by Cathryn Cade
“You guys working that boat?” Daniel asked, pointing out at the yacht. He let his mouth fall open a little, as if in awe. “A real beauty. Where she out of, Honolulu?”
“Nah, mainland,” said Kimo.
Daniel smiled affably. “Nice job, eh? Ride around da islands on da big boat fo free? How long dey here in Kona?”
“Couple weeks.”
“Yeah, big boss here on vacation, yeah?”
Kimo’s eyes flickered away and back. “Uh, yeah.”
“His name Hilton? Heard da Hiltons were here.”
“Nah, Helman.”
“Whatchu wanna know for?” Tommy interrupted in his hoarse voice. He had a scar across the front of his throat, visible in the bright sunlight. He looked Daniel over suspiciously. “Whatchu say yo name was? Ho-somethin’?”
“Dey call me lotsa things,” Daniel said, waggling his right hand in the island symbol for hanging loose. “Long as dey call me fo grinds, it’s all good, yeah?”
Tommy sneered. Kimo frowned, looking nervously between them. “You one o’ dem Ho’omalus,” he said. “I remember dat.”
An excursion boat slid close to the pier, a Hawaiian in a bright green T-shirt and shorts in the prow. “Hey, you, with the raft,” he hollered. “Move it! This where we put in to load.”
Kimo looked at Tommy, who rose with a swagger. “Not today you don’t.”
“Oh, yeah?” The muscular deckhand put one foot on the railing of his boat, preparing to climb over. The excursion boats depended on their right to put in at this public pier to load and unload their clients, and they were not friendly to anyone who usurped their space.
“You kanakas wanna do as he asks,” Daniel warned mildly. “You can come back in when they’re gone.”
“No trouble,” Kimo muttered to his companion. “Da boss said.”
“Yeah, he also said to wait for him right here,” Tommy shot back. “I ain’t moving for no fuckin’ dive boat.”
The deckhand said something over his shoulder, and the boat moved closer to the pier, about to bump the raft. Daniel cursed under his breath. He was going to have to do something, before Tommy pulled his gun and all hell broke loose. Helman had definitely hired the cream of the Kolohe.
A group of young guys erupted onto the pier, jostling and laughing as they hurried to be the first to reach the excursion boat. One of them, a big kid who looked like he played football, jostled Daniel as he passed. His friend cannoned into him, and he danced sideways, jostling Tommy, who scowled, stiffening.
“Watch it, punks,” he rasped, his eyes slitted.
The kid scowled belligerently, opening his mouth to retort. Daniel didn’t wait to find out what he had to say. He simply tightened the muscles of his arm and thrust backward, hard.
His elbow struck the short, squatty Tommy square in the face. Eyes rolling back in his head, the little man keeled over backward, tipping into the azure water of the bay. He landed with a splash, sending the raft bobbing on its mooring ropes.
“Hey, whatchu do dat fo?” Kimo’s eyes widened with shock. Turning slightly, Daniel punched him low and hard, right in his midriff. With an oof! of released air, Kimo flew from the pier, arms flailing almost in slow motion to land with a splash even mightier than his cohort.
A woman screamed, and the tourists on the pier rushed to look into the water. “What happened?”
The young guys lined up on the pier on either side of Daniel, gaping into the water. “Holy shit, you see them go down?” one asked, awed. “Tony, you bumped ’em right off the pier.”
“He did it.” The kid looked up at Daniel with awe. “I think you killed ’em, man.”
“Nah, they’ll be fine,” Daniel said. Unfortunately.
Kimo was already splashing back toward the pier. Daniel bared his teeth in a smile as the man hung on the side of the pier, coughing and gasping.
“You mokes wanna be careful.” Daniel gestured at the deckhand on the boat. “Move off, yeah? I don’t wanna get run over while I pull up his friend.”
The deckhand held up his hands, grinning. “Whatever you want, man. We’ll wait.”
Daniel dove in over Kimo’s head. He couldn’t leave Tommy to drown, no matter how much the po’ino deserved it. The sea closed around him, cool and wet. In the shadow of the tour boat, Tommy was drifting down toward the shallow bottom of the bay, unconscious.
Daniel grabbed the man under one arm, yanked the pistol from his waistband and dropped it, letting it sink. Then he kicked upward.
He dumped the smaller man up on the pier and hoisted himself out, standing for a moment to drip and catch his breath. Tommy lay in a sodden heap for a moment, then gasped and began to cough and wretch.
“You shouldn’t a done dat,” Kimo warned, glowering suddenly at Daniel. “Our boss ain’t gonna be happy.”
“Your boss gonna get you killed,” Daniel said contemptuously. “Might wanna think about that.”
He cast a look at the yacht. The captain stood at the rail, watching, his stance relaxed as if he was enjoying the show on the pier. Two men flanked him, toughs in sunglasses and loose Hawaiian shirts. The real muscle, brought from LA, Daniel deduced. Tommy and Kimo were just expendable locals. If Helman needed more men, he could always have them fly over, probably on a private jet.
Daniel stalked away, ignoring the curious stares of the onlookers. He’d come back in after dark and nose around. He couldn’t get close to the yacht in the daylight anyway. The men on board had seen the altercation, maybe even taken pictures of him.
And to top it off, he’d just ruined another phone. Shit, this was the third one this year. He’d better carry a waterproof pouch all the time. Despite these minor annoyances, he grinned to himself. Felt damn good to punch somebody, even if they were just the bottom of the Helman food chain.
Meanwhile, it was almost noon. Time to grab a bite to eat, buy a new phone and then head out to Honokōhau.
As he neared the end of the pier, he slowed. A trio of people, two men and a woman, were strolling onto the pier. The woman was slender, expensively dressed in resort wear, her hair tucked up in a wide straw hat the same improbable purple as her little dress.
It was the man at her side who held Daniel’s attention. He was lean, clad in an embroidered linen shirt and shorts, with designer sunglasses and a straw fedora tilted over his hair.
Two things interested Daniel about him. The hair visible under his hat was so pale it was almost as white as his shirt, and his lean, high-cheekboned face was familiar—in an unpleasant way. Daniel had seen photos of him on the Internet, clad in custom evening wear with a succession of beautiful women on his arm. Denas Helman.
The man following them was tall and tanned, clad in shorts and a loose shirt, sunglasses shielding his eyes. Ex-soldier, Daniel deduced from his short hair, the way he walked and the way he was eyeing Daniel. LA muscle, like the two on the yacht.
As he neared the trio, the woman reached up to pull her oversize sunglasses down her nose. She cast Daniel a sultry look before pushing them back up. Her red lips curved up flirtatiously.
Helman looked him over and stopped. “I’ve just had an interesting conversation with the captain of my yacht,” he said. His voice was smooth and light. “You saved one of my men from drowning.”
“Nah.” Daniel shrugged. “Saved his ass from jail, though.”
Helman cocked his head. “Jail? Really.”
“He was about to pull a gun on a local boat operator. I figured a swim would cool him off.”
The woman laughed. “So you did push them in. Perhaps you should hire him,” she said to Helman.
Helman’s nostrils flared. “Perhaps I should. Who are you?” he asked Daniel.
Daniel stared at him for a moment, stretching it out until Helman’s jaw tightened and his bodyguard stirred restively.
“No one who wants to work for you, haole kanapapiki.”
Without another look at any of them, he sauntered away. He took a deep breath and let it
out, blowing out his frustration and rage at being within arm’s-length of that sonofabitch and not being able to put his fist through the man’s sneering face. He’d like to turn the slime into shark bait—very small pieces of shark bait.
And maybe he’d get to—but first he needed to find da kula.
As Daniel drove into the parking lot of his uncle’s marina an hour later, he narrowly missed hitting a small sports car full of teens racing in the other direction, tires squealing. He scowled after them and then parked, walking over to join Hilo, who stood on the sidewalk in front of the marina store and office.
“Bunch of worthless punks,” Hilo said, shaking his head. “Come around my place making trouble. The driver—one with the yellow hair—is the son of dat hotshot sportfisherman out of Kona. Bobby Nakoa, yeah?”
Daniel nodded. “Called the cops?” He’d heard of Nakoa, met him once. He had not been impressed, but then he never was by those who fished not for food but for acclaim. As if they had anything to do with the size of the fish that chose to bite their hooks.
“Nah,” his uncle said. “They haven’t really done anything—yet. Come in, I got customers.”
The two fishermen paid for their purchases and left. “Taking your boat out today?” Hilo asked as he closed the cash register.
Daniel nodded. “Back to Nawea.”
Hilo nodded. “Give some pretty wahine a ride, yeah?”
Daniel felt heat color his cheekbones. Time to change the subject.
“Saw that big yacht over in Kona, the Hypnautique.” Daniel jerked his head toward the east window of the office. “Frank was right. She’s Helman’s.”
Hilo eyed him curiously. “Want me to talk to Paul Cho?”
“’A’ole. No Coast Guard—not until we have something hard to show them. Frank says they have a fancy law firm at their beck and call, ready to sue Hawaii if Helman crooks his finger. They could claim the Coast Guard is harassing innocent tourists.”
Hilo nodded slowly. They both knew Hawaii struggled to maintain local services, on top of caring for their constant stream of visitors. A huge lawsuit could put the Big Island county government in deep financial trouble. “’Kay den. But you keep me and your papa in da loop, yeah? We almost lost David to these po’ino. We all work together, no need for dat kine danger.”
Daniel nodded, acquiescing to his uncle’s request. It was more of a demand, of course, but only because Hilo and Homu had come close to death themselves a time or two.
“Got an idea about that,” he said. “What’s that nephew of your ex-wife up to these days?”
“Tony? He’s been laid up,” Hilo said, his gaze sharpening. “Surfing accident. Been out of work, so his mama and his auntie have been spoiling him.”
“Can he run a boat?”
“Sure, why?”
Daniel told his uncle of his encounter with the nai’a and his suspicion that the Helmans had dropped a big container of some kind off Nawea. “Can’t bring in the Coast Guard without some kind of evidence, but a sportfishing boat’s fishfinder is sonar too. I’ll rent him one of your boats, have him patrol back and forth off Nawea.”
“How far south you want him to go?”
“Na’alele sea caves, for now. If he doesn’t find anything in a day or two, we’ll go farther.”
Hilo nodded. “I like it. You want him to report back to me or direct to you?”
“Give him my cell number,” Daniel said. “If he finds anything and can’t reach me for some reason, you know what to do.”
Hilo nodded again. “If we find da kula, we’ll call the cops in then or destroy it ourselves—and then take care of da Helmans.”
“All right.” Daniel slapped his palm on the counter and stepped back. “It’s a plan. See you soon.”
“Have fun at Nawea.” His uncle’s eyes danced once again with amusement.
Daniel shook his head as he walked out of the store into the warm afternoon. Nothing like an older relative to make a grown man feel like a raw youth. His father and Frank had refrained from teasing, but Hilo had no such inhibitions.
Chapter Twelve
Claire lounged in the shade with a book on reef fish. Grace sat nearby with her laptop, typing away. The elder Ho’omalus were up at the house, and the Paalanis, who seemed to be treating this trip as a second honeymoon, were nowhere to be seen.
Neither was Daniel.
Frank and Hilo had putted in a few hours ago in Frank’s little fishing boat, but Daniel had not been with them. She was absurdly disappointed. After last night, she’d thought they’d spend the day together, maybe more.
But he was gone, so Claire had spent the morning snorkeling with Jack, who had slathered himself belatedly with sunscreen and even tied a bandanna over his head to hide his scalp, sunburned through his short blond hair.
She had wanted to swim on past the reef to the next little bay, but Jack had pleaded work, so she reluctantly followed him back. No one on this trip wanted to spend any serious time in the water. She was tempted to take off by herself, only she was smart enough to know that would be a stupid, reckless thing to do. Melia had told her how angry David had been when she snorkeled alone past the reef to the cove in front of Daniel’s place.
As soon as they’d dried off, Jack had checked his phone messages and walked up to the house to take a call. She showered, lunched with Bella and Grace and Daniel’s parents, and then changed and came down to the beach with Bella and Grace, trying very hard not to pout. She had put on the crocheted bikini for the first time, with the little flowered sarong, and she might as well be wearing a gunny sack.
Bella looked up from her book on Hawaiian plants. “So,” she said finally. “You and Daniel seem to be getting along much better.”
Claire nearly snorted her iced tea. “Ah…I guess so,” she said, and then spoiled the casual effect by blushing hotly. “I mean, yes, we are…sort of.”
Bella grinned. “Sort of? What’s that mean?”
Claire swirled the ice in her glass moodily. “Well, he’s not here now, is he? We could be doing things together, but he’s off in Kona somewhere.”
“Maybe he’s working,” Bella suggested.
“He works in his house. Leilani told me so.”
“Maybe he’s working there.”
“No, because Homu told me he and Frank dropped Daniel off in Kailua Harbor.”
Bella gave her a look of mingled sympathy and exasperation. “Well, I’m sure he’s not hiding just so he doesn’t have to hang out with you.”
“I think he’s actually…afraid of you.” The two turned to look at Grace, who had been lounging quietly behind them.
“Him?” Claire huffed. “Afraid of me? That lava boulder of a man? Why would you say that?”
Grace pulled her sunglasses up onto the top of her head, feminine wisdom as old as time in the smile she gave Claire.
“Because I’m a woman, and a writer—observant by sex and by trade. Think about it, dear. He’s this big, tough Hawaiian who’s used to calling all the shots. Suddenly his brother’s falling like a rock over a pretty little tourist. Then who shows up? Another pretty tourist that he’s interested in himself—and I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Honey, he’s afraid you’re gonna catch him in the same net that caught his brother.”
Claire sputtered. “I—I don’t want to catch him. Maybe just…catch and release.”
Bella and Grace laughed.
“Like a wild Oregon salmon,” Bella approved. “Well, go get him, girl.”
“I would if he was here.” Claire set her glass down, blushing at the childishness of her response. “Sorry, I know I’m lousy company. I’m going for a walk.”
“Okay, see you later.”
Claire strode up the lawn toward the house. She wasn’t sure where she was going, she was just through sitting around waiting for him to show up, that was all. She was fine by herself, and she could have fun without him. Really. She would get over this stupid…crush, or whatever it was, if it killed he
r.
Afraid of her—right. The man was antisocial, or just anti-Claire.
Of course, the person relaxing in one of the high-back rattan chairs on the house lanai was his mother. Claire heaved an inward sigh as she smiled politely.
“Come,” Tina Ho’omalu said. “Sit with me. Homu and I are returning to Kona in a few moments.”
Pasting a polite smile on her face, Claire sat in the chair next to Daniel’s mother, who regarded her for a long moment. Once again, Claire had that eerie sensation that this woman saw more than most.
“You are enjoying your time here?” Tina asked.
“Very much, thank you.”
“Melia will live here now,” Tina went on. “Island life is not for everyone, but I think she will do well.”
Claire nodded. “She’d live in a tent if David were there,” she said wryly. “And Hawaii is…well, paradise. So I’m sure she’ll be very happy.”
Tina nodded. “You would enjoy living here? You would not find island life confining?”
“No,” Claire answered, relaxing. “It’s always been my dream to live on the beach somewhere. Once I’m out of college, I plan to live on the coast. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up back here.”
“And you can do this—live where you like and still have your career?”
Claire nodded again, this time with enthusiasm. “I work on my computer. I’ve never met most of my clients in person. I don’t need to.”
“Ah.” Tina nodded thoughtfully. “It is a new world now, with such communications. Well, I wish you the best, my dear.” She sat back and then looked at the small package she held in her hand, as if surprised to see it there. It was a puffy manila mailer. “By the way, I forgot to give this to Daniel. Do you mind taking it over to his house? He may not have told you, but his house is just through the trees there.” She nodded at the tangle of trees at the south end of the bay.
Claire’s heart gave a thump. She held out her hand for the package. “Of course. I’ll be happy to.”
“Mahalo,” Tina said tranquilly. “Now, I’m sure you wish to be on your way, so I’ll let you go. Aloha.”