by Toby Neal
She was tired, too, but satisfied with all she’d done that day. It didn’t matter so much about Alika. She’d be fine even if things didn’t work out and he’d changed his mind about her.
Ginger suddenly sprang to her feet, panting with excitement. A man was jogging toward them on the hard sand at the edge of the water, a dog on a leash at his side.
“Sit, Ginger!” Sophie exclaimed, but she’d let go of the leash while relaxing in the sand, and in the darkness, couldn’t find it. The Lab leaped away and ran down the beach to greet the other dog with an indiscriminate display of friendliness.
Sophie ran after the lab and almost collided with the jogger as he tried to untangle his dog from Ginger’s advances.
“Heel, Anubis!” His voice was sharp.
Sophie finally got a hold of Ginger’s collar and wrestled her away from his dog. That animal stood like a statue, moonlight outlining a Doberman’s sleek body shape and cropped, pointed ears.
“I’m so sorry,” Sophie exclaimed. “She got away from me. She’s a Lab—no sense of dignity whatsoever.”
The man was as still as his dog. He topped her by several inches. She felt his gaze even in the dark, and somehow it made her wish she could see him. “You should be careful out here by yourself. There are all kinds of people here in the park.”
“I can handle myself,” she said, pepper spray and phone a reassuring weight in her pocket—not to mention her combat skills. “But thanks for the warning. And sorry for Ginger’s bad manners.”
He gave a brief nod, and she heard the clink of metal as he heeled his dog, and then, the man and the Doberman were jogging away down the beach, black shadows against silver sand and moon-dappled ocean.
Sophie frowned, wishing somehow they’d talked some more, that he hadn’t just taken off. Something about him and the dog Anubis was magnetic. But she needed to get home and get to bed. Tomorrow was bound to come too soon, and be full of challenges.
Chapter Twelve
Sophie’s phone woke her with Alika’s Rocky ringtone. She reached over to the end table in the pitch-dark the blackout curtains guaranteed, and fumbled it up to her ear. “Hey.” Her voice was husky with sleep.
“Sophie? Sophie Ang?”
It wasn’t Alika’s voice, but it was familiar.
“Marcus! Thought this was Alika. What time is it?” She squinted toward the red numbers of the clock by her computers.
“Four a.m.” Kamuela’s voice was grim. “I’m sorry to be calling you this way, but I saw your number was the last one Alika’s phone received.”
“What’s happened?” Sophie could barely force the words out past the sudden constriction of her throat.
“We got a call. Someone beat up Alika. They found him outside his warehouse at the docks. He’s…” Sophie could picture Kamuela’s face and see the way the big Hawaiian detective pinched the bridge of his nose when he was troubled. “He’s still alive.”
“Oh my God,” Sophie whispered. “Where?”
“Queen’s Hospital.”
“I’m on my way.” Sophie hung up and turned on the light. She sprang out of bed. Ginger leapt off, wagging her tail as if something exciting and fun was going to happen.
He’s still alive, he’s still alive he’s still alive. Sophie hauled on her clothes, grabbed her weapon and creds, and drove to the hospital in a dawn so new it hadn’t begun to stain the day. She hurried to meet fellow agent Marcella Scott and Marcus Kamuela in the waiting room. Marcella looked beautiful even in the dawn, her chocolate-brown curls caught up in a careless knot and her FBI outfit hugging a curvy figure. Marcella had known for over a year how she felt about Alika.
“Oh, girl. I’m so sorry this happened.” Marcella hugged Sophie’s stiff body tightly. Kamuela put a hand on Sophie’s arm to get her attention.
“Alika’s in a coma. Looks like it was a pretty systematic beating. He’s got broken bones and probably some internal injuries, according to the doc I got a hold of. It wasn’t anything like a fair fight—pipes and bats, and multiple aggressors. Most people would be dead right now.”
Sophie swayed, and was grateful Marcella had a good hold on her. He was fighting for his life while I was getting annoyed with him for forgetting our date.
She felt disembodied. This was a dream. She just hadn’t woken up yet. She wasn’t really here, in this waiting room with its fluorescent lights, plastic palm, and dog-eared copies of Highlights For Children.
She’d grabbed the nearest clothes to put on, and realized that the black jeans and tank were what she’d been planning to wear on their date.
“He’s going to be fine, right?” Sophie’s eyes felt open too wide, but she couldn’t seem to blink.
“They don’t know. His family’s on their way over from Kaua`i.”
“Can I see him?”
“No one’s seeing him.”
That’s when it finally sank in that it was really bad. He might not make it.
She reached behind her, groping with her hand, and eased down into a molded plastic waiting room chair. “What do you know?”
“He called and told me, yesterday afternoon, that you’d given him my number to talk to me about the harassment he was getting from the Boyz who control the Honolulu construction trade. I opened a case for him. I’ve been aware for a while that there was graft going on, but it’s been too big and deep to do anything about, and I didn’t have a case to dig into. I was glad to hear from him. I had someone who was ready to go up against the Boyz, testify, get them shut down.” Kamuela pushed a hand through thick black hair, shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too. He told me about it just a few days ago. Said things had been escalating, that he’d had some drug trace planted at his warehouse and the cops were looking at him for importing.”
“I know. I found all that in a file on him. Opened by a detective I’ve got concerns about. But now we’re thinking it’s going to be a long haul. I hate to tell you this—he was set up pretty well. Initial search of the warehouse showed a lot of drug trace. So much I’m not going to be able to dismiss it. The scene was set up to appear that Alika was taken out by someone whose toes he stepped on importing drugs. You sure you know this guy?” Kamuela cocked his head, made eye contact with her. His gaze was all cop.
“I think so,” Sophie whispered. “You can’t let this happen. Please dig deeper.”
“Don’t worry,” Marcella sat beside her and hooked an arm around her shoulder. “Marcus will do everything he can.”
“We were just starting to date.” Sophie looked down at her hands. “I mean, things were just getting going. I can’t believe it.”
“Shitty all around,” Kamuela said. “Well, I’m going back to the scene. We’ve got a uniform here to make sure he’s safe in ICU. So it’s a waiting game right now.”
“Marcella, can we open an FBI case? I mean, if there’s corruption in HPD?” Sophie asked.
“We don’t know that yet,” Kamuela said sharply. Sophie didn’t blame him for being defensive but she knew organized crime in something as big as the construction trade thrived through a system of kickbacks and payoffs across a number of levels. Alika Wolcott, a small fish developer from another island, was being made an example of.
He had a few friends those gangsters would have to contend with.
“Marcella.” Sophie made eye contact with her friend. “Please.”
Marcella tossed her head and the knot let go of her long chocolate hair. She scooped it up impatiently and re-knotted it. “Of course we’ll get involved. Just as soon as local law enforcement asks for support from the FBI. You need our resources to battle corruption in the construction trade, right?” She poked Kamuela’s broad chest with a scarlet-tipped finger.
He groaned. “This is damned awkward, woman. Let me get into the case first. I barely talked to Alika before the shit hit the fan.”
“Clearly you need our resources. You’re overwhelmed and there are concerns about leaks in the departm
ent,” Marcella argued.
They were clustered together in the waiting room, their voices low and heads close together, when Sophie heard the sound of feet in the hall. She turned and saw a trio of people hurrying toward them. She shrank back in her chair at the sight of a regal Hawaiian woman, elegantly dressed in black slacks and a flowered blouse, leaning on a distinguished-looking Caucasian man’s arm. This had to be Alika’s mother and stepfather. An older woman in a dark muumuu followed, silver hair wound into a crown on her head.
“Where’s the staff?” the man asked. “We’re looking for where Alika Wolcott’s room is.”
“I’m Detective Marcus Kamuela—in charge of his case. And you are?” Kamuela stepped up to them, hand extended.
“His mother. Lehua Wolcott. My husband, Sean. And this is my mother, Esther Ka`awai,” the woman answered as they shook.
Sophie had heard of this family, both from Alika and from her friend Lei, who had met them in cases on Kaua`i. Marcella stood up and joined the introductions.
“I remember you from Kaua`i,” Marcella said to Alika’s parents. “I’m sorry to see you again in such terrible circumstances. This is Special Agent Sophie Ang.” She gestured to Sophie, still seated and trying to become invisible. “They were dating.”
Three pairs of eyes fastened on Sophie. She stood awkwardly, surprised Marcella had introduced her that way—it made the relationship seem more serious than Sophie was ready for. “Hello.”
Lehua Wolcott took two steps and embraced her. “He talked about you all the time.” She let out a sob. Her husband drew her away and into his arms and Sophie was left looking into the deep, penetrating brown eyes of Esther Ka`awai. Sophie had heard of the famous Kaua`i wisewoman, known for psychic abilities and powerful connections in the Hawaiian community.
“I’m honored to meet you.” She inclined her head respectfully.
“Alika says you are a talented fighter,” Esther said.
“Not good enough to do anything to protect him.” Sophie’s eyes filled suddenly. The older woman embraced her, and Lehua broke into fresh tears. Sophie glimpsed Kamuela leaving, his athletic shoes squeaking as he strode down the hall. Eventually, she disentangled herself from Esther’s arms and found a tissue beside the plastic couch and passed the box around.
“We haven’t actually spoken to any staff about how he’s doing,” Sophie said, when Lehua, Esther and Alika’s stepfather had pulled themselves together. “Since you’re family you should be able to get more information.”
“Absolutely.” Sean Wolcott walked to the empty glass-fronted window and wiggled the slider, pushing it open. He stuck his head inside the nurse’s station.
“Hello? Hello? We need some information out here,” he boomed into the interior.
It wasn’t long before one of the locked emergency doors opened. A doctor and nurse came toward them.
Their faces were grave, and Sophie found herself clutching Esther Ka`awai’s arm as the Wolcotts pressed against each other. Marcella stood off to the side working her phone, but she pushed away from the wall to hear the news.
“I’m Dr. Kagawa.” The doctor took in their names as they introduced themselves. He addressed his remarks to the Wolcotts. “I want to give you some preliminary findings. These next twenty-four hours are going to be critical. I just finished up with your son’s surgery. He’s in a coma right now, and that’s a good thing. He has a fracture to the right side of his skull and a lot of swelling in his brain. Being unconscious is going to give the swelling time to go down. He has shattered ribs, a broken arm and a fractured tibia.” Dr. Kagawa looked down at his clipboard at the sound of their gasps. “I also had to go in to repair some internal bleeding.”
Alika’s magnificent body had been beaten and broken almost to the point of death.
Sophie’s stomach was so tight she found herself hunching over, as if trying to protect her own internal organs. “Is he going to live?”
“I can’t say right now,” Kagawa gave her a level gaze. “But I know he’s a strong, healthy young man and he obviously has a lot to live for right here in this room.”
Lehua broke into fresh sobs and Esther began praying, sitting down on one of the hard plastic chairs, her hands folded. Sean Wolcott held his wife and Marcella held Sophie close.
It was excruciatingly awkward to be here with the family in their extremity, when she didn’t have words for the pain that twisted her stomach and strangled her breath. She hated emotion. She felt her face settling into that familiar opaque mask. Her eyes were dry.
“We’ll let you know in the morning when he can receive visitors. You folks might as well go on home. We don’t have accommodations here for you, and it’s going to be hours before we know anything more.” Dr. Kagawa and the nurse said goodbye and disappeared back into the off-limits area through the swinging doors.
“We’re not going anywhere.” Lehua sat down beside her mother on one of the hard chairs. “Sophie, we’ll call you as soon as there is any news. What’s your number?”
Sophie rattled it off automatically and got Lehua’s as well. She said goodbye, and walked stiffly down the hall, arms wrapped around her waist. Marcella draped an arm over her shoulder.
“I’m already moving on this with Marcus,” Marcella said as they went through the doors of the hospital into sunlight that felt shatteringly bright to Sophie. “I got the okay from Waxman.”
“Good. I’ll pick up the computer end.”
“No. You’re definitely not working this case. Waxman’s orders. You have plenty to do on your own cases right now, without getting into something that’s bound to be emotionally compromising.”
Sophie spun toward her friend. “You’re assuming this is such a big deal to me. In fact, I wish you hadn’t introduced me the way you did to his family. He was my friend and my coach. We kissed a couple times, had one date.”
Marcella didn’t back down from Sophie’s snarling tone. “You forget how well I know you. I told Waxman about your relationship with Alika because I know it’s more than you’re saying it is. I know how you feel about him and how long that’s been going on. Yeah, it’s awkward to be known as the girlfriend when you’d hardly had a date, but it was only a matter of time because you’ve both had feelings for a while. I know firsthand how cases can get messed up when emotions are high. You can’t bullshit me.”
Sophie balled her hands into fists. “You don’t know anything.” She spun and stomped away from her friend.
Sophie jumped into her SUV and drove to Fight Club, changed into her spare workout wear, and went to the heavy bag.
Everything, as she glanced around, reminded her of Alika. This was his place, his second home, as it was hers. She shook off tears as well as sweat as she worked combinations on the bag until she was too exhausted to think or feel.
Finally, in the gym’s shower, she remembered she hadn’t fed or let Ginger out. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since she got that call from Kamuela, but when she checked her phone it was only 9:00 a.m. She dressed quickly and called her pet service.
“Can you go in to my apartment this morning and let Ginger out now as well as the usual noon time? I had an emergency very early this morning and had to run.”
“Sure.” Lucy, Aloha Petsitters’ coordinator, said. “Thought I’d mention Sandra, who usually walks Ginger, is out sick today so I’ll send a sub. Ginger won’t mind, will she?”
“She could lick your new walker to death. She’s good company but not much of a guard dog.”
“Sounds good. Is the alarm code we have on file still good?”
“Yes. I’ll call you with any changes.” Duty done, Sophie hung up and went out to her car. One thing Marcella had said was true. She had her hands full with her own cases right now. Hopefully, work would keep her mind off Alika lying in a coma in a hospital bed. She felt a stab of pain in her chest at the thought.
There were two new hard drives from other agents’ cases to mine at her computer bay, and she still n
eeded to find out where the unsub that had tracked her was actually located in the Arches building. She sat down at her cockpit of computers. Her brain felt spongy, her attention flickering in random bursts of electricity that quickly short-circuited.
Thank God she had some tasks that didn’t require her to think. Sophie plugged in the write blockers to copy the new hard drives, which would take a few hours. She put on her headphones and stared at the screen with her work email on it, but she couldn’t focus enough to click on any of the icons even with Beethoven in her ears.
Had Marcella called their mutual friend Lei Texeira on Maui to let her know about Alika’s attack? Lei had dated him in the past and would want to know, even though they hadn’t been an item in years. Sophie knew she didn’t have the words, or the energy, to tell anyone what had happened to Alika. She’d managed to write a note to other members of the gym that Alika was injured, and had taped it to his office door.
Was it too soon to call Marcella and Marcus to see what they’d come up with so far?
A hand on her shoulder made her jump and she whirled in her chair, whipping off the headphones.
SAC Ben Waxman was gazing down at her, hands on immaculate hips, blue-gray eyes troubled. “Understand you had some bad news this morning.”
“Yes, sir. A good friend is in the hospital.” Sophie’s voice came out a whisper.
“I heard he was more than a good friend. I hope you understand why I couldn’t authorize your working his case.”
Sophie didn’t answer. She still didn’t know how to describe what she and Alika had. Talking about it with her boss didn’t feel right.
“Anyway, I hope you’re okay.” Waxman jingled coins in his pocket.
“I am, sir, thanks.” She could tell Waxman didn’t like her calling him ‘sir’ again, but yesterday’s confrontation over DAVID still rankled.