“She’s been ignoring Ava too?”
“Ava and Hani are a package deal, so yes, she hasn’t seen Ava either,” I said.
“Hani said she would introduce me to Ava on this trip. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m sure. She’s a special little girl. Smart as can be and energy to spare. I have trouble keeping up with her.”
We drove in silence for a few moments. Then Sora turned to me.
“I know I don’t deserve this second chance with my daughters, and I’m sure you’re worried for them. I want you to know that I don’t take this opportunity for granted. I’m a changed man and I’m going to prove that to all of you.”
“Good. I look forward to seeing that,” I said.
“It’s not just them, Poe. I want to get to know you better too. You should hear some of the things Alana wrote about you in her emails.”
“Don’t believe any of it,” I said, and I laughed.
“She thinks the world of you. I want to get to know that man.”
“There’s Harry’s up ahead,” I said, ignoring his comment.
I hadn’t decided yet how well I wanted to get to know Sora. I still had a hard time processing how a man could abandon his family. But everyone deserves a second chance, or so I’ve heard. Still, I was content to sit on the sidelines and observe his growing relationship with Alana and Hani. Once they accepted him, or not, then I’d make my own decision.
I parked the BMW under the shade of a tree, and we walked into Harry’s. I spotted Alana sitting in a back booth by herself. We walked over to her and stopped at the edge of the table.
“Hello, Alana,” Sora said.
Alana stood, but she didn’t move to hug him, not that I expected her to.
“Why don’t we have a seat and talk,” she said.
“I’ll send Kiana over to get your drink order,” I said.
“You don’t want to join us?” Alana asked, and I could hear a hint of nervousness in her voice.
“In a little while. There’s something I need to talk to Foxx about first. It will just take me a few minutes.”
I walked to the bar and asked Kiana to get anything Alana and Sora wanted. Then I nodded to Foxx and asked him to join me in our office. We walked into the back and I shut the door behind us.
“What’s up, buddy?” he asked.
“Since you were my partner in crime on this investigation, I want you to be the first to hear.”
“Hear what?”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small digital audio recorder.
“Detective Parrish pulled me over on the way to the airport. I made a point of showing him the audio recorder on my phone. I figured he’d grab it from me, which he did. He owes me a new phone, by the way.”
“Meanwhile you had the audio recorder running in your pocket the whole time,” Foxx guessed.
“I’ve been carrying it with me ever since my courtroom appearance. I figured it was only a matter of time before he found me.”
I pressed play on the recorder.
“If anything, Stan Cross should be worried about me. You should too. Just ask Eric Ellis,” Detective Parrish said on the recorder.
“Oh, I don’t take your threats lightly. Have a good day. Maybe we can work your next case together.”
“A word of warning, Rutherford. When the end arrives for you, and it will soon, you’ll never see it coming.”
I stopped the audio recorder.
“He basically admitted to killing Eric Ellis,” Foxx said.
“There’s more. Earlier he admitted that he broke into Mele Akamu’s safe.”
“Did you play Alana the recording?”
“Not yet. She’s all amped up about seeing her father. I’ll play her the audio later tonight. I suspect Detective Parrish will be in handcuffs soon after that.”
Foxx slapped me on my back and almost knocked me over.
“We got him, Poe. We got him.”
“Yes, we did,” I said, and I smiled.
Did you like this book?
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Thank you.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to you readers for investing your time in reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. Poe, Alana, Foxx, and Maui will return.
About the Author
Robert W Stephens is the author of the Murder on Maui series, the Alex Penfield novels, and the standalone thrillers The Drayton Diaries and Nature of Evil.
You can find more about the author at robertwstephens.com.
Visit him on Facebook at facebook.com/robertwaynestephens
Also by Robert W. Stephens
Murder on Maui Mysteries
Aloha Means Goodbye (Poe Book 1)
A gruesome murder. A friend framed. One detective races to stop another bloody masterpiece. Edgar Allan “Poe” Rutherford just lost his job, his girl, and his chance at a relaxing island vacation. When the brutal murder of a celebrity artist is pinned on his friend, Poe refuses to lose his best buddy to the Maui penitentiary. As he works his way down the gallery guest list, he navigates through bloated egos, heated rivalries, and more than a few eccentric personalities along the way. But he never expected the hunt for truth to reveal a second chance at love.
Wedding Day Dead (Poe Book 2)
A marital murder. A guest list of suspects. Just another night on Maui. Poe has just started his new life on Maui. He's moved in with his best friend and he's dating the woman of his dreams. But when Detective Alana Hu's ex-boyfriend comes to town, Poe discovers more than a few secrets that rain down on his corner of paradise. It's all he can think about until a member of the wedding party is fatally stabbed.
Blood like the Setting Sun (Poe
