My Kind of Town
Flash dance
>> Makiki Heights
They had the right place alright. Campaign signs on sticks, the corn dogs of politics, in big cardboard boxes cluttered the garage. "Donovan: A Man of the People," one batch proclaimed. "Do Good -- Vote Donovan," said another.It was behind a box of "JUST DOnovan IT" signs that extreme photographer Johnny B. Goo crouched.
Writer Cruz MacKenzie knocked three times on the door and a moment later heard footsteps inside the house. Cruz turned, gave the thumbs up sign to Johnny B. He might have only one shot, it had to be good.
Cruz heard the door being unlocked, stepped to the side of the doorway, pushed the record button on his hand-held recorder.
The door opened and there stood Sen. Donovan Matsuda-Yee-Dela Cruz-Bishop-Kamaka, a bottle of beer in one hand, disheveled, eyes red and weaving.
"Hello, senator."
A light from Johnny B's camera flashed.
"Wait ... what?" He was momentarily seized by bafflementation. "Wh ... where's Serena?"
"I'm Cruz MacKenzie, Star-Bulletin."
Flash.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions."
Flash. Flash.
"What the hell?!"
Flash.
"How did you find ..."
Flash.
"How dare you come up here like this?!"
Flash. Flash.
"Senator, there are a lot of rumors about why you've been out of touch for the past three days."
Flash. Flash. Flash.
"F--- you!" he yelled and threw the beer bottle at Johnny B.
Flash.
Johnny B danced and ducked, the bottle shattered against the garage wall.
Flash.
The senator stepped inside the house and slammed the door.
"What going on?" a husky voice called from behind them, up the driveway in the dark. A stocky Portuguese guy, lots of hair combed back, dressed in aloha shirt and slacks, hustled into the light of the garage. "Police." Pulled a wallet from his pocket, flashed an HPD badge identifying him as Detective Sherlock Gomes. "Who are you guys?"
Cruz and Johnny B flashed their press cards. The cop shrugged. It wasn't like this was the first time the Star-Bulletin beat the police to the scene.
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com