by Toby Neal
“Well, he’s a likeable guy, but it’s not a popularity contest. We follow the evidence wherever it leads, and Sophie found another lead just when we were ready to close the case again and pin it on Taggart. She went over and trespassed at Aki Long’s house, uncovering evidence linking him to the bone hooks and an admission that he was involved.”
“Now all we need is something from that safe on Long’s wall to tie to Mano or Kakela for us to be able to make a convincing case,” Pono said. “Sophie, I know you want to go see Jake at the hospital. We’ll call you if there’s anything you need to know.”
Sophie was grateful to be dismissed.
Jake was on the fourth floor of Maui Memorial Hospital, propped up in bed, his shoulder thick with strapping.
The nurse had told Sophie to “go right in,” but Jake’s eyes were shut, and she hesitated in the doorway.
She’d scrolled through his phone at the scene and, after the ambulance took him away, called his mother and sisters to tell them that he’d been shot; they were on their way, and to judge by their horrified exclamations, he was well-loved.
And he should be. Jake was every inch a hero, several times over.
Sophie padded forward silently so as not to wake him, but Jake’s eyes opened. Though glassy with pain meds, his gaze brightened at the sight of her. “Thought you’d never get here.”
“How did the surgery go?” Sophie sat in a slick plastic chair beside the bed. “Here’s your phone back.” She set it on the little table beside the bed.
“They told me they got the bullet out.” He pointed with his good hand to a small lidded glass jar. “Gave me a souvenir. Said I’d recover as well as could be expected, whatever that means.”
“Lei will probably want that bullet.” Sophie picked the jar up and shuddered at the thought of that conical gray slug being dug out of his flesh and bone. “I’m just sick that this happened to you.”
“Better than the alternative.”
She looked up and met his eyes.
“I’m getting tired of men taking a bullet for me,” Sophie whispered. “Men I care about. I think I need to get into another line of work.”
Jake fumbled a big hand across the bedclothes and reached for hers.
Sophie didn’t want to take it. She had a boyfriend. Jake might get the wrong idea…but she couldn’t resist her partner’s mute appeal. She sighed, taking his hand in her own bandaged one and leaning against the bed. “I’m so tired,” she said. “What a long, horrible day.”
“Come rest a while. I’m going to sleep,” Jake mumbled.
Sophie scooted her chair closer, and leaned her head against the angled back of his bed, their joined hands resting on the edge. His bulky warmth soothed her, as did the sound of his breathing. Just a few minutes of rest, that was all she needed, and she’d be on her way back to her condo, after he was asleep and he didn’t need her any more. It had been such a long day.
Sophie woke with a start to a touch on her shoulder. Dawn was breaking over the ocean, sun shining through a window that had shown nothing but an inky night sky when she first sat down. She was stiff and achy, having fallen asleep in that uncomfortable position for hours.
A kind, matronly face looked down at Sophie, gray eyes inquisitive. “Are you the woman who called me?” The woman whispered, pushing ash-blonde hair back behind her ears and setting a bulky purse on the floor beside the bed.
“I am,” Sophie whispered, extracting her hand from Jake’s and stifling a groan as she straightened up to stand, every muscle screaming. “Are you his mother?”
“Yes, I’m Janice. Janice Dunn.”
“I’m so glad you’re here. He will have company now.” Sophie smiled and picked up her backpack as she sidled toward the door. “Tell him I’ll call soon.”
“Are you his girlfriend?” Mrs. Dunn sat in the chair she’d vacated.
“No, no. I’m his partner. At the security firm. We work together,” Sophie stuttered, glancing at Jake, who was, mercifully, still snoring among the beeping machines. “I’m Sophie Ang.”
“Oh.” Mrs. Dunn’s mouth turned down. “All right then. Thank you for calling me. He probably wouldn’t even have told me anything happened until he was better.”
“He’s pretty independent,” Sophie agreed. “But everyone should have company when they’re injured and hurting.”
Mrs. Dunn nodded, her gaze fastened on her son, and Sophie slipped out.
She found a bathroom and used the facilities, then splashed water on her face. Her complexion looked ashy and her hand ached. They were both so lucky that one, or both of them, hadn’t ended up on a slab in the morgue. She gave another little shiver, and dug her phone out of her purse.
Lei had called, confirming that Aki Long’s safe contained the blackmail materials they had been looking for, and that they “had him nailed.” Sophie smiled at her friend’s triumphant tone. “And don’t bother using DAVID on him right now. We have him dead to rights, and I don’t want you getting in trouble with that rogue program on our behalf,” Lei ended. Sophie couldn’t help but feel relieved.
Several calls from Connor showed, and even a couple of voice mails: “Are you all right? I heard Jake was shot! Call me.”
Then a second one: “I’m coming over. I’m sure you’re at the hospital with him. I’ll be there soon.”
That was three hours ago.
Sophie’s pulse picked up as she strode out of the bathroom, calling Connor back, but there was no phone reception in the hospital. She hurried down the glossy, antiseptic-smelling halls into the elevator and down to the exit. She’d taken an Uber from the nearby police station, and tried another call to Connor before she summoned a ride back to her condo.
“Sophie? I’m almost at the hospital. Are you okay?” Connor’s voice energized her immediately. She felt exhaustion and trauma falling away as if plugging into an electric current.
“I’m fine. I’m out at the front. Can you pick me up and take me back to my condo? Jake’s resting and his mother just arrived,” Sophie said, rubbing her scar distractedly.
“Perfect.”
Five minutes later, Connor pulled up in a big white Honda SUV. “Security Solutions has vehicles over here?” Sophie asked, hopping into the passenger seat before he could open the door for her.
Connor put the vehicle in park, stomped on the parking brake, and gestured. “Come here. I need a kiss after that harrowing experience of worrying about you.”
Sophie smiled, warmth crackling over all of her nerve endings. She leaned over and Connor caught the back of her head, drawing her in for a deep kiss that brought on a whistle from someone exiting the hospital.
They broke apart at last, and Sophie saw her smile reflected in Connor’s face. She cleared her throat. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me, too.” Connor put the Honda in gear and pulled out from under the hospital’s drop-off canopy. “And to answer your question, yes. Security Solutions has begun the process of opening a satellite office over here so we’ve shipped over a couple of these vehicles. I thought Jake told you. Anyway, we’re not going back to your condo. I have something else in mind.”
“Oh really?” Sophie quirked a brow.
“Yep. All you need is your bathing suit and a couple of changes of clothes. You’re off for the weekend, and we’re getting some serious R and R.”
“What about Jake?” Sophie felt a tug of guilt and something more, something soft and longing as she looked back at the hospital in the rearview mirror.
“I thought you said his mother arrived?” Connor’s blue eyes were guileless. He had no reason to be jealous of Jake, and she wanted to keep it that way.
“You’re right.” Sophie looked away. Jake had his family. He’d be fine. “I have a few things to finish for Lei and Pono, including a search I started on Long for the investigation, but I can do that on the laptop from wherever you’re taking me. And where is that, by the way?”
“Surprises are the spice of
life.”
“I’ve never cared for them.” Sophie tugged at her hair, arranging it over her scar.
“You’ll like this one. But we have a bit of a drive, so why don’t you tell me about the case, from start to finish?”
The road to Hana was one of Maui’s special experiences, Sophie discovered. Two-lane, steep-shouldered, narrowing to one at various points, Hana Highway wound along the coastline in deep arcs, necessitating frequent and harrowing pullovers as cars passed each other. Waterfalls gushed every mile or two, and green jungle, blooming flowers, and vast bamboo forests decorated lush, steep bluffs above a tumbling cobalt sea. The drive is never shorter than two hours, Connor informed her, but the way Sophie and Connor did it, the route took three.
Sophie loved playing tourist, parking at every vista to pose for selfies with Connor, keeping a pair of binoculars out to look for whales, and walking to the base of each accessible waterfall to offer a leaf or a flower into the water, a tradition from her childhood.
Every mile that passed took Sophie further from the stresses and strains of the case. Telling Connor about it and the ugly revelation of Aki Long as the real criminal behind it all was a way to purge the experience from her mind and heart.
As they pulled in to the turnaround for valet parking at the famous, elegantly low-key Hana Hotel, Sophie tucked a plumeria behind Connor’s ear. “Talking to you is more therapeutic than a debriefing with Dr. Kinoshita.”
He grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment. I guess. But I have something a lot more therapeutic in mind.”
Sophie laughed.
They carried Sophie’s laptop and backpack, repacked from Miller’s house, and Connor’s overnight bag, into the single-story hotel built around a lava stone fountain. The bellman driving them in a golf cart through acres of open grounds planted in tropical plants pointed out a nine-hole golf course, an infinity pool and spa, a croquet field, tennis courts, and archery range, all providing possible activities. As they approached a bungalow overlooking the sea, Connor took Sophie’s hand. “The idea is that we never have to leave the grounds.”
“I agree with that plan,” she said. Velvety green grass and palms swaying overhead framed a large, lovely cottage set on a swath of bluff overlooking the ocean. The bellman carried their bags in, showing them a full kitchen and welcome basket of fruit, flowers, and famous Hana banana bread.
Connor tipped him as Sophie walked through the big glass sliders to look out at the cobalt blue, wave-tossed sea. “I thought Wailea was as pretty as this island could get. But I like this, too.”
“The east shore always gets more rain and storm action, but it has unique charms.” Connor joined her at the railing. Side by side, they took in the view. Clouds whirled by, and a cormorant dipped over the ocean. Waves broke on the black lava rocks lining the nearby bay. The sound of surf filled their bungalow like a lullaby.
Sophie looked at Connor. “You brought me here to get me away from anywhere that Assan could track me.”
“Yes. You must have noticed when we registered that we’re Mr. and Mrs. Jones. We are hidden and off the grid for the weekend, as best as I could do. I thought that might help us both sleep better, for a little while at least.”
Sophie turned fully toward him, still leaning on the railing. His sea-blue eyes were serious. He lifted a finger to trace the scar on her cheek. “I want you safe. I won’t rest until he’s dead.”
She turned her head and caught the tip of his finger with her teeth, nipping it. “That’s somehow very sexy. Thank you—even though Assan is mine to kill. I love you for saying that. For doing whatever the Ghost is doing to track him.”
“That almost sounded like ‘I love you.’” Heat bloomed in Connor’s eyes as he slid his hand around the back of her neck and drew her closer. Their bodies pressed together, and the kiss kindled a fire in Sophie’s belly. She leaned into it, pressing into him, shedding her preoccupation with work, her wounds from the past, her inhibitions.
Sophie lifted her head finally and brown eyes gazed into blue. “I love you, Connor. I’ve never said that before, to anyone but my parents.”
“And I love you.” His kiss was filled with the banked passion of a love she could not misinterpret. They shed their clothing on the way to a big bed overlooking the sea—and to the sound of breaking waves, Sophie left her past behind and embraced a future with the Ghost.
Acknowledgments
Aloha dear readers!
I want to begin by thanking a couple of archaeologists. This book would never have taken its current form if I hadn’t met the dashing Sam Young at an art sale, and been captivated by his story of “a buried royal island” right in Lahaina that I had not been aware of. I wasn’t sure how I was going to use this interesting information, but Sam was kind enough to show me around Moku`ula, the real site that inspired my fictional Kakela. When I asked what nefarious criminals might be after at a site like Moku`ula, he told me about human bone hooks, something I’d somehow missed in my research for the Bone Hook novel. Thanks, Sam, your enthusiasm inspired me!
At the site, which looks much like I described it (except there is no surveillance trailer where Sophie hangs out!), I was fascinated by the deep, square test unit holes dug by the archaeologists to determine the perimeter of the buried original island, and many other interesting aspects of their deep and dirty work (there are, truly, many off-color archaeology jokes!). When I posted online that I was thinking of developing a story around Moku`ula, a reader fan/friend, Jennifer Frey, an archaeologist currently working at the site, offered to help me with further consultation.
We met and Jennifer provided me maps and details about arcane things like the GPR report. She also told me the legend of the queen and the mo`o, a story we were not able to verify, but that captured my imagination as had so many aspects of the unique place. Thanks, Jennifer, for the work you do and for being such an enthusiastic fan of my work!
Many of the details of Kakela are true of Moku`ula: the site is a sunken royal island where Kamehameha held court until he moved to Oahu; it was filled in with dirt from road construction around the turn of the century; there are important artifacts buried there and the site is of great cultural significance; and it was also used as a baseball diamond for many years.
But from there, I took creative license and galloped away with it as only a crime writer can do. If you would like more information about Moku`ula, or would like to contribute to its restoration, check out the Friends of Moku`ula website.
Please forgive any errors—this is a work of fiction, and none of the characters have anything to do with anyone in real life. My intent, as always, is to shine a light on some aspect of Hawaii life and educate the public in a very broad way while telling an entertaining story. I mean no disrespect by any details I may have gotten wrong in police procedure, archaeology, or Hawaiiana.
If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review. They mean so much, and help other readers discover the books. Mahalo in advance for the best gift a writer can receive!
I am already plotting the next book, Wired Dark, which continues this storyline with an expansion of the Shank Miller case, Sophie’s ongoing recovery from and confrontation with the characters from her past, and her journey into love.
Much aloha, Toby Neal
I hope you enjoyed Wired Hard! If you think other readers will enjoy it too, please leave an honest review on your favorite retailer by clicking here. Your thoughts matter so much, and I read them all!
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Read on for a sample of the next book in the series!
Excerpt Wired Dark
Chapter 1
His wife’s room was almost ready for her.
Assan Ang looked around a bare white spac
e. He liked the simplicity of it: just a king-sized bed, and the great wheel mounted on the wall with all its straps and accoutrements. Off to the side, a locked metal cabinet.
No windows. Windows were just an opportunity for escape and distraction, and he liked to keep her in the dark when he wasn’t visiting.
The floor was covered with a deep, plushy carpet, a collection of hand knotted Persian rugs covering it. A screen hid a toilet and sink in the corner. The door into the hallway was soundproofed and reinforced. A slit in the bottom with a metal flap provided enough space for a plate to slide in so that he could feed her.
The king-sized bed dominated the room. An iron bedstead, already equipped with restraints, was set off by white satin sheets. Assan walked over and unlocked the steel cabinet filled with instruments of pleasure and torture. Just looking at the floggers, dildoes, rings, clamps, blades and electrodes made him smile.
Breaking her again was going to be such a joy.
Doms in the lifestyle were supposed to find willing submissives to partner with. That defeated the whole purpose, to his mind.
Assan took their wedding photo out of his pocket and sat down on the bed, holding it in his hand. Spending time in memories of their marriage and rehearsing the excitement to come kept him focused—and he needed to stay focused, because Sophie had proved harder to retrieve than he had ever anticipated.
Sophie's golden skin seemed to glow in the photo. Her radiant smile, from within the frame of her wedding veil, was filled with a young woman's naïve hope. She had been a true beauty back then, with a face that could have decorated magazine covers and a body to match.
Her recent mutilation enraged him. She was his to destroy. No one else’s.
Assan’s own visage in the photo was not as pleasant to look at, but in the picture his mouth was curved in a smile of happy anticipation. He distinctly remembered how he had felt that day: flush with victory.