Distant Echoes

by Colleen Coble

  He glanced at his niece. “Kaia has to work nights now. I already told you that.” He had, in fact, told her that at least twenty times. He’d never seen such a persistent kid, but then Heidi was the only one he’d been around much. She was a good kid though, and he hated to upset her.

  “I could stay at her house and sleep when she did.”

  “She’d never get any rest with you around. Besides, it’s too dangerous now. I never would have let you go out there in the first place if I’d thought a diver might try to hurt you.”

  “I could protect Nani.”

  “Leave it, Heidi. This is the way it has to be.” He was sorry for his tone when he saw big tears roll down her cheeks. He steeled his heart and clenched his teeth together. There was nothing to say. Things were what they were. He knew she was missing her mom, but he couldn’t help that. He opened his door and stepped out of the Jeep.

  He glanced at Curtis. It was easy to see he and Duncan were brothers, even though Curtis was much older. Jesse had never met him when they were kids. Duncan had been born to their father’s second, and much younger, wife. They both had their father’s pale blue eyes and soft chin.

  His gaze skipped over Curtis’s head and lingered on the woman. Faye. About fifty or fifty-five, she oozed a cool sophistication that startled him. He’d expected a motherly type. This woman was slim to the point of emaciation. Her glossy black hair was cut short and stylish with a youthful flip to the ends. Her skin was flawless, and her features were classical Hawaiian. Jesse could imagine her in a hula lineup in her younger days. How old was Curtis—forty, forty-five? She was a little older, though she hid it well.

  Crisp linen trousers and a silk blouse completed the perfect picture. How would she be able to play with Heidi in a getup like that? She looked more like an accountant than a nanny. Misgivings furled his brow.

  He saw Faye’s eyes widen, and her smile faltered at his delay in greeting them. Quickly forcing a smile, he stepped forward with his hand outstretched. “You must be Curtis. You look a lot like Duncan. Thanks again for your help in getting Kaia and the dolphin assigned to me.”

  “My pleasure.” Curtis shook his hand then pulled his wife forward. “This is Faye.” He bestowed a doting look on the woman that said he thought she was perfect and everyone else had better agree.

  Duncan said they had been married only a year, and Jesse wondered how they had gotten together. Curtis was a genial man but the type who might wear plaid with stripes. His hair looked like it could use a trim, and Jesse doubted he’d shaved today. Faye looked like she could spend the house payment on her clothing budget. If she even agreed to a budget.

  Jesse dragged his attention back to what Curtis was saying. “I’m sorry. I was woolgathering.”

  “My wife has that effect on men.” Curtis smiled and nodded toward a picnic table along the beach area. “Let’s have a seat and talk about this.”

  Jesse called for Heidi, who came out of the Jeep reluctantly. He took her hand and squeezed it. They gathered around the picnic table. The heat of the weathered wood baked through his trousers, and he shifted restlessly. This wasn’t a social event. He wanted to get things settled and get back to work.

  “I really appreciate your interest in caring for Heidi. Have you done this type of thing before?” Was it his imagination or did her bright smile lose a watt or two?

  She wet her lips. “Curtis is gone so much, and I love children. If I weren’t so old, I’d think of having a child with Curtis.” She sent her husband a loving look, which he returned. “Heidi is an age I enjoy, and I have some fun things planned to do this summer, but Curtis is going to be really busy working at the lab and it would be fun to see the island again through young eyes. Though I’ve never been a nanny, I think Heidi and I could have fun together.” She leaned forward and directed her attention to Heidi. “I thought we might go to Waimea Canyon one day, go kayaking and snorkeling on other days. Do you like that idea?”

  Heidi’s look of reserve gave way to interest. “I love to snorkel. Did you know that a third of Hawai’i’s 480 species of fish are en—endemic to Hawai’i?” She stuttered slightly over the unusual word. “And we have forty species of sharks. One almost ate me when I was a little girl.”

  Jesse grinned. He’d forgotten that story. Faye looked uncertainly from Heidi to him as though she didn’t know what to believe. “Heidi is a fish,” Jesse said. “She knows everything there is to know about the ocean around here. Or almost. She was swimming with her dad when she was four. A tiger shark nudged her leg but left her alone.”

  “He could tell I wasn’t a fish,” Heidi said.

  “Of course not,” Faye agreed. The corners of her mouth twitched.

  Faye seemed nice enough. “It’s only for a month,” Jesse said. “Maybe not even that long if I can get things squared away on base so I can take leave.”

  Faye nodded. “Sounds perfect. We can have fun and get to be friends. Neither of us will be likely to get bored.”

  Though he’d found it hard to warm up to her at first, her enthusiasm for being with Heidi put him at ease. “Great!” He glanced at his watch. “When can you start?”

  “Today if you need me.” She smiled at Heidi. “How about a shave ice this afternoon?”

  “Super!”

  “Then horseback riding?” Faye’s eyes gleamed.

  “On the beach?”

  “Yep. I’ll need to change into jeans. You too. Your legs will get sore in those shorts.”

  “Okay!” Heidi jumped up and put her hand in Faye’s.

  Jesse felt like a load of taro had just rolled off his back. With Heidi so enthusiastic, he could leave the guilt behind.

  The wind blew her hair into black streams behind her. Kaia wished she’d brought a scarf. Mano’s car was in the shop, and he reveled in the chance to drive their grandfather’s car. She clung to the door handle as Mano careened around the corner and pressed the accelerator of the convertible. “Slow down!”

  He ignored her plea, laughing as she hit him on the arm. The old muscle car had seen better days, but their grandfather kept it in pristine condition. Everyone on the island knew Oke in the blue 1965 Plymouth Grand Fury. He generally took up more than his half of the road, but the island people respected him enough to get out of his way.

  “Live a little, sis. You need some excitement in your life,” he shouted over the roar of the wind in her ears.

  “I have plenty of excitement. Slow down, or you can take me home.” She didn’t want to go anyway. It was already five, and by the time the meeting was over, she’d barely have time to bolt down a teriyaki burger and get to the boat for her patrol duties. The thought of cruising along the inky water wasn’t something she was looking forward to. She’d tried to sleep today, but the bright sunshine wasn’t conducive to rest when she wanted to be at Seaworthy Labs working on her research.

  Mano let up on the accelerator, and the convertible’s speed eased. At least Kaia felt she could breathe again. The wind had snatched her air away before she could suck it into her lungs. “How big is this meeting anyway?”

  “About sixty. It varies. We should have good attendance tonight.” Mano’s broad hands handled the car with expertise, and he pulled into a tight parking spot.

  “They meet at the old rice mill?” Kaia stared at the weathered structure outside Hanapepe. It sat in the middle of an open field surrounded by red dirt and scruffy shrubs. The grayed boards hadn’t seen a paintbrush in decades. The dozens of cars parked around it seemed out of place.

  “It’s got plenty of room, and it’s private.” He got out of the car and headed toward the building.

  Kaia hurried to catch up with him. “Where’s the fire?” she panted.

  “The meeting has probably already started. I don’t want to miss anything.”

  She followed him through the door and into the old mill. This was not her idea of a good time. Cane spiders tended to overtake abandoned buildings, and she hated the huge, aggressive spide
rs. She’d once had one nearly the size of her hula skirt chase her across the room even though she had a broom in her hand, and she wasn’t eager to repeat the experience, even though they weren’t poisonous.

  Men and women milled around the rough wooden floors. The musty odor of grain and dust made her sneeze. No one seemed to notice them slip to the back of the crowd, which was intent on the man speaking from atop an old piece of machinery.

  He waved his arms as he spoke. “The haoles brought their diseases to our islands, used our women, took our land, brought reli- gious ideas and ethics that eradicated the Hawaiian culture. But we can take it back, my friends. The United States has apologized for their atrocities; now we must insist they prove their sincerity with action. They must return the lands they stole and allow us to govern ourselves. As we make inroads with Congress, we need to work to repair our culture, to revitalize the old ways.”

  Kaia listened to him expound on the virtues of a sovereign Hawai’i. She could see why Mano was enthralled. Even she felt a tugging in her heart. Hawaiians like the Oana family would stand to benefit if the old monarchy was resurrected. She and her siblings descended from royalty, all the way back to the last reigning queen, Liliuokalani. They could be part of the new government. Maybe that was the allure for Mano.

  The man continued. “We could make our own trade agreements, keep what we make here, use the taxes we pay to the U.S. for our own islands. We can turn back the clock and return to the old ways, to our rich culture of aloha.”

  She glanced around the mill and saw groups of men and women listening intently. There was a mixture of races as well, full-blooded Hawaiian, part Hawaiian, and even some haole and Japanese. The man’s appeal was apparently broad based.

  “Who is he?” she whispered to Mano.

  “Nahele Aki. He’s brilliant.”

  Kaia had to admit he had a special charisma. He spoke with such passion and authority. She listened as he extolled the way of life they’d had before the white man came. He made it sound like a paradise. Though admittedly inspired, she wondered how many of these people would like to go back to mashing taro and living in huts.

  When the meeting was over, Mano left her to talk to a group of men. She grabbed a cup of coffee from a folding table set up by the door. Sipping it, she tried to look inconspicuous.

  “What did you think?”

  She realized with a start that the speaker, Nahele Aki, had stepped down from his perch and was talking to her. “It was interesting,” she stammered.

  “Interesting? You and your family would be in line for the monarchy.”

  “How do you know who I am?” she asked. His dark eyes crinkled, and she had a feeling he was laughing at her.

  “I make it my business to find out about important people. Ready to join us and be a queen in the new kingdom?”

  She knew he expected her to feel flattered. She wasn’t. “No thanks. I wouldn’t want that kind of responsibility. I’m perfectly happy with my life the way it is.”

  “Mano says you keep the old traditions with the hula and our language. Why would you not want to bring back the old Hawai’i—the way we were before the United States stole our land and our wealth from us?”

  She sighed. “There were many reasons why we lost our sovereignty. By the time we were annexed, the damage had been done to our culture anyway. I’m an American now as well as a Hawaiian. Both are my heritage. I wouldn’t mind seeing us awarded nation-within- a-nation status, like the Sioux or other Native American nations. But I don’t plan to vote to pull away from the United States. My father died defending his country in Vietnam. I couldn’t spit on the memory of his sacrifice like that.”

  The amusement in Nahele’s eyes faded. Kaia shivered at the bleak depths in them.

  “I’m going to pay America back for all they’ve taken from us. Most Hawaiians are content to sit back and wait for the government’s goodwill. I’m not that stupid.”

  She wet her lips. “It’s a lost cause.”

  The man’s fingers curled into the palms of his hands. “Mano believes in our cause. You would do well to follow your brother’s example.”

  “He is hot-blooded.” She decided to turn Nahele’s attention away from her family. “I heard you lost a member recently. Jonah Kapolei.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Did you know Jonah?”

  Bingo. The dead man was Jonah. “No, but Mano did. I suppose Jonah wanted to see the naval base leave Kaua’i. Did you send him to sabotage something?”

  Amusement touched Nahele’s face. “Why do I feel you’re fishing, Miss Oana? I’m not hungry for the tasty worm you’re dangling. I have no idea what Jonah was doing on a dive alone. He knew better.”

  “Maybe he wasn’t alone. He was shot with a poisoned dart.”

  “I wouldn’t know anything about that. I hope you’ll attend again with your brother and give us a chance to change your mind.” He nodded and walked away without waiting for an answer.

  Kaia watched him go. If Jonah’s death had nothing to do with the murders and break-ins at the base, why was Nahele so defensive? She needed to tell Jesse about this conversation, but what if it got Mano in trouble? She chewed on her lip and wished she knew what to do.

  Seven

  Faye walked along the beach with Heidi running ahead of her. The little girl stopped and tossed lava rock into the turquoise waves before skipping ahead again. Faye didn’t know where the child got so much energy. In the three days she’d been watching her, they’d gone horseback riding, been to Fern Grotto, and gone on a picnic to Waimea Canyon.

  She was already exhausted. How she would keep this up for another month, she had no idea. Faye found herself remembering how it was when her own children were young. She hadn’t enjoyed this age then, but maybe she’d been too much of a kid herself. Once Heidi got used to her, maybe things would be less tiring.

  She caught up with Heidi only after the girl plopped down to the sand and began heaping it into a pail. “Want some help?” Faye asked her. The little girl shook her head and didn’t look at her. She’d been sullen and uncooperative all day, and Faye was fed up with it. She was only doing this because Curtis thought it was a good idea, and at least the kid could cooperate.

  “I’m going to swim, Auntie Faye.” Heidi got up and went to the edge of the water.

  Faye watched the little girl’s pink bathing suit blur into the brilliant blue of the ocean. In a few minutes Heidi rode a rolling wave onto the beach. Faye looked down at her own modest black suit. She could join the child in the water, but it would mess up her hair, and she and Curtis had an engagement with business associates later. She didn’t want to have to wash it again.

  She pulled a beach towel out of her bag and spread it on the pale golden sand. She’d just lie in the sun and watch Heidi play. A few other women and children were playing along this section of Queen’s Pond at Polihale Beach, but not many. She settled her sunglasses on her nose and lay on her stomach with her face turned toward the water where she could watch Heidi.

  The sun baking into her skin felt good, and the tightness in her muscles began to relax. She still hadn’t met Kaia. Every day when she got home, Curtis asked her if she’d met Kaia or her brothers. His face clouded every time she said no. She was going to have to disappoint him again today. They’d both been sure the women’s paths would cross, considering Kaia’s connection to Jesse and Heidi.

  Her eyes closed against the glare of the sun that penetrated the edges of her sunglasses. A shout startled her. She sat up and looked toward the water. She relaxed when she saw Heidi dumping sand from her pail.

  Someone shrieked again. “Where’s Michael? Where’s my son?” The hysterical mother ran toward the water.

  The cry was something no woman could ignore. It touched the deepest fears in every female. Faye stood and ran to the water’s edge with the woman. “Are you sure he’s in the water?”

  “He was right here a minute ago,” the woman said, her tone frantic.

&n
bsp; The other mothers began to call for the little boy. While they checked the water, Faye hurried toward the restrooms. Children were never where you expected them to be. She rapped on the men’s door. “Michael, are you in there?”

  The door opened, and she looked down on a small boy of about four. “Are you Michael?” He nodded. “Your mommy is looking for you.” She took his hand and led him toward the beach.

  She looked across the sand to the water. The waves were bigger now, tipped with foam. She handed Michael off to his mother then looked around for Heidi. There was no sign of the little girl. “Have you seen Heidi? She’s blond, about eight.”

  The women shook their heads. “We were looking for Michael,” one woman said.

  Faye cupped her hands around her mouth. “Heidi, time to come in.”

  Only the terns’ harsh calls answered her. She scanned the waves again and told herself not to panic. Just as Michael had been found, Heidi would be too. Maybe she was in the restroom as well. But she would have passed her on the way back, she reminded herself. Faye ran down the beach toward another group of children but Heidi wasn’t with them.

  She ran the other direction. Clouds had gathered in the west, and the wind began to freshen. Her knees felt weak and wobbly, and she was lightheaded. Heidi had to be here. But there was no sign of a blond head in the water anywhere.

  Tears sprang to her eyes, and she turned and looked up and down the sand. She saw small footprints leading toward an area where palm trees marched along the water’s edge. Terror squeezed her lungs, and she followed the prints. “Please, Lord, please let her be all right,” she muttered.

  The footprints ended near a battered pier where the beach petered out into jagged black rock. Straining her eyes, Faye stared out at the waves and saw a distant sea kayak with a blond head poking up in the middle. Heidi. Faye looked around for another kayak or dingy—anything. But there was no other craft at the crumbling dock. She needed help. The child was no match for the growing waves.