Diamond Head Read Free Page A

that Chawlie will get whatever he wants in the way of city assistance for rezoning or building permits or whatever else he wants whenever he wants it. Chawlie doesn’t speak Latin but he understands quid pro quo.

    I heard somewhere that Chawlie’s net worth approaches two hundred million dollars.
    Chawlie likes me. I don’t see him much, maybe that’s why. A couple of years ago he had a delicate problem he couldn’t resolve without outside help. A “professional” woman got her hooks into him and tried to shake him down in return for what she had learned about the old man’s bedroom habits. He’s a proud man. Going to one of his many lawyer nephews might have solved the problem, but would have exposed a weakness. Seeking help from a haole lawyer was even worse. Reporting the extortion to the police was unthinkable. He needed to get the woman off his back in the quickest and most discreet way possible. Someone recommended my services to him. I’m an outsider, not of the clan. Somehow he found that reassuring.
    For a small fee I handled his problem. The lady left the island, happier and somewhat richer than she had been before, but not as rich as she had planned. Nobody ever knew what it was Chawlie liked that got him in trouble. No one found the one piece of information that might have started his empire crumbling. I think at first he expected me to come back to him for more than just my fee, to exploit what I alone knew about him. It didn’t happen. Now Chawlie introduces me as” … John Caine. He haole, but he okay.” It’s his highest accolade.
    I found him perched primly on an orange plastic chair, gazing into the night.
    â€œGood evening, Uncle,” I said respectfully.
    Almond eyes tracked my approach, no expression on the face they inhabited.
    â€œI see you, John Caine,” said Chawlie, finally acknowledging my presence. “How are you feeling?”
    â€œMy health is good, Uncle.”
    Chawlie looked me up and down, as if appraising the veracity of my claim. At last he pointed to another chair, a companion to his own.
    â€œSit,” he commanded. When I obeyed, he smiled. “You no
come see me. Two years you go away from this place and not return. I know you here on island. All time I wait for you to come and ask me what about this, what about that. I know what you do and I know you need my help. I say to myself, This John Caine, he will want something someday. He come to me then.” The eyes twinkled with merriment. “So. What you want, haole? You need money?”
    â€œNo, Uncle,” I said, shaking my head. “I have no need of your money.”
    â€œEverybody need money. But that’s good you not want any because I no loan money to you. You not live so long, I think. You let people shoot you. Somebody kill you next time, you no pay me back.”
    â€œI need a file. A police file.”
    â€œYou think I can get police file? Are you stupid?”
    â€œI know you can, Uncle. If you want to.”
    Chawlie studied me, his face impassive. I leaned back in my chair and waited.
    â€œWhat kind police file?” he said after a while.
    â€œHomicide, Uncle.”
    â€œOh, homicide! Something simple! Homicide police file! You know I cannot get a police file. And a homicide file! You must think Chawlie can do anything!”
    I nodded. “Yes, Chawlie. In this town I think you can.”
    The face remained impassive but I knew I’d pleased him. “It is big problem.”
    He watched my face for a reaction. I gave him nothing.
    â€œIt would cost much money. If I could get one for you.”
    â€œHow much money, Uncle?”
    â€œFive thousand dollars.”
    â€œWhen can you get it?”
    â€œI never say I get it. Did I say I get it?”
    â€œI can have five thousand dollars here by tomorrow noon.”
    â€œTomorrow night. Here. Same time.”
    â€œMidnight.”

    He nodded.