Murder at Pope Investigations Read online

  Murder at

  Pope Investigations

  A Sand and Sea Mystery

  by

  Kathi Daley

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 by Katherine Daley

  Version 1.0

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  UP NEXT FROM KATHI DALEY BOOKS

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  Books by Kathi Daley

  Come for the murder, stay for the romance.

  Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:

  Halloween Hijinks

  The Trouble With Turkeys

  Christmas Crazy

  Cupid’s Curse

  Big Bunny Bump-off

  Beach Blanket Barbie

  Maui Madness

  Derby Divas

  Haunted Hamlet

  Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies

  Christmas Cozy

  Alaskan Alliance

  Matrimony Meltdown

  Soul Surrender

  Heavenly Honeymoon

  Hopscotch Homicide

  Ghostly Graveyard

  Santa Sleuth

  Shamrock Shenanigans

  Kitten Kaboodle

  Costume Catastrophe

  Candy Cane Caper

  Holiday Hangover

  Easter Escapade

  Camp Carter

  Trick or Treason

  Reindeer Roundup

  Hippity Hoppity Homicide

  Firework Fiasco

  Henderson House

  Holiday Hostage

  Lunacy Lake

  Celtic Christmas – December 2019

  Zimmerman Academy The New Normal

  Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings

  Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook

  Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery:

  Pumpkins in Paradise

  Snowmen in Paradise

  Bikinis in Paradise

  Christmas in Paradise

  Puppies in Paradise

  Halloween in Paradise

  Treasure in Paradise

  Fireworks in Paradise

  Beaches in Paradise

  Thanksgiving in Paradise – October 2019

  Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:

  Romeow and Juliet

  The Mad Catter

  Grimm’s Furry Tail

  Much Ado About Felines

  Legend of Tabby Hollow

  Cat of Christmas Past

  A Tale of Two Tabbies

  The Great Catsby

  Count Catula

  The Cat of Christmas Present

  A Winter’s Tail

  The Taming of the Tabby

  Frankencat

  The Cat of Christmas Future

  Farewell to Felines

  A Whisker in Time

  The Catsgiving Feast

  A Whale of a Tail

  The Catnap Before Christmas – December 2019

  Writers’ Retreat Mystery:

  First Case

  Second Look

  Third Strike

  Fourth Victim

  Fifth Night

  Sixth Cabin

  Seventh Chapter

  Eighth Witness

  Ninth Grave

  Rescue Alaska Mystery:

  Finding Justice

  Finding Answers

  Finding Courage

  Finding Christmas

  Finding Shelter – Early 2020

  A Tess and Tilly Mystery:

  The Christmas Letter

  The Valentine Mystery

  The Mother’s Day Mishap

  The Halloween House

  The Thanksgiving Trip

  The Saint Paddy’s Promise

  The Halloween Haunting – September 2019

  The Inn at Holiday Bay:

  Boxes in the Basement

  Letters in the Library

  Message in the Mantel

  Answers in the Attic

  Haunting in the Hallway – August 2019

  Pilgrim in the Parlor – October 2019

  Note in the Nutcracker – December 2019

  The Hathaway Sisters:

  Harper

  Harlow

  Hayden – Early 2020

  Haunting by the Sea:

  Homecoming by the Sea

  Secrets by the Sea

  Missing by the Sea

  Betrayal by the Sea

  Christmas by the Sea – Fall 2019

  Thanksgiving by the Sea – Fall 2020

  Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:

  Murder at Dolphin Bay

  Murder at Sunrise Beach

  Murder at the Witching Hour

  Murder at Christmas

  Murder at Turtle Cove

  Murder at Water’s Edge

  Murder at Midnight

  Murder at Pope Investigations

  Murder at Shell Beach - Early 2020

  A Cat in the Attic Mystery:

  The Curse of Hollister House – September 2019

  The Mystery Before Christmas – November 2019

  Seacliff High Mystery:

  The Secret

  The Curse

  The Relic

  The Conspiracy

  The Grudge

  The Shadow

  The Haunting

  Road to Christmas Romance:

  Road to Christmas Past

  Chapter 1

  Tuesday, June 25

  I should have been surprised to find the tall man with the dark skin and dark hair dead just inside the front door when I arrived at Pope Investigations, the detective agency where I work with my father, Keanu Pope, but he wasn’t the first gunshot victim I’d stumbled upon this month. He was, in fact, the third. The remains of the first gunshot victim had been found on the beach behind the oceanfront condo where I live with my cousin, Kekoa. My brother, Jason, a detective for the Honolulu Police Department, figured the murder was a random act that I’d just happened to have stumbled upon. When the second body was found propped up on the lifeguard tower at the Dolphin Bay Resort, where I’d been working just one day a week since taking a full-time position at the detective agency, my brother considered that I might be connected to both men in some way. Jason learned that the first victim was a retired Air Force Master Sergeant who was vacationing on Oahu, and the second was a nightclub owner living in Honolulu. As hard as he’d tried, he hadn’t been able to find a connection between the two men, or between the two men and me. After several days, he’d moved onto other theories. But now that a third victim had been found at the location where I spent the majority of my time, in my mind there was no denying that someone was leaving me bodies.

  After checking for a pulse to confirm that the man was actually dead, I called Jason, who promised to come right over. I was about to walk around to the beach in order to get away from the gruesome sight when a dark four-door sedan pulled into the drive. I realized this was my first client of the day, so I took a deep
breath and headed toward the car, intent on heading the woman off before she noticed the murder victim just inside the front door.

  “Hokulani Palakiko?” I asked, greeting the dark-haired woman who was wearing a colorful dress in a Hawaiian print.

  “Yes.” The woman leaned out through her open driver’s door window. “You can call me Hoku.”

  “My name is Lani. Lani Pope. I’m afraid we have a bit of a situation this morning, and I’m going to need to reschedule.”

  “Situation?” The woman looked toward the front of the building for the first time.

  “We’ve had a breakin,” I decided not to mention the dead body. “I’m so sorry for the inconvenience, but if you leave a number where you can be reached, I’ll call you with a new time to meet.”

  The woman furrowed her brow. “You do understand that my husband is missing?”

  I nodded. “Yes. My father filled me in.”

  “I understand that a breakin is inconvenient, but I would think that a missing person would be a bit more of a priority.”

  “Yes, I see your point. It is just that the HPD officer I spoke to told me to wait for him and not to touch anything. Perhaps we can meet later today. I’m not sure if it will work to meet here at the office, but I would be willing to meet you at your home.” I glanced at my watch. It was just ten o’clock now. “I should be done here by noon.”

  The woman frowned. She huffed out a breath, drummed her fingers on the steering wheel in front of her, and, it seemed, generally did everything she could to convey her annoyance. “Okay.” She adjusted her sunglasses and turned to look directly at me. “I guess two hours won’t make all that much difference, but I expect you to be prompt.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  The woman gave me her address, which luckily wasn’t far from the office. I hoped she’d be long gone before Jason arrived, so I entered her phone number and home address in my phone and promised to text her with a confirmation that I would be free by twelve once I spoke to the police. She hemmed and hawed a bit more, I was sure in an effort to make certain that I understood exactly how unhappy she was with the situation, but eventually, she pulled out of the drive and headed down the highway. Minutes after she pulled away, Jason pulled into the lot in front of Pope Investigations.

  I ran over to the car to greet my second oldest of five brothers. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

  Jason looked toward the house. “Is Dad here?”

  “He is on the South Shore this morning. I left him a message, but haven’t heard back from him. I’m not exactly sure who he is meeting, but he mentioned something about a new client.”

  “And the victim?”

  “Tall, male. Young looking, maybe mid-twenties. I’m pretty sure I don’t know the man, but he does look a little familiar. I’ve tried to remember where I might have seen him, but I came up empty.”

  Jason turned as another HPD cruiser showed up. “Okay. I think it is best that you wait out here. Colin and I will have a look.”

  “I have to leave for another appointment at eleven-thirty. I can come back after I’m done if need be. I’m sure Dad will head over once he gets my message.”

  Jason nodded. “Okay. I’ll come back out and talk to you once I have a chance to assess the situation. Maybe you can just wait on the lanai.

  “Okay. I’ll be there. If you need me, holler.”

  After Jason went inside, I sat down on a patio chair and checked my messages. There was one from my dentist reminding me that it was time for a checkup and cleaning; a text from my boss at the Dolphin Bay Resort where I still worked on Saturdays as a water safety officer, letting me know he had made up the schedule for the Fourth of July and that I was going to be needed for a ten hour shift; and a missed call from Dad. I opened my phone app and called him back. He picked up on the first ring.

  “Hi, Dad. Did you get my message?”

  “I did. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Jason and Colin are here. I’m waiting outside.”

  Dad blew out a breath loud enough for me to hear, although, without corresponding facial cues, I was unable to tell if it was a breath of relief, anxiety, or irritation.

  “Three murder victims in three weeks all placed so as to make it likely that they’d be found by you is not a coincidence. I’m not liking this one bit. I think we should talk to Jason about protective custody for you.”

  “No, thanks,” I responded immediately. “I can take care of myself.”

  Dad didn’t argue but I had a feeling this conversation was not over.

  “Is Kekoa there with you?” He asked.

  Kekoa worked full-time for the Dolphin Bay Resort and part-time for us answering phones and taking care of the filing and bookkeeping.

  “No. She planned to be in this afternoon. I’ll call her and let her know not to bother to come in today.”

  “I just finished up here and am on my way back. I should be there in an hour.”

  “Just so you know,” I added, “the new client with the missing husband you told me about showed up after I arrived but before Jason pulled in. I met her at her car and told her we’d had a breakin. I didn’t mention the murder. She agreed to meet with me at her home later today since the office was unavailable. I am meeting her at noon.”

  “I guess that will be okay. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of you meeting clients at their homes unless I am along, but Hokulani Palakiko seems harmless enough, and I know she is concerned about her husband. I should be back by the time you return from the interview so we can discuss a strategy later this afternoon.”

  “Okay.”

  “And Lani. Be careful. I know that you are a capable young woman, but it seems as if you have somehow garnered the attention of a very dangerous person who has already killed three people and most likely won’t hesitate to kill again.”

  “I know. I’ll be careful.” After I hung up with Dad, I got up from the patio chair and walked out onto the beach. I let the warm water roll over my bare feet and then called Kekoa to fill her in. I explained about the breakin and the body inside the entry and suggested she hold off coming in to take care of the bookkeeping until tomorrow. Like everyone else, she was concerned that this serial killer seemed to be focused in on me, but I assured her I would be fine and we would talk later.

  Jason walked out the back door and onto the beach just as I was finishing my conversation with Kekoa. “So?” I asked.

  “The victim was shot at close range with what looks to have been a small caliber handgun. We’ll know more when we get the ballistics report back. It appears, based on lack of blood spatter, that the man was shot elsewhere and then dumped the same as the other two. With this third victim, I am more convinced than ever that you are somehow at the center of whatever is going on. We might want to consider protective custody. Did you get ahold of Dad?”

  I nodded. “He is on his way from the South Shore, and there is no way I am going to sit around in a safe house when there is some wacko running around killing people and then leaving the remains for me like some sort of a sick gift. I need to meet with our new client, but I will come back when I’m done, and we can talk about this some more. I’m not sure what I can tell you that would help you to figure out who is doing this, but I am certain that we need to find the guy before he kills again.”

  “I agree. And we’ll talk some more about protective custody when I am done here as well.”

  I was never going to agree to protective custody. I knew it, and he knew it, so I didn’t bother to argue. I simply said my goodbyes and headed toward my car. Having a missing person to look for seemed like a distraction at this point, but Hoku was our client, and she was paying us good money to find her husband, who I was fairly sure she was more than just a little worried about.

  I followed the directions provided by the Maps app on my phone to a large two-story house located in a nice neighborhood just a few blocks from the sea. Hoku’s car was in the drive, so I pulled up on the street
. One of these days, I was going to trade in my old Jeep for something that wasn’t older than I was, but I never seemed to have enough income to deal with car payments, so a new car would need to wait.

  I walked up the shrub-lined walkway toward the covered porch. I rang the bell and then waited.

  “Oh good, you came,” the woman said, stepping aside. “Is your father with you?”

  “He couldn’t make it, but he does plan to consult with me about a strategy once I get the basic information we will need to begin our search.”

  The woman frowned. “I see. How old are you?”

  “Old enough,” I assured her. Being a small woman, barely five feet in height, often led people to believe I was younger than I actually am. I pulled out a notepad and pen. “Is there somewhere you would like to sit while we chat?”

  “How about out on the lanai? It is a beautiful day today. Not at all as hot as it has been.”

  I had to agree with that. It was a beautiful day. “So I have your husband’s name, age, and occupation, but I’d like to go over everything again to make sure there are no errors.”

  “Okay.”

  I read my notes which told me that Kinsley Palakiko was a sixty-eight-year-old retired airline pilot who was last seen on Saturday around lunchtime when he left his home to do errands. He never came home. Hoku called and spoke to my father yesterday when her husband still had not called or shown up. He’d completed a basic questionnaire over the phone. He’d traced the man’s phone, tracked his credit cards, and conducted a GPS search for his car. It was determined that the phone had been turned off, the GPS on the car was disabled, and the credit cards had not been used. We did live on an island, and the man was a retired airline pilot, so Dad checked with the airlines that served the island, but none reported activity from Kinsley in over a month. Hoku verified that the two of them had gone to the mainland for a week just about a month ago and that neither of them had traveled from the island since.

  “If your husband felt the need to get away and didn’t want to be found for whatever reason, where would he go?” I asked.

  “You think my husband is off having some sort of a fling?”