"Broussard, John A - Kay Yoshinobu - Murder, Cut And Dried" - читать интересную книгу автора (Broussard John A)

"Fingerprints?" Kay asked.

Sid leafed through the report. "Ralph's--all over the trophy. He says he held it with both hands, and I can believe it. Death was almost instantaneous." Sid then added with a grin, "You figuring someone else was holding on to the trophy, too?"

Kay shrugged. Sid was annoyed at the lack of response. He knew from experience it meant Kay's mind was working at hyperspeed and she wasn't about to share her speculations. Looking back at the report, then scanning the photo and surveying the room, Sid concluded the visit had been a waste of time. He suggested Smitty's was waiting, and after that the security guard would also have to be interviewed before starting his two o'clock shift.

* * *

Sid had made arrangements to meet Alfonso Perera at the restaurant after lunch while Kay was off questioning the secretary.

Alfonso was a short, dark-haired, and of some kind of mixed ancestry which Sid didn't even try to unravel, knowing his own inability to spot ethnic background in Hawaii's melting pot. Alfonso was surprisingly cooperative, considering all he was getting out of this was a free cup of coffee. Sid supposed, though, that a murder in his building was something to talk about in a job that at best had to be incredibly boring.

Alfonso rattled off the essential details with only a minimal amount of prodding, his speech laced with pidgin. "I get on at da usual time. Right aroun' two--a few minutes befoah. Mick always like get off early, and he take off like one shot. Nevah get many visitahs dat day. I no gotta keep track of 'em till afta five. Mostly I give out information like, you know, what floor da manager's office stay. People nevah tink fo' read da directory by da elevatahs. Anyhow, after five, visitahs gotta sign in. An' dey gotta check wi' me, an' I call whoever dey say dey goeen see."

"Anyone come by for Quick Mortgage?"

"Yeah. I 'member 'cause she da only one who come afta five. Hoh, one nice lookin' wahine, dat! I nevah know her name, but she wen sign da book. I can show you wen I go on. She say dey expecteen her, and Quick Mortgage say for let her come up. Musta been sometime around six. She stay maybe one hour den leave just befoh Mr. Kamaka show up."

"The police say there was no one but Monahan and Kamaka in the building at the time of the killing."

The security guard nodded, took a long gulp of coffee and now seemed even more relaxed than he had been at the beginning of the interview. Sid signaled for refills and Alfonso continued. "Yeah. Da offices empty fas' right around closin'. It's pau at four-thirty for mos' of 'em, five for da rest. Quick Mortgage's secretary was workeen late. She leave maybe five minutes befoah Mr. Kamaka call me fo' say Mr. Monahan make stay dead. He say he wen' call 911 and da cops comeen. It no can be more den a couple minutes latuh wen' one squad car pull up."

There was a pause as he finished his second cup. "You can ask 'em if they find anyone else hidin' out in da building, but I bet one barrel of coconuts only Kamaka and Monahan still in da place aftah Sally leave." He paused, then gave a short laugh. "No counteen me, of course."

"Did you notice anything different about Kamaka when he showed up?"

"Fo' shua! Look like get da devil rideen on his flip-flops. He nevah even look my way, an' he usually say hello, at least. Sometimes he like stop an' talk story. Nice guy. I no can believe he evah kill anyone. But den, you nevah know."

"What about the secretary?" Sid checked his notes. "Sally Richards. Know anything about her?"

"Sally? She one o' dem Christian fundamentals or whatever you call 'em. You know. Long, muumuu-type dresses. Frilly stuff around da neck. Hair pulled back so tight look like her eyes bulge. Actually, if she would wear sometheen decent and fix herself up a little, she no would be half bad. Bye 'n bye, she kinda act like she readeen da Bible less an' maybe lis'neen to Meestah Monahan more."

Sid's ears perked up, and he looked questioningly at the security guard.

"Yeah. Monahan one randy old goat from what some o' da uddah wahine in da building say. Maybe he prongeen Sally and she like it. I swear she start weareen a little make up and maybe one tighter dress, 'cause I notice da uddah day, get one nice pair of tatas. Yeah. Come to tink of it, Meestah Monahan mighta been getteen some o' da'."

Sid left his card with the guard and asked him to call if he remembered anything else.

* * *

Kay's Buddhist background hadn't prepared her for so thorough a Christian household. Sally Richard's apartment living room sported as decorations a portrait of Jesus welcoming little children with open arms and another of him looking heavenward. In addition, a richly bound Bible sat in the middle of a coffee table, flanked by a variety of pamphlets exhorting repentance and warning of the imminent second coming.

Sally was herself an unostentatious addition to the spartan surroundings. Her dress was a shapeless, flowery garment. Her hair was brushed back and tied with a white ribbon. Her shoes were sensible brown oxfords. Her soft, tiny voice seemed an appropriate accompaniment to her outfit.

Moments into the interview, Kay realized Sally had been profoundly shocked by the death of Jack Monahan. It was hard to determine whether the shock was simply the result of closeness to a violent death or if it was due to something more. Accepting an offer of orange juice, Kay began the interview by requesting a description of the activities on the fateful day.

"It wasn't very busy. I mean, we didn't have many people drop in. But I was busy, even more than usual. I had a half-dozen contracts to type up, and I knew I'd have to stay late. Mr. Monahan said he would wait until I finished so he could sign them."

Kay was intrigued at the nervousness of the interviewee. She certainly didn't consider herself threatening, and yet Sally kept fiddling with her dress, shuffling the tracts around on the coffee table, and even moving the Bible once or twice as though seeking reassurance from its presence and feel.