Dead in Kihei (An Eddie Naku Maui Mystery) by R. Barri Flowers

Author:R. Barri Flowers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, crime, suspense, murder, mystery, police procedural, hawaii, private investigator, maui, island mystery
Publisher: R. Barri Flowers

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Aloha!" Naku greeted Shelly Iwamoto at his office the next morning. Vanna had given him a head's up, texting to say that Frank Iwamoto's ex-wife wanted to meet with him.

"Aloha," Shelly said, standing in the reception area. "Thanks for seeing me."

"No problem," Naku told her kindly. "Can Vanna get you anything to drink?"

"Green tea, if you have any," she replied.

"We do," Vanna said with a smile. "Coming right up." She looked at Naku. "Anything for you?"

"The same," he said simply, and showed Shelly into his office where he offered her a seat.

Sitting at his desk, Naku was more than a little intrigued, wondering if she had anything new or pertinent to say regarding her ex. If so, was she there on behalf of her son Ricky?

"So how can I help you?" Naku asked.

She sighed. "I want to know how the investigation into Frank's death is coming along. My son, bless his heart, wants to spare me anything he believes would be too difficult to digest. I love him for that, but I need to know whatever you do so I can put it to rest one way or the other."

"All right," Naku agreed, while wondering what Ricky had told her and what he had chosen to keep to himself.

Vanna came with the tea before he could carry on, giving him extra time to gather his thoughts and consider what might be gained in sharing the dirty twists of the case with Iwamoto's ex-wife. Naku suspected that may have been her son's way of thinking.

"Right now, there is still no clear answer as to why he went off that lanai," Naku said. "However, there is evidence he was blackmailing the wife of a client in order to pay off his gambling debts."

Shelly didn't seem surprised. "Frank would often go to great lengths to deal with the money he owed from gambling. If he saw an opportunity to make money that he could throw right back into gambling, he wasn't above doing so."

"It's unclear if that resulted in his death," Naku told her honestly, "though there's every reason to believe it had an indirect effect—even if that meant it brought him to the point of suicide or reckless substance abuse, causing him to fall to his death."

Shelly frowned. "I just hate that Frank had to drag Ricky into his crazy world."

"I think Ricky's a big boy and can handle it," Naku said. "Frank may have been a less than perfect father, but I'm pretty sure he would have wanted Ricky to man up and deal with whatever came his way."

She nodded slowly in agreement. "Yes, of course you're right. In fact, if anything, Frank seemed quite reluctant to let Ricky into his world, which may have done more harm than good to both of them. As for Ricky, I guess I've always been overly protective of him—I just can't help it. He's my only child..."

"I understand," Naku said, thinking of Katherine and Vincent being protective of their kids, if not protective enough.

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