BROKEN BOARDS, CHAPTER 11
BROKEN BOARDS, CHAPTER 11
A Jake Jansen Mystery.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN - THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
Jack pulled up to the address provided by the cab company. It was a location Jake had been familiar with over the years. Jake found himself wishing that he was here for a different reason.
“How are we going to find anything here, Dad?” Jake asked.
“I have no idea. We might not find anything. It could be a dead end for all we know, but it’s all we have to go on. That’s the chance we have to take. You’re learning how to be an investigator the hard way on a case you’re personally involved in. You have to be careful to think rationally, not emotionally. But even when you’re not emotionally involved, you sometimes have to trust your gut instinct. Other times, you may have to manufacture leads. You have to know when to see things that aren’t there. It gets easier, Jake. Come on, let’s see what we can find.”
Jack and Jake got out and stood next to the car for a moment. Both looked around the dimly lit neighborhood.
“Okay, think about what I just told you, and now tell me what you’re thinking, Jake.”
Jake looked around the street for a moment. He glanced at the Rothman residence.
“Anything that happened would have happened nearby the house. The cab followed Rabbit home. So, most likely, they would have approached him on that side of the street,” he said, pointing across the street toward the Rothman home.
“Okay. What else?”
Jake looked around some more.
“The street is poorly lit, but they still would have tried to have him in an even darker area in the event something went wrong, but it would restrict sight lines and make it difficult for any witnesses.”
“That’s very good. What else, Jake? Keep going,” Jack prodded.
“We should be able to determine if some form of struggle may have happened. So, if they were going to approach Rabbit,” Jake said as he walked across the street, “they would have come from this direction, walking toward him. He would have been parked in the driveway. They would have waited for the cab to leave; then they would have engaged him, getting him to move more in their direction away from the driveway.”
Jake stopped near the driveway and stood on the sidewalk, looking around the area for any signs of activity. “So, I would think they would be somewhere around here,” Jake said as he pulled out his phone and opened the flashlight for more lighting.
“Now, look for signs of struggle. Anything that seems odd or out of place,” Jack said. He walked over and clicked on a high-beam flashlight he had taken from the glove box.
“In this area, you will need to look for even the smallest of details, Jake. It could be the one piece that breaks the case. Something as simple as a drop of blood or a torn piece of shirt.”
“What about three sets of footprints?” Jake asked triumphantly. “I could even tell you what type of shoes they were wearing. Years of seeing familiar shoe prints on the beaches on the North Shore,” Jake said with a smile.
Jack turned around and walked over to where Jake was on his knees, searching through the sandy Bermuda grass. He pointed out the three distinct sets of different footprints. Jack shined his light in another area of the grass, taking notice of the difference in coloration.
“See that?” he asked.
“Blood,” Jake replied.
Jake was overcome with excitement and nausea all at the same time. It meant they were getting closer, one small step at a time. More clues would mean they were closer to the finish line than the starting line. But it continued to reaffirm that his best friend was dead and that he would never see him again. That 2nd realization hit Jake like a ton of lead-reinforced bricks. Jake quickly moved over to the bushes and started to get sick.
It took a few moments, and Jake regained his composure. He wiped his brow. His shirt was soaked with sweat. His Dad continued to search the area, shining his flashlight, looking for the smallest of clues that may lead them to their next piece of evidence.
“Dad, wait!” Jake exclaimed. “Shine your light over there again!”
“Where?” Jack asked.
“It was over near that hedge,” pointing toward the bush that separated the houses. “I swear I saw something.”
“What?” his father asked, shining the light on the area that Jake pointed to.
“I don’t know. I saw something shiny. Maybe it’s nothing, but maybe it’s something. But it sure seemed to have a real shine. I know it’s not a piece of the hedge, that’s for sure.”
Jake got on his hands and knees, crawling around near the hedge as Jack shined the high-beam flashlight into the bushes. Jack moved branches, careful not to hit himself in the face, as he looked deeper into the hedge, when they both spotted the shiny item.
“There it is, Dad!” as he reached for the object.
“Jake, wait! Don’t touch it. Let me get some gloves!”
Jack hurried back to the car and pulled some gloves from the glove box. He put them on and went back over to Jake.
“Here, hold the flashlight,” as he dropped down to his belly and crawled a little, reaching into the hedge. He grabbed hold of the shiny object, slowly pulling it back into the light. Jack stood up, dusting himself off. Jake shone the flashlight on the object – a blood-covered, Zebu knife. The wood handle was scratched, and the short, thick, sharp blade was stained brown with blood.
Jake looked at his Dad.
“Mary can match the blood and pull fingerprints,” Jack said.
“And Kona should be able to run those prints!”
Jack paused for a moment and looked at Jake.
“What?” Jake asked.
“I should go to Kalama with this,” his father replied with confused frustration in his voice. He was caught between wanting to follow proper policy and helping his son. Then he remember his earlier conversation with Chief Kalama.
“Dad, we…”
Jack held up his hand, cutting him off.
“We’ll see what we can find through our channels first. We might not need him. I can always call him after the fact if I need to.” Jack paused for a moment.
“Sometimes better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission,” Jake said, smiling at his Dad. “Besides, the Chief said he’d try to help us.”
“Let’s get home. There’s not much more that we can do tonight. I’ll call Mary and let her know we need to see her first thing in the morning.”
“I’ll let Kona know that we’ll come by sometime early in the morning. But I think I’m going to run out to Hale’iwa tonight.”
“At this hour, Jake?”
“Dad, it’s still early. I’ll be out and home no later than 12:30.”
“Okay, you’re right. It’s still pretty early. The winter hours always mess me up since it gets dark without the weather change. A far cry different than the east coast winters I grew up with as a kid,” he said with a laugh. “But be careful, nonetheless.”
“It will be nice to see Liz and take my mind off things for a while.”
“So, can we talk about her now?” Jack asked with a smile.
Jake laughed and just shook his head.
“Come on, let’s get going,” Jake said. “I’ll text her and let her know that I’ll see her in a while.”
***
Ken Mitchell drove up to the customs gate and smiled at the gate guard.
“Hey, Mitch. Picking up boards?”
“Business never sleeps, Tim,” Ken said. “A little mix-up last time, so handling it myself.”
The guard reached inside, flipped the switch, and the gate arm went up. Ken gave a wave as he pulled through into the customs lot. He pulled up to the warehouse, parked his VW van, and climbed out of the vehicle.
“Evening, Mike. My boards ready?” Ken asked.
“Ten new boards, my man. From all over the world. You’re hitting the big time, brah,” the guard said with a laugh.
“Let’s load them up. It’s past my bedtime. I need to get them to the shop tonight to have them ready for sale tomorrow. Trying to take advantage of the tourist traffic from Pipe. Maybe send some of these back home with the kids from the mainland.”
“Big money, brah,” Mike said, laughing.
“Yes, it is, Mike, yes, it is.”
Mike helped Ken load the boards into the van. Ken was careful to wrap blankets, stack them carefully, and position them just so they all fit perfectly before closing and securing the back doors.
“So much easier shipping these without fins,” Mike said. “Damn airport broke my board when I went on vacation, brah. Snapped the fin off and dinged up my board. I should be able to sue for damages!”
“Never mess with a man’s board!” Ken said with a laugh as he climbed into the passenger seat and started up the van. He backed out of the spot and threw Mike a shaka.
“Have a great night, big man!”
Mike threw a shaka.
“See you next time, haole!” he said with a laugh.
Ken pulled out of the customs lot and made his way through town toward Kahala Mall. He felt better knowing that he had the valuable boards in his possession. He grabbed his phone, opened it, and hit dial.
“Jose, my friend. I have your boards. Tomorrow at opening. You know the drill. See you then.” He closed the phone and slipped it into his pocket.
The cloudless sky, bright moonlight, and stars lit up the night as he made his way along the freeway toward the familiarity of his shop. Pulling into the mall’s employee lot, he parked near the employee entrance, got out, and opened the van. He made it a point to pull out only two specific boards.
He carried one board under each arm and approached the door. He entered the security key, opened the door, and slipped inside. He passed through the lit corridor to the back entrance of his Island Vintage Surf shop. He unlocked the employee entrance to his shop, moved inside, deactivated the alarm, and put the boards in the corner. He wrapped them carefully, then marked them with a note written in red sharpie – DO NOT TOUCH! – KM.
He moved to the back door, activated the alarm, slipped out, and locked the door. He made his way out of the mall, climbed into his van, and headed for his home in Waikiki.
***
Jake drove through the dark, quiet North Shore neighborhood. The home interiors were lit up due to the families preparing for Christmas or tourists staying on the islands for vacation. Jake pulled the Blazer into the driveway of Liz's small bungalow-style home. The yard was well cared for and adorned with brightly colored hibiscus flowers.
Liz was sitting on the front lanai, waiting for his arrival and talking to Leilani. Jake walked up the front walk as Liz hopped up and greeted him with a tight hug. Leilani got up and gave Jake a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m sorry you’re going through this, but I’m leaving you in good hands,” Leilani said, smiling at Jake, before turning to Liz, “be gentle with him. Night.”
Jake waved as she walked away before turning to Liz.
“She lives just a few houses down. Come on, let’s go inside. My sister is just finishing up making dinner. She’s a great cook. I promise you’ll love it.”
Jake followed her inside and was greeted by an older version of Liz.
“Hi, Jake. I’m Katie. I’ve heard quite a bit about you,” she said, smiling at her sister.
“Shut up!” Liz said through a blushing laugh. “How embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry, Liz, Jake looks just as red,” she said with a laugh before turning back toward the kitchen. “I’ll have the food out in a few.”
Liz motioned for Jake to sit down.
“What would you like to drink? Coke? Water? Pineapple juice?”
“Hey, pineapple juice sounds great, thanks.”
Liz disappeared into the kitchen for a moment as Jake looked around the small home. It was warm and mostly well-lit. The main living room wall was covered with many pictures of Liz and her sister alongside another woman.
A small Christmas tree, adorned in tinsel, various lights, and small tropical decorations and topped by a homemade angel, was sitting unlit in the darker corner with a few gifts underneath. Jake got up, went over, reached down to grab the cord, and plugged in the lights on the tree. Jake smiled, looking at the tree. He stood there for a moment and realized that in the blur of the emotional rollercoaster that had been the last few days, he had almost completely forgotten that it was just a few days till Christmas.
Jake glanced up at the pink ribbon wrapped angel that topped the tree, when he noticed that the head looked slightly different. He stared at the decoration for a moment. Jake moved back over to the wall, looked at the framed photo of Liz and Katie with the other woman, and then back to the tree topper, noting that the other woman in the photo was the same as the angel on top of the tree. He smiled.
His eyes wandered over the tree, studying the various decorations. It had been at least four years since he had seen a Christmas tree adorning a living room during the holidays. Running through the memories of his last Christmas with his mother, he remembered that there weren’t many gifts that year. Instead, the family was just happy to share some more time together. He hesitated momentarily, looked at the few presents under the tree, and again smiled as he wandered through his memories.
“How do you like our tree, Buzzy?” Liz asked, offering him his juice as he turned around. Jake motioned toward the tree.
“Just seemed such a waste to not have it all lit up. I haven’t seen a Christmas tree in a while,” he paused. “I just always loved the holidays.”
“Come and get it!” Katie hollered as she came in from the kitchen and placed three large bowls on the table.
Liz and Jake returned to the table and sat down.
“This is the best Loco Moco you’ll ever have!” Liz said with wide-eyed excitement.
Loco Moco was the popular Hawai’ian dish comprised of white rice, a hamburger patty, over easy egg, and brown gravy. It could be found on almost every island menu and is rarely made with slight variation, with most people sticking to the typical ingredients of the traditional recipe.
“One of my favorites,” Jake said. “I always tell family and friends on the mainland about it. Hard to find but easy enough to make. My mom would make it too.”
“Well, please, Jake, dig in,” Katie said.
“The conversation across dinner was lighthearted. Jake felt welcome and was happy to have his mind elsewhere, even for just a short period of time. It would be back to solving crime tomorrow.
“Your sister was right; this is very good, Katie!”
“The secret is in the gravy,” she said with a smile.
“Well, whatever it is, it’s awesome. Thank you,” he said, wiping his mouth as he finished his meal. “But I insist that you’ll have to let me do the dishes. It’s the least I can do,” Jake said.
“Oh, don’t be silly. You’re a guest,” Katie replied. “Out onto the lanai with you two. Or Liz, you two could walk out to the beach. There’s plenty of moonlight,” she said with a wink and a smile as she stood up and prepared to clean the table.
“Ok, sis. Are you sure you don’t want some help?”
“No, I’ll survive. You guys go off and talk,” she replied, winking at her sister.
Jake and Liz excused themselves, and she led them out of the house and down the back path toward the beach. Though the neighborhood seemed dark, the closer they got to the beach, the sky grew clearer and brighter under the full moon as the stars shone bright since most clouds had broken apart in the early evening hours.
“I think I’d rather live out here,” Jake said, taking in the breeze and fresh ocean air.
“My sister and I love it.”
“I bet. What does Katie do?”
“She’s an ocean doctor,” Liz said with a laugh.
“She’s a what?”
“She’s got a Ph.D. in Oceanography AND Marine Biology. Impressive, huh?”
“Wow, yeah. Definitely. What’s she do with all that brain power?” Jake asked. “I’m not that smart. Or motivated,” Jake said, laughing.
“When we moved out here, she was ahead of schedule and was able to take care of mom while home-schooling me. She took some time off before and after mom passed away. She really helped keep things going for a while. Eventually, after things returned to normal, so to speak, she went back to school,” Liz said with a smile. “She’s amazing.”
“Is she a lot older than you?” Jake asked.
“Jake Jansen, you never ask a woman’s age!” she jokingly scolded before quickly adding, “ten years,” and laughed as Jake smiled at her teasing.
“These days, she’s working with a couple of different research programs. She writes for a bunch of different magazines and does a bunch of interviews and podcasts. She’s a big deal here and there. Making waves. No pun intended. But once we got out here, she fell in love with it, and it came easy for her. Her professors were very impressed. Mom said it was meant to be,” Liz explained. “All of the various articles and interviews put money in her pocket. She even helps with some of the movies and TV shows on the island as an advisor. She makes sure people are following proper policies and procedures. She’s currently working on writing a book. But it all keeps her busy.”
“Yeah, I bet it does! How long have you guys been on O’ahu?”
“Since I was almost 6. We moved here from Texas once mom started getting sicker. Mom thought maybe the fresh ocean air and saltwater would help boost her spirits. It might have kept her with us a few more years.”
“Is that the woman in the pictures with you and your sister?” Jake asked, with the look on his face framing the next question.
“Yep. Cancer, just like your mom.” Jake winced at the sound of the “C“ word.
“That explains the Angel on top of the tree,” Jake said.
“Very perceptive, Mr. Detective! I made that the Christmas after she passed away, though we didn’t get a tree that year. I just wanted to keep her memory alive. Now, we know she’s watching over me and Katie every Christmas.”
“Were her final years difficult?” Jake asked.
“Honestly, despite her prognosis, she did pretty well. Maybe it was the islands or freedom from work, healthier food, or whatever. They didn’t give her long, but she hung on for four years,” Liz said with smile marked with fond remembrance.
“Does it get easier?” he said with some sadness in his voice.
“Yeah. It does,” she said softly.
Jake was quiet for a moment. He seemed lost in the atmosphere of the night sky, the sound of the waves, and Liz’s company. Liz looked at Jake and broke the silence. They walked along the beach till they approached a lifeguard tower, stopping to sit on the steps, and changing the subject to happier topics of conversation.
“Who’s your favorite surfer?” Liz asked.
“The big wave legend, Laird Hamilton. Named my dog after him,” Jake said.
“Isn’t that the guy with the sticker everywhere?”
“Yeah,” Jake said, laughing. “Blame Laird.”
“If something goes wrong in the house, then you can blame Laird,” Liz said, referencing the famous sticker known from the islands to the mainland, all the way out on the east coast of the states, as they both laughed.
“Guy gets a bad rap if you ask me,” Jake said with a shrug.
“Um, Jack Johnson or Ben Harper?”
“I like both. But I’m going with Donavon Frankenreiter.”
“He’s kinda weird,” Liz said as she laughed.
“His music is awesome. It’s impossible to listen to it and stay in a bad mood. Met him once at a show. Took a picture, and he didn’t say a word the whole time.”
“I believe it,” Liz replied. “And he dresses kinda funny too!” she said, laughing. Jake laughed.
“He’s fun to watch surf too. Like a hippie on a surfboard. I think he lives in Hanalei on Kaua’i,” Jake said. “Ever been?” he asked, looking at her and studying her face in the moonlight.
“Other than Texas and the airport in Los Angeles, I’ve never been anywhere,” she replied as she shook her head.
“Favorite food?” Jake asked.
“BBQ. I do come from Texas after all. Yee haw,” as she winked at him.
“I still can’t believe you’re from Texas. I never would have guessed. How come you and your sister don’t have an accent?” Jake asked in a mock southern drawl.
“Probably because my mom didn’t have one, I guess,” Liz said with a small shrug as she tried to fake an accent. They both broke into a bit of laughter.
“What about your Dad?” Liz squirmed a little as she looked at the ground. Jake wondered if the question might have bothered her a little. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be such a downer on conversation,” he said, as he found himself feeling awkward.
“No, it’s okay,” Liz said, smiling at him. “I never knew him,” She replied. “Left around the time I was born. My sister won’t talk about him. No pictures exist, at least none that I’ve seen. I sometimes think I was a test tube baby,” Liz said, laughing.
“Do you ever wish you had known him? Or wish you had a dad?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, before looking at Jake. Her hair danced on the breeze. The moon caused her eyes to sparkle. Jake got lost for a moment. “I never really knew what having a dad was like, so I guess I don’t know what I was missing to have something to compare it to. Besides, Katie and I did okay with mom, all things considered.”
“How could you afford it out here? I mean, actually … I’m sorry, that’s a rude question. It’s none of my business,” Jake said. He was disappointed with himself for asking.
“No, it’s okay, really,” Liz replied, smiling. “I guess mom had her money on her side, savings, 401k, insurance policy and whatever. I can’t imagine our father leaving us anything. Maybe mom was just saving for a rainy day,” Liz said with a chuckle.
Jake looked at her and smiled. He was enamored by her ability to be happy while discussing such a difficult topic. “Maybe it’s because she is so far removed from the pain,” he thought.
“Mom made her name with her medical practice, which seems ironic. But then doctors get sick too, but I’ve never really asked a lot of questions. I’m not sure even Katie knows all the details. After mom became sick and chose to weather the storm, we moved out here, and after that nothing else really mattered. But once we were out here, Katie took to the water like a fish as they say. She handled all the duties at home with mom, self-studied, plus my schooling. Mom would be enormously proud.”
“I love the ocean, but don’t know if I could go the doctor and school route. But I’ve always felt drawn to her. The ocean has so much beauty and mystique. Once you are swayed by her beauty, she never lets go,” Jake said, staring out at the water as he listened to the rhythm of the waves gently caressing the shore. He glanced at her and then asked, “Two doctors in the family. Huh?” Jake asked. “That’s impressive. What about school for you? Any plans?”
“I don’t know yet. I have some ideas. Nothing piques my interest, I guess,” Liz replied. “I was always good in school. But I never thought of what I wanted to do for a career.”
“What about you, Mr. Detective? Is that what you had planned? I mean, is this going to be your thing after school?”
“I don’t know,” Jake said before pausing. “I always looked at my dad and saw my hero. We’ve had our differences. It’s weird being partners in this, so to speak. I never thought I’d be trying to solve a friend’s murder. It’s surreal, you know?” he said, looking at her. He thought for a moment. “I kind of fell into studying crime if you want to call it that. It came easy for me, I guess kind of like your sister. But now, I’m ready to graduate, and I’m not sure if this is what I want for my life anymore.” Liz put her arm around Jake and hugged him close.
“You’ll get it figured out. I have faith in you,” she said. It was quiet for a moment before she asked, “How did you get your nickname? I don’t think you ever told me.”
“Mom gave it to me when I was a kid, and it just stayed with me. I don’t really like it. More like I’ve gotten used to it over the years, I guess.”
“I’ll have to come up with a new one for you.”
Jake looked at her and she winked at him and laughed. She leaned over and gave him a small kiss.
“You know, Jake, I’m really sorry you’re going through this. Rabbit was a nice guy.”
Jake smiled in the bittersweet moment.
“It’s okay. I just want to get this whole thing over with. Everything is so weird about it all. Now, I’ve got my Dad helping me through this. They say all things for a reason, but I don’t know if I’m okay losing my best friend to repair my relationship with my Dad.” Jake paused for a moment and looked out at the waves. “It doesn’t seem fair, but it can’t be changed.”
“You’ve got your Dad though. That’s the important thing. And I know you miss your mom. It’s impossible not to. But don’t let go of your Dad,” she said.
Jake paused for a moment, looked at Liz, and smiled.
“Thanks.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. A moment passed when Jake broke the brief silence.
“What’s your favorite ice cream and why is it pineapple?” Jake asked.
“You mean like a Dole Whip?”
“Those are amateur. You haven’t lived until you’ve had my Dad’s pineapple ice cream. He used to make it a lot. Though, I can’t remember the last time. I bet if you come over for dinner sometime, I can talk him into making it for you. I mentioned your name once around him and he’s now asked me about you 3 times. I have a feeling he’s going to continue to ask until I either tell him about you or introduce you, whichever comes first,” Jake said, smiling at her.
“What did you say about me?” Liz asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Nothing specific just mentioned in passing,” Jake said with a shy smile. “We were texting, and he asked who I was talking to, and I said you. Then it turned into the Spanish Inquisition,” Jake laughed, imitating an intense interrogation with the flashlight from his phone.
Their question-and-answer game continued for quite a while before Jake glanced at his watch.
“We should head back. I told Dad I’d be home no later than 12:30. He’s just a little worried about me with everything going on.”
“You can crash on the couch. Sis won’t mind, as long as it’s okay with your Dad. Just give him a call. He’ll know you’re safe, then you can go home early in the morning. I mean, I know you have things you need to do,” Liz said.
Jake pulled out his phone and dialed his Dad. Just before he started to speak, Liz took the phone away from him.
“Hi, Mr. J! This is Liz Kennedy. No, sir, nothing’s wrong. Jake wanted to know if he could sleep on my couch. I assure you it’s safe. My sister Katie will keep a watchful eye on him,” Liz said, laughing. Jake was attempting to take the phone away as she kept him away, continuing the conversation with Jack Jansen.
“Buzzy said you asked about me. No, I haven’t started college yet, but thinking about starting in the spring, just don’t know what I want to study. I’m currently working at one of the places out on the North Shore. How did we meet? At the coffee shop. He’s been making it his regular stop to grab his breakfast before surfing.”
By this time, Jake had buried his face in his arms, covered his ears, and was pretending to be upset. He peeked at her through his fingers as she continued happily talking to Jake’s father.
“Buzzy invited me over for your homemade pineapple ice cream. So, you better start practicing!” she said, laughing before adding “because Jake said your pineapple ice cream is my favorite.”
She listened for a moment, looking at Jake, as he motioned for her to hang up, giving her the throat-cut motion, running his hand across his neck, and laughing.
“Ok, Mr. J. Thanks again and Jake will see you tomorrow,” she said, hanging up the phone. Liz smiled brightly and handed him the phone.
“See how easy that was? Looks like you’re stuck with me tonight.”
“Come on, let’s head back so you can make up that comfortable couch bed for me,” he replied with a laugh.
Jake reached over and took Liz’s hand as they wandered back toward the bungalow, where they found Katie sitting on the couch, working on her laptop.
“Doing more research, sis?” Liz asked.
“The fun never stops,” Katie said with a laugh without even lifting her head.
“Jake is going to sleep on the couch. I cleared it with his Dad.”
“Oh, you did, huh? Did you clear it with the boss of the house?” Katie asked, looking up from her laptop with a smile.
“I can confirm that she did clear it with my father. I, however, cannot confirm that she spoke with the owner of the residence,” Jake said before adding, “I told you that you should have let me do the dishes.”
“That’s okay. We have some yard work you can do on the weekend.”
“Katie!” Liz laughed as Katie smiled.
“Let me grab the extra bedding. Jake, I hope you don’t mind an early morning wake-up call,” Katie said.
“I have no problem heading home if you need to work early in the morning,” Jake replied.
“Oh, it’s not us. We’ll be sleeping like the dead. It’s the 4:00 AM roosters. You’re in the country now,” she said with a laugh.
“We have those noisy little monsters where we are too. But I’ve been up with dawn patrol for everything from football to surfing. I’ll live,” he said with a smile. “I appreciate the hospitality. Truly.”
As the girls locked up the house for the night, Jake was lying on the couch, listening to the waves in the distance. He smiled as he thought, “I could get used to that sound every night.” His eyes grew heavy as he drifted off to sleep. Liz returned briefly to the living room to say good night, only to find that Jake had already fallen asleep. She grabbed the light blanket her sister provided and draped it across him, then bent down and kissed him softly on the forehead. Jake didn’t even move.
“Good night, Jake Jansen,” she whispered before slipping off into the darkness toward the back of the bungalow.
***
The sound of a loud rooster opened Jake’s eyes. He rolled over on the couch, lit up his phone, and glanced at the time. It was 4:00 AM on the dot.
“At least they’re reliable,” Jake groaned.
Jake sat up, shaking his head. He stretched as he yawned and carefully attempted to be as quiet as possible. He sat on the couch momentarily, letting his eyes adjust in the darkness, before gathering all the bedding, folding it neatly, and stacking it in a pile before he very quietly snuck out the front door.
Jake climbed into the Blazer and gritted his teeth for fear that the loud, throaty roar of his engine would stir the girls awake. But then he thought, “if the sound of those roosters doesn’t wake them up, then my truck won’t.” He backed out of the driveway and headed back home in the early morning hours. He made it a point to take the long way home as he rolled down Kam Highway, thinking about the day ahead but knowing he would have an opportunity to take in a sunrise that was unlike any other in the world.
The vehicle was quiet this morning except for the hum of the oversized tires hugging the pavement. Jake watched the mesmerizing, steady stream of headlights winding their way out to the North Shore for today’s Pipe Masters event. He thought to himself that he would be prepared for whatever the day was going to throw at him and that the worst was over. As his vehicle hugged the coastline, he could see the faint glow of the sun preparing to warm the islands. The sky was waking up, and Jake attempted to keep his eyes on the road but occasionally found himself stealing glances of the blue water, forming whitecap-crested waves off to his left. He rolled down his window and let the chilly morning breeze stir him awake.
As Honolulu came to life in the early morning hours, Jake knew he could depend on his favorite bakery to be open. He made his way through the sleepy streets before pulling into the parking lot and hopping out of the vehicle. He ran inside to grab a half dozen Malasadas, the deliciously famous Portuguese pastries enjoyed by so many on the islands. He knew they were his Dad’s favorite and thought this would be a perfect surprise. He also knew he would be grilled about Liz once he returned home. He knew his Dad meant no harm and that he was only trying to find his way back into Jake’s world.
Jake hurried home, pulled into the driveway, and slipped into the house through the front door to find his Dad sitting on the couch reading the paper.
“Morning, Dad,” Jake said, passing into the kitchen before returning with a small plate with a couple of pastries and a cup of coffee. “Breakfast is served.”
Jack smiled and took a bite of the malasada and savored the flavor.
“I thought you might like a small treat,” Jake said as he turned and headed back into the kitchen. He returned with a glass of orange juice and a couple of bananas. “I just wanted to say thanks, Dad.”
“For what?”
Jake gave his dad a look as if to say that’s an unnecessary question.
“I’m not going to say you’re welcome because there’s no need for you to thank me. You are my son, in case you don’t remember,” Jack said as he continued to devour the pastries. “Jake, even if I wasn’t a detective or had no experience in this type of thing, I’d be doing what any other father would do. It’s that simple.”
Jake smiled before Jack changed the topic.
“Mary will be expecting us around 8:30 this morning. She should be able to get us the results and fingerprints really quickly, probably about 45 minutes to an hour. At least, according to her. I don’t know what all is involved in the process. I never could understand how a person goes about wanting to work with dead bodies and go digging around.”
“Dad, not while I’m eating, please,” Jake said with a mouthful of banana. “Gross.”
“Sorry. I forget this type of stuff is mostly new to you. I’ve gotten a bit desensitized to it over the years.”
“Yeah, I guess. But it’s still gross,” Jake replied. “Do you need me to go with you this morning? Or what’s the plan?”
“Well, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, where would you go next? Get inside the mind of the criminal and inside the mind of a detective. Where would you go from here?”
Jake ran through his thoughts for a moment. It looked like he might have an answer before looking at his Dad and giving him a shrug.
“I don’t know. I mean, we could use the prints and see where that leads us?”
“What about the surfboard, Jake?”
“I was already at the surfboard shop a couple of days ago.”
“But they told you to come back and talk to the people who were working that night, right? And what about the owner? That, to me, would seem like a good place to start, especially since you took notice of the fact that it was an unfamiliar board brand that Rabbit purchased, which was a good catch, by the way. I would imagine nothing passes through the store without the owner’s knowledge. He must know something. And as a reminder, we still haven’t found that board.”
“Ken Mitchell. Hmm, I hadn’t thought to speak to him. I haven’t seen him since maybe last year or the year before. But that’s a really good idea. Yeah, we can do that, definitely.”
“Remember, Jake, don’t make this too hard. Sometimes the right answer is the obvious one. Tell you what, I’ll go see Mary and get whatever she can provide us. You wait here, shower, and get ready, and then we’ll move on to the next steps. Sound good?”
Jake nodded, then sat there for a moment thinking. He looked at his dad.
“Hey, Dad, what made you want to go into investigative work?” Jack thought about it for a moment.
“I kind of fell into it with the Navy, but I guess maybe wanting to be a little bit like your grandfather. After his military police days with the Army during the Korean War, he decided against going into law enforcement. At least, that’s what he told me. Truth be told, I think he’d suffered an injury in the Army and wasn’t healthy enough to be a police officer. He had a little hitch in his stride when he walked, which I always suspected was a war injury, and was just too proud to admit it. He didn’t talk much about his service time. Anyway, once he came home, he got into some private eye work here and there. Your grandmother hated it, even though that’s how they met, but dad loved the detective work. He was good at it. At least according to him,” Jack said, laughing before taking a drink of his coffee. “Anyway, I think, in his head, he was more of a fan of the nostalgic old-time radio mysteries of his youth. Envisioned himself as some hard-boiled gumshoe like Phillip Marlowe,” Jack said with a laugh.
“A who what?” Jake asked.
“Never mind. Anyway, your grandfather was an interesting man. I wish you’d had more time with him.” Jake smiled.
“Did you ever work on any cases with grandpa?” Jack laughed at the question.
“Definitely not. He always told me it was man’s work and no place for a boy. And he was right. I guess it was his way of protecting me. Lord knows, your grandmother would have skinned him alive if he’d tried to take me along for any casework. According to your grandmother, I guess he was involved in solving a few high-profile missing person cases here and there, But by the early 80s, he had slowed down on some of that type of work and instead had gotten into taking some of the seedy jobs, chasing cheating spouses and the divorce jobs that paid well,” Jack said.
“Was great-grandpa Ed a detective?” Jake asked. His dad took a drink of his coffee and shook his head.
“No. He worked at the dockyards in his day after his military time. I think I have some photos somewhere. But he was a rugged old guy. He’d been in the Navy during the first world war. And I think that’s why Dad joined the Army, to make Grandpa Ed mad. They never did see eye to eye on anything.”
“Did you join the Navy to upset grandpa?” Jake asked with a smile.
Jack laughed. He took a sip of his coffee and smiled.
“Not at all. But me, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Finally, I just decided to join. Your grandfather was happy with my decision,” Jack said with a laugh. “But I joined for the education and had an interest in intelligence and counter-intel. At first, I was a little apprehensive, but once I got my feet wet, I enjoyed it. One of my instructors thought I’d be a good fit. So, I stayed with it and got involved with the NIS.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Yeah, for the most part. There were some rough spots that come with the job, so to speak. But overall, yeah. There’s a bit of satisfaction that comes with catching bad guys,” Jack said.
“Rough spots?” Jake prompted. Jack nodded and thought for a moment.
“One of my closest Naval buddies was dealing drugs and I was responsible for bringing him in. That day is still pretty clear in my mind. Looking back, I’m glad nobody got hurt. But it made me a little more vigilant about who I could and could not trust.” Jack sat there for a moment, shook his head, and then took a drink of his coffee. He looked up and smiled at Jake.
“You know, Jake, I’d understand if you changed your mind and considered a different career.”
Jake sat there thinking about what his dad had just said. He looked at him and smiled.
“I’m fine, dad, really,” he said with a pause, “Besides, it gives me a chance to work with you.”
Jack was a bit surprised by that answer. He thought for a moment, carefully choosing the right words before responding.
“I may be difficult to work with at times, son. Just know that, at least initially, until you learn the ropes, I’m going to try and watch over you like a hawk. I just want you to be careful and be safe. Understand?”
Jake smiled and nodded as he stood up to head down the hallway to clean up. He started to leave the room.
“Oh, and Jake, one more thing,” Jack said.
Jake stopped and turned around.
“We’re going to need a new ice cream maker,” his father said with a wink.
Jake shook his head with an embarrassed laugh, smiled at his Dad, turned, and walked down the hallway.