Noa's own expression turned serious. "Me too," he said, quietly. "I can't even imagine what could have happened if you'd been alone." He clenched his jaw.
I closed my eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. I didn't want to think about that. I was grateful that Rikki hadn't been home. I couldn't stand the idea that my aunt could have been hurt, especially after all she'd already been through this week.
I helped Noa clean the scrapes on his arms and face. He waited downstairs while I went up to my room to change out of my wine-stained top. When I returned, he was in the living room, using Rikki's handheld vacuum to clean up the smaller debris from the couch and floor. He'd stripped out of his dirty clothes and was wearing nothing but a pair of pineapple-patterned boxers.
Though I'd admired him from a distance at the pool the day before, I hadn't seen Noa Kahele up close without his shirt since he was a scrawny twenty-two-year-old. He had filled out a lot. I tried not to stare at his rippling abs (holy mother…is that an eight pack??) as I offered him a fresh towel and my pink silk bathrobe. "It's the only thing I have that will fit you," I said sheepishly. "If you'll leave your boxers outside the bathroom door, I'll put them in the laundry with your other clothes." I turned and hurried into the kitchen, not wanting Noa to see that the idea of seeing him naked had me blushing all over.
While Noa showered, I washed his clothes and then busied myself with cleaning up the remaining glass. As I worked, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I still can't believe that he's wanted to be with me all this time, I thought, feeling giddy as I recalled our steamy kiss in the kitchen. Noa had offered to sleep on the couch that night. Part of me wanted to invite him to share my bed, but I didn't want to rush things. We'd only confessed our feelings for one another less than an hour ago. I didn't want to jeopardize whatever was happening between us by moving too fast.
Then again, I was worried about him being alone downstairs the whole night. What if whoever had threatened me decided to come back? I pictured Luka Hale bursting through the door and attacking Noa as he slept on the couch. With any luck, Detective Ray had already tracked Luka down and was questioning Erin and him at that very moment. If either confessed, the whole case could be wrapped up by morning. So why does it feel like it's not over?
I had the living room looking almost back to normal by the time Noa emerged from the shower. I couldn't help but laugh as he descended the stairs with my robe stretched tightly around him. His hair was wrapped in a towel, and he smelled like my white tea and ginger body wash. "Lookin' sharp, Kahele," I teased.
"Go ahead," he said. "Get a good look." He twirled around in a slow circle and then moved toward me, smiling warmly. "I'm just happy to hear your laugh again."
We settled onto the couch to wait for his clothes to dry and for Rikki to return home. "She's going to be so upset," I said, frowning at the splintered furniture in front of us. "She loved that coffee table."
"Maybe we can find her another one just like it," Noa suggested. "I'm pretty sure I saw that same table at the Home Goods in Lihue a few weeks ago. I'll have to make a trip over there anyway to visit Lowes for the supplies I need to repair your window."
"You don't have to do that."
Noa waved his hand. "I know I don't have to," he said. "I want to. You and Rikki both mean a lot to me, and I want you to feel safe." He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. "So first thing tomorrow, I'm fixing that window."
"Thank you." I smiled up at him and then leaned my head against his shoulder.
I didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing I knew, I was waking up to a gentle breeze on my face. Opening my eyes, I found myself lying on the couch with Noa curled around me, snoring softly in my ear. I smiled to myself and pulled his arms more tightly around my middle. Lying there with him, I felt more content than I had in years. The happy feeling was short-lived, however. The events of the previous night flashed through my memory, and I eased out of his grasp and sat up.
Noa grunted and rolled onto his back. He squinted up at me. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, his voice still thick with sleep. He closed his eyes again.
I shook his shoulder. "Noa, get up," I said, my concern mounting. "We fell asleep before Rikki came home." I swept my gaze around the room, searching for any sign that my aunt had returned. If Rikki had come back, surely she would have woken us up—especially after she'd seen the shattered living room window. I left Noa on the couch and climbed the stairs, peeking into Rikki's room. Her bed was made, and when I checked her closet, I saw that her running shoes were gone. Had my aunt ever returned from her night jog?
Panic swelling in my chest, I hurried back to the living room. "Noa, I don't think Rikki ever came home last night," I said, feeling my throat go dry.
Noa opened his eyes and quickly sat up. "She didn't?" He hoisted himself off the couch and moved over to window, peering out at the driveway. When he turned around, the worry had vanished from his face. "Her Vespa's gone," he said. "She must have come in after we fell asleep. Then she left again this morning without waking us." Noa crossed the living room and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Maybe she went out to grab some breakfast. Or she could have gone to that sunrise yoga class over at Coconut Cove."
The tension in my chest didn't let up. "What time is it?" I dashed into the kitchen and checked the digital clock on the microwave. It was almost eight thirty. "I'm late for work," I said, whipping around to face Noa. "There's no way Rikki would have let me sleep past the beginning of my shift. Something's wrong." I went back to the living room and dumped the contents of my purse onto the splintered coffee table. Snatching my phone from the pile of makeup and receipts, I checked the screen. I had a voicemail from a number I didn't recognize.
Heart pounding, I punched in my pin number and turned up the volume so that we could both hear the message. Noa and I listened as my aunt's frightened voice shattered the silence. "Kaley, it's Rikki. I need you to come down to the Aloha Lagoon Police Department. I've been arrested. They think I—"
The message ended abruptly as my phone cut off. Frantic, I pressed the power button several times to no avail. The battery was dead. "Damnit!" I swore. I threw the phone on the couch. "Detective Ray arrested her. Buy why?" I took several deep breaths, but it was no use. I couldn't calm down. The alarm in Rikki's voice had sent me into a spiral of fear and guilt. I'd spent the night cuddled on the couch with Noa while my poor aunt was being thrown into a jail cell. How could I let this happen?
The room started to spin, and I gripped Noa's arms. He eased out of my grasp and retrieved his own phone. "Here," he said, pressing it into my palm. "Call Detective Ray. We'll get her out of there."
I quickly dialed the police station's number, insisting that the receptionist connect me with Detective Ray immediately. A few moments later, I was patched through to his direct line. "Why did you arrest my aunt?" I demanded as soon as he answered.
"Ms. Kalua." The homicide detective sounded tired. "I wondered when I'd be hearing from you." He sighed. "I got the call shortly after I left your house. Rikki mowed someone down with her Vespa last night in a hit-and-run. I'm sorry, Kaley, but there was just no way around it. The boy's own mother saw her strike him and just keep driving. She ditched the bike somewhere, but my men picked her up about a mile from your house."
My heart dropped to my stomach. How could a witness have seen Rikki commit such a heinous crime? My aunt would never do something that horrible. She wasn't capable of that kind of violence. Was she? A thin line of doubt traced its way through my thoughts. If someone actually saw her do it…"No way. I don't believe you," I said, shaking my head stubbornly even though he couldn't see me. "Who was the witness?" Maybe I'd go talk to the woman myself. She had to have been mistaken. Or maybe even lying.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Nancy Hale," Detective Ray said finally.
"Hale?" I gripped the kitchen counter so tightly that my knuckles turned white. I just heard him wrong. That's all.
<
br /> "Yes," he replied. "Last night your aunt tried to kill a man that you claimed was attempting to frame her. She attacked Luka Hale."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Lihue was already a short drive from Aloha Lagoon, but Noa and I made it there in record time. As desperate as I was to get Rikki out of jail, there was little I could do until her bail was set. She would want you to keep the boutique open, I reminded myself. I plugged my phone into Noa's car charger on the drive so I could call Harmony, instructing her to head over to Happy Hula and open the shop. She grudgingly agreed after I promised to come in at noon and cover her closing shift. News of Rikki's arrest hadn't reached Harm yet, so I claimed we had a family emergency and left it at that. There was no need to drag my aunt's name through the mud if there was a chance that she wasn't really responsible for what had happened to Luka.
The lobby of the hospital's trauma center was packed when we arrived. After scanning the crowd of people, I spotted a woman with dark hair and a narrow nose and chin like Luka's. She was seated in the far corner of the room, wringing her hands and uttering prayers under her breath.
"Mrs. Hale?" I asked hesitantly, approaching the tearful woman.
She looked up at me with wide brown eyes. "Yes?" She asked, her voice hopeful. Her face fell as she realized I wasn't one of her son's doctors.
Noa stood behind me, his hand on my shoulder. He gave me a gentle nudge forward.
"My name is Jamie," I lied. I wasn't sure if Mrs. Hale knew Rikki had a niece, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I needed her to open up to me. "And this is Noa. We're friends of Luka's. We came as soon as we heard about what had happened to him." I chewed my lip and held out a bouquet of tropical blossoms that we'd picked up in the gift shop on the way into the lobby. "Here. We brought you these."
"Oh. Thank you," Nancy Hale said absently. She took the flowers from my outstretched hands and clutched them in her lap. "He's in bad shape," she said, her voice strained. "He has several broken bones, and he's still unconscious." A sob worked its way out of her throat, and she held her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. "I can't believe that monster ran over my baby."
I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to defend my aunt. "I heard that you saw it happen," I said, reaching out to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. I felt like the scum of the earth for what I was about to do, but if Luka wasn't awake to tell me his side of the story, then I had no choice. "What happened?" I asked gently.
Mrs. Hale took a ragged breath. "Luka still lives at home," she said, giving me a sad little smile. "He's saving up for an apartment in Honolulu." Her lips trembled. "Luka went out to pick up some fast food last night. He said he was craving French fries. I was getting ready for bed when I realized that I'd left my phone charger in the car when I'd come home from work. I walked outside just as Luka was parking his car on the curb—we don't have a very large driveway." Her eyes grew misty, and her shoulders began to shake. I felt sick with guilt over asking the poor woman to relive the moment. "I saw him get out of his car," she said, closing her eyes. "And that's when that psycho on her purple scooter ran him down in the middle of the street." She began to sob.
I grabbed Noa's hand and squeezed it. Lord, forgive me, I thought, taking a deep breath and forcing it back out. "Are you sure it was a purple scooter?" I asked softly. "It must have been hard to tell since it was dark outside."
Mrs. Hale's head snapped up. "How could you ask me that?" she cried, and several other people around the waiting room gave us curious looks. "Of course I'm sure."
My face went hot. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Hale," I backpedaled. "I guess I'm just shocked that someone could hurt poor Luka like that and just drive away. He's such a sweet guy." I swallowed and glanced nervously at Noa. "We just want to be on the lookout so that maybe we can help the police catch whoever did this. Was the driver wearing a helmet? Did you see his face?"
"Her face," Nancy Hale corrected me. "And I didn't have to see it," she said coldly. "I recognized that scooter. It belonged to Luka's crazy boss, Rikki Kalua."
My hands involuntarily balled into fists at my sides. "Are you sure?" I asked again, fighting to keep my voice calm.
"Definitely." She wiped away a tear, her features tight with anger. "I couldn't see her face because she was wearing a helmet, but I just know it was her. They say she killed that poor Watson girl that worked for her, too." She scowled. "That maniac was going to take out her employees one by one. Good thing the police caught her." Mrs. Hale wiped her hand over her face and then blinked up at me. "I'm sorry—what did you say your name was? Jamie?" She sighed. "It's been a long night, and I just need to be alone right now while I wait for Luka to wake up. But thank you for stopping by. It means a lot."
"Sure. We understand." I backed away from the woman, tugging Noa along with me. We turned and left the poor woman to stew in her misery. Shoulders slumped, I trudged back to the parking lot and climbed into Noa's Jeep. "What now?" I asked him, fighting back tears. "Rikki's Vespa was parked at the house when we came back from dinner last night. Does Detective Ray really think she returned from her jog, hopped on the scooter, and took off again to go run over Luka? It just doesn't add up."
Noa's face hardened. "Do you think someone stole it?" He met my gaze. "The rock coming through the window last night could have been a diversion. What if the person who threw it took the Vespa and then attacked Luka?"
My breath caught in my throat. "Yes! That has to be what happened, right? Someone tried to scare us off their trail and then made sure that Luka couldn't talk to the police—and they found a way to frame Rikki again in the process." My heart sank. "So once again my aunt has no alibi, and now one of our suspects is in the hospital."
Noa reached for my hand and gently stroked my fingers. "We'll get through this," he said softly. "Mrs. Hale said whoever was driving Rikki's Vespa was wearing a helmet, but she seemed certain it was your aunt. Could that be because the driver had a similar build? That would mean it must have been a woman, right?"
I felt my face go slack as the realization sunk in. "It was Erin! It's the only explanation that makes sense." I sat up straight in the passenger seat as I strung together the thoughts pinging through my brain. "What if Erin figured out we were onto her after she spotted me at Starlight on the Lagoon last night? If she and Luka really did work together to get rid of Louana, she could have decided to shut him up so he couldn't take her down with him if he decided to confess." And just in time, too, I thought. We'd just pointed Detective Ray in Luka's direction mere hours before the attack. Unfortunately for us, it seemed as if Erin had managed to reach him first.
"She could have stolen your aunt's Vespa so that she could pin Luka's attack on her too," Noa observed. "Rikki was already suspected of killing Lou." His jaw clenched. "With a case already built against her, it probably didn't take much to convince the police that Rik was behind both incidents."
I swore under my breath, feeling helpless and angry. "There has to be something we can do," I said, knitting my brows. "We should go after Erin. We can't let her get away with this."
Noa shook his head. "You promised Ray last night that you wouldn't approach her again, remember?" His forehead wrinkled. "Kales, I know it's frustrating, but we've got to let the police handle this. If Erin Malone was crazy enough to murder Louana, steal Rikki's Vespa, and try to kill Luka, then she's proven just how dangerous she is. She's already furious that you've been following her around. What do you think she's going to do if you show up near her again?"
I frowned. I hated to admit it, but Noa was right. If Erin really was behind Lou's murder and Luka's attack, going after her wasn't safe. I'm more help to Rikki alive than dead, I thought grimly. I heaved a sigh. "I hate this."
Noa reached for my hand and squeezed it. "I know. Me too."
At that moment, my cell phone began to ring. I unhooked it from the charger and found Jamie Parker's name flashing across the screen. "Hey, Jamie," I said into the mouthpiece. "Can I cal
l you back later? Now's not really a good—"
"Girl, you are all over the news!" my friend interrupted, her voice breathless.
"Huh?" I nearly dropped the phone in my lap.
"I was just on Facebook, and your name popped up in the news section," she replied. "You're trending! How crazy is that?"
"Less crazy than you think," I said, feeling a pit of dread form in my stomach. Unfortunately, thanks to my famous ex, I was used to being the subject of trending news stories. I'd even had a few hashtags dedicated to me on Twitter. #HotKaley was my personal favorite. "What is it this time?" I asked wearily.
"Your dinner date with Noa. There are pictures of you guys on TMZ and Entertainment Tonight and at least ten other celebrity gossip sites."
I felt like I'd been sucker-punched. "There are pictures of us?" I asked in a shrill whisper. "In the tabloids?" Goose bumps pricked my arms. Who had photographed us? And where?
"There are photos of y'all having dinner at Starlight on the Lagoon last night," Jamie said. "A couple of bloggers are calling Noa your 'Resort Rebound.' Want me to send you the links?"
"No," I said quickly, feeling mortified. I noticed Noa giving me a sidelong glance, and I turned to face the window so he couldn't see my burning cheeks. "Why is this happening right now?" I moaned softly. "Who could have taken those pics?"
"I think it was that nosy Aloha Sun reporter, Felicity Chase," Jamie said. "It looks like she was the first one to post them."
Of course. I wished I could sink through the Jeep's upholstery. I'd known that woman was trouble from the start. I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger, trying to ward off an inevitable headache. "Thanks for the warning," I told Jamie.
"Anytime. Want me to kick the crap outta Felicity for ya?" she asked, her tone chipper. Despite the world of trouble I was dealing with, I couldn't help but smile at how eager she sounded to come to my defense.
Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 36