DEATH ON PARADISE ISLAND: Fiji Islands Mysteries 1

by B. M. Allsopp

  ‘Yes. Their feathers aren’t waterproof, so they can’t dive to fish. They can’t even land on the water. Air piracy’s the only way to make a living.’

  ‘My sympathies are all with the noddy. I’ve heard similar excuses from human pirates too often.’ She realised too late she’d sounded righteous and smiled. ‘Do you like the frigates?’

  ‘They’re resourceful, and ace fliers. They’ve found a sustainable niche for themselves. I’m not that into birds, though.’

  Singh couldn’t be objective about the frigates—as a police officer, she was determined to make the cosy niches of their human counterparts completely unsustainable.

  The water was becoming calmer. They were approaching the northern end of the long, narrow island. Five minutes ago, the hazy southern end had been visible but was now hidden by a range of forested hills curving to a point of high cliffs several kilometres away.

  ‘The chief’s village is just behind the beach we’re heading into now. We’ve been using it as our base.’

  ‘Good place for the sea kraits, is it?’

  ‘Not especially, there are plenty around all the lagoon islands. There was no particular reason to choose this place other than the chief’s really behind our work, so everyone’s welcoming here.’

  Singh could already pick out the large white church among the palms, its steep red corrugated iron roof topped by a white cross at the front gable. The sky-blue flag of the Fiji Islands flew from a white flagpole outside a building which could be the school. The land from here to the northern end of the island was a gently sloping mass of coconut palms, perhaps a productive plantation. To the south, the rugged hills supported a forest denser, taller and darker than any she had seen on a small island. Anil handed her a pair of binoculars. She pushed up her sunglasses and quickly adjusted the lenses. Trees towered, struggling to escape the creepers, enormous ferns and orchids that dragged them down.

  A scarlet light flashed across the lens. Startled, she glanced at Anil.

  ‘You’re lucky, that’s the red shining parrot, biggest parrot in Fiji,’ he said.

  ‘It was just like a light—a giant red shooting star!’

  ‘Yep, you’re lucky. The afternoon sun just caught the feathers. You know, Fijians used to keep them in cages and pluck the feathers for the fringes of mats? I don’t know when they switched to knitting wool but that sure was a good thing for the parrots.’

  A flock of children, raucous as parrots, ran down the beach to greet the newcomers and drag the dinghy up the beach. They shouted to Anil, demanding to know Susie’s identity. His revelation that the beautiful lady was a detective sergeant in the police produced incredulous gasps, moans and shrieks. A few boys cheekily saluted. Susie laughed and returned their salute, prompting more shrieks.

  ‘Where’s Steve?’ Anil asked. There was busy conferring in Fijian before the children’s spokesman gave their verdict in English.

  ‘We think he is in his house.’

  Anil smiled at her. ‘This way, Detective Sergeant.’

  ‘Steve isn’t from Delanarua, is he?’ Susie asked.

  ‘No, he’s from Vanua Levu.’

  ‘I don’t understand. Why’s he got a house here?’

  ‘Oh, right. No, it’s not really his. The village lets us use an empty house to store stuff. We can sleep there too if we need to stay overnight.’

  They broke off to greet villagers. The more curious children led the way and proudly announced the lady ovisa, their prize catch. The last house at the northern end of the village was a small orange weatherboard. Two figures emerged onto the front porch. One was very thin and so tall he had to stoop when crossing the threshold; the other was stocky and athletic-looking. Each had a small backpack slung over one shoulder.

  ‘Hey, Steve! Hey, Winston!’ Anil called. The two men waved and came down the front steps to meet the visitors. Anil made the introductions and they all shook hands. Winston Lee was one of the names on Paradise resort’s guest list—perhaps he was from Hong Kong. He was Chinese, at any rate: about forty, confident.

  ‘Hey Anil, I was hoping to get back to camp before you left, man, save you the trip. Winston turned up in a kayak and offered to take me back. Sorry.’ Steve seemed unduly apologetic given he had no way of communicating with the camp.

  ‘Sure, man, it’s cool.’

  She tried to reassure the awkward young man, who stared at his feet. ‘Not to worry, Steve. I’m investigating the sudden death of Akanisi Leletaku and you’re the last member of the scientific team to be interviewed.’

  Steve nodded without looking at her.

  ‘You’re helping with the sea krait study too, are you Mr Lee?’ Singh asked.

  ‘No, Ms Singh, I don’t like snakes much. I was hoping to go game-fishing this afternoon but all the trips were cancelled because of the storm. Kayaking’s one of my sports, so after the rain stopped I decided to paddle over here and do some photography for an hour or so.’

  ‘What do you like to photograph?’

  ‘Wildlife, but you’ve got to be lucky. I’m an opportunist really. If the wildlife’s being shy, I’ll photograph flowers.’

  ‘I expect Detective Constable Taleca spoke to you this morning?’ Singh asked.

  Lee nodded. ‘Yes, he did, and I wrote a statement for him. It’s a very sad business. I remember the girl well from my last two visits to Paradise and only wish I could help. But surely it was an accident, Ms Singh?’

  ‘That’s certainly one of the possibilities we’re considering, Mr Lee. But don’t let me hold you up.’ She turned to Steve. ‘Shall we talk inside the house?’

  ‘Oh no, no, I don’t think that would be good. I mean, everything’s a mess and. . .’ Steve looked anxiously at the other two men.

  Anil came to his rescue. ‘It really is a pigsty, I’m afraid, Sergeant. I’ll grab a couple of seats for you.’ In a few moments he placed two once-white plastic stools on the porch. ‘I’ll be on the beach when you’re done.

  18

  SUVA

  Horseman tapped on the superintendent’s door.

  ‘Sir, interim report from Matt Young on Akanisi Leletaku. More testing to be done, but drowning’s doubtful. She sustained a blow to her head and may have been dead or unconscious when she entered the water. She also had an abortion or suffered a miscarriage recently, Matt hasn’t determined yet.’

  Superintendent Navala looked grave. ‘Right. Suspicious death it is then. You’re SIO, Joe. Keep Singh and Taleca. I’ll get another two DCs as soon as possible. Liaise with the duty sergeant for uniform support as and when. Track down Dr Chakra?’

  ‘Not yet sir. I checked his surgery in town and his house up near the Japanese Embassy. I didn’t get anywhere and he’s still not answering my calls. I’m just about to check if he’s left the country.’

  The super raised his eyebrows, furrowing his wide brow. ‘Anything you need, Joe.’ This was a statement. They both knew he couldn’t deliver on it. Horseman interpreted it as moral support.

  He put in requests for passenger list information to Air Pacific, Virgin and Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines and all the inter-island carriers. He thought the airlines would be quicker than Customs and Immigration, but he also logged a request there, then dashed downstairs and bought a pumpkin and pea roti from the street vendor outside.

  A constable leered at him as he passed the front desk on his way back. ‘Your cute sergeant phoned. Must be missing you after only one night, eh?’

  Horseman faked a tolerant laugh. ‘Any message?’

  ‘Wanted to know about the PM.’

  ‘Okay. Anything else?’

  ‘Io, another female fan, Joe. Your mother requested your whereabouts and would like you to get in touch.’

  Oh Lord, he’d completely forgotten he’d promised t
o ring her. After yesterday’s fiasco with the welcome party back at the village, he should have made that his priority. Would she believe that Paradise Island was out of range? Possibly. Should he take the cowards’ way out? Definitely, it would make her feel better.

  As he expected, his call to his mother’s mobile was unsuccessful. He and his sisters had given it to their widowed mother on her birthday, but her extended visits to relatives in out-of-range places, and her long independence from the demands of telecommunication, had meant that she’d never really got used to it and mostly left it turned off. He left a contrite voice message and also sent a text, which he hoped she would accept as evidence of his belated effort.

  He thought of trying the public telephone in the village, but Fiji Telecom had positioned this facility so that unless someone just happened to be passing, no one could answer it before the caller gave up. Both callers and villagers had learned that the only practical use for the phone was for outgoing calls.

  But it was Monday, so he tried ringing the village school. Ignoring Horseman’s protestations, the genial principal immediately sent a child to fetch his mother to the school office. Horseman promised to ring back in fifteen minutes. It was unlikely the child would be successful, his mother had probably bustled off somewhere to organise a fund-raiser or deliver a baby. So he was surprised and relieved when she answered the school phone after one ring.

  ‘Mum, I’m so sorry I couldn’t ring yesterday, but it wasn’t possible. How was the lovo?’

  ‘I’m sure you can imagine, Joe. Everyone was so disappointed. They don’t really understand how police work is, you know.’

  ‘Mum, it sounds like you’ve been defending me. I can’t believe it!’ Actually, he could. Despite her constant criticism, he knew his mother would loyally defend him, and by extension the police, against all attacks.

  ‘Defending myself, more like it!’ she replied.

  It was a good sign she had relented sufficiently to engage in the banter they had enjoyed since his childhood, even more so since his father’s death had taken away her daily sparring partner.

  ‘Will you think I’m an old nag if I ask when we may expect you, Joe?

  ‘No, Mum, of course I won’t. But I can’t commit to a date, much as I want to. The super has now confirmed this death is suspicious and assigned it to CID here. I’m the senior investigation officer, and we’ll be flat out on it until it’s solved.’

  ‘Oh, good, you’ll crack it. You should be right for next Sunday then—here?’

  He smiled at his mother’s absurd faith in his abilities. ‘I’ll do my best, Mum, but it’s not within my control, you know. Nothing’s clear in this one yet. It’s likely we’ll still be working all hours next Sunday. Even if we’re getting nowhere, the super won’t start scaling back until next week.’

  Mrs Horseman’s indignation could not be mistaken. ‘No more should he—a poor girl is murdered and the police are allowed to give up because it’s too hard? What’s the world coming to?’

  ‘We’re not sure it was murder yet, Mum.’

  ‘Then I’d better leave you to get on with it, Joe, if you’re not even sure of that!’

  His mother’s logic eluded him, but he could count on her support. ‘Vinaka Mum. Please apologise again to everyone there. I can’t make any promise for next Sunday, so don’t make any preparations for me. I’ll ring you again in a day or two. Please thank the principal.’

  ‘Joe, just try for Sunday, all right? Set yourself a mental deadline.’

  ‘By the way Mum, charge your mobile battery and switch the thing on! Okay? Bula to everyone there. Moce Mum.’

  Horseman turned to see DC Taleca grinning at him. ‘Just back from Paradise! Sorry I didn’t make it in time to report to Mrs Horseman in person. How is she?’

  ‘Seems to be in fine form. I’m letting the family down because I couldn’t go to the welcome home lovo yesterday. How did it go on the island this morning?’

  ‘I spoke to all the guests. They’re all shocked, not in holiday mood any more. As far as I can tell, all of them wanted to cooperate, but no one saw Nisi after Saturday’s lunch.’

  ‘Pity. I’ve put requests in to all the airlines to check if Dr Chakra’s flown out. All on the running sheet. Can you follow them up in half an hour? I’m going to pay another visit to the good doctor’s surgery.’

  There was a knock on the open door. Horseman looked at the young man standing to attention and saluting before his desk. He was dressed in jeans and red Tribal Surfer T-shirt. His wavy hair and light skin placed his origins in the eastern Lau group of islands, whose people had inherited their Polynesian features through hundreds of years of trade and war with their Tongan neighbours.

  ‘Detective Constable Tanielo Musudroka, sir. Superintendent Navala has assigned me to your Paradise Island investigation, sir.’

  ‘Great! Welcome Detective Constable Musudroka, I badly need more people on this one. Stand easy, man. Tell me, how long have you been in CID?’

  ‘One week, sir. Two years at Ba in uniform, sir.’

  ‘I appreciate your discipline, Musudroka. But you’re no longer in uniform, and neither am I, so no saluting. Understood?’

  ‘Io, sir. Sorry. Habit, sir.’

  ‘But we can shake hands.’ The brand-new DC grasped his hand eagerly. ‘Is this your first suspicious death case?’

  ‘No sir, but my first in CID. In Ba, I was sometimes assigned to guarding the scene, taking statements and assisting the detectives.’ He offered this slight brush with detective experience with all the enthusiasm of a dog returning a stick to his master. If he’d had a tail, it would have been wagging wildly.

  ‘Good, you must have shown promise or you wouldn’t have been transferred to CID. Let me introduce you to DC Kelepi Taleca. He’ll fill you in and show you how you can help him.’

  On his way out, Horseman tapped on the super’s open door and put his head inside. The super looked up from the file he was reading, gazing over the top of his reading glasses.

  ‘Sir, vinaka for sending an extra detective so quickly. But is it possible to get another experienced officer who can hit the ground running? Tanielo’s been in CID just one week! Showing him the ropes is going to take too much time away from the case.’

  The older man smiled sardonically. ‘Is that right, Joe? I seem to remember an eager young officer not so many years ago who couldn’t wait to get into CID. Name of Josefa Horseman. We never regretted taking him in ahead of schedule. Tanielo’s got potential. Who better to show him the game than you? Isn’t it up to you how useful he turns out to be?’

  As Horseman paced along the same route he’d followed that morning, he regretted his impulsive approach to the super, who must have thought his behaviour intolerably arrogant. Why shouldn’t the new officer complain about being assigned to an SIO who had only been promoted to Detective Inspector the previous day? He realised all he had done was to lay bare his own lack of confidence. Too late now, but he wouldn’t do it again.

  19

  SUVA

  Mrs Nath was behind the reception counter of Dr Chakra’s consulting rooms. When she saw Horseman her lips pursed.

  ‘Good afternoon Mrs Nath. Have you spoken to Dr Chakra since I was here this morning?’

  ‘No, I have not. Did you really come back here just to ask me that?’

  The waiting patients all had their heads down, a sure sign their ears were straining. Mrs Nath turned on a radio that connected with a speaker in the opposite corner of the room. Their conversation was now masked by a plaintive country and western ballad.

  Horseman smiled. ‘I still haven’t been able to contact him, Mrs Nath. Thought I’d check with you again as I was passing the surgery. Perhaps he’s been in touch?’

  She sighed heavily. ‘No.’

  ‘I’ll just have a wor
d with Dr Pillai after his consultation, then, Mrs Nath.’

  She reached for the handset. ‘I’ll let him know.’

  Horseman cut in. ‘There’s really no need to disturb Dr Pillai’s consultation, Mrs Nath. I’ll introduce myself when he comes out.’

  He was glad when the door to the surgery opened and diminutive, shock-haired Dr Pillai ushered out a stout Fijian woman and a small boy in school uniform, his arm in plaster. The boy’s sullen face lit up when he recognised Horseman. Strengthened by the child’s smile, Horseman showed Dr Pillai his ID.

  ‘I’m sorry to interrupt your surgery, Doctor, but I’d be grateful if you could spare me a few minutes now on an urgent police matter.’

  The doctor smiled effusively. ‘Of course, Detective Inspector. Come this way. May I offer you cold water, tea, coffee? Mrs Nath will be pleased to prepare it for you.’

  Horseman doubted this. ‘Thank you, but no, Doctor.’

  ‘You know, nearly everyone in these islands is constantly dehydrated, Detective Inspector? True! We’re all depleted of energy as a result. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to have a drink, sir. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated! I wish all our athletes understood this—their performance would improve, without a doubt. Don’t you agree?’

  ‘I do indeed, Doctor. The national coach always insisted the team drink water more frequently.’

  ‘Glad to hear it. I’m a devoted rugby fan, absolutely devoted. I used to say I was the biggest rugby fan, but that inevitably provoked the response that in fact I must be the littlest fan, so I’ve stopped saying that. It’s a shame people are so predictable, don’t you think?’ He shook his head in disappointment, then pressed a button on the phone. ‘Please refill the cold water jug, Mrs Nath. No further phone calls or interruptions, if you please.’

  When the receptionist had silently placed a full jug on the white crochet tray cloth and just as silently retreated, Dr Pillai poured two glasses, leaned back in his chair and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Didn’t have the physique for rugby, myself. Probably didn’t have the guts, either, but as I was never picked for a team that quality was never tested. I was small and quick and drafted into soccer, but my heart was never in that game.’ He gazed out the window for a second or two, then smiled again at Horseman. ‘But I digress and impose on your valuable time, Detective Inspector. What brings you here? I hope I can help.’