Rex was calling his father about Holte. Kimo struggled even harder to listen to the other end of the conversation.
She couldn’t make out more than a gruff tone barking across the line into Rex’s ear.
Rex let the man talk for a few more seconds. Then he cut in with, “I need to know if he’s on the up and up, or if he’s into shady shipping practices.”
The barking started all over again.
“No, it’s not a matter of life and death for me.” He listened, his lips pressed into a thin line. “Look, if you don’t know anything about him, I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.” Rex started to lower his cell phone.
“James Rex Johnson, Jr.!” the voice on the line shouted. “Don’t you hang up on me!”
He raised the phone to his ear. “I’m listening.”
Rex’s father stopped shouting, his voice now nothing but a murmur to Kimo.
She sat with her hands twisting the fabric of her cover-up, wishing Rex had put the call on speaker because she was dying to know what the other man was telling him.
“I got that from the internet. Clean record, philanthropist to his favorite charities. That’s not what I’m looking for. Do you know if he’s been involved in any illegal shipments or cargo?”
Kimo held her breath, wishing she could hear the other man’s answer.
“That’s all you’ve got? Untouchable?” Rex shook his head. “What exactly does that mean?”
What did that mean? Kimo frowned, her thoughts spinning. Who was untouchable? Holte or Rex’s father? Untouchable by whom?
“I see,” Rex said, his jaw so tight a muscle twitched in his cheek. “No, I won’t be calling again soon. If you remember anything more substantial, you can text or call me. I need that information soon. Again, life or death.”
Rex ended the call and threw his cell phone into the cupholder.
Kimo gave him a minute or two to calm down before she tentatively asked, already knowing the answer, “That was your father?”
Rex nodded. “Back when I was still at home, my father and mother mingled with owners and CEOs of major corporations on Oahu. Either they went to the same galas, state functions, or charity golf tournaments. My father spent time with Marcus Holte. I know this, not because he told me, but because he and Holte would show up on the news shaking hands over some deal or the opening of a new building. They played on the same team in a couple of the golf tournaments and had lunch with foreign dignitaries and politicians.”
“You think your father might have inside information on Holte and what’s happening with his shipments?”
Rex shrugged. “I figured it didn’t hurt to ask.”
“And what did your father say?”
“To be careful. Billionaires like Marcus Holte are untouchable.” A frown pulled Rex’s brow low on his forehead. “When I asked him what he meant by untouchable, he said, ‘Think about it.’”
Kimo shook her head. “Does he mean they can get away with murder, and no one will do anything about it?”
“He didn’t specify.” Rex picked up his cell phone, selected a name and placed another call. This time, he put the call on speaker.
After one ring, Swede answered, “Rex, I was about to call you.”
“Talk to me,” Rex said.
“I looked up a fishing boat big enough to handle the container that was in Lanai’s harbor at the same time as Holte’s ship. It was in for maintenance and left within twenty-four hours. A large yacht came into the harbor shortly after the Holte ship arrived. It was flying a Panamanian flag. The type of yacht indicated it was also big enough to carry a twenty-foot container and could be rigged with a boom big enough to haul out of the water a large motorboat weighing about the same as your container. I’m still digging through corporate ownership and foreign-based LLCs to find the real owner. So, nothing specific, but a lead I’m chasing. What do you have?”
“I need you to dig into Marcus Holte. I had word from my father, James Johnson of JJ Enterprises, that I needed to beware of Holte. He said that he’s untouchable.”
“What did he mean by untouchable?” Swede asked.
“He didn’t say.” Rex met Kimo’s eyes. “Kimo and I are betting he’s not running a squeaky-clean operation. We think he might have enough money or influence to sway US and possibly international authorities to look the other way.”
“I’ve been looking at his company and can’t find anything that jumps out,” Swede said.
