Suspect #15.

The Acai Bowl Owner.

Acai is a fruit that grows on a specific type of palm tree. They look like tiny grapes or larger blueberries and taste earthy or bitter if eaten raw. When ground up and sugar added, they can make what is known as an acai bowl. I  used to love eating those for a pick me up as a breakfast meal or after surfing for a fruity treat. 

Mia owns Zen Acai Bowl in downtown Honolulu. She is as much like her store as the store is like her. Both are sleek, a bit hippy and a lot into the healthiest versions of food. Her bowls are super popular with tourists watching their waistline and locals alike. I mainly ate there because she was one of the closest friends I had, next to Rachel, my neighbor. 

It was fitting that she be the last suspect. And equally as sad to me that she be a suspect at all. I wonder what shocking things I was about to find out. 

"Thanks for coming in! We are open tomorrow morning at 5, same as today" Mia says, smiling her megawatt smile at a customer. 

She was the lowest on the priority list for being a murder suspect. I still have no clue as to why. She and I had a good friendship but it wasn't always that way. She is a lesbian and at one point, a few months back, she tried to kiss me. I was able to turn her down and I thought it was over with, but now I'm second guessing this. 

Once the customers leave, Mia begins to text someone on her phone. I get closer to see who. There isn't a name at the top, only a phone number. That's super odd. 

Did you get interviewed about the green?

Someone was typing back, I could see the tiny dots on the screen. 

Not about that. No. 

She seemed ok with this response so she typed more. 

About her though? 

Yes. Don't worry. They don't know.

Who was she texting? By interviewed I take it to mean by the detectives. And that means she is hiding something. Is the 'green' a code for drugs? Possibly the marijuana? I'm connecting some dots, but still unsure if the detectives will be able to without looking at the phone as I have. 

We will be in touch. 

She types the reply then puts her phone down. Her screensaver flashes at the action and I see a picture of her and I. It jars me. She had never used our picture on her phone before. Had she felt guilty after my death? Or was she simply missing me? 

Not missing a beat, she begins to grind up acai fruit in a blender, as more customers come in. They look ready to explore Oahu, sunscreen on their pale faces not quite blended in all the way. It makes me smile. I miss seeing tourists marvel at the islands beauty. It really is unlike any other place on earth. 

Then I see two more people come in. 

The detectives. 

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It's pretty early but the detectives wanted to see if they could catch Mia before she got too busy. I knew they were coming in today, I just didn't know when. Detective Jones whispers to detective Keele and he nods. They both try their best to appear casual, though their clothing screams otherwise. It's all for naught too. Mia notices them. 

"Can I help you officers with anything? Or you just coming to get an acai bowl?" She asks as they approach the counter. 

Detective Jones flashes his badge and gives Mia a handsome grin. She smiles in return but I notice her hands clenching harder on her till than needed. 

"We'd really like to chat with you for a few minutes if you have the time." He says. 

No one else is in the store yet but she is alone still, her day shift employee isn't due in for a few hours. She hesitates briefly, then walks to the front door. 

"Sure. We can talk briefly. Good thing I'm the owner..." 

She turns the open sign off and locks the door, so no one can walk in. Then she turns the time to thirty past and sets the placard to say 'will return'. 

"Please, we can sit at a table." 

Her shop has about four Brazilian wood topped high tables with pub stools inside. Not enough for everyone to eat in but enough for a few. It gives her place a comfortable feel. The trio sit and Mia struggles to keep her legs still. She was nervous. 

Detective Jones pulls out his phone as I hold my breath. As if I were still capable of breathing. 

"Tell us how you got involved in posting pictures of Leilani on the dark web?" He asks, holding his phone out. 

On the screen flashed a naked picture of who everyone presumed was me, bent over and smiling. I feel sick, watching Mia's face. She was seriously caught off guard. She hasn't expected the police to catch the dark web scheme. 

"I....I..''

You can tell she isn't wanting to admit to anything, but she is clearly caught. 

"We're here because you  have a motive. In the chat feature of the group, you left messages for a man named James. You said you were angry at your friend for turning you down after she played with you for months. Was the friend referring to Leilani?" 

Mia begins to cry. Not fake tears either, but genuine hurtful ones. I know her well enough to distinguish between the two. 

"Yes. I was referring to Leilani. I only got onto that site because of friends of hers." 

Detective Keele clears his throat. 

"What friends?" He asks. 

"Her other gay friend, Reggie. And the bitch next door neighbor. They were plotting a scheme to make money using photoshopped images of her face, on this site. I checked it out only after she turned me down when I tried kissing her." 

"You say that Reggie and Rachel both had planned to photoshop you say....images onto bodies?" 

"Yes." She says, wiping her nose on a napkin. "I wasn't a part of that. These images, they aren't really Leilani. Just her face. But Rachel and her boyfriend, they have been raking in the dough from posting her on there.." 

"The neighbor and the boyfriend?" Detective Jones asks. 

Mia nods, blowing her nose more in between soft sobs.

"Yes...and the other bitchy woman. The blonde from her work." 

🩸

Lila! 

 Detective Keele pulls out a print photo of Lila and shows Mia. 

"Is this her, the blonde?" 

"Yep, that's her. Biggest bitch alive. She comes in here too to get bowls before work. Usually with a guy." 

Who was she coming in here with? I had no idea Lila frequented Mia's shop. Mia never told me that. 

"What guy?" Detective Jones asks. 

"Oh....well, I don't know if I should tell you guys that." 

"Why not?" Detective Keele asks. 

"I don't want it traced back to me." 

"It won't be. But you need to tell us."

"He used to date Leilani. He's a lawyer." 

The detectives look at each other. Mia was supposed to be the least likely to have done it and is proving to bring the most information to the table. What else did she overtly know? 

"You saw Lila come in with..." Detective Keele pulls out a picture of Marcus. "Him?" 

"That's him. Leilani used to date him and he wasn't right for her. He treated her like crap and she still fell for his charms. That's why I got so mad at her. I would have treated her right. I was the one who said I loved her and acted like it. She couldn't see past my breast's and vagina though." 

"So you were angry...like we asked you. Where were you the morning she was killed, 11 days ago?" 

"I didn't kill her! I just said I loved her. Sure I was mad. But never ever to the level of rage you'd need to kill someone! Plus I was here. I got my weekly shipment of goods at 4 am and I was in the store from that point on until my day shift employee showed up around 8 am. I have video feed in the back, you can take it." She retorts. 

They mull over what she says but she wasn't done yet. 

"You really should be looking at Rachel. Or Lila. They both had it out for her. Hated her. I never really knew why...except that Rachel thought her boyfriend was sleeping with her. Of course he wasn't. But she is a crazy person. And Lila was stalking her too. I think personally she swings both ways if you know what I mean. Maybe she tried what I did and got shot down." 

"I'll take a look at the footage. Download a copy. We are looking at all the suspects still. Can you give Detective Jones an official statement before we leave?" Detective Keele asks. 

"Anything you need, sure. I want you to find her killer and nail them. Nail them to the wall." 

A few final tears escape from her eyes and I know she didn't kill me. 

But who did?

~ This book is Copyrighted by K E Jennings and only available on Wattpad. if you are reading this on another site, it has been stolen without permission or monetary payment to the said author. ~

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Fun Hawaiian Fact: One of the largest banyan trees in the world is located on Maui. It measures 60 feet tall and 223 feet wide.