Unknown Victim by Kay Hadashi (top 10 books of all time txt) 📗

out the inside of the house, the cook can have the kitchen, but only through the back door.”

“She’s kinda freaked out about the body. I doubt she’ll go anywhere near the front porch,” Gina said.

“What’s she look like?”

“Young and pregnant, as in very pregnant.”

“Let me check out the interior first.”

She gave him a thumb’s-up. By then, Felix and Flor had returned from the hardware store, and Florinda and Clara arrived from their trip to the grocery store. Clara carried two bags toward the house before being blocked by Detective Kona. He had a quick chat with her, and she walked to stand in the shade of a tree to wait.

“Why are you picking on her to interrogate first?” Gina asked Detective Kona. “I seriously doubt she knows anything about the body.”

“I’m picking on her first, as you put it, because she stands out in this little crowd.”

Gina looked over at Clara, whose gaze was fixed on the dead man on the porch. “She’s pregnant. What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Hopefully, nothing. But she’s also the only one in the group that’s fixed on the body instead of wanting something to do.”

“Because her sister said she’s superstitious.”

“Sister?” Kona asked.

“The one named Florinda is Clara’s sister. At least, that’s what they told me. You’ll have to check with them about that.”

“Thanks. I will. Anything else you want to tell me about superstitious pregnant Clara?”

“She was friendly to me last night, but today, since seeing the body, she hasn’t said two words all morning.”

“What happened last night?” he asked.

“Right about sundown, the entire crew arrived with barbecues and food. It was their way of meeting me for the first time. I tried learning their names, we ate a goat, and I told them the basic plans for the estate gardens. Then they told me about their work routine, and how they all knew each other from other jobs. That was about it.” She watched as his pen raced across his legal pad taking notes. “I have a question, if you don’t mind?”

“Yes?”

“You guys eat a lot of goats here in Hawaii?” she asked.

“I don’t, but I know the Filipinos like to celebrate special events by killing and cooking a goat. Why?”

Gina made an expression as though something were distasteful. “They need a better recipe for cooking a goat.”

“And that, Miss Santoro, is why I don’t eat goats.” Detective Kona flipped to a fresh sheet of paper on his pad. “Did they have lumpia?”

“Deep fried spring rolls? I think that’s what they were called. Some of them had banana inside. Those were more like dessert than an appetizer.”

Detective Kona smiled. “And those are why I like going to Filipino parties. Give me a call the next time they bring them.”

He left Gina to go talk with Clara. Putting her crews to work, Gina gave them as much of a pep talk as she did assignments. She went first with Flor to the row of fruit trees that lined the double-track at the base of the hill. He was looking at the large roll of surveyor’s tape she’d given him.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

“I want to label the branches before we prune, so we can stand back and see what they might look like when we’re done.” She showed him one of the black and white pictures she’d got from Millie of the row of trees from decades before. It was a long orchard only one row wide that lined the double track road that went along that side of the property. In a way, it was a smart design for an orchard. All the trees were in full sun, and all pickers would have to do is go from one tree to the next, from one end of the line to the other. They also did a good job of hiding the lower portion of the ridge at that side. Even the double track road looked purposefully placed at the base of the hill that went up to the ridgeline, and Gina wondered if it was meant as a simple firebreak. The more she got to know about the old estate, the more sense the original layout of it made. “This is the shape the family wants them to be.”

Flor looked, but obviously wasn’t happy about what he saw. He held the picture up to compare it with the natural view. “A lot bigger these days. They won’t look like much for a year or two if we prune them too hard. Won’t be so easy to make them look like that again. Is it so important?”

“That’s what we’re being paid to do. What’s wrong with them?”

“That’s not how these kinds of trees should be pruned to get good fruit. The avocado behind the house shouldn’t be pruned at all. It’s a great shade tree, and it makes plenty of fruit that can be sold at neighborhood farmers’ markets. I can get the mangoes and papayas in shape, but it’ll be a couple of years before they start producing again.”

She picked up an old mango at their feet. “They’re still making fruit.”

“Not much. They could make a lot more, if they were pruned right. The question to ask is if you want fruit or something that matches the picture?”

Gina got out her phone. “I should ask Millie.”

Flor waved at her not to. “You’re the boss, right? That makes it your decision.”

“Yeah, I’m the boss.” She put the phone away. “Okay, do we try to make the trees look exactly the same in the pictures? Or do we make them produce fruit again?”

“People can eat the fruit, and if there’s enough, it can be sold at farmers’ markets,” he said. “But the only people who get to see a pretty tree are the ones who come here to visit. Anyway, mangoes and papayas aren’t pretty to look at. They’re meant for producing fruit and making shade. That’s what this estate was for, for growing produce.”

“Right. But just to humor me, tag the trees with