“ He's been sitting up in his hospital bed, demanding the details of the autopsies done on Hilani and Kaniola, as well as the pathology workup on Kahala's arm. I submit to you, gentlemen, that all these people have had access to the information. Information leaks come from any number of directions and sources, and no one's more skillful in getting someone to verify suppositions and filling in half-truths than a crafty, experienced newsman like Kaniola.”
Parry mentally ran down the list of his agents, anyone remotely connected with the operation. Haley, Reno, Gagliano, Mr. Lau and his people in the labs. He also wondered about himself, if he'd foolishly left anything of a confidential nature lying about for the cleaning lady at the office to pick up. He wouldn't put it past Kaniola to use tabloid techniques to get a story and sell papers.
News leaked… as if it were obligated to. Especially in the case of a red-ball like this, especially in the fishbowl of an island community, with everyone's eye pressed against the glass. U.S. military brass was interested, the state, the county and the city of Oahu all wanted to know the latest yesterday, as did the State Department and D.C. It was the reason Paul Zanek was so free with advice and with Jessica Coran.
Now they could all read about it in the papers. Not altogether satisfied, Scanlon abruptly left while Dr. Marshal lingered behind. Jessica watched the officious military doctor step to the window and stare out at the mountain mosaic in the distance, patches of it cluttered by homes that seemed to creep ever closer to the summit each year.
“ I've lived here for nearly twenty years, Inspector, and in all that time I've never felt afraid.”
“ Afraid, sir?”
“ Never afraid of the volcanic activity, the occasional tropical storm or hurricane, the serpentine traffic, the congestion or the growing tourism… not even the worst backwater streets in the worst sections of the city ever really frightened me. But now… this… this scares me. Parry.” He turned from the window to emphasize his point, staring hard at the FBI bureau chief. “This city could go up in flames tomorrow. We all know that.”
Jessica stepped toward him and firmly said, “I understand your concerns, sir, but I assure you, we are doing everything within our power to bring an end to the killings.”
“ We need more, Parry. We need an arrest, a suspect, a…”
“ A scapegoat?” asked Parry.
“ It would take the heat off; give you room to, you know, maneuver, shall we say? Time to get at the root of the problem. I have it on good authority that the boyfriend of the latest victim has been under interrogation.”
Christ, thought Parry, how many eyes were watching the fishbowl? Marshal was an old man who had watched Honolulu grow, and he, like most haoles, had invested a great deal in real estate here.
“ I'm not prepared to arrest someone just to appease the likes of Joseph Kaniola or any other newsman, Doctor.”
“ No one's asking you to appease Kaniola.” He looked sternly into Parry's eyes, shocked that Parry didn't understand him. “But there are many who would be appeased by an arrest at this time.”
“ I'll let Scanlon do your dirty work for you. Dr. Marshal. The FBI doesn't knowingly make false arrests.”
“ I have friends in the State Department, Inspector, and you can be assured that everyone back home”-America was forever home to the older generation of whites in Hawaii-”everyone is watching this case with extreme curiosity and interest, I assure you.”
The veiled threat wasn't lost on Parry or Jessica. He'd only become bureau chief two years before, and a case such as this, left open too long, or worse, defying solution, could cost him dearly. Jessica guessed now that whatever people “back home”-no doubt senators, congressmen and other high-ranking officials- didn't know about the case, Dr. Marshal was only too happy to provide.
Parry, with obvious disdain, said, “I appreciate and understand the nature of your concern, Doctor, but please, leave the investigation to the experts. It's what we're here for.”
Marshal only stared for a long moment, Parry returning the cold glint until finally Marshal said, “Of course, and perhaps we at the base can be kept informed? Just as the HPD is informed of the progress you and Dr. Coran are making?”
“ Of course.”
Marshal extended a hand, and for a moment it was poised between them before Parry reached out and vigorously shook it, saying, “I'll keep you posted.”
“ That's all I ask. Thank you, indeed.”
With that Marshal disappeared and Parry looked thoughtfully up at Jessica as she waited for him to speak. Instead, he scanned Joseph Kaniola's story once again, and there, in black and white, was George Oniiwah's name, just a line, saying that “Oniiwah has been repeatedly questioned by police,” which meant that the hapa Japa was by innuendo a suspect and that he clearly knew something. “So,” he finally spoke, breaking the unhappy iciness between them, “our good Dr. Marshal thinks it'd be a wonderful idea to lock Oniiwah up, play the Hawaiian population against the Nip population, thereby skirting the FBI profile, which points ever more to a white male, late twenties to early forties. For Oniiwah's own safety, maybe it's not such a bad idea, but it sticks in my craw.”
“ We did it in New York, you know, on my last case,” she offered, falling into a cushioned chair before him.
“ Did it? Did what?”
“ Arrested a known sex offender, you know, to appease the public mind,” she admitted.
He frowned at this. “If it were that easy, I might consider it, but Marshal's only half the problem. While he's trying to save the boys in white and blue from Pearl, any number of whom could be our killer, the governor of Hawaii, the mayor of Honolulu and your boss, Paul Zanek, are all screaming for somebody's head.”
“ Zanek's on your case? That's some nerve! I'll have something to say to him. Hell, he's not even your direct super-”
“ Jess, everybody in the military wants to believe our killer's one of them-Hawaiian or of mixed island blood, that is-while everyone in government wants us to catch the Caucasian killer. You see, such an end to this would show good faith, so to speak, take a hell of a lotta heat off every level of government, and-”
“ That's one asinine way to conduct an investigation!”
“- and our so-called 'good faith' move'll clear law-enforcement agencies throughout the islands of the stain of prejudicial proceedings. Get it?”
“ In one fell swoop. It's coming clearer, yeah.” She shook her head, disbelieving even as she understood.
“ Ironic as hell, isn't it?”
“ Reverse discrimination, so to speak?”
“ At its worst, yeah… something like that.”
“ So what're you going to do?”
“ Nothing.”
“ Nothing?”
“ For now, nada. See which way the wind blows.”
“ As will our killer I'm sure, Jim.”
“ I didn't say we're going to sit on the investigation.” He lost control, shouting, “Just on the goddamned politics surrounding the bloody case!” She dropped her gaze, nodding. “I'm sorry. I know that, Jim. I didn't for a moment mean to imply anything other-”
“ Look, forget it. I'm wound like a top today. Look.” He tried desperately to tread lightly now. “How're things going in the lab?”
“ Torturously slow, but we're moving onward. As soon as I know anything new, you'll be the first.”
“ Well, thanks for coming down on the white charger.”
“ Only hope it helped.”
“ Helped clear the room sooner, that's for sure.”
Together they laughed at this.
But their laughter was short-lived when she lifted a copy of Kaniola's paper, written in Hawaiian, yet crystal-clear from the photos of each of the missing young women bordering the story, and a crude sketch of a human forearm with upper muscle and shoulder, ruptured at the wrist, gracing the bottom of the page.
“ I told him nothing about Kahala's arm.” She didn't want to point a finger, but she didn't want Jim Parry to think any worse of her than he already did either.