Murder at Pope Investigations Read online

  I glanced out toward the sea. I could feel the tightness in my chest. “Do you think that is what you might do?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. It’s too early to tell. I don’t think Mom is ready to deal with anything like that at this point, so for now, I guess I’m in a waiting game of sorts.” Luke took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m sorry this is taking so long. I wish I had a firm date for you as to when I might be back, but I don’t. All I can say is that it won’t be anytime soon.”

  A single tear rolled down my cheek. “I know. And I understand. If you are able to reschedule your visit, let me know.”

  “I don’t suppose you want to come to Texas?”

  I considered the idea. “No. Now is not a good time. Besides, you are a very busy man. The last time I was there, I barely saw you and all those cows really freaked me out. I just don’t think that Texas and I are very compatible.” I stood up and walked out onto the beach. I slipped off my slippers and let my feet sink into the hot sand. “I probably should go. Busy day today and all that.”

  “Yeah, me too. I’ll try to call you tomorrow if I can. If not, the following day for sure.”

  I knew he wouldn’t, but I still found myself saying that I looked forward to his call before I hung up and slipped my cell back into my pocket. The fact that Luke had become so entangled in his family ranch wasn’t his fault. I knew that he would rather be here, but the more time that went by, the more I could see that returning to Hawaii on any sort of a permanent basis was simply not going to be in the cards for him. I thought of Kekoa in LA saying a final goodbye to Cam, and wondered if I shouldn’t take a similar trip to Texas, but while Kekoa seemed ready to make that trip, I wasn’t sure that I was.

  I knew what was coming, and while I wouldn’t have chosen any of this for Luke or me, or Luke’s family for that matter, sometimes life puts up roadblocks, and the only choice is a change in direction whether the change fits with your long term plan or not. Deep in my heart, I knew that clinging to even the small shred of hope I had left would only make things harder in the long run. Maybe I should throw in the towel and end things with Luke the way Kekoa was ending things with Cam. It would be incredibly painful in the short term, but in the long run, it might make things easier on everyone.

  “Everything okay?” Shredder asked after walking up behind me.

  I used the back of my hand to wipe the tears from my cheek. “Everything is fine. Were you able to speak to Samantha Jones?”

  “No, but I was able to let myself into her cottage. The maid was only two buildings down, so I didn’t want to take a lot of time, but I found a contract between Samantha and Walter Evans which detailed the fact that he was being recruited to provide international air service for her clients between private airstrips in several cities in Asia, Honolulu, and the Main Land. We already knew this, but I also found an email from Evans letting Samantha know that he planned to terminate their contract after learning the details about the cargo he was to transport for Tatsuo. Evans wasn’t specific in his email as to what the cargo he objected to consisted of, but I did find a return email to Evans from Samantha letting him know that the penalty for early termination of the contract would be severe. She persuaded Evans to meet with her to discuss the matter. It looks as if the meeting she set up was to take place here on Oahu the day before you found Evans’ body on the beach. Furthermore, I found an email from Samantha to Tatsuo, letting him know that they might need to replace Evans and that she would start to look for someone with the unique qualifications they needed right away.”

  “Okay, everything you just told me fits the theory we’ve come up with. How do we use that information to prove that Samantha Jones either killed Walter Evans or had him killed and that Palakiko was hired to replace him?”

  “We need to link Samantha Jones to Walter Evans’ death. In her email to Evans, she mentioned a place called Devil’s Door. Does that ring a bell?”

  “Sure. Devil’s Door is the name of a neighboring island. The island is uninhabited and rarely visited. The only reason anyone ever really goes there is because there is a deep pool in the middle of the island that is said to be so deep that the devil himself used the pool as a doorway to pass between earth and hell.”

  “How long would it take to go there?”

  “It depends on the speed of the boat used to access the island, but if you have a decent boat, we can get there in two and a half to three hours. It’ll take as long to get back, and it is already almost two o’clock now, so we might want to visit the island tomorrow when we can get an early start.”

  “I can arrange for a chopper. Let me make a call. If the island is three hours away by boat, we should be able to get there in a fraction of the time by air.”

  I waited while Shredder stepped away and made a call. He hung up and then called someone else. After the second call he made was complete, he returned to my side, took my hand, and headed toward the parking lot.

  “So did you get a chopper?”

  “I did. The pilot’s name is Dawson. Don’t ask a lot of questions about how we know each other. He won’t be able to answer you, and it might create an awkward situation since Dawson is the friendly sort who won’t be comfortable with a lie.”

  “Got it. Dawson is one of your spy buddies.”

  Shredder shot me a lopsided grin which seemed to indicate that I didn’t know the half of it.

  As Shredder had indicated he would be, Dawson was a friendly guy who had lived and worked on the islands for over twenty years. He’d been to Devil’s Door before and seemed to know exactly where to land. He offered to wait for us while Shredder and I had a look around. Shredder promised to be back within two hours, so Dawson found a shady spot and settled in for a nap.

  Devil’s Door was a small island. Mostly round in shape, it was only a few miles or so across and was mostly barren. A deep pool of salt water was near the middle of the island. I supposed the only explanation was that the land mass was shaped like a donut with a hole in the center which opened up to the sea.

  Shredder began to walk slowly away from the site where Dawson had landed the chopper. He seemed to be looking for something. Perhaps footprints? A good wind or rain would most likely have destroyed any prints that would have existed more than three weeks ago, but I supposed that if you wanted to find a clue as to what might have gone on, looking down at the ground was probably our best option.

  After looking around for less than twenty minutes, Shredder held up a hand and stopped walking.

  “Did you find something?” I asked.

  “Blood. A lot of it.”

  Shredder took the small daypack he wore off. He took out a pair of gloves and a baggie and began gathering leaves from the ground which were covered with dry blood.

  “I guess if we can match the DNA from the blood to Evans’ DNA, we’ll have that piece of the puzzle solved at least.” I looked around. “I wonder why Samantha had Evans come all the way out here.”

  “I don’t know, and at this point, we don’t know this blood even belonged to Evans. For all we know, the blood could even have come from an animal.” Shredder pointed. “Let’s head over there.”

  Forty minutes later, Shredder and I found a small wooden building which looked to be built into the side of the cliff that occupied the northern end of the island. At first, the building appeared to be abandoned, but once we got closer, we were able to see that a heavily armed man wearing fatigues was standing near the entrance.

  “What could possibly be in that shed that would warrant an armed guard in this remote location?” I asked Shredder.

  “I don’t know, but the chances are the man with the gun saw us land and has most likely alerted whomever he checks in with.” Shredder looked around. “We should probably go. We can return by boat after dark. If we approach on the far side of the island, we can probably take a look around without anyone knowing we’re here.”

  “Okay. That sounds like a good plan.”

  Shredder
and I hurried back to the chopper since we really had no idea what sort of backup the man at the shed might have called for, and at this point, we had exactly zero weapons. Dawson wasn’t happy about being woken up from his nap, but after we explained the urgency of taking off before reinforcements arrived, he quickly sprang into action. Once we arrived back on Oahu, Shredder arranged for a boat, and I arranged for Brody to dogsit Sandy and Riptide overnight. Of course, that brought up questions as to where Shredder and I were going that would require overnight dog care, but I simply told him that Shredder was helping me with one of the cases Pope Investigations was working on and left it at that. I considered letting Jason know where we were going, but he’d probably forbid me from going, so I decided not to.

  Chapter 15

  We timed it to arrive at Devil’s Door just as the darkness of night set in. Shredder anchored offshore, and we used a dinghy to row in. Once we arrived on the beach, we set off toward the opposite side of the island where we’d seen the small structure earlier in the day. I noticed that Shredder wore a much larger pack on his back tonight than he’d worn earlier in the day and wondered what sort of supplies he might have thought to bring. Shredder wanted to avoid using flashlights while we were out in the open, and luckily, it was a clear night, so we were able to navigate by the light of the moon alone.

  I heard a rustling in the tall grass but decided it must be the wind. The island had no fresh water, so it wasn’t home to any animals. We walked briskly so we would have the time we needed to assess the situation and then come up with a plan. By the time we made our way around to the small structure, it was completely dark. The structure, like the surrounding landscape, was dark as well. I didn’t suppose the structure had power unless it was sun or wind generated.

  “So, what now?” I asked Shredder as we stopped behind a small dune, and he studied the structure with his binoculars.

  “We need to get closer. I don’t see anyone, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anyone around. We’ll need to move quietly, and stay in the shadows as much as is possible.”

  I looked around at the barren landscape. “There isn’t a lot to hide behind.”

  “True, but the structure is built into the side of the cliff, so I’m going to suggest we approach from behind. We’ll need to circle back and then come inland.”

  I nodded. “Lead the way, and I’ll keep up.”

  Shredder looked down at my feet. “No. I want you to wait here. You’ve been a real trooper today, but I have a feeling you must be in a lot of pain by now.” He handed me a pair of binoculars and a handheld radio. “The radio is a short-range radio which is on a closed frequency that only we can hear. I want you to keep an eye on the front of the building. Let me know if you see any sign of life.”

  I really hated being left behind, but my feet were throbbing by this point, so I nodded and then verbally agreed to the plan. I felt a moment of panic as Shredder disappeared from the site, but then I reminded myself that no one knew we were here and I’d be fine as long as I stayed silent and out of sight.

  Waiting was boring. After thirty minutes, I found myself wishing there was someone lurking around who I could watch. Of course, things would go a lot smoother if the man who had been on the island earlier had left, but smoother and exciting were usually on opposite sides of the coin.

  After sixty minutes passed, I heard Shredder’s voice over the radio. “I’m in position. Do you see anything?”

  I was about to answer no when I noticed a figure approaching the small structure from the opposite end of the beach where we’d landed. “Yes. There is someone. A single individual. Male, I think. He is carrying a canvas bag.”

  “What is he doing?”

  “He’s approaching the structure.” I swallowed hard. “Now, he is opening the door. He went inside.”

  “Damn.”

  “Maybe he is just checking on things. Maybe he will leave soon.”

  “Keep an eye on the building. I’ll stay where I am for a few minutes.”

  After about five minutes, the man came out of the building with two other people. Both women. The man and the women he now had with him headed toward the beach. I radioed Shredder to tell him what was going on.

  “Okay, I’m going to head in the direction of the beach. I want to see where they are going.”

  “I’m closer to the beach. I’ll take a look,” I said. “You check the shed before he comes back.”

  With that, I turned and hurried back toward the beach where we’d landed earlier in the day. I tried to stay low so as not to be seen. The man I was following seemed focused on the women, so I sort of doubted he’d notice me anyway. Once I arrived at the last little set of dunes before the beach flattened out, I squatted down and focused the binoculars Shredder had given me. The man shoved the two women into a rubber raft and then rowed out to a larger boat. There was another man on the boat who helped the two women onto the deck, and then the man in the raft started back toward the shore while the man in the larger boat took off with the women.

  I quietly shared what I’d seen with Shredder.

  “There are five women in a cell in the shed,” Shredder said. “I’m going to get them out and then head toward the dinghy. You need to make your way to the dinghy as quickly as possible.”

  “The man with the raft is coming back.”

  “We’ll need a distraction.” Shredder paused. “Okay, come back to the structure. Get here as quickly as you can.”

  “On my way.” I took off at a run in spite of the fact that each step resulted in a bolt of pain up my leg. I got back to the shed just as the man in the raft was pulling it up onto the beach. Shredder was waiting with the five women, who he’d managed to free. He said something to them in a language I didn’t understand and then he looked at me.

  “Get these women to the dinghy as quickly as you can. I’ll meet you there. If I don’t make it back to the dinghy by the time our friend from the raft shows up, leave, and get them to the boat.”

  “But...”

  “Just do it. Now go. And hurry.”

  With that, I nodded at the women and waved for them to follow me. They hesitated, but Shredder said something in their language and they started after me. They were thin and looked to be barely able to walk, let alone run. I just hoped they’d keep up and I hoped Shredder would do whatever it was he was going to do and meet me by the time we arrived at the dinghy.

  The women were obviously terrified, but they managed to keep up with me better than I expected. Of course, with my feet in the state they were in, I wasn’t exactly moving along at my top speed. When we were maybe halfway between the structure where the women had been detained, and the dinghy, a huge explosion pierced the night sky. The explosion came from the general location of the structure, although if I had to guess, it most likely originated behind the little dunes where Shredder had been hiding. Saying a silent prayer that he was okay and on his way to meet us, I picked up the pace just a bit.

  We arrived at the dinghy before Shredder, so as instructed, I loaded the women and headed out to where the boat was anchored. When we arrived at the boat, I helped the women aboard and then turned to look a back toward the beach. Shredder had just arrived. I was about to go back for him, but he plunged into the sea and started swimming toward the boat. I started the engine and began to reel in the anchor. I wasn’t going to leave Shredder, but I figured it would be a good idea to be ready once he reached us. Shredder was about fifty feet from the boat when the first shot was fired.

  “Swim faster!” I yelled.

  “Toss me a line and go.”

  I tossed a long rope that was attached to the deck into the water. Shredder grabbed it, and I moved the throttle to head slowly out to sea. When I saw a splash in the water just next to Shredder’s head and realized it was a bullet, I upped the speed just a bit. Once I was sure we were out of gunshot range, I stopped the boat and lowered the stairs for Shredder to climb in.

  “That was close,” I said af
ter giving him a hard wet hug as he climbed onto the deck.

  “Too close. Let’s get out of here.”

  Chapter 16

  Saturday, June 29

  By the time Shredder and I made it back to Oahu and turned the women we’d rescued over to Jason, it was the wee hours of the morning. Jason still needed to get an official statement, so we waited around to speak to him. By the time I finally made it back to my condo, the sun had risen. I knew I should be exhausted, but for some reason, I felt stimulated. Overly stimulated. The odds were that I would crash and burn at some point, but for now, I chose to sit out on the lanai, sip my cup of coffee, and soak my feet in a medicated bath. Shredder was salty from his swim out to the boat, so he’d headed toward his condo to take a shower.

  I leaned my head back against the cushion I was sitting on and thought about the past few hours. Once we were underway, Shredder had shared that the small building we’d seen contained a cell which was carved into the cliff behind the building and secured with bars. The women were in the cell, and the only other thing in the room was a small sitting area for whoever might be on guard duty. Shredder knew enough Chinese to communicate with the women, who shared with him the story of being taken from the streets of Hong Kong, temporarily hidden in an old warehouse, and then transported by plane to an airfield where they were met by a utility truck which took them to a boat which brought them to the island where they were imprisoned. In the beginning, there were more than twenty of them, but every few days someone would come by and take two or three of the women. Once the women were taken, those left behind never saw them again. They didn’t know if the women had been killed or moved or what.

  One woman recognized a photo of Walter Evans as the man who piloted the plane that brought them to Hawaii. None of the women recognized Tatsuo, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t behind the whole thing. The women reported that they had been taken care of, at least to a degree. They were supplied with plenty of bottled water and given food twice a day. The guard took them out in pairs and let them walk around and see to nature’s call in the morning, afternoon, and then again just before dark.