O'ahu Lonesome Tonight? (Islands of Aloha Mystery Series #5)

by Bassett, JoAnn

  “Thank God.”

  “Yeah. They’re taking him in right now to do it.”

  “I’ll come down.”

  “No, you stay there. You get some rest and come relieve me in a few hours. They said he’ll be in surgery for at least four hours, maybe five.”

  “Wow. It takes that long to chop off a leg?” As soon as I said it I regretted it. But trying to explain myself would just make it worse.

  He chuckled. “Ya know, I thought the same thing. But I couldn’t say that to the doctor. I was afraid he’d think I was a jerk.”

  “I’ll be back before seven,” I said. “Then you can go home and I’ll take the night shift.”

  “Mahalo, Pali. I’m saying prayers I haven’t said since high school. You believe in praying?”

  “At this point, I believe in everything.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “See you at seven.”

  “Love you, Pali,” he said.

  I got a catch in my throat and gargled, “Love you, too, Moko,” before hanging up.

  I picked up the bedside clock and tried to figure out how to turn on the alarm. I got it set for six-thirty and flopped back on the bed. I was nearly asleep when my phone went off again. Is this the life of a night shift worker? I thought. Trying to sleep during the day was impossible.

  I rolled over and took the call. “Hey, it’s me, Lono,” said a male voice.

  Lono? When I hesitated, the guy went on, “You know, about the car? You still want to sell your car, man?”

  “I’m afraid you have the wrong number,” I said.

  “You’re not Lono?” He sounded disappointed.

  “No.”

  Then he rattled off a phone number that wasn’t even remotely similar to mine and said, “This isn’t it?”

  “No.”

  “Sorry.” He clicked off.

  I disconnected and stared at the phone for a few seconds before noticing a little icon showing that I’d missed an incoming call. I checked it. The call must’ve come in while I was on the bus. It was a familiar number, so I called back immediately.

  CHAPTER 23

  Farrah answered on the second ring. A bolt of guilt shot through me when I realized I hadn’t talked to her since she’d been stranded at Tomika’s high rise waiting out the rain storm.

  “Hey,” I said. “I hope you’re back home.”

  “I am. We got back late last night. I would’ve called you when we got here, but it was way past your bedtime.”

  “My bedtime’s not what it used to be,” I said.

  “Huh?”

  “I’ve been keeping strange hours. Down at Queen’s Hospital.”

  “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, but my brother Stuart isn’t. Did you see the news? He was the guy who fell into the Ala Wai Canal on Tuesday night.”

  “Oh, my gosh. That was him? Is he okay?”

  “Not even. He picked up an infection and he’s hanging on for dear life. In fact, they’re amputating his leg today.”

  “Oh no. That’s awful.” She paused. “I haven’t been keeping up with the news much. Probably because I’ve been busy making my own news.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Obviously, she expected me to say, ‘what’s going on?’ but I knew whatever she had to tell me wasn’t going to dull the pain I felt over my brother’s situation.

  “Don’t you want to know what it is?” she said. Her voice sounded bruised.

  She was my best friend. I forced myself to rally. “Sure. I’m sorry to be so out of it. I spent the whole night at the hospital and I’m kind of groggy.”

  “Maybe I should let you go,” she said. Now her voice had an edge. “You can call me when you’re in the mood to talk.”

  “No, I’m always in the mood to talk to you. Just tell me your news. I’m sure it will cheer me up.”

  “Okay, are you ready for this?”

  Farrah was the queen of tah-dah. If I wanted to stay on her good side, I’d better get out my pom-poms and play cheerleader.

  “Yeah. Really. Tell me; I can’t wait!”

  That must’ve done the trick because she said, “Ono asked me to marry him.”

  “What!?” If Farrah wanted a big response to her tah-dah, she got it. I think whoever was on the other side of my bedroom wall probably got it too.

  “Hey, you don’t need to yell in my ear. I’ll be the only bride in the world who has to get a hearing aid that coordinates with her wedding colors.”

  “Seriously? You and Ono are seriously talking about getting married? But you just met him.”

  “You know how I work. I don’t operate on the usual time/space continuum. My ‘knowing’ comes from deeper sources.”

  “Farrah, I understand. And I respect your deeper sources. But please tell me you’re at least considering a long engagement.”

  She giggled. “Well, sure. It’s not like we’re running down to the courthouse next week or whatever. We want you to do our wedding for us. That is, if you can squeeze us in next month.”

  “Next month? Why so soon?”

  “Because I always wanted to get married on Halloween. And if we miss it next month we’ll have to wait a whole year. And we can’t wait that long. We just can’t.”

  A thick fog of fatigue suddenly enveloped me. More than anything, I just wanted to lie back down on the bed and sleep until I couldn’t sleep another minute.

  “I’m so happy for both of you,” I said. “But today has been such a weird day. I’ll be home as soon as Stu gets out of surgery and he’s on the mend. As soon as I get back, you and I will have to hit the ground running. Dresses, flowers, shoes, music, caterers—the whole nine yards.”

  “Mahalo, Pali. And of course I want you to be my maid of honor. Will you do it?”

  “I’d be honored.”

  “Oh, I get it,” she said. “That’s why they call it ‘maid of honor.’ Because it’s an honor.”

  I held back saying I’d always questioned the ‘honor’ of buying a dress I’d probably never wear again, hosting a bridal shower and a tacky bachelorette party, and running interference on the big day so the bride could remain serene and composed. But that was the wedding planner in me. The best friend in me thought, ‘Wow. My best friend’s in love. With a great guy. And they’re getting married.’

  It would be an honor to be part of such a happy event.

  ***

  The alarm went off at six-thirty and I got up and slipped on my clothes. I ate a bowl of cereal for dinner and checked the bus schedule on my phone. The next #42 came in exactly ten minutes so I had to hustle. Even if I made it I wouldn’t make it to the hospital before seven-thirty. I normally pride myself on punctuality, but only when I have control over the situation. Here I was away from home, without a car, and my sleep cycle was all out of whack. So, like every other local I’ve encountered in my lifetime, I cut myself some slack on being tardy.

  Moko had a little kid with him in the waiting room. He nudged the boy, who from his size I figured was the nine-year-old, and they both stood to greet me.

  “Pali, this is my son, Kiwini,” Moko said. Then he stage-whispered to the boy, “Shake her hand, Kiwi. This is your Auntie Pali.”

  The little guy shot out his hand but kept his head down. I was so moved by being called “auntie” that I gave up any urge to tell the kid he was supposed to look the person in the eye when he shook hands.

  “I’m happy to meet, you Kiwini,” I said.

  “Yeah. My friends say, ‘Kiwi’. Just ‘Kiwi’.” He was a more sullen version of Moko. Built kind of square, with dark hair and eyes, he could’ve passed for a native Hawaiian.

  “Got it. I know all about having two names. I’ve got another name that I never go by. So as far as I’m concerned, your name is ‘Kiwi’. Nothing else.”

  The kid looked up and smiled. Then he flicked his eyes to his dad.

  “Uh, Kiwi’s kinda hungry,” Moko said. “We were waiting for you to get here.”
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  “Sorry I’m late. The bus comes when it comes.”

  “No worries. But if you don’t mind, we’re gonna head out.”

  “Any word from the doctor?” I said.

  “Nah, Stu’s still in surgery. The nurse came out a little after four and said they hadn’t started yet. So it’ll be more like eight when they’re done.”

  “You go home,” I said. “I’ll call when I hear anything.”

  We hugged good-bye and I bent over to give Kiwi a hug. His eyes grew wide, like he was bracing himself for a shot, so I just patted his shoulder. “I’m glad I got to see you. I don’t know too many of my new ohana and you’re the first nephew I’ve met. You’ll always be special to me.”

  He smiled and nodded, and they left. I heard Kiwi questioning his dad about what I’d meant by ‘new ohana’ as they made their way to the elevator.

  It left me thinking about everything that had happened in the past six months. Finding my long lost father; learning the truth behind my mother’s tragic death. For a person who grew up an orphan, I’d certainly had my share of family tragedy. Maybe that’s why it was so important to me that Stu pull through this. I was starting to feel like a jinx. Like being related to me would bring down a world of hurt on anyone who claimed me as ohana. But that was stupid. Right?

  CHAPTER 24

  The doctor didn’t show up until after ten o’clock that night. I was half-heartedly reading a book I’d gotten free on my Kindle and I couldn’t remember the plot or the characters or even what kind of book it was supposed to be.

  “Miss Wilkerson?” the doctor said. Since I’d told him I was Stuart’s sister, it was a reasonable mistake.

  “Yes?” I stood up to get the news.

  “Your brother came through it just fine. He’s in Recovery, but we expect to bring him back up here to the ICU within the hour.”

  He paused. I guessed he was giving me time to ask a question, but what could I say? Is he going to be all right? Is this going to stem the infection? Does he know you sawed his leg off? Rather than ask questions no one could answer, I stayed silent.

  “You’re probably wondering about his prognosis,” he said. “And I wish I could be more optimistic. But only time will tell if this latest effort pans out.”

  I thanked him for his work and for coming to talk to me.

  He looked around the deserted waiting room. “Oh,” he said. “You may want to alert other family members that these next few hours are critical.”

  Talk about cryptic. I wanted to ask him to explain what the heck that meant, but then I figured it out for myself.

  I looked behind the potted plant and the pillow was still there. I scrunched it up and crammed it in between two of the lightly padded armchairs. I said my second prayer in less than a day and then curled up and drifted off to sleep.

  ***

  I awoke to the feeling of being watched. I opened on eye and saw Jason standing over me.

  “I see you’re using the pillow I brought,” he said.

  I sat up. “You brought me this? I really appreciate it. They design these waiting rooms to make ‘waiting’ about as comfortable as ‘water-boarding’.”

  “Yeah. I came by to see how Stu was doing but they still wouldn’t let me see him so I left you the pillow. Hoped it would help.”

  “You walk around carrying a pillow?”

  He smiled. “Nah, I had it because I thought Natalie might be here. Thought she might appreciate a little comfort. She hasn’t been answering her phone so I thought maybe she was here.”

  “As far as I know, she hasn’t been here since we talked with the doctor about taking Stu’s leg. I guess her morning sickness has really kicked up and—”

  “Yeah, so I gathered. I’m not dissing her or nothin’ but if it were me in there, I’d hope my wife would at least stick around and see how I was doin’.” He squinted his face in disapproval; then must’ve thought better of it. “Like I said, no diss. I’m just sayin’.”

  I asked him if he’d like to go get a cup of coffee and he accepted. As we walked toward the elevators I wondered what it would be like for me if Farrah was in the hospital fighting for her life and I wasn’t allowed to go in and see her.

  “Do you have any questions for me?” I said. “You heard they took off his leg last night, right?”

  He skidded to a stop. “No.” The look on his face was pure horror. “How’d that happen? Stu is going to freak out when he wakes up. Why did Natalie allow them to do that?”

  I put a hand on his arm. “There was no other way. The infection in that leg was getting worse and worse and they couldn’t stop it. The only way to stop it was by amputating the leg.”

  “Oh my God. You don’t know Stu,” he said. I marveled at how he was echoing Natalie. “Stu’s a man’s man. He’s gotta always be the best. The top dog, ya know? This is gonna hit him hard.”

  “Well, trust me when I tell you nobody wanted to do it. But it had to be done. If they hadn’t, he might’ve died.”

  Jason pressed his lips in a tight line and shook his head. “This is not what I expected would happen.”

  ***

  Just before noon, Wendi Takeda showed up. She wore what I assumed was her ‘journalist uniform’ of white shirt and black slacks and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun that made her look bald as she approached.

  “Wendi Takeda,” she said as she came into range. “Remember me?”

  How could I forget?

  “Certainly. Are you here about my brother?”

  “Yes. My sources here in the hospital have kept me up on his progress. Or should I say, his lack of progress. Are you willing to answer a few questions now?” She sat down beside me.

  “Look, Wendi. I haven’t been keeping up with the news. The only channel they’ve got in here is CNN and all they’re talking about is that pervert in Utah who’s on the run. I’ve been reading my Kindle.”

  “Well your brother’s situation is all over the local news.” She reached into her black messenger bag and took out a folded copy of the Honolulu Journal-Dispatch. She snapped it open and on the front page in big-as-my-thumb type it said, ‘Local Man Fighting Bacterial Infection After Falling in Ala Wai Canal.’

  “You know what’s wrong with that headline?” she said.

  “No.”

  “I still don’t think he fell.”

  “What difference does it make?” I said. “Regardless of how he got there he’s still plenty sick. Did you hear they amputated his leg?”

  “Yes. And I also have the results of his lab tests. Have they told you exactly what kind of infection he’s got?”

  “No. But to be fair, I didn’t ask. I figured whatever it was they were treating him for it and that’s all that matters.”

  “Wrong. They’re treating him as best they can but he’s got three different strains of bacteria. And any one of them is nasty enough to bring down a draft horse.”

  “What are you saying?” I said.

  “I think you know exactly what I’m saying. And I’m asking you to help me get this story out.”

  “There is no story, Wendi. My brother is resting after a gruesome surgery that will hopefully save his life. Happens every day in this hospital and in hospitals around the world. It isn’t news.”

  She folded the newspaper back up and stood. Then she reached into a pocket and took out another of her white business cards and held it out. “Here’s my card.”

  “I already have one.”

  “I know, but I figured you may have tossed it. Call me when you’re ready to talk.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. But she didn’t look one bit sorry. “Sooner or later you’re going to realize you’ve got a whole lot to talk about. And then I hope you’ll call.”

  CHAPTER 25

  I went in to see Stu as soon as Wendi left. I donned the sterile gear and slipped into his room in record time. As if getting to my brother quickly was the only way
to purge Wendi Takeda’s mocking prediction from my brain.

  He didn’t look much different from the last time I’d seen him. Oh sure, his leg was gone; the blanket several inches flatter on one side of his body than the other. But overall he still looked the same: all puffed up, with tubes coming out of various parts of his body, and machines marking the efforts of his heart and lungs.

  “Stuart,” I said. I knew he couldn’t hear me, but it made me feel better to talk to him like a person instead of a body hooked up to an array of machines. “I’m here. If there’s anything I can do, or if there’s anything you want—”

  His eyes fluttered. He opened one eye until it was a thin slit. I could just make out the contrast between his iris and the white part, but if I hadn’t known his eyes were blue I wouldn’t have been able to tell.

  “Are you awake?” I said.

  He made a little motion with his head like he was checking to see if he could.

  “Can you tell me what happened?” I knew it was a ludicrous question. But I had to ask.

  “Na-nah.” He said in a whisper. There was no voice behind it; only air escaping his lips.

  “Water? Do you need water?” I reached over and grabbed the lidded plastic cup on his hospital tray. I shook it and heard the rattle of ice chips in a small amount of water. A straw stuck out of the cup and I angled it toward Stu’s mouth.

  He turned his head away. Obviously I’d misjudged what he was trying to say.

  “Na-na-nah,” he said, this time more urgently. It was still just a stream of air, no vocal cords involved.

  “Natalie! You want to see Natalie?”

  His face contorted in pain but he managed to nod his head once.

  Of course he wanted to see Natalie. I wasn’t sure how I’d swing it, but if it would give my brother something to live for, I’d bring that woman to him if I had to knock her over the head and drag her in unconscious.

  ***

  Taking the bus was becoming a hassle. I’m all for being ‘of the people’ but it was looking more and more like I’d be in Honolulu for at least a few more days so when I got back to the apartment I called the bellman and asked if he could order a car for me.