Killer Confections8 Delectable Mysteries(55)

Dave described his night in the cellblock. Only one other guy had landed in there, and they’d placed him in another cell, so Dave hadn’t been saddled with a cellmate. He knew he wasn’t guilty, so even before his attorney showed up, he’d waived his rights and answered the detectives’ questions as best he could. It turned out he was able to provide them with new information regarding some of Keiki’s recent activities.

“What kind of activities?” I asked. “And why didn’t you tell me, or the police, sooner?”

“Remember, when the detectives originally interviewed me, I was traumatized that Keiki died due to what I thought was my negligence. Then when they arrested Regan for murder, all I could think about was getting my wife out of jail.”

“And hours after Regan was released yesterday, you were arrested.”

Dave took another slug of beer. “Those metal cots in the cellblock are perfect. Not for sleeping, but for pondering what you did wrong. Or in my case, wondering what information I might possess about the killer.”

I waited for Dave to share at his own pace, although I had to restrain myself from kicking his ankle to hurry up.

“I was seeing Keiki,” he said.

Damn, I said to myself, as I knocked my soda all over the table. Dave rushed inside and brought out a wet sponge and a few paper towels.

“You’re just as clumsy as you were thirty-plus years ago.” He shook his head as he wiped up my sticky mess.

Just as he’d cleaned up after me three decades earlier. The French would say, «Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.» This American would say, “Once a klutz, always a klutz.”

“Remind me to remove any liquids the next time I reveal something important,” he said. I started to respond, but he shushed me. “And I need to be more specific. I did meet with Keiki twice outside the restaurant, but I was not––let me repeat–– not having sex with that woman.”

Gee, where had I heard that phrase before?

But my brother continued to look directly at me. No flinching. No twitching. He had nothing to gain and far more to lose if he lied to me or to the police.

“You heard Keiki used to date a guy her own age named Joey?” he asked. When I nodded, he continued. “She told me she started seeing someone else, a man with more wealth and sophistication than her former boyfriend.”

“Do you know who she started dating?” Finally, a clue to the guy’s identity.

Dave shook his head. “Nope, she didn’t share his name and I really didn’t care.”

I sighed. Typical man. No nose for news or for gossip.

“What she did share,” he said, “was that Joey took it real hard when she dumped him. I guess he told a few friends he was devastated enough to kill himself. Then he had that fatal accident at Koffee Land.”

“Several people think he jumped off that zip-line tower on purpose. That it wasn’t an accident.” I said. “I saw it today. It’s pretty high.”

“It could have been suicide or an accident. But Keiki thought it was something else.” Dave sipped his beer and stared out at the horizon.

“What else could it have been other than suicide or an accident? That only leaves––” Dave’s eyes locked on mine as I realized what the third alternative might be.





Chapter 38





“Murder? Keiki thought someone murdered Joey?” My head was spinning and I hadn’t even touched a drop of alcohol. “Why? And who?”

He shrugged. “Why and who are both big questions now that she’s dead. Joey called Keiki the night before he fell off the tower. Said he wanted her advice on something. At first, she thought he might be looking for a way to get back together, but he convinced her he was worried about something going on at Koffee Land.”

“Did they have a chance to talk?” I asked.

“No. Joey died before they got together. She originally thought his death was a tragic accident like everyone else. Then a couple of people like his brother, Timmy, claimed Joey killed himself because of her. After Joey’s phone call, she knew he wouldn’t have committed suicide before they talked.”

“Did she tell the police about her concerns?”

“No, she was still thinking it through, trying to figure it all out. She never mentioned any names, but she said it could have a huge impact on someone important to her. After sleeping on it last night, or rather not sleeping on it, I mentioned our conversation to the police. It turns out Joey’s accident is still an open case. Anytime someone dies in an unexplained incident, the police keep the file open until it’s resolved to their satisfaction.”