"Broussard, John A - Kay Yoshinobu - Domesticated Violence" - читать интересную книгу автора (Broussard John A)

= DOMESTICATED VIOLENCE
A Kay Yoshinobu Mystery
by John A. Broussard


Sid Chu and Kay Yoshinobu agreed that today was an unusual day. The work at the law office was mostly caught up, they had decided to go out to a leisurely lunch, and both were looking forward to an afternoon at a different kind of court - a tennis court. Halfway through the meal, the jangling sound of Kay's cell phone brought a look of disgust to Sid's face.

"Why, oh why didn't you leave that thing at work?" he asked.

Kay shrugged. "It's just probably someone who wants to sell me siding for the house I don't have."

Whoever it was, the conversation was definitely one-sided. Kay hung up, explaining, "Shinzo Murakami is in the hospital. He left word for me to call him."

Sid knew the name well. Murakami was one of the few other attorneys on Elima specializing in criminal law, and Kay had been his clerk during her law student years. Murakami undoubtedly wanted a favor, and Kay's admiration and respect for the old lawyer would make refusal impossible, whatever he asked.

"Can we at least finish our meal?" Sid's voice was pleading.

"Sure. It isn't serious. I'll even wait until we get back to the office to call him. And don't go looking so disappointed. There should still be time for a set."

There wasn't. Back at the office, after a lengthy conversation with her former employer, Kay explained that Murakami had had a mild stroke, was retiring from practice and was passing one of his most recent clients along to her. Kay was now representing Candace Doland, former Miss Napua Coffee, and the recently widowed young wife of Napua First National President Bank, Hector Doland.

Sid let out a low whistle. "A headliner! At least we won't have to worry about getting paid. Old Doland was worth a mint. Best of all, this is one case where you can forget that investigative urge of yours. She confessed right off the bat that she killed him. She's out on bail, isn't she?"

Kay nodded. "I'm on my way to see her right now, after I pick up her file from Shinzo Murakami's office. Want to come along?"

"I guess that takes care of tennis," Sid said, shaking his head both in disappointment and in reply to the question.

"Cheer up, Sid. There'll be another day."

What Kay had assumed would be a simple one-on-one interview turned out to be a crowded session, even in Candace Doland's multiple-roomed, rambling, ranch-style mansion on Kawa Hill. The widow had been descended upon by a neighbor, Melissa Chang, and by Candace's relatives, all large -- her mother, her older sister and her super-large brother. Choko Lookela was well over six foot tall and weighed in the neighborhood of three hundred and fifty pounds, and even Kay - who was no sports fan - recognized him immediately as Shikoru. Hawaiian sumo wrestlers had had a significant impact on Japanese sumo wrestling, and Shikoru was the new Polynesian star rising on the horizon.

Her first thought on seeing him was that her mother, the sumo fan of the family, would be all excited at hearing about Kay's meeting with the famous Hawaiian. Kay's second reaction was that she, herself, would have been happier if neither he nor Candace's other visitors had been present.

At the moment, the future grand champion was occupying over half of an overstuffed couch, earphones on his head, and eating pork rinds. It took only moments after the round of introductions for Kay to realize that she wouldn't learn much from Candace while her family was there. The time was being fully occupied by a loud argument. Candace's mother and sister were insisting that Shikoru stay with Candace while they were off to Oahu to be with yet another of Candace's sisters, who was apparently expecting a baby any day now. For some reason, Candace was adamantly opposed to the idea of Shikoru staying.

Shikoru grinned, slid the earphones down on his enormous neck and said, "No worry, Candy. This one big house. I'll stay over in the other wing and be quiet like one mouse. No bother you when you get company. They never know I'm even here." With that, he rose effortlessly and, in spite of his bulk, slipped quietly out of the room and went off in the direction of the kitchen. Kay was amazed at how swiftly the vast figure could move, how the feet whose ring stomp would make the walls of an arena resound could glide so silently across the room.

After Shikoru left, the argument died down sufficiently for Kay to inveigle Candace into showing her the death scene. In spite of her animation during the argument, Candace's emotional response in the bedroom where the killing had occurred was now singularly flat. "I was standing here," she said, pointing to a spot in front of the king-sized bed. "Hecky was mad at me for I don't know what. He had this gun in the night table on his side of the bed. He came at me with it, and I got scared. I tried to push the gun away and that's when it went off. The next thing I knew he was on the floor, blood all over. Then I called the police."

"Didn't any of the neighbors hear the shot?"

Candace appeared puzzled by the question and seemed to have never thought about it. Kay arrived at the answer without her client's help, as she remembered the long driveway leading up to the house, the buffering effect of the trees and bushes along the periphery of the large lot, and the distance to the neighboring houses equally sheltered from outside noises.

The matter-of-fact voice along with Candace's dull gaze, to say nothing of the unconvincing story she was telling, indicated to Kay that she was probably dealing with someone of limited intelligence. She wasn't looking forward to defending Candace Doland. The comments of her client's mother and sister did little to persuade her otherwise.

Candace's mother insisted that Hector Doland had been both verbally and physically abusive. Her sister and Melissa seconded the comments. Candace herself nodded in agreement. The virtually fruitless session ended abruptly with Candace's mother announcing that they had to catch the next plane to Honolulu and that Shikoru, Melissa and Candace would drop them off at the airport.

As the four women climbed aboard the van, Shikoru hung back, and it became obvious he wanted to say something to Kay out of earshot of his relatives. What he did have to say surprised her. "Ma believes everything Candy says. But Hector never hit Candy. First time he did, I would a broke both his arms. Second time, I would a broke both his legs. Third time...." There was a long pause. He shook his head and his broad features broke into a malicious grin. "There would'n a been a third time."

Kay watched as he slipped effortlessly up and into the driver's seat. The van, already heavily loaded, sank several more inches. Shikoru was the only one who waved as they drove off. His last remarks left her wondering. Had he been just trying to be macho? But why would someone whose arms at the biceps were bigger around then her waist need to display his masculinity? And what would he gain by calling his sister a liar? Certainly, she would not be calling on him as a witness if self-defense was to be an issue in the case.