Six months had passed since my meeting with Alana and the retired detective, Nathan Buckley, and I found myself once again driving to the courthouse in my little roadster. Mele Akamu’s case had finally gone to trial. I hadn’t attended any of the court sessions, but Mara had been kind enough to give me regular updates.
Despite the perfect weather for my commute into Kahului, I felt a nervousness in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t like appearing in court, which I believe I mentioned at the beginning of this tale. But it was time to put on the show, and one must find a way to rise to the occasion when an innocent person’s life is on the line. Of course, I didn’t believe Mele Akamu was all that innocent, especially in regard to the death of Ronan Huff, but I knew that she hadn’t murdered Eric Ellis.
When I walked into the courtroom, I saw Alana sitting near Detective Josh Parrish in the crowded gallery. Neither was to appear on the witness stand on this day, but I assumed they were both wondering what I had to say.
Perhaps I should clarify that. Alana already knew my testimony since she’d helped me rehearse it the night before. That had come after a handful of practice sessions with Mara. What did I think was Detective Parrish’s attitude regarding my courtroom appearance? I’m sure he was curious, perhaps even a little worried. He had labeled me as unpredictable, after all. This was the case of a lifetime for him and he didn’t want me screwing it up.
I said hello to Mara, who was seated beside a confident-looking Mele Akamu. I then said hello to Mrs. Akamu. Mara had taken over the legal case after Mrs. Akamu had dismissed her longtime attorney, Ruben Dalton. In full disclosure, she’d done so at my recommendation. I’d told her that I didn’t believe Mr. Dalton had the temperament needed for a murder trial, and I suggested that Mara could do a better job of connecting with the jury.
The prosecution, led by the always reliable Piper Lane, had concluded their case the day before, and I was to be the first witness called by the defense. After the judge and jury came into the courtroom, Alana gave me a slight smile. She knew what was coming next.
“The defense calls Edgar Rutherford to the stand,” Mara said.
I walked behind the witness stand and the bailiff approached me with the Bible. I put my left hand on the Good Book and raised my right hand.
“Do you swear that the evidence you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” the bailiff asked.
“I do,” I said.
“Have a seat, Mr. Rutherford,” the judge said.
Mara walked to the witness stand as I sat down. She was dressed in a navy-blue business suit and her red hair was pulled back in a tight bun. The woman radiated a cool and collected attitude. I glanced at the jury. I could tell they liked her.
“Good morning, Mr. Rutherford.”
“Good morning, Ms. Winters.”
“Mr. Rutherford, in what capacity did you work for Mele Akamu?”
“She hired me to investigate the murder of Eric Ellis, a long-time associate of hers.”
“At the time she approached you, did she give a reason as to why she wanted this murder solved?” Mara asked.
“Yes. She said she thought the police might think she was guilty of the crime because of her association with Mr. Ellis and the bad way it had ended.”
“Did you take her case, Mr. Rutherford?” Mara asked.
“I did.”
“During your investigation, how many people did you interview?” Mara asked.
“I don’t remember the exact number. It was several people, though.”
“Does the name Stan Cross mean anything to you?”
“Yes, his name came up during a few of the initial interviews I conducted.”
“What is Mr. Cross’ relationship to Mrs. Akamu?”
“They’re business competitors.”
“You said that his name came up during these interviews. For what reason was he mentioned?”
“I always ask people who they think had motive for the murder. His name was mentioned in that capacity by more than one person,” I said.
“As you progressed with your case, did you start to form a theory regarding Mr. Cross?”
“Yes, for a while I thought that Mr. Cross might have killed Eric Ellis and then tried to frame Mrs. Akamu.”
“Do you still believe that?”
“No, I don’t. I think Mr. Cross became aware of the murder and he tried to take advantage of Mrs. Akamu’s legal predicament.”
“Why do you believe this to be the case?” Mara asked.
“Because Mr. Cross told me that when I eventually met with him.”
“Mr. Rutherford, was there anything else you learned during your interview with Mr. Cross?” Mara asked.
“Yes, he provided two big breaks in the investigation.”
“Let’s get back to those in a minute. Let’s talk about the gun that the police found in Mrs. Akamu’s safe. The prosecution has stated that it’s definitive proof that my client killed Eric Ellis. Do you believe that?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“For a couple of reasons. The first is the knowledge of the existence of the safe.”
“What do you mean by that?” Mara asked.
“The safe was well-hidden behind a bookshelf. It would take a wild stroke of luck to locate it.”
“Yet the police still found it.”
“Yes, but that’s because they were told about it,” I said.
“How do you know this?”
“Well, I’m going to get accused of hearsay, but Oleen Akamu told me that she had informed the police.”
“Objection. Hearsay, your honor,” Piper Lane said.
“See,” I said, and I smiled at Mara.
“Sustained. And Mr. Rutherford, don’t get cute in my courtroom,” the judge said.
“My apologies, your Honor.”
“Oleen Akamu’s statement aside, was there another reason you believed the police already knew where the safe was hidden?” Mara asked.
“Yes, when I went to Mrs. Akamu’s house, I noticed that the place had been trashed during the police’s search. The study was not. All
