Poe's First Law: A Murder on Maui Mystery

you?” Mara asked.
“He assisted me with a variety of tasks.”
“Were those tasks of a sensitive nature?” Mara asked.
“There are very few people who know my business. Eric was one of them.”
“How long ago did he leave your employ?” I asked.
“It’s been at least five years. Things didn’t end well between us.”
“How exactly did they end?” Mara asked.
“Eric got it into his head that he was going to try to shake me down. Things didn’t turn out the way he thought they would.”
“What happened?” Mara asked.
“After he tried to blackmail me, I sent Samson to talk to him and explain the situation. But Samson was unable to find him. I thought Eric had finally realized how foolish he was being, and he’d left the island years ago,” Mrs. Akamu said, and she paused a moment. Then she continued, “I know what you’re thinking. You believe I had Eric killed back then. I didn’t.”
“Mrs. Akamu, we both know your butler is very resourceful. Do you expect us to believe he couldn’t locate Eric Ellis? I’ve seen Samson’s handiwork up close. Is it possible he got carried away?” I asked.
“No, it’s not.”
“How do you know?” Mara asked.
“Because I asked Samson myself. He said he couldn’t find him, and I believed him.”
“If Samson didn’t kill him, who do you think did?” I asked.
“It could be any number of people. Business associates. A scorned lover. How would I know?”
“But there’s no one person who jumps out at you?” I asked.
“Other than me? No, I can’t think of one person in particular.”
“That’s why you assume the police will look at you for this?” Mara asked.
“Of course. The Maui Police Department has been trying to get me for years. Trust me when I say this is not how I’m going down. I didn’t have Eric Ellis killed and I want Mr. Rutherford to prove it. First, I suggest you discover what the police already know. I’ll expect a report from you in two days. After that, I want an update every few days. I appreciate you both coming over here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an important call to make.”
Mara looked at me and I knew why. She knows me pretty well by now and she was bound to think I’d have a response. I didn’t want to disappoint her.
“I understand you’re busy, Mrs. Akamu. I’ll let you know when I’ve made my decision.”
“When you’ve made your decision? I’ve already hired you,” she said.
“No, ma’am, you didn’t. Mara mentioned in the beginning of our meeting that she doesn’t have an exclusive agreement with me, which is another way of saying that I don’t work for her. I actually don’t work for anyone. I’m not sure this is a good time for me to be taking on a new case, especially one as daunting as a five-year-old murder case.”
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Akamu asked.
“My sister-in-law is getting married and she might need my help for last-minute wedding details,” I said.
“People don’t say no to me, Mr. Rutherford.”
“I’m not saying no. I’m saying I’ll need some time to make a decision.”
“What do you want?” Mrs. Akamu asked. “Is it more money?”
“I like you, ma’am. But I’m also not blind to your reputation. I’m sure you understand the difficult position I’m in being married to a Maui detective. I don’t want anything to blow back on her and I’m certainly not going to ask her for privileged information.”
“You think I’m guilty, don’t you?”
“I don’t, as a matter of fact. I suspect that I would be the last person you’d call if you’d really killed Eric Ellis. Instead, I think you’re deeply worried. He had way more on you than you’re willing to admit.”
“I’ve already told you that he knew my business. What else do you want to know?”
“Ah, now I’ve figured it out. He stole something from you, and it was almost certainly information. You never got it back, though. You’re worried it was on his person when he died, or he hid it so well no one has found it yet. The killer didn’t, otherwise you would have heard about it by now.”
Mrs. Akamu said nothing.
“Step one of your plan. I find out what the police know, mainly whether they have this information and how imminent your arrest is or isn’t,” I continued. “Step two, I find a suspect for you, someone your people may have missed. Step three, you take what I’ve discovered and give it to your people, hoping they can find this missing information.”
“It seems I’ve underestimated you, Mr. Rutherford.”
“People tend to do that,” Mara said.
“I don’t know whether that’s a compliment or not, but I’ll take it as such,” I said.
“That’s the way I intended it,” Mara said.
“In that case, thank you,” I said.
“Eric downloaded a copy of all of my business files. If someone were to get those files, I would be finished,” Mrs. Akamu said.
“That was Samson’s other task when he went to see Eric. Get the files back,” I said.
“We never knew what happened to Eric. I thought he was working out a deal with the police once he realized I wasn’t going to pay him what he wanted. When the police never came to my door, I didn’t know what to think,” Mrs. Akamu said.
“Then his body appears recently, and the worry starts all over again,” I said.
“Essentially.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Akamu, but I can’t take this case. It’s one thing to find the identity of a murderer. It’s another to inadvertently help recover these files for you. I’m not going to assist you in any illegal activities,” I said.
Mrs. Akamu smiled, which wasn’t the response I was expecting.
“My earlier impression of you was correct. I like you,” she said.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll make a new deal with you. I don’t expect you to find the files for me. I’ll do that on my own. You don’t even have to tell me what the police know, but I want you to discover who murdered Eric.”
“I’ll still need to think about it,”