Distant Echoes

  She tucked her hair behind her ears and put on silver hoop earrings, then touched a drop of perfume behind each ear. Tutu kane had been delighted she was attending church this morning. He’d been after her to get back to church, and she’d intended to. Jesse’s leadership in that direction was another quality that appealed to her. Not very many men had the kind of spiritual strength she sensed in Jesse.

  She slipped white leather sandals on her feet and admired the red polish that twinkled on the ends of her toes. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d painted her nails. It didn’t stay on long with all her exposure to seawater. Glancing in the full-length mirror, she decided she would pass. She just needed the bracelet that matched her earrings as the final touch.

  It wasn’t on her dresser. She sighed. If there was one thing she would change about herself, it was her propensity for misplacing things. She didn’t think she could blame the cat today. She generally kept her bedroom door shut to keep him from taking things. This one was her own fault.

  She dug in her jewelry box. Not there. Maybe she’d left it in the bathroom. She checked there but didn’t find it. It was past ten before she found it in the pocket of a pair of jeans in her closet. Kaia fastened the clasp around her wrist and went into the living room to wait for Jesse.

  She found Hiwa curled on the couch with Kaia’s cell phone. “I would have been looking for that in a little while,” she scolded. She tucked the cell phone into her purse.

  The driveway gravel crunched, and she looked up to see Jesse’s red Jeep outside. He’d been thoughtful enough to put the soft top up on it. That man thought of everything. She hurried to the door.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  Dressed in off-white chinos, a light blue shirt that made his eyes look like the sky, and deck shoes with no socks, he looked too good for Kaia’s peace of mind. He was going to make all the unmarried girls at church take a second look.

  His gaze seemed glued to her face. Her cheeks flamed. “Do I have a smudge on my nose?” She glanced in the mirror by the door.

  “No, you look beautiful,” he said. “You ready?”

  “Yep.” She grabbed the Bible on the hall table. Her grand mother had given it to her when she was seven. The white cover was tattered and barely clung to the rest of the book, but it was dear and familiar with many marked pages.

  He escorted her to the Jeep and opened the door for her. “Whoa, you cleaned out your Jeep,” she exclaimed. The inside sparkled, even the windows. Not a speck of sand marred the floor.

  “I thought you deserved it.” He went around to his side.

  Heidi was scowling in the backseat. “What’s wrong?” Kaia asked.

  “Uncle Jesse made me wear a dress.” Heidi folded her arms across her chest and cast a scornful look down at the blue dress she wore.

  “You look very pretty,” Kaia told her. “Sometimes it’s fun to wear a dress.”

  “Not for me.” Heidi’s mutinous scowl deepened.

  A change of topic might be good. Kaia smiled. “Did you bring your bathing suit and shorts for after church?”

  Heidi nodded. “And my pail and shovel. I’m going to bury Uncle Jesse in the sand.” She glared at her uncle as he got in the car.

  He grinned. “Just punishment for the dress wearing, huh?” He glanced toward Kaia. “You both look beautiful.”

  His comment warmed Kaia. She fastened her seat belt and glanced at the Bible on the console between them. The leather cover was worn. That was a good sign. The deeper she delved into the real man under the surface, the more intrigued she grew.

  Her grandfather was already at church when they arrived. Kaia took Heidi to junior church then joined Jesse in the pew with her grandfather. The scent of flowers that blew through the open windows put her in the right frame of mind for worship.

  Jesse laid his arm along the back of the pew. Kaia settled in to pay attention to the service. The music and message were like water and breath to her soul, and she wondered how she’d been able to stay away so long.

  She saw a man and woman pause at their pew on the way out. Kaia heard Jesse gasp, and she glanced at him. His gaze was riveted on the man.

  He stood. “Steve, what are you doing here?”

  Kaia had never seen the couple before. The man was about thirty-five with light brown hair and pale blue eyes. The woman was a few years younger and heavier, built almost like a man. They didn’t seem to go together, but Steve clasped her hand with tobacco-stained fingers like he was afraid to let go.

  The man smiled uncertainly. “Hello, Jesse. I hoped you would be here.”

  Jesse’s shoulders were rigid, but he returned the man’s smile. “Were you looking for me?”

  “Not really. This is Becky, my wife. You got off the phone the other day before I could tell you we were moving here. I just bought a new security business.”

  Jesse seemed frozen in place. Kaia held out her hand. “I’m Kaia Oana, a friend of Jesse’s.”

  Her words seemed to shock Jesse into action. “This is my brother-in-law, Steve Prickett.”

  Kaia’s first instinct was to stare, but she quickly recovered her manners. “Hello.” She shook Steve’s hand and noticed he was doing his own share of staring at her. Jesse seemed uncomfortable, and she had to wonder if he felt guilty to be with her.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Steve said. “I’m glad to see Jesse is moving on with his life.” He stared into Jesse’s face. “I just wanted to see you face-to-face and see if we can still be friends. I could use a friend here on the island.”

  Jesse rubbed his forehead. “I’m pretty busy, Steve.”

  Kaia wondered what Steve had done to Jesse. The awkwardness between the two men was as obvious as the fragrance of the flowers.

  Steve smiled uncertainly. “I’m going to work on Mom. The breach needs to be healed between all of us. Maybe when she comes for Christmas, we can all get together.”

  “Good luck with that. I doubt you’ll have much success with it.”

  Steve reached out and gripped Jesse’s hand with sudden strength. “It’s good to see you again, Jesse. I’ll keep in touch.” He and his wife moved on toward the door.

  “I wish I knew what he was up to,” Jesse muttered as he guided Kaia down the aisle to exit the church.

  “What makes you think he’s up to anything? He seemed very nice.”

  “He hasn’t wanted anything to do with me for three years, then he calls to apologize and shows up here. It just seems weird to me.”

  “Maybe he’s sincere.”

  Jesse shrugged. “Maybe.”

  As they were leaving, Kaia noticed Jenny Saito go by in the passenger seat of an unfamiliar black SUV. She stopped and stared at the man driving the Durango. It looked like the big Hawaiian who had grabbed her on the beach. The man with the birthmark. But what would Jenny be doing with him?

  “What’s wrong?” Jesse asked.

  “Remember my assistant, the woman we found trapped in the sea cave? Jenny Saito?”

  Jesse nodded. “What about her?”

  “She just went by with that big Hawaiian guy. The one with the birthmark that Lindy said was Jonah’s diving partner. Nahele called him Kim.”

  His brow furrowed, and he was silent a moment. “You think Jenny’s involved in this somehow?”

  “It looks suspicious. I think I’d better talk to her.”

  “The Durango looked like it was heading toward the beach. Maybe she’ll be there.”

  Kaia nodded and got in the Jeep with Heidi. The keiki chattered all the way to Po’ipu Beach Park. Heidi had enjoyed junior church and had made several new friends. Kaia listened with half an ear. Her thoughts whirled. Maybe Jenny didn’t realize what the big Hawaiian was up to. Though she and her coworker weren’t close, they’d been friendly, and Kaia couldn’t imagine Jenny being part of such a sinister organization.

  There were only a few people on the beach when Jesse parked, and they got out. By the time they’d changed in the
bathhouse, the beachgoers had gathered in a circle to the right of the tombola, on a narrow strip of sand that ran out to Nukumoi Point.

  “Looks like we’re just in time to see the monk seals,” Jesse said. He’d changed into blue shorts. His snorkel and mask hung around his neck, and he carried a pair of fins in his hand.

  “I want to see!” Heidi ran forward, her red suit a bright splash of color against the golden beach.

  Kaia followed her and watched a monk seal flounder up onto the beach. A lifeguard had already strung up a yellow rope to keep gawkers from getting too close to the seal. The endangered mammal was found only in Hawaiian waters, and the fine for disturbing one could run as high as twenty-five thousand dollars. They were interesting to watch from a distance though.

  Her gaze wandered around the circle of people watching the seal’s antics. A flash of bright blue caught her eye, and she saw Jenny standing almost directly across from her. She had an animated smile on her face. She talked with her hands as she chattered to the man beside her.

  Jenny’s companion turned and saw Kaia watching them. His gaze narrowed and darkened as he looked at her. Kaia knew he’d recognized her. Her heart pounding, she shrank back into the crowd. She didn’t know why the guy scared her so much. There was so much menace in his face. He couldn’t do anything to her here though, not with all these people around.

  “Are you all right? You look a little pale.” Jesse studied her face.

  “Jenny and the Hawaiian guy. They’re here.” She tried to find them again in the crowd, but she’d lost them.

  “I don’t see them,” Jesse said.

  “Me neither.” She turned and looked toward the parking lot. “There they are!” She pointed at the two of them getting into the black Durango.

  Jesse started to go after them, but Kaia grabbed his arm. “They’ll be gone by the time you can get there.” The SUV spit gravel as it pulled away and disappeared among the condos around the beach.

  Kaia couldn’t remember when she’d enjoyed a day more than she’d enjoyed yesterday with Jesse and Heidi. After a full night’s sleep, she was ready to take on the world. She glanced at her watch. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to Mano since she and Jesse had spoken to Lindy, and there would be no time today. She wanted to work with Nani for a few hours before heading to the base.

  Curtis was puttering around the equipment shed when she arrived at Seaworthy Labs. Watching him, she tried to decide how to tackle the subject of the dolphins. Maybe Faye had talked to him already and he would be receptive to what she had to say. She squared her shoulders and stepped toward him.

  He must have heard the sound of her slippers slapping the pavement, because he turned and shaded his eyes with his hand. “How’s the research coming?”

  “It’s coming.”

  He frowned. “I suspected you weren’t making progress. Kaia, I want to be straight with you. We’re not getting the grants I’d expected. When that article came out last week saying another lab was close to a breakthrough, we lost funding I was counting on. Face it: we’re about done with research here. I’m going to move ahead with the sea park.”

  No other lab was doing exactly the work they were. “We’ll beat the other lab—all I need is a little more time. Besides, you just bought the lab. You’ve got to expect to lose a little money at first.”

  “And I was prepared to do that in the beginning. But things are going downhill fast. I had to pay last week’s salaries out of my own pocket.”

  She hadn’t realized the lab was in such dire straits. “Then why did you loan me out to the navy?”

  He sighed. “I didn’t have much choice. When the navy asks, a patriotic citizen helps out.”

  “The missile test will be over in a few days. I’m sure I can get that breakthrough in just a few more weeks of work.”

  “We don’t have a few more weeks.” He nodded toward the lagoon. “I’ve arranged to begin construction next week. I’ll need to bring in the younger two dolphins and start their training right away. Maybe I can leave Nani in the research project for now.”

  “I need all three dolphins,” she said. “They interact and follow one another’s lead in learning the clicks and whistles. It will set the project back if you take them from the pod. I raised Nani. She followed me here to learn, and the other two dolphins followed her. You have no legal right to do this. Besides, they are Pacific dolphins. They need deep water.”

  “You’re saying you own Nani?”

  Why was this so hard for him to understand? “Nani isn’t owned by anyone. And neither are the other two. They are free, wild dolphins.”

  “And all I’d have to do would be to put a net fence over the lagoon to keep them here.”

  Over her dead body. She curled her fingers into her palms and felt her nails bite into her flesh. The only way to save the dolphins was to prove they were capable of language. She needed time for the research, but Jesse needed her for several more days. The only way to do both was to get along on five or six hours of sleep a night.

  “You look as though you’d like to punch something,” Curtis said. “Kaia, Seaworthy Labs won’t cease to be humane just because we’re dropping our research function. They’ll be happy in the sea park.”

  “I’m going to get you the proof. You’re not capturing the dolphins.” The pressure was almost unbearable. Everyone was depending on her, and the thought of failing was unacceptable.

  Curtis sighed and his stance relaxed. “It’s nothing personal, Kaia. I’m in business, not just research.”

  Kaia didn’t answer him. If she had to, she’d make sure the dolphins never came into the lagoon again. They wouldn’t survive being cooped up. “I’ve got work to do.” She left him standing by the shed door and walked to the water.

  Nani greeted her with an excited chatter. Kaia kicked off her slippers, sat on the pier, and dropped her feet into the water. “What are you trying to tell me, Nani?” Tears blurred her vision. She’d been trying so hard and still no breakthrough. What would it take to bridge the gap between her and Nani? The missing link was there somewhere. She just had to find it.

  She pulled her fins and snorkel from her backpack and slipped into the water, adjusting her equipment into place. Nani brushed against her, and Kaia grabbed the dolphin’s dorsal fin and swam through the clear water with her friend. A school of bright yellow tangs scattered as they approached, and Kaia paused and floated as she watched them.

  If only she and Nani could really communicate. Nani bumped her with her nostrum, her signal she wanted affection from Kaia. Kaia could feel Nani’s love and devotion to her, and she was sure the dolphin could feel how Kaia loved her as well, but the sense of connection wasn’t enough.

  Kaia floated in the buoyant water and watched Nani try to imitate her. Why was this so important to her anyway? Other people, even her own family, sometimes acted as if they thought she was a little obsessed. But until she could share words with Nani, there would always be a wall between them. She wondered if Nani ever felt the distance the way Kaia did. Maybe the dolphin sometimes tried to communicate with her like God tried to communicate with man. Each group had such a different frame of reference.

  Jenny was standing on the pier when she surfaced. “How’s it going?”

  Kaia pulled her mask and snorkel down around her neck and squinted through the glare of the sun. “Okay. Any successes this week?” Kaia watched Jenny carefully for any sign of guilt. The other woman’s smile never wavered.

  Jenny shook her head. “They don’t work as well without you here. And Nani hasn’t been showing up as much with you gone either.”

  “I saw you at the beach yesterday,” Kaia blurted out. “Who was the guy you were with?”

  Jenny’s eyes flickered. “Just a friend of my brother’s. No one important.”

  “I’ve seen him before. I just wondered what his last name was.” Kaia pressed a bit more, but Jenny turned and looked out to sea with a closed expression.

  “Hey,
have you gotten in any work while you’re on patrol?” Jenny asked.

  She could tell Jenny wasn’t about to reveal anything to her. “Some. We’ve both been tired.” She told Jenny what Curtis said about the sea park.

  “Yeah. He’s been pretty open about his plans. We may not be able to stop him,” Jenny said. She sat on the edge of the pier and dangled her feet over the edge. Liko swam nearer and rubbed against her feet.

  “Well, I’ve got a plan of my own.” Kaia swam to the dock and grabbed hold of the pilaster to steady herself. “What if we teach the dolphins not to come in here anymore? We’ve got a couple of weeks before the construction on the new lagoon is done.”

  “But won’t that slow our progress on the communication?”

  “Maybe not. We have to try. Unless you have a better idea?” Kaia didn’t see that they had a choice. She would do anything in her power to save the dolphins.

  Jenny shook her head.

  “Let’s get started on it today.” Kaia nodded toward the car kicking up red dirt under its wheels as it left the parking lot. “Curtis is gone. He won’t see what we’re doing.”

  Jenny got to her feet. “I’m game. Tell me what to do.”

  That was what Kaia wanted to hear. She heaved herself out of the water and blew the whistle around her neck to call the dolphins.

  Jesse jogged down the path through the park just off base. He was smiling as he remembered the day he’d spent with Kaia yesterday. Their conversation had been so free and easy, almost like two old friends. Or even a married couple. He cut that thought short. Best not go there. He glanced at his watch. Three o’clock. Almost time to get Heidi for a few hours before meeting Kaia for tonight’s patrol.

  He wiped his forehead and turned to head back to base when he saw Duncan’s car stop by the curb. He walked over to talk to him. “I figured you’d be hard at work today.”