Black Jasmine (2012)

by Toby Neal

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were here? I caught about half your performance from the gallery.” The back wall of the interview room was two-way glass.

  “Sorry. I was in a hurry, wanted to get to the interview before Silva got released.” They walked side by side toward the main work area. Lei slid her hands into her pockets, familiar guilt irritating her. She seldom remembered to do the right girlfriend shit, like calling him. She turned to him with a bright smile. “Well, it’s time to head home. Want to go get something to eat on our way?”

  “We can hit Ichiban. I have to shut down the workstation first.”

  “I’ll meet you there; just want to wrap things up with Bunuelos. He was a big help.”

  Stevens peeled off to the left, and Lei went onto the main floor, a typical government maze of soundproofed cubicles in industrial gray with the occasional “inspirational” print to liven things up. Bunuelos met her at his cubicle after releasing Silva. He gave her a high-five.

  “You have a gift. Silva is totally paranoid now. He was practically peeing himself.”

  “Good. Maybe he’ll keep it in his pants now. What a scumbag, so worried about his wife finding out.”

  Bunuelos’s partner, Abe Torufu, came in. Lei had noticed the contrast between the two of them from day one—Bunuelos was a wiry Filipino with the build and energy of a rat terrier, while his partner loomed, a slow-moving Tongan mountain. Torufu sat down on his chair. The overwhelmed equipage squealed and moaned, but held.

  “Well, I’m off for the night, but I just wanted to thank you for helping me out. We got some names to follow up on, and that’s huge. I’m crazy to know this girl’s name.” Lei tapped the folder with the photos.

  “A pleasure. Interesting case. Keep me posted on it, and if you need any help, let me know.”

  “You and Stevens a thing?” Torufu asked, spinning his chair in her direction, a toothpick protruding from between Chiclets-sized teeth.

  “Uh. Yeah.” Lei felt a blush prickle her hairline. “Is there a problem?”

  “No. Just explains it; that’s all.”

  “Explains what?” Lei put her hands on her hips.

  “Nothing.” Both of them turned to their computers.

  “C’mon, guys. Really. He a bad boss or something?”

  “No, fine; it’s all good.” They’d become very intent all of a sudden, eyes on their monitors.

  “Okay, then. Bye.” Lei shook her head as she left.

  “Lemme know if you need me,” Bunuelos called after her again.

  “Will do.” Lei hurried down the hall. She didn’t have time for male mind games. Japanese food sounded delicious, and the sooner the better.

  Stevens was already seated at the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant minutes away from the station. He’d ordered a Kirin for her, which she sipped while perusing the menu. They chose tempura and teriyaki beef, and when the waitress left, Lei bounced and wiggled a bit in her seat.

  “Got a good lead. The name of a guy who hired a company that provided the girls. Our Jane Doe was one of them.”

  “I know. I was there for that part,” Stevens said dryly. “I like your bad cop. Nicely done. The smacks on the photo were a tad theatrical, but they worked.”

  “I shouldn’t enjoy it so much, but damn, that guy was so gross. I mean, can you see him with some poor little teenage girl?” She shuddered. “I wanted to put the fear in him so bad he can’t get it up for a hooker ever again.”

  “That’s the world we live in. Nasty people doing nasty shit.” Stevens rubbed his eyes with his hand. She noticed for the first time they were even more deep-set than usual, ringed in shadows. She put her hand on his on the table; he turned it up and warm energy flowed between them. They laced their fingers together. Lei felt a rush of compassion for him.

  “What’s the matter?” She finally had the nerve to ask.

  “Nothing really. Just getting tired, I guess. Office politics.” He still wasn’t telling her.

  “Okay.” Lei couldn’t tell if the feeling she had was relief or disappointment.

  The food arrived, and Lei ate with her usual focus and enthusiasm, hungry from all the exercise. Between bites, she told him about the raid, making Stevens laugh with her rendering of the irate rooster owners tackling each other with their hands tied. It felt good to hear him laugh, see him relax, the darkness around his eyes pull back a bit.

  “Pono took it hard about the birds, though.” She finished the story. “He left work early—meaning on time for once. I’ve never seen him so upset. The Steel Butterfly finally got to him.”

  “Watch out for her,” Stevens said. “I hear she can be a bad enemy.”

  “I’m doing my best. I never speak unless spoken to. I can’t help that she thinks I’m a train wreck, though.” Lei took a sip of her beer, swallowing past the lump in her throat.

  “Hey.” She looked up. His penetrating blue eyes were on her, stripping her bare. He saw past her defenses—he’d always been able to. Then Stevens smiled, the crooked flash she loved so well.

  “You could take her. That’s a chick fight I wouldn’t mind seeing.”

  “I don’t know. I hear she has a black belt.”

  “Well, what are you up to in Tae Kwon Do? Red?”

  She ducked her head. “It’s going okay, yeah.” She’d joined a nearby dojo in Wailuku and took a class twice a week. “So what’s got you so bothered? I’ve been telling you a lot about my cases. I’m not hearing anything about yours.”

  “Not much to tell. They got me doing a lot of training with the new detectives. That’s not what’s on my mind, though.” He sighed. Uh-oh. Here it came—the problem he’d been holding on to.

  “I’m just…wondering where this is going.” He gestured back and forth between them. “This. Us.”

  “I don’t know. We’re living together and having some excellent sex? What more is there?” She tried a smile.

  He shook his head. “I just feel like we’re…not going in the same direction. Maybe it’s that I’m older, got this promotion, starting to build something here that I know I won’t want to leave. I don’t get that feeling from you. You’re still thinking about the FBI, aren’t you?”

  “Marcella keeps in touch, yeah. You know she thinks I’d be a good agent out here because of the multicultural thing.”

  “So I’m wondering, where does that leave me if you take off for the Academy?”

  “Well, it’s not forever, the Academy. I’d be back. Eventually. Marcella says they’ll want to post me some places after training, so I can get some seasoning.”

  “I’m not getting any younger. I can’t go with you.”

  “Thirty-four isn’t old.” She took his big, warm hand, bit his finger, and laid it against her cheek. “My biological clock’s not even wound yet. We’ve got plenty of time.”

  He pulled his hand away. “You’re not the only one with a biological clock.”

  He reached into his pocket, set the little black velvet box on the table between them.

  “Dammit, Michael, you promised you wouldn’t do this to me again.” Tears prickled the backs of Lei’s eyes, and she blinked rapidly. “You know this freaks me out.”

  “I need something, too. I need to know we’re going to be together. If I know that, I can wait. I can tell myself, someday she might be ready to settle down—have a family.”

  “I can’t make those kinds of promises.” Her heart had begun thundering, blood roaring, claustrophobia bringing blackness around the edges of her vision. She pinched her leg through her jeans to anchor herself.

  “Then I’m thinking I need to get this over with. I can’t put my life on hold forever, hoping you’ll be…ready for more.”

  “Isn’t what we have enough?” Her throat seemed to close, strangling words to explain. Their relationship was perfect to her; it was all she wanted. She loved what they had—the little house, runs with Keiki, leisurely weekends having adventures or making love all afternoon. Why couldn’t that be
enough for him?

  “I love you. I love what we have.” He must have seen the panic in her eyes, because he took both her hands, rubbed the palms and then the backs with his thumbs, touch keeping her in her body. “I just want that and to know we’ll always be together—and throw in a couple kids someday, too.”

  She closed her eyes, did some relaxation breathing, feeling the calm his touch brought. His thumbs caressing the thin skin of her wrist, the pulse point of her blood, seemed to be the only thing that meant anything. Panic brought on by her inadequacies, his possible abandonment, and the use of the word “kids”—all gradually receded. After a long moment, she opened her eyes and found herself looking into his—eyes so blue they held bits of white like stars. Those eyes reflected everything he felt, always had.

  “I can’t promise,” she finally said, her voice a whisper. “But I can think about it. I can try.”

  She took her hands out of his, opened the box. In it was the old-fashioned ring his grandmother had left him, a cushion-cut diamond surrounded by baguettes set like petals on a daisy. She knew that ring and had missed it. She’d worn it for several months before the actual wedding plans had sent her running away in terror to Kaua`i.

  “I love this ring.” She picked it up. “You don’t even know how much I wish I could be what you want, say yes, do the whole white picket fence thing. But I tried already and broke your heart. I don’t want to do that to you any more than you want me to. But I can wear this on a chain, and when I know one way or another, I’ll either give it back to you and we’ll be pau, finished, or I’ll put it on my finger, and we’ll get married. That’s the best I can do.”

  “That’s fair.” She could tell it wasn’t what he wanted to hear by the way he sat back against the orange plastic of the booth, dark brows lowering—but it was all she could give.

  “It’s Charlie Kwon’s fault. If I do something about what he did to me—I might be able to move on.”

  “Fuck Charlie Kwon and that old pedophile shit. This is you; this is me.” He leaned forward, intense, and lifted the hand she’d slipped the ring on. He nibbled her fingertip, drew it into his mouth. Tingles of feeling shot down her arm and headed south. She’d forget about Charlie, forget anything, if he kept that up. The waitress appeared, and Stevens let go of her hand and picked up the check.

  “Let’s get home so you can start convincing me to get married,” Lei said, leaning forward to put her hand on his leg, working upward.

  “On it,” he said, fumbling for his wallet.

  They hurried home. Lei’s hair was sure to be a wreck again in the morning.

  Chapter 6

  The dark was blooming with dawn when Lei got up. She padded into the bathroom, washed up, brushed her teeth, and got into running clothes. Back in the bedroom, she looked over at Stevens, his body a dark outline against the white sheets. Her mind filled in the long, solid contours of his body, the warm hollows and ridges she’d come to know so well, fitting under his collarbone, tucked against his side like she’d been measured for the space.

  She wanted to climb back into bed, spoon up against the long, elegant curve of his body into that spot that was hers. But inside her, an inner restlessness wound tight in her sternum, pounded along her veins, demanding freedom and movement.

  It hurt to leave, even while that tension drove her.

  Lei opened the simple koa box Stevens had given her to hold her few jewelry items. Coiled in the bottom like a handful of rose petals was the Ni`ihau shell necklace she’d been given on Kaua`i, her Tahitian pearl earrings, and an eighteen-inch gold snake chain with a cross that Aunty Rosario had given her for Christmas. She slipped the cross off of it and fumbled the diamond ring out of its box. She threaded it onto the chain, tucking it under her shirt as she headed for the door.

  Keiki danced happily by the gate as Lei put on her running shoes. She slipped the choke chain over the big dog’s head, snapping the leash to get her back on task.

  They set off down the deserted two-lane road, a few wild roosters crowing greetings from the tops of mango trees as mynahs began their morning gossip against the lightening sky. The steep, jungled green slopes of `Iao Valley rose around her, cradling her with the ancient intensity they’d always held, making the Valley one of Maui’s most sacred places. Keiki lunged and snorted.

  “Okay, girl.”

  They picked up their speed to full blast, running down the deserted two-lane road toward the back of the valley, and the relaxation she’d been looking for came to Lei at last. At the park at the end of the paved road, they turned back, jogging beside the stream.

  The liquid song of the stream was pierced by the chirping of her phone from her pocket, a jarring mechanical note. Lei checked the number—someone on the Mainland. They must not know it was only six thirty a.m. here.

  “Texeira.”

  “Lei Texeira? This is Diane Buchanan at Lompoc Federal Correctional Facility.”

  “Oh hi, Diane. Something up?”

  “You asked me to keep an eye on what’s happening with Charlie Kwon. Well, he was granted parole.”

  “No. Seriously?” Lei stopped, bent over to suck in some air. She wasn’t just out of breath from running. Scumbag was supposed to be in for fifteen years and had served only five.

  “Well, we’ve got a crowding problem, and he successfully completed the sex offender rehabilitation program. The psychologist signed off. I did what I could at the hearing, but in the end I think it was the space issue that did it. His parole is being handled by Corrections Aftercare Solutions, and he’s being returned to Oahu next week.”

  Lei tried to get air, but it didn’t seem to want to go into her lungs.

  “You okay?” the social worker asked. She’d been very sympathetic when Lei visited the year before and talked to her about being abused by Kwon; she’d agreed to keep Lei informed of his progress and whereabouts.

  “I’m fine, thanks. I’m just out running.” Lei’s mind raced. Aftercare Solutions. She was familiar with them because of her father’s process last year upon his release after a long-term stretch for dealing. The private nonprofit handled parole monitoring and reintegration of ex-cons into the community with the end goal of lowering the recidivism rate. As far as Lei could tell, they were accomplishing that while saving the state some money.

  The reintegration program was probably beefed up for sex offenders. She should be able to get Charlie Kwon’s location out of them with just her badge.

  “Diane, I know you must have done what you could. Thanks so much for letting me know.”

  “I just want victims to get help and closure.”

  “I so appreciate your advocacy.” Social workers loved words like “advocacy,” and Lei definitely planned on getting closure on Kwon.

  Lei closed the phone and slid it into her pocket, then cranked up the speed again to get home quickly. She’d waited a long time to deal with the man who’d stolen her childhood, and now he was almost within reach.

  Chapter 7

  Lei pulled the Tacoma into a parking spot at Kahului Harbor. The Rainbow Duchess loomed above her, a vast floating wedding cake of cruise ship fantasy, glowing in the morning sun. Pono jumped out of his purple truck beside her, slamming the door. He looked fresh and sassy in a big man’s hibiscus-flowered aloha shirt and chinos.

  “Hey, partner. Glad you got my message.” They fell in step toward the ship.

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  “You seem in a better mood. You okay about the chicken thing?”

  “Sure.” He paused midstride, glanced at her. A dimple appeared in the brown wall of his cheek. “We have a new pet at the Kaihale house.”

  “You’re kidding!” Lei stopped, put her hands on her hips. “Tell me you’re kidding!”

  He walked on. “Nope. His name’s Jet. I know a guy who can do something to his vocal cords to chill out his crowing; once I promised Tiare we’d do that, she said it was okay. He’s bedded down in the laundry room.”

  L
ei laughed aloud. They did a fist bump.

  “That’s my boy! What’d the Humane Society say?”

  “Nothing. I said I needed the bird for evidence collection. I’m sure they thought I was going to take him out back and chop his head off.”

  “Gotta catch you up on the follow-up from the raid, but here’s what we know so far about the missing guy off the ship.” Lei sketched in the details she’d picked up about the Simmons disappearance.

  They boarded the ship and were met by the coordinator, a dapper young man with a wannabe mustache who led them up to the captain’s office. It was a handsome wood-paneled room with a magnificent view, fifteen floors above the harbor. Lei tried not to let on how impressed she was as the captain shook their hands and sat them at the conference table.

  He was an imposing silver-haired man dressed in crisp whites, radiating authority.

  “I hope we can get some traction on this soon. We’re set to sail out of here at nine a.m.,” the captain boomed.

  “I’m sorry. That’s definitely out of the question,” Lei said. “You’re missing a passenger who may have met foul play or an accident on board. We have to at least have time to search the ship.”

  “We’ve already done that. I had my crew do a top-to-bottom. We didn’t find him.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t just take your word for it,” Lei said. Pono was already dialing Lieutenant Omura.

  “You can speak to our commanding officer,” Pono said a moment later, and handed the cell phone over.

  The captain had met his match in the lieutenant, and in the end he threw his hands up in disgust after handing back the phone. “Take the time you need to interview people and do your search, but I warn you, the natives are going to be restless. I’m going to make the announcement that we can’t leave port on schedule.”

  The detectives ensconced themselves at the conference table. The purser brought in the red-eyed bride, a large woman in her fifties with orange hair and a flowing purple caftan. A gigantic square-cut diamond glittered on her finger.