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TWO FEMALE UNIFORMED officers arrived first. The one in charge told us that they had orders to separate us. One of them escorted Jackie back to her room. The other stayed with me. A stocky Hawaiian who looked to be in his forties arrived. He introduced himself as Detective Sam Kawasaki.
It didn't take long for me to realize that Kawasaki wasn't there to elicit information from a crime victim. The meeting was more of an interrogation. He kept asking the same questions trying to find holes in my story. I knew the other detective was doing the same thing to Jackie. Then they would compare notes. I tried not to allow Kawasaki to wind me up.
"You said the deceased threatened you with a gun and that's when you shot him," Kawasaki said.
"That's right," I said.
"Where did you get the gun you shot him with?"
"I told you, detective, I got it off, Ms. Fitzgerald."
"Does she have a permit to carry a firearm?"
"You will have to ask her about that," I said. "I haven't a clue."
"Why did you take her gun? Were you planning to kill the deceased when he returned?"
"No, I wasn't. But, I knew what Adam Morton was like. He made it clear that he intended to kill Ms. Fitzgerald and me. I was in fear for our lives. I took the gun because if a shooting occurred, I didn't want her involved in it."
"You must have been angry about him making you strip for him and for tying you up," Kawasaki said. "You sure you didn't kill him because you wanted a little payback."
"I'm sure," I said.
"Where did you find the money?" Kawasaki said.
"In the hut inside the backpack it was in when Morton took it off me in Honolulu," I said.
"And you're sure all the money is there?"
"No, it's not like we counted it," I said. "We grabbed the backpack after the confrontation with Morton. Then we came back here and called the police."
"You took the money, but you left the gun you alleged the deceased threatened you with beside his body?"
"Yes, I was a police constable once," I said. "I didn't want to disturb the crime scene."
"That wasn't smart," Kawasaki said. "Especially since you and Fitzgerald left the scene. What if someone had taken the gun. That's the only evidence you have to support your story of self-defense."
"Like I said, I didn't want to disturb the crime scene."
"What was your relationship with the deceased?"
"Relationship? I had no relationship with Morton. He was a suspect in the case Douglas Shaw hired me to investigate."
"You sure about that? You didn't have a social relationship with him? You weren't ever intimate with him?"
"Of course not, that's absurd," I said.
"Why didn't you call us from the scene and wait for police to arrive?"
"Because it felt fucking weird being there," I said. "We wanted to get somewhere safe, and we called as soon as we arrived here."
"Tell me more about the case Douglas Shaw hired you for and about how you first encountered the deceased."
"No, I won't," I said. "I'm bored of you treating me like a suspect. I'm a crime victim. The police in Honolulu have all the facts about my case and that bit. If you want to know more about that, talk to them and get copies of their reports."
"Why are you uncooperative? What are you trying to hide Ms. O'Sullivan?"
"Know what detective? Fuck off. This conversation is over until I have an attorney present?"
"Attorney? Are you guilty of a crime? Is that why you want an attorney?"
"I want an attorney because you're being a dick and it's my right to have one," I said. "I've cooperated. I handed over the money, and I handed over the gun I used to shoot Adam Morton. I will not allow you to treat me like a crim any longer."
Kawasaki sighed. "I'm going to try to contact this HPD detective you mentioned and see what he has to say. Unless he changes my mind, I intend to take you down to the station for further questioning. After we get you a lawyer of course. But it will be tomorrow before we can get one here from Maui so we'll have to lock you up until then."
"Piss off," I said. "I have nothing more to say to you, Kawasaki."
There was a knock at the door. The uniformed officer opened it. The other detective was at the door. Kawasaki gave me one last stare and then got up. He went outside with the other detective and closed the door behind him. I wondered how Jackie had fared with the other detective. No reason our stories wouldn't match up as long as she remembered the bit about how we found the money. I was a bit worried about the stacks of cash in Jackie's overnight bag. I'd stashed the bag on the top shelf of the wardrobe in my room behind some spare blankets. If Kawasaki made good on his promise to take me in, the police would search my room. They would find the money or someone from the hotel cleaning staff would find it. Neither would be good for me.
Kawasaki came back in the room, trailed by the other detective.
"I spoke with Detective Young at HPD," Kawasaki said. "I still sense you haven't told me everything and are holding something back. That makes me suspicious. But based on Detective Young's recommendation, I'm not going to take you into custody. Instead, you and Ms. Fitzegerald are to remain at this hotel until I tell you otherwise. You may not leave Lanai City. I've had a hold placed on Ms. Fitzgerald's helicopter."
"Fair enough, we weren't planning to leave anyway," I said.
"Good night," Ms. O'Sullivan. "We will talk more tomorrow after our crime scene unit finishes at the scene." With that, Kawasaki and the other detective left the room. The uniformed officer gave me a weak smile and followed them out.
After the police cars drove away, I hurried to Jackie's room. She was stepping out of her room on the way to mine.
"That was tense," Jackie said.
"Yep, it sucked," I said. "You all right?"
"Sure, I am now that the cop left."
"Hope he wasn't as bad as the prick that interrogated me," I said.
"He wasn't very friendly, that's for sure," Jackie said.
"Want to get drinks?" I said. The bar is still open for another couple of hours."
"Lead the way," Jackie said.
"How about I meet you at the bar in ten," I said. "I need to call the detective in Honolulu first before it gets any later. I'm sure he will come over and help sort this."
"Okay, T. J., see you in ten," Jackie said.
Back in my room, I rang Mike Young. He was still up and told me how worried he had been about me. I gave him a brief summary of how Morton had abducted me and held me captive. I told him about my escape and how I later shot Morton and why. Then I had a rant about the way Kawasaki had treated me.
"Calm down, T. J.," Mike said. "I'll be there in the morning with Oshiro, and we will run interference for you with Maui County PD."
"Why is Oshiro coming with you?" I said. "For fuck's sake, Mike, she hates me. Likely she will help Kawasaki lock me up and toss away the key."
"You're upset, T. J., Oshiro is my partner. It's her case too. She doesn't hate you."
"Yep, she does," I said. "It occurred to me that she hates me because she has a thing for you and she's jealous."
"She doesn't have a thing for me," Mike said. "That's silly."
"No, it isn't silly," I said. "I've seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one is watching. And I've experienced the way she behaves to me when you and I are in the same place. She sees me as a threat."
"Oshiro is my partner, period," Mike said. "She has never come on to me, and I've never looked at her as a potential date."
"It doesn't work that way," I said. "We don't throw ourselves at a man that catches our interest. We show our interest and then wait to see if he reciprocates. You must have missed the signs, that's all. Trust me, Oshiro has a crush on you."
"Well, I'm only interested in you T. J., so there isn't a problem," Mike said. "You've had a stressful experience and you need to get some rest. I'll be there in the morning, and I'll take care of everything with Kawasaki."
"Ahkay, Mike," I said. "Could be you're right about most of it. But, I'm right about Oshiro having designs on you. It isn't normal for me to need rescuing, but in this case, I'll be happy to see you tomorrow."
We said goodnight, even though it was now early morning. After we disconnected from the call, I rushed to the bar to meet Jackie. She was already two drinks up on me when I arrived.
"What did he say?" Jackie said.
"He and his partner will be here in the morning," I said. "He said he will sort things with Kawasaki so with luck we can return to Honolulu tomorrow."
"It isn't so bad here as long as the cops leave us alone," Jackie said.
"Yep, but I'll feel so much better if we can get off this bloody island with the money tomorrow," I said. "I have a bad feeling about Kawasaki."
"Everything should be better tomorrow," Jackie said.
We had our drinks, and I told Jackie all about my budding romance with Mike Young. We were both well on our way to a proper drunk by the time the staff evicted us from the bar at closing time.
