Dead On Arrival (A Malia Fern Mystery) Page 7

  So much for my judgment of character.

  Natua walked over to the Jeep and Pai pushed me behind him, placing the two of them face-to-face. Pai was taller than Natua by a couple inches and broader by a couple muscles, if that was possible, but Natua looked a hell of a lot more street wise and very capable with his night stick. I wasn’t sure who would win or why this scene had turned into one with so much aggression.

  “I should have known it was you, when she described a wrestler with a long ponytail.”

  My heart sank. Natua knew how to expose every inch of me. My deception revealed, I wasn’t sure Pai would ever take a call from me once he realized I had actually been looking for him. I had stumbled upon some good luck, and Natua ruined it.

  Obviously, the two were previously acquainted…and they weren’t particularly fond of each other.

  “Malia and I were just leaving. Is there something we can do for you, Officer?”

  I flinched at the snide way Pai said officer. I also didn’t remember making plans to leave with him, nor was I feeling very trustful of a guy whose emotions changed so dramatically. In fact, just looking at these large men eyeing each other like they were ready to launch fists…well, I seriously thought about running away. But, no matter how much I wanted to, I knew it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

  As they both gritted their jaws to the point I thought they would break before either one threw a punch, I took a deep breath and stepped between them. Looking up from one man to the other, I began to see similarities in their features, if not their eyes, and realized they could be brothers staring at each other in a fierce sibling rivalry.

  Neither one seemed to realize I was there. Well below their line of sight, their bodies began closing in on me as they leaned in, posturing for the upper hand.

  “Excuse me…” a tiny little whispered plea escaped my mouth as their chests crushed against my shoulders. I should have run away. Any woman who thinks dying, sandwiched between two mega hunks, is a great fantasy, should be locked up in an asylum.

  Pai seemed to notice me first. His expression softened as he backed up and caught me before I crumpled to the ground. Then Natua grabbed my other arm trying to pull me toward him, and I became the rope in a tug of war contest between them. Was this really my life?

  “Enough!”

  Both men stopped pulling and actually looked at me instead of each other. I shook them both off.

  “What is it with you two?” I didn’t expect an answer, which was good since neither one offered one.

  “How do you know Pai?” I asked the one in uniform.

  Natua’s jaw tightened again before he muttered under his breath. “He’s my cousin.”

  That explained some of it. They were both from the Big Island, they were cousins and they had a rift between them. Well, too bad. I had other business to attend and I wasn’t going to wait. To hell with my polite invitation for coffee.

  “Is there a reason you stopped, Officer Natua?”

  “I thought you might need my help.”

  “Well, I don’t. Is there anything else?” My words were short and clipped even to my ears.

  “Well no…” Natua stumbled.

  “Then thank you for stopping, but Pai and I are leaving.”

  “Pai needs to come with me and talk to Detective Sergeant Kumu.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Pai has done nothing wrong, and John won’t be in the office for another couple hours. Pai, give Natua your business card. Detective Sergeant John Kumu will be calling you in regard to a dead body found on the beach.”

  Pai obediently gave his card to Natua who muttered something about knowing the damn number. I thought I was beginning to sound like my mother scolding my brothers and I resented these two gorgeous men turning me into my worst nightmare.

  “Pai, let’s go. Goodbye, Officer Natua.”

  I stalked toward Pai’s Jeep and was surprised when he beat me to the door and opened it for me. I looked up to see him triumphantly grinning back at Natua. An eye roll escaped me.

  Men.

  Pai stopped grinning when he caught sight of my lips pressed tightly together and my arms folded across my chest while sitting in his front seat. He gently closed the door. Unable to resist a last minute jab at Natua, he waved good-bye before getting in the vehicle.

  “Sorry, Malia. As you can see we tend to compete at everything.” Pai’s shoulder brushed mine as he put on his seatbelt.

  “Competing doesn’t involve tearing apart innocent women.”

  He glanced my way as he pulled away from Natua’s car. “How innocent are you when you were manipulating me to get information? Are you a cop?”

  “No, and it wasn’t like that. I was looking for a very large man with a long ponytail in regard to a…a body that washed ashore and then you stopped me. How the hell could I plan that? Did I plan the falling on my face part when a dope dealer pulled up next to me?”

  “Dope dealer?”

  So much for me interrogating him, I think he successfully turned the tables around. “A witness saw you with the victim and he thought it was a drug buy.”

  “Ahhhh.”

  “‘Ahhhh? That’s all you have to say when I accuse you of dealing? Don’t do this, Pai. The detective on this case is working with your cousin and the two of them have already shut me out of this investigation. I don’t need you holding back as well.” He didn’t need to know John was my brother.

  “Makaio won’t give you information?” A grin spread across his face and a light bulb turned on in my head. If John and Natua didn’t want to share information, I could team up with Pai and solve the case before them.

  “No, he won’t, but I’m the one who found the body. I need to be involved in the outcome of the case.” That got Pai’s attention. “The detective asked me to snoop around the beach crowd and see if I could learn anything, but he won’t give me any information in return. I don’t know how to explain it to you other than to say, the victim deserves justice and I feel like I’m the one who owes it to him.”

  Pai’s eyebrows rose with my last disclosure, but he remained silent. He was a good interrogator, waiting for me to fill up the awkward silence, and so far, I’d obliged him because I wanted his help.

  “Did you know the victim?” When I shook my head no, he asked, “What’s his name?”

  “Peter R. Johnson. He was from New Mexico.”

  It was Pai’s turn to be surprised. Although he wasn’t very demonstrative, I caught the small hitch in his breath and the widening of his eyes as they appeared to sadden. His hand grasped my thigh just above the knee. I didn’t get the impression he was making a play. It seemed more like he was grasping onto life for strength.

  “So, you want me to help you solve this case before this detective and my shit-for-brains cousin do?”

  “Yes.”

  His fingers began doing swirls on my thigh as he stared out the windshield. And something shifted. His touch no longer felt needy. Wanting maybe, but definitely not needy.

  I must seriously need a real sex partner. Pai was the second guy in twenty-four hours that made my pulse pound in areas I shouldn’t be aware of while discussing a dead body.

  “Partner, you have a deal.” Pai gave me that happy smile.

  Partner. He drew the line in the sand for me. I don’t get sexually involved with co-workers. I picked up his hand and returned it to the steering wheel.

  Pai grinned. “I love a challenge.”

  As if I couldn’t tell from the way he and Makaio went toe-to-toe. So now, I had a partner who loved a challenge, but what did that make Makaio?

  “Where can I drop you off? I really have to go to work, but I’ll call you later if you give me your number.”

  “Down the street about a half mile is the turn off to a private drive of a friend of mine. I was headed over there to take a swim.”

  “Lani’s place?” His grin was infectious.

  “Do you know her?”

  “We’ve…wor
ked together in the past. I’m renting out the in-law’s quarters at her place.”

  “What? You’re the tenant she wanted me to check up on?” I slapped my hand over my mouth. I suck at interrogations.

  His eyes crinkled. “Do you check up on all of her tenants?”

  “She doesn’t have that many, but normally, no. She does her own background checks.”

  Pai actually threw his head back and laughed. I’ve never understood when people say that, but watching him, totally explained the expression.

  “Lani told me a pool girl would be stopping by today.”

  Pool girl? I sat there dumb-founded. Why would she say I was a pool girl? Had I blown it by telling Pai I was supposed to spy on him?

  “She said you were cute…and available.” Pai’s teeth gleamed in the low light.

  “Oh,” I managed. His grin did things to me. Lani knew I wasn’t looking for a relationship, yet she’d lied to both of us and threw me temptation in a deliciously masculine form.

  Pai pulled down the drive and up to the security gate to put in the code. Suddenly I didn’t want to swim. I’d only run a couple miles. I wasn’t sweating. I just wanted to get the information I needed and head back home. The sooner the better.

  “I don’t think I need a swim today, but I really do want to talk to you about Peter Johnson.”

  “Let me shower and change real quick. Then we can talk for a few minutes before I go to the office.”

  Images of soap on that broad chest and the rest of his body were the last thing I needed to think about. “Sure.” I managed to squeak out.

  Pai pulled to the rear of Lani’s colonial two story house with a wraparound porch and parked in front of the cute bungalow that matched the main house. Originally built in the early 1900’s by a sea captain, the estate became a sugar cane plantation, one of the few still in operation.

  We both exited the Jeep, Pai stepped out like it felt good to get out of a small box, while I jumped down to the ground. He waited for me like a gentleman at the front of the vehicle and I suddenly had this image of him taking me home, like on a real date.

  That’s when I began to sweat.

  We approached the quaint little house with his large hand on the small of my back. He took it away to unlock the door, but it returned when he swung open the door and allowed me to pass in front of him. My heartbeat was definitely working overtime, and not because I was afraid.

  I took a deep breath for courage and ignored the twitch of his lips as I brushed past him. He knew damn well both of us couldn’t fit in any doorway without touching.

  I scurried into the modern décor, defined by a custom surfboard rack just inside the door. White shag throw rugs scattered across bamboo floors, and two plush green couches sat at an angle facing a plasma TV and stereo system. An abundance of plants graced the room, and photographs of beach scenes in black frames adorned the walls.

  “There’s water and tea in the fridge, or if you’d like to make some Kona Coffee, there’s some in the cupboard. Make yourself at home and I’ll be out in a second.”

  I nodded and watched him walk into the bedroom. He closed the door behind him, sort of, and I dry-gulped the desire rising in my body. Determined to ignore the sexual tension in the air, I went to the kitchen and poured a couple glasses of iced tea.

  The colors and textures of the house should have helped soothe my tense body with the island atmosphere coming indoors. The blue glass breakfast bar had custom barstools, which appeared to be molded surfboards matching the blonde stain of the kitchen cabinets. Each stool held a spiritual symbol with its own unique inlay of mahogany wood showcasing images of a sea turtle, a whale, a shark and an owl on the back.

  But none of that helped my tension dissipate — I could hear the shower, smell his scent throughout the small home, and I needed to escape, immediately.

  I grabbed our drinks and went out on the patio, where I plopped down on a bamboo lounge chair facing the pool. A private Jacuzzi for the in-law’s quarters sat toward the back of the patio, but I ignored that scene. It was way too intimate.

  As I gazed out over the water, the floral garden’s soothing scents filled my lungs, the ultra-soft cushions lulled my tired muscles, and I leaned back and closed my eyes. I had loved Lani’s place since the very first time I walked in a year ago. She’d been looking for someone she trusted to teach her son to surf, and once she knew I’d been giving lessons since I was seventeen, she signed him up. We’ve been best friends ever since.

  Lani had never mentioned Pai. In fact, I’d never seen him around the office. He was a guy you’d have a hard time forgetting once you’d seen him. Images of the two of us swimming in the pool began to creep into my thoughts.

  “Are you dreaming about someone?”

  I jumped and nearly fell off the chair. “No!” Of course, I was.

  A blush ran across my face and chest and Pai grinned with mischief before taking the seat next to me. He looked good, (who am I kidding, he looked great) in a tan suit and cream shirt that were expertly tailored to his form. His ponytail and goatee added to the raw masculinity of him, which I didn’t think was possible. I like my men in board shorts, but I was beginning to see the appeal of a suit. He was a modern day businessman in an athletic-cut suit that made you appreciate everything underneath.

  Hell, he could wear a sack and I’d appreciate his body.

  Our eyes locked as he took a sip of tea. His were still happy with a hint of desire. Mine probably looked like I was going to tackle him and have wild Menehune sex with him.

  My shirt felt damp.

  “Need a swim to cool down after all?”

  Yes. “No.” I was getting good at saying no. A real conversationalist. My face heated with embarrassment. This guy could read me better than any Madame Freak-a-zoid at a psychic fair. Makaio…Officer Natua, couldn’t read an erupting volcano, but Pai knew my thoughts before I knew them myself.

  “I think I’ll skip it,” I lied and I was pretty sure by the slant of his smile, he knew I’d jump into the refreshing water to cool the jets of my rocketing libido as soon as he left.

  Pai took another drink from his tea. “Thanks, by the way, for the drink,” he said, tipping the glass in my direction.

  I nodded. I couldn’t help but fantasize about the way his lips pressed against the azure goblet. I shifted and crossed my legs to cover the shiver that shook my entire body and quickly got down to business. “How do you know Peter Johnson?”

  “Two weeks ago, Mr. Johnson and his wife hired my firm to provide security for his building site after he halted construction. As it turns out, a sacred Heiau Temple is located on the grounds and his partner was going to destroy it. When Mr. Johnson found out about it, he stopped the work in that area of the property and hired my firm to protect it. He thought his partner would bulldoze the temple by ‘accident.’

  “Then last week, he introduced me to his partner Daven Raines. We expected Raines to be resistant, but he actually caught us both off-guard. He wanted to extend the contract coverage to include the entire site since there had been some recent vandalism, thefts and a small arson fire. That’s why Raines wanted to meet at such a weird hour. He wanted us to understand how vulnerable the buildings were after hours.” Pai’s jaw tightened and I wondered if he felt responsible for Peter Johnson’s death. Then again, maybe it was something else entirely.

  “But still, isn’t it a little odd to meet before the sun comes up?” I asked.

  Pai’s right eye twitched with my question. This time, I knew he was going to lie before he even uttered a word. Call it woman’s intuition or whatever you want to call it, but I felt the lie deep down in my bones, before he uttered a word.

  “Mr. Raines was adamant about the time, and since Peter and I were trying to make him understand the implications of destroying a Heiau, we agreed, but Peter wasn’t really happy about the additional security.”

  “Why would that make your client unhappy? It sounds like you won.” Again,
I waited for his story to skirt the edges of the truth.

  “Peter believed that adding more guards wasn’t the issue, especially since the budget was tight. He wanted Raines to stick to the construction timetable. He thought their biggest problems were personnel related. Then Mr. Raines stepped in and paid me cash to set up immediate security for the site. That’s not a deal that I was going to turn down. I flew in a couple of my people from the Big Island later that day and I contacted an off-duty coordinator on the police department to have officers fill in the holes.”

  “Did you know Peter Johnson was missing?”

  “A few days ago, I got a call from Raines telling me Johnson disappeared. He claimed Mr. Johnson was a recovering dope addict and had apparently gone off on a binge. He told me to keep providing the security with the retainer I received, but he wasn’t sure what would happen after that.”

  “So what will happen after next week?”

  “Our agreement ends. Until then, I’m going to provide the services…and at least try to figure out a way to ensure the Heiau is preserved after that.”

  I understood Pai’s concern. Raines wouldn’t be the first businessman to destroy our sacred ground and apologize after the deed was done. The truth had returned to his story. So what was he hiding?

  “Have you been in contact with Peter’s wife?”

  “No, I left several messages for Mr. Johnson on his cell phone, but now that I know he won’t be returning my calls, I’ll have to call his attorney and go from there.”

  “I’m sorry I was the bearer of bad news. Can you tell me the name of the condos you’re guarding for him?”

  “The Garden of the Gods.” He answered in a reverent voice.

  The same place my car had ‘sixty-nined’ with Makaio’s police cruiser after we met at the pastry shop.

  Even in my mind, that sounded bad.