Naku drove past the house and couldn't help but notice a motorcycle in the driveway next to a silver Mercedes. He recalled that Rex Lee, aka Isamu Sakuma, was taken out by a gunman riding a motorcycle. Could Lloyd have actually been the shooter, perhaps upon discovering Lee's true identity? Or was this just another instance where the detective was innocent of any wrongdoing, even though circumstantial evidence suggested otherwise.

  When Naku came back around the block, he parked a couple of houses down where he had a clear view of Lloyd's house. He used his cell phone camera to take pictures and video of the bike from his car. It looked like a Suzuki, similar to one he'd once owned. He turned the camera toward Lloyd when he came out of the house. The detective was followed by an attractive Hawaiian woman with stylishly short dark hair, and three children all under the age of ten. After Lloyd put the bike in the garage, they all got in the Mercedes, and the garage door came down.

  Naku was prepared to duck and get out of view, but the car went in the opposite direction. He was tempted to follow, but doubted Lloyd was going anywhere with his family to do something he didn't want them to know about.

  Instead, Naku headed to the Seafood Stop in Kihei where Rex Lee had been gunned down by an unknown assailant. He was hoping to talk to anyone who might have witnessed the shooting.

  Naku parked in the restaurant's parking lot off South Kihei Road. He went inside and approached a waitress. "I'm a private investigator," he told her, "looking into the death of Rex Lee, who was shot outside the restaurant a couple of days ago."

  She winced. "It was awful. I can't believe something like that happened right here—"

  "Were you working at the time?"

  "No, thankfully," she expressed. "It was my day off."

  "Is anyone here who did witness it?" he asked.

  "Yes, the manager, Ikaika Hayashi. I'll get him."

  Naku nodded. "Mahalo."

  He looked around at the place and imagined Rex Lee having his last meal here before his life ended and, with it, his assignment and any future information he might have gathered.

  "Hello," the deep voice caught Naku's attention. He turned to face a short man in his fifties. "I'm Ikaika Hayashi, the manager. So you're investigating the death of Mr. Lee?"

  "Yes," Naku told him with a straight face. "I'm working on behalf of his family."

  "How can I help?"

  "I understand that you witnessed the crime."

  "That's right. I was outside on break when Mr. Lee exited the restaurant. As I told the police, I thanked him for his patronage and watched in horror as he stepped into the parking lot just as a motorcyclist approached and opened fire. I never saw his face as he sped off."

  "Did you happen to get a good look at the motorcycle?" asked Naku.

  "Yes, a fairly good look. It was a Suzuki Boulevard. My nephew has one."

  Naku took out his cell phone and showed him a picture of Lloyd's bike. "Does this look like the motorcycle you saw?"

  Hayashi studied it. "Yes, but I can't say positively that it's the same one, of course—"

  "I understand." As far as Naku was concerned, it was enough to keep him on this path of Ron Lloyd as Lee's killer, and likely Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau's as well.

  "I take it you know who owns the motorcycle in the photograph?" Hayashi asked.

  Naku responded thoughtfully, "Let's just say I may not know him as well as I thought I did."

  He left the restaurant believing it was Lloyd's motorcycle that the manager had seen someone driving when Rex Lee was shot to death. But did that mean Lloyd was the driver? Could someone else have used his bike to commit cold-blooded murder—maybe even his wife?

  Naku felt that was highly unlikely. But before he could pin one, much less two, murders on the police detective, he needed more to go on than an unnamed crooked cop working with illegal arms traffickers, Lloyd owning the same motorcycle brand as the shooter, and gut instincts. It would certainly be a challenge; given the likelihood that Lloyd had covered his tracks well.

  * * *

  Naku pulled into the parking lot of the auto parts store across the street from the Pukalani shopping center where Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau was murdered. He noted the surveillance camera attached to the front of the building. From this vantage point, he believed it might have been able to pick up the shooter upon his or her getaway.

  Stepping inside, Naku approached the counter. A forty-something woman greeted him.

  "Aloha. How can I help you?"

  "The name's Eddie Naku. I'm a private investigator looking into the recent death of Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau in the Aloha Shopping Center parking lot."

  "The police still haven't caught the killer yet?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. "I don't watch the news very much."

  "The killer is still on the loose," he told her.

  "Too bad. Nobody deserves to be gunned down like that."

  "I agree," he said. "I noticed you have a security camera out front."

  "Yeah. We've had a few burglaries and now we can catch them in the act."

  "Have the police talked to you about video taken during the time of the shooting?"

  "Sure did. Detective Lloyd came and confiscated the tape."

  Naku looked at her. "Did you happen to get a look at it beforehand?"

  She nodded. "I honestly didn't see anything that caught my attention, though the detective seemed to think the tape might be useful as possible evidence."

  Naku stared at her thoughtfully. "Tell me exactly what you saw."

  She mused. "At first, nothing but the street and part of the mall parking lot. Then I saw what looked like someone wearing a hoodie on a motorcycle whiz by. That was pretty much it."

  This confirmed his suspicions, more or less. If Lloyd was driving the bike, he would have figured out that the store surveillance video might have placed him at the scene of the crime. So he took it, likely destroying the evidence and lying about it.

  "Thanks for your time," Naku told the woman.

  "No problem. Sorry I couldn't be more help."

  "Actually, you've been a big help. Sometimes even the smallest details can make the biggest difference."

  She flashed a half grin. "If you say so."

  He left the store with one thing nagging him. As far as he knew, none of the men who followed Higuchi-Bordeau to the parking lot—or Tucker Matsumoto, for that matter—had mentioned seeing or hearing a motorcycle at or near the scene. Was it an error of omission or commission? Were they covering for Lloyd as part of a deadly code of silence by members of the arms trafficking alliance?

  * * *

  It was after four when Naku watched Andrew Seki leave the bar on Dairy Road in Kahului. He was alone, which made Naku's job easier. Before Seki could react, he had caught up to him and stuck a gun in his back.

  "I wouldn't try anything if I were you," warned Naku. "Otherwise, I might blow a hole in you that could never be repaired."

  "What do you want?" Seki growled.

  "First, I want to take away your piece," Naku said. He removed a Glock pistol from Seki's pocket and tucked it into his own pants. "Now, we're going to go for a little ride. Sound familiar?"

  "You've got a lot of nerve, Naku," Seki argued defiantly, "This is crazy."

  "No, crazy would be not doing what I ask you to do, dickhead." He poked the gun hard into his back, causing Seki to wince. "Now let's go to your car..."

  Seki led them to a black Jaguar.

  "Get in," Naku ordered from the passenger side. "You're driving."

  Seki did as he was told. Naku slid in beside him, keeping the gun pointed at him as he gambled on getting what he wanted from Seki.

  "What now?" Seki snorted.

  "Just drive while I talk."

  "You won't get away with this," warned Seki.

  "We'll see about that." Naku refused to be intimidated by scum like Seki, especially when he had more important things on his mind. "Tell me about the dirty cop you're working with—or for."

  Seki reacted, clearly not expecting that. "I don't know what you're talking about."

  Naku considered what he'd learned from Kevin Texeira. "Let's not play games," he said tersely, deciding it was time to raise the stakes and hope he didn't lose. "You think I don't know that Detective Ron Lloyd is working both sides of the law? What I don't know is how far you're willing to stick your neck out for him, now that authorities are about to haul his ass in for two murders, maybe more..."

  "Lloyd is not my problem," Seki said uneasily. "He does his thing, I do mine. If he goes down for murder, I sure as hell won't lose any sleep over it."

  Naku got what he wanted to hear, as Seki had basically admitted that Lloyd was a dirty cop and killer. But he needed more from the enforcer.

  "Actually, Lloyd is your problem. According to my sources, as one of the leaders of Maui's arms trafficking operation, if he goes down, the whole thing collapses—you included."

  Seki furrowed his brow and sneered. "Maybe you need better sources. Lloyd is nothing more than a two-bit greedy detective who answers to others just like me. Yeah, he's got the badge and some connections, but he's as expendable as anyone else in the business once his usefulness runs out."

  "Turn here," Naku ordered, and Seki complied. "Whose decision was it to kill Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau?"

  "Why don't you ask Lloyd?" Seki spat.

  "What about Rex Lee?" Naku asked him, wondering what he knew and would divulge.

  "He got what he deserved," responded Seki. "That's what happens to punks who stick their nose where it don't belong. Just like you, Naku. You're a dead man walking."

  "So are you," Naku shot back. "When Lloyd finds out that you turned on him, desperate men turn to desperate measures. If I were you, I'd sleep with both eyes open from now on."

  Seki sighed. "I can take care of myself."

  "Yeah, right. I'm sure Matsumoto, Wilkerson, and Oldham felt the same way. Wonder what they have to say about it now?" Naku chuckled derisively. "Stop the car."

  Seki did so, glaring at him as Naku pointed the gun at his face.

  "Give your friend Detective Lloyd a message for me," Naku said smoothly. "Tell him I'm gunning for him and his days on the force are over...."

  Seki remained mute as Naku got out of the car. He removed the magazine from Seki's gun and tossed it in some bushes before putting the weapon on the passenger seat. "Consider this your lucky day, Seki—with your luck about to run out. Now get the hell out of here!"

  Seki sped off and Naku watched, only sucking in a deep breath after Seki had turned the corner. He fully expected the wheels to begin turning now, and he had to be ready for what might come next.

  Naku walked a short distance to his car and got inside. He took out his cell phone and called Lieutenant Ortega.

  "Can I trust you?" Naku asked prudently.

  "Do you have to ask?"

  Naku took that at face value, knowing full well his life could depend on it. "You have a killer cop on your hands. I'm about to help you bring him down and solve the murder of Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau, with Rex Lee's murder thrown in as part of the bargain."

  "You've got my attention," Ortega said.

  "Good," Naku told him and began to set things in motion.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  About an hour later, Naku arrived home. He pulled out his gun and checked it to make sure it was fully loaded before tucking it away. After exiting the car, he took a cursory look around, and saw nothing unusual. He walked up to the lanai and peeked back over his shoulder before heading inside the house.

  The moment he turned on the light in the Great Room, Naku was given a start as he saw Detective Ron Lloyd sitting in a chair. In his hand was a gun, pointed directly at him.

  "I wondered how long it would take you to get home," Lloyd said smugly.

  Naku took a breath. "Do you make a habit of breaking and entering, Lloyd?"

  "Only when I have to. You really need better locks on this place, Naku. Or, should I say, windows that lock."

  Naku peered at him. "What are you doing here?"

  "I think you know. Andrew Seki was only too happy to pass along your message."

  "Good for him. I just didn't think you would actually confirm my suspicions."

  "I haven't confirmed anything. I'm only here to strike back at some amateur private dickhead who seeks to taint my good name." Lloyd stood, holding the pistol steady. "Now kindly remove your gun and set it on the floor carefully. And don't try anything stupid, or this ends here and now—for you at least."

  Naku took out his gun and placed it on the floor as asked, without giving the slightest indication that he intended to make a move.

  "Now kick it over here," ordered Lloyd.

  Naku obeyed, and then watched as Lloyd bent down and picked up the gun while keeping his own gun aimed at him.

  "Is that the same .45 caliber pistol that was used to shoot Suzette Higuchi-Bordeau?" Naku asked, adding before he could respond, "I'm guessing ballistics will show it's also the weapon used to gun down Rex Lee before you fled the scene on your motorcycle, just as you did when you killed Higuchi-Bordeau and then confiscated the surveillance video from the auto parts store across the street from the mall that caught you escaping the bloodshed."

  "Guess there's no sense denying it," Lloyd said coolly, "especially since you won't be around to see daybreak, so anything I say now will die with you."

  Naku was counting on this overconfidence from the killer cop. "So I take it the whole story about Suzette fooling around with a married businessman was just to throw me off track, right?"

  "Again you got me," Lloyd said, grinning mockingly. "I figured it was only a matter of time before you put it all together, Naku. Pat yourself on the back for earning your pay as a private dick. Pity it won't do you one damned bit of good."

  "Yeah, I get that," Naku said tonelessly. "So humor me. You were taking Higuchi-Bordeau to bed and then you killed her. Why? Was she blackmailing you, or was there some other reason she became expendable?"

  "If you really want to know, it wasn't planned from the beginning—at least not the part about ending her life. When we first met, my aim was to get back at her husband. You see, Patrick Bordeau was having an affair with my wife. So instead of kicking his ass, I decided to turn the tables and went after his wife. I have to tell you, it wasn't that difficult to seduce her, as she was still pretty pissed at Bordeau for bedding her sister—your client." Lloyd sighed, but never took his eyes or the gun off him. "Anyway, she turned out to be a good lay and I was even able to recruit her for some low level trafficking of arms, after manipulating her into thinking that Bordeau was getting his hands dirty beyond representing traffickers and their associates. But then Suzette had to fall in love and threatened to tell my wife and Bordeau about us if I didn't leave my wife for her. That was a bad decision on her part on so many levels. I couldn't risk losing my wife or the life we had made for ourselves on Maui—not after I'd worked so damn hard to get her to end things with Bordeau. And pissing him off for sleeping with his wife was simply bad for business and those I had to answer to. So I had to take her out. I'd planned to kill Tucker Matsumoto too, simply to fit the narrative that he was the intended target and the hit was part of an illegal arms meeting gone bad. But the asshole somehow managed to survive, temporarily delaying his death till another day."

  "What about Rex Lee?" Naku asked as he assessed Lloyd's confession to a number of crimes. "Why kill him?"

  Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "You know why. He was an undercover fed who made the mistake of discovering my role in the arms trafficking trade before I could pin down who he really was. I couldn't let him expose me. And, once he was exposed, thanks to Patrick Bordeau changing his alibi to being with an undercover agent at the time of his wife's death, I followed Rex Lee—or should I say ATF agent Isamu Sakuma—to your house. There, I confirmed what I had suspected; he was the government spy within our ranks and needed to be dealt with." Lloyd stretched out his long arm while aiming the gun. "Just as you do now, Naku. Afterward, I'll plant this .45 on some poor schmuck with a criminal record and make an arrest—tying together three murders in the process, committed by a desperate man trying to make a name for himself as a wannabe gunrunner. So long, Naku—"

  As Naku tried to figure out how to outrun a bullet, he heard a shot go off and felt something slam into his chest, sending him down with a groan.

  Lloyd stood over him and took aim again. But before he could fire another shot, the front door burst open and Lieutenant Ortega, Detective Leila Kahana, and others from the police department's homicide division stormed in heavily armed.

  "Drop the gun, Lloyd!" Ortega barked, pointing his gun at him.

  Lloyd continued to aim his weapon at Naku, who didn't dare make a move.

  "You heard me," Ortega persisted. "We have everything you said on tape. There's no way out of this for you, but to give up so you can come out of it alive."

  Lloyd's face contorted and he spat, "Go to hell. All of you!"

  He quickly put the gun up to his temple and pulled the trigger. His body immediately crumpled to the floor beside Naku, who was helped to his feet by Ortega and Kahana.

  "Are you okay?" Ortega asked him.

  Naku grimaced, putting a hand to his sore chest. "I'll live," he said, thanks to the bulletproof vest he'd worn as a protective measure. "You sure took your sweet time getting in here."

  "Sorry about that. We needed to wait as long as possible for Lloyd to hang himself, and others by association."

  "I'm just glad he fell short of adding me to his list of victims," Naku said honestly.

  "We all feel that way, Naku," Kahana told him. "As an ex-homicide detective, we'd hate to lose you, just in case you decide it's safer to be back on the force."

  Naku chuckled. "Don't hold your breath on that. I'll take my chances being my own boss."

  She batted her eyes. "Have it your way, Naku. Just don't expect us to be around to always come to your rescue."

  He watched her walk away while he removed the wire he had inside his shirt. "Did I say something wrong?" he joked to Ortega, who assisted in removing the bulletproof vest.