Unknown Victim by Kay Hadashi (classic books for 11 year olds .TXT) 📕

“As compared to?”

“The last time I saw you when you were hiding a shiner with makeup.”

She touched her eyelid. “Back to normal. Is that why you came here today?”

“I have a few updates on the recent murders.”

She led him into the kitchen, and after giving him something to drink, started chopping vegetables for the minestrone. “Danny and Chuck? Have they officially been classified as murders?”

He nodded. “The evidence is solid that Chuck was the one who killed Danny. That comes from a witness that came forward during the week, telling me how Chuck had mentioned on at least two occasions that he was going to kill Danny.”

“What was his motive?” Gina asked.

“Simply to shut him up. Danny had been threatening to come to the police about Chuck’s operation at Bunzo’s, and was trying to pry hush money out of him to keep quiet. But Chuck never paid, and when Danny kept threatening, Chuck took care of him once and for all.”

“Okay, I can see that. But who dumped his body on my front porch?”

“Chuck did, or at least someone wearing his shoes. We found a pair of sneakers in his home that matched perfectly with the shoe prints found in the soft dirt, all the way from the bridge to the porch, and then back again. The shoes even had remnants of the same dirt in the treads as what’s found here. We also found the empty bottle of Tuyo beer in the recycling bin at his home, with both his and Danny’s fingerprints on it.”

“And you think Danny kept the bottle cap, simply as a clue to someone if he was found dead?” Gina asked.

“Maybe Danny thought his days were limited, not because of his cancer, but because he was afraid someone was out to get him dead first.”

“It sounds like Chuck was trying to hide evidence by tossing the bottle away at home,” Gina said. “Is there a way of matching the bottle cap from Danny’s pocket to the bottle found at Chuck’s place?”

“I asked a technician to look into that, but even microscopically, there was nothing definitive.” Kona flipped to a new page on his yellow pad. “We did find Danny’s prints inside Chuck’s home, along with a small spot of blood on the carpeting that matches Danny’s. Oddly, the furniture had been rearranged in the living room, and a couch had been placed over the blood stain.”

“How do you know the furniture had been moved recently?” she asked.

“There were still the old dents in the carpeting from the original placement.”

“Good enough for me,” Gina said.

“One more thing. Since some of the homeless people have been moving back into Kapalama Park, I was able to talk to a few of them. One woman in particular remembered Danny having a heated argument with a man that matches Chuck’s description in the last couple of days before he was killed.”

“Would it have been good enough to take to the DA if Chuck were still alive?” she asked.

“Should’ve been. Means, motive, and opportunity. Physical evidence of Danny having some sort of injury in Chuck’s home, Chuck’s shoeprints in the dirt at the scene of the crime, and eyewitnesses to the vic and the perp arguing just before the crime was committed.”

“Was there an ice pick in Chuck’s home?” Gina asked.

“Yes, but it had a round cross section rather than square. That would’ve been the last piece of evidence to wrap up that investigation. Unfortunately, it’ll remain open for a while yet.”

“What about Chuck’s murder?”

“That’s going to be tough. There’re probably a dozen women just at Bunzo’s that wanted to stick him with a knife or swing a barstool at his head. I spent a few evenings there this week, asking around. Every girl I talked to was able to point to a scar on her body they attributed to Chuck.”

“What about alibis?” Gina asked.

“All of them had an alibi for the night he got whacked, that they were on dates, or in another bar with each other. I ran down some of the alibis, and for what I could find, they checked out, at least as well as any other alibi that a prostitute has even given me.”

“What about Harry?”

“At home watching on-demand pornos for most of the night, and I was able to verify that with his cable provider.”

“More believable story than saying he was watching Disney videos.” Gina put everything into the kettle and added the chicken stock to simmer. “Just so you know, I had a couple of long heart to heart talks with Clara this week. I learned a few interesting tidbits that’ll help your investigation.”

While Gina continued to prepare the minestrone, she filled in Detective Kona with what she’d learned from Clara, who it turned out still had a few friends in her old workplace.

“That settles it,” he said, putting away his yellow pad. “Time for an arrest. I just need to find our perp.”

“I have an idea about that, too,” Gina said before filling him in on her idea.

“Is that something you’re making for your dinner?” he asked once he agreed to her plan. He’d gone to the counter to watch what she was doing.

She was preparing dried pasta for boiling, to add to the soup later. “I’m working on a summer minestrone recipe. Every Sunday, I try something a little different. This week, I’m taking some to a friend.”

“Oh.” Kona sat down again. “Someone from church?”

“No.” With her back turned to him, Gina smiled to herself, wondering if her little suspicion was right about him visiting that day. “For Mister Tanizawa.”

“Which one?”

“Actually, for both Bunzo and for Kenzo. I get the idea they don’t get much home cooking unless someone brings it to them.”

Detective Kona stood. “There’s a background story in there that I’d love to hear some time.”

“It’s a great story, and involves minestrone. I have time to tell you about this evening, if you like? Or maybe you’d rather run down some