Read Zero Break for Free Online Page A

hallways to a small windowless office where there was just room enough for a pair of metal visitors’ chairs. He sat behind his desk, which was piled with manila file folders and random office supplies, as well as a computer monitor that had to be at least ten years old.
    “I read about Zoë’s murder in the paper. Someone broke into her house?”
    “On Saturday night,” I said. “When was the last time you spoke to her?”
    “It must have been Friday afternoon. She didn’t come to work on Monday, and she didn’t call in. She’s always been a very conscientious employee. But she didn’t return any phone calls and I didn’t know what else to do.” He motioned at the pile of folders on his desk. “We’re running short handed here as it is. I just didn’t have the time to go searching for her.”
    “What is it that you do here?” I asked. “Or rather, what did Zoë do?”
    “As you saw out front, we’re a division of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, which collects and analyzes economic development statistics. Our focus here is on energy policy and analysis. Did you know that Hawaii is the most oil-dependent of all the fifty states?”
    We both shook our heads.
    “Ninety percent of our energy needs are supplied by imported petroleum. Given the current political climate worldwide, it’s important for us to do what we can to reduce that dependency. Zoë worked on alternative energy sources—administering grants, compiling statistics, making recommendations.”
    I remembered the boat trip Mike and I had taken on Levi Hirsh’s boat, when Levi had been pointing out his investment in harnessing the ocean’s waves. “Wind power, ocean power, that kind of thing?” I asked.
    He nodded. “We have a mandate to supply 70% of Hawaii’s energy demand with renewable resources by 2030. We’re working with researchers at UH, and with private industry, to develop biomass, hydroelectric power, solar power, anything we can. Zoë reviewed budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”
    “Do you know if she received any threats as a part of her work?” I asked.
    “Threats?” Nishimura almost laughed. “Detective, we’re accountants. Yes, we work with a lot of money—but there are so many checks and balances, so much bureaucracy, that one person couldn’t do much to favor one group over another. There’s some subtle influence peddling, of course; you’re going to get that in any agency. But threats? No.”
    “How about in her personal life? Do you know if she was dating anyone?”
    “Zoë worked for me, so we kept our relationship on a professional basis,” he said. “But she might have talked to one of the other analysts, or one of the support staff.” He picked up the phone. “I’ll get my admin to ask around for you.”
    I held up my hand. “If you don’t mind, we’d rather ask ourselves.”
    He put the receiver back down. “Of course. If there’s anything we can do…”
    “We’ll need to look at her office as well.”
    Nishimura introduced us to his administrative assistant, a Chinese woman in her mid-fifties, with the kind of no-nonsense attitude that reminded me of Juanita Lum, the admin for Lieutenant Kee in Vice. Though Kee was the guy with the gold braid on his shoulders, she was the one who ran the department.
    “Zoë was a quiet girl,” she said. Her name plate read Gladys Yuu. “She kept to herself. But then, most of these accountants are like that. More comfortable with numbers than people.” She pursed her lips for a minute. “There’s a girl in the statistics department. Miriam Rose. They had lunch together sometimes.” Her face softened. “You don’t think it was just a terrible accident—some burglary gone wrong?”
    “We’re looking into everything. So anything you know about her, or her life, might help us.”
    She thought for a minute. “Well, there is one thing. I didn’t approve, but of course, it’s not my place to say.” She