Chapter 1

The Universe seems to align in most peculiar ways.

I had just returned from my mother's in San Francisco, Sandy having dropped me off at my cheap, cement slab apartment in Waikiki, and naked I readied for a relaxing shower when the phone rang.

"Hi," said a familiar voice. I became instantly hard. Kitty Kitano, the hairdresser who had tossed me to the wolves a few months before apparently still had that effect on me. The one word she said quietly, unusual for her on the phone. It sounded unusually unsteady as well.

"Kitty?"

"Uh-huh. Surprised to hear from me?"

"You okay?"

I heard a sniffle. "Can we meet?"

"I thought..."

"It's business Joe. I need to hire you."

"Now?"

"Are you working on something else?" she asked, sounding like her old sure self. Only one answer would be acceptable.

"No. I mean, do you want to meet now?"

"As soon as possible. How soon could you meet me at the Underwater Bar?"

"An hour?"

"Perfect," she said and hung up.

My cock remained rigid. What with Sandy teasing me all the way home from the airport, telling me she wanted to jump my bones but having a date with Nakamoto that evening preventing her, stroking my cock through my slacks and letting me stroke her clit through her shorts, and the aforementioned reaction to Kitty's voice, I edged towards blue balls. I closed my eyes upon entering the shower and thought of Kitty's talented mouth on my cock as I sixty-nined her, enjoying her sweet pussy. My tongue reached out into the stream of hot water mimicking my memory. I remembered holding her thick, firm ass, opening her up for my attack. I remembered flicking her clit to hardness, her sighs humming vibrations on my cock. My hand became her lips stroking the crown. I even tickled my balls like she used to. As I felt the impending explosion, I opened my legs enough to prevent any possible neck breaking fall from the recoil of my gun soon empting its load of sticky liquid bullets mixing with the flow of hot water.

Once dressed, I called Sandy.

"Kitty, huh?" she said. "She distracted you a lot when you went out with her. Won't I get in the way?"

"I want this to be all business. I don't want that bitch in my life except as a possible client. I mean, as soon as I heard her voice, I was fucking hard. I need to be professional, especially with her."

"That would be a first."

"Yeah," I said. Although we had several little infidelity and insurance fraud cases and skip traces, the big ones always seemed to involve me and my Johnson getting way too involved. "Yeah," I repeated.

"I think it's the size of your penis. All the blood needed to get it hard takes away any for the brain."

"Fuck you."

"Soon, I promise. You better get your cute ass going, Joe. You don't want to encourage her bitchy nature."

"But..."

"I'll be there."

"Thanks," I said in relief to a broken connection. What was with these women and their hang-ups?

The Underwater Bar at one of the big hotels on Waikiki Beach had a nice quiet aquatic atmosphere having the depth of the hotel's pool visible through a large window behind the bar. I sat in a booth at the furthermost spot from the rest of the customers in the relatively empty place. The attractive petite brunette haoli waitress stood at my table when Kitty sat across from me. Kitty's makeup, well done as usual if a tad too much, didn't cover the puffiness under her eyes. We ordered drinks. When the waitress walked away I couldn't avoid watching her little ass tightly swaying.

"Good to see you, Joe," said Kitty. She had a half smile on her pretty round Japanese face.

I didn't know how to respond. Seeing her again felt complicated. We had a lot of fun during our two months affair, but I felt everything had been put into a negative light at the end, so I didn't say anything.

She looked through her large purse for something. It turned out to be a couple newspaper articles.

Mysterious Drowning at Makapu'u

Sunrise snorkelers at the popular coral waters of Makapu'u were shocked to find the body of a naked female at the edge of the beach on Saturday morning. The police were soon dispatched to investigate. Lieutenant Sam Kamalua of the Honolulu Police Department is heading the investigation. In a brief press conference Sunday morning, he told the assembled that the deceased woman was killed some time around 1 am on Saturday and dumped on the beach after death. The conclusion was murder by drowning but the water filling the woman's lungs was not ocean water. He regretted that he had little else to report, claiming it was early in the investigation, and because it was ongoing, he had to serve the interest of the case. The identity of the victim was withheld pending notification of her kin. Lieutenant Kamalua did want the press to spread the word in case anyone had seen any suspicious activity at Makapu'u. "We are hoping to notify you of the victim's identity as soon as possible to further assist our investigation of this most heinous crime," said the Lieutenant. When asked by this reporter whether sexual assault was involved, Kamalua had no comment. He simply reiterated the need for the public to contact the HPD with any knowledge of the event.

Mysterious Makapu'u Drowning Victim Identified

The woman murdered and dumped naked on Makapu'u beach has been identified as Rhonda Coleman of Hawaii Kai. She was a 23 year old waitress at the Cork and Fork restaurant in Waikiki and part time art student at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Both fellow workers at the restaurant and schoolmates were shocked by the news of her death. "She was smart, pretty and talented," said a young man from the art school who described himself as "a good friend." A fellow waitress described her as "witty and charming. We will miss both her wit and charm." These were the sentiments echoed by most other colleagues and friends we interviewed. An attempt to locate and interview a boyfriend for further insights into Ms Coleman's character proved fruitless. Her parents and older brother have asked to be left alone to grieve. Her parents, Joyce and Dr. John Coleman, have set up a substantial reward, $50,000, for information leading to the capture and prosecution of her murderer or murderers. Dr. Coleman is a successful surgeon at Honolulu General Hospital. Lieutenant Sam Kamalua, the lead investigator into the homicide encouraged the public to call the Honolulu Police Department at (808) 555-6284 with any information on Ms Coleman's whereabouts on Friday. Anyone noticing suspicious activities around Makapu'u Saturday morning should call as well. Aside from the victim's identityLieutenant Kamalua withheld further information about the murder, reiterating his earlier statement that the case remained ongoing. "But," he made clear, "we are working day and night on the case with all the resources available to us and with the greatest of focus."

I looked at the photograph of the pretty blonde victim accompanying the second article. She had a very open face, and her smile appeared genuine. I had a feeling naiveté may have been a cause of death.

The blonde with the opposite of naiveté arrived and sat beside me. Sandy leaned against me and read. Before I could gauge the reaction of Kitty to Sandy's presence, the cute waitress placed our drinks. Sandy ordered herself a libation, asking the waitress to keep a tab.

I glanced over at Kitty and witnessed her reaction. Her normally soft brown eyes hardened. I quickly attempted to diffuse the situation. "Sandy, this is Kitty," I said. "Kitty, Sandy is my partner in the investigation business."

"At last we meet," said Sandy. Kitty's eyes had not relaxed.

"Yes," said Kitty, biting her words. "I have heard about you as well. Joe has spoken most fondly of you. You're more than partners, aren't you?"

Her reaction surprised me. I never considered Kitty the jealous type. I figured her to be too much of a fun girl for that.

"Not that it matters to you anymore, but yes, I am Joe's mentor. I've taught him everything he knows," said Sandy. I could feel her tighten up, ready for a catfight. But the smile on her face clearly showed who she thought the victor would be.

"Everything?" asked Kitty. I noticed a loosening of the eyes and the beginning of a sexy twinkle. I used to love that lascivious glint.

"Well, maybe the student improved on the teacher," said Sandy. "He's a talented investigator. He's got quite a head for it."

"I'd say both heads are talented," said Kitty. The two women laughed.

"Yes dear, Joe is quite a remarkable young man," said Sandy within her laugh.

Once the laughter subsided, Kitty's eyes glanced down at the photo, and her eyes pooled.

"So Kitty," said Sandy, "you want us to look into this murder. A friend of yours?"

"Yes and no," said Kitty. "We only met a couple months ago. But we had gotten close. You see, we had a man in common. I'm sorry to say, the guy I left Joe for. His name is Jackie Khan, a hot mix of black and Korean. But his name is too appropriate. He really is a con man."

"So you think this Jackie is responsible... ?" I asked.

"No. I don't think so. In fact I'm a little worried about him. I haven't seen him since a couple days before Rhonda died. Not that we were together anymore. But I had been hanging with the crowd of windsurfers that he hung with. Oh Joe, I'm sorry. I guess I wanted adventure. Jackie was a flashy, sexy kind of guy. He was kind of hard in bed."

"I would hope so," said Sandy.

"No. I mean, he acted kind of aggressive. I guess I wanted that after Joe's gentleness. But he was a selfish lover. And didn't expect it to last: a serial lover. I found that out with Rhonda. I discovered them together. They were going at it when I happened by. But weirdly enough I didn't care. First I felt distant, evaluating his performance, comparing him to you Joe and finding him wanting. I don't know why. Maybe I sensed him fucking and not making love. And then Rhonda and I made eye contact. After her glazed, not orgasmic, but stimulated look, her eyes cleared. They went through a series of reactions: surprise, suspicion. Then we connected. It's like we shared a joke. Her mouth formed the words 'join us.' So I did."

"I'd love to hear more about that, dear," said Sandy. "Maybe later. Maybe we could get more private."

"I thought you planned on meeting Nakamoto tonight," I said.

"He's busy. I bet it's this case," said Sandy.

The brunette waitress came by, and we ordered another round. She glanced down at the photo and did a double take. I noticed Kitty doing a double take at the waitress simultaneously.

"Oh my God," said the waitress. "That's Rhonda!" She nearly dropped the glasses she carried on the small round cork tray.

"Is that a pyramid around your neck?" Kitty asked the waitress.

"Hunh? Yeah. Why?"

"Rhonda had the same thing," said Kitty.

"We bought them the last time I saw her. We went to school together. I knew her since we were five!"

I know what you're thinking, dear readers: pretty fucking unlikely. But like I said at the beginning of this case story, the universe aligns in strange ways. We call them coincidences. This case was full of them.

"Sit down, dear," said Sandy. Kitty scooted her big lovely ass over and the waitress sat.

"I'm not supposed to, but..." said the waitress, and then she began to cry. Big heaving sobs shook her petite body.

"Excuse me," said Sandy. I watched her go up to the bar where the bartender pointed out the manager. Sandy may be the toughest chick I ever met, but her heart is golden. She got the waitress the rest of the evening off.

"So Kitty," I asked, "I don't mean to be cold, but have you talked to the police? I mean, this is a police matter. The lead on the case is an old friend, so..."

"You know who killed her?" asked the waitress.

"No. I don't know. Maybe. I'm Kitty, by the way, and this is Joe."

"Maggie," replied the pretty brunette, slowly recovering from her cry. "Margarita Chavez."

"Lovely," I said. Our eyes met, and my heart stirred.

"I'm Sandy," said Sandy as she placed four drinks from the waitress tray on the table and sat down beside me. "The bartender mixed you a tequila sunrise. You are officially relieved for the night."

After a long pause contemplating the situation and her new acquaintances and the photo still looking up from the table, Maggie nodded, said, "Thanks," and drank down half of her sunrise.

"So, what did I miss?" asked Sandy.

"Kitty doesn't want to talk to the police," I explained.

"You told her about Sam and Nakamoto?" asked Sandy.

"Nakamoto is Sandy's ... uh..."

"He's my lover. And he's a good cop. I can say that without bias."

I nodded.

Kitty shook her head. "There's..." she paused to be sure of privacy; " ... there's drugs involved, and possibly stolen goods. I'm not sure, but the little group of windsurfers including Jackie are definitely into some unsavory business. They seem a pretty tight crew living well in a beach house in Kailua with no visible means of support except for mysterious exchanges with strangers. And they always have some primo flake, along with the best Big Island pot I have ever had."

"I see. Makes sense," I said.

"You know we are investigators, Kitty," said Sandy. "Our biggest income comes from property recovery for insurance companies. We could be a bit too interested in what we might find in this beach house. I just want you to know up front."

After a pause, Kitty said, "I appreciate your candor, Sandy."

"If these fuckers killed Rhonda..." said Maggie.

"No," Kitty interrupted. "They're not killers. They may be thieves and drug dealers, but they are not violent."

"They sound like angels," I said in a quiet, sarcastic voice, "especially Jackie."

With a quick sad laugh, Kitty agreed. "He would be the most likely of the group, but like I said, he's been gone since before the murder. It's some recent visitors, actually friends of Jackie's who I worry about. They sort of moved in, merged with us in so many ways. They give me the creeps. It's like a cult. There are two guys and a half dozen girls. Both guys are very attractive. One is a really good looking blond man. The other, the leader, is a dark little man. He's barely taller than I am with a scruffy beard and a lion's mane of long tangled brown hair. I mean the guy glows with charisma. But it's a dark aura. The women are all beautiful haoli wahinis who seem to worship the little man."

Another mysterious alignment of the universe shimmered in my head. "When did you last see this group?" I asked Kitty.

"Not since a week before the murder. Except for Neal, the blond Adonis, they've been gone."

"Did Rhonda get involved with Neal?"

"Possibly. Probably. I saw them ... the last time I saw her alive, they got pretty intimate, sitting side by side and talking and touching. It actually pissed me off. Rhonda and I, we had made plans for the evening."

"Romantic plans?" I asked.

"Yeah. I guess I was falling in love," said Kitty, and the tears came streaming out. "I wish I had grabbed her, taken her away from the motherfucker. But he is a gorgeous hunk, and what am I? Some chubby little Japanese hair cutter."

"Oh Kitty," I said, "You are a beauty and a total fox. And how do I put this without getting too crude, the best lover I've ever had."

"A good lay, huh?"

"The best."

"You too Joe. I'm sorry."

"So what did these girls look like?" asked Sandy.

"Very pretty and unique. Kind of hippyish. Two blondes, a couple of brunettes, a redhead and an especially beautiful black haired woman. Mostly young: late teens to early twenties."

"And the leader, what's his name?"

"Charlie."

"As in Manson?"

"Yeah, Charlie Manson Junior. No I never caught his last name."

"I think I've met these characters," I said, revealing the odd coincidence.

"I don't think they're from Hawaii, Joe. I think they've got some kind of commune in Northern California."

"It was at my Mom's new age shop in San Francisco. The morning before I left the mainland to come home they stopped in."

"That's not surprising. They're definitely into new age stuff. Not just into it, obsessed. You've heard about sensory deprivation tanks, haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"They design and build them. Jackie got us one for the beach house."

"As a matter of fact, I think that's why they came to my mom's shop. They placed ads and schmoozed Mom. Have you tried it?"

"I don't think I want to."

We finished our third drink, Maggie doubling up on the last round. I felt much more relaxed, and I noticed everyone else seemed looser, the emotional edge dulled and clouded like our eyes. We decided to reach for inebriation with one final round.