Stock in Patagonia. 

That was one thing I wish I'd invested in while still alive.  The Jones's were flush with Patagonia gear. It was covering almost all surfaces of their house, as well as Marmott and Arc'teryx. They were serious about hiking. If you are scoffing at this, thinking what hiking could Hawaii have, we do have some decent slopes. Nothing like the mainland's mountain ranges but enough to make a business out of it. 

"Koko crater trail is pretty grueling for hiking newbies. Otherwise called Koko head, as you know. That is where we were guiding the morning that the girl was killed." Mr. Jones says.

"Yeah and that's why we were up so god awful early. The group is from Sweden, and they wanted to be up there with headlamps on. Technically the trail wasn't open yet, but we can get away with it." Mrs. Jones expounds.

They are sitting causally on their large sectional sofa, wearing gym clothing. Both look to be in excellent shape and have almost no body fat on either of their frames. 

"Interesting. You both guide for tourists mostly?" Detective Jones asks. 

"Mostly. Locals all know where to go....but we do lead a few elderly groups on the island. We also fly once or twice a week to Hilo to lead groups up Mauna Loa."

Interesting work, especially for Hawaii. And this wasn't their main gig. They ran an online shop and blog with big name sponsorship. They really were the epitome of a person never working a day in their lives, having found something they love. 

"That poor girl. We just can't believe she was murdered. And here of all places! This is a really safe building, and safe area. Do you guys have any leads?" Mrs. Jones asks. 

"We do. Quite a few actually. But we need more evidence. Cases are hard to prosecute if you lack, and we need your help. Both of your help."

The couple exchanged a glance before both looking back at the detectives. 

"What can we help with?" 

"The morning of the murder, you both were up and out in the hallway around 3:45 am. You told patrolmen that you saw someone going into the roof top elevator. Can you identify the person if I show you some pictures?" Detective Jones asks. 

"Sure....we can try our best."

He pulls out his phone and opens a picture of Lila. The couple glance at it and both shake their heads 'no'. He swipes to a picture of Rachel and they glance then repeat the 'no'. 

"Are you sure?" Detective Keele asks, clearly baffled. 

"Yes. That wasn't her. I am sure of it." Mrs. Jones says and Mr. Jones agrees.

Detective Jones swipes to the next person, a picture of Kima, the hotel Housekeeping Director. 

"That looks like her." The couple exclaim. 

"Her? Are you sure?" 

The detectives were clearly dumbstruck by this news. I was dumbstruck by the news. 

"Was she alone? Did you notice anything weird in her demeanor or was she carrying anything?"

Mrs. Jones appears to be thinking as she has her eyes closed. Then they snap open and she grins. 

"I did see her carrying something. Looked to be a small box, brown. Like a regular package you'd get in the mail."

🩸

Now I find myself on the roof of the building. 

My very last moments alive were here....

Can ghosts or spirits feel their own mortality? Yes, yes we can. I feel uneasy, as if time itself was askew. Time you see, means nothing once you die. It feels like a blink of an eye since I realized I was looking down at my body, laying on the pavement below. 

The detectives are looking for the little brown box Kima was seen holding that fateful morning. It seems like nothing to me, except that she didn't live in my building. I had no clue who she was here to see, or why. Or, how she even got it in, in the first place. 

"Where would she stash a box up here?" Detective Jones asks. 

Detective Keele is busy poking through the various boxes up against the side of the building, by the door. The maintenance workers would keep supplies up here, under the overhang and in weatherproof containers. In reality, residents could come up here but it was discouraged and most never did. It was dirty, not very safe and nothing nice was here. No rooftop gardens or seating or a pool. Just hot asphalt that would bake in the Hawaii sun. 

"Help me open these." Detective Keele barks, struggling to pry off a lid from a large container. 

Weather had warped the heavy duty plastic and it was stuck as if covered in syrup. I feel bad for them, having to rummage through the crap up here. I would come up in the mornings or evenings sometimes to feed the birds. But I have no memory of what I was doing the morning I died.

"For the love of God, this shit is stuck!" 

They tug and tug until finally it pops open. The smell of chemicals slams into the air. Coughing, the detectives curse. 

"Gawk. Fuck! What is this?" 

"It's old chemicals for a pond."

Detective Keele was right. Someone had kept the chemicals from a pond that didn't exist anymore out front. It kept flooding the sidewalks so the managers had it ripped out. But they forgot to dump the supplies afterwards. 

"Let's keep looking. It's got to be up here."

They rip apart boxes until they have gone through almost everything. Next to an old bird cage that was dumped up here I see something curious. It's a garbage bag that looks clean. No dirt or dust on it. The black kind that you'd find in yard work or in a garage trashcan. Oh how I wish I could get their attention. 

"This is sorta weird, don't you think?" Detective Jones asks. 

"What's weird?" 

"Well...this place is ritzy and nice. Clean throughout the building. Then you get up here and it's dirty as shit!" 

Detective Keele grunts. 

"Naw. I've seen worse. It's out of sight, out of mind. And it's not like residents come up here."

But I had. 

The detectives just need to figure out who else had been up here. 

🩸

"Boss...." 

They find the bag. I am floating right above them, rapt with anticipation. Something feels big about this. 

"What?!" Detective Keele grunts, wiping dirty hands on his dress pants, silently cursing.

"You're gonna want to see this...." 

He walks over to where the bag is and takes out a pocket knife. Cutting the knot out of the heavy black plastic, he gasps at what is inside. 

"Oh my God!!" 

There was at least a hundred pounds of weed baggies. All packed in like a can of sardines. The 'product' comes spilling out and onto the rooftop. Some of it begins to blow in the breeze. 

"Don't let it get away!" He commands to detective Jones, taking out his cell phone. "I'm going to call this in to the drug unit."

🩸

Drugs being involved in my death has never occurred to me. Not even when I was alive. I have never done drugs. Never, not once in my life. None of my friends of causal flings did drugs either. That I knew of anyways. I suppose it could have been hidden from me though. Hell, most of what people think of others might not actually be true. 

Watching the drug unit come and infiltrate the rooftop, I am forced to question the possibility that my killer was a drug dealer. That Kima had something to do with the drugs and possibly, shoving me off the rooftop. I wish I could remember what had happened. But I simply, can't.

"They found the box, boss. At the midway point in the garbage bag. That means our Housekeeping Director was part of the drug trade somehow."

Detective Keele was slowly pacing the length of the roof, a hand on his chin, the other gripping his bicep. He was deep in detective mode. Somehow the suspects in my murder were involved. They just had to connect the dots.

"Do we stay here longer or head back to the office?"

Finally detective Keele stops pacing. 

"We need to lay this all out on the board. And hear from Harry and his nephew. I have more of a feeling now that the drugs connect to Kalu from across the street."

Was Kalu connected? How would he know Kima from housekeeping? It was possible I guess. I just didn't see how. 

They leave and begin the walk back through the building, down to the SUV on the street. As they exit the elevator to the lobby, a familiar face runs right into detective Jones.

 Rachel.

"Detectives....everything ok?" She asks, clearly shaken by their presence. 

"Rachel. Yes. Interviewing more witnesses. How is your day going?" Detective Jones asks.

"Good. Why are there so many police cars outside? Did something else happen to another resident here?"

She is talking nervously, giving her the air of someone guilty. 

"Found quite a large stash of drugs on the roof top. You ever hear anything about that?" Detective Keele asks. 

"Drugs?! Here?? No..." She quickly states. "Not in this building!"

There is an awkward silence before she says she needs to get going, there was work online for her to get to. Detective Keele nods and eyes her, the wheels turning in his mind visibly. It seems that the players are falling into line. Or were they?

"I wonder if the neighbor and her boyfriend smoke weed?"

Detective Keele holds the front door open for his colleague. 

"They just might."

~ This book is Copyrighted by K E Jennings and only available on Wattpad. if you are reading this on another site, it has been stolen without permission or monetary payment to the said author. ~

🩸🩸Thank you for voting and commenting🩸🩸

Did you suspect the drugs? 

🌴

Fun Hawaiian Facts: Visitors return thousands of lava rocks back to Hawaii via mail each year. It is believed if you take lava rocks from the islands you will receive a curse.