Murder in Maui Read online

  She handed him the warrant, which hadn’t been too hard to get, given the heat generated by the case. No judge wanted to pass on any possibility that a serial killer might be within their grasp.

  Gabe barely glanced at the warrant before flashing Leila a hard look. “Of course I’ll cooperate. But whatever you’re looking for, you’re not going to find it here.”

  “I hope that’s the case.”

  Seymour stepped forward. “I understand you have a dog?”

  “Yeah, Sal,” Gabe said.

  “If he’s in there, you’d better make sure Sal is on his best behavior. Otherwise there could be trouble.”

  “I’ll take care of my dog. Just try and leave things the way you found them.”

  Gabe unlocked the door and was immediately met by his dog. He quickly restrained Sal while the police came in and fanned out.

  * * *

  “Why didn’t you tell me there was bad blood between you and Douglas Brennan?” Leila favored Gabe with narrowed eyes.

  Gabe cocked a brow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I think you do.”

  His gaze lowered. “We weren’t enemies—not really.”

  “That’s not what we heard,” Seymour said, getting his attention. “It pissed you off when Brennan, along with the backing of influential players Larry Nagasaka and Elizabeth Racine, ended up as CEO instead of you.”

  Gabe blinked. “Who have you been talking to?”

  “What difference does it make? It’s all in the public record, other than hearing your side of the story.”

  “So maybe I’m a sore loser. That didn’t mean I respected Douglas any less as a professional. And it certainly doesn’t make me a killer.”

  “Maybe this does...” Seymour heard the voice.

  An officer approached them. Wearing latex gloves, he held up a gun and box of shells. “We found these tucked away inside a drawer in the den. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a .25 caliber gun and some of the shells are missing from the box.”

  Seymour regarded Gabe. “That your gun?”

  “Yeah, so what? It’s registered.”

  “Have you used it recently?”

  “Just for target practice.”

  Seymour widened his eyes skeptically. “Wonder just who the targets were?”

  He turned to Leila, giving her the honor of bringing her Good Samaritan into custody for much more than witnessing a mugging.

  Leila’s jaw set. “Gabe Devane, I’m placing you under arrest for suspicion of murder in the deaths of Douglas Brennan, Elizabeth Racine, and Larry Nagasaka.”

  She stepped behind the suspect and handcuffed him before reading him his rights.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Brenda was standing in front of her TV channel surfing when she came upon the breaking news.

  “Dr. Gabe Devane, a thirty-eight-year-old ER surgeon at Maui General, has been arrested in connection with the deaths of fellow Doctors Douglas Brennan, Elizabeth Racine, and Larry Nagasaka. All three victims were shot to death in two separate instances. Authorities believe one person was responsible for all three murders. They’re not saying right now if that person was Devane, who recently lost his bid to become the CEO of the Medical Association of Maui to Brennan.”

  Brenda felt her legs grow wobbly and she sat down. Gabe a murderer? Or an accomplice to murder? There had to be a mistake. Though she hadn’t known him very long, and really only knew his sexual tastes, he didn’t strike her as someone who could do such a thing. Especially when he made a living saving lives.

  But what did she really know about him?

  Maybe he had a dark side she hadn’t seen. Much like the part of her husband that Brenda didn’t know. She hesitated to think Gabe could have been planning to murder her at some point.

  When she felt something on her shoulder, Brenda nearly jumped out of her skin. She whipped her head around and saw Trent staring at her.

  “You scared me!”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “How long have you been standing there?” She tried to steady her nerves.

  “Long enough to catch that report on the doctor.”

  Brenda swallowed. “Do they really think he did it?”

  “It’s too soon to say for sure. But there’s compelling evidence to suggest he may be our guy.”

  “But he’s a surgeon, for heaven’s sake,” she found herself defending the man who was her lover.

  “So was Jack the Ripper, some believe. Doesn’t mean Devane isn’t guilty of the murders.”

  Brenda clung to the hope this wasn’t the case. Being with him had filled the void in her marriage. She hated to think it was all over.

  She raised her eyes. “What are you doing home?”

  “Just stopped by for a few minutes to see what you were up to and if you needed anything.”

  “What if I said I needed you?”

  He grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Brenda had waited for so long to hear those words that they now sounded hollow, especially when her thoughts were focused on Gabe Devane.

  * * *

  “How does someone go from helping old ladies in distress to being a serial murder suspect?” Ortega asked, gazing through the one-way window.

  Leila shrugged. “Maybe he can answer that.”

  “What about the gun and shells?”

  “They’re being tested now.”

  “Why don’t we see what he has to say?”

  Leila looked at her boss, bypassing Seymour. “I think I’d like to talk to him alone.”

  “Sure you can handle it?” Seymour asked.

  She took this as lighthearted. “I’m sure. We established somewhat of a rapport when doing the sketch of the mugger. Gabe may open up more with just me.”

  “Go for it.” Ortega touched the window. “When his lawyer gets here, we’ll send her in.”

  Leila wasn’t sure what she could expect from the suspect, but if she could coerce a confession out of him, all the better. Assuming he was guilty of taking out three of his former colleagues.

  She went into the interrogation room, armed with a tape recorder.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked in a pleasant enough tone.

  “Do you have any vodka out there?” Gabe took a breath. “I think I could use something along those lines right about now.”

  Leila couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry, afraid I can’t help you there. Water, soft drinks, and coffee are all we have.”

  “Then I’ll pass.”

  “If you change your mind, let me know.” She sat the recorder on the table. “I understand you’ve already called your attorney. Do you mind if we talk a bit till she comes?”

  Gabe scowled. “Why not? I already told you that you’re way off base here. I had nothing to do with killing Douglas, Liz, or Larry. Asking me again isn’t going to change that.”

  Leila could see he would be a tough nut to crack. And she didn’t have much time to do it.

  “I’d like to record this, if it’s okay with you?”

  He proffered an arm. “Whatever.”

  She turned the tape on. “Just for the record, did you shoot to death Douglas Brennan?”

  “No!”

  “Did you kill Elizabeth Racine?”

  “No, I didn’t!”

  “How about Larry Nagasaka? Did you shoot him?”

  “The same answer—no!”

  Leila glanced at the mirror. “Tell me about the gun we confiscated from your condo. How long have you owned it?”

  Gabe ran a hand across his chin. “About three months.”

  “And you got it from where?”

  “A gun shop in Wailuku.”

  That would be easy enough to verify. “Why did you get a gun?”

  Gabe pursed his lips. “To protect myself.”

  Leila looked at him. “Did you have anyone to fear?”

  “Not anyone in specific. But as an ER surgeon, I see and hear thing
s that have made me a little jittery insofar as becoming a crime victim. I figured having a gun at home would at least even the playing field should someone violate my space.”

  Leila wondered why so many people felt owning a gun would make them safer when, in fact, it was often the opposite.

  “When was the last time you used the gun?”

  “A few days ago at a firing range in Paia.”

  “How about before that?”

  “The same place, but I can’t tell you the exact day.”

  Leila peered at him. “Did you use it to gun down your enemies, Gabe?”

  “Hell no!” His voice cracked. “You really think I’m some cold blooded murderer who took time out of his day to report a mugging?”

  Leila had to admit that one stumped her. Maybe that had been his plan all along, in case they reached this point.

  “I’m reserving judgment on that till we complete our investigation.”

  He sat back, face flushed. “I’ve made a few mistakes in my life, probably more than a few, but committing murder as payback wasn’t one of them.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Before Leila could delve into his whereabouts for the days and times in question, the door burst open and in came a dark haired, well-dressed Hawaiian woman.

  “Don’t say another word!” She eyed Gabe; then shot Leila a wicked look. “I’m Kim Yi, Mr. Devane’s attorney. If he’s said anything incriminating to you without benefit of counsel, you can be certain that—”

  “He didn’t confess,” Leila cut in. “Your client has been cooperating, but was never asked to say anything he didn’t want to.”

  Kim glanced at the tape. “I’d like to hear that for myself.”

  Leila turned it off. “We may be able to arrange that later.”

  “Then later is when you can talk to my client again. So unless you’re prepared to charge him with something, we’re ready to walk out of here.”

  Leila’s nostrils flared, but she refused to spar with the woman.

  They were interrupted when Seymour poked his head in the door.

  “Can I have a moment?”

  Leila favored Gabe and his attorney. “I’ll be right back.”

  * * *

  “What’s up?” Leila asked Seymour as Ortega, Rachel, and Gil Delfino converged on them.

  Seymour frowned. “Devane did purchase the gun legally and was licensed to carry it.”

  This didn’t surprise her, given Gabe’s ease in this regard. “He indicated as much. Anything else?”

  Rachel stepped forward. “I checked with the range in Paia, and they do have a record of him being there three days ago and a couple of weeks before that.”

  “So that gives Devane an out as to why the gun had recently been fired,” Leila said. But it still didn’t necessarily exonerate him. She faced Delfino, who had tested the gun and bullets against those used to kill Brennan, Nagasaka, and Racine. “What did you come up with?”

  “Probably not what you want to hear.” He scratched his chin. “The gun belonging to the suspect has a barrel with a left hand twist with five lands and grooves. By comparison, the bullets from the murder weapon came from a barrel with a right hand twist and six lands and grooves. The ejection and firing pin marks on shell casings were also different compared to those recovered from the crime scenes. Bottom line is, we’re talking about two different weapons.”

  “So Gabe’s innocent.” Leila felt a sense of relief, though no regrets in playing this by the book.

  “Looks that way, unless he used a different gun.”

  They had found no other firearms in his condo or vehicle. As far as Leila was concerned, that was enough to turn the spotlight elsewhere, as she believed the real shooter still had possession of the murder weapon.

  “I think we have to let him go,” Seymour told her.

  Ortega put a hand on her shoulder. “As much as we all wanted it to be over, something tells me you’re glad it wasn’t your Good Samaritan.”

  Leila offered a hint of a smile. “Guess I’d better get back in there with the news before Gabe’s attorney has a conniption.”

  The fact that they were back to the drawing board made Leila more determined than ever to solve this case and put the true culprit behind bars.

  TWENTY-NINE

  At seven that evening, Leila sat in the club on Ka’anapali Beach with Jan drinking Mai Tais.

  “So this Gabe wasn’t the guilty party after all?” Jan lifted her glass.

  “Technically he’s still a suspect, given there was no love lost between him and the victims and with Gabe’s whereabouts during the crimes still unconfirmed. But I’d have to say he’s not at the top of our list right now.”

  “Who is?” Jan gazed across the table. “Or can’t you say?”

  Leila was used to her friend prying into police business. She was almost accustomed to dodging the questions as much as possible.

  “We’re keeping an open mind right now.”

  “It’s scary to think someone is out there with a loaded gun just waiting to attack somebody else.”

  “I know. Hopefully we can stop things from getting to that point.”

  Jan touched her hand. “Just don’t let it overwhelm you.”

  “It won’t.” Leila had no intention of becoming so stressed out that it affected her ability to do the job. Killers came with the territory, like it or not. The satisfaction came in making the system work, even if it didn’t happen overnight. She tasted her drink and changed the subject. “I’m still waiting to meet your mystery man.”

  Jan smiled. “I’ll invite you both over to dinner next week. How does that sound?”

  “I can hardly wait.” Leila nibbled a pretzel. “So what’s he do for a living anyway?” She did say he was loaded. Was he a doctor?

  “Erik’s a high end real estate agent.”

  “Sounds impressive. Has he been on the island long?”

  “About four months now.”

  Leila was happy to know he wasn’t in the medical profession. Not to say their killer was a doctor.

  “Are you serious about him?”

  Jan laughed. “Probably as serious as you are about Blake.”

  Leila wasn’t sure how serious things were between them. Maybe she was a little more into what they had than Seymour. Unless she was misreading him. Either way, it seemed to be working right now to the degree that both kept coming back to each other.

  “So in other words, you’re not looking to get hitched anytime soon?”

  “Not if I can help it.” Jan rolled her eyes. “What’s with the twenty questions anyway?”

  “Only ten questions,” Leila quipped. “Just being nosey. Sound familiar?”

  Jan chuckled. “Maybe a little.”

  “Thought so.”

  “Is this a private party? Or can anyone join in?”

  Leila looked up and saw the reporter, Renee Bradley, standing there.

  * * *

  “Are you stalking me now?”

  Renee Bradley might have thought Detective Kahana was only joking, had it not been for the serious look on her face. Well join the club. She was serious, too. Especially when there was a killer in their midst and the police were less than forthcoming in keeping the public up to speed.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call it stalking,” she responded, essentially ignoring the other woman at the table. “As a reporter, I go where the story is.”

  “There’s no story here.” Leila wrinkled her nose.

  Renee didn’t expect her to simply roll over and make this easy. Any good reporter understood that getting information required skill and savvy. Along with plenty of persistence.

  “I’d call arresting and releasing a triple murder suspect all in the same day a story, Detective. Why don’t you give me just a few minutes of your time and I promise I’ll get out of your hair.”

  Leila sighed and favored her friend. “Do you mind?”

  “No, not at all. I’m seeing Erik ton
ight, so I’d better get going anyway.” Jan got to her feet. “I’ll call you about the dinner next week.”

  “I’m looking forward to it. Bye, Jan.”

  Renee waited for Jan to depart before taking her chair. She suddenly felt nervous one on one with the detective, but quickly regained her poise.

  “Thanks for talking to me.”

  “Seems like you left me with little choice.”

  Renee saw this as a good sign. “Can I buy you another drink?”

  Leila declined. “I hope you understand that all official statements go through our public relations officer.”

  “So this is unofficial?”

  “Let’s just say you’ll get nothing out of me that could compromise the investigation or get me into trouble.”

  “Understood.” Renee took out her recorder.

  Leila lifted a hand. “Off the record, remember?”

  Renee nodded reluctantly, putting the recorder back into her handbag and resisting the temptation to turn it on.

  “What can you tell me about Gabe Devane that we don’t already know?”

  “He was a person of interest. Now we’re looking elsewhere.”

  “So Dr. Devane is no longer considered a suspect?”

  “All I can tell you is we’re no longer actively investigating him. If any reason comes up to change that, we will.”

  Renee took that to mean Gabe Devane was not their man. “What about some of the other suspects you’ve interviewed?”

  “What about them?”

  “Is there anyone who you’re more focused on?”

  Leila dribbled her fingers on the table. “We’re focused equally on all possible suspects in this case. When we have enough solid evidence to make an arrest, the press will know about it.”

  “Do you think the killer will strike again?”

  Leila paused. “We can’t rule anything out, but we’re doing our best to prevent that from happening. You can be sure we’re exhausting all efforts to find the killer and are confident it’s just a matter of time until we make an arrest.”

  Renee made a mental note of that last statement. She had a feeling that was precisely what the detective wanted her to convey to the public.

  * * *

  Seymour debated whether or not it was a good idea to talk to Mele about their pending divorce without his attorney. It was still hard for him to believe they had even reached this stage. But that didn’t change the facts as they were. Mele had chosen to live her life apart from him. He, in turn, had been forced to do the same.