“Does it make a difference? I heard the cops have the gun,” Stan said.
“You seem to be well connected,” Foxx said.
“Not necessarily. Good news travels fast, and the murder weapon found at Akamu’s house is certainly good news. I can’t wait to see how she tries to get out of that. Now it’s my turn to ask a few questions. I heard Tavii Akamu isn’t running for reelection. Is that true?”
“It is,” I said.
“Please tell me he’s going to take over his grandmother’s business,” Stan said.
“Is that a question?” Foxx asked.
“I suppose not since I can already figure out the answer. My guess is that he thinks he can pull it off. I look forward to going head to head with him,” Stan said.
“One more question. Did you know a man named Daniel Davis?” I asked.
“Never heard of him, but I assume he’s dead since you referred to him in the past tense.”
“He drowned while surfing, at least that’s what it was meant to look like,” I said.
“I think we’re done here. I’ve indulged you gentleman long enough.”
“Not yet. Your man over here looked away when my friend commented about the drowning,” Foxx said, and he nodded toward one of the men who’d followed Stan Cross out of the office.
“A man’s not allowed to look away?” Stan asked.
“Of course, he is. My friend was just questioning the timing,” I said.
“And I said I’m done with your questions. You can show yourself to the door,” Stan said.
Neither Foxx nor I made a move.
“Mr. Cross said to leave,” the man who Foxx had accused of looking guilty said, and he pushed Foxx in the chest.
Foxx grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it hard. I wasn’t sure if he’d broken it, but the guy yelled and dropped to his knees. The burly man beside him rushed toward Foxx, only for Foxx to kick the man in the side of his knee. He started to go down too, and Foxx encouraged the movement to the floor by punching him in the jaw.
The third bodyguard, the one who’d initially approached us, pulled a gun and pointed it at Foxx. I moved in front of Foxx and held up my hands.
“That’s enough. We’re leaving,” I said.
“That’s good to hear,” Stan said. “We wouldn’t want the husband of Detective Hu getting hurt.”
“You know who I am?” I asked.
“I do my homework, Edgar Rutherford. Or should I call you Poe? Consider yourself fortunate that I always think before I act. Tell your lovely wife that I said hello. I’ve got nothing but respect for law enforcement. They’re our modern-day heroes,” Stan said, and he smirked.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly how you feel,” Foxx said.
“One more thing before you leave. Give Mele Akamu my best, and please deliver this message for me. Tell her that karma has a long memory, even after a couple of decades,” Stan said.
I didn’t reply. Instead, I turned to Foxx and nodded.
We managed to get out of the warehouse in one piece. I don’t think I breathed a sigh of relief until we were a mile down the road in the safety of Foxx’s SUV.
“He knows way too much about the case. He must be guilty,” Foxx said.
“I’m inclined to agree with you. By the way, did you bring the gun in with you?”
“Yeah, but then I realized I could handle those guys without it.”
“Until they pulled a gun of their own.”
“A miscalculation on my part. How do you think he found out who you were? Someone must have told him you took Mele Akamu’s case. Who do you think it was?” Foxx asked.
I had no idea and that scared me a little.
29
The Affair
I looked out the window as we drove down the coast and headed toward Lahaina. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the beauty of the island. The truth is, I didn’t want to.
Foxx turned on the radio and we heard the song, “Speak to Me,” from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon playing.
“Great album,” I said without taking my eyes off that gorgeous view.
“One of my favorites. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to it. Hey, what did you think about that comment Stan made about not trusting Eric Ellis?”
“I agree with it. I wouldn’t have trusted him either.”
“Yeah but does that mean Stan wouldn’t have done the deal with Eric? I don’t buy that Stan told him to get lost.”
“No, he wouldn’t have. It would have low risk to hear what Eric had to say. Of course, that didn’t mean Stan had to act on it,” I said.
“What about that comment that Eric was cheating on Gracie Ito?”
“It’s certainly possible. Eric betrayed Mele Akamu. He probably did the same thing to Gracie.”
“You realize what that means.”
“Yep, we have another suspect. The jealous girlfriend.”
“Want to question her about it? Her apartment is on the way back,” Foxx said.
“Let’s do it.”
“Do you think Gracie knew Eric was seeing someone on the side?”
“Without a doubt. Women always know. And if Stan Cross was able to find out so quickly, then I’m sure someone who was living with Eric must have known too.”
We got to Gracie’s apartment complex in no time. It was late afternoon by this point, and I hoped we’d get lucky and find her home. We did. When she opened the door, I could tell from the look on her face that she wasn’t exactly happy to see us again. I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t have been either.
“Ms. Ito, do you have time for a few more questions?” I asked.
“Not really. I was just on my way out for an appointment,” she said.
Did I believe her? Not in a million years. She was wearing a tank top with a long tear on the bottom, short shorts that would have barely covered a bikini bottom, and no shoes. Did that look like someone who was on their way out the door?
