023 Sinister Paradise by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene [Keene, Carolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Eleven

THE NEXT MORNING Nancy and Ned visited the main station of the Honolulu Police Department. A grizzled desk sergeant directed them down the hall to the office of the Criminal Investigation Division.

“Hi, Nancy!” Tim DiPrizio called out. He was in shirtsleeves, his feet propped on the desk. Martin Giles sat across the aisle, painstakingly typing with two fingers. “What brings you kids downtown?”

“We need some information, Tim.” Nancy quickly explained how the Malihini Corporation had foiled them. When she had finished, Tim remarked, “Malihini Corporation, eh? Never heard of them.”

“I’m not surprised,” Nancy added. “They keep a really low profile. I was hoping you guys could dig up some tax information on them.”

“Be happy to.” Tim glanced at his partner. “You’re the team intellectual, Marty. Where do you go for corporate tax records?”

“The state Department of Accounting and General Services,” Martin answered, pulling on his suit jacket. “My friend Darlene works over there. Let me go talk to her. You folks sit tight. I’ll be back.”

Martin was as good as his word. He returned to the detectives’ office an hour later and handed Nancy a slim manila folder. He wasn’t smiling.

“That’s a copy of the state tax file,” Martin told her. “There isn’t a whole lot on this Malihini Corporation. This just says they’re an overseas investments firm. They don’t even have an office here, just that post office box. According to Darlene, the Malihini Corporation was chartered in the Cayman Islands. They’re very careful not to break any laws. They always pay their city, state, and county tax assessments. They always pay by mail, too, using checks drawn on the Bank of Nova Scotia.”

Tim sat on the edge of his desk. “What’s the bottom line, partner?”

Martin sighed. “These Malihini dudes are under a cloak of total secrecy. There’s no way to get a handle on them. Compared to the Malihini Corporation, the mob is a bunch of blabber-mouths.”

Disappointed, Nancy handed back the file. “Thanks, guys.”

Martin stroked his goatee thoughtfully. “Know what’s bothering me?”

“What?” asked Tim, standing up.

The black officer’s gaze shifted curiously to Nancy. “You tried to find these Malihini guys. No luck! I tried the state tax people. Nothing! So how did Lisa Trumbull find them?”

“Maybe they came to her,” Ned offered.

“I think you’re right, Ned.” Nancy’s voice turned somber. “No one tries to kill people in a rigged car accident unless they’ve got something to hide.”

“You think the girl’s in trouble?” asked Tim.

“I think she got in over her head,” Nancy answered honestly.

As Nancy and Ned walked out the door, Martin said, “You kids be careful, all right? If you need any help, give us a call. I don’t like the sound of all this.”

• • •

Nancy slogged unhappily through the thick sand of Waikiki Beach. Two hours had passed since their visit to the police station. Since then, Nancy and her friends had split up, pursuing a number of different leads. Nancy and Bess were at the beach, interviewing lifeguards and surfers.

So far, it hadn’t been a productive effort.

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