The Triple Threat Investigation Agency Series – Page 28

Seriously Silly

Hi there. Linda here. The Boss is suffering from a bout of super-stress coupled with the blues. We’re hoping she gets better and soon. In the meanwhile, the three of us from The Triple Threat Investigation Agency put our heads together and thought we’d have a bit of fun (hopefully, that’ll bring a smile to her face).

Hey-ho. It’s Rey. We considered doing something fun—but couldn’t come up with anything. <LMAO>

Howzit? JJ’s on-line, too. That’s not entirely true. We couldn’t think of anything original that was fun. But maybe “originality” is overblown?

That’s right, Cous, so after some silly chitter-chatter, we thought we’d play word games where each of us would use three words to describe the other as a person and as a P.I. So JJ and Linda will start off re yours truly.

Describing Rey as Person

Linda: histrionic, brash, kind-hearted ♦ JJ: melodramatic, impetuous, fun

Describing Rey as a P.I.

Linda: histrionic, brash, determined ♦ JJ: melodramatic, impetuous, dogged

Describing Linda as Person

Rey: smart, focused, sunny ♦ JJ: intelligent, sympathetic, agreeable

Describing Linda as a P.I.

Rey: dedicated, watchful, mindful ♦ JJ: attentive, wary, sensible

Describing JJ as Person

Rey: stubborn, persistent, persevering ♦ Linda: stubborn, resolute, considerate

Describing JJ as a P.I.

Rey: committed, careful, proper ♦ Linda: attentive, fixed, thorough

. . . Yeah, we probably played it safe. Like, I didn’t make a point of saying how bitchy my cousin JJ can be when she’s sleep-deprived or how weird (as in creepy weird) my BFF Linda can get when she thinks someone’s done her wrong.

. . . And I didn’t refer to my cousin Rey’s over-the-top diva-like theatrics or Linda’s strange (unnerving) bah-hah-hah laugh when she finds something or someone super strange.

Hey, I didn’t mention that my BFF Rey likes everything to be solely about her or that JJ’s “Ms. Indecisive” (otherwise known as “dense”) when it comes to the men in her life. Nor did I—

Maybe the three of us need to reconvene—as in now!!!

The Boss’ Blog Tour

Hey, it’s Rey. (I am so lovin’ writing these posts. What happened?! LMAO)

The Boss is doing a blog tour re our second adventure—Can You Hula Like Hilo Hattie?—which has been organized by Jina S. Bazzar. A huge thank you to Jina! (There’ll be more about Jina, her blog, and writing in a future post.)

Here’s a rundown on what the three of us from the Triple Threat Investigation Agency—JJ, Linda, and yours truly—experienced during the Hula adventure, as detailed by The Boss.

♦ ♦ ♦

Can you Hula Like Hilo Hattie, the sequel to The Connecticut Corpse Caper, finds the three amateur sleuths—Jill (JJ), Rey, and Linda—serving as bona-fide detectives. The owners of the newfound Triple Threat Investigation Agency even have a paying assignment, courtesy of their first client, WP Howell: discover the secret of his young, pretty wife, Carmie. Millions, and a much-desired divorce, rest on it.

What seems straightforward enough quickly evolves into complicated when Carmie’s battered body is found in the sapphire waters of the Hawaiian Pacific. It soon becomes evident that Carmie was not the only one with a secret, nor the only one to die an untimely death. Who among a cast of curious, unconventional characters is tenacious (or crazy) enough to eliminate all living liabilities? JJ, Rey and Linda determine to find out.

In their quest for answers, the women encounter a plethora of suspects. It appears there is no lack of people who have a dislike for, or hold a grudge against, Carmelita Sangita Howell.

Their P.I. travels lead them along a few side roads and detours, where drug dealers and informants, treachery and blackmail, abound. Benny Pohaku, working both sides of the drug-pushing fence, is young and brash, and his arrogance ticks off the wrong people. Bullets soon silence those boastful lips. Dealer Cash Layton Jones is as galling as he is attractive, and his habit of entering Jill’s condo uninvited results in a few heated encounters. He also has JJ wondering if there’s more to the enigmatic man than a penchant for loud Aloha shirts and a proclivity for being “conveniently” close by.

Carmie’s intriguing if not odd, ‘tini friends serve as pieces to an expanding puzzle. A few have reasons to want her dead. Jon Jonson, a currently down-and-out musician, has been blackballed by Carmie from playing the local music circuit. He is definitely no fan of hers. Stacy Kapu, Carmie’s trainer and former lover, may not have cared to be unceremoniously dumped. Restaurant co-manager, Benoit Paillisson, has always had a hate-hate relationship with the rich young woman; he has had no qualms about telling people how happy he would be if she fell off the panoramic Pali Lookout.

And there is no love lost when it comes to hubby WP Howell. What had Carmie “known” that could have proven detrimental? Was it damaging enough to prompt the man to kill? Salv Smith, a young Trango gang member, and his affiliation with Carmie is not immediately evident. Because she sports the same black widow tattoo as her stepson, it appears Lee Smith has a connection to the gang as well . . . and it could be more ominous than anything Salv may be caught up in.

Gino Carpella, Carmie’s twin brother, has been rumored to associate with “questionable sorts”. It has even been suggested that he had had his sister’s fiancé executed. Is the rift in the twins’ once caring, close-knit relationship to blame for Carmie’s death? If so, how? Or has one of Gino’s enemies retaliated by striking out at his closest family member?

As the women detect, they find relations between people and happenings as clear as the contaminated waters of the Ala Wai Canal. Fortunately, in addition to perseverance, they receive assistance now and again. Composed, thorough, and discerning Detective Gerald Ives works closely enough with JJ, Rey and Linda to provide guidance, but not so much as to have them tramp on his toes . . . too much. A seasoned private investigator residing on Big Island, Petey May, serves invaluable to the women. His P.I. experience helps in bringing new facts—and evidence—to light. He also provides JJ with unpleasant news regarding a personal matter. Their bond will transcend many cases to come.

As the body count increases and the suspect list decreases, the women confirm the murderer’s identity, but proving it will not be easy. Resolve and help from pretty pink Tasers bring the evasive murderer, and cohort, to their knees. Literally.

While major incidents are explained, a few loose ends (and cannons) remain. These will be addressed, but not necessarily [yet] tied up, in the third novel, Coco’s Nuts. JJ, Rey and Linda are budding detectives, after all, but they do still have lessons to learn and skills to hone.

♦ ♦ ♦

So there you have it, the Boss’ take on the case. Not bad. A bit wordy for my liking (too bad she wouldn’t let me tackle it, LOL).

Again, a big thank-you to Jina. Please check out her site and work at: https://authorsinspirations.wordpress.com.

Sleuths United

Because The Boss wants to take off a few days from posting, she asked us if we’d each post about our favorite detective—be he or she from books, TV, or films. (Writing about Nancy Drew got her to thinking about sleuths and private investigators.)

Rey, JJ and I took turns playing rock-paper-scissors to see who’d post first, second and third. I won—“I” being Linda, of course. For me, it has to be the ever-brilliant “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Although I enjoyed reading classic literature in my teens, I was never into mysteries or detectives, but once I began working as a screenwriting assistant, I hung around with film people who were into classic films. Through them, I was introduced to a wonderful world of B&W movies . . . and Basil Rathbone.

A bit of trivia: Rathbone, along with Nigel Bruce as sidekick Dr. Watson, played in 14 films between 1939 and 1946. The first, The Hound of the Baskervilles, was my favorite. Rathbone’s exploits, coupled with Bruce’s wit, prompted me to pick up the stories with—yes—The Hound being the first. I was hooked immediately. For a short spell, I was even a bit of a Sherlockian. There’s a cool site, by the by, called Sherlockian.net (“The Portal About the Great Detective”).

I took a quick gander and based on a 2009 CNN Entertainment piece, Sherlock “The Game is Afoot” Holmes has been played by 75 actors in 211 films. Wikipedia claims 254 times as at 2012. That’s pretty damn impressive.

The quintessential Sherlock Holmes for yours truly, however, was Jeremy Brett, who played him in 41 episodes from 1984 through 1994 (when Brett passed from heart failure). I thought the series seemed like the real deal in terms of how I imagined 221B Baker Street and Victorian England to look and feel. Others did as well apparently; praise was provided in spades re adhering to original concepts and Brett received accolades for his portrayal.

As an FYI, Brett once stated that “Holmes is the hardest part I have ever played—harder than Hamlet or Macbeth”. Additional minutiae: Brett was the only actor who played both Holmes and Watson. <LOL> Rey’s usually the film enthusiast. Hmm, speaking of, I wonder who she’ll pick as her favorite. She wouldn’t tell us and simply said we’d have to read her post.

With that, I leave you with one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes quotes (from The Man with the Twisted Lip): “I confess that I have been blind as a mole, but it is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all.”

Forever Poi, Forever Hopeful

It’s Linda on post patrol today. The Boss is still under the weather, but then the weather in her neck of the woods is under-whelming. <LSMH> (Winter’s on its way and she’s not overly excited about it.)

Given I’m a food and wine blogger when I’m not a P.I., I thought I’d post about poi—firstly, by explaining the significance of “Forever Poi”, the fourth Triple Threat Investigation Agency case and, secondly, providing a little background about poi (with recipes).

The Boss explained it quite nicely, succinctly, in her new Smashwords interview: “In terms of me: it’s an homage to Hawaii. Poi is a Hawaiian staple, a delicious food made from taro. Hawaii [a hope, a dream] is in my heart and soul and always will be; hence, forever poi.”

In terms of the case, there’s mention of “Forever Poi” as associated with a comment from an intriguing [if not dangerous] individual who shall remain nameless. (Alternatively said: please read our new adventure.)

The three of us enjoy poi different ways. I love poi as “cereal”, sprinkled with raw sugar and cinnamon. Rey prefers taro in the form of chips. And JJ likes it in the form of soft-serve ice-cream or mooncakes.

For those not in the know about poi, it’s an essential Hawaiian staple, made from the underground plant stem of a root vegetable known as taro. There’s a lot of fascinating information re its origins and where and how it’s used, but I’ll leave that for another time. Feel free, however, to go Googling.

A quick note, though: traditional poi is made by mashing the cooked corm (plant stem) of the taro. The time-honored method is performed on a wooden board with a pestle (pounding implement) while the modern method involves a food processor (I’ll opt for traditional anytime, thank you). You can enjoy it fresh or allow it to ferment.

There’s an intriguing way of measuring consistency: “one finger”, “two finger”, and “three finger” poi relates to how many fingers are necessary to scoop a mouthful of the delicious mashed product. The thicker the poi, the fewer the fingers. Thickness or runniness is a purely personal preference.

Now that I’ve condensed a plethora of info into a pint-sized post, let me share some easy-peasy recipes: Simple Poi (a fav of mine), Simple Poi Mochi (a fav of JJ’s), and Simple Poi-Nut Bread (a fav of Rey’s). . . . Can you tell the three of us really like “simple”? <LOL>

Simple Poi

♥ 4 lbs taro root 2 ½ tbsp coconut oil ♥ 2 ½ tbsp butter ♥ 2 tsp sea salt or pink Himalayan salt ♥ 6-8 tbsp celery or asparagus juice ♥ water

⇒ Preheat the oven to 300°F. ⇒ Wash the taro root and pierce consistently all over. ⇒ Bake for about 2 hours (until soft all the way through). ⇒ Cut open the taro root and spoon out the taro into a large bowl. Throw away the skin. ⇒ Add the salt and juice. ⇒ Mix well. ⇒ Cover with a cloth and leave to ferment for a minimum of 24 hours. ⇒ Once fermented, melt the butter in a saucepan. ⇒ If you’re going traditional and mashing the taro with a wooden board and pestle, do so, and then add to a bowl. If you’re going modern, add the taro to a food processor and “mash”. ⇒ Add the oil and butter. ⇒ Add the water and blend to the desired consistency.

(You can add various “flavors” or serve it as is. As mentioned, I like sugar and cinnamon, but anything’s doable. Feel free to experiment.)

Simple Poi Mochi

♥ 1 lb poi, ready-made/bought or homemade (see “Simple Poi” recipe above) ♥ 2 cups water, give or take ♥ 2 10-ounce packages Asian sweet rice flour ♥ 1 ½ cups sugar ♥ 1 quart canola oil for deep frying

⇒ Combine everything except the oil. ⇒ Add water slowly (you want a thick batter). ⇒ Drop by the teaspoon into the heated oil and deep fry until slightly crisp. ⇒ Drain. ⇒ Makes about three dozen pieces. ⇒ Feel free to dust with sugar or a sugar-spice combination.

(You can add various “flavors” to the mixture before frying. JJ likes red-bean paste.)

Simple Poi Nut Bread

♥ 1 lb poi, ready-made/bought or homemade (see “Simple Poi” recipe above) ♥ ¾ cup water ♥ 2 cups flour ♥ ¾ cups brown sugar ♥ 1 tsp cinnamon ♥ 1 tsp nutmeg ♥ 2 tsp baking powder ♥ 1 tsp sea salt ♥ 3 eggs, beaten ♥ 1 cup oil ♥ 2 tsp vanilla ♥ 1 ½ cups macadamia nuts (or substitute your favorite nut, or a combination thereof) ♥ ½ cup currants (or dried fruit of preference)

⇒ Mix the poi and water together. Let stand in a bowl. ⇒ In a second bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. ⇒ Combine both mixtures. ⇒ Add the remaining ingredients. ⇒ Add to an oiled/buttered pan and bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes.

Hope you enjoyed the post about poi. It’s a bit of a departure from the usual, but what’s wrong with digressing now and again?

Happy Halloween from Honolulu Hawaii

The Boss would have been real proud to come up with that heading—she’s into illiteration. . . . Huh? Oh. JJ says it’s “alliteration”. <LMAO>

Anyway, the three of us are here to share what we’re planning for Halloween, which is always a majorly fun to-do time on Oahu. There’s a costume party with a bunch of HPD pals, so we’ll pop over around midnight, but during the day and evening, we’re gonna explore what Oahu has to offer, something we’ve talked about in past, but never much done. Each of us has come up with a Halloweeny event to pursue, so Linda, you start. What have you got planned for us?

Ever since I watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown as a kid, I’ve wanted to visit a pumpkin patch. So I’m driving us to Waimanalo Country Farms where they’ve got pumpkin picking, hayrides, and a country market, among other things. The little girl in me can’t wait! It’ll be a hoot, I’m sure. What about you, JJ?

I’m sorry to say I got the dates mixed up re the annual Chinatown “Hallowbaloo”—a costume street festival with music/entertainment, art and food—so it’s at the top of the list for next year. We’re heading over to Haunted Plantation, reputed to be the “scariest haunted attraction”. Sixty-plus actors haunt a village with what sounds like—ahem—ghoulishly frightening results. <LOL> Linda, your face is paler than that of a cartoon ghost!

Yeah, it looks like it did last night, when we did the “Zombie Apocalypse” at Coral Crater. What a blast! For those who haven’t experienced it, you gear up and wipe out zombies overrunning a village. Then, you zip-line to safety. Like, how cool is that?

I’m just not as huge a fan of zombies and zip-lining as you, Rey. But once my heart stopped thumping like a snare drum being struck by an eager marching band drummer, I have to admit, I did enjoy the adrenalin rush. . . . So, are you finally going to tell us what you have planned?

I am indeedy-do, Lindy-Loo. Given I’m an actress when I’m not P.I.ing, I had to go for something “theatrical”. I got tickets for—ooh, this is so-o much fun!—a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show hosted by Tita Titsling, who’s touted as the “Premiere Moustache Queen of Chinatown, Honolulu”. How exciting is that, I ask? . . . And on that note, everyone, the three of us from the Triple Threat Investigation Agency wish you an absolootely hairy-scary Halloween!

Sprees

. . . not of the shopping sort—though I love those—but the crime sort. Hey, it’s Rey here. With Linda. The Boss is getting over a nasty cold and asked one of us to pen the post. JJ’s off for the weekend on some sort of business course, so the two of us are partnering up and shooting the sh—

Linda: Breeze!

Rey: Whatever. I’ve got some emails and texts here with the snail mail. A few folks have asked about our last four cases—okay three, ‘cause The Connecticut Corpse Caper wasn’t really a case, but our first non-pro detecting venture. They were multiple-murder-spree cases, ones where the killers were either uber-focused on not being caught or making serious money the easy way. If someone got in their way or proved of some financial advantage, they got offed.

Linda: You may also want to mention that they favored “crazy”, too.

Rey: Crazy? They were out-and-out nutbars! Remember the Gruesome Twosome in Can you Hula Like Hilo Hattie?

Linda: Or the other equally Gruesome Twosome in Coco’s Nuts!

Rey: We’ve met a few Gruesome Twosomes in our private eye adventures, haven’t we?

Linda: That we have. They were certainly challenging if not creepy.

Rey: And fascinating.

Linda: People do tend to have a fascination for bizarre or eerie killers.

Rey: Like serial killers.

Linda: Which, technically, we haven’t really dealt with.

Rey: Sure we have.

Linda: But that didn’t really come out until after the fact.

Rey: True enough, but I think we’re divesting.

Linda: You mean digressing?

Rey: Whatever. Do we want to talk about our cases?

Linda: Serial killers make a good topic, given it’s Halloween next week. You know, how we have a fascination with them, how they—and we, in turn—lean toward the macabre and the morbid and the scaryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Rey: Ha-ha, ha-ha.

Linda: That’s the Triple Threat Investigation Agency’s next case.

Rey: One I’m looking forward to. But back to serial killers, why do you think we like them so much?

Linda: Curiosity to start; they’re intriguing. We wonder how they’ve been able to get away with multiple murders for so long, what motivates them to do such dastardly deeds, why they choose certain victims over others. They’re so extreme in what they do, we can’t help but be drawn. Constant news coverage—which is often provocative if not enticing—becomes riveting.

Rey: The strange thing is, some of them seemed—and seem—so normal.

Linda: Another reason we’re captivated . . . in that aforementioned macabre, morbid way.

Rey: I’m not sure I’d like to meet a real one.

Linda: And I’m not so sure they’re all that different from the killers we’ve met solving cases.

Rey: Or the suspects we’ve encountered, come to think about it. Some have been real—as Great-Cousin Clara might have said—wing-dings.

Linda: Like the person we’re pursuing in HA-HA-HA-HA.

Rey: Yikes. Can you spell s-p-o-o-k-y?

Linda: Many ways. But before we prattle on forever—

Rey: Prattle!? We’re posting!

Linda: You say poh-tay-tow, I say poe-taw-toh—

Rey: Yeah, yeah. . . . Hey, lookie here! Gail’s email says Nordstrum’s having a sale! Catcha later!

Linda: Uh . . . well, it appears my BFF has caught the $ale$ bug. So much for posting. Have a great weekend everyone and to quote Rey: catcha later.

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