My Kind of Town
>> Queen's medical Center The Honolulu Soap Co.:
Sunday digest"There's still too many things we don't know," Quinn Ah Sun said, "but seems to me this mysterious Bobo Ah Sun could have something to do with the feud between our fathers. Shortly after he disappeared, they quit speaking and you guys moved away." From Pearl City, where the Ah Sun brothers and their families had lived three houses apart, to Kailua. Quinn and Lily were 6.
>> Honolulu Soap Co.
HPD Detective Sherlock Gomes was waiting to see Sheets Ah Sun, who Kona reported drove past the illegal chemical dumpsite in Waimanalo twice in two days and seemed more interested in the investigation than most.
Sheets Ah Sun walked into the waiting area, stuck out a hand, introduced himself, said "I'll bet you know my brother Mits."
"The sargent from the Pearl City station? As a matter of fact, I ran into him at Queen's the other day."
"So what can I do for you, detective? Can I give you a tour of our place?"
That had not been part of Gomes' plans. But it made sense, get to know this guy on his on his turf, then ask his questions. "That would be great, if you've got the time."
>> Queen's Medical Center
"This is weird," Quinn said from his bed, recovering from a gunshot wound. "This is from the Star-Bulletin police beat, May 21, 1974: 'HPD Officer Mits Ah Sun reported his service revolver, a Smith & Wesson .38, was stolen out of his car while having a few pau hana pupus at the Pearl City Tavern.' I wonder why my Pop never said anything about this to me?"
Lily understood. Her cousin had followed his old man into the department. Wouldn't he have shared a little advice about being careful with your weapon?
"You thinking it has something to do with the mysterious Bobo?"
"Rule One in my line of work, don't discount any possibility."
Lily, meanwhile, was lost in another set of old newspaper photocopies. The first was Quinn's birth announcement (March 21, 1975), the second her own birth announcement less than a month later (April 20). She skimmed both, and didn't notice that the wording in Quinn's announcement and her's were slightly different.
It was the next reference that puzzled Lily. It too was about her, and appeared in both papers just two days after her birth announcement. "The birth announcement for Lily Malialani Ah Sun should have included that the parents are Grace and Shitsuru Ah Ah Sun. The father's name was omitted."
That, too, was weird.
>> Honolulu Soap Co.
HPD Detective Sherlock Gomes was an appreciative audience as Sheets Ah Sun gave him a tour of his plant.
"You have any questions?"
"As a matter of fact, that's why I'm here."
Sheets was afraid of that. "Mo' bettah we talk in my office."
Don Chapman is the editor of MidWeek. His serialized novel runs daily, with a synopsis on Sunday.
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be e-mailed at dchapman@midweek.com