?" Rachel asked.
"Because he could see right through her and he didn't want his daughter brought up in an environment that he felt wasn't in her best interests. That's what the custody battle was about. Parker just wanted to protect his daughter. But Willa and her mother weren't about to let him have her—even if it meant killing him."
Rachel batted her eyes at the bluntness of the allegation. "Those are strong words."
Carly sighed. "I'm just telling you what I feel and have seen firsthand. One time, Willa actually confronted Parker at a restaurant and accused him of badmouthing her in front of their daughter
. She told him she would see to it that he would never get custody of Marie."
"Sounds like she meant business," Rachel said, though she was well aware that people said many things they didn't really mean. Was this one of those cases? Or had Willa Breslin carried out her threat?
"It wouldn't surprise me one bit," maintained Carly.
Rachel sipped her tea musingly. Murder in the family was certainly not a new phenomenon, including a mother and daughter act as co-conspirators. But proving it was a whole different story altogether, if true, considering they were each other's alibi. In the absence of any other strong suspects at the moment, it was time to have another talk with Willa Breslin and Lynnette Takeyama.
* * *
Ferguson had been briefed on Rachel's conversation with Carly Oshiro and her blunt observations where it concerned Parker Breslin's ex-wife and mother-in-law. Both of them had been brought in for questioning about Breslin's death. Ferguson got his crack at the mother-in-law, Lynnette Takeyama. He gazed at her across the table in the interrogation room, giving the cold atmosphere a chance to sink in before finding out what she had to say.
"Can I get you something to drink?" he asked, playing nice.
"I'm fine," she snapped irritably. "Are you ever going to tell me why I've been dragged down here?"
Ferguson narrowed his gaze. "Yes, I'll tell you. We're still investigating the murder of your ex son-in-law and were hoping you could help us out."
She raised a brow. "How could I possibly do that?"
"You could start by telling me how much you despised him."
She leaned back in the chair. "I didn't think Parker was a good fit for my daughter, but I certainly didn't despise him."
"That's not what we heard," Ferguson shot back. "A reliable source told us that you wanted Breslin out of your daughter's life, and your granddaughter's life too—and you would do anything to make that happen."
She batted her lashes nervously. "Are you suggesting that I had someone kill Parker?"
Ferguson peered at her. "You tell me. It wouldn't be the first time a mother-in-law decided to play judge and jury by ending someone's life."
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