My Kind of Town
My Kind of Town
Busted!
>> Turtle Bay
Jake Peepers, P.I., spotted the black Escalade in public parking. Which seemed odd. With his software-and-systems billions, Victor Primitivo didn't seem like a self-park kind of guy. Maybe he just didn't want any record with the valets that he'd been here? But guys cheating on their wives didn't usually think of details like that. They're too busy thinking about other stuff.
Peepers parked his white van two rows over, put on his instant-tourist outfit -- disposable camera dangling from his neck, beach bag and floppy blue hat whose design motif was the names of all the Hawaiian islands. The real camera, a digital, was built into his Oakley shades. The shutter was controlled by a radio device that looked like a car door opener.
He was entering the lobby when he saw his client's husband approaching, arm in arm with a drop-dead gorgeous young Japanese woman. This was no ordinary bim. Good looking as Mrs. Primitivo was, this was an upgrade. Peepers admired Victor Primitivo's taste.
The young woman appeared tipsy -- Peepers guessed they'd had lunch and a few drinks -- and clung to Primitivo for balance. Peepers fired off 10 shots.
Primitivo slipped an arm around her waist, and Peepers fired 10 more. They passed the elevators. No room?
Just before they reached him, Peepers made a show of stopping in his tracks, checking his beach bag for something, slapping himself in the forehead, and returning in a hurry to the parking lot.
So he was in perfect position to shoot Primitivo as he opened the passenger door for the girl, and when she drunkenly kissed him, and the kiss lingered, and he groped and grabbed, the P.I. fired off 25 shots.
Busted! Peepers had his proof. This was almost too easy.
He let the Escalade leave the parking area before he jumped in the van and followed. He was two cars behind, and wondering where Primitivo would take the girl after this. If his client's husband was really screwing around, why didn't they get a room here?
Which led Peepers back to the public parking questions. Victor Primitivo did not want any record that he'd been here. But that didn't make sense either -- there were security cameras all over the place.
It was still early, Peepers had plenty of time to get over to The Eddie at Waimea Bay. He'd follow the Escalade for a while, from a distance, see where they went. When they reached the highway, the Escalade turned left toward Kahuku. Peepers followed six vehicles behind now, a comfortable place to be.
At least it was until a cow trotted onto the highway and was hit by a truck following the Escalade and caused a series of accidents that closed the highway in both directions.
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