Annie sat beside Lani on the sofa. Lani leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Is Ben back yet?”
“I haven’t seen him come in.” The back of the sofa moved as Annie leaned back.
She moved her hand across the cushion until she found Annie’s fingers. “Can we go talk?” she whispered.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Who all is still in here?”
“Yoshi and Fawn are on the loveseat. Mano is here too.”
“No one else?” Lani could trust her family, but she wasn’t so sure about the investors. And she was even beginning to wonder about her aunt.
“No, just us. Is something wrong?”
“I need to talk to you guys,” she said. “But I don’t want to be overheard.”
“Everyone else is in the office. They’ll probably be back there awhile,” Yoshi said.
“I think they can hear down the hall,” Lani said.
“We can step outside so no one overhears,” Mano said. “The back door is this way.”
Lani stood and found Fisher’s harness. She followed Annie down the hall to the back porch.
“I’ll get the door,” Annie said, moving to open it.
Lani stepped into the cool night air. “We can sit out here,” she said. Her hand touched the back of a wicker chair to her right, and she slipped onto the cushion.
“It looks clear,” Yoshi said. “The outside light is on, and I don’t think anyone could be hiding out here.” The chair beside Lani protested as his bulk settled into it.
A chair dragged on the floor, and Annie’s voice drew closer. “Let’s sit close so you don’t have to talk loud.”
Lani turned her face in the direction of Annie’s chair. “You remember that boy at the orchid farm?”
“Yeah.”
“He came here tonight. His name is Simi.”
“When?” Yoshi asked, his voice sharp.
“When I was watching Meg.” Lani wet her lips. “He came to warn me. He says ‘the big man’ has been watching Meg. I think she should go somewhere else.” Lani gripped her hands together in her lap. It had been all she could do to hang on to her composure tonight until she could share her fear.
“He can’t do anything with all of us here now that we know,” Mano said. “Let’s move Meg into your room so we can protect you both together. That’s better than splitting our defenses. We’ll take turns standing guard outside your door.”
Lani began shaking her head before he finished speaking. “She can’t stay here. It’s too close to the danger.”
“Did the kid say what the guy wanted?” Yoshi asked.
“No. But it can’t be good.”
“The housekeeper at the orchid farm claims she’s never seen him. And there was no one around tonight when Ben and I went over,” Yoshi said.
“What about Honi?” Lani asked. “Is she involved in anything? It’s not like her to just leave work.”
“One of my men went to her apartment to talk to her, but she claimed she had food poisoning and was so sick all she could do was stagger home. He said she looked pretty green.”
“You think someone made her sick?” Annie asked.
“The thought crossed my mind,” Yoshi said.
“Did the kid really think Meg is in danger?” Fawn asked. “I can’t imagine what they’d want with her. She’s just a baby.”
“We’ll protect her,” Mano said. “We’ll find who’s behind this.”
Lani rose. “I wish I knew where Ben is. He’s been gone for hours.”
Yoshi cleared his throat. “We found Meg’s toy chest at the orchid farm, and it upset him. He said he was going to search the woods, but I could tell it got to him. I yelled for him when I was ready to go back, but he never answered. I decided to give him some space.”
“What? Why would the toy chest be there?” Lani put her hand on her throat. The danger to Meg must be real.
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think he’s okay? Maybe you should look for him,” Lani said.
“Maybe you’re right. It’s been hours. I wanted to give him some time, but he probably wouldn’t leave Meg that long.”
Lani heard Yoshi’s cell phone beep as he dialed. He asked for some men to come out.
“Maybe Fisher could help you,” Lani said. She groped for the dog. “Can you find Ben, Fisher? Find Ben.” The dog barked, and his nails clicked off toward the door. “Follow him, Yoshi. Maybe he can find him.”
“How? He’s not a search dog.”
“He smart. He knows I want him to find Ben. He went and got him when I fell into the ravine. Any dog has a good nose.” Lani trusted Fisher. And right now, the dog was all they had.
Chapter Eighteen
Ben floated in a sea of pain. His shoulder throbbed and burned, and he tossed on the ground. A gentle rain fell on his face, and he shuddered with cold. Shock, probably. Help wasn’t going to come by itself. He had to get back to the house. His head swimming, he got to his knees and crawled through the wet grass. The moon illuminated the trees and shrubs, but his head felt so fuzzy he wasn’t sure where he was.
He fell forward into the grass. The smell of the wet leaves filled his head, and he fought the suffocating sense that tried to carry him down. Had to stay awake, get help, or he would bleed to death. The sticky wetness on his shoulder told him he’d already soaked through the handkerchief. But the blackness came to carry him off again. Just before he blacked out, he thought he heard a dog bark.
When he came to, a bright light glared down into his eyes. He put up his hand to block it out. “Where am I?”
“You’re okay, Ben. You’re in the hospital,” Lani said.
He focused his eyes on her face. Worry drooped her mouth, and a frown creased her forehead. “Lani? Someone shot me.”
“I know. You’re all patched up, though. The doctor said it was a clean wound, no bullet left in you.” She squeezed his fingers. “He says you’ll be okay. You’ve lost a lot of blood, but they gave you some, and you should be much better after some rest. You can come home in the morning.”
A bigger figure moved into the light. Yoshi touched his shoulder. “Do you remember what happened?”
Ben tried to think. “Someone shot me,” he said again.
“Right. Who was it?”
“Don’t know. Too dark and far away. Threw kuku’i nuts.” Ben closed his eyes and slept. When he awakened again, sunlight streamed through the hospital window, and he felt almost human. His shoulder complained when he sat up and looked around. Lani slept in a chair against the wall. Meg. Where was Meg? He glanced to the other side of the room and saw a crib set up. Meg slept on her stomach with her rump in the air. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Lani looked as though she would have a crick in her neck when she awoke. Her head lolled to one side, and she had a hospital blanket pulled up under chin. Her straight dark hair looked rumpled, and her face glowed with a rosy color. He allowed himself to feast on the sight for a minute. His first thoughts now seemed to be about Lani.
As if she sensed his eyes on her, she stirred and opened her eyes, seeming to look right at him. If only she could really see. “Good morning,” he told her.
She bolted upright. “Are you okay?”
“Sore, but I’ll live. Thanks for bringing Meg in.”
“I couldn’t leave her. Simi came to the house after you left. He said some big guy was watching her.”
Ben struggled to maintain his calm. “I’m not surprised.” He told her about finding the toy chest at the orchid farm. His head began to thump, and he felt a little queasy. Probably the drugs. “Where’s Yoshi?”
“He took a chair out to the hall to guard the door.”
“Tell him I need some help getting dressed. We’re getting out of here.”
The door whooshed, and his mother burst through the opening. “You could have been killed!” Nancy exclaimed with dramatic flair. Her steps hurried toward the bed.
“I’m fine, Nancy,”
Ben said. “I’m about to get out.”
“What a relief. I came as soon as I heard.”
“Who told you?” Ben asked.
“A police officer came to Ethan’s house.”
“You stayed at Ethan’s last night?” Ben frowned at the idea of a woman there alone. “I’m not sure it’s safe. Someone murdered Ethan and Natalie. It was no accident.”
His mother gasped and put her hand to her mouth. “No one told me that!” Her eyes welled with tears. “Who would do such a thing?”
“Yoshi is trying to find out. But staying at the house alone probably isn’t a good idea.”
“But where am I going to stay? Hotels are too expensive.”
The look she sent him was innocent, but he knew the intent behind it. Besides, what else could he do? “You can stay at my condo. I’ve been staying at Kona Kai anyway.”
“Where’s the key?”
No thank you, just a demand for the key. He bit back a sharp retort. “In my pocket.” He got up and shuffled to the cabinet, where he found his clothing and fished out the key. “Just keep it clean, please.” He handed her the key.
She shot him an affronted glare. “Of course I will.” She sniffed. “Have you seen that place of Ethan’s? His wife was no housekeeper.”
He wanted to mention her own lack of homemaking skills but thought better of it. Growing up in a mess was probably the reason he was such a neat freak.
His mother took the key. “Thanks.”
Lani had been quietly taking in the conversation. “How was your reunion with your friends?” she asked.
His mother swung toward her. “I had the most marvelous time!” She practically skipped to Lani’s side, where she dropped into the chair beside her. “I’d always wanted to look up Arlo but didn’t know how. He’s loved me for years, you know.” Her voice held self-satisfaction.
“He’s not married?” Lani asked.
“He’s getting a divorce.” Nancy brushed away the problem like a gnat.
“Aren’t you married, Nancy?” Ben asked. It felt stupid to be asking his own mother something he should know, but he had no idea.
“Well, yes, but we haven’t been getting along. He doesn’t like me to go out with my friends. I won’t stand for chains like that.”
Now was as good a time as any to question her. “How well did you know the woman who died at Taylor Camp? She went by Madonna Mary.”
His mother blanched, and her eyes went wide. All the excitement drained from her face. “Why on earth would you bring up something so unpleasant?” She stood and started toward the door.
“Hold it, Nancy. If you won’t answer my questions, the police will be glad to ask them instead.”
She stopped and turned slowly. “It was a bad time in my life. I don’t like to think about it.” She shuddered.
“So you knew her?”
“Yes, of course. I didn’t like her, but I knew her.”
“There’s been talk that you might have had something to do with her death, that maybe you let Rina take the fall for something you did.”
The muscles in her face sagged. “I can’t believe my own son would accuse me of something like that.”
“I’m not accusing, just asking.” He watched her closely for signs of guilt, but she was such a practiced liar, it was hard to tell.
“Well, I didn’t have anything to do with it.” She turned stiffly to the door and stalked out.
“I hope so,” Ben muttered. “But I wouldn’t stake my life on it.”
They have to be dead. Ash’s voice whispered in Thresh’s head. The plan had come together perfectly. At the idea’s conception, there was no guarantee it would work, but all the players had arrived, every detail was in place. If only ruining Blossom’s coffee beans hadn’t been necessary. He hated to cause her pain, but it would work out in the end.
Kato rapped on the door and stepped into the room. “Do you just enjoy failure?” Thresh asked.
Kato’s face flushed, the color moving even to his bald head. “It’s been the luck of the draw. I’ll handle it.”
“She could regain her memory anytime. We’re boating in stormy waters here. Dig?”
Kato nodded. “The kid slipped away yesterday. I saw him coming from Rina’s property.”
“Did anyone see him?” Thresh didn’t think the kid could finger them. He didn’t know enough English. Or any real names.
“I don’t know. He said he got lost.”
An obvious lie. The kid knew the area well. “Don’t sweat it. Just get rid of him.”
“Kill him?”
“Get real. Just sell him to someone. We were going to do that anyway. Just do it now.”
“Okay, boss.”
“I want Lani dead by morning. Capisce?”
Kato nodded. “It’s a done deal.”
Thresh would take care of Ben/Ash and his mother personally.
Moonlight streamed through the window of the room. Ben sat up on the edge of the sofa they’d dragged in for him. His shoulder ached, but after spending the day lying around, he was going to go nuts if he didn’t get outside and breathe the fresh night air.
He could hear Tyrone moving through the dark house. He hadn’t asked questions when Ben had shown up on his doorstep with Lani, Meg, and the rest in tow. He’d thrown open the door and found them blankets and pillows.
Outside the door to the master bedroom, he heard someone cough, then realized it was Fawn. He made his way through the kitchen to the back door. The sliding screen squeaked a bit when he opened it and stepped out onto the patio. Inhaling the moist night air, he felt the tension in his neck and shoulders ease.
The stars were out in force. Ben sat on the patio and stretched his legs over the edge. Dew drenched the grass, and the moon lit the backyard in a ghostly glow. Yoshi prowled the front, but Ben didn’t think anyone was likely to show tonight.
The screen door creaked behind him, and he turned to see Lani moving cautiously through the door with Fisher.
“I can’t sleep,” she said. “Annie is snoring, probably because she’s so exhausted.”
“Sit here.” He stood and helped her sit on the edge of the deck. She was dressed in her shorts and a sleeveless top. “Are you cold?”
“I should have grabbed a jacket.”
“Here, take mine.” He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Thanks.” She tugged the edges closed at her neck.
He stared at her. Fisher settled at her side and laid his head on her lap. He wished he could do the same. The moonlight gilded her black hair and glistened in her eyes. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. She looked magical, but it wasn’t just her beauty that drew him. There was something so compelling about Lani, so vulnerable and appealing. He’d never met anyone like her, strong and fragile at the same time. Before he realized what he was doing, he cupped her cheek in his hand.
She drew in a sharp breath, then tipped her head to more fully rest in his palm. She turned wide eyes up to him. What would she think of him if she could see him? He was just an ordinary guy, and she was so beautiful. Any man would be proud to have her on his arm. She deserved better, but his hand stayed put, and his thumb moved across the fullness of her lower lip. Heat moved along his arm and straight to his heart. Poor sap that he was, he’d fallen for her sometime when he wasn’t looking.
He knew he should take away his hand, but instead he moved closer, slipping his other arm around her. If the way she nestled closer was any indication, she didn’t seem to mind. Her face was still tipped up to him, her eyes soft and inviting. He dipped his head and kissed her. The touch of her lips and the fragrance of her breath across his face made all his reservations melt.
He kissed her thoroughly, and she responded with a soft sigh. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed close to him. It felt like something he’d waited for all his life. Total acceptance and giving. His mother might think he was worthless, but Lani’s tender lips made it clear she th
ought he was rather wonderful. At least that’s the way he took it.
He finally drew back and brushed the back of his hand over her cheek. “I probably shouldn’t have done that.” Was this the way Ethan felt when he was with her? The thought chilled Ben.
“You make me feel safe, Ben,” she whispered.
“I want to protect you.” He smoothed her hair and studied the lines and planes of her face. Their friendship might lead them to a scary place.
Lani fumbled her way back inside the house. Her cheeks felt hot. She rubbed her lips with her fingertips. Being around Ben was like standing on the edge of a lava flow—she might die or she just might bask in the heat. Their friendship had exploded into a curtain of fire, and she didn’t know if she dared step through it.
Something creaked—the rocker?—when she stepped around the corner. “Who’s there?”
Tyrone’s voice answered. “It’s me.” The rocker quit its rhythmic sound. “You should be in bed.”
“I was just heading there.” The awkwardness between them stretched like a taut rope. “Thanks for letting us stay.” He didn’t answer, and the silence made her nerves scream.
He cleared his throat. “I wanted to let you know that I was more at fault than you. I hope you can forgive me for taking advantage of you.”
She laughed, a hard sound that made her wince. “I was more than willing, Tyrone. Don’t pretend.”
“I knew better. You didn’t. But Ben helped me come to terms with it. I hope you can do the same.”
Tears burned her eyes. “I’m trying. Ben is really wise.”
“He’s the best. You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” There was no use denying it. Tyrone might have been blind, but Lani knew he was perceptive.
“Have you told him?”
“No. I don’t know how he feels.”
Tyrone chuckled, a deep sound of sorrow and joy mingled. “The dude is nuts about you.”
Lani’s heart leapt. “I’d sure like to hear it from him.”