by Kathi Daley
Now there was a bigger question in my mind: Was anyone else involved? Cam and Kekoa had been at work all week and neither of them had been involved in my search for Komo, so I didn’t think they were part of the plot to keep me sidelined either. But Luke… he’d been beside me in my investigation all week. So, was he a pawn like me or the evil mastermind who’d set this whole thing up?
I decided to pick up Sandy and then drive out to the ranch to see what he had to say for himself. It tore at my heart to think he might have been in on the subterfuge. How could he lie to me? Granted, I’d agreed to lie to him, or at least hold back information from him, when Shredder had asked me to do so, but in my mind Luke’s betrayal was not only different but much worse.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived was a black SUV in the drive that I didn’t recognize. While the vehicle could belong to someone interested in one of Luke’s horses, I suspected it was associated with whatever plot was underfoot. I paused as I considered what to do. If Luke was in on things and his objective was to keep me in the dark as to what was going on, my best course of action was to sneak up on him and listen in on whatever might be going on.
I slowly opened the front door and was met by Duke and Dallas. They greeted Sandy with frolicking doggy energy that I knew would alert Luke and whoever he was with to my presence, so I called them out onto the porch and then led them all to the closed-in pen Luke used to detain the dogs when customers came to the ranch. I went back to the house and let myself in through the front door. I didn’t immediately see anyone, but I suspected Luke would most likely be in his office. I walked very slowly thought the living area, being careful not to make a sound, and then I slipped silently down the hallway. When I arrived at the door to Luke’s office I leaned in and placed my ear against it. I couldn’t make out everything that was being said, but I could hear at least two distinct voices inside, one of which belonged to Luke.
I quietly went to the kitchen and got a glass. I’d never tried the glass-against-the-wall trick, but I’d seen it done on television enough times to know how it was supposed to be done: putting a glass up to the wall and then listening from the other end was supposed to amplify sound. I wasn’t sure it would work, but I couldn’t hear clearly without it, so I didn’t have anything to lose by trying. As it turned out, it worked a lot better than I’d hoped or imagined.
“This is your last chance to cooperate,” a deep voice said.
There was a pause and then Luke responded. “I told you, I don’t have the records you want. They don’t exist. They never did.”
My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of what I was hearing.
“And I told you I don’t believe you. I never have.” I heard a loud crash. Something either had been thrown to the floor or it fell. “Now, where are the documents?”
I immediately thought of the break-in Luke had suspected might have occurred. Mr. Deep Voice must be the one who’d broken in and tampered with Luke’s files and computer. I couldn’t see into the office to know exactly what was going on, but my sense was that Luke was in trouble, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I had just dialed the 9 in 911 when someone came up behind me, grabbed me, and covered my mouth with a hand. I tried to struggle, but I felt myself being pulled helplessly away from the office and toward the front of the house. My assailant continued to propel me against my will until we were all the way in the kitchen.
It was at that point that Shredder whispered in my ear. “Don’t make a sound.”
I rolled my eyes upward as if by doing so I could see behind me. Of course it didn’t work.
“M-m-m—” I tried to say against his hand.
Shredder clamped down even harder. “I need you to listen to me. I’ll take away my hand, but you really can’t make a sound. Do you understand?”
I nodded.
He slowly removed his hand from my mouth, although I sensed he was prepared to replace it if I didn’t follow his instructions.
What’s going on? I mouthed.
“It’s a long story and I can’t explain it right now. I need you to quietly go out to the barn and wait for me there.”
“It sounds like Luke is in trouble,” I whispered. “We need to call HPD.”
“They’re already here.”
I looked around. I certainly didn’t see anyone. “Where?”
“I have to get back. I need you to do as I say. Go out through the kitchen door as quietly as you can. Go around to the barn and wait there.”
I hesitated.
“Now!” Shredder said in a very quiet but extremely demanding way.
I was startled by the serious tone in his voice, which caused me to take a step back before I nodded and headed to the kitchen door. Wow. Sweet, mild-mannered Shredder could look and sound like a serial killer if he wanted to. Not that I knew what serial killers looked and sounded like, but when he wanted to send a message of intimidation Shredder certainly knew how to pull it off.
Once I was out of the house I hesitated. Shredder had told me to go to the barn, but I really wanted to find out what was going on in Luke’s office. I had a very bad feeling about things. If Luke was in trouble I needed to get help. At this point I wasn’t sure if Shredder was working with the good guys or the bad ones. The thought that he might be one of the bad guys himself left me with a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.
I paused for just a moment and then headed around the house toward the back. There was a window in Luke’s office that looked out onto an area where dense shrubbery grew. If I was quiet I could sneak around and look into the office window without Shredder or anyone else knowing what I was doing.
I moved as quietly as I could, first around to the back and then through the shrubbery toward the far side, where Luke’s office was located. I walked slowly, happy I’d slipped on tennis shoes as the sound of something crunching beneath my feet penetrated the silence of the afternoon.
My arms and legs were scratched from my journey through the shrubs by the time I made it far enough around the house to see into Luke’s office. I gasped at the scene playing out before my eyes. Luke was tied to a chair near the middle of the room. There was a trail of blood running down his face that looked as if it originated at his temple. The man I knew as Vince Kensington was gesturing wildly, yelling something I couldn’t understand, while Shredder stood near the doorway with a gun in his hand. A gun that was pointed directly at Luke’s head.
I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from letting out a scream. He’d lied to me! In the past I’d suspected Shredder was working with Kensington, but until this moment I’d never really believed it. Based on what I could see now and what I’d overheard a few minutes before, I thought Shredder must be working with Kensington to get something from Luke that he either really didn’t have or wasn’t willing to give up. I once again reached into my pocket for my phone, only to realize I no longer had it. Shredder must have taken it from me when he grabbed me.
I turned and looked back through the closed window. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare in which nothing made sense. Despite the evidence of my own eyes, I was having a hard time believing Shredder was really helping Kensington.
I needed to get to a phone. I needed to call Jason; no matter what Shredder had said, he wasn’t here. I was about to move back through the shrubs when Shredder handed the gun he was holding to Kensington and left the room. I frowned. I couldn’t imagine where he was going. Kensington turned and pointed the gun at Luke. I felt my throat close with fear when he lifted the gun and pointed it at Luke’s head. Kensington asked him something and Luke simply shook his head. I knew it was in my best interest to remain silent, but I couldn’t help but scream when Kensington raised the weapon and the sound of a gunshot filled the air.
At this point rational thought fled from my mind completely. I ran from my hiding place and headed toward the kitchen door as fast as my legs would carry me. I had just turned the corner from the side to the back of the
house when my five-foot-nothing frame rammed full force into a rock-solid body at least a foot taller than me.
I fell backward slightly and would most likely have fallen to the ground without the strong arms that steadied me.
“You killed him,” I screamed at Shredder, tears streaming down my face. “You killed Luke!”
“I didn’t kill Luke.”
“I saw you. Kensington pulled the trigger, but I saw you with him. Why would you do it?”
I struggled to break free, but Shredder tightened his grip on my arms.
“Let me go,” I screamed as my foot shot out and kicked him.
“Lani, stop!”
I paused.
“Luke isn’t dead. I swear to you. Stop struggling and let me explain.”
“Explain?” The man was insane. How in the world was he going to explain the scene I’d witnessed with my own eyes? I was preparing to kick Shredder again when I heard the sound of running feet. I looked at Shredder who, without releasing his hold on my arms, took me around to the back of the house, where I could see uniformed men running through Luke’s house to the office.
I glanced up at Shredder, who still had a death grip on me. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain everything. I promise. I need you to wait here by the pool.”
“Like hell.”
“Lani, please.” Shredder looked pained. “I swear to you, Luke is fine. He’s not dead. In fact, other than the cut on his head he isn’t hurt at all.”
“But I saw Kensington shoot him.”
“With my gun.”
I frowned. Was that supposed to make it better?
“Which was filled with blanks,” Shredder finished.
“Blanks? Why?”
“Please. Just wait here. Give me five minutes and I’ll come back and answer all your questions.”
Shredder led me to a patio chair. He used his finger to wipe a tear from my eye before telling me one more time to stay put. Then he went back into the house. By this time there were HPD everywhere. My mind was screaming at me to get up to see what was going on, but still I waited. After what seemed like an eternity but was probably only a minute, Luke walked out onto the patio. I jumped up and ran into his outstretched arms.
“Oh my God. You’re alive.”
Luke pulled me hard against his chest as I sobbed in relief.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You weren’t supposed to be here.”
I pulled back slightly, narrowed my gaze, and looked Luke in the eye. “Not supposed to be here?”
Luke had been in on it. I still wasn’t sure what it was, but Jason, Shredder, and Luke had all lied to me. I felt a piercing pain in my heart as I looked at Luke in disbelief. “How could you do this?”
“I’m sorry. I hated to lie to you, but I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
My gaze hardened. “You didn’t want me to get hurt? Seems to me that you’re the one who ended up hurt.”
“I’m fine, really. It’s over now. You’re safe. We both are.”
I took a step back and looked Luke directly in the eye. “I don’t need you or anyone else to protect me. I’m a very capable woman who isn’t a child and therefore is able to make her own decisions. I don’t know what your idea of a partnership is, but I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who thinks so little of me that he has to lie to me. If you truly care about me, you’ll stay away from me. I never want to speak to you again.”
I fought to control my tears as I turned around and headed back to my Jeep.
Chapter 12
As soon as I arrived home I took a hot bath to relieve the burns on my arms and legs from the scratches I’d received when I’d worked my way through the shrubs. Then I dressed in a pair of jeans and a light sweatshirt, poured myself a glass of wine, and headed out onto the lanai. Neither Kekoa nor Cam were home, which was just as well because I was sure I wouldn’t feel like talking to anyone ever again.
In all the confusion I’d forgotten Sandy, which meant I was going to have to go back to Luke’s at some point to get him. On second thought, I’d just call Brody to ask him to bring him to me. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so betrayed. I was used to Jason treating me like a child but Luke? My heart bled when I thought of what I’d lost. Though if Luke felt he couldn’t trust me enough to treat me like an equal, perhaps I’d never had him in the first place.
I looked up when Shredder, who seemed to come from nowhere, sat down next to me.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“So you don’t want to know what was going on?”
I paused. “Okay, you can tell me what was going on, but that’s it. Once you’ve done that I never want to speak to you again.”
Shredder reached out to tuck a lock of my long dark hair behind my ear. Then he used a finger under my chin to turn my head so I was facing him. I felt tears stream down my face as he looked at me with something that mimicked sincere apology and compassion.
“I’m sorry for the way things worked out,” he said in a steady voice. “But I’m not going to apologize. I did what I did to keep you safe and confronted with the same decision to make, I’d do it all over again.”
I just looked at him. Traitorous tears continued to stream down my face as I fought for an expression of indifference.
“Vince Kensington is not only a very dangerous man, he’s also a very disturbed one. He’s little better than a serial killer who hides behind the authority others have granted him.”
I frowned. “He’s CIA?”
“Kensington is, or at least was, a member of the FBI. He was part of a task force that investigated white-collar crimes, but he was put on indefinite leave a while back after his methods were brought into question. I recognized him when he showed up on the island, so I called a former boss of mine. He asked me to find out what Kensington was up to. The day Kekoa saw me at the resort wasn’t the first time I’d visited him.”
“So you were a fed but you’re no longer one?” I attempted to clarify.
“No, not a fed. But that isn’t important. What’s important is that after a bit of digging I found out that Kensington had come to the island after receiving a tip that Whitmore was here. You see, the men had a history.”
“History?”
“Blaze Whitmore had been linked to dirty dealings for quite some time, though somehow he’d always managed to distance himself from the outcome. Kensington had been trying to find the evidence to put a nail in his coffin for a very long time.”
I frowned. “I thought Whitmore had gone to prison.”
“He did, but as far as Kensington was concerned, he’d gotten off too easy.” Shredder hesitated and then continued. “Kensington’s parents lost their lives’ savings in a Ponzi scheme a while back. Kensington’s father committed suicide after he lost his money and his mother sank into such a deep depression that she had to be institutionalized. Kensington transferred to the white-collar division of the FBI so he could personally investigate the case. At that time Whitmore was linked to the company that orchestrated the Ponzi scheme, but only in a very minor way. Kensington, however, believed he was the brains behind the whole thing. The problem was, he could never find the proof he needed. Whitmore was charged with a lesser crime and served two years in a very comfortable white-collar prison rather than being held responsible for the hundreds of millions of dollars that had been embezzled.”
“I can see that would have made Kensington mad.”
“Mad is putting it lightly. When Whitmore turned up on the island and opened the burger truck, Kensington was certain it was simply a way to launder the money he had hidden away. He followed him here to prove his theory and find the money. I met with him on Monday evening and he told me that he’d hit a dead end with Whitmore. You found Whitmore’s arm on the beach on Tuesday morning.”
“You think Kensington killed him?”
“I’m certain of it. Three other men have had accidents or turned up missing while K
ensington was investigating them. That’s the reason he was put on leave, pending an investigation into his methods.”
“If Kensington has killed these people why doesn’t the FBI just arrest him?”
“He’s careful. No one has been able to find any proof that he’s done what he’s suspected of.”
I took a minute to let that digest. There was a cool breeze that felt good against my dry skin. “I think I’m following you so far, but Blaze Whitmore is dead and both times you were seen with Kensington at the resort were after I found his arm. Why was Kensington still here, why were you continuing to meet with him, and what did Luke have to do with any of this?”
“Kensington stumbled on to a second target while he was on the island.”
“A second target?”
“A second person he felt had gotten away with a crime he’d committed.”
“And who was this person?”
“Luke.”
“What? Why on earth would he be after Luke?” Even as I asked the question I knew what Shredder was telling me must be true. I’d seen Kensington pointing the gun at Luke. I’d heard him demanding papers.
Shredder looked away, then took a deep breath that he let out slowly. I could tell this conversation was making him very uncomfortable and I wondered if he’d continue.
“Shredder, why was Kensington investigating Luke?”
“I guess you know about Luke’s past?”
“I know he was born in Texas and raised on a ranch. I know he has two brothers and two sisters, a mother who wants him to marry and have sons, and a father who wants him to raise cows. Despite his father’s wishes, he moved to New York and took a job as a stockbroker after he graduated college. He did very well at it, made a lot of money, and retired after only a few years. He moved to Hawaii and bought a horse ranch. How am I doing so far?”
“Great.”