My Kind of Town
>> Arizona Memorial Risk factors
The film was over, the lights were up and everybody was filing out to the dock, where a boat ride from the visitor center to the memorial awaited. Stepping outside into the bright sunshine with Rosalita Resurreccion and her little daughter Elizabeth, Wilhemina Orlando felt the cell phone on her hip vibrate.
"Hello, Muhammed," she said with more cheer than she felt for the man.
"No, it's me."
She knew the voice. Marty, the man she'd accosted at the Hale Koa Hotel and entrusted with her story of treason and possibly terror, turned out to be Lt. Martin Luther Washington, Navy intelligence officer. Before the film started she'd seen him taking a seat on the other side of the theater.
"What happened to Muhammed?"
Wilhemina turned away from Rosalita and Elizabeth, covered the cell phone with her free hand, whispered, "Stomach problem. Said if he wasn't back in time, for us to take the flowers out to the Memorial."
"Don't say anything, but the flowers somehow got left behind. And that's perfect. Leave 'em there. OK? Do not go back for the flowers. And keep your phone on."
Marty pressed a button on his cell, connected to his boss, Commander Chuck Ryan, heard, "Our friend Muhammed is leaving the men's room. And either he was just in there stalling or he has really poor hygiene."
"Mm?"
"Didn't wash his hands." Not a good sign either way.
"Chuck, somehow Muhammed's flower bouquet got left behind. I'm gonna ask a ranger not to let the next group into the theater until we can look at it."
"Good call. Muhammed appears to be leaving the premises. Stay on the line."
>> Queen's Medical Center
For Lily Ah Sun, the toughest part about being interviewed by HPD Detective Sherlock Gomes was admitting that the reason the Samoan cabbie chased her into the ER lot and rear ended her, then tried to drag her out of her car window by the throat, was that she'd given him one little finger.
"That's a declaration of war these days," he said, writing in his notebook.
"I'll remember that." Lily noted that Gomes' script was tight and precise. Like the man, she imagined.
"So Quinn Ah Sun is your cousin?"
Lily nodded, turned red -- whether from anger or blushing, Gomes couldn't be sure.
"What he did out there, risking his own life to save you from that mad dog cabbie, was one of the bravest things I've ever seen."
Yes it was. What was Lily willing to risk for Quinn?
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