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“You are lucky,” she said and sighed. “I don’t know what I expected to find here. I think I was hoping Joe would tell us where Meredith was. I know that’s ridiculous, but I’d hoped for more of a clue.”
“Hopefully, all the pieces we discover will lead us to her.”
“Yeah. If only it would lead us there faster. I feel like time is running out.” She lifted her chin and turned to him. “Where to from here?”
“I need to have Swede search through birth records in the state of Hawaii for the timeframe Martina Akana would have had her babies.” He handed her his cell phone. “Could you call him?”
“Absolutely.” Kiana found the number and clicked on it, setting the cell phone on speaker.
Swede answered on the first ring. “Dev, did you talk with Joe Akana?”
“We did,” Dev said. With no idea where to head next, he drove toward Hank and Sadie’s Hawaiian vacation home. “I need you to scan Hawaii’s Vital Records for any birth certificates listing Martina Akana as the mother.”
“Joe’s sister?” Swede asked. “On it. Also, I got the name of the man who died by garbage truck.”
“Who was he?” Dev asked.
“Timmy Morris,” Swede said. “He was known in his gang as ‘Spike.’”
Dev’s eyes narrowed. “What gang?”
“The one you ran into at the Big Wave,” Swede replied. “I spoke with a member of the Honolulu Police Department who has been following gang violence in the city. Apparently, the Order of the Demons is a dangerous gang pretty much running the city the way they like. Every time one or more of them is brought in on felony charges, they get off with nothing more than a slap on the hand.”
“Why?” Kiana asked.
Swede chuckled. “That you, Kiana?”
“Yes, sir,” she said. “Why is this gang getting off without serving time? Are the police and court system afraid of them?”
“My contact in the department says their charges are downgraded before they even get to court. Someone in the department is letting them slide.”
“Not good. Especially if these men are after Meredith and, now, Kiana,” Dev said.
“My contact thinks someone high up is getting kickbacks to cover up their crimes.”
Dev shook his head. “If it’s that obvious to your contact, you’d think someone would crack down on the corruption in the department.”
“My contact was afraid to even talk to me about it,” Swede said. “He wasn’t just afraid about losing his job. He was afraid for his life and for his family’s safety. I suspect he’s not the only one on the force afraid to say anything.”
“So, this gang is left to do whatever the hell they want with no consequences?” Kiana blew out a breath. “Who has that kind of money and influence to make that happen?”
“Drug cartels? Human traffickers selling girls for big bucks?” Dev suggested. “Criminals who want the police to look the other way and will pay a lot of money to make it happen.”
“Who’s paying the gang to go after Meredith?” Kiana asked.
Dev’s lips pressed into a tight line. “Probably the same person who’s paying off the police department.”
“Right,” Swede said. “Too bad Timmy didn’t live long enough for you to interrogate him.”
“There are a lot more Timmy’s in that gang,” Dev pointed out. “Do we need to catch one and beat the truth out of him?”
“I doubt the random gang member would know who’s paying them. It would have to be the head honcho, a man who goes by the name Rocko. He’s identified as a tattooed badass with spiky white hair. You and Kiana need to steer clear of them. I’ll dig more and find the names of the others. If they’re getting paid, I might be able to trace the money.”
“Assuming they’re getting paid via a bank and not in cash under the table,” Dev said.
“Right?” Swede said. “Be careful and keep me informed of your next steps. At the very least, keep your backup informed.”
“Will do,” Dev said. “They came in handy at the Big Wave. Hey, did you find an address for Meredith’s boyfriend? We know he worked at the Big Wave, but that’s the only information we have. Maybe there’s something at his place that will help us locate Meredith.” Dev sighed. “We’re grasping at straws, I know.”
