Page 13 of Deadly Sacrifice

“We’ll get back to you ASAP,” Ms. Keith promised.

“Thank you. One last time—can either of you think of a reason someone might have wanted to kill her?”

They both shook their heads. “The two of us specialize in family law and business law. There are winners and losers in every lawsuit, but we don’t do criminal law. We handle divorces, and those can get messy, but Cheryl hasn’t done one in years.” Ms. Keith smoothed out wrinkles in her linen pants with a worried frown.

“We’re just beginning the investigation. We start by establishing a timeline and talking to the people who knew the victim best. None of us know what piece of information will be the key to solving the case, so anything you recall might be important.” Lei paused. “Did Cheryl have any family here on the island? Was she in a romantic relationship with anyone?”

The partners exchanged a quick glance.

“She’d been divorced about eight years,” Ms. Wilbur said. “No children. She dated occasionally, but I don’t think she had a steady relationship.”

“I agree,” Ms. Keith said. “But maybe she had an occasional thing going with a guy on the island.”

“Do you know who?”

“No, she was secretive about it, like maybe he was married.”

“Or maybe it was nothing,” Ms. Wilbur injected sharply. “Cheryl didn’t socialize a lot. She kept her private life, private. We didn’t share girl talk here at the office. I can tell you that she wasn’t the type to go out for drinks and let down her hair.”

“Did Ms. Goodwin happen to leave a key to her house or car here at the office? We have a warrant being faxed to our office, and we’d like to search the premises of her home. Looking for clues to who took her, you understand,” Pono said.

“Not sure about a key. We’ll let you into Cheryl’s office, though. You can search her desk for that with one of us present,” Ms. Wilbur said.

“What about any ‘in case of untimely demise’ instructions?” Lei asked.

Ms. Wilbur shook her head. “We will have to pull up our company bylaws and get back to you on anything that might be relevant there.”

Lei thanked them. She and Pono followed Ms. Wilbur to Goodwin’s office. The woman unlocked a frosted glass door and then gave a little sniff, putting a hand over her mouth, as she gazed at Goodwin’s desk. Facing them, a digital photo frame spun through pictures of the victim and her partners at work and play during happier times.

Lei advanced into the office. She made a beeline for the desk, her phone in her hand. Pono engaged Ms. Wilbur in asking about the photos in the frame as Lei went behind the desk, slipping on a pair of gloves. Goodwin’s calendar took up a good deal of surface and was twofold: a closed diary-style logbook rested beside a large blotter-style calendar filled with jottings.

Lei shot a quick photo of the blotter with her phone and then pulled out the central drawer of the desk. “Excellent,” she said, holding up a ring with a car fob and a Schlage door key. “She kept her spare keys here. Now, if only we can find Ms. Goodwin’s killer this quickly.”

On the way out, Lei thanked the partners for their time and handed each a business card, inviting a call if they thought of anything else and reminding them to get back to her about Goodwin’s appointment book and schedule.

Back in her truck, Lei turned to Pono. “Trying to get a search warrant for her law office is going to be difficult. Judges are attorneys too. We don’t yet have enough to make a case for a search of their client files.”

“Let’s get back to the house and see what we see there. Lucky break getting these keys. I didn’t want to have to wait on a locksmith to get the place open,” Pono said. “I’ll call TG to come and join us for the forensics.”

They rolled out, headed for the nearby Kahului Police Station. As they drove, Lei reflected on the impersonal feel of Goodwin’s office. Other than the photo frame, there was little clue to the woman’s interests or personality.

The roar of the truck’s engine filled the cab as Lei guided them back onto the highway after they picked up the search warrant. Late afternoon sun slanted through the windshield. Heat shimmered off the asphalt, and the scent of dust and plumeria blossoms drifted in through the open windows as Lei aired out the truck’s cab. She adjusted her sunglasses, glancing over at Pono, who was dialing TG to join them for forensics at the house.

As he wrapped up the call, she exhaled, rolling her shoulders to ease the tension. "Well, what did you think?”

Pono grunted, his gaze on the road ahead. "Those partners were shaken, but not in a personal way. No tears, no real grief. Just shock and . . . what? Concern for the firm?"

Lei tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, considering. "Yeah. You noticed it too. It wasn’t the kind of reaction you get when someone close to you dies. It was professional. Sanitized, kind of. I mean, they were surprised, but it didn’t seem like a deep loss. More like . . . damage control."

Pono tilted his head slightly, the sunlight catching the few silver strands at his temples. "Could be the way lawyers are. Or could be that Cheryl wasn’t close to them outside of work. They made that pretty clear—no girl talk, no drinks after-hours."

“What about that photo frame, though? Looks like they had some good times at some point.” The office had had a crisp organization about it right down to the faint scent of lemon polish clinging to the air. “Her workspace was cold. Clean, but impersonal. There’s no way you spend years somewhere and leave almost no mark unless you’re either a ghost or you don’t want people knowing much about you."

"So, what do we think? Workaholic? Or someone with secrets?"

"Maybe both." Lei sighed. “Katie told me she was handling big deals, and not the kind that made her popular. Resort expansions, land transfers, zoning battles—she wasn’t just pushing papers, she was changing landscapes. And when you do that, you make enemies."

"Yeah, but the partners claimed they weren’t aware of any threats." Pono said. "Either they’re in the dark, or they’re pretending to be."

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