Tiki Beach Episode 3: Kat deals with the aftermath of the tea party

And Tiki brings a new surprise

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Episode 3:

"What do you mean, you think you saw someone else at the tea party?" I asked Josie, my investigator instincts perking up despite my exhaustion.

"Just before Pearl collapsed, I noticed movement in the banana trees near the deck. I thought it was Tiki at first, but..." Josie wrung out a cloth, her hands still shaking. The overhead light gilded the wilting gardenias in her thick braided hair. "The shape was too big."

Speaking of Tiki, my cat chose that moment to nudge open the door that led onto the back steps. Her eyes were slitted, her ear back, and her kinked tail looked like a bottle brush.

“Tiki! Where’ve you been, girl?” I gestured to her luxuriously padded carrier, awaiting our ride home. “I thought I’d have to let you walk all the way back.”

Tiki stalked menacingly toward me. She kept up kept up a low warning growl deep in her throat—the same sound she'd made before Pearl collapsed. In her mouth was a scrap of brown paper.

No, not paper. A large dried leaf.

"That's not from Pearl's special tea blend,” Josie said slowly, pointing to the leaf in Tiki’s mouth. "I've never seen tea like that before.” Josie was a local expert on Hawaiian plants and herbs and their uses; for her to be unfamiliar meant something.

Tiki let me take the leaf when I reached for it. I pulled out the ziplock bag where I'd stored my earlier sample. “Josie, can I get another bag for this?”

She rifled through a few drawers until she found a snack bag, and handed it to me. I added the new leaf to that, and put it inside with the other sample. Using a handy sharpie from a mug beside the sink, I marked the date, time, and where I’d collected the leaf samples from—giving full credit to Tiki for the latest one.

My phone buzzed and I picked up for Keone. “They're taking Pearl to Queens on Oahu," Keone said without preamble. "Critical care unit. Mom's already calling her contacts there to make sure Pearl gets the best team."

"Thanks, Keone. That’s good; your mom knows everyone, and not just on Maui! Listen, something weird is going on with the tea Pearl served. Tiki's been acting strange about it and I collected some samples. Do you know anyone with access to a lab who could analyze it?"

"Yeah, and you know her too. Call our friend the detective, Lei Texeira over at Maui Police Department. Maybe she can get it processed through their lab." Keone paused; I could almost see the frown on his handsome face. "You thinking this wasn't natural causes?"

"I'm thinking my cat doesn't usually try to knock teacups out of people's hands." Through the kitchen window, I could see the garden where Josie had spotted movement. It was now completely dark except for the security lights and the lamps on the deck.

Kawika had reappeared on the deck; he was cleaning up the blueprints for Pearl's legacy that still lay scattered on the lanai, spotted with spilled tea. He stacked the little silk-covered pillows we’d used for our interrupted tea party; they were a poignant reminder of something festive that had gone badly wrong.

“Want to come over to my place?” Keone asked. “You seem stressed.”

“I am. Doing CPR on a fragile elder friend is not something I ever want to experience again,” I said. Josie patted me on the shoulder comfortingly as she left the now sparkling kitchen and headed out to rejoin her partner, Edith. “Appreciate the offer, Mr. K, but I think I’ll just go home. I’ve got work tomorrow. Tiki and I both need some rest.”

“I’ll be here if you change your mind. Love you.”

After we hung up, I pulled out my phone again to look up Detective Sergeant Lei Texeira's number. I scrolled through my contacts until I found it; Lei picked up on the second ring.

"If you're calling about those speeding tickets, I already told Keone they don't disappear just because he's dating the postmaster," Lei said by way of greeting.

"That was one time, and we were chasing a thief,” I bantered back. “You’d be doing the county a service.”

"Uh-huh. What does my favorite Secret Service Agent turned postmaster sleuth need this time?”

I shifted the phone to my other ear. “You’re not wrong, I need a favor. Pearl Yamamoto just collapsed at our Red Hat tea ceremony this afternoon, and something's not right about how it went down.”

"Pearl? The tiny who uses a fancy wheelchair? She’s quite a character. I’m sorry to hear that.” Lei's tone sharpened. "What kind of not right, exactly?”

I explained about Tiki's behavior and the strange leaf she’d brought to me. “I was hoping there was some way you might be able to get it analyzed?"

"Your one-eared furry detective strikes again, eh?" Lei chuckled. "Yeah, I can run your tea leaves through our lab here in Kahului. But I need proper chain of custody of the samples. You can't just mail them to me.”

I thought fast. “Keone's flying his usual Monday morning run tomorrow. He could drop it off at the station for us.”

"Of course your partner at K & K Investigations is available for custom airline deliveries.” I could hear the affection in her voice. "Fine. Tell your boyfriend to bring it to my office ASAP. And Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"If your cat's right about this, it's going to be my case. No playing detective this time."

"Would I do that?" I cast my gaze heavenward—and spotted a pair of geckos getting busy in the warmth of the overhead light fixture.

"Do you want a list chronologically or alphabetically?"

I bit my lip and didn’t answer. For the most part I’d been a help to law enforcement, but there had been issues.

Lei's voice softened. "I'll call you as soon as I have results once Keone gets me your mysterious tea leaves.”

“Thanks, Lei. You’re the best.”

“I know.” She chuckled. “And Kat?”

“Yes?”

“Tell Pearl's family I'm keeping her in my thoughts and prayers.”

I ended the call feeling sad as I remembered Pearl’s words about how little family she had. Fortunately, she had our Red Hat community, her nephew on Oahu, and faithful, kind Kawika to look after her.

Through the kitchen window, I could see the other Red Hat ladies heading to their cars, their usual chatter subdued. The ziplock bag with its suspicious contents felt heavy in my pocket.

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