Big Island Blues

by Terry Ambrose

  Brandon glanced at where I’d pointed. “Got a name?”

  “Art Swenson. He was trying to steal an expensive guitar, a Martin D-18, from a man named Shaw Hardy, who is that girl’s biological father.” I gestured at the car with my other hand. “I can give you names, dates, places and the motive if you’d like. Haiku will tell you the truth, too. Won’t you?” I glared at him.

  “Maybe you’re right,” he said with a shrug. “I can’t lie to the police. What he told you is true. I thought I could help Shaw out, but maybe the best thing is to let you guys deal with this. I don’t want to see him go to jail, either. I loaned him my car so he could chase down this Marylyn. Can you guys bring him in before something bad happens?”

  Lee flipped to a blank page in a little note pad. “Is it your blue Honda?”

  Haiku nodded.

  “Are you kidding me?” I bellowed. “That piece of shit that almost ran us off the road was yours?”

  “Hey, brah, there’s nothing wrong with my car. It’s just a little dent in the front end.”

  “Dent? It looks like it got hit by a train.”

  “Nah, man.” Haiku dismissed my criticism with a wave of his hand. “I’ve been working on it. Takes time, you know?”

  “For how long?” I asked. “Ten years? Never mind. You loaned him that thing? As in, on purpose? You gave him the keys willingly and told him to take it?”

  “Yeah. It was a bad move.”

  Lee’s lips were tight as he made a quick note. “Cousin, we can’t stop someone from driving your car just because you had a change of heart. But, this Shaw Hardy did flee a crime scene. We’ve got shooting victims and no weapon. Is he carrying an unauthorized firearm?”

  At first, I thought Haiku might once again try to cover up for Shaw, but he told the truth. Everything was starting to roll downhill on Shaw Hardy. I suspected whatever happiness he’d come to find might soon be lost.

  From that point on, it became pretty routine. More cops arrived as Haiku and Andi gave their statements. Alexander and I gave ours. The sun climbed higher over the horizon as processing of the crime scene jumped into full swing. It seemed pointless to tell these guys about the guitar curse because we still didn’t know who was behind it. With my Kimu encounter still fresh in my mind, I suspected we were close to finding that person. All I had to do was decipher Kimu’s message.

  On the drive to Benni’s, Andi and Haiku fell asleep in the back seat almost immediately. While Alexander drove to the main highway, I called Tiny. When he answered, I said, “I need a favor.” Hopefully, I wasn’t too late to stop Shaw from making a huge mistake.

  Back on the Mamalahoa Highway heading to Kona, I watched for the ocean on our left. When it came into view, I longed to return to Honolulu so I could again be anonymous in the hustle and bustle of our metropolitan craziness. As we moved inland, the ocean gave way to trees, homes, and the trappings of civilization.

  To our right, hills filled with coffee trees towered above us. This was a lonely drive despite the traffic that grew heavier with each mile traveled on this rock formed from massive and relentless volcanic activity. These days, my life felt as though it had turned into one gigantic eruption with only the occasional reprieve from the dark side of the islands.

  Andi awoke as we entered the outskirts of Kona. “Is Mom mad at me?”

  Alexander smiled into the rear view mirror. “She gonna be happy to see you.”

  Over my shoulder, I saw that Haiku was still sound asleep. We rode in silence until we were approaching the Kuakini Highway. That’s when Andi woke Haiku and he asked us to drop him at his daughter’s place. Ten minutes later, we were at Benni’s. Alexander hadn’t even finished parking when Benni rushed down the steps to greet us.

  Andi burst into tears in her mother’s arms. They hugged and cried and apologized for what seemed an eternity. Alexander and I stood around like fifth wheels as we watched the reunion. Finally, Benni pulled away from Andi and embraced Alexander. He pulled her into one of his bear hugs. Alexander’s ohana were safe. It felt good to know I’d played a part, but I was still the outsider.

  I was surprised when Benni turned her attention to me and took my hands in hers. “McKenna,” she said. Her eyes brimmed with moisture and her lower lip trembled. “How can I ever thank you?”

  My throat tightened. The pounding in my chest drowned out all my thoughts. I swallowed hard. “I think you just did.”

  She kissed me on the cheek and winked. “We’ll see.”

  The look in her eyes again left me trying to remember how to breathe. My mind was empty. Barren. Just like one of the many lava flows we’d crossed on our journey. Somehow, a coherent thought came out of my mouth. “Maybe we all should go inside? You two probably have a lot to talk about.” Holy shit, this was my best friend’s sister I’d fallen for. It was too late. My emotions were headed directly into an emotional train wreck. Maybe someday this casualty would recover.

  Alexander tapped Benni on the shoulder. He looked as though he might fall over now that the driving and drama were done. “C’mon, Sis. I need some sleep.”

  Come to think of it, I didn’t feel so hot myself. We went inside and everybody sat around the living room talking about the entire ordeal, but one by one, we started dropping off. Alexander was out almost immediately, then Andi, and finally Benni. Her eyes drifted closed, then jerked open as she fought against exhaustion. Soon, however, she also succumbed. Loneliness stole away the last of my energy and dragged me into a fitful sleep. The last thing I remember was the image of golden coins sparkling all around me.

  About an hour later, noises from the kitchen woke me. Andi and Benni were trying to be quiet, but the clinking of glasses had given them away. Alexander was still out, sleeping soundly. Rather than feeling exhausted at the lack of sleep, my pulse raced just a bit with the realization that I was finally beginning to understand what Kimu had been telling me.

  “My brother can sleep through anything.” Benni had spoken in a whisper, though, apparently unwilling to test her theory.

  I motioned for them both to follow me to the lanai. Once again, Kimu had laid everything out. Much like a secret code, I had yet to decipher more than bits and pieces. “I know it’s been a long time Benni, but what can you tell me about the second robber?”

  Her eyes widened? “From twenty years ago?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s all such a blur.”

  “Come on,” I begged. “There was a lot happening. I’d think the memories would be vivid.”

  She scrunched up her face. “The second one was small. They both wore ski masks.” She stared off into space for a second. “You know, it’s funny the things you notice, but he had small feet. I guess I was avoiding eye contact.”

  I hadn’t noticed Marylyn’s feet in the surf shop. Only her hair. A wild redhead with kinky curly hair was the best way I could describe her. Had she been the other robber? “Could it have been a woman?”

  Benni shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s so long ago.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bird flying toward us. He landed on the railing. It was another damn cardinal. Those brilliant red feathers were beginning to piss me off. “Go away!” I waved my hands high in the air.

  The bird turned his head from side to side, then hopped up and down.

  “What’s wrong?” Benni grabbed my arm.

  “It’s him,” I squeaked, pointing at the cardinal.

  The bird cocked his head to one side and began to sing.

  Simultaneously, Andi and Benni asked, “Who?”

  “He won’t leave me alone. I dreamt about him last night. I’m possessed.” My voice was no more than a whisper. I hissed at the bird. “I’ve got it, dammit. Leave me alone!”

  Andi looked completely baffled, but Benni asked, “Kimu?” A second later, she turned to face the cardinal. She extended her hand with one finger out. “Come here, birdie. Are you trying to tell McKenna something?”

  Our visitor h
opped away from Benni’s finger. His head jerked from side to side before he flew away.

  Benni turned back to me with a smile on her face. “See, it was just a wild bird. Nothing to worry about.”

  Oh, crap. One of two things was going on. Either Kimu was talking only to me, or the Big Island had driven me over the edge and I’d become one of the local nut jobs.

  Andi put a hand on my arm. “Mr. McKenna, I believe you, even if my mom is making fun of our traditions.”

  “Thanks.” I patted her hand and smiled. I wasn’t about to tell her I was seriously considering getting the phone number for Warren’s shrink. I figured he’d have an opening for a new patient now that Warren was gone. “Andi, did you see the woman’s feet at South Point? Did Warren know either of them?”

  She thought for a moment. “I think he knew the woman. It was so strange, because when he first saw her, he said a name. What was it? Millie? Mandy?”

  “Marylyn?” I asked.

  Her eyes lit up. “That was it, Marylyn!” She fingered the green amulet around her neck for a few seconds. “He said it again just before he passed on. That’s when Shaw seemed to recognize her, too. He said, ‘It was you.’ She already had the gun by then and kept waving it between Shaw—I mean, my dad—and me. I think he didn’t shoot because he was afraid she might shoot back.”

  I nodded. “You’re almost right. He was afraid she’d shoot you. Shaw thinks his life is over anyway. He was determined to see you get home safely.” I wasn’t about to tell anyone that Shaw was probably on a weapons run and then heading off to find Marylyn. This family had already endured so much with Andi’s disappearance that I couldn’t bear to burden them with more. With Alexander out of the picture from sheer exhaustion, I needed to bring in reinforcements. Thank goodness there was someone on the island who would be perfect for the job. I just hoped she’d help me out.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Benni agreed to drive me to the High Tide Surf Shop while Alexander slept. I didn’t expect Marylyn to be there, but surely Sam Burroughs knew where she lived. The moment we were on the road, I dug out my cell phone and wallet. The scrap of paper on which Harris, or rather, Roxy, had written her number was right where I’d left it.

  “Who are you calling?” Benni asked.

  “An old friend I ran into.” The last thing I wanted was for her to suspect what I was doing. “I’ll tell you the story sometime.”

  Her brow furrowed. I assumed she wondered why I didn’t give her the details now. The problem was, if I did, she’d probably drive straight to the airport and put me on the first plane back to Honolulu. The phone rang three times before Roxy picked up.

  “Hey, McKenna. I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you again. What’s up?”

  Until this moment, I’d wondered if anything Roxy had said was true. It was time to see if maybe I really did have another friend. “Remember how you said you owed me a favor? Anytime, anyplace. I think that’s what you said.”

  She laughed. Oh how I’d missed that laugh. Legs—no, Harris—no, Roxy—or whoever she was, still made me feel like I was going on an adventure. I dared not call her Legs again, at least not with Skip around. I figured he could pull me apart faster than a cinnamon roll at a late Sunday buffet. I heard her say something away from the phone.

  I felt terrible. They were probably doing something fun like eloping or having an afternoon quickie or robbing a bank. “Look, if this is a bad time.”

  “We’re good with it. Where and when?”

  My jaw fell. Uh, she was going to bring Skippy? The good news was, that meant more manpower. I could work with that. “Meet me at the High Tide Surf Shop in Kona in—when can you get there?”

  “We’re about a block away. Just walking the streets like all the other sweaty tourists. Skip’s looking for board shorts. We’ll meet you inside.”

  “Cool.” But, what I felt like saying was “Crap.” The Skipman would look better in board shorts than I’d look in a tux. Talk about unfair.

  When I hung up the phone, Benni’s jaw was tight. She watched the road for a few seconds, then asked, “What can I do to help?”

  “Be with your daughter. Be safe. I couldn’t stand it if—I mean, we worked so hard to get Andi back. You should be with her.”

  Her smile faded and the hurt in her eyes cast a shadow on my heart. I reached out and touched her shoulder. When she looked at me, her smile was back. “Yes?”

  “I’m so glad we met. You’ve been a great friend.”

  She gritted her teeth and jerked her attention back to the road. “Meh!”

  I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but it didn’t look good. By the time Benni dropped me off, her mood had softened, but she still glared at me. “Be careful,” she said between tight lips.

  This was one of those no-win moments I hated the most. If I said the right thing to Benni, Alexander might hate me for making a move on his sister. The flip side was if I said the wrong thing, Benni would view me as a callous haole who belonged anywhere but here. Talk about complicated. I thanked her, excused myself, and walked to the surf shop. I’d been so caught up in being around Benni that I hadn’t considered how I’d cash in my favor with Roxy. If she even showed.

  I arrived at the High Tide, still flummoxed by this mess I called a life. Inside, Roxy held up the gaudiest pair of board shorts I’d ever seen. A couple of aisles away, the Stud was shaking his head. She laughed and thrust the shorts higher and gestured in his direction. Right now, I was starting to feel sorry for the guy. How could he ever wear those things and live it down?

  Sam Burroughs was nowhere to be seen. Marylyn wasn’t around either, but that didn’t surprise me. I suspected she was working on her getaway plan, not her crappy job. Everything depended on Sam. If he would give up Marylyn’s address, we might be in time to stop her. If we were too late and she made it off this rock, she’d become impossible to find without a massive search. The chicken alarm announced my arrival.

  Skip didn’t say a word, but his eyes darted in my direction. Roxy turned and held the shorts out. “Hey mister, don’t you think these would be good for my boyfriend?”

  Did I want Sam to know we were together or not? Maybe not. Maybe Roxy could be a friend of Marylyn’s from off island? No, Burroughs would see through that. I still hadn’t decided how to handle this when a pair of rough hands thrust me to one side.

  “Hey!” The racks of clothing gave me a soft place to right myself. When I turned, ready to chew out the asshole who had shoved me aside, I was stunned. “Son of a bitch.” It was Shaw.

  His eyes were stone cold as he approached. “This is going to get ugly. Leave. Now.”

  To one side, I noticed Roxy surreptitiously point at Shaw, then work her thumb as she held out two fingers. I got the message. Shaw had a gun in his waistband.

  “Let me find Marylyn. I can get the information from Burroughs.”

  “He’ll talk.” Shaw’s jaw was set.

  I whispered. “There are witnesses. Killing Burroughs won’t get you Marylyn.”

  “What happens to me doesn’t matter. But this is not your fight. Go back to Honolulu before you get hurt.”

  Beyond Shaw, I saw Burroughs making his way through the racks. Our raised voices must have gotten his interest. He stopped, his eyes locked on Shaw.

  Roxy held up another wild pair of shorts. She yelled across the store to Skip. “Hey honey, how about these?”

  Flicking through clothes on a rack, Skip called back in an equally loud voice. “No! I told you. Sensible.”

  Under his breath, Shaw swore. “Goddamn tourists.”

  “You don’t want to spoil their vacation,” I said.

  Roxy held up a plain beige pair of shorts. “Honey, try these on.” All of a sudden, she was in Shaw’s face with the shorts. “You look like a local, mister. Do you guys really dress like this? Don’t you wear more fun stuff?”

  Shaw spat back, “Head back to Kansas, Dorothy.” He tried to move away, but Roxy side
stepped with him.

  “There’s no need to be rude.” Her voice rose until it was shrill. “I thought you people were all about the aloha spirit. You don’t sound any different than the jerks in LA.”

  “Enough!” Shaw waved her off with a flip of his hand.

  Roxy tossed the board shorts at Shaw’s face. He grabbed them in the air, but as he was throwing them away, Skip took a couple of quick steps and pulled the gun from the waistband of Shaw’s pants. Shaw spun on his heel to face Skip. “What the hell are you doing back there?” When he saw the gun, his jaw dropped.

  “You should always leave the safeties on. I could have put a bullet in your ass without even realizing it.” Skip leveled the gun at Shaw.

  Shaw’s hand instinctively went to his back in one of those silly human-reaction moves that makes us feel foolish after the fact, but it was obvious he already knew he’d been disarmed. His eyes flicked from Skip’s face to the gun.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Skip shook his head. He pointed the gun, both arms extended, his confidence apparent. “I’m an expert marksman. Now, I think you owe my friends an apology. You’ve behaved quite badly.”

  “You won’t pull the trigger.” Shaw took a step forward, but stopped when Skip cocked the gun.

  “You’re a bigger fool than you look, cowboy. My preferred weapon is the Sig Sauer .351, but the M1911’s a classic. Sweet. Your problem is you can’t jump without at least flexing your knees. That quarter second is all I need to take aim at this distance. I would think you’d know the .45 will destroy your kneecap faster than your muscles can respond. I guarantee you, it will only take one shot and you’ll never ride a horse again.”

  Roxy pulled me to one side so I was clearly out of the way. Her voice was matter-of-fact. “Look at his eyes, mister. There’s no fear. He’ll pull the trigger without hesitation. I’ve seen him do it.”

  I don’t know if Shaw was buying this macho crap, but I sure was. What I saw in Skip was cold resolve. I looked at him and said, “I never want to mess with you.” At that point, I looked over my shoulder, but Sam was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Sam?” I asked.