Maui Murders

by Kathy Callahan

  George said he would ask but didn’t think she was ready to revisit the site yet.

  They exchanged goodbyes, then George headed to his next stop. At the vitamin store, he got the items on Annie’s list, then on to the dry cleaners.

  “Hi, Maria, good to see you,” George said as he greeted the owner, Maria Lopez, handing her the batch of clothes he was bringing in and his receipt for what needed picking up.

  “Mr. Boone, did you have a nice vacation visiting your children and grandchildren?”

  “Well, they certainly kept us busy, and we had a great week before we got to Los Angeles, visiting the National Parks of Utah. When Annie and I got back to Paia, we were two very grateful people that we lived in such a peaceful place with such good friends.”

  “You are right, Mr. Boone. Our family loves it here. We feel blessed that fate led my father here many years ago and started this business for the family. We have wonderful friends, and our customers are so kind.” Marie wrote up his next slip and brought the carousel around to match the slip number for pickup.

  George paid for his cleaning and left the store. He wasn’t too far from the sheriff’s office and decided to check to see if there were any new developments in the Okamoto murders.

  After exchanging a vacation update with Charlene, he was directed back to the sheriff’s office. Both men greeted each other warmly, and once again, George went into detail about their vacation experiences. “Why I really stopped by was to find out if there had been any news regarding the Okamoto case.”

  “Wish I could give you some positive information, George, but still nothing. In fact, I’m not too happy with the way things are going. Seems like the murders have fallen on the back burner. I still want you and Annie to keep things locked up and give Mr. Soo a heads-up too. I was sorry to hear about the loss of his wife and surprised he moved so quickly into his new home. Don’t think I’ve been here long enough to understand the dynamics of everyone yet, and Mr. Soo is one I can’t quite figure out.”

  “Someday, I’ll fill you in on the Soo history, but I’m on an errand run for Annie, and I have to get to the market. I just wanted to stop by and see how things were going. Good talking with you, Sheriff. When we get back into the swing of things, we’ll have you over for a cookout.” George got up, shook the sheriff’s hand, and left.

  As he was opening Pearl’s door, he heard Mr. Soo’s voice call him.

  “Hi, Mr. Soo, I was just going to the grocery store to get a few items, including some fish to grill for dinner. Would you like to join us?”

  “Fish, you say? Ah no, thanks. Otis is expecting me.” He said Otis had a special he was making so did not want to disappoint him. “But I would appreciate a ride to the grocery, then you can drop me off at my new home.”

  “Glad to have your company. How are things going in your new place?”

  “I am most happy. I feel like a bird let out of a cage. Now don’t repeat that, but you know how things were for all those years.”

  “Good for you, Mr. Soo. I just came from the sheriff’s office, and I told him we will be grilling soon and will have him over and you too.”

  Both men finished their shopping, Mr. Soo’s shopping cart full but George’s just those items on his list. George stopped in front of Mr. Soo’s home and helped him get his groceries into the house. “The sheriff wanted me to remind you there has been no arrests in the Okamoto case and to keep your doors and screens secure.”

  “Thank you, George. I am ever mindful that the person or persons that attacked my friends has not been caught, and I am very careful to keep my house secure. I want to enjoy this newfound freedom. I do not want some crazy person taking it from me.”

  “I’m glad to hear you are taking precautions. We are too. The sheriff still thinks it was a local, which scares the hell out of me.”

  Mr. Soo shook his head and waved goodbye to George as he drove the short distance to his home.

  “I saw you helping Mr. Soo unload. Did you invite him for dinner?” Annie asked, taking the cleaning while George tried to carry groceries and the vitamins and close the garage without spilling anything.

  “Funny, once he found out we were having fish, he said Otis was fixing something special for him tonight. Mr. Soo isn’t a fish eater.”

  “Mrs. Soo told me she grilled fish for them almost every night. If I had to eat fish for all those years, I would probably be on the outs with fish too.”

  “I told him we would have him over for steaks soon. I stopped by the sheriff’s office today to see if there were any new developments and also invited him over the next time we grilled steaks.”

  “Maybe weekend after next when I’ve shed a couple of pounds. We’ll stick with fish and chicken for a bit.”

  “We had better stick mostly with chicken. Annie, two medium pieces of fish cost $25 and we live on the ocean. I couldn’t believe it.”

  “What kind of fish did you pick out?”

  “Halibut,” George said, grinning.

  “Sweetie, that comes from the Atlantic. Guess we paid for the fuel to get it here.”

  “Yikes, shopping for fish is not my strong point. You had better do that if we’re going to be eating more than usual.”

  Annie asked if there was anything new on the case since they had been gone.

  “No, and the sheriff again warned us to be sure and keep the house secure. He feels uneasy about the situation. I sure hope he’s wrong about this being someone local.”

  George then told Annie about his visit with Donnie Munson and the troubles he was having. He told her they were meeting this coming Friday afternoon at the site and Donnie had also included her in his invitation.

  “No, I’m not ready to go back there yet. I’ll probably wait until the official grand opening.”

  “That’s what I told Donnie, I’ll go and have a look. I think he wanted my opinion as an engineer. He seems depressed at how slow the project is coming along.”

  “I’m sure he’ll value your visit and anything you can add will be taken seriously.”

  “Thank you, honey, my best fan has spoken,” George said, patting her bottom as he headed into the bedroom to change clothes.

  George walked up the steps to the main street, crossed, and paused on the sidewalk in front of the old market, seeing only a slight change in the facade. His long stride carried him up the slight slope of the new driveway, and he immediately liked the planned parking for the center. He looked over at the porch that surrounded the center and saw Donnie standing just inside the doorway. “Hi, I like the driveway and the way parking has been planned. Good thinking on the architect’s part.”

  “Thanks, George. It will be good if we ever get it finished.”

  George went inside. “This place is so much larger than I thought it would be. It was so chopped up before, with the market, backroom storage, freezer, coolers, and living quarters. I had no idea it would turn out to be such a large open space.”

  “It is pretty amazing. We were thrilled at the space and have a few ideas I would like to run by you for your opinion. First off, let me ask if you have any ideas for all this open space?”

  George walked around the entire empty space, then asked, “What about the roof? Are you putting a new roof on or will the current one stay in place?”

  “It’s close to twenty years old, and the architect strongly suggests we put a new one on.”

  “I think that’s a wise suggestion. Have you considered putting in skylights to help defray the cost of electricity?”

  “No, I didn’t see that in any plans, but that’s a terrific idea.”

  “Also, you might consider some small side windows high up on the southwest side of the building to catch the afternoon sun, which will also help the lighting. I would put in disappearing sliders on the porch that faces the street. That way you could take advantage of the
sea breeze. It usually is cooler at this elevation than it is right on the beach. You could put tables and chairs out there, and maybe in one corner of this huge area, have a snack shop with shaved ice, specialty coffees, sodas, snacks, etc. It would be a moneymaker and could be manned by volunteers or you could contract out the entire enterprise, which would probably be the wisest idea. Still, it would bring money into the center, and in the contract, the center would be guaranteed a percentage of the net take. You know all about those type of deals, right, Donnie?”

  “I knew you were the one to come in and take a look around. That’s a great idea. That would mean more permits and hook-ups for water and more electricity, but it would be profitable. I like your sunlight ideas. I’ll speak with the architect on Monday and see if he concurs.”

  “You know, you will still have a lot of empty space. How about setting up a small gift shop featuring local arts and craft items, along with some tourist junk, maybe magnets, pens, pencils with Paia and a windsurfer on them. That would work well with volunteers and help the local artists too.”

  “George, I’m surprised the airlines let you retire. You have great ideas. Those two will certainly help fill this huge space and help the local economy. We will probably need another permit to sell things,” Donnie said with a sigh.

  “Sometimes, when someone not involved in the initial work sees the plans or space available, they picture possibilities that someone working close to a project doesn’t see.”

  “You sometimes need an outsider to see a possibility you’ve missed because you have worked so close to the project.”

  “Exactly. Let me know what your architect has to say, I’m eager to hear his thoughts on my proposals.”

  Donnie and George walked the area for almost half an hour, Donnie pointing out the proposed layout for the center and the materials to be used along with various other proposals made by the architect.

  “Thank you, Donnie, for asking me here today. I’ve enjoyed seeing the old market gutted, and I’m can’t wait to see it evolve into the Visitors Center.”

  When George got back home, he found Annie sitting on the front lanai, reading. “Honey, you would be amazed at the size of the old market without all the rooms and equipment, it’s huge. I gave Donnie a couple of pretty good ideas, and he’s going to pass them along to his architect. Want to hear them?” George asked with a grin.

  “Well, of course, and I know they had to be pretty good ideas. After all, I’m married to a genius engineer.”

  “I wouldn’t say that, but I came up with some things that will please everyone.” George proceeded to tell Annie his ideas, and she was excited about the gift shop displaying local artist works and crafts. She even thought she might like to volunteer to work in the shop a few hours each week.

  “Honey, that would be terrific. We both could volunteer the same day. I could work the front desk and direct them to the lovely, sexy lady selling her wares in the gift shop.”

  “George, you’re silly. I’ll keep you to what you said about volunteering to work the front desk. A handsome man like yourself would surely bring in a flood of ladies.”

  “Sweetheart, I think you’re piling it on a little thick. I’m hungry. I need a snack. I worked my brain too hard!”

  CHAPTER 30

  Dewey and Layla stood at the top of the DewMaster jet stairs, enjoying the kiss of tropical air on their skin.

  George pulled Pearl up to greet Layla and Dewey and collect the luggage. Annie jumped out, walked to the end of the stairs, and hugged Layla. Annie was surprised at a rush of tears coming from her friend. “Honey, what’s the matter?”

  “I’m so glad to see you both. I really miss you both.” Saying that, she rushed over to George and hugged him too, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

  George looked over helplessly at Annie, who shrugged as if saying she had no idea what was going on. “Layla, it’s good to see you too. Let me go over with Dewey and help with the luggage. Then let’s get you both to Paia,” George said as he extricated himself from her grasp.

  He walked over to Dewey, helping unload the luggage, asking, “What’s with Layla? She’s in tears. Anything happen on the flight over?”

  They began loading luggage into Pearl. “Everything was fine until she saw you two. I think I know what’s wrong. I’ll tell you later when I’m sure she can’t overhear.”

  On the short drive to Paia, Dewey and George sat silently in the front; Layla and Annie chatted in the back. Layla asked how Mr. Soo was doing adjusting to his new home.

  “He’s doing great. He’s back to his daily walks, has dinner at Otis’s each night and back home by sunset. His home is lovely. Fiona did a wonderful job decorating.”

  “Oh lord, that woman.”

  “George, say what you want about Fiona. She has a wonderful eye for decorating for her clientele. I’ve never heard anyone complain about the final outcome of her projects. She simply knows how to bring the client’s personality into their home.”

  “She’s a real—”

  “George, stop right there. I know what you’re going to say, but that’s just your opinion.”

  “Annie, I didn’t think she ranked very high on your close friends’ list. In fact, I seem to remember at one time you were in a snit over something she did to you.”

  “She didn’t do anything to me. Later, she realized what she had done and brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers to make up for her insensitivity.”

  “What did she say?” Layla asked.

  “I had just started my morning jog, and I always start slow, then speed up. She flew by me, saying, ‘Got to pick it up if you want to stay in shape.’”

  “Wow, she sounds like a piece of work,” said Layla.

  “She’s quite a looker too. She’s married to Ned Keller, the realtor. Mr. Soo said she was a member of the Italian Olympic shooting team when she was young” was Dewey’s contribution to the topic of Fiona.

  “Good, we’re here at Mr. Soo’s. No more Fiona talk,” George said, pulling over to the curb next to Mr. Soo’s steps.

  Mr. Soo came down the steps, sporting a huge smile. Layla opened her door, rushed out, and hugged him, again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Layla, you make an old man feel good shedding tears for me. But please don’t. I feel good, and I’m most happy in my new home. Dewey, I’ll let you get your luggage. I want to show Layla my home.” Mr. Soo led Layla up the stairs to his lanai and inside.

  “OK, Dewey, what’s going on with her?”

  “She’s finished her restoration project, and her best friend in New York, Judy, has met someone and it’s very serious. Layla said once again she was the third wheel. She told Agnes she didn’t feel like she belonged anywhere. She was always so goal oriented, and now she has no goals. Said she feels like a nomad. I think seeing you two just brought back her sense of not knowing where she belongs. Of course, I told her she was welcome to stay with me for as long as she wanted. For me, that would be forever. She’s still at loose ends. Maybe you two can figure something out.” Dewey took the last of his luggage and proceeded up the stairs.

  “Everyone at seven for cocktails, then dinner,” George said.

  “Right, we’ll see you then.”

  Layla, Dewey, and Mr. Soo made their way up the front lanai stairs to where Annie and George sat.

  “Hi folks, we’re here,” they all chimed in.

  “Welcome. Who wants what to drink?” George asked, greeting his friends and directing them to chairs.

  When everyone had drinks and small plates of snacks, Layla jumped up, saying, “Photos, Annie, we have photos to share.”

  “You’re right. Let’s get our sets and beguile Mr. Soo with our journey into the depths of the Grand Canyon.”

  Both got up and went inside to get their photos. George looked at Mr. Soo. “Afraid you will have to go
through two sets of snapshots. Hope you don’t mind too much.”

  “Oh no, I’m most anxious to see them. Maybe someday, Dewey would take me to see the Grand Canyon. I have always heard it was a most wonderful hole in the earth.”

  Laughing, Dewey said, “Well, that’s one way of putting it, and I would be honored to show it to you. We’ll set that up for some time in the near future. You will be amazed at the largeness, colors, and beauty of that hole.”

  Annie and Layla brought their photos out. Annie exchanged hers with Layla and Dewey, and Layla with George and Annie. Dewey and Layla explained their photos to Mr. Soo, who seemed amazed at the beauty of all the national parks. Then George and Annie went through their photos with Mr. Soo as the sun began its setting journey.

  “Annie, Dewey said he would take me to see the Grand Canyon sometime in the near future, but now I think I would also like to see both Zion and Bryce Canyon.”

  “They all three are beautiful and so very different, I’m sure you guys would have a good time. And you could even take a mule trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, like Layla and I did.”

  “No, this old man does not have that many years left and don’t intend to trust any of that time to some mule walking on a narrow trail. Mr. Soo no fool!”

  Everyone laughed, George and Dewey thinking Mr. Soo’s resolve was well stated, although neither said anything out loud. After the sun set, they made their way to the back lanai and enjoyed grilled steaks, salad, and baked potatoes. Afterward, varied conversations were carried on until Mr. Soo said it was getting past his bedtime, and he graciously thanked everyone and began to leave. “Oh, wait, Dewey, I forgot you are staying at my home. Walk with me and you can let me in and keep my key.”

  “Actually, Mr. Soo, I’m tired too. It was a long day for Layla and me. I’m still on Salt Lake time, and frankly, now that I’m full, I’m getting really sleepy. I think I will join you.”

  Dewey thanked George and Annie for an excellent evening, kissed Layla on the cheek, and joined Mr. Soo on the short walk to his house.

  Layla smiled after them; turning to George and Annie, she said, “I’m so happy now that I’m among friends and I’m also feeling sleepy. I should unpack tonight, but I’m so tired. If it’s OK, I’ll just go to bed.”