Now Kristi tossed and turned, trying not to wake Leilani, but unable to get comfortable or turn off her mind. She glanced at the alarm clock on the table next to her. One o’clock in the morning. She groaned. The first light of morning would come very early, and Dad had said they needed to get an early start on the work so they could go off and have fun again in the afternoon. Go to sleep, Kristi!
An hour later she opened her eyes again. Oh, no! At last she had finally fallen asleep, and here she was awake again! What was her problem? She got up and headed to the bathroom. Maybe a drink of water would help.
She got her drink and then quietly padded back toward her bed. Shadows were cast on the curtains from the moon outside, though, and she could not resist a peek outside at the peaceful view of Castaway Cove at night. She stood at the window for a minute, holding back the curtain and drinking in the view. What a beautiful sight!
What was that orange glow, though, behind Mrs. Manoa’s house? She wasn’t still up, too, was she? The glow flickered and became a little brighter. It seemed to reflect off the trees behind the house, as well.
Kristi suddenly realized what she was seeing and she froze in horror. Fire! The house was on fire!
__________
CHAPTER FIVE
__________
The Badge of Bravery
“Fire!” she yelled. “Fire! The house is on fire! Wake up!” She didn’t pause to see if Leilani or the other girls had heard her. She dashed out into the yard, screaming as she went. “Mom! Dad! Wake up! There’s a fire in the house!”
Seconds later the doors were flung open in the other cabins and everyone came pouring out. Kristi was already on her way to the bigger house. “Mrs. Manoa! Wake up! Wake up! Fire!” she kept screaming.
Leilani was right on her heels as she reached the porch. “Grandmother! Grandmother!” she was crying. She reached for the door knob and realized that the door was locked—of course! All that fuss about locking the doors and now when they needed to get in quickly they were locked out! She pounded on the door and Kristi joined her, both of them screaming and crying.
Steve shoved them aside and reared back to kick in the door. Before he could even make the first attempt, though, the door suddenly opened and Mrs. Manoa stood there in her nightgown looking bewildered and frightened. “What—” she started to say, but Leilani just grabbed her and pulled her out of the house and off of the porch.
Steve wasted no time talking. Dan and Pete had already run around to the back of the house and now he went after them. Rachel was trying to hold Skeeter back but he broke away and went after the other guys. Rachel ran after him and disappeared behind the house.
“Is there a fire department to call?” Kristi asked urgently.
Mrs. Manoa shook her head. “Not a real fire department, but there is a number for volunteers—mostly neighbors who will come and do their best to help. I don’t know the number, though! We haven’t been here long enough!”
“Could you drive to a neighbor’s and raise the alarm?” Anna asked.
“Yes! The keys are in the pickup truck!”
“Leilani, go with her! Mrs. Manoa, stay calm and be careful driving down to the beach, okay?” Kristi said. She didn’t waste any more time talking, but ran around to the back to help her family.
The flames were licking at the back of the house. Sparks had ignited a couple of bushes already, as well. Dan had found the garden hose. Fortunately it was connected, and he sent a spray of water on the worst of the flames. The other guys had taken off their T-shirts and were beating at the smaller fires. Within a few minutes the flames were out.
Kristi raced back to the front of the house. “We need to try to catch Mrs. Manoa!” she called to Robyn and Anna. “I think the fire is out! Let’s go down the steps to the beach and see if we can cut her off before she gets away!”
They were halfway down when the headlights of the truck appeared at the base of the drive up to the resort. It was just about to turn the opposite way when Leilani heard the girls yelling from the side of the cliff. They saw her grab her grandmother’s arm and point towards them. The battered old pickup came to a sudden halt.
“The fire is out! Come back!” Kristi yelled.
“Are you sure?” they called back up to her.
“Yes! They’re still running water on it, but it looks like it is out!”
The girls heard Leilani and her grandmother praising the Lord from inside the truck. A few seconds later it turned around and began the climb up the long, winding drive. Kristi and the girls turned back, as well, and went back up the wooden steps as quickly as they could.
Rachel and the guys were still in the backyard. Steve had taken over with the hose and given the trees and bushes a quick spray to make sure no unseen sparks could ignite. He had then turned the flow of water back on the house and roof. The fire and smoke were gone, leaving only the scorched siding and the partially burnt door to tell the story of the near-catastrophe.
“Is everyone okay?” Rachel was asking. The burnt T-shirts lay at their owners’ feet, and the boys were standing there trying to catch their breath.
“We’re fine, Mom,” Skeeter assured her. “No burns—not even a scratch!”
“Well, you just may be in trouble, young man, for not staying put!”
“Don’t be too hard on him, Rachel,” Steve spoke up unexpectedly. “He was a big help—and he’s growing up, you forget.”
Rachel didn’t say anything else, but gave her youngest son a big hug, and then hugged Dan and Pete, as well. They heard the rumble of the pickup truck just then and a few seconds later Leilani and her grandmother ran around to the back.
Mrs. Manoa looked at the damage to the house with tears in her eyes. “Tears of joy!” she said as Rachel gave her a hug. “It could have been so much worse! Look—I don’t think there’s even any damage on the inside of the house at all!”
“Grandmother, you could have been killed!” Leilani cried.
“But I wasn’t, and our house is still standing, and the damage can be easily repaired, my dear,” her grandmother said. “Praise the Lord! Isn’t He good?” She hugged Leilani and then asked, “But what happened? Who saw the fire to begin with? It’s the middle of the night!”
“I couldn’t sleep,” Kristi said. “I was so frustrated because when I finally did fall asleep, I woke up again an hour later. I just happened to look out the window and saw the glow of the fire reflected off the trees back here.”
“I don’t think there was any ‘just happened’ about it, Kristi,” Leilani said. The Lord wouldn’t let you sleep so that someone could sound the alarm! If it hadn’t been for you, my grandmother might have died!” She burst into tears at the thought.
“You’re right, Leilani. God was—and is—in control!” Steve said. “Nothing happens in our lives that He is not aware of. Let’s just thank Him now that a tragedy was averted and that actually there is very little damage even, compared to what ‘might have been!’” He bowed his head and the others joined him, “Thank you, Lord, for Your watchcare over us! Thank you for not allowing Kristi to sleep, and for helping us to catch the fire before it got out of control. We thank You especially for protecting Mrs. Manoa, and that no one was hurt at all. May you help us to just trust in you, Father, and maybe even get a little more sleep before the night is over. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen”
Leilani was still crying softly, but now she wiped away her tears and together with her grandmother, Rachel and the other girls, they went into the house to make sure that all was well within. Steve and the guys stayed out back for a few minutes longer to inspect the damage and make sure there were no more problems.
‘Look, Dad!” Dan said. “The fire came mighty close to the propane tank!” He pointed to a burnt bush that was only a few feet from the tank. “That could have been so bad if the tank had exploded!”
“And look at this,” Pete said quietly. “I think someone deliberately set this fire!”
“What?�
� the others exclaimed. They hurried over to where he was crouched by the side of the house.
Pete pointed to a mound of brush that was piled up at the base of the wall. “There are ashes all along here, where it looks like someone deliberately put flammable material along the house. This pile, for some reason didn’t catch fire—maybe because we got to it on time.”
Steve looked at the evidence and nodded his head. “I think you’re right, Pete.” His face looked grim. “Who would have done this—and why? Probably the same person who broke in the other day. This is something different, though. It’s very serious—Mrs. Manoa might have been killed. We’ll have to call in the authorities from the big island in the morning.” He paused and then said, “Well, let’s not say anything to the girls until we have to. It will be hard enough for anyone to get back to sleep after this. There’s no sense in worrying them any sooner than necessary.”
The guys agreed. When they were sure there was no more danger out back they went into the house. They found the girls and women in the kitchen. “Alright, everybody. It’s four o’clock already. Let’s try to go back to bed and get a little more sleep,” Steve said to everyone. “We won’t be able to get much work done tomorrow—er, I mean today—if we don’t.”
“Grandmother, I am moving back in here with you tonight!” Leilani declared. I won’t have you here by yourself anymore!”
“Oh, Leilani, that is not necessary!” her grandmother answered. “The house is fine—no damage at all inside—and I want you to stay with your friends!”
“No! I won’t leave you alone!” the girl stubbornly said, her almond-shaped brown eyes filling with tears once more.
“Mrs. Manoa, I think Leilani is right,” Kristi said, “at least for tonight—er, this morning.” The other girls agreed with her. “She needs to stay with you, if not for your sake, then for her own. It will make her feel better. We’ll all be back together again in a few hours, anyway.”
“Alright, then. Leilani, why don’t you sleep with me in my bed, okay? The rest of you—how can I ever thank you? Once again, you’ve come to our rescue!”
“Don’t thank us, my dear,” Rachel said to the older woman. “Thank the Lord! Now let’s all go back to our beds and try to get some sleep. Don’t get up until eight, anyone! If we get started a little later on the work, so be it. We’ll just take it easy tomorrow—er, I mean today!”
They split up then and went back to their cabins. Steve checked the back of the house a final time before joining his wife in the Hibiscus Hideaway. Leilani and Mrs. Manoa locked up and went upstairs. Kristi once again crawled into bed—this time by herself—and prayed that she would fall asleep.
Her prayer was answered. Her head had barely touched the pillow when she was sound asleep—peacefully and deeply asleep.
* * *
Steve found Mrs. Manoa by herself in the kitchen early the next morning.
“Good morning!” he greeted her. “How are you feeling?”
“Aloha!” she smiled. “Oh, a little tired, but mostly just happy and praising the Lord this morning for His goodness to us! I’ll have breakfast ready in about twenty minutes. Is everyone else up yet?”
“Yes. They’re getting ready for the day. Where’s Leilani?”
“She’s in the shower.”
“Good. I need to speak to you about something, Mrs. Manoa. I think we need to call in the authorities about the fire last night.”
A cloud passed over her face. “Yes, I think you’re right, Steve. I—I know what you’re about to say next.” She lowered her voice. “You think someone set the fire on purpose, don’t you? I was outside a little while ago and saw the brush piled against the house. That wasn’t there yesterday, I can assure you.”
“I know. Yes, someone deliberately set the fire—probably the same someone who ransacked your bedroom. Do you have any idea at all who might be doing this, Mrs. Manoa?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t been here long enough to have made any enemies—at least, I think not! I hope not!”
“Perhaps your Uncle Paulo had an enemy?”
“Oh, I am sure that’s not the case! Everywhere I go on this island people constantly tell me how well-loved my uncle was, and how he will be sorely missed. If someone had something against him, then I certainly have not heard of it.”
“Then the only other thing I can think of is that perhaps someone does not want you to reopen Castaway Cove!”
Mrs. Manoa considered what he had said. “I suppose that could be the reason,” she slowly said. “Maybe the resort would be competition for someone? I find it hard to believe, though. Everyone on Palekaiko has been so kind and welcoming. Everyone!” She paused again, “Please do me a favor—let’s not speak of this in front of Leilani, alright? She is already so frightened. If she thought someone was doing this deliberately, it would terrify her.”
Steve nodded. “Yes, of course. We won’t tell the other girls, either. Rachel already knows because I spoke about my suspicions to her, and the boys were with me last night when I figured this out. Actually, it was Pete who figured it out, come to think of it. I’ll warn them not to say anything to Leilani and the other girls.”
They were interrupted just then as the girls themselves came trooping into the house to help with breakfast. Leilani joined them in the kitchen as soon as she heard them come in. You would never have thought anything sinister had happened a few hours earlier by their cheerful chatter and happy faces. Mrs. Manoa caught Steve’s eye and smiled. He nodded back with a grin of his own. This was the way it should be.
The boys were in high spirits as well when they gathered around the table out on the lawn for breakfast. Steve had had a little talk with them, and now it seemed they were doing their best to take the girls’ minds off what had happened—or at least, to set a positive spin on it.
“Kristi, you’re a hero!” Skeeter said. “Here—take my bagel! It’s your reward for your heroism! The ‘Blueberry Bagel Badge of Bravery’ award!” He stood to his feet and, gallantly bowing, he presented her with the bagel, which unfortunately, had a bite taken from it already!
“Thank you, kind sir!” she said as she graciously accepted it. “However, it is you gentlemen who were the true heroes—putting out the fire as you did! And for that I offer you each the Captain Crunch Commendation for Courage!” She, too, stood and plucked several pieces of cereal out of her bowl and handed them, soggy and dripping, to her father and the three boys.
Everyone laughed. The day was sunny and bright—another perfect day in Paradise, it seemed. The terror of the night before had passed and even Leilani seemed rested and relaxed. If there was an undercurrent of unease among the others, the girls did not sense it. They chatted about the painting that lay ahead of them that day, and about the time they hoped to spend later on the beach just chillin’ out.
“Look how cute the cottages look this morning—the ones that were painted yesterday, I mean,” Leilani said. “I can hardly wait to get to the others!”
“Me, either!” Kristi said. “Which ones should we do today, Mrs. Manoa?”
“Well, let’s see… The Seashell Shack is the only one that still needs to be painted on the inside. Why don’t you girls do that, and then, Rachel, if you don’t mind, you and I can get started on cleaning up the furniture and fixtures in the empty cottages. Guys, maybe we can paint the exteriors of Banana Cabana (yellow, of course!) and Coconut Cottage (this bright blue) today—although I still want everyone to quit at two and have a little fun!”
“Uh, I’m sorry, but I have to overrule you today, Mrs. Manoa!” Steve said. “We’re getting a later start so we’ll work until three. Since we’re staying here at Castaway Cove this afternoon anyway, that will be just fine!”
“What about the repair work on the house from the fire last night, Mrs. Manoa?” Dan asked. “Can we help fix that?”
She shook her head. “I think I’ll just have Kimo work on it. We can’t do anything about it until I check with my in
surance company, anyway, but it shouldn’t take much work—just replacing some burnt boards and the door, and then repainting. I can even send him out into the rain forest to find some wild shrubs to replace the ones that were destroyed for free!”
“Well, that’s good to know,” Steve said. “Now, everyone, scat! Get to work! Guys, I’ll be over there to help you in a few minutes. I need to make a phone call. Mrs. Manoa, could you please help me with that?”
Everyone grabbed their dishes and a few other things from the table and headed for the kitchen to clean up from breakfast. The boys just dropped their things in the sink and headed for Banana Cabana to start the painting. Rachel found some cleaning supplies and left to get to work on the furniture in the Pineapple Palace. The girls quickly washed the dishes and put things away and then headed for the Seashell Shack.
“Oops! We forgot to wipe off the table!” Kristi suddenly said as they went out the burnt back door. “I’ll get it! You girls, go ahead. I’ll catch up with you in a minute.” They went on and Kristi turned back to get the dish cloth.
Her dad and Mrs. Manoa were standing in the little room off the future lobby, where the office for the resort would soon be located. Their backs were turned to her as she headed out the front door with the wet rag in her hand. Her father was on the phone. His words stopped her in her tracks. “Hello?” she heard him say. “Uh, yes—I’d like to report a crime!”
_________
CHAPTER SIX
_________
Festival, Fashions and Fireworks
Kristi lay under the beach umbrella, sleepily watching her brothers and Pete out in the water riding their boogie boards in the surf. She and the girls had spent some time in the water, too, but now they lay on the beach, chatting a little, but mostly dozing. Their night of interrupted sleep was catching up to them.
Kristi looked at Leilani and thought again of the words her father had spoken on the telephone. He had turned and seen her just as the words had left his mouth, and Kristi could tell that he was dismayed to see her standing there. He shook his head and put his finger to his lips, but before he could say or do more than that, his attention was drawn back to the person on the other end of the line. They had not had a chance to speak alone together since then.
Catastrophe at Castaway Cove (Kristi Cameron Book 8) Page 5