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AT PRINCESS KAIULANI Medical Center the on-duty ER resident examined me. He confirmed I had two concussions. Both he had rated as mild.
"As far as traumatic brain injuries go, concussions are the most common and the least serious," the doctor said. "Still, concussions must be taken seriously. I'm going to admit you."
"But, other than a sore head and feeling a bit tired I'm fine," I said.
"Perhaps, but you lost consciousness both times you were struck on the head. That combined with the confusion, nausea, and blurred vision you experienced requires you must stay here for observation."
"For how long?" I said.
"Overnight at least," the doctor said. "We will see how you're doing tomorrow."
The good news according to the doctor was the CT scan hadn’t revealed any inter-cranial bleeding. With time he said I should make a full recovery.
"But, understand having had two separate concussions in one day, full recovery might take longer than usual," the doctor said.
After the doctor left the room, Young walked in. "What did the doctor say?" he said.
"I’ll live, but I have to stay here at least overnight for observation," I said.
"Guess you will be going back to LA as soon as you’re well enough to travel," Young said. "Your case is over now."
"Aloha already?" I said. "Have I already worn out my welcome in Honolulu?"
"I didn’t mean it that way," Young said. "I’m sure we will catch Morton soon, but when we do it will be months before there is a trial. You could come back if you’re needed for that. I imagine you have someone waiting for you back in LA."
"Nah, not really," I said. "There is a guy I fancy there, but he is in a relationship, and nothing will ever come of it."
"Married?"
"No, ‘not exactly’ as he likes to put it. But, it’s a long-term committed relationship, and he isn’t the kind of guy to have affairs."
"You never know," Young said. "He isn’t married yet, sometimes those things don’t work out."
"He’s the loyal type, I’m talking puppy dog loyalty here. He’d never leave the woman he is with, and he is an amazing guy so she would never end things with him."
"So you’re staying on in Honolulu for a while?" Young said.
"I’m thinking about staying on a permanent basis," I said. "There is nothing back in LA for me really. I’ve been considering making a move for a while now. Hawaii has everything I like about a place; the sea, the beaches, amazing weather."
"If you feel the need to move, what about home, New Zealand?"
"Yeah, nah nothing promising waiting for me there either," I said. "I’ll move back there someday when I’m older, but not yet."
Young went silent for a bit. "Well, if you’re staying in Honolulu, maybe we could have dinner together or see a movie or something sometime."
"Detective Young," I said, "are you asking me out on a date?"
"No, I mean, well, yes I guess you could put it that way," Young said. His face had turned a curious shade of red. How cute. I laughed.
"Yep, sure, happy to have dinner or something with you," I said.
"As much as I’d rather talk about that, I guess we better get back to business for now," Young said.
"Yep, I never did have the chance to tell you my story did I," I said.
Young drew up a chair and pulled out a notebook and a pen. I started telling him the story, from the beginning when I first arrived and met Shaw. Young listened and wrote in his notebook. He asked a question from time to time.
"A PI working a kidnapping is a problem," Young said.
"Yep, it is," I said. "But Shaw insisted on no police. Another thing is this. After speaking with Kathleen that day, I had already started to feel the kidnapping thing was a bit sus. Call it female intuition if you wish. But she didn’t seem upset enough for a mum whose daughter was being held for ransom by desperate crims."
"And you know for a fact that Kathleen Shaw was in on the fake kidnapping extortion scheme?"
"Yes, I do. When I caught up with Allison Shaw after she crashed the car, she called me by name. The only way she could have known my name was if she and her mum were staying in touch. I’ve never heard of kidnappers allowing a victim to stay in touch with their mum."
"Makes sense, but you didn’t know for sure at the time the kidnapping was a fake and it wasn’t your call to decide it was. You should have called us as soon as Douglas Shaw told you his daughter had been kidnapped."
"Won’t argue the point with you, detective, but that’s all spilt milk now."
"And Shaw asked you to deliver the ransom," Young said.
"Yes, and the money was in the backpack that Adam Morton took off me at the hotel. Most of it anyway. I had to use some of it, a few hundred dollars for expenses."
"You saw Allison Shaw shoot Jimmy Kamaka?"
"Yep, but as I said, it wasn’t intentional. Allison was shooting at Adam Morton. I learned only earlier today why she tried to shoot Adam. He was trying to take a lot more of the ransom money than they had agreed to. Anyway, Adam was running to his helicopter. It was parked near the wood line where Kamaka and I were standing. While Allison was firing, Kamaka caught one of the bullets meant for Adam. It was random bad luck. What a sad guy."
"And the gun she used was in the backpack with the money?" Young said.
"Yep, the semi-automatic I took off Allison Shaw after the car crash. If you recover it, when your lab checks the ballistics they will find it is the gun that fired the bullet that killed Kamaka."
"That really screws the chain of custody with you having possession of the murder weapon for several days," Young said.
"Yep, and I’m sorry, but I was trying to extricate myself from a jam that was not entirely of my own making. I thought the gun might give me some leverage with Kathleen and Allison. I felt I needed it to get to the bottom of who did kill Douglas Shaw. I was sure they both knew who killed him. Anyway, the chain of custody is rooted for sure now that Adam Morton has possession of the gun."
"I suppose it’s a moot point now since Allison Shaw is dead," Young said. "Who did you think had killed Douglas Shaw?" Young said. "Were you surprised by the dying declaration Kathleen Shaw made to Oshiro?"
"I was quite certain Kathleen Shaw had killed her husband," I said.
"Why?"
"The location and the weapon used," I said. "And based on past history, it seemed self-defense was a good bet. I don’t think she meant to kill him. I’m inclined to believe that she hit him a good bit harder than intended. Or maybe like Jimmy Kamaka, Shaw was just unlucky. Maybe he got bashed in just the right spot to cause his death."
"What was Douglas Shaw doing in your room?"
"Obvious isn't it? He was found almost nude. It would seem that he had deluded himself into believing he could talk me into having sex with him. He had organized the room for me before I arrived. He made the reservation and guaranteed payment. It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to get a key card from the front desk to let himself in."
"Easy enough to check," Young said. "How would Mrs. Shaw end up in your room with the opportunity to kill her husband?"
"Also, an easy one. Ken, Douglas Shaw’s driver, was Kathleen Shaw’s lover. No doubt Ken kept her apprised of her husband’s whereabouts. I expect when she learned Douglas was in my hotel room, she went there to catch us in the act and to confront her husband."
"But, you weren’t there."
"No, but I reckon seeing her husband in my room wearing nothing but a hotel bathrobe made it quite plain what he was on to. That would easily have caused a row where things got out of hand."
"Why didn’t you suspect Ken, the driver? After all, you saw him at the hotel and believed he was the one who tried to set you up to take the fall."
"The murder weapon didn’t feel right," I said. "If Ken had wanted Shaw dead, he likely would have just shot him. Or if he didn’t have a gun handy, he’s a big guy and could have beaten Shaw to death with his fists. A wine bottle seems more a weapon of opportunity. Something a woman would have used, a desperate woman trying to defend herself."
"So, you think Ken tried to frame you to cover for Mrs. Shaw."
"Yep, that is the theory that makes the most sense to me," I said.
"By the way, I checked on Ken’s condition. He is still in intensive care, but he is stable. Seems he will be in the hospital a while though. He needs surgery for multiple compound fractures of his left tibia."
"Yep, well I had to make certain he stayed immobilized. I didn’t have anything to tie him up with after I bashed him in the head. Forgive me if I don’t shed any tears for Ken. The rat bastard was not only keen to murder me, but he also intended to make me dig my own grave."
"Yeah, I understand," Young said. "You don’t have any problem there. Our crime scene people recovered the gun and shovel from the trunk of the Chrysler 300. Ken’s prints were on both of them. Probably best that he didn’t die though."
"Yep, true and I’m happy not to be a wanted person anymore," I said. "Come to think of it there may be a traffic warrant out on me for running that red light. Knowing that cop in Kailua, he probably charged me with fleeing too."
Young laughed. "No, I spoke with him and considering the circumstances he isn’t going to charge you. You’re all good there too."
"Good on him," I said. "Not to be unsociable, but unless you have more questions, I could use a rest. I have to stay here overnight anyway. Might as well take advantage of it. I’m shattered."
"Oh, sure," Young said. "I’m sorry, you must be exhausted."
"A bit," I said.
"Okay, I’ll check on you tomorrow, get some sleep."
"Right," I said.
Young got up and returned the chair to where he got it. He walked to the door, but stopped and turned back before leaving the room. "One more thing," Young said.
"What’s that Detective Young?"
"You’re still a wanted person if you want to know," Young said with a wink. "And it’s Mike. You can call me Mike."
"Ahkay, Mike it is," I said. "And call me T. J. please." I smiled, Young smiled and then turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. He was rather dashing. I reckoned having dinner with him would be sweet.
