The threads were unraveling. Just like my favorite long-sleeved rash guard I bought myself last year for Christmas;  my murder suspects were coming undone. One by one. 

"Tio didn't do it. He didn't kill her." 

Detective Jones proudly announces the news as he hangs up his office phone. 

"He was on one of the neighbors surveillance videos, the ones that were out of town for the week to Vegas. They just came in to submit video evidence. Tio was seen at her approximate time of death, dragging around old palm fronds to the side of his grandmothers house."

Detective Keele stands and gets out an eraser from his desk drawer. He goes to the white board and erases Tio's name. 

"You want to permanently take him off the board?" Detective Jones asks, a bit perplexed. 

"Yep. No motive. He was a creep but that is all. Knows nothing about Lila's scheming, only the affair she was having with Kenny and has no connection to anything else. Let's go over the other suspects, and try to either interview again or find new evidence. I feel like we are getting closer..." 

 I felt it too. It was now day 12 of the murder investigation. Day 12 of me being dead. And my spirit was beginning to feel more and more restless. Which if you haven't gathered by now, is not a pleasant experience. 

"What about Kenny? Do we still have more on him?"

Detective Keele nods. 

"We do. We need to clear him of any connection to Lila and the obvious ring of stolen goods coming out of the hotel. If all he did was tell her how much money Tio makes, then there isn't anything left to connect him to her death. His alibi is good. But he could have been an accessory."

"Ok. So we reinterview him. How about the fourth suspect, Filau?" 

"No surveillance of him walking near her building the morning of the murder. He was only seen walking to the boat landing and back. Patrol pulled video feed. He couldn't have killed her. He was equally a creep though. Clearly was stalking her, and involved the surf instructor in it, but murder, no." Detective Keele says, erasing Filau's name. 

That was two suspects down. Only 13 more to go. 

"Since we are going there to reinterview, we should see who else we need to hit again." Detective Jones says.

"That's what we are doing genius..." Detective Keele quips, chuckling. "You get enough sleep last night?"

"Not really...this case has had me up late. That and my kids starting t-ball." He replies. 

"Sports are the way to go for boys, I'm telling you. Good for you getting him in young."

"Yep. And last night I stayed up researching our suspected sellers of stolen goods. I found a bunch of obscure sites online that sell hotel goods. One of them, locally, seems to have pictures of linens used by Hilton Hawaiian Village."

"Do you have the webpage name?" Detective Keele asks, settling at his computer screen. 

Detective Jones comes around to his desk and gives him the name. They both stare shocked at the website. Front and center was stock that looked eerily like it came from the hotel. And there was more than a few dozen items, there was hundreds.

🩸

The detectives have shown that they can follow a lead, no matter how obscure. I find this trait to be worthy a raise, at the very most, and a recognition at the very least. Though neither will befall the detectives trying to solve my murder. For them, it is just a day in the life. 

"We can add Ron and Kima to the list of suspects to reinterview. They know we know about the stolen goods. The wife especially knows, we just need to get her confession. I think we work the angle of the website. Kima was at Leilani's building, heading up the roof before her murder. Patrol is getting surveillance from outside to see if they catch her leaving. Plus we know there were drugs on the roof. She may be connected to that..." Detective Keele says. 

"Let's go catch these three and then we can go over the other alibis afterwards?"

"Let's roll.." Detective Keele says, grabbing his phone and notebook. 

I can't help but think that Kima was connected to my death somehow. I really hoped I wasn't pushed off the roof by a old cranky woman shorter and weaker than me. Not exactly the way I had imagined I'd ever go if I were to be a victim of crime. 

But then again, who would imagine such an ending?

🩸

 "I told her about Tio's supposed income, yes. But I had no real proof of anything. And she was only asking because she was curious if anyone who worked here had money."

Kenny sounds defiant and not exactly thrilled to be interviewed a second time by the Honolulu murder detectives. I can't really blame him though. Not only does it mean he is still an active suspect, but it looks pretty bad to all the staff who notice this going down. 

"You are still withholding information from us. If you just tell us everything, we can eliminate you as a suspect. I think you know this. So why cover for your girlfriend?" Detective Jones asks.

Kenny visibly weighs his options. The walls were closing in on him. He finally sighs, resigned to the fate that was inevitable. 

"Fine. Fuck! I guess this needs to end sometime. Better be now. I have a kid on the way, no way I'm going to jail for her. Lila is the mastermind behind a stolen goods scheme in the hotel. She told me she wanted to start small and make some extra money, so she could save up to leave her fat husband." Kenny says, running his hands through his hair. "She asked me to pitch in but I don't have any extra money. I told her about Tio. Beyond that, I have no idea what's been going on with it. I swear. I have nothing to do with it and she didn't tell me anything else after that day about it."

"Alright. And you were at home like you said, before 5:45 am?"

"I sure as shit was. With my wife, helping her get things going in the morning. Babies are up at all hours. And she's pregnant. I didn't kill Leilani."

"We have that alibi from your wife, as you know." Detective Jones says. 

"Do you know of any other criminal acts that Lila has been involved in?" Detective Keele asks, closing his notebook. 

"No. I swear. If I did, I'd tell you." Kenny says. "But I wouldn't put it past the bitch...she has her hands in a lot of bad things I figure. It's in her nature."

🩸

Ruling Kenny out from the suspect list, the detectives take the elevator down to the basement floor where the offices of Ron and Kima were. 

"When the pieces start to fall together like this, you have to pay the most attention to every small detail. It's easy to miss something." Detective Keele says. 

The air feels alive with the stink of hope, and stale fast food lingering from whoever was in the elevator before us. 

"Smells like Chinese from The Golden Wok down the road.." Detective Jones quips. 

Stopping at the basement, the elevator opens and we get out. Workers are scurrying to restock supplies for housekeeping and carry large shrink wrap covered bundles to shelving in a stock area. No doubt to replace what Kima has been siphoning away. How upper management has yet to notice this is beyond me. 

They make their way to Kima's office, her expression one of shock when she sees them. 

"Detectives...what can I help you with?" She asks timidly. 

"We need some answers." Detective Keele says. "We can do this here, or down at the station." 

An 'oh shit' look appears on her face. This isn't good for her and she knows it. Hopefully, she'd stop lying and come clean. Gesturing for the detectives to sit, she shuts her office door. 

"We know you were at Leilani's condo the morning of her death, heading up to the rooftop. Tell us why you were there."  

Detective Keele's tone is one of utter seriousness. He was done playing nice. I hadn't seen this side of him yet. 

"Well, I...how do you know I was there?" 

"There are eyewitness's that identified you. Why were you there? At the murder scene, right before our victim was pushed off to her death?" 

Kima swallows and sits dejectedly in her office chair. 

"If you don't talk, now...we will get a warrant for your arrest. I have more than enough evidence..." Detective Keele threatens, pulling out his cellphone. 

"Alright! Alright!" Kima says loudly. 

She cradles her face in her hands and moans. She's definitely cornered. 

"I was there to drop off cash. Before I say anything more, I want a deal. I know you guys can cut me one." 

The detectives exchange glances and remain silent. Tension is filling my being and it feels like it will overflow. What was Kima hiding? Had she shoved me off the roof? Detective Keele puts his  phone back in his pocket and takes out his notebook.

"Alright. Talk to us."

~ 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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Are the suspects falling one by one?

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Fun Hawaiian Fact: The Hawaiian state bird is the goose, or nene.