"I'm investigating the death of Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau."

  He nodded with familiarity. "Oh yeah, Patrick Bordeau's old lady. Too bad about what happened to her. Bordeau was my attorney once. He didn't deserve this."

  Naku was surprised that Texeira had a connection to Bordeau. Then again, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise. Bordeau had thrived by taking on criminal defendants, getting many of them off, and building his reputation for other offenders in the process.

  "No one deserves to be executed," he told Texeira. "Especially if they were an unintended target, or otherwise in the wrong place even if it was the right time. I need to know if there's a war going on within the arms trafficking business on Maui. And, if so, who's calling the shots—and who else may be targeted."

  Texeira ran a hand across his mouth. "From what little I know, they're always jockeying for position in the arms trafficking market. It's how the men are separated from the boys. As for who's calling the shots...it changes like the seasons, so I'm not sure I can help you there."

  "Try anyway," Naku insisted. "I know you still have contacts, and they have contacts who can provide some answers, while distancing yourself from it. I need this info so I can figure out who might be behind Higuchi-Bordeau's murder and could be gunning for me the closer I get."

  "I'll ask around," he said uneasily. "But can't promise anything."

  "Sounds good enough." Naku decided to give him some extra incentive. "If you come up with something useful, there's an extra hundred and fifty in it for you."

  Texeira grinned. "I'll get back to you."

  Naku nodded. He thought about hanging around to watch more of the hula dancing show, but decided he had better things to do.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  On Sunday morning, Naku was doing pushups at home when his cell phone rang. He grabbed it and saw that the caller was Lieutenant Ortega.

  "Hey," he said to him.

  Ortega cleared his throat. "We ran the prints you gave me. Turns out you were right. Adam Yoneda is actually Justin Shinoda. He's got a rap sheet a mile long, with everything from identity theft and credit card fraud to embezzlement and grand larceny—much of it taking place on the Hawaiian Islands and in California. He's been conning people for a while now and clearly doesn't know when to quit."

  "I'm not surprised," Naku said perceptively. "I hate to break the news to my client. But she knew something wasn't right about him and hired me to prove it."

  "And now you have. We'll pick Shinoda up and make sure this time he doesn't beat the system and go back to preying on lonely women."

  Naku was only too happy to tell him where they could find Justin Shinoda. In the meantime, he would break the news to Jeanne McCormick that her knight in shining armor was anything but that.

  An hour later, he watched as his client entered the coffee shop in Kahului. Naku was seated at a table by the window. He stood to greet her.

  "Thanks for coming," he told her.

  "You said you had news..."

  "I do." He met her eyes. "Have a seat."

  She sat down. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

  "Probably not," he admitted. "Can I get you some coffee?"

  She nodded. "I'll have an espresso."

  Naku ordered for her, while having his own coffee refilled. A couple of minutes later, he almost hated to confirm her worst fears, but had no choice. "I'm afraid your instincts about Adam Yoneda were spot on. He's not who you think he is."

  Her eyes widened. "Who the hell is he?"

  "His real name is Justin Shinoda. He's wanted in connection with identity theft, fraud, and a host of other charges."

  Jeanne's mouth hung open. "So the whole thing was just a big con? He was lying about everything?"

  "Pretty much," Naku told her, tasting his coffee. "Apparently, Shinoda has been conning successful, vulnerable, and lonely women for some time. He just happened to set his sights on you through the online dating service."

  "And I fell for it," she said shamefully.

  "Don't let it get to you," Naku told her. He couldn't fault her for making a poor choice, given his own poor choices over the years. "Many people have been taken in by confidence schemes. Unfortunately, with the Internet, cell phones, and other high tech devices, it's become all too common and people like Justin Shinoda have found it easier than ever to pour on the charm to get targets to let their guard down. In your case, instincts told you to check the guy out before you fell too hard under his spell."

  Jeanne sipped her espresso. "I hope they throw the book at him," she muttered. "I was seriously prepared to start a life with that jerk. Now I'm back to square one."

  "I wouldn't go that far," he said, trying to pacify her. "You obviously have a lot going for you. I'm sure you'll find someone who can appreciate that without trying to take you for a ride."

  She smiled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

  He grinned. "It's all part of the service."

  "If I ever need a private investigator again, I know who to call."

  Naku nodded with appreciation while thinking that he hoped to see her again someday when she had shaken off the likes of Justin Shinoda. Maybe by then, he wouldn't still have Kathryn on his mind and Gayle, too, to some extent.

  * * *

  On Monday afternoon, Naku waited in his car outside Patrick Bordeau's office. He ducked when the attorney came out, and then watched as he got in his car and drove off. Naku waited a few more minutes until Bordeau's secretary exited the building. She was too busy texting to look his way, walking on autopilot to what looked like a brand new maroon Honda Crosstour.

  Naku watched her leave, and then followed her. He wasn't sure what he hoped to get from Bordeau's secretary, but something told him she knew more about her boss than anyone, other than his dead wife, Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau, and perhaps his ex-lover, Kathryn Higuchi. That meant Tanya Johansson might be privy to more than she had let on to the police about Bordeau's activities the night his wife was murdered.

  Was the alibi that Tanya had provided truly solid? Was she covering for him for some reason?

  What juicy secrets might she know about her boss that he would prefer she not share with anyone? Secrets that could be related to his wife's death.

  Though he considered this somewhat of a long shot, Naku felt it was worth pursuing, since he had yet to tie the pieces together in his investigation and Patrick Bordeau remained the one common link in this now multiple murder mystery.

  Naku followed Bordeau's secretary to an apartment complex in Wailuku on Verau Street. He gave her a couple of minutes to enter her ground floor unit, before he knocked on the door.

  When it opened, he could tell he had startled her. Or was it fear that he saw in her eyes that went beyond his presence?

  "What are you doing at my apartment, Mr. Naku?" she asked nervously.

  "I followed you from Patrick Bordeau's office."

  She frowned. "Why?"

  "I'd like to ask you a few questions and I thought it would be better to do it away from any undue influences."

  "I'm not sure I have any answers for you," Tanya said, "especially if you're expecting to get dirt on my boss."

  "I'm not here for dirt," Naku told her. "But I do need the truth."

  "About what?"

  "About anything you may know regarding the death of Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau."

  Her eyes widened. "Why would I know anything about that?"

  "Because if you're anything like my secretary, there's very little that goes on with your boss, in and out of the office, that you aren't aware of. At least on some level. Am I right?"

  She hesitated. "What do you want to know?"

  "Can we go inside?" he asked nicely.

  Another hesitation before she relented. "Come in."

  He walked into a small, neat, living room with expensive wicker furnishings. Had she paid for these and that new car on her salary? Or did she receive bonus pay from her employer for services rendered?

  "I'm afraid I can't offer you a seat," she said. "I'm expecting someone, so this can't take too long—"

  "Okay." Naku met her eyes curiously, while wondering if she could be sleeping with her boss. "I'd like to ask you about the night Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau was murdered..."

  Tanya blinked. "What about it?"

  "I understand that Bordeau was at the office working that night."

  "He was," she said flatly. "I already told the police that."

  "I know, and it effectively let Bordeau off the hook as a suspect."

  She gazed warily at him. "So what's the problem?"

  Naku decided to act on a hunch, knowing he had nothing to back it up other than experience as a private investigator and being able to read people. "Well, the problem, Tanya—I hope it's all right if I call you that—is I don't believe Bordeau was working there the entire night, at least not during the time in question. And I think you know that."

  She frowned. "I know no such thing. Now I think you better go."

  "Are you sure about that?" he asked, going out on a limb. "If you lied for Bordeau, you could be an accessory to murder."

  She seemed to freeze up for a moment while remaining mute, before saying, "Look, if you have any questions about where Mr. Bordeau was that night, I suggest you ask him. I just work there."

  "And that puts you in a precarious position," Naku said. "You see, I have a feeling you'd have the least amount to gain by telling the truth, but just as much to lose by not."

  "I already told the truth." Her voice shook. "Now I really wish you'd leave!"

  Naku considered his options. He had clearly worn out his welcome. Yet, he sensed he was onto something here. "Look, I didn't come over here to waste either your time or mine. I just want some answers and I think you can provide them."

  "Well, you're wrong. Are you going to leave, or should I call the police?"

  "Maybe that's a good idea," he told her. "I happen to know the lead detective on the case, Ron Lloyd. I'm sure he'd be happy to hear from you. After I share my thoughts with him about Bordeau's suddenly shaky alibi, I suspect Lloyd would want to haul you back in to be re-interviewed. He might even ask you to take a polygraph."

  He could see that she was frightened by the notion, allowing him time to ramp up the pressure. "Patrick Bordeau stood to gain mightily by his wife's death, with a huge insurance payout that would cover his debts with plenty left over. I also have it on good authority that the Bordeaus were having marital problems and that Patrick Bordeau has been under investigation for arms trafficking charges—which his wife was aware of, making her a liability, were she to ever testify against him. Those are pretty damned good reasons for wanting her out of the picture. Now if Bordeau paid you to back him up as to his whereabouts at the time of the murder, with a shiny new car and perhaps other compensation, you're not doing yourself any favors by sticking to your story."

  She made no move to act upon her threat to phone the police. "Mr. Bordeau has not paid me anything," she said adamantly. "I paid for my own new car and anything else I own."

  "Maybe you're his mistress," Naku suggested. "Bordeau was cheating on his wife at the time of her death. Are you the other woman, hoping to become the new Mrs. Bordeau one day, as long as you keep your mouth shut?"

  "We're not having an affair!" Tanya sucked in a deep breath. "And I don't know anything about any arms trafficking..."

  "But you do know something," Naku pressed. "What is it...?"

  "Okay, okay," she finally broke down, tears welling up in her eyes. "Mr. Bordeau wasn't at the office that night."

  "Are you sure?" Naku asked, his ears attentive to what he needed to hear.

  "Yes. He told me he was visiting a client, who didn't want it known for the client's own personal reasons. He told me he had nothing to do with his wife's murder. I've always enjoyed working for Mr. Bordeau and I agreed to say he was working late at the office all that evening, because I didn't believe he could be involved in killing his own wife."

  Naku wasn't sure about that either. But the fact that Bordeau lied about his alibi didn't put him in a good light. Could he have actually been in the Pukalani parking lot that night and shot both his wife and Tucker Matsumoto?

  "Do you think Mr. Bordeau was involved in his wife's death?" Tanya asked, clearly having second thoughts about his innocence.

  "That remains to be seen," Naku responded, "though, as I stated, there were some motivations Bordeau could have had for wanting his wife dead. I'd say he has some explaining to do—if not to me, certainly to the police."

  Fear colored her face. "Will I get into trouble for lying to the police?"

  "That will be up to them," he told her truthfully. "In my opinion, the police are far more interested in whether or not the lie played a role in a homicide or other crime than the lie itself. You might want to come clean, though, to Detective Lloyd or Lieutenant Ortega. Better that you volunteer the information than the other way around."

  She stared at the thought while wringing her hands. "I hope this doesn't cost me my job."

  "I doubt it will. Bordeau's smart enough to know that firing someone for exposing a lie will only backfire on him."

  She seemed to take solace in those words. Naku wondered just how smart Bordeau really was since he falsified his whereabouts during the time of his wife's murder.

  "Well, I better leave before your company arrives," Naku said, gazing at her. "Good luck."

  Tanya let the words sink in as she watched him leave.

  Naku went to his car and waited to see who she was expecting. He almost felt relieved when, instead of Bordeau showing up and making even more of a liar out of his secretary, a young man with stringy blonde hair and a surfer's build knocked on her door. Tanya opened it and they exchanged a kiss before going inside.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  When he got home, Naku was surprised to find Kathryn sitting in a chair on his lanai.

  "Hello," she said sexily.

  "How did you get my address?"

  She raised a brow. "Do you really think it would be that difficult? You're a private investigator, for heaven's sake, and you haven't exactly done much to keep your private residence off the grid."

  He could not deny that, but was still leery about her being there for some reason. Or perhaps it was more that he feared letting her in too much, as long as she was still his client and the case was ongoing.

  "So, are you going to invite me in?" she asked. "Or is whatever's going on between us only going to be at my place?"

  Naku sighed, having no real reason to send her away. "Come on in..."

  Once inside, Kathryn looked around. "Nice place."

  "Thanks." To him, it wasn't particularly fancy, just home. "Would you like something to drink?"

  "I'll have whatever you're having."

  "Okay." Naku went to the kitchen and opened a bottle of white wine. He had been saving it for the next time he got together with Gayle, knowing it was her favorite. But, since that time might never come, this seemed as good a time as any.

  When he came back out, Kathryn had made herself at home on his sofa. He handed her a glass and sat down beside her.

  "So what's happening with the case?" she asked, after tasting the wine.

  "Well, I found out today that Bordeau lied about his alibi," Naku told her.

  Her eyes widened. "Really?"

  "According to his secretary, who vouched for him, he was visiting a client at the time of your sister's death."

  "So why would he need to lie about it?" Kathryn asked skeptically.

  "Allegedly to protect the client."

  She sneered. "You don't believe that, do you? Obviously, he concocted this story to cover his ass in case the alibi fell flat."

  "That's what I was thinking," Naku said. "But it doesn't mean he killed his wife."

  "He had the most to gain with her dead," insisted Kathryn. "Unless you can prove otherwise, I still think Patrick was behind it, whether he pulled the trigger or not."

  "Maybe," Naku said thoughtfully. "The fact is your sister appears to have been involved to some degree in arms trafficking—whether passively or directly—along with Patrick Bordeau. This has opened up the door to various people in the business who may have wanted her dead, aside from Bordeau."

  Kathryn's mouth hung open. "If Suzette knowingly participated in illegal activity, Patrick must have forced her to do it."

  "I can't say that for certain." Naku furrowed his brow. "From what I've learned about your sister, she had a mind of her own and was more than capable of making choices that she felt were in her best interests, which could have included dealing with people involved in gunrunning on the island—"

  Kathryn sipped wine pensively. "Either way, she didn't deserve to die. Not like that."

  "You're right, she didn't. Bordeau's secretary plans to recant her claim to the authorities that she saw him at his office during the time you sister was murdered. That should be enough for them to bring him in for an explanation. He may or may not be able to worm his way out of this. At the very least, the police will have a new reason to question his credibility about everything, including whether or not he's truly the innocent person he's been trying to portray."

  She licked her lips. "I just want this to be over so my daughter and I can get on with our lives."

  "I'll do what I can to make that happen," Naku assured her, knowing the road to the finish line might still be bumpy.

  Kathryn met his eyes. "But that doesn't mean I want you out of my life."

  He held her gaze. "Are you sure about that?"

  "Yes." She put her glass down and moved closer to him. "And I hope you feel the same way."

  "Yeah, I think I do."

  She kissed him, daring him to take the initiative from there. He took the bait, kissing her back desirously.

  They ended up in his bedroom, where they got naked and made love. Each gave as much as they got, putting aside the dark circumstances that had brought them together, and what it could mean from this point on.

  When it was over, and they lay there in each other's arms, Naku said, "Your sister was having an affair when she died..."