Caffrey Aloha

Chapter 6

Mozzie and Billy Feng took them to an office in an industrial complex, where Billy introduced them to his brother-in-law. Akoni explained that he owned a business that purchased pearls deemed not suitable for jewelry; they ground the pearls down for use in makeup. "Mostly we sell to cosmetic companies, but some people believe pearl powder has medicinal uses. Occasionally a doctor or individual will contact me to purchase the powder. When this gentleman first contacted me, that's what he said he wanted. I sold him a few ounces of pearl powder a month ago. Last week he returned, saying he was pleased with the quality of the powder."

"He wanted to buy more?" Peter asked.

"Yes, but this time he said he would supply the pearls to be used. He asked for a tour of our facilities, and wanted assurances that we could clean our tools so that no other pearl dust would be mixed with the powder from his pearls." Akoni spread his hands. "It was eccentric, but that didn't worry me."

"Not at first, but you're worried now," Neal commented.

"Yes. He asked for assurances of privacy, and I assumed that was because of his..." Akoni cleared his throat. "He made it clear he believed that pearl powder could be used in a remedy for, um... That is, he intended to use it in a product to um..."

"Viagra," Mozzie said. "This cretin thinks he can use ground up pearls to make a drug superior to Viagra. Got it?"

"Yeah," said Peter. He avoided looking at Joe, who was grinning ear-to-ear. Of all the cases to get for his brother's bachelor party, it would have to be this one. It was almost overwhelmingly tempting to joke that he'd like to buy some of that pearl powder as a wedding gift. Keeping his expression stern was taking all his willpower.

"You think he had another reason for wanting privacy?" Neal asked.

Akoni nodded. "He mentioned that the pearls he will supply would be very old. Family heirlooms, I assumed. I was dismayed, but thought they were probably inferior specimens. I told myself that if they looked valuable, I would advise him to have them appraised, first. In fact, last night I asked my niece Ulani if she could be here when he returns with the jewels next week. She has a jewelry store that specializes in pearls, and even goes diving for pearls in Tahiti a couple of times a year. When I shared what my client had told me about the number, size, color and age of the pearls, she seemed worried. This morning she spoke to a friend at the Honolulu Art Museum and told me her fears were confirmed."

When Akoni seemed reluctant to continue, Mozzie broke in impatiently with, "An exhibit of famous pearl jewelry will open on Friday. It's called 'Pearls for Lovers' and each piece of jewelry has a history of being owned or worn by famous lovers. Casanova. Rudy Valentino. The list goes on. Someone plans to steal those jewels and destroy them. You have to stop him!"

"Do you think your client plans to steal the jewels himself?" Peter asked.

"No. He's an old man. I can't imagine him as a cat burglar. But he's obviously wealthy."

"He hired someone to steal the pearls," Neal concluded.

"What's the name of your client?" Henry asked.

Akoni grimaced. "He paid in cash last time, and I didn't ask to see ID. The name he gave was a Chinese equivalent of John Smith. I'd be very surprised if it's his real name."

"He was here a week ago." Peter looked around. "Is there anything he touched that would still have his fingerprints on it?"

"Probably not. He didn't touch anything that my employees haven't handled a dozen times since." Akoni gestured up at his security camera. "But I still have him on film."

"That's a start," Peter said. "Get me that footage, and I'll take it to the local office of the Bureau to see if they recognize him. Dad, Joe, you'll come with me. Henry, we'll get a copy for you and Graham. Take it to the museum and see if anyone there remembers him. He may have been hanging around, maybe asked for a sneak preview. Neal, take Edmund and Mozzie and check out the museum security. Let them know about the risk of a robbery. Try to get a look at the space where the exhibit will be, and find out if the jewels have already arrived." He checked his watch. "We'll reconvene after dinner, and decide what steps we can take to prevent the jewels from being stolen." Looking at his crew he added, "And one more thing. Let's not say anything about this to the girls, okay? I don't want them worrying that we'll get involved in something that will disrupt the wedding plans."