Wedding Day Dead: A Murder on Maui Mystery (18 page)

“No, thanks. I’ll be okay. I was going to stop by and check on Hani anyway. What is your plan for tomorrow?”

“Not sure. I may try to interview the people on Daphne’s list again.”

“They’ll see you coming. It’ll be hard to get anything out of them.”

“Have faith in me. I have a way of weaseling information out of people.”

Alana smiled for the first time in a long time.

XV

Temptations and Trials

I
slept late the next morning because I was exhausted from the long day before. I went for a run after dragging myself out of bed, and then I walked the dog for my cool-down. I found Foxx sitting by the pool when I got back to the house. I brought him up to date on everything that had happened, including my meeting with Aaron Tench and my late dinner with Alana.

“That’s terrible news about the miscarriage,” Foxx said. “I’m surprised she didn’t tell Alana about it.”

“Me too, but Alana said it was typical behavior for Hani. Have you ever met Aaron Tench?” I asked.

“No, I’ve never even heard of him.”

“He seemed like a nice guy,” I said.

“Seems kind of weird though that we wouldn’t have seen him before since he was supposedly Panos’ best friend,” Foxx said.

“I thought the same thing.”

“Maybe they had a falling out or something.”

“Maybe, but this Tench guy didn’t mention it.”

“What are you going to do now?” Foxx asked.

“I thought about going to see Wes again.”

“The guy that owns the restaurant?”

“Yeah, he’s still a solid lead.”

“Good luck,” Foxx said.

I walked into the house and took a long shower.

It didn’t take long to drive to the View. I was hoping I would have some groundbreaking revelation on the way over, something that would steer my conversation with Wes, but nothing came to me. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot with absolutely no idea what I was going to do or say once I got inside.

There was no one at the hostess stand, so I walked past it and entered the dining room. A few diners were scattered here and there. A waiter walked by me and said nothing. So much for Wes turning the place around.

I headed over to the bar and slid onto one of the high-backed chairs. A bartender approached me. Her name tag read
Dolly
. She was the first Dolly I had ever met in person.

“Can I get you anything?” Dolly asked.

“Yes, I was wondering if Wes was in.”

“He took the day off.”

“What about Shae?”

Dolly’s expression immediately changed. She looked uncomfortable, maybe even a little intimidated.

“She no longer works here,” Dolly said.

“Really? When did that happen?” I asked.

“This morning. She left right before the lunch shift started.”

I didn’t know Shae all that well, but I had a hard time believing she would just skip out on her shift. I remembered something Shae told me during our last conversation.

“Jim’s working here again. Is that why?” I asked.

“He came back this morning. Wes didn’t tell any of us. Jim fired Shae. It was the first thing he did,” Dolly said.

So Wes didn’t even have the guts to be here when Shae got fired,
I thought.

“That’s bad news, but Shae’s a smart girl. I know she’ll land on her feet,” I said.

“I hope so,” Dolly said.

I decided to change the subject because I eventually needed a reason to get Jim out of the kitchen.

“I assume you guys have a burger and fries on the lunch menu,” I said.

“Of course.”

“I’ll take that, please. Cooked medium rare. And a Diet Coke.”

Dolly nodded and walked to the computer to punch in my order. She then poured me a Diet Coke and placed it in front of me.

“Thanks,” I said.

My lunch came out a short while later. The burger could be described as ‘okay’ at best. It was a little overcooked and needed more seasoning. The fries were a bit better.

“Is Jim still here by any chance? I’d really like to meet him.”

“I’ll see if he’s still in the back,” Dolly said.

Dolly left the bar and disappeared into the kitchen. A guy in a white jacket and black pants came out a few minutes later. He was a decent-looking guy, but his neck was covered in tattoos from the top of his jacket to the bottom of his jawline. It was hard to tell what the tattoo was exactly. It looked like some kind of tribal pattern. I assumed his arms and chest were covered as well. He walked behind the bar and approached me.

“I’m Jim,” he said.

He extended his hand, and I shook it.

“I’m Poe.”

“Nice to meet you. Did you enjoy the burger?” he asked.

“Delicious,” I said.

“Is this your first time to the View?” Jim asked.

“No, I had dinner here the other night, and then I was back for Panos’ rehearsal dinner.”

His mode immediately darkened.

“So you were friends with Panos?” he asked.

“Not exactly. More of a friend of a friend. I hardly knew him to tell the truth. How did you know Panos?”

“He used to be one of the owners of the restaurant here.”

“You know. I think I remember Wes maybe mentioning you. Are you the chef who had a run-in with Panos?”

“You could say that.”

“Yeah, he could be a tough guy to be around. He tried to get with my girlfriend, and he did it at his own wedding rehearsal dinner. Can you believe that?” I asked.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” he said.

“I hate to be so morbid, but his being out of the picture kind of helps you, doesn’t it?”

“Wes has offered to sell me half the restaurant,” he said.

“You going to go for it?” I asked.

“Thinking about it.”

“It’s a big step, especially with the restaurant struggling,” I said.

“We’ll turn it around,” Jim said. “I better get back to the kitchen. It was nice meeting you.”

Jim shook my hand again and left.

Dolly came back out.

“Can I get you a refill?” she asked.

I looked down at my empty Diet Coke.

“No, trying to cut back on the caffeine.”

I looked toward the kitchen.

“Jim seems like a nice guy,” I said.

“Think so?” Dolly asked.

“He’s not?”

“Let’s just say I don’t expect to be here in another week. I think most of us will be gone.”

“He’s a control freak or something?” I asked.

“Or something. You ready for your check?”

“Sure.”

Dolly went back to the computer and printed out my receipt. I pulled cash out of my wallet and laid it on the bar.

“Keep the change,” I said.

“Thanks.”

“One more thing,” I said.

I removed a twenty from my wallet and placed it on the bar where she could see it.

“Just between you and me. How much did Jim dislike Panos?”

“He hated him.”

“Was that just because of Shae?”

“Jim’s a real hothead. Worst I’ve ever seen. When he found out about Panos and Shae, he attacked Panos in the kitchen with a knife. He had to be held back by two other kitchen staff. That’s the reason he was fired.”

“Did the police show up?”

“No, Wes managed to convince Panos to drop it. It wasn’t a big deal to Panos anyway. He just laughed it off like he did everything. I actually think he enjoyed knowing he’d gotten Jim so riled up.”

I stood.

“Thanks for the information.”

She shoved the twenty in her pocket as I walked toward the door. I exited the restaurant and debated whether or not to call Shae and wish her good luck on searching for a new job. I decided against it. I really didn’t want to get dragged into more drama that had nothing to do with the case. Selfish of me? Maybe.

I climbed into my car but didn’t immediately start the engine. It had been an interesting lunch. I learned Wes didn’t have the guts to fire a hostess. I wasn’t sure if that translated to him not having the guts to attack Panos in the boat, though. It probably did. I also learned that Jim had a violent temper and apparently wasn’t above using his kitchen knives to go after another guy. That certainly earned him a place of honor on the suspect list, but there was a problem with labeling Jim as the killer. The timing was all wrong. If Jim did kill Panos, why did he wait until that night? It seems more likely that he would have killed him the same night he got fired from the restaurant, maybe even a few nights after that. Of course, I might not have been giving Jim enough credit. Maybe he was much smarter than that. Maybe he had the patience to wait. As far as I knew, the police never even considered him a suspect, and he now had the chance to become a restaurant owner with Panos out of the equation. It seemed like an ideal result for Jim, so I couldn’t dismiss him as a suspect.

I started my car, but before I could put it in reverse, my cell phone vibrated. I recognized the number - Daphne’s. Let me guess. She needed to see me at once, and it had to be in person.

“Hello, this is Poe.”

“Poe, it’s Daphne. I was wondering if you had time today to swing by the house.”

Told yah.

“Sure, Daphne. I’m not too far from you now.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you soon.”

I ended the call and drove out of the parking lot of the View. It didn’t take a genius to know what she wanted to talk about, but I was curious to know why she didn’t want me continuing to interview people about Panos’ murder. It couldn’t be because she thought Hani did it. Anyone with half a brain would have doubts about the evidence, and Daphne impressed me as being a smart lady.

The traffic was still light, and I made good time getting to her house. I rang the bell, and Daphne opened the door. She was wearing a low-cut white dress that looked fantastic against her tanned skin. She had a few inches of cleavage showing. It was difficult not to stare, and you know me well enough to know that I looked. Fortunately, she either didn’t notice or decided to give me a break. She led me to the living room, and we both sat down on the plush sofa.

“Where’s Kalena?” I asked. “I was surprised when she didn’t open the door.”

“She’s moved back to Hana to spend more time with her family. She was living here with us because there was no way she could do the drive every day.”

“So she just quit with no notice?” I asked.

Daphne nodded.

“Just yesterday. I understand, though. It’s for the best, really. Panos needed her most. It didn’t make sense for her to stay now that it’s just me. Where are my manners? Can I get you anything? I need to start getting used to asking that question.”

We call that rich people’s problems,
I thought.

“I’m fine. What did you want to see me about?”

“I got a call from Aaron Tench last night. He said you and Alana came by to see him.”

“That’s right.”

“I don’t know why you would do that,” she said.

“I would think the answer is pretty obvious. I thought he might have known something about Panos that I or even you didn’t know.”

“But we agreed you were going to end the investigation. I even gave you a great deal of money for your services.”

“You did, and I thank you.”

I thought about telling her the Maui Animal Shelter also thanked her, but I saw no reason to make things even more tense.

“Now you’re going to remind me you’re continuing my investigation for no money, so it shouldn’t be any of my concern,” she said.

“Technically I finished your investigation when you asked me to, but someone else hired me.”

“Let me guess. Alana.”

“I’m not allowed to say. Client confidentiality and all that.”

“I really don’t understand why you’re doing this.”

“You know why. Hani didn’t do it.”

“Detective Adcock thinks she did,” Daphne said.

“Why do you have so much faith in him? Your mother told me you thought he was a buffoon.”

“I regret that early judgment of him. I was so upset I’m sure I would have felt that way about any detective.”

“I understand, but how are you going to feel if this thing goes to trial and Hani’s found innocent? Then we’ll have lost a great deal of time.”

“You can’t make the assumption she won’t get convicted. There’s a good amount of evidence against her.”

“It’s all one level above worthless,” I said.

“I need to be honest with you, and let you know that I may need to report your unauthorized investigation to Detective Adcock. I can’t have you messing up his case.”

“Are you threatening me?” I asked.

“Don’t look at it that way.”

“How else am I supposed to look at it?”

“I don’t want us to be enemies, Poe.”

“I don’t want that either. I really don’t see how I’m harming anything. If Hani did do it, then she’ll probably be found guilty at the trial. But if she isn’t, and I can help find the real killer, then that can only help you and everyone else who cared for Panos.”

Daphne smiled.

“You’re right, of course,” she said.

That seemed a little too easy,
I thought.

Daphne leaned over and picked up a glass of water off the table in front of the sofa. I feel safe in saying that we’ve established the fact I’m not an expert when it comes to women, but even I’m smart enough to realize what she was doing. She’d flashed me some serious cleavage on that lean forward. It was a cheap and obvious tactic, and I was a little pissed that she thought it would work. I will admit, though, that the view was spectacular, and a certain part of me instantly imagined myself taking her right there in the living room. Nevertheless, I am a strong man, at least most of the time, and I managed to maintain my dignity and reserve.

“Do we have a truce?” she asked.

She held out her slender hand.

“We do,” I said.

I shook her hand, and the warmth of her flesh against mine began to chip away at that dignity and reserve I just bragged about.

Daphne looked at the clock on the wall.

“Can I convince you to stay for dinner? I could make us some drinks. We never got a chance to really get to know each other outside this dreadful case.”

I wanted to stand and run out of the house, but my legs were so weak, I feared I might fall forward and crash face-first into the table.