“It sucks and it’s awesome, both at the same time.”
Viv abandoned Ellie and slunk ingratiatingly to Olivia’s chair. She patted her lap and the cat bounded onto it, purring loudly.
“It’s like Brandon knew something was going to happen. He writes about why he came here. Why he left Seattle. His plans for a new life.” Olivia shuddered. “It’s freaky.”
Ellie leaned forward. “Maybe it was therapeutic. Maybe he had to get things down so he could put them behind him?”
Viv stretched velvet paws against Olivia’s chin, begging for attention. Olivia flipped him onto his back and rubbed his tummy. Viv closed his eyes and kneaded the air.
“Must have been. Everything he ever told me is in there. That he was done with drugs forever. That he came here to make a new life for us, to turn over a new leaf.” Her eyes sparkled through the remains of her tears. “I made fun of him when he got that tattoo, you know. I said it looked like ivy crawling up his arm. Not exactly sexy.”
“What else did he say?”
“That he left me some money in a bank.”
“How much?”
Olivia shrugged. “No idea. But it can’t be much. He used most of what he had to come here. He left me the username and password. I’ll check later.”
Viv clasped his paws around Olivia’s arm. Olivia closed one eye, inspecting Ellie with the other.
“What?” Ellie rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand. “Do I have something on my face?”
“There’s something else. He said was going to bury the flash drive to wipe the bad things from his mind forever. He said he hoped it would clear his conscience. So he could move forward with a new life for us.” She paused and inhaled deeply. “And our baby.”
“What?” Ellie sat stunned for a moment and then sprung from the sofa. Viv scuttled with an annoyed meow down the hall. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yeah.” Olivia stroked her tummy.
Ellie perched near Olivia’s chair. “When did you find out?”
“Before Brandon died.”
Ellie draped her good arm over her eyes. “It explains so much.”
“Like why I wasn’t drinking?”
“That. And why you’re always throwing up. And eating like a horse. And why I always thought there was something you weren’t telling me. Oh, Olivia.” Ellie touched her on the shoulder. “Why did you feel like you had to do this alone?”
Olivia gazed at her stomach. “I almost told you a couple of times. But there’s really nothing anyone can do. Not like I’m giving up the baby.”
“No, but aren’t there things you have to take care of?” Ellie studied Olivia. “Like getting some kind of baby check-up? Or think about where you’re going to live? Or tell your…” Ellie stopped herself with a quick shake of her head.
“My parents.” Olivia’s cheeks flushed. “No.” She looked suddenly exhausted.
“Hey.” Ellie pulled her up from the chair. “You look wiped out. Why don’t you lie down? I’ll bring you some tea.”
Olivia trudged to the sofa and flopped on the white material, stretching her legs so that her thin body extended from armrest to armrest. Ellie exited the room only to run back in seconds later. She skidded to a stop next the couch. Olivia stared up at her.
“I pushed you.” Ellie’s gaze flew over Olivia’s body as though the incident had only just happened. “I pushed a pregnant woman. Oh my God. Did I hurt you?”
Olivia laughed. “Chill. I’m fine.” She flexed her arms and legs. “See?”
Ellie’s gaze centered on Olivia’s abdomen. “But the baby. I could have hurt the baby.”
“Could have.” Olivia hugged her stomach protectively. “But my knees hit first. You knocked the wind out of me. That’s all. And it was so much less than what Noa could have done.” When Ellie didn’t leave, Olivia waved her away. “I’m fine. Go get me that tea. Make it herbal.”
Ellie trudged into the kitchen. The laptop sat on the counter, still open to Brandon’s document. As the water re-boiled, the open page continually drew her attention.
Olivia will look later.
She searched the cabinets for herbal tea.
But she could really use some money now.
She found a tattered bag of mint behind the emergency jar of instant coffee.
She’ll need it to help with baby expenses.
The bag expanded in the steaming water, sending up a fragrant cloud.
God, does she even have health insurance?
Ellie dunked the string.
I should see how much he left. It will be a shock if it’s not as much as she hopes. She left the computer open. So she obviously doesn’t want to keep it secret.
Ellie spun the computer toward her and scanned Brandon’s essay quickly. The bank information was bulleted at the bottom. Ellie navigated to the bank’s website, entered the information, and clicked on the savings account icon. She took a sip of her now cold green tea.
The liquid caught in her throat when she read the account balance. She barely managed to turn away from the computer before spattering the counter. When she stopped coughing, she looked again. Her eyes widened until they almost merged with her eyebrows.
She’s never going to believe this.
Her hand shook so much when she lifted Olivia’s mug that she had to ladle half the hot tea into the sink before she could carry it. She carefully transported it to the living room, where she pushed the ottoman close to the sofa and sat on the edge.
Olivia sat up and took the cup, glancing quizzically at the small amount of liquid before taking a sip.
“So…” Ellie brushed her hair back from her face in a gesture she hoped seemed calm and natural. “Did you and Brandon make any plans for the baby? Did you do anything in advance, like see an obstetrician?”
The color slowly returned to Olivia’s cheeks. “No. We were excited, but we hadn’t done anything yet. It seemed too early.”
“Ah…” Ellie avoided Olivia’s eyes. “How about look at baby furniture?”
“Nope.”
“Decide on what kind of diaper you wanted to use?”
Olivia put her tea on the floor. “Ellie, I know you want to help, but it’s still early days. Believe me.”
“How about make your wills?”
Olivia nodded. “Now that’s something we did do.”
Ellie leaned forward. “Seriously? Legally?”
“I told you before, I think. My dad’s an attorney. An estate attorney. I wrote my first will when I was five. Left everything to my hamster. That should tell you something about my parents.”
Ellie waved her hand dismissively. “But you and Brandon. He had a will too?”
“Sure. It’s easy in Hawaii. You just need two witnesses. Don’t even need a notary.”
Ellie moved her face within a foot of Olivia’s. “So you’re Brandon’s heir?” Her voice cracked.
Olivia shrugged and leaned far back into the cushions. “Sure. But that doesn’t mean anything. He didn’t have anything to leave. Except that bank account.”
Ellie scratched her forehead. “Well, actually, I took a little peek at the bank account.”
“Oh, good. I should have looked, but I was a little afraid of being disappointed. How much was in there?”
Only the whoosh of the fan punctuated the next few seconds, as Ellie drew in a breath and exhaled slowly. “A little more than you think.”
Olivia blinked. “How much more?”
“I’d tell you to sit down, but you’re sitting.”
Olivia nudged Ellie with her knee. “Don’t keep me in suspense. Is it over five thousand?”
“Um. Kind of.”
“So tell me.”
“It’s one point two million.”
Olivia’s face didn’t register a reaction. She took another sip of tea. “Million what? Pesos?”
“No. One point two million dollars.”
The young woman sunk back until the cushions puffed out around her li
ke marshmallows. Ellie grabbed the tea and then snatched a laminated Hawaiian fish identification card from the side table and fanned Olivia’s face.
“You had no idea?”
Olivia’s voice was barely audible. “Do I look like I had an idea?”
Ellie propped Olivia’s feet on the ottoman. “Where did he get that kind of money?”
Olivia’s eyelids fluttered. “I think I know.” She stared out the window at the lawn and the distant ocean, where white boats sparkled against the azure blue. “There was this guy Brandon knew. They were really tight.” She twisted her t-shirt around her fingers. “He got Brandon started in…” She shifted uncomfortably and tucked her leg underneath her. “The drug business. He always said he’d take care of Brandon. Give him a way out.” She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed.
Her fingers wrung the hem of the shirt into knots. Her eyes focused on the loops of material. “But he got arrested. He had lots of enemies. They killed him in prison.” She regarded Ellie. “Brandon took it really hard. That’s right about when he started talking about coming here.”
Viv poked his head around the corner, as though asking whether everything had calmed down. Olivia patted her knee and he sauntered over, still seemingly miffed at the previous disruption.
“We’ll be quieter, Viv.” Olivia hoisted him onto her lap and concentrated on stroking his spotted fur. “I think the money in the account came from that guy. I think he left it for Brandon to use if he needed it.”
Ellie’s face wore a skeptical expression. “So do you think it’s legal? Or clean? Or whatever it should be?”
Olivia nodded. “Brandon would never have left me money he thought could get me in any kind of trouble. He was protective.” Her voice dropped. “He would have been an awesome dad. He would have fought to the death to protect our baby.”
In the silence that followed, Ellie thought of all the ways her own dad had been awesome and imagined ways Olivia’s father might not have been. The question that lingered in her mind burst out of her mouth before she could stop it. “Did your dad protect you?”
Olivia shook her head slowly. “No.”
Ellie nodded once, decisively. “I won’t ask again. If you can’t trust him, you don’t need him. You’ve got your friends to see you through.”
Olivia smiled wistfully, but Ellie read determination in her eyes. “My friends. And my child. We’ll do okay. I guess Brandon’s seen to that.”
Chapter 21
The noon sun glowed high in the sky, roasting cement and asphalt, skin and hair, sand and surf. But the green grass in Ellie’s garden remained invitingly cool to the touch of her bare feet as she wandered toward the guesthouse. Small white mock orange and delicate fuchsia bougainvillea flowers peeped from sculpted hedges around the Italian tile roof. Myna bird and spotted dove chirps and coos floated in the still air. Ellie paused and stared at the door, now wound garishly with crime scene tape.
He was living here for weeks. He could have killed me at any time.
She thought back to the conversation with K-Rao in the hospital early that morning. She had stood by his bedside, watching clear fluid drip into his arm as he spoke.
“We know what saved you.” He grimaced as he shifted position. “It’s that you were unpredictable. You moved Upcountry. And you were never home alone.”
An icy sensation had rushed from Ellie’s feet to her heart. Her smile froze. “You’re the one who told me what I heard was probably people walking on the public beach path.” She tried to make it sound more like a joke and less like an accusation.
K-Rao’s gaze shifted around the room, never alighting long on any one object.
Ellie inspected the day-old stubble on his chin, the bandages peeping from under the hospital sheets, his generally troubled expression. Beeps from adjoining rooms seeped through the walls.
“I’m kidding, K-Rao. It wasn’t your fault. No one saw this coming.”
He scrutinized her. “I wanted to make a good impression on Celine that first night I came over. Maybe that stopped me from doing good police work. Did I miss something out in the garden? I go over it in my head, yeah?” He eased himself higher on the sloping bed, his face stretching in pain as he carefully maneuvered his torso against the pillows. “But I think Noa wasn’t there yet. You heard him that night scoping the place out. But he hadn’t moved in yet.”
The white walls of the room reflected the pale pink of the early morning sun. Birdcalls and Wailuku commuter traffic noises penetrated the window. The air smelled of antiseptic and aftershave.
Ellie nodded. “That’s probably right. How could anyone have known he was hiding there anyway?”
“I could have been smarter. Noa had a pattern. I just didn’t see it. You and Denver were in danger for much longer than last night.”
Ellie straightened. “Denver? Why?” She twisted a few strands of hair around her index finger.
“Think about it. Noa stalked his ex when she hooked up with her new boyfriend. She put a restraining order on him. So then he went after the boyfriend.”
Ellie pulled the shock of hair across her lips. “He couldn’t get to me. So he…”
“If we’d been on top of it, we would have seen it.”
“He thought I hooked up with Brandon. Then he saw me with Denver.” She shuddered. Her view of the room narrowed, the edges darkening. She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not used to people trying to kill me.”
“Trust me. That’s something you don’t want to get used to.”
“Don’t worry.” Ellie laughed. “I won’t.”
K-Rao slid one hand carefully behind his head. “Talked with Celine earlier. She said you don’t have to hide a psycho in your garden just to get her to visit again.”
“Sounds like Celine.”
His eyes sparkled. “Yeah. That woman likes a bit of drama.”
She pursed her lips. “That’s not why she’s coming. She’s worried about you.”
“She knows I’m tough,” he said, shaking his head.
Ellie examined the foot of his bed. “I don’t know if she’ll admit it, but she wants to check on you. I think this whole thing reminds her a bit of…another situation that happened a while ago.”
K-Rao nodded. “You mean Kenji’s accident.”
Ellie’s eyes jerked back to his face. “She told you?”
“Uh-huh. That night we were up on Haleakala. Said it was important to her that I know. She really loved him.”
Shafts of morning sun illuminated the flowers Ellie had brought and placed on the nightstand. The spindly protea glowed magenta, salmon, and caramel, casting otherworldly shadows on the walls.
“You were okay with that?”
“That she’s capable of loving deeply?” K-Rao sighed. “How could I be anything other than okay with that?”
Ellie’s mouth twitched up at the corners. “Ugh. Romance doesn’t sit well with my image of Celine.”
“Maybe your image needs adjustment.”
“Maybe you two need to save it for the bedroom.”
K-Rao smirked. “Would be my pleasure.”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “T-M-I.”
A nurse pushed open the door.
“Howzit, Gladys?” K-Rao lifted his chin in greeting.
“Howzit, K-Rao.”
Ellie glanced at the young woman. “You know each other?”
“Maui’s not that big, yeah?” She handed K-Rao a small paper cup with medication. “K-Rao went to high school with my cousin’s best friend’s nephew.”
The nurse’s fingers walked her through the connections. Ellie’s brow wrinkled. “On the East Coast, we have a name for that kind of relationship.”
K-Rao glanced at her. “What?”
“Strangers.”
He laughed so hard his face contorted with pain.
“I’d better get back to the house.” Ellie started for the door. “I’ll text you later.”
He waved goodbye, still unable to speak, holding his st
omach to control the guffaws that burst from him.
Back in her garden later that morning, standing in front of the guesthouse, Ellie lifted her gaze from the police tape and turned toward the beach, where the long expanse of cobalt ocean rolled ever darker, ever wider, until it blended imperceptibly with the azure of the sky. Wispy, ephemeral clouds clustered over the remote islands, shifting shapes as she watched. Waves lapped the shore with the intermittent hushed wash of water over sand.
She inhaled deeply and strolled to the lanai.
Time to move on.
She pulled out her cell phone and texted as she walked.
Ellie: Come on over.
In the deck chair, she had a clear view of the shrubbery and trees. The warm air and birdcalls lulled her. An incongruous crunch of footsteps on the driveway drew her attention. She turned to see Denver limping across the crushed stone.
Ellie stood. “You didn’t crawl through the hedge.”
Denver paused at the foot of the stairs, his gaze circling from her arm to her face.
“My God, Ellie. You can’t imagine how good it is to see you.”
Ellie advanced. He raised his hand.
“Wait. I don’t want to get distracted.” He clasped and unclasped his hands. “There’s a lot you need to know. Things I never had the chance to tell you before.” He shook his head. “Things I never made the chance to tell you before.”
Ellie read the appeal in his eyes and perched herself on the top step, one arm around her knees, the other lying in her lap. She squinted at him in the strong sun. “I’m listening.”
Denver crossed his muscular arms in front of his torso. Bulges of biceps strained the arms of his gray t-shirt. He looked to her like a drill instructor, at ease but ready for action. She quelled a tingling that emanated from a region below her stomach.
Remember, Ellie, he left you.
“That night with Vivyenne. It wasn’t what you thought.”
She nodded slowly. “Yesterday when you came back and pretended you were the police, I knew it meant you still cared about me.” She paused. “But I don’t get what I saw with Vivyenne.”
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