..............“Oy,” Lio Makekau greeted when Sean entered his office suite. “You’d better read this brudder.”  He handed Sean an email from his cousin the Maui Police Chief, Kapono Makekau.  “He wanted you to see this first.  He’s waiting for you at Ma’alaea Harbor.”

“Fill me in on the way there,” Sean said to Lio and then he turned to his secretary, Alana George.  “Let Quincy know about this and where I’m headed.”  The two men bolted out of the door in a near run.

“Okay, boss,” Alana said to the open air.  “Mind if I wait for her secretary?  Avery is better about giving her bad news.  He’s had far more experience at it.”  She waited for a response from the empty office.  “Good, I’m glad you both agree with me.”  Alana started checking her correspondence on the computer.  She thought that in another fifteen minutes. Avery Harriman would be in his office and Quincy Burke Fitzgerald would be locked away in her office working on the budget.  This was information she did not want to confront the big boss lady with, or be any where near her when she found out.

õ

Sean and Lio arrived at Ma’alaea Harbor in those allotted fifteen minutes Alana was using to wait before telling Avery Harriman.  They saw Kapono Makekau standing on the harbor area.  Most of the harbor had been sectioned off by police tape. 

Sean watched as a morgue unit was zipping up a body bag.  The bag had a body in it when the attendants lifted it and put it on a gurney.  Sean and Lio moved quickly to the attendants. 

Kapono saw the men and moved quickly for a man of such girth.  “Wait!” he ordered the attendants. “I need these kane to see the body.”

The attendants stopped in their tracks, completely obedient to the Police Chief.

Kapono walked to stand next to the body bag.  He looked at Sean and shouted, “What did I ever do to you, brudder?  Why do you send me these kinda gifts anyways?  You bring me trouble I don’t need.  Why you do that?”

“Why would I bring you trouble?” Sean asked walking to Kapono and offering his hand.  “What trouble are you bringing to me?” Sean queried taking Kapono’s hand for a strong handshake.  “I get this email printout that reads, ‘Body pulled in from Ma’alaea Harbor.  This is your trouble.  Get over here right now’.  Then Lio tells me he doesn’t have a clue what is going on.  He only knows his cousin tells him that this body is our trouble and that it was found by a terrified screaming boater tourist.”

“Your trouble all right,” Kapono replied belligerently. “Take a look.  It’s been chewed on a little, but still you can tell it is your trouble.  Maui is a nice place.  Tourists don’t like it when bodies turn up in the harbor.  It scares the tourists, you know?”

Sean unzipped the body bag.  He turned white and it wasn’t because of seeing a body chewed on by a few small sharks.  It was the nationality of the body that made his face drain of blood.  “What the…?  Why are…?  Oh no, not again!”

Lio peered over Sean’s shoulder.  “This is not good.”

Sean zipped up the body bag and instructed the attendants to take it away.

“I don’t like this,” Kapono complained.  “This guy wasn’t surfing or swimming.  That is a bullet hole in his head.  He was shot execution style.  I don’t like this thing on my island.  This is your trouble, why do you make it mine?  I thought we were like family.  Family doesn’t give trouble like this to cousin Kapono.  Last time I missed all my dinners for weeks.  I was up around the clock.  My force went on double duty.  You got money to pay for overtime during these cutbacks brudder?”

“He’s only been dead a few hours,” Sean mused aloud.  “It was definitely a warning.  But warning for what?”

“Why do you think I called you?” Kapono grumped.  “Last time I had these guys on Maui there was shooting at Kahului Airport.  The FBI and Homeland Security were in a state of heightened alert.  A big shot was kidnapped and I lost sleep and meals.  What I ever do to you, kane?  These guys are back and dumping bodies in my tourist heaven.  They’re upset with you, kane.  What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to the morgue with the body and find out what the medical examiner has to say,” Sean replied holding back his fear in combination with rage.  All he could think of was that Quincy, his wife, had been their target last time.  He didn’t know what he would do if she was targeted again.  He needed answers.  Those answers lie in that body found in Ma’alaea Harbor.  What did he remember?  Yes, sometimes even dead bodies speak to you more than live ones.  Sean headed to his car.

Lio shrugged his shoulders for his cousin and hastened after Sean Fitzgerald.

“Why are we going to the morgue?  We can wait until the medical examiners report,” Lio questioned.  He hated the thought of being in the morgue.  He thought the place was creepy and didn’t like being surrounded by death.  Lio wondered if his ancestors would be upset with his squeamishness.  Kamehameha would certainly have selected Sean Fitzgerald for one of his prized warriors, Lio was sure of that.  Sean wasn’t the least bit squeamish, and he was not only strong, he was brave.

“Get on the cell and call the medical examiner,” Sean ordered ignoring Lio’s question. “Let her know we’ll be right behind the meat wagon and this autopsy is top priority.  We’ll be there for it.”

“We’ll?” Lio choked.

“I forgot you don’t have the strong stomach I do,” Sean answered.  It was difficult, but he held his anger and fear in check.  It wouldn’t do any good to take it out on his co worker and good friend.  “Tell her I’ll be at the autopsy.  You can back to the office and report to Jared Lott and Quincy.”  Sean continued to drive toward Maui Memorial Hospital in Wailuku where the morgue was located.  It was only about a twenty minute drive from Ma’alaea Harbor.

“Dr. Lilokanui?” Lio asked.  “Yes, this is Lio Makekau of Homeland Security.  Director Fitzgerald and I are arriving behind the mea…ah…er…ambulance with the victim.  This is a top security and top priority autopsy.  Director Fitzgerald and I will be attending the autopsy.”

“Director Fitzgerald and I will be attending the autopsy?” Sean asked sarcastically.  “What about your squeamish stomach?”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lio grouched. “This guy shows up and the last connection was with your pretty wife.  You’re worried these guys are about to go after her again.  You want me to tell the dragon lady.  Oh no, brudder, not me.  You’re going to tell your pretty little wife.  I’d rather face an autopsy than tell Quincy Burke Fitzgerald those guys are back.”

“You really are a coward, Lio,” Sean snapped.  He would have to be the one to face his wife with the news and the autopsy was a cake walk next to telling the woman he loved and adored that the Koreans were back.  It would rip him up inside when he had to be logical and factual with revealing the news.

“Oy?  You call me the coward?”  Lio snapped in return.  “You’re the one don’t want to tell his wife and boss.  Just who is the real coward?”

“Shut up!” Sean growled turning his car into the hospital parking area.  He hated it when Lio’s barbs were accurate.  He couldn’t face Quincy, yet.

Dr. Lilokanui was already in the parking area giving directions to the ambulance attendants.  She waved a greeting at Sean and Lio when she spotted them.  She was a tall middle aged woman with an athletic body and a handsome face.  Many people commented on her similarity to Queen Ka’ahumanu and would have been her twin if not for the mixed Japanese blood of her ancestors.  Suzi Lilokanui was native born on the island of Oahu.  She went to medical school and had a sizeable practice on Maui, but doubled as a medical examiner when needed.  This was a needful time.

Dr. Lilokanui waited for Lio and Sean.  “Aloha,” she greeted. “I was in the middle of my intern class at the hospital when you interrupted me.  It’s a good thing I like you two or I’d tell you to wait until I was available.”

“Aloha, Dr. Suzi,” Sean returned in greeting walking up to her and giving her a peck on the cheek.  “You complain all you want, but I know we couldn’t pull you aware with a forklift and crane when you get the opportunity at a criminal autopsy.  You like the excitement.”

“I think I’ve worked with you too much, you impudent Haole,” Dr. Lilokanui teased.

“Now that hurts,” Sean protested.  “You know I was born on this island and my blood line goes back to the Ali’i. 

“Of course I know that, and your Kupuna Kane is now the great Kahuna of Maui, but you look like a Haole,” Dr. Lilokanui continued with her tease.  “My teasing makes up for your taking me for granted.”

“That hurts also,” Sean replied feigning a hurt tone. “I would never take someone as knowledgeable and skilled as you are for granted.  That would be foolish indeed.”

“See, there is that Haole blood of the Irish glib tongue coming through,” Dr. Lilokanui reprimanded.  She took Sean’s arm and then Lio’s and walked them to the hospital doors.  “Tell me what you boys are looking for.”

“We want to have a conversation with the corpse,” Sean responded with a chuckle.

“Hmmm,” Dr. Lilokanui remarked thoughtfully. “Let’s see what we can get the man to say.”..........