Apples and Serpents in Paradise

Meetings

Nasher Spencer took out the velvet box that held the expensive diamond he bought a year ago. He had offered it to Teuila, only to be rejected. Why? Because he was white. It had hurt his ego that if he was to continue a relationship with Teuila, he'd have to accept the fact that they would never be married. Nasher couldn't accept that. He'd continue to keep the ring, until, by some miracle Teuila agreed to accept it.

Mike wasn't the only person to have opium withdraws on the island. It was an equal number of townspeople, farmers, and fishermen. Nearly fifty were diagnosed by Doctor Bao as having opium withdraws. None of the islanders would talk about where they got the opium or heroin. There was also a income problem. Both fishermen and farmers were not making their usual income quotas. Later the townspeople also seemed to be suffering from money problems. Which there was no reason for it.

"Tell me why you haven't been able to make your quota?" Teuila asked George Homa, whom was one of many fishermen she had interviewed. "You have no family to worry about."

George shook his head. "I've got crew, friends, and we all have some sort of family on the island. Or on other islands."

"I need to know who is threatening you and the others, if I'm going to do anything about it." Teuila knew this was happening, but not who was threatening the islanders. "You will be protected."

"Miss Teuila you don't know these men, they have everyone in their pocket. You don't know who to trust. I trust you Miss Teuila, but you don't know who is being bribed." Teuila had to promise to interview George Homa alone, in secret, before he would even talk to her. They met on the docks in one of the warehouses.

"George. Tell me this. Who do you know is being bribed?" George hesitated. "I won't do anything that will let them know you told me. I need to know."

"I'll tell you one. Shawn Needham. He's one. The dockmaster. People say that Eddie and Tony are involved. I don't know how. I also know that the knew man who doesn't seem to do anything. Adam Kresler. He's part of all of it. Some people even say Nash and Charlie King are involved too." George felt he was taking a chance telling Teuila. If she was involved or Nash, the men could decide to kill him.

"We don't talk anymore." Teuila said to George. "This meeting never happened. I'm going to be waiting and watching everyone you talked about. In the meantime, you may want to try fishing at one of the other islands where you have folks for a while."

John Tamalti met Teuila in her home before he went on his shift. "I haven't seen nothing to indicate that Chief Needham or Timmy are being bribed Miss Teuila."

"Just keep your eye on them. If you see anything suspicious you let me know." Teuila served tea flavored with coconut milk. "I'm afraid we can't trust anyone at this point. Don't tell anyone about this meeting. If someone does find out I asked you about the Moa home."

"But you know all about it." John said. "We gave you the report on it. There was nothing special there. No drugs. Not even a secret stash of money."

"John, Mike was looking for something in that house. He killed Tula outside. He went in and practically tore the place apart looking for either drugs or money that Tula must have hid there." It was a terrible loss that Teuila didn't get a chance to talk to Mike again. If he hadn't killed himself she might have found out who was dealing the drugs.

"If they ask, about what we talked about. What do I tell them?" John wanted to coordinate any story they made up.

"I asked you about the house. What you thought Mike was looking for in there. That I might want to personally take a look at the place." Teuila said. "You couldn't tell me anything. Besides, I might tell Nash, and we all know he's an outsider. He doesn't need to know anything else about Mike and Tula. It was bad enough that he knows what he does."

"You know what people have been saying?" John didn't think that Teuila knew some of the islanders felt that she was too close to Nasher Spencer, that the outsider was manipulating and using her. "I'm sorry what people have been saying. I don't personally believe it."

"I want you to make sure that people think you do believe it. If they think you don't trust me, you may be safe from any reprisals and people may not be expecting you to be watching and reporting things back to me." Teuila trusted Tamalti. "If you need to contact me, do so through Jane. But, be discreet about it."

A while back, Nash had mentioned how comfortable his sofa bed was in his office. As they lay together on the bed after making love, Teuila began to tell Nash what George Homa had told her. He took it all in, then heard how Teuila had enlisted John Tamalti to help her keep track Needham and some others George had mention.

"I want you to talk to Charlie King, see what he knows too. Nobody is going to suspect my sleeping with you is anything more than sex." Teuila said. "People think that you are manipulating me so they won't suspect that I am actually using you to help me find out what is going on on my island."

"I hope something more than sex is between us." Nash kissed Teuila who passionately returned it. "I still have the ring."

Teuila reached up and touched Nash's cheek. "Let me think on it."

"That isn't a no." Nash stared into Teuila's wide brown eyes. Trying to guess what she was thinking.

"It isn't a yes, but it's not a no. It's me considering what to do about it." Teuila got of the couch and began to put on her shorts and blouse. "Ask me again when this is over."