Black Sands

by Colleen Coble

  “Is anything wrong?” Annie called. She stayed in the water as Fawn hurried to the shore and grabbed her beach coverup.

  Mano shook his head, then stepped to the water with Annie’s coverup in his hand. He held it out, and she had no choice but to rise from the water and go toward him. She slipped her arms in and buttoned it up. If only she could cover her feet too. But maybe he wouldn’t notice.

  She tried not to limp as she walked, but thinking about it made her limp more pronounced. Mano’s gaze sank to her feet. She saw his eyes widen as he spotted the angry red scars. “What happened to your foot?” Wilson came out of the water, shook himself, and draped his body around her ankle.

  Annie’s gaze connected with Fawn. Fawn nodded slightly as if to encourage her. “Just an accident on the job,” Annie said.

  “Let me see.” Mano knelt at her feet and took hold of her ankle. Wilson growled a warning but didn’t try to snap at him.

  She didn’t want him to see, but the warmth of his fingers paralyzed her. She heard him whistle low.

  “That must have been some accident. It looks like burn scars.”

  “A lava bench gave way, and she stepped in hot lava,” Fawn said. She shut up when Annie frowned at her.

  Mano got to his feet and stared into her face. “It takes guts to keep working after something like that.”

  She wanted to confess that she’d been a pretty poor employee since the accident, but she clamped her mouth shut. She couldn’t bear to spoil the admiration in his face. “It was pretty painful,” was all she could say.

  “No wonder you’re so worried about Leilani. First your mother and then your accident . . .” His voice trailed away, and he glanced down at her foot. “I missed seeing that bright nail polish.” His voice was amused.

  She didn’t want to talk about her mother or anything else, least of all her shame at the scars on her feet. She turned and found her reef shoes where Fawn had tossed them, then hastily bent and slipped them back on. “What are you doing back already? Did you find out something?”

  “You left your purse in my car.” He pointed to her purse where he’d left it by a rock. “I thought you might need it.”

  “Mahalo.” She wanted to hold onto her anger with him. Lack of conflict made her vulnerable.

  Fawn jumped into the conversation. “It’s good to see you, Mano. We’re just about to go fix dinner. You might as well join us.”

  Annie caught her breath at her friend’s brazen invitation. Fawn winked at Annie, and Annie scowled back. Her matchmaking wasn’t welcome. Fawn was studiously avoiding her ferocious scowl.

  “Sounds great! I’m starved.” Mano picked up Annie’s purse, tucked it under his arm like a football, then followed them to the house.

  Annie scooped up the wet mongoose and hurried on ahead. Let Fawn talk to him if she was so eager to invite him to stay for dinner. The two chattered like old friends, and Annie remembered how well the pair had gotten along before Tomi’s death shattered their lives. Jealousy welled in her, and she shoved it away, appalled at the unwelcome emotion. She loved Fawn and wanted her to be happy, but the thought of that happiness involving Mano made her claws come out. She told herself she should be ashamed, but her gloom persisted.

  She fixed seared Spam with Hawaiian slaw and macaroni salad. Fawn’s carrot cake would do for dessert.

  “You remembered how much I like Spam,” Mano said.

  “It’s generally a safe bet for everyone,” she said. “The islands have the highest per capita consumption of Spam in the country.”

  Fawn’s cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and made a face. “My brother. I’ll be right back.” She flipped her phone open and walked with it to the living room.

  Annie’s father finished his meal. “I don’t wish to be rude, but I have much work to do this evening.”

  “Go ahead,” Mano said. “I understand work issues.”

  Edega nodded courteously and went to his office.

  Annie kept her eyes on her plate. She didn’t have the energy to make small talk with Mano.

  Mano cleared his throat. “Are you ever going to get over being mad at me?” he asked softly.

  Annie knew she was being childish. “I still have no proof that anything you’ve said is true,” she said. “We wasted half the day looking for Tomi, and there’s no guarantee he’s even alive. Besides, you’ve accused my brother of treason. How do you think I should feel?”

  “I think you should trust me.”

  “That’s pretty hard to do, considering you left Tomi to die in foreign waters.” Her gaze lingered on his face. “I never took you for a coward. What really happened that day?”

  He looked away and didn’t answer her question. “I’ve told you all I know, Annie. I care about your ’ohana. That’s why I’m here.”

  She just wished he could care about her with the same passion his voice showed for her family.

  Mano left after dinner, begging off when Fawn threw down the Scrabble challenge. Annie knew he intended to scope out Orson Kauhi’s land. She was so distracted that Fawn beat her in three games of Scrabble.

  “Your mind is obviously not on the game,” Fawn said. “I’m done for the night. Will you be at work Monday?”

  “I have to be.” She wanted to keep searching for her sister, but she had no idea where to look. Besides, she was already in enough trouble at work. Gina liked her, but she’d made it clear Annie wasn’t to shirk any more duties.

  Fawn hugged her. “It will work out. I’ve been praying.”

  “Mahalo.”

  Fawn smiled and patted her shoulder. “Try to make it to church tomorrow.”

  “I’ll try.” Annie shut the door behind her friend, then went to find her father in the garage. Her father had turned it into an office years ago. A top-of-the-line computer sat in one corner, and papers overflowed the battered desk. Seismic equipment was scattered around the room.

  “How’s your paper coming?”

  “Working on the final touches,” her father said. He gave her a sly glance. “Once my work is published, we’ll have more research money than we know what to do with. I know you’ve been worried about money, but this will fix everything.”

  It was always going to fix everything. Annie didn’t know how to tell her father that the research paper was hardly earthshaking. He hypothesized that there had been violent explosive eruptions on Hawai’i in the not-so-distant past, even though the prevailing scientific opinion was that Hawai’i was created by gentle lava flows. Don Swanson’s research had already documented explosive events, but her father had conveniently ignored the other man’s research.

  She didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble, not when his face glowed like this. “I’m going to lock my car.” She went to the outside door. The knob jiggled loosely in her hand. She stepped out and angled the door so it caught the light from the garage. She stooped to look at the lock. She’d installed it just last month, but the shiny brass surface was marred with scratches, and deep gouges had been dug into the wood around the hardware. Though the dead bolt and knob lock had foiled the intruder, an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach like a lump of hard lava. Why would someone try to get into the garage? The cars were parked outside.

  She showed her father the damage. He just shrugged and went back to his desk. “Probably kids,” he said.

  She doubted that. If someone broke into the garage, they could easily gain access to the house. “I’m going to check the windows,” she told her father. She grabbed a flashlight, then went around the corner of the house, stepping over the profuse bougainvillea in the planting beds. Her foot ached from so much walking today, and her limp was more pronounced than usual.

  She didn’t expect to see anything. The barred windows should discourage even a persistent intruder. The flashlight’s beam illuminated the first window. It looked undisturbed. She went to the window that was screened from the road by silversword. Two of the bars no longer blocked access, and a third bar ba
rely clung to its position. Fangs of broken glass protruded from the window frame. One more bar and the intruder would have gained access.

  Something must have frightened him off. “Father, come here,” she called.

  He grumbled under his breath as he exited the garage and came to join her. “I’m busy, Annie. I don’t have time for your nonsense.”

  She pointed to the window. “This has to have been done in the past week. I washed all the windows last Saturday.”

  He studied it carefully. “We’re home at night. Why didn’t we hear it break? I didn’t notice it either.”

  “You wouldn’t notice anything other than your computer missing.” She smiled. “He must have done this in broad daylight while we were gone. That took guts. I wonder if any of the neighbors saw anything.”

  Her father had a worried frown. “We should call the police.”

  “I’ll call Sam again,” she said. They went back inside, and she pushed the phone’s redial button. She was dumped into voice mail, so she left a message asking Sam to call her. “I’ll call Mano and ask him to come back.” He’d given her his cell number, and she dug it out of her purse and dialed it. His deep voice washed her fear away. “I hope you’re not in the middle of something,” she told him.

  “Not yet.”

  “Someone has tried to break into the garage. I can’t reach Sam. Could you come help me check it out?” She hated to ask him for anything, but she didn’t know who else to call.

  “I’m just down the road. I’ll be right there.”

  He must be at Kauhi’s place. She put the phone down and went to tell her father Mano was on his way. He’d quickly lost interest in the vandalism and was back at his desk.

  “Fine, fine,” he muttered. His gaze was on the computer screen.

  Annie sighed and went back inside to wait.

  Mano clicked his phone off. The stress in Annie’s voice worried him. The problems never seemed to stop for them. Could the break-in attempt be related to Tomi? He still hoped Leilani was with her brother. Until Tomi made contact again, they were in limbo though. If he could get his hands on Tomi, he’d strangle him.

  Could Tomi have really been involved in espionage? It seemed hard to equate his good-natured friend with something so treacherous. But there didn’t seem to be any other explanation for the money. Two million dollars. It was hard to take in.

  His cell phone rang again, and he answered it. “Mano, here.”

  “Hey, buddy.”

  Mano’s gut tightened. “Tomi? Where are you?”

  “Here on the Big Island. I told you I’d be heading this way.”

  It sounded like Tomi. Mano grew even more confident that he wasn’t mistaken about that. “Where? I’ll come get you.”

  “No!” He hesitated. “I—I’m in some trouble, Mano. I need your help.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Do you have the bankbook?”

  “Yeah, I gave it to Annie like you said.” He heard Tomi’s exhalation of relief. “Tomi? What’s wrong?”

  “I’ll tell you when I see you. Tell Annie I’ll call her when I decide what to do.”

  Tomi’s usual confidence was missing. He sounded almost despondent. And desperate. “I’ll tell her,” Mano said. “Tell me what’s wrong. Maybe I can help.”

  “I’m not sure anyone can help,” Tomi muttered. “I’ve been so stupid.” He cleared his throat, and his voice became stronger. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “What about Leilani?” Mano blurted out.

  “Leilani? What—out—er?” Tomi’s voice was breaking up.

  “I didn’t catch what you said, Tomi. Leilani’s missing. Annie found the necklace she always wears. It was by some fumeroles. We were hoping she was with you.”

  “I have—seen—home . . .” The connection died.

  “Tomi? I didn’t get that. Tomi?” He tossed the phone in his pocket and flattened the accelerator. He wanted to be with Annie when Tomi called.

  Wilson crawled into Annie’s lap and nuzzled her neck. She stroked his soft fur. It took Mano longer to arrive than she’d expected. When she finally saw his bulky form through the rice-paper screen, her relief surprised her. She held the door open for him.

  “Sorry it took me so long.” He stepped inside. “I had another call from Tomi. He asked if I gave you the bankbook.”

  Her emotions surged like the tide after a storm. “Did you ask him about Leilani?” She couldn’t help the hope that softened her voice.

  Mano’s eyes softened. “Yeah. He started breaking up so I couldn’t tell what he said. My bet is that she’s with him.”

  Annie let herself hope. A persistent voice inside asked why Leilani hadn’t called, but she ignored it. Tomi hadn’t called either. There was likely some good explanation.

  “He said he’d be in touch soon.” He touched her chin with his fingers and tilted her head up so her gaze connected with his. She could smell the soap he’d used this morning, something sharp and sporty. She knew she shouldn’t welcome his touch, but the warmth of his fingers held her immobile.

  He was too close. She jerked her chin out of his hands and stepped back. “Come to the living room. Father had better hear all of this.” Wilson squeaked in her ear, and she clutched him for comfort as she led the way. Her father had emerged from the office and now sat in his chair opposite the Mizuya cabinet, whose simple lines held the TV. He held a notebook and pen. His expression grew wary when his gaze rested on Mano. They had both thought Mano the villain too long to easily let go of their distrust, but she suddenly realized that if Tomi was alive, everything else Mano had told them must be true too.

  She had to listen to him now, had to work with him on this. If Tomi was in trouble and had dragged Leilani into it, she had to do what she could to help them both. Irritation flashed through her. She was a scientist trained to investigate lava flows, not missing persons. She wasn’t equipped for a job like this. But so long as Sam continued to sit on his thumbs, she had no choice.

  She sat on the couch with one leg curled under her and Wilson on her lap. The phone rang. She looked at Mano. “That might be Sam. I left a message for him to call about the smashed window.”

  “Don’t tell him anything about your brother. Not until you talk to Tomi.”

  She nodded and grabbed the phone. “Tagama residence.”

  “Annie, you called?” Sam’s voice sounded distracted and a trifle irritated.

  “Um, yeah, I found a smashed window in the garage. It looks like someone was trying to get in. And there were scratches on the lock at the door.”

  “We’ve had a rash of vandalism out your way. Those rotten kids.” Sam sighed heavily. “I’ll send someone out to take a report, but I doubt we’ll find out who did it.”

  “I—I wondered if it had anything to do with Leilani’s disappearance.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not sure. We’ve never had anyone try to break in before. I just thought it might be connected. Since the garage is attached, someone could gain access to the house more easily.” Saying it like that, it sounded inane and childish. Sam was likely to be suspicious and wonder why she’d called. The disinterest in his voice replaced her embarrassment with annoyance.

  “Ask your neighbors. Someone broke into their garage and then into the house just last week. It happens, even here. Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you the minute I hear anything about Leilani. I’m swamped right now. I’m sure Leilani will show up. She probably found a new boyfriend who turned her head.” He was sounding more and more impatient.

  He hung up before she could say anything else. It was probably just as well, if Leilani was with Tomi. If Annie only knew for sure, she could relax. “He’s not going to do anything.” She put down the phone and looked at Mano. “Tell Father what Tomi said,” she told him.

  Mano sat in the armchair and began to tell her father about Tomi’s call. Wilson cautiously approached his leg and sniffed him. She smiled as the mongoose crept in
to his lap. Wilson didn’t like many people. She turned her gaze to her father and watched hope spring to life on his face. It matched that in her heart. For months it seemed their family would never recover from the blows they’d been dealt. Now things were topsy-turvy again, but in a way that made her think they could roll back the clock.

  “Now, what about this break-in?” Mano asked, his gaze bouncing from her to her father and back again.

  Annie rose. “It would be better to show you.”

  Mano lifted Wilson off his lap and stood. Annie led Mano to the garage. She went to the broken back window. Some of the glass had fallen inside as well, but it didn’t appear the intruder had touched anything inside.

  “He almost made it in,” Mano said. “Is there anything valuable here?”

  “My father’s research.” She lowered her voice. “And that’s nothing groundbreaking.”

  “Could it be someone looking for Tomi?”

  “I don’t think he’d lead anyone back to us,” she said slowly. “I don’t want to believe that.”

  “Jillian didn’t want to believe Noah would steal her research either,” Mano pointed out. “The Bible says a man’s heart is desperately wicked, and who can know it? We’re all capable of more evil than we realize.”

  She’d always known Mano was religious. Though she attended church, it seemed to have less and less relevance to her life. “Let’s keep to the facts,” she said. “My brother is not evil.” But she wasn’t as sure as her voice sounded. How did he get all that money? And why would he let them think he was dead?

  “Whoever it is, you need protection. Since there’s nothing of value in the garage, it’s likely someone was trying to gain access to the house. We need to tighten security out here.” He glanced around the garage. “I’ll add some locks. Do you have any big chests we can move in front of the windows?”

  “There’s an antique shelving system over here.” She led him to a monster unit that used to be a sort of post office.

  He groaned. “I’ll get a hernia moving it.”

  “I’ll help you.” She flexed her arm to show her muscle, and then grinned at his amused expression.