“What was your typical workday like?” I asked.
“We’d do photoshoots in the early morning. After that, we’d go back to our office in Lahaina and download all of the footage. We’d select the best photos and run them through Photoshop. If we had a lot of work, we’d stay in the office in the early afternoon. Then we’d go home to rest for a few hours, then meet again for the sunset shoots.”
“So your late afternoons were usually open?”
“Almost always. It’s hottest during the day then and the light can be harsh.”
“Do you know where Guy would go during those hours?”
“I assume he’d go home. We didn’t really talk about it.”
“Did Guy ever confide in you about his wife’s affair? Did he ever tell you his suspicions?” I asked.
“No, never. I think he was caught completely off-guard. He was always in a good mood. I don’t think he would have been if he’d thought she was cheating on him.”
“I spoke to someone who told me they thought Guy was having an affair of his own. Do you know anything about that?”
“No. Who told you that?” she asked.
“It wasn’t the most reliable source, but I feel compelled to check it out anyway.”
“Guy loved Lucy. I don’t think he would have cheated on her, let alone killed her.”
“So you think he’s innocent?”
“I do.”
“Who do you think did it?” I asked.
“I have no idea. I didn’t know Lucy very well. I don’t know who would have wanted to hurt her.”
“Forgive me for asking such an indelicate question, but did Guy ever hit on you?”
“No. Not once. He was always the perfect gentleman.”
“You didn’t even catch him looking at you inappropriately, maybe even a fleeting glance?”
“What are you getting at? Our relationship was professional.”
“I’m sure it was and I’m sorry if I’ve offended you in any way,” I said.
“Do you have any more questions? I really need to get back to the office and download these photos.”
“No, thank you for your time.”
Bella Bridges stood and walked away without saying goodbye. It was clear my last few questions had upset her, but there’d been a reason for my forwardness. Guy Livingston had an affair before he and his wife moved to Maui to start over. I found it hard to believe that a man like that wouldn’t have stepped over the line even once with a woman as attractive as Bella Bridges.
There were two possibilities. Option one was that he was a reformed man, completely dedicated to his wife. A woman, I might add, who was so convinced he was cheating that she decided to stray herself to get even.
Option two was that Guy hadn’t changed at all. That meant one thing. His affair was with someone other than Bella Bridges since I was inclined to believe her denials of an inappropriate relationship with her boss.
My brain started going in a million directions at once, but the ringing of my phone interrupted everything. I looked at the display and saw the name Tavii Akamu. He’d reached out to me sooner than expected.
24
The Safe
“Hello, Tavii. What can I do for you?” I asked.
“Is it possible for us to get together, now if you’re available?”
“Of course. Where would you like to meet?”
“I’m heading to my grandmother’s house now. Can we meet there?”
“Yes, I’ll see you shortly.”
“Thank you.”
I ended the call with Tavii and immediately phoned Foxx. I invited him to tag along, and we met in the parking lot of Harry’s so we could switch vehicles. We didn’t talk much during the drive to Kula. We both assumed that Tavii would beg me to get back on the case, especially with the recent discovery of the gun that had killed Eric Ellis. Once again, I guessed wrong.
We saw Tavii’s car in the turnaround when we arrived at the house. Foxx parked his SUV beside it, and we climbed out. We walked up to the front porch and knocked on the door. Tavii opened it a moment later.
“Thank you for coming so quickly. Please come in,” he said.
We entered the house and followed him back to the living room. The first thing I noticed was that the home had been trashed, presumably during the police’s search.
“Can you believe what they did to the place?” Tavii asked.
I continued to look around the room. It seemed as if the police had taken a wrecking ball to the house. Everything, from the flower vases to the paintings, had been thrown on the floor, and much of it was broken beyond repair.
“Someone sure has a grudge against your grandmother,” Foxx said.
“I agree. This was more than just a search,” I said.
Tavii bent over and picked up a damaged painting of a hula dancer. There was a giant hole in the middle. It looked like someone had put their foot through it.
“My grandmother has made a lot of enemies over the years. I guess that goes without saying.”
Tavii turned to me.
“I spoke with Ruben Dalton last night. He said you quit the investigation. I don’t blame you,” Tavii continued.
“He’s not the most pleasant person,” I said.
“True, but that’s not what I meant. The case is hopeless, at least that’s the way it looks to me.”
“We assume you’ve heard about the gun in your grandmother’s safe,” Foxx said.
“Everyone has heard about it by now.”
“Can you show us the safe?” I asked.
“It’s in the study. Follow me.”
We exited the living room and walked a short distance down the hallway. Tavii led us into a study with a wooden desk that was positioned by a large window. The window offered great views of the valley. The other walls were covered with tall bookcases. Two of those bookcases had been separated to reveal a safe hidden in the wall.
“How in the world did they think to look there?” Foxx said.
“Here’s another question. How did they move these bookcases with all the books still on them?” I asked.
Tavii walked over to one of the bookcases. He removed a
