The Honolulu Murder Files

Chapter 28

Near the end. 

It feels like we are near the end. Restlessness is overtaking my spirit, almost like there is something about to happen, but I don't know what it is exactly. Could it be I'm getting ready to leave this weird limbo state? I haven't seen another ghost or spirit since I died. It's just been myself and the ones still living. I thought the afterlife would mean I'd be with my deceased family members. But maybe because of how I died, I'm still here. 

Have to find my killer. 

Detective Keele and Jones are back in the office. Both on the phone again. Hard at work, trying to tie the pieces together. Evidence was so circumstantial that they needed more in order to pinpoint a suspect and secure charges. I feel bad for them. My case was hard and it was taking a stressful toll on them. That much was apparent. 

"Dang it. No prints on the drugs. Absolutely none. Or on the bag." 

"Shit boss...not good. Now it's up to video surveillance." 

Detective Keele stands up to stretch. He has some bags under his eyes. This is taking a toll on him indeed. 

"Yes, and no. I talked to the sergeant in charge in drugs and he says they do have a distant lead. A bunch of chatter on the street in Waipahu." He says. 

"Oh snap. Well who is the lead?"

Striding to get a cup of fresh brewed coffee, detective Keele chuckles. 

"No one we know. But they are pointing fingers at a local drug dealer. The drug squad is staking out the house of the guy. He is part of a bigger drug undercover operation so they already have a warrant for the surveillance. We are thinking that the recent drug find at Leilani's building will come up."

Detective Jones stands and stretches, fatigue clearly showing as well on his face. 

"I gotcha. Once we hear if any of our suspects names come up we can do a secondary interview of them?"

"I don't know yet what we will do. I want to secure all the evidence we need, without tipping off the suspects."

It was still very personal for him. His niece was killed and her resemblance to me brought up a renewed passion for catching my killer. I could tell this easily and so could detective Jones. 

"Well I say we go talk to Tio in the hospital. He is off of the psych meds. I just talked to his doctor. The think it's a prime time to do a quick interview."

Detective Keele nods. 

"Sounds good. We can go there real fast. We still need to find out why Lila was listed on his emergency contact. I have a feeling it might be connected to the drugs somehow....since we found no evidence that Tio was ever on the dark web site."

They finished closing up their computer screens and marking a few more notes onto the white board. I wonder if Tio even knew that Lila was listed on his emergency contact form. She could have gone through and changed names on things. They were typed after all. If not, if he knew, why? It just didn't add up. 

"Let's roll."

🩸

Mental hospitals always scared me. Probably after watching the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, "Shutter Island" when I was younger. Something about a bunch of mentally unstable people crammed into a small building that really gives you the heebie-jeebies. Poor Tio was in here. I hope for his sake, he gets out soon. He doesn't belong in here. 

The detectives walk through a ward, following closely behind a charge nurse and the doctor treating Tio. The doctor chats about the facility and how they usually have a good release rate after initial treatment is given.