Torch Ginger Page 12

  “I consult on a lot of things and I am here for you, not the case. So what do you need to know?”

  Lei took a breath, let it out. What the hell.

  “I’m confused. There are two guys. I don’t know which one I’m supposed to be with, or if it’s neither of them.”

  “What does your heart say?”

  “No idea,” Lei said. “You said that before, and I don’t know what you mean by it. There’s no clear answer. One of them I love. We were engaged, and yet when it came time for the wedding, I panicked and ended up here because this is where my transfer came through. Then I met this other guy . . .” Her mouth turned up in an involuntary smile. “Hot guy—a player, not my type at all. But he seems to like me, and there’s something there. Something that could be pretty fun. I’m tempted to find out. Then Stevens reappears and I feel guilty . . .” Her voice trailed off as she remembered the amazing shell necklace she was still wearing. Her fingers came up to touch it.

  “And there’s a third person,” Esther prompted.

  “No.” Lei shook her head. “There’s this weird but nice guy. He gave me this necklace and I need to return it. But that’s not anything.”

  “It’s something.” Esther put her hand out. It was weathered, as if she spent time gardening or working, but her palm was softly pink. “Let me see that.”

  Lei took the Ni`ihau shell necklace off and put it in Esther’s hand. Esther covered that hand with her other one, closed her eyes. Opened them, gave the necklace back.

  “This necklace carries a lot of mana,” she said. “Power. It’s good protection for you. You should not give it back.”

  Lei laughed. “Not like I want to, but my aunty raised me not to accept expensive gifts from strangers. I don’t know; I’ll have to see if I can find Mac first.”

  “Mac Williamson?” The older woman’s eyes sharpened. “I know him. He’s one of my students, a haumana studying the culture.”

  “Huh. Well, what do you think about these guys and me?” Lei said. “It’s embarrassing, but I need advice.”

  “Make no sudden moves,” Esther said. “You are someone who makes snap decisions, and now is a time to proceed slowly and with caution.”

  “Thanks. I’ll do that. It’s a start. So what do you know about the disappearances on the North Shore? You said you might know something about it.”

  “I hear things. Nothing solid, just rumors. That there is a cult that uses people in their rituals.”

  “Oh my God, you heard that? Why didn’t you go to the police?”

  “With a rumor? Just gossip about the homeless disappearing. I have nothing helpful.” She made a flicking gesture. “Is this the case you want me to consult on? What is the tie to the Hawaiian community?”

  “We don’t know yet. We just got our first confirmation that there may actually be foul play involved.” Lei explained what they had so far with the May/October pattern and the discovery of the hand. “I thought you might know something about the slipper and the stones left at the latest disappearance site.”

  “We sometimes use stones as an offering. We wrap a ti leaf around a stone and leave it out of respect at sacred places. What kind of stones were these?”

  “Not native.” Lei described them.

  “Sounds more like a haole witchcraft thing,” Esther said disapprovingly. “I follow Christ, and so do my students. We don’t use anything but our native materials.”

  “So you’re a Christian.”

  “Does that surprise you? I’ve already been praying for you.”

  Lei threw her hands up. “It just all seems kind of weird. I’m still thinking you use a crystal ball or something.”

  “Now you are just being disrespectful.” Esther folded her lips into a disapproving line. Lei felt those dark eyes measuring her and finding her wanting. “There are mysteries, but God’s word is always truth.”

  “I know that, Aunty. I’m sorry.” In Hawaii one respected elders, especially kupuna such as Esther, even when they were confusing, elliptical, and maybe even a little psychic. Lei’s Mainland upbringing had made her a little rusty.

  Esther appeared mollified by Lei’s apology. “I need to see those stones. Feel them. They may tell me something.” She stood. “Call me when you can bring them to me.”

  “Thank you.” Somehow Lei wasn’t surprised to hear the rumble of her truck pulling up, the barking of the dogs as Jenkins arrived. “I’ll call you soon.”

  Chapter 15

  Lei turned into the parking lot of the restoration center, a two-story, false-front building in Lihue’s old downtown area. Dusk had fallen, and the truck’s headlights reflected off the mirrored glass doors. Attempts had been made to fix up the place by the shiny paint, and a new lighted sign hung above the entrance.

  “Ready?” she asked her father as she turned the truck’s lights off.

  “As I’ll ever be.” He reached back and took his duffel from the backseat, and they got out. Wayne pulled the front door open and they stepped into a well-lit reception area. A young woman behind a half-moon corner desk stood up to greet them.

  “You must be Wayne. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” She came around, her hand extended. They shook. “I’m Shellie Samson, Aftercare Coordinator. I’m the social worker here.”

  “Good to meet you,” Wayne said. “I’m Wayne Texeira, and this is my daughter, Lei.”

  Lei stepped forward. “Sorry we’re so late. I got the call about two p.m. and still had a lot of work to do.”

  “Not a problem. I actually sleep here at the center when I’m on shift. Why don’t you follow me, Wayne, and I’ll show you your room and orient you on the building and our schedule for tomorrow.”

  “Well, so far this is an improvement over the past when we just kicked our ex-cons out to the curb and told them to check in with a PO,” Lei said with forced heartiness. “What do you think, Dad?”

  “It’s fine.” His weather-beaten face looked strained. She blinked hard as she hugged him, squeezing his tall, wiry frame. He didn’t let go of her either.

  “Bye, Dad. Call me anytime, and I’ll stop by to visit when I’m in the area.”

  “I’ll miss you,” he said in her ear. She nodded and turned away abruptly.

  “Bye. It was nice meeting you, Shellie.”

  Lei pushed out through the glass doors to the truck, refusing to cry. He’d been gone from her life for so long, and it felt too soon for him to be gone again. After their long separation, she was surprised at the ease they’d found with each other.

  He’s a resilient man, and he’s going to do fine here, she told herself firmly.

  She pulled out and got on the road for Hanalei, a ninety-minute drive when conditions were optimal and there was no traffic, and let her mind wander back over the rest of the afternoon after Jenkins had picked her up from Esther’s house.

  Jenkins hadn’t found any further witnesses, nor anyone who knew about the disappearances. His drive through the wet North Shore of the island had got his clothes muddy and her truck filthy. Later, Fury had called to have Lei and Jenkins watch tomorrow’s scheduled interview with Jazz Haddock.

  Apparently Mr. Haddock was not too happy about coming in, though he couldn’t know how seriously they were taking him as a suspect. What a long day, and tomorrow looked equally so. She stomped down on the gas for a little speeding to shorten the drive.

  Her cell rang.

  “Texeira.”

  “Are you going to be able to make it for dinner?” Alika. She’d completely forgotten he’d invited her.

  “Of course. I’m on my way.” She actually was very close to his turnoff. “Can I get a swim first?” Memory of his pool made her itchy with longing.

  “Sure.”

  Ten minutes later she rang the bell at the spectacular model home. He opened the door wearing his board shorts and a smile.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi.” They just grinned at each other for a long minute; then he trailed his hand down
to take hers. “Come on in. I’ve got things cooking.”

  “Can we swim? I’m dying to get in that pool.” She held up her suit and the cotton robe he’d loaned her last time.

  “Sure. Why don’t you go out to the pool and I’ll check the oven. White or red wine?”

  “White.”

  He padded away and she went to the bathroom, changed, then walked to the open sliding doors. The underwater lights were on in the pool, the Portuguese tiles shimmering cobalt under the clear water. Spotlights played up the fan palms and red torch ginger of the landscaping. Lei dove in.

  Alika came to the door, a glass of wine in each hand, backlit by the kitchen light. He set them on a side table.

  “How about a race?”

  “Can your ego take losing?” He dove in, came up beside her.

  “We’ll have to see about that.” Lei grasped the side of the pool and braced her legs against the wall. “On your mark. Go!”

  She blasted off the side explosively, unleashing all the pent-up energy and frustration she’d felt throughout the day. Her arms churned and legs kicked, and she did an underwater reverse at the end, blasting across the pool until she hit the ledge on the far side.

  Alika was already there, his muscular arms spread in a parody of relaxation across the pool edge.

  “Ready for dinner?” He didn’t even seem winded.

  “Bastard.” He turned his face away, and she said, “I’m sorry. I forgot.”

  “Gonna need more than that.” She swam over to him, looked into his eyes—they’d gone dark. She brushed her lips tenderly over his, a reminder of their first kiss in the underwater bar, a kiss all about promises.

  “You gonna tell me why that word gets to you?”

  “Usual reason. My mother wasn’t married when she had me—and my father wouldn’t acknowledge me.”

  “Shit. I put my foot in it.”

  “Yeah, you did, but I know you didn’t mean it. How about you kiss me and make it better?”

  “Tell me more first.”

  “It was the usual story. They met in college. He was a white guy, well connected. She didn’t know he was married. She came home, dropped out of school to have me. She married Shawn Wolcott, and he adopted me. He’s been all the dad I could want.”

  “I’m sorry. Again. I’ve got some scars from the past too.”

  “Tell me about them.”

  “Maybe another time. I’m hungry.”

  “You came to the right place.” He turned and heaved himself out of the pool in one fluid movement, wrapping himself in a towel. She hoisted herself out a little less gracefully, and he held out a towel. She dried off quickly, then wrapped herself in the robe, scooping up the wine and following him into a kitchen redolent with tasty smells.

  He reached into the oven, pulling out a roast in a deep pan, surrounded by small whole red potatoes and garnished with rosemary sprigs. He used a pair of forks to transfer it to a cutting board and brought a carving knife to bear on one browned end. Lei’s mouth watered.

  “Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to heaven.” She inhaled a waft of rosemary and spices. He smiled and filled their plates with potatoes, green beans, and slices of pink, perfectly done beef. He carried the plates to the dining room table, a great slab of mango wood set with two places.

  Lei took a bite of the roast, closing her eyes in ecstasy.

  “Oh, that’s good.”

  “Glad you like it.” They ate in silence until Lei’s rumbling stomach began to settle down.

  “So.” Alika sat back and swirled the red wine in his glass. “How are you liking our third date?”

  “Third?”

  “First—poolside frolics. Second—the lighthouse benefit. Third—dinner at my house. I’m working on a fourth, something I think you’ll like.”

  “Hmm.” Lei frowned. She took a sip of the crisp wine. “I would rather we just kept it casual. Maybe I’ll ask you out next time.”

  “Sounds good. What’s the plan?”

  “You don’t let up, do you? How about a morning run? You must do something besides swim to keep in shape.”

  “I do. I paddle canoe with the Kilauea team, so I’d have to skip practice for our run. I also surf whenever I get the chance—in case you thought I was a slacker, just sitting around raking in money.”

  “Okay, then. Meet me Wednesday morning at the pier at six thirty a.m. Keiki deserves a good run.”

  “All right.” They clinked glasses.

  “So, I noticed something.” Lei pointed to the living room, where an aquarium stood in front of the leather couches, filled with antique Japanese glass balls and topped by a round of beveled glass. “I’ve seen one of those before. Where’d you get it?”

  “Designed it myself. I do some furniture designs as well as house plans.”

  “So . . . you know Esther Ka`awai.”

  “Yes—she’s my grandmother. Why?”

  Lei shook her head. “This is too weird; but now that I think of it, your mother was the one to give me her name.”

  “What’s this about?”

  “Esther’s consulting on my case. Lehua gave me her card, but never mentioned she was a relative. Looks like keeping secrets around here gets tricky.”

  “Not for my grandmother. She’s a steel trap—she has more dirt on people on this island than anyone, but she never gossips.”

  “She said she was a kahu of the word, but I don’t know what that means.”

  “She was referring to her church. It’s a small group, but they all have assigned roles . . . Hers is the guardian of our oral traditions, in the old way. You’re lucky to have her on your case.”

  “I get that feeling. I also get the feeling she took me on for her own reasons. She has quite the reputation.”

  “You’re lucky,” Alika repeated, and drained his wine. The discussion seemed to be making him uneasy. He tossed his napkin on the table. “Care for another swim?”

  “No, I’m too tired. It’s been a long day. I should be getting on the road.”

  She was a little rattled by the interconnectedness of the people she was getting to know on the island . . . Maybe these kinds of coincidences were part of spiritual forces rumored to be woven into Kaua`i’s very fabric—and maybe it was “just a small island.”

  “If you must.” Alika got up and they cleared the table. She collected her discarded clothes.

  “Thanks for a wonderful meal.”

  “You’re welcome. You look like you needed it.”

  He set his hands on her waist, pulled her in. She turned her face up, her eyes drifting shut as his lips settled on hers, confident and exploring, boldly taking. His hands moved down, reaching to open the robe, wandering over her smooth stomach and circling around to stroke the muscles of her back.

  Stevens. He’d kissed her so differently in the beginning. So gently. Slowly. Letting her get used to him. Letting her know she was safe.

  He was here, somewhere on the island.

  She broke away, pulled the robe back into place. “Thanks again.”

  “Hey. Everything okay?”

  “Sure. Just—not quite ready for this. I’m . . . getting over someone. We were engaged.”

  “Really? You never said.”

  “I don’t like to talk about it.” Lei found herself blinking again, for the second time that day—and Alika was the last person she should tell about the riot of emotions seeing Stevens had brought on.

  “Good to know. I like a woman who doesn’t want to talk about the exes. Sorry if I was a little enthusiastic, but hell. You can’t blame me for trying.” He made a gesture that encompassed her, bare feet to damp head. “You’re the total package, and I’m a little bit hooked.”

  She couldn’t help smiling, rising on her toes to kiss his sculpted mouth.

  “I think I might be, too. See you soon.”

  Chapter 16

  Monday, October 25

  The next morning Lei took a seat behind the Formica counter that fronted the
one-way mirror into the interview room where Stevens already sat, selkie-dark head bent over a file. Her eyes traced the long line of his bent back, one big hand folded to prop up his cheek, laser-blue eyes shadowed.

  Wherever he was staying, he wasn’t sleeping well.

  Jenkins sat down beside her, a full cup of Starbucks at his elbow. Captain Fernandez and Flea took the remaining chairs in what they called the “peanut gallery.”

  They watched as Fury preceded Jazz Haddock into the interview room, Fury’s outthrust chest reminding Lei of a bantam rooster spoiling for a fight. Stevens gestured to the chairs around the steel table.

  “Have a seat.”

  “Thanks,” Jazz said. “Like everything about this, do I have a choice?”

  Lei noticed the aging hippie’s grayish pallor, gaunt face pearly with sweat. Probably scared the shit out of him to be in there. It was never fun being in the interview hot seat.

  “We appreciate all the research and work you’ve put into this,” Stevens said, tapping the binder. “It seems like you’ve been trying to bring some attention to these disappearances for a while. Do you mind if we tape this interview?”

  “Go ahead. Not like I have a choice,” Jazz said again, appearing a little mollified by Stevens’s compliment. “If I coulda got that redneck Captain Fernandez to look into this, it might have saved some lives.”

  Lei didn’t need to look over to see the captain’s rigid response to this comment. Stevens went on.

  “So how long have you been collecting this information?” An easy question, since the dates in the binder made it obvious.

  “I noticed a regular pattern of people disappearing in the last five years, and what I’ve collected is in the binder. My family and I have been on the island seven years.”

  “What we find particularly interesting is the note here.” Stevens pointed to a handwritten note in the margin of one of the clippings of a missing person. “Samhain and Beltane?”

  “Yeah. After the second year I was collecting information, I realized people were disappearing in May and October. I wondered what the significance might be. The dates put me onto it first; then I kept hearing things . . . that made me wonder.”