Dangerous Depths

by Colleen Coble

“Maybe it’s just a series of random break-ins,” Bane said. He and Leia went to her grandmother’s bedroom and began to pick up the clothing dumped on the floor.

  The phone rang on Ipo’s bedside table, and Leia answered it. Bane could hear Eva’s excited voice through the receiver. Leia spoke in a soothing voice. “I’m fine, Eva. I know you said not to go to the cottage. You were right about it being messed up, but I’m okay.” She spoke a little longer to her sister, then hung up. “Eva and her dreams. She dreamed something happened to my house. Strange, isn’t it?” She began to put things away.

  Bane sorted through the discarded clothing. Did Ipo still wear any of this? The muumuu looked ancient.

  “Bane, look at this.” Leia was holding a brooch. “It’s a diamond-and-sapphire brooch. Why didn’t whoever it was take this? My mother told me once that it was worth several thousand dollars.”

  “We’d better call the police before we straighten anything else up. This is weird.” He plucked the phone from his pocket and dialed 911 to report the break-in. The dispatcher promised to send out an officer, and Bane hung up.

  “There’s more, Bane.” Leia held out a small teak box with the lid open to reveal rumpled hundred-dollar bills. “This was in plain sight with the lid up.”

  “It seems our intruder was after something specific. I wish we could count on your grandmother to know what was missing.”

  “In her lucid moments, she would know, but I don’t think we can believe anything she says today. We’re going to have to figure this out ourselves.”

  “It’s obvious they weren’t after cash.” He closed the lid of the box and set it on the dresser.

  “Could it have anything to do with Koma?” Her eyes widened as her gaze connected with his.

  Bane tore himself away before he drowned in her big blue eyes. “What could Koma have to do with it?”

  “I may be totally off base, but Koma told me to talk to my tûtû. Those were his last words. He said he wanted to show me where the treasure was, but I thought I’d just get another of his stories. What if it wasn’t? What if he really knew where it was—and now tûtû is the only one who knows? She could be in danger too.”

  “Leia,” Bane began, “this place is isolated, and even if someone drove by, they couldn’t see the house for all the trees. No one would hear you if you yelled for help. I think you and your tûtû need to go back to your dad’s place, at least until we figure out what’s going on.”

  Ipo wandered in as he finished, and she was shaking her head. “I’m not leaving my home. Make him leave me alone, Leia.” She covered her face with her hands and began to cry—a pitiful sound that plucked at his heartstrings. He was a sucker for elderly people. Bane sighed. “How about if I stay too? I don’t want you two women out here alone.”

  Ipo didn’t seem to hear him. She continued to wail, and Ajax whined. Leia finally went to her grandmother and put her arms around her. Ipo allowed Leia’s embrace this time, and Leia managed to calm her. “I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Leia said to Bane. “You don’t have to stay. We’re going to the village luau tonight, and there will be lots of people there. My parents are coming too.”

  “I’m either staying or you’re going to your dad’s. Those are your only choices.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Whoever broke in has no fear. He did it in broad daylight.”

  “We don’t know that. Tûtû was so confused earlier, and maybe she awoke to the mess and it disoriented her.”

  He shook his head. “The mud on the carpet was still wet. Whoever it was, he hasn’t been gone long. Your arrival may have frightened him off. Besides, your house was vandalized too.” He stood looking down at her and had to resist a powerful impulse to kiss her. She looked so vulnerable, so frightened. No doubt she wouldn’t welcome his embrace.

  Once Eva talked to Leia and knew she was okay, Eva got out her colored pencils and paper. Her best friend, Lani, looked over her shoulder. Lani was so pretty, with the dark hair Eva had always wanted. She had Down’s too, but she was a year older than Eva and sometimes tried to pretend she was smarter. Eva didn’t think she was, though she loved Lani just like a sister.

  “I’m bored,” Lani said. “You said your friend Hotshot might come. He is just made up, isn’t he? He’s not real.”

  “The boys told you they play basketball with him.” Eva tried not to let her friend bother her. Lani just hadn’t seen Hotshot before, and she was jealous. “He’s real.” Her gaze touched on the woods that lined the park. “There he is!” She jumped to her feet, and her pencils scattered over the grass. She knelt and tried to grab them up, but they kept escaping her thick fingers. If only she had slim, pretty fingers like Leia and Malia instead of these short, stubby things.

  Lani stood with her mouth dangling as Hotshot came toward them. He stopped when he saw Lani, and his smile faded. Eva got up from the ground. She didn’t want to make him mad, but she wanted her two friends to meet. She stuck her fingers in her mouth, then remembered she wasn’t supposed to do that. She pulled her hand down and put it in the pocket of her shorts. “Hi, Hotshot,” she said.

  He acted like he didn’t know her and walked on past her. Tears filled Eva’s eyes. “He’s mad at me,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t care. He’s old,” Lani said. “I think he’s scary. You shouldn’t go anywhere with him.”

  “He’s my friend. He was just mad you were here.” Eva resolved to make it up to Hotshot somehow.

  Fourteen

  Her grandmother calmed down as evening fell. “We must go to the luau,” she told Leia and Bane. “I promised Jenny I’d bring sesame-cabbage salad. I made it yesterday and it’s all ready.”

  Leia had been hoping to talk her grandmother out of the party in town, but at least the clouds in Ipo’s head had parted. She heard the crunch of tires on gravel outside and looked out the window. Bane’s brother stepped out of the village van that delivered people to various areas of the peninsula. “Mano is here,” she told Bane.

  “He thought he’d be in time for the luau.” Bane smiled and went to the door. Ajax began to bark and ran out first.

  Leia followed Bane outside as Mano came striding through the yard. He held the hand of a diminutive Asian girl who wore a smile that could light up a room. The young woman knelt and threw her arms around Ajax’s neck. While she wasn’t exactly beautiful, she had a charm that made Leia instantly warm to her.

  “You must be Annie,” Leia said, stepping out to meet her. “I’m Leia.”

  “I get a hug before we get on with the introductions.” Mano’s beefy arms enveloped Leia in a tight embrace. “It’s been too long.”

  Bane was taller and thinner than his brother, with long, sleek limbs. Mano looked more fully Hawaiian with his massive arms, broad chest, and muscular legs. Hugging him was like being swallowed up by a bear. Leia had always felt comfortable around Mano. He fully approved of her, which seemed to be a rare occurrence in her life.

  “I want to meet your fiancée.” Leia turned to the young woman. “I’ve heard all about you, Annie. I thought you’d be wearing a Wonder Woman outfit.” She extended her hand and Annie took it.

  Annie stood, and Ajax went to greet Mano. “Whatever these Oana men tell you, cut it in half and you might get close to the truth.” Annie’s smile was friendly. “Kaia will meet us in town.”

  Leia released Annie’s hand. “I’ve been eager to talk to you about the earthquake swarms happening just offshore. Do we have a problem?”

  Annie nodded. “It’s looking pretty serious, Leia. The swarms are increasing. We may actually have an event brewing.”

  “An event? Are we talking a major earthquake?”

  “It’s too soon to tell, but there’s something happening, maybe a new magma chamber forming.”

  “We found the treasure ship. An earthquake or eruption could destroy it.”

  “It might be an earthquake, but my gut tells me a new seamount is forming that’s getting ready to spew. Hawai’i might be gaining
another island that will merge with Moloka’i.”

  Leia suspected it might be true, but she’d hoped she was wrong. “If lava starts pouring out, the water will be too hot to work and too murky with ash to see. It will gum up our equipment too.”

  “I’d suggest you work fast. Don’t quote me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an eruption in the next week or so.”

  Leia gasped. She hadn’t expected news of this magnitude. All her bright hopes of making a huge discovery began to fade. There was no way they could excavate the ship in that time. “Is there any way to tell for sure how much time we have?”

  Annie shook her head, and her dark eyes were full of regret. “Aloha no. Predicting lava flow is like trying to surf the pipeline—it takes all your expertise and you still wipe out a lot. I’ve been wrong as often as I’ve been right. So you might have longer than I just said, but I think it’s coming. I’d like to get down there and take a look. Have you seen any rocks tossed up through the cracks?”

  Leia shook her head. “Not that I noticed.”

  “I can probably tell once I get down there. My boss said I can stay as long as I like if the captain of the ship will allow me to use his facilities as a base. I brought some portable equipment, and I want to put in some GPS recorders along the seafloor. They will tell us if there is any movement or thrust.”

  Leia grew more and more impressed with the tiny woman’s knowledge and expertise. She could only hope and pray Annie was wrong about how long they had.

  The Kalaupapa luau was in full swing when they arrived. Tiki lights flickered, and the citronella had so far managed to repel the mosquitoes. Leia’s father had brought his drums, and the Oana family had promised some hula demonstrations later in the evening.

  Bane found Leia talking to Kaia by the stone fountain. Ajax lay at Kaia’s feet. The kapa skirt Leia wore reached her knees, and her white top glowed in the soft lights strung around the perimeter of the garden. He knew he was staring and tried to stop, but she took his breath away. He wanted to quote “She Walks in Beauty Like the Night” by Lord Byron, but she’d laugh if she even realized he read poetry.

  “We should probably mingle. Shaina Levy looks lonely over there.” He indicated the woman who sat alone on a stone bench. She kept looking into the jungle as though she expected Tarzan to come swinging out of the trees any minute. If someone made a loud noise, she’d likely run screaming from the place.

  Besides, he was interested in finding out more about her. Bane took Leia’s arm and guided her toward the seated woman. For once, Leia didn’t pull away. “Listen, there’s something about Shaina I haven’t told anyone. She claims Tony is her little girl’s father. Tony was worried about it.”

  “Does Candace know?”

  “Not when I spoke to Tony. I don’t know if Shaina has told her yet or not. Maybe we can find out.” He led the way to join Shaina.

  “Hi, Shaina, are you enjoying yourself ?” Leia asked. She stood looking down at the other woman with a smile that Bane thought would prompt anyone to unload their burdens.

  Shaina’s smile seemed forced. “Of course. I wanted to attend a luau while I was here, but I never expected to get to come to one as authentic as this.” A cell phone chirped, and she fumbled in her purse. “Excuse me a minute.” She flipped it open and answered it. “Andi, is something wrong?” She hunched over the phone with tense shoulders.

  Bane could hear a young voice on the other end, but he couldn’t make out what was said.

  “I’m trying to get the money together,” Shaina was saying softly. “I’ll be home as soon as I do. Don’t worry, this will all be over soon. Listen, I’ve got to go.” She listened a moment. “I know it’s hard, baby, but hang in there. I love you.” She clicked off the phone and dropped it back into her purse. “Sorry about that. My five-year- old daughter is staying with my mom and getting tired of it.”

  Leia’s attention went back to Shaina. “I’m sure she’s fun to have around.”

  This time Shaina’s smile was genuine. “She’s a great kid! She’s been sick a lot, but she rarely complains.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  Shaina’s smile faded. “She has muscular dystrophy. It’s been hard to squeak by with all the medical costs. My insurance premiums are through the roof. I’m here trying to drum up some new business for my new line of clothing. If I can get some accounts, I want to move her into a house near a school in New York that caters to children like her.”

  New York? She’d said something earlier about L.A. Bane noticed the way she stared earnestly into Leia’s face as though trying to convince her of her sincerity.

  “This trip sure turned into a nightmare for you,” Leia said. “I wouldn’t think there would be much business you could connect with here on Moloka’i. It doesn’t have the tourism like O’ahu or Mau’i have. What made you come here?”

  Trust a woman to hone in on shopping facts. Bane hadn’t even thought of that. He watched Shaina drop her gaze.

  She recovered her aplomb. “Well, I was working on accounts on O’ahu, but the opportunity came up to check out the island here. I hadn’t realized there were so few shops until I got here.” Her gaze shifted away. “I decided to take up Tony’s offer of a job while I was here.”

  Tony had talked like she’d forced him into offering her a job. Bane watched her. “Did you know anyone here? It makes for a lonely adventure when you don’t have anyone to share it with.”

  She didn’t meet his gaze. “No, no one. I’d always wanted to see this island though, and there was no time like the present.”

  “Look, I guess I should be honest with you,” Bane said. “Tony told me about your claims that he was Andi’s father.”

  Shaina’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think anyone knew but Candace,” she mumbled.

  “You told Candace?”

  She nodded. “How did you know?”

  “He mentioned it before his last dive. But he thought Candace didn’t know.”

  “She called me a liar.” Shaina lifted her chin and gave a slight toss of her head. “She just doesn’t want to face the facts. And I’m not leaving until I get something for Andi. I have to have help.” Her dark eyes held a feverish light.

  Bane’s gaze wandered to Leia, and he saw from her expression that she shared his suspicions.

  Fifteen

  Leia’s father and uncle sat at the drums; their thumping rhythm like a drug in Leia’s limbs. She knew Kaia and Malia felt the same way. Hula was as much a part of them as their hair color and blood type. “Let’s dance,” she called out.

  “I’m ready.” Bane came toward her.

  He’d changed into a malo, a loincloth covered with strips of kapa that hung to midthigh. A necklace of shark teeth hung around his neck, and leis of shark teeth and leaves circled his ankles and wrists. Mano was dressed like Bane, but she barely noticed him. Leia realized she was staring at Bane and dropped her gaze. Her heartbeat resounded with the throb of the drums.

  The two men began a hula ku’i Moloka’i. It made Leia breath-less just to watch. Ajax barked and ran around the dancers. Leia called him to her and put her arm around his neck to quiet him. Their thumping feet and chants choreographed with the thrusting, aggressive movements of their arms and necks and the gut-tural battle chant. Leia had to hang on to Ajax’s collar to keep him from joining the hula. She watched in rapt attention as their dance told the story of a group of fishermen who encountered a sea monster. The men were glistening with perspiration when they finished. Leia and Kaia jumped to their feet and cheered. Annie clapped in a sedate manner, but the pride on her face spoke volumes.

  “Whew, I have to sit down,” Mano said. “My blood-sugar levels haven’t been very stable lately. Exercise makes it worse.”

  Annie got him some water, then the women lined up to take the place of the men. Akoni and her uncle Makoni changed the rhythm of the drums to a more mellow pace. The women had begun to sing “Aloha Ku’u Pua” when Ipo stepped up to the li
ne. “You’re wearing my pau,” she said to Leia. “I need it back if I’m going to dance.” Tûtû folded her arms over her chest.

  Leia looked down at her pau. She’d made the kapa hula skirt just two weeks ago. Her grandmother had never seen this one. Leia had another skirt in her bedroom at Tûtû’s, though it would never encircle her grandmother’s girth. But maybe a walk would clear her grandmother’s head. She motioned to the other women to go ahead with the dance, then took her grandmother’s arm. “I think your pau is at home. Let’s go look for it.”

  Her mother half rose as if to go with her, but Leia shook her head, and her mother sank back into her seat. Leia led her grand-mother to the shuttle. Tûtû didn’t speak during the short drive to the cottage. Leia thanked the driver and led her grandmother down the hall to her room. Leia kept hula memorabilia her grandmother had given her in the closet. Pictures of her father from babyhood through adulthood hung on the walls and adorned every surface of the battered dresser. The room still held the hint of the sandalwood incense her father was so fond of, even now.

  “Where’s my pau?” Tûtû asked in a fretful voice. She glanced around and her eyes began to clear. She looked out the open window toward the beach and cocked her head as if she heard the hula chants. “Leia, we should be out serving our guests. We don’t have time to be inside.” She started toward the door, then a picture caught her eye. It was of a young Akoni dressed in hula garb. “He was twenty-seven here,” she said, picking it up. “Your grandfather was a kupuna that put other dancers to shame.”

  “Isn’t that Makua ?” Leia took the picture from her grand-mother and stared at it. She’d always thought the young man in the picture was her father. Studying it now, she could see the differences. Her tûtû-man had a little broader nose, and his mouth was wider than her father’s.

  “I need to give you the kapa,” her grandmother said. “The treasure needs guarding now that Koma is dead.”

  Leia jerked her head up, and she stared at her grandmother. She expected to see Tûtû looking bewildered again, but the dark eyes regarding her were clear and bright. “What treasure?” she asked. “Koma told me to talk to you about it. Do you know where he buried it?”