Fiction
The Wisdom
of Charlie Chanby Albert Tucher
“On the plus side,” said Coutinho, “this might be it for the year.”
“We can hope,” said Jenny.
Every year several visitors to the Big Island of Hawaii went out for a hike and never came back. And about once a year a hiker did come back with a haunted expression and a tale of stumbling over human remains.
Jenny and the detective stood looking down at this year’s entry in the unlucky lottery. Over on the Kona side of the island the bodies sometimes mummified. Here on the wetter Hilo side they ended up as bones. Jenny had seen both, and bones were better, although not by much.
“Who reported it?” Coutinho asked.
“The usual. Another hiker.”
Jenny pointed at her personal Camry with the blue Hawaii County Police cone on the roof.
“I had
