CHAPTER 2First Part

Tantalus Drive Ten days later

Thunk a hit. The outraged mongoose snarled back at me. What the hell am I doing here, half way down a Tantulus hillside, bouncing a rock off a mongoose who is trying to make a meal of the body of a young local girl? Thwack! Miss, dammit. Above me the beat officers were waiting for the meat wagon. I crooked my elbow more securely around the haole koa bush.

Back up on top, the scene had been established, traffic had been stopped. The sun was beginning to go down and the mosquito squadrons were forming up with a vengeance. Just behind the police line, the cameramen were white-balancing and the reporters were adjusting their hair. Marisa from KTIV was slapping at the offending blood-suckers. An officer came over and offered her some Off. The entire crime scene came to a crashing halt as everyone watched the attractive young reporter in the short tight red skirt rub the insect repellent on her hands and sensuously apply it to her bare thighs, again and again.

Thwack! Hit. Get away! You had your chance

As long as the wind was blowing west, it was manageable. When the trades slackened and the warm air rose, creating, the sea breeze, the puamana, the odor of death and decay was a reminder that something terrible had occurred to someone and my job was to find out why, how, and who. I mouth-breathed to stop the involuntary response.

The old time sergeants would light a cigar to overpower the smell of death. The first problem is that it doesnt work. The second is that the scene is now contaminated by ashes, odors, and molecules that then become confusing variables.

When one encounters a green, black, or purple body, the best thing to do is to mouth breathe for a while until ones olfactory receptors become overwhelmed and you can breathe and speak normally.

Ben and Jerry, the CID Homicide Detectives, safely and comfortably up on the road called suggestions and encouragement.

Why dont you just shoot the little bastards? yelled Ben.

Ben, I like mongooses, theyre doing what they are built to do, they are getting the message now, and most important, Im not going to fuck up this crime scene with mongoose bodily fluids,

Bob, standby down there, the FD guys are on their way down with the basket, Shouted Jerry. Geez, its about time I thought. It was now 1600. My watch ended at 1500 and I am due in court at 0800. I did the math and it depressed me.

When the Fire department guys with their big black boots had finally and thoroughly trampled my scene to get the body out I was able to look around. Nothing but larvae.