She had no idea where she was. Her body throbbed in a hundred places. Lying on the ground, she didn’t know if she dared move. If only she could see! She strained to see past the black blanket that covered her vision. Debris rattled past her cheek, then the dog whined by her head and licked her arm.
“Fisher,” she said. “Get Ben. Go find Ben.” The dog barked, then stones rattled with his passage back up the slope. Did Fisher know what to do? She could only hope and pray he did.
The rough lava rock cut into her cheek as she clung there. She didn’t have any sense of being up or down or sideways. Her head swam with the disorientation. Send Ben, Lord. Her arms were getting tired, and she didn’t know how much longer she could hang on. Maybe she lay at the bottom of the ravine, or maybe she hadn’t rolled all the way down. Her shoulders ached with the strain.
A few minutes later she heard Ben call her name from above. “Lani, where are you?”
She raised her head and shouted. “Here, I’m here!”
Debris began to roll toward her, and she heard him scrambling down the slope. Then his hand touched her shoulder. “I’m here, but don’t let go. You’re on a ledge, and a sharp drop-off is below you.”
She heard more movement, and tiny pebbles rained on her cheeks. “I’ve got to get a rope. Hold on.”
She wanted to cry out for him not to leave her, but she clamped her teeth against the plea and tightened her grip on the rock. The blackness around her seemed even darker. She heard something rustling through the underbrush, then Fisher’s wet nose touched her cheek. He whined and licked her face.
“Good boy,” she said. The touch of something else alive gave her courage.
“I’m here, Lani,” Ben called from above her head.
She heard him moving down the slope again. Moments later his hands touched her arm.
“I’m tying the rope around your waist.” His swift, sure fingers slid the rope under her and tightened it. “I’m going to help you climb up while people topside pull, okay?”
She nodded, unable to speak past the rock in her throat. Every nerve tingled and throbbed. She heard the loose pebbles skidding away and knew she could go with them at any moment.
“Okay,” he shouted. “Pull now, but take it slow.”
“We’re here, Lani,” Fawn called down. “You’re going to be okay.”
“Let go of the rock now and take my hand.” Ben’s warm fingers closed around hers. “I’m going to be above you lifting you up. Push with your feet.”
She did as he instructed. The strength of his hand reassured her, and they began to move inch by inch back up the ravine. Every muscle groaned as she followed his lead.
“We’re almost there,” he panted.
Pebbles rained on her again as he grunted. Then both of his hands came under her arms and lifted her to her feet.
“You’re safe now,” he whispered.
He didn’t release her right away, and she clung to his bulk and listened to his heart thud under her ear where it pressed against his chest.
He pulled away and cupped her face in his palms. “Are you okay?”
“I think so. I hit my head.” She reached up and rubbed it.
“Thank God, you’re okay,” Fawn said in a choked voice.
Lani barely felt her friend’s touch on her arm. Everything hurt too much. She heard the rest of the group exclaim over her—her aunt, Jerry, Arlo, and Harry.
When the bedlam died down, she pulled away from Ben and tipped her face up. “Ben, I saw just a little before I hit my head. It wasn’t much, just light and shadow and the impression of movement as I fell.”
“That’s great! Maybe it’s starting to come back. Let me see the bump.” His fingers lifted her hair, and the breeze cooled the back of her neck. He probed the tender spot on the back of her head. “It’s bleeding. You whacked it good. That might be why your vision went back out. It’s pretty swollen.” He dropped her hair back onto her shoulders.
She realized her face was still tilted up to his. If only she could see his expression. His voice sounded almost tender, but maybe it was her imagination. She wished she dared lean into his embrace again. In the old days she would have done just that, but she had to be on her guard not to fall into the same bad behavior. She felt safe with Ben. She’d been used to sudden wild infatuations, but her relationship with Ben felt more real—like their friendship could last forever.
“What happened?” he asked. “Fisher should have kept you from the edge.”
“He tried, but he pushed in the wrong place on my leg, and I reeled forward.”
Ben’s fingers tightened on her arms. “His mistake could have cost you your life.”
“He tried,” she insisted.
“Why did you go to the ravine anyway?”
“I thought I heard Meg crying in this direction. She kept whimpering.”
“How weird,” her aunt said. “Meg played at my feet the whole time. Are you sure it was her? Maybe you heard a cat or something.”
“It sure sounded like Meg’s voice,” Lani said.
“I’m going to have a look,” Ben said.
She heard him move away. “Fisher,” she called. The dog pressed against her leg, and she patted him. At least he was safe too. “Where’s Meg now?”
“Napping under my coffee tree on a blanket. Joey is watching her,” her aunt said.
“I found it!” Ben’s voice called. A few moments later, the grass rustled. “Was this what you heard?”
She heard a click, then a child’s cry sounded. “That’s it!”
“It’s a recording of Meg crying.” He sounded distant, preoccupied. “It was no accident. Someone tried to lure you to the ravine.”
Not an accident. Lani wrapped her arms around herself. Someone seemed quite determined to shut her up. It was almost laughable since she couldn’t remember anything and was blind even if she did. “He has nothing to fear from me. Why can’t he just leave me alone?”
Chapter Twelve
Thresh looked carefully over the scene. So close. If only Lani hadn’t landed on that ledge, all his worries would have been over. The plan had seemed so brilliant. Lani was a sucker for the little girl—no way could she ignore the crying.
This was turning into a comedy of errors. Kato was no help either. All Thresh heard from him were excuses. Did any of the Taylor Camp crew know about Blossom’s stint in federal prison? Would they all care for her if they knew? Maybe he should make sure that little detail came to light. If she had no one else, she would turn to him for sure.
Thomas Carlyle, another brilliant historian, said that a man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder. The goal was finally within reach. It had to be karma. That was the only explanation for how all the pieces were here now. They could be moved around like chess pieces. Peekaboo would pay too, now that she’d been flushed from her hidey-hole.
Ben paced the waiting room while the doctor checked out Lani. Stopping to flip through a magazine, he tossed it back to the table and circled the room again. Fisher walked with him, looking up occasionally as if to ask if everything was all right.
“You’re making me nervous,” Rina said. “Sit down.”
Fawn sat on a leather love seat with her legs curled under her. “Annie finally called. She’s going to try to get a flight home tomorrow.”
“Lani will be upset she’s messed up Annie’s research trip,” Ben said.
Yoshi gave him an appraising look. “You seem to know my cousin well.”
“Well enough.”
“Has she told you what she remembers of the shooting?”
“She doesn’t remember anything. I think it’s time you started listening to her, Yoshi.”
“She hasn’t always been truthful in the past.”
“Maybe she’s changed.” He wasn’t sure he believed Lani had changed until he heard Yoshi questioning it. Lani wasn’t the same young woman who had flirted with his brother. He almost wished she were. It would be easier to resist her.
His change from wariness to care had been imperceptible.
“She has changed.” Fawn swung her legs to the floor. “Lighten up, Yoshi.”
Yoshi colored. “I can’t protect her if I don’t know what’s going on.” He stood up and cracked his knuckles. His uneasy gaze rested on his aunt. “Would you mind answering some more questions, Aunt Rina?”
She leaned back against the leather sofa. “What now, Yoshi? Haven’t we been through enough today?”
“Do you want me to just stand by and let someone kill Lani?”
“Of course not! What do you want to know?”
“Where were you all the years we didn’t see you?”
She blinked and looked away. “Here and there.”
“But where? I asked my parents, and they were both evasive. You disappeared from the family for years—just dropped out completely.”
“It’s a private matter, Yoshi. I don’t stick my nose into your business, and I’ll thank you to give me the same courtesy.”
Yoshi looked down and muttered something under his breath. He began to pace the room and almost collided with the doctor as he stepped into the waiting room. “How’s Lani?” he asked.
“She’s going to be fine. She’s suffered another slight concussion, which isn’t good, but I think she’ll recover.”
“What about her sight? She said she had some slight vision change,” Ben said.
“What?” Yoshi moved to Ben’s side. “No one told me that.”
“I forgot until just now.” Ben told him about her impression of movement and the flashes of light.
The doctor didn’t smile. “That’s very encouraging, but I’m afraid the new blow to her head has delayed her progress. It may be several more weeks before we can tell if the damage is permanent or not.”
Ben winced. Lani had been so hopeful. He turned to Yoshi. “I forgot to ask. Did you find the boys who were paid to pretend to be drowning? This is the third attempt on Lani’s life.”
“I tried. No luck yet. You didn’t get their names, and no one knows who was out there that day.” He turned to the doctor. “When can we take her home?”
“I’d like to keep her here overnight. You can take her home tomorrow.”
“What about her dog?” Ben asked. The two would be miserable apart.
“Sorry, we can’t allow him to stay. The nurses will care for her. You can bring him with you when you come to get her in the morning.”
Ben nodded. “I’d better go get Meg.” He and Yoshi looked at each other, and Ben saw the same fear in Yoshi’s eyes. The little girl might be with whoever murdered her parents. It was someone at the coffee farm.
Lani listened to the machines beep in the room. The night sounds of the hospital closed around her. She ached for her dog. If she had Fisher by her side, she wouldn’t feel so alone. It wasn’t fair that he was banned. The nurse came and went, her rubbersoled shoes squeaking on the tile floor. A baby cried in the room down the hall. Low voices passed her door.
She flopped onto her back from her side. The sheets were scratchy and smelled like bleach. A whisper of sound caught her attention. A soft whump muted the noise in the hall. The nurse must have shut the door to try to let Lani get some sleep. She still felt wide awake.
Footsteps approached. “You okay?” Ben’s voice came at the foot of her bed.
“Ben!” She couldn’t help the glad ring in her voice.
His steps came closer, and he took her hand. “I had to run home a minute and get Meg.”
“Where is she?”
“Asleep right here in my arms. Lay back, and I’ll put her in bed with you.”
Lani settled on her side, and Ben lay the small, warm body next to her. She inhaled the little girl scent and snuggled Meg close. The toddler murmured but didn’t awaken. With her chin on Meg’s soft curls, Lani felt the tension drain out of herself. The peaceful in and out of Meg’s breathing lulled her. “Maybe I’ll be able to sleep now.” Was it her imagination, or did Ben press his lips to her hand?
Ben’s words whispered close to her ear. “I’m glad we’re friends now.”
She blinked and opened her eyes. “Me too. I’m not sure when it happened.”
“I think it was the night you saw Tyrone. I saw you’d changed even if he didn’t realize it.”
“Did you ever talk to him?”
“No. If it’s something I should know, you’ll tell me.”
“Have you ever done something so bad you wonder if God can ever forgive you?” she whispered.
“Yeah. But you know, there’s nothing he won’t forgive. The hard part is forgiving ourselves.”
“Did you ever manage it?”
There was a long pause before Ben spoke. “Sometimes I think I have. It’s in the night when I struggle the most. But I know deep down that God is my daddy. He’s always happy to have me climb on his knee and say I’m sorry.”
A smile tipped her lips. “Were you close to your own dad?” She heard Ben inhale sharply.
“I never knew him. My mom is a free spirit, antiestablishment all the way, baby.”
“I used to think I wanted no restrictions on my freedom, no responsibility. But I hurt a lot of people when I was like that.”
“My mom still does. When I joined the police force, she called me every rotten name in the book. Told me she’d never speak to me again. Come to think of it, I don’t think we’ve been in contact since then.”
“Oh, Ben, I’m so sorry.” She stretched out her hand, and he took it. “I suppose the right course is somewhere in the middle. It usually is.”
“‘And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.’ First Corinthians 9:25.” He squeezed her fingers. “You should get some rest.”
Lani snuggled her chin into Meg’s hair. She could get used to a friend like Ben.
Looking at Meg curled up in Lani’s arms, something Ben didn’t recognize stirred inside him. He wanted to kiss the curve of Lani’s cheek, run his hand over the black curtain of hair that draped the pillow. The friendship he felt seemed to be changing once again. Did he want it to? Watching her breath stir Meg’s hair, he realized this was the kind of love that could last a lifetime. The steady kind that you could build a world on.
Ben sat in the darkened room and watched the peaceful faces of Lani and Meg. Lani had shown a lot of spunk, even faced with the loss of her vision. Until she remembered the day of the shooting, she was going to be in danger. The attacks on her were intensifying. This latest one right at the coffee farm came close to killing her. Who would keep guard over her? While he had Meg, it was hard to be there with Lani every minute.
Maybe he should step back and let someone else take over. Fawn, maybe, or Yoshi. But the thought of leaving her at a murderer’s mercy didn’t go down well. He realized he wanted to be her hero, to rescue her. He bit back a chuckle. This wasn’t a movie where he was going to ride in and save the day. It would take all of them to uncover the murderer.
The long hours passed, and Ben prayed for them all. Dawn’s light began to slant through the blinds. He stood and stretched. Nearly seven. The doctor would release her, and they could all get out of here. His cell phone chimed, and he stepped into the hall to answer it. Leaning against the wall by the door, he flipped it open. “Ben here.”
“Sorry to bother you so early.” His attorney’s deep voice sounded gravelly, as though he hadn’t had his coffee yet.
“I wasn’t sleeping. What’s up?” Maybe Cliff had found his mother.
“We have a problem. Natalie’s parents are seeking custody.”
“What?” Ben’s loud voice caused a nurse walking the hall to frown and put her fingers to her lips. He lowered his voice. “They don’t have a leg to stand on, do they?”
“Well, you’re a bachelor. Taking custody of a little girl might be questionable in the minds of some judges. They might think she’ll need a woman.”
“She needs me. Besides, Natalie’s parents are not—suitable.”
“Any proof of that?”
“Look up the grandfather’s record. He’s got a rap sheet as long as my arm.”
“That should help.” Cliff ’s voice was tempered and rational. “But if he can prove he’s been above reproach, he might still have a shot.”
Ben began to pace the hospital hallway. “But that’s ridiculous. I love Meg. She knows me. Her grandparents live on the mainland, and they haven’t seen her since she was six months old. She wouldn’t know them. It would be too traumatic for her.”
“They’re flying here for the funeral. It’s the day after tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Be prepared for a battle.”
He would not give her up. “What can I do to make sure I keep Meg?”
“Pray,” Cliff advised.
“I will.” Ben turned toward Lani’s door. “What else?”
“Find her a good child counselor who will know how to help her. That will look impressive. It might not hurt to move into Ethan’s house for stability.”
Ben nodded. “What about my mother?”
“I found her. She took the news well.”
“Of course she did.” Ben’s lip curled. “Is she coming to the funeral?”
“She didn’t make any promises.” Cliff went silent a moment. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not the answer you wanted to hear. I told her I’d call her tomorrow and see if she needed anything.”
“I’ll pay for her flight,” Ben said.
“I thought you might.” Cliff cleared his throat. “I’ll keep you posted.”
Ben closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. Looking at his situation realistically, he knew it didn’t look good. An excop who got his partner blinded, an unmarried male who drove a Harley and trained dogs. On the surface he wouldn’t award a kid to someone like him either, but he loved Meg. She belonged with him. Besides, he’d caught Ethan in some shady dealings with his father-in-law in the past. Ben paused before reentering Lani’s hospital room. What if Natalie’s dad was involved in the smuggling?
Midnight Sea (Aloha Reef Series) Page 13