Dangerous Depths

  “I didn’t tell him. I’d forgotten.” In fact, Leia hadn’t even remembered her mother owned the building Tony leased for his shop. They’d argued over her mother’s decision to raise the rent, and the disagreement had gotten heated.

  Her mother began to smile. “You’re a good daughter. The last thing I need is for my patients to hear that I’m under suspicion for murder. It would be the final death knell for my practice.” The glance she sent toward her husband held a trace of censure.

  Her father interrupted. “No one who knows you would suspect you of killing anyone.”

  Her mother’s frosty smile thawed. “Spoken like a devoted husband. Maybe I’ll fix you a good dinner after all.”

  “How easy would it be for someone to steal the drugs?” her father asked.

  “Very difficult. Access is limited and everything has to be signed for. We track inventory on the computer and then do a periodic visual check. It would have to be someone who worked at the hospital.”

  Leia tried to think of everyone who worked at the hospital that she knew. She couldn’t see any of them doing something like this. “Maybe even an orderly who got access to a key?”

  “Maybe, but we watch that kind of thing pretty closely. You have to have two people go to get out controlled substances to verify what was taken. Maybe the murderer bought it over the black market.”

  “Since some is missing from the hospital, I would think it was stolen from there.”

  “Well, it’s not my worry.”

  In spite of her mother’s assertions, Leia could see the unease on her mother’s face, and it fueled her own anxiety. Surely the police wouldn’t focus on her mother.

  After diving with Kaia and Nani all day, Bane took Kaia to Kaunakakai so she could call Jesse without using up her cell minutes. He sat on a lava rock on the beach with his ukulele in his hands. His fingers picked out the traditional tunes without conscious thought. While he might not beat Pete this year, he would give him a run for his money.

  A host of giggling children ran past. One boy around six stopped to listen to Bane. Bane motioned him to come closer and showed him how to strum the instrument. When the boy tired of the game, Bane ruffled the child’s hair and gave him a handful of macadamia nuts. He watched wistfully as the child ran off with his booty clutched in his pudgy fist. Kids generally gravitated to him, and he thought he’d make a good father. At least he liked to think that was true. He might never find out.

  He stopped by a small hut and ordered a rainbow shave ice with macadamia-nut ice cream on the bottom. Taking the treat with him, he started toward his car, then noticed a van that said Westerfield Salvage on it. Sam was here? Maybe Ron wasn’t so paranoid after all. Bane stepped closer to the van. He’d met Sam Westerfield once, before taking the job with Ron. He couldn’t be missed in a crowd. He resembled Mr. T, only instead of heavy gold chains, the leather necklace he wore held a mammoth shark tooth, which nestled in the V of his aloha shirt. Matching shorts covered his meaty thighs, and he would have looked more at home on a wrestling mat than strolling across the parking lot of a Hawaiian beach.

  His gaze touched Bane. “Bane Oana. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

  “Sam. I didn’t know you were on the island.” He kept his tone even. No sense in getting Westerfield’s back up.

  “Yeah, I got to town yesterday. I hear there’s an interesting find out near Elephant Rock.” He grinned and revealed a gold-capped tooth.

  “You’re a little late to get in on the action. We already have salvage rights.”

  “I heard there’s been a snafu. Maybe I could help smooth the way if you cut me in on the action.”

  “I think we can handle it.”

  Sam’s smile faded, and he looked sour. “This is too big a find for Ron to handle by himself. I have the heavy equipment he needs.”

  “We have our own equipment, mahalo. Why are you talking to me anyway? Ron is the owner. I’m not the one to ask.”

  “But you have influence over him. You could persuade him of the wisdom of letting me help you.”

  Bane’s shave ice was melting. Enough of Sam’s hypocrisy. “Sorry, I can’t help you,” he said. He walked away and tried not to imagine a knife thrust in his back.

  Thirteen

  The boat passed by the Moloka’i Lighthouse on the tip of the peninsula, framed by the soaring sea cliffs. The tallest U.S.- owned lighthouse in the Pacific, the sight of the grand beacon never failed to thrill Leia. The sea glimmered as blue as lapis lazuli in the bright morning sunshine. The boat passed the boundary of the Pelekunu Preserve. The lowland rain forest held a mystique for her. For one thing, access was forbidden, and she’d never taken well to anyone telling her what she couldn’t do. It also held one of Hawai’i’s last free-flowing streams, and the tallest sea cliffs in the world.

  She enjoyed a last look at the jungle, then headed in to shore. She checked in at the clinic and made sure she wasn’t needed, then went toward her cottage. Pete had called and said he left her key under the pot of ginger by the front door. It was right where he’d said it would be. She pushed open the door and stopped. The place was a mess. Bottles of dye had been spilled on her work table and onto the floor, her cupboard doors stood open, and all kinds of sup-plies were off the shelves and on the floor.

  She marched to the phone and punched in Pete’s number. As soon as he answered, she didn’t even say aloha. “The least you could have done is not let the kids trash my house,” she barked.

  “Leia? What are you talking about?”

  “My cottage. It’s a disaster, Pete. How could you leave it in this shape?” Her voice rose.

  “It was spotless when we left. I know how picky you are.”

  “There’s dye everywhere. Nearly everything is off the shelves. I hardly call that spotless.”

  “I didn’t leave it like that. Maybe someone broke in.”

  That stopped her. It was possible with all that had been going on. “Maybe,” she said.

  “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions, Leia.” Pete’s voice was sharp.

  “Sorry, Pete.”

  “You can make it up to me. I want to show you something. Will you be there for a while?”

  “Just long enough to clean up, then I’m going to my grandmother’s.”

  “If you’re not at home, I’ll come find you there. You won’t believe it.” He sounded excited.

  She hung up, opened the door to let Hina in, and set to work. An hour later, she had everything in order. She packed a small bag, found her sketchbook, and took the motorbike to her grandmother’s.

  She heard Tûtû before she saw her. The strains of “Makaha” carried through the jungle. The incongruity of her grandmother singing a surfing song made her recall that Tûtû was young once. The songs she sang reminded her of the days when she was as slim and lovely as Malia and just as graceful. Leia pushed away the pang of sadness. She grabbed a bag of ‘ohelo berries she’d brought for the goose, then opened the door and got out. Pua waddled to meet her, and Hina jumped down. Pua nipped at the cat’s tail, and Hina spat at the goose. The two had an uneasy truce that wasn’t always respected.

  Squawking for a treat, the nene bumped her head against Leia’s leg. “I didn’t forget you.” Leia dumped some berries in her palm and extended her hand to Pua. The goose honked, then gobbled up the berries. She looked up as if to ask if there were any more. “That’s it, girl. You’re on your own now.” Pua followed Leia as she moved away from the cycle. “You have to stay out here,” she said, patting the goose a final time.

  Pua hissed, and Leia drew back her fingers. The temperamental nene had never nipped her, but she was taking no chances. “See if I bring you anything again.” She left Pua at the edge of the driveway voicing her displeasure, then joined her grandmother in the garden. She kissed Tûtû’s soft, wrinkled cheek, but the older woman continued to sing without looking up. Her grandmother wore earmuffs and a bathing suit.

  Leia sighed. She might as well un
pack. Once she was occupying the spare room, her grandmother wouldn’t kick her out. Maybe she would be lucid again, and Leia would be able to coax her into putting on some clothes. She went to her cycle to get her suitcase. A pickup truck pulled in behind her. She shielded her eyes with her hand and recognized Bane’s thick, dark hair on the passenger side. Something inside her leaped in response, but she squelched it.

  He thanked the Kalaupapa resident who’d given him a ride, held the door open for Ajax, then slammed the door behind him. Leia raised her hand in greeting. “Aloha,” she said.

  “Kaia was a little tired after diving today, so I dropped her off back at the ship to rest for a while and decided to come check on you.” He glanced toward her grandmother. “She’s bad today. Can I do anything?” The dog whined and leaned against his leg.

  Her eyes stung at the sympathy in his voice. “I don’t think there’s anything anyone can do. She’ll come out of it soon.”

  He took her suitcase from her. “Are you sure this is wise?”

  “I’m worried about her. If we’re not careful, she’s going to wander off into the Pelekunu Preserve and never be seen again.” She nodded to the edge of the encroaching jungle. “I’d be happier if we could get her to leave here, but she won’t go without a fight.” Hawaiians revered their elderly. The thought of forcing her grand-mother into a home made Leia shudder.

  Before Bane could answer, a tan SUV pulled up to the edge of the driveway and parked. Pete got out carrying a small box. He wore a blue shirt that said WELA KA HOA!, which meant “Strike while the iron is hot.” His smile faltered when he saw Bane, but he quickly recovered and approached them. “Aloha,” he said, raising his hand. “I was told I could find you here.” He rubbed Ajax’s ears, and the dog groveled.

  “Ajax, you traitor,” Bane said, but he was smiling.

  Leia nodded toward the box in Pete’s hands. “Hey, Pete. What you got there?” Pua waddled to meet Pete, craning her neck to see what he carried. He stepped around the goose, but she scurried after him. “Pua is wondering if you’ve brought her some fruit.”

  Pete’s smile widened. “I found this kapa cloth in my grand-mother’s attic, and I wondered what you could tell me about it.” He extended the box to her.

  Leia took the box and caught her breath. “It’s gorgeous.” She carried the box to the picnic table where her grandmother sat singing. Setting it down, she carefully lifted the precious cloth from the box, and the aroma of sandalwood and plumeria embedded in the cloth drifted to her nose. Whoever had made this beautiful piece was a kupuna of the art that Leia was still trying to learn. The golden-rod and black colors were still vibrant on the snow-white cloth. There were a few blemishes because of the age, but it was still lovely.

  She ran her hand over the soft cloth. “I think it’s a ceremonial robe. Look at the Ukanipo—the shark god—design. This is a real treasure.” Kapa cloth was highly prized and was still even used for bartering. She suppressed her own covetous thoughts.

  “How much do you suppose it’s worth? I know it’s damaged.” Pete touched a hole in the fabric.

  “Several thousand dollars at least.” Leia put her hand over the hole. “This is not much damage considering the age. It’s lovely.”

  Her grandmother stopped singing. She reached out to touch the beautiful cloth. “That reminds me, I still haven’t found my great-grandmother’s kapa bedcovering. You must see it, Leia.”

  Her grandmother had never mentioned any kapa bedcovering before. Was she still befuddled? Leia took her grandmother’s hand and thanked God that the clouds had lifted. Smiling with relief, she pressed her lips to her grandmother’s hand. “Aloha, Tûtû. I’ve come to stay with you for a while.”

  “A’ole loa! I can get along just fine on my own.” Her grand-mother frowned and pulled her hand away. “Your mother can’t be happy about this. You belong in her haole world, not here.”

  “I’m not a haole, Tûtû.” Leia’s gaze met Bane’s, and she looked away from the sympathy in his face.

  Her grandmother dismissed her words with a wave of her hand. “You’ve been raised by a haole, and you’ll always be one. Your father should never have married her. I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on her that she was wrong for my Akoni. He should have married the girl I had picked for him. Beautiful Pela. She came to see me last week, and she’s still as lovely.”

  “Did she?” Leia glanced at Bane and gave a slight shake of her head. Pela had died five years ago.

  Her grandmother stood and went to Pete. “Who are you, young man? Are you chasing after my granddaughter? You’d do bet-ter to find someone of pure blood.”

  Leia knew her mouth was dangling, and she shut it. She blinked back tears. Grief swamped her. Her grandmother had been Leia’s supporter when she was growing up—she couldn’t bear it if the illness changed that. “It’s me, Tûtû. It’s Leia.”

  “I’m not blind, keiki.” Ipo’s voice was still sharp.

  Pete patted her arm. “I’m a friend of Leia’s. The cloth belongs to me. Do you recognize the family pattern?”

  “Maybe.” Tûtû touched the cloth again. “Where is my kapa cloth, Leia? Did you steal it while I wasn’t looking? I don’t want you here. There are too many valuable things in the house. I can’t trust you.”

  Leia looked away from the sympathy she saw in the men’s eyes. “You can trust me, Tûtû. I wouldn’t take anything of yours.” Ajax whined and licked her hand.

  Her grandmother put her finger to her lips in a shushing motion. “You’re just like your mother. She was always sneaking around here looking for treasures. She talked me out of the little jade whale I loved so much. I didn’t want to give it to her, but she kept hammering me until I couldn’t think.”

  Leia knew the figurine her grandmother meant. Her mother loved it. Ipo’s eyes filled with tears, and Leia tried to embrace her, but her grandmother waved her away. Leia wanted to run away, to hide her shame from the two men watching, but she couldn’t. Tûtû needed her—she just didn’t know it.

  Bane put his arm around Ipo, but she didn’t brush him away. Her white head nestled comfortably against Bane’s shoulder, and she gave him a coquettish smile. “You remind me of my husband, God rest his soul. What did you say your name was?”

  Was she confusing Bane with Pete? Leia exchanged puzzled glances with the men. “You know Bane, Tûtû. He and I were engaged once.” A wave of heat touched her cheeks when she said the word engaged, and Bane’s chin jerked up so that his eyes locked with hers. She wondered what he really felt now. Did he care at all, or had all those feelings burned up in their final conflagration?

  Her grandmother waggled her finger at Leia. “You haoles are flighty. You take after your mother.”

  “She’s not a haole, Tûtû,” Bane said. “She’s got more Hawaiian in her than the majority of those who call themselves native. Look at her—she looks like a Hawaiian princess.”

  Her grandmother snorted. “She’s got blue eyes. No Hawaiian ever had blue eyes.” She patted Bane’s arm. “I want to go inside. Can I lean on your arm? My legs don’t seem to want to work right. I need to find that kapa.”

  Leia watched her grandmother walk away still muttering about the cloth. Pete took his box of cloth and beat a hasty retreat. She didn’t blame him. What had she gotten herself into? Her grand-mother needed more care than Leia could give her. She sighed and followed them.

  Ipo leaned heavily on Bane’s arm. Her hands gripped his fore-arm in a hold that was almost painful, and he wondered where she got the strength. The dog trotted after them. “You hurt Leia’s feelings, Tûtû,” he chided.

  She paused in the hall and let go of his arm. “I said nothing to the keiki but the truth. She’s too sensitive.”

  “She’s your granddaughter who loves you and tries to help you in every way she can. You should be ashamed of yourself.” Bane knew he shouldn’t be talking to an elder so frankly, but seeing the pain in Leia’s eyes compelled him. She’d done nothing to warra
nt her grandmother’s censure. “It’s not her fault your son married a haole. Leia loves her Hawaiian heritage.”

  “Perhaps you’re right.” Ipo looked suddenly tired, though her dark eyes sparkled with more alertness than they’d possessed only a few minutes earlier. “I need to find someone to trust,” she muttered. “Where’s my granddaughter? Where’s Leia?”

  Maybe she was less clearheaded than he’d thought. He grabbed a bathrobe hanging on a hook on the wall and helped her slip it on. “You can trust Leia. And me. What do you need?”

  “I must get the kapa to a safe place. It’s not safe now.” She plucked at her sleeve in a fretful motion.

  “Where is the cloth? I’ll get it for you.” He suspected there was no kapa. Leia joined them, and he saw the doubt on her face at her grandmother’s mention of the cloth.

  They moved on into the living room. Bane stopped and stared. The entire house was topsyturvy. He gaped at upended drawers, their brightly colored contents juxtaposed against the dull brown carpet. Cushions had been pulled from the sofa and chairs. The doorway to Ipo’s bedroom stood open, and he could see more devastation in that room. Through the large archway to the kitchen, he saw cabinet doors ajar. Ajax began to growl, and his hackles raised.

  “Tûtû, did you do this?” Leia asked, her voice quivering.

  “Who has been here?” Ipo demanded. “Or was this your handiwork, Leia? Are you trying to find the kapa?”

  “I haven’t even been inside, Tûtû.” Leia walked down the hall. “Hey, the back door is open. Someone’s been in here.”

  Bane situated Ipo in a chair, then went to join Leia. Muddy footprints mixed with bits of crushed grass and debris came from outside and went down the hall, where they disappeared into the master bedroom. “These weren’t made by your grandmother. It looks like they’re about a size 12 man’s shoe.”

  Leia rubbed her arms. “It almost looks like the person was searching for something. Someone trashed my house too.”