by Toby Neal
She slipped on her running shoes, clipped her cell phone onto her waistband, shrugged into the shoulder holster and whistled for Keiki. The dog streaked back in, still silent. She slipped the choke chain over Keiki’s head. All playfulness was gone as Keiki waited, her triangle ears pricked.
“Work,” Lei said, giving her the hand signal. She turned off the lights, letting her eyes adjust. She armed the house, pulled the Glock, stepped outside with the dog at her side. How long since Keiki gave the first alarm? Her mind raced, calculating. No more than five minutes, max. The bastard couldn’t have gotten far.
The street was quiet and deserted except for the blue glow of TVs behind living room windows and pools of yellow street lights here and there. She and Keiki speed-walked down the cracked sidewalk, looking for any sign of movement, straining their ears for anything unusual.
They got to Tom Watanabe’s house at the end of the block. The Acura was parked in the driveway, the streetlight gilding its chrome. His windows were dark, shades down, no flicker of TV showing.
There was no sign of anyone up or down the street, and Lei felt a sudden hot rage. Bastard thought he could scare her in her home? She’d give him some freakin’ memories. The stalker was going to learn the hard way she wasn’t like other women. She’d never be a helpless victim again.
She knew it could put Keiki at risk, anyone out in the neighborhood at risk, but in a split-second she unclipped Keiki’s leash. If he was still here, Keiki would find him.
“Go,” she said. The dog shot away, silent as a black arrow, hurtling up the street. Lei ran after her, trying to keep up. She was halfway to the next block when a cacophony of barking started up ahead and she broke into an all-out run.
Her heart sank as she saw one of her neighbors, a plump lady in a muumuu, backed up against her mailbox clutching her fuzzy Shih Tzu. Keiki faced them, growling, her hair on end and ears flat. Her teeth looked enormous as she broke into the fast-paced barking meant to herd and intimidate. It appeared to be working.
“Help! Oh my God!” The woman shrieked as the little white dog tried to claw its way onto her head. Lei grabbed Keiki’s chain collar and yanked her back onto her haunches.
“Friend!” she yelled, holstering her gun and making the hand signal where the snarling dog could see it. Keiki was so agitated her hair was standing on end, spit flying from gnashing jaws. Lei gave her another yank and a smack on the haunches to get her attention. The dog finally sat, and Lei made her lie down and expose her belly in submission. Only then did she look up at her neighbor.
Up and down the street, lights were coming on and the woman’s husband came roaring down the steps, a baseball bat in his hand.
The woman ran toward him screaming, “She has a gun!”
“I’m so sorry,” Lei said. “I’m a police officer and I was chasing a suspect. My dog was looking for him.”
“What the hell?” screamed the husband. “Are you crazy?”
“I called the police,” yelled another neighbor from her porch. Lei recoiled. This was a nightmare.
“I’m a police officer,” she repeated to the couple. “I was looking for an intruder ...I really am sorry. She wouldn’t have hurt you. She was ‘holding’ you for me.”
The lady had dropped the Shih Tzu at some point and the dog had vanished. She sobbed hysterically as her enraged husband helped her into the house.
“Tell it to the cops, you crazy bitch! I’m going to tell them to shoot that dog!”
Lei heard the wailing of sirens in the distance. She sat down on the sidewalk and waited, Keiki flopped beside her, her tongue hanging out.
“I’m sorry, girl,” she whispered, rubbing her dog’s neck. “This is all my fault.”
Chapter Twelve
Lei rocked a little in her bed, her arms around herself, her eyes shut under the sleep mask. She’d called in sick for the morning, dreading facing anyone in the department. Unfortunately, she still had to go meet Stevens and interview the kid at the high school, or miss out on the chance to help with that. She was sure he would’ve heard about the humiliating interview she’d had with Detectives Ross and Nagata. Bathed in flashing blue-and-red lights and surrounded by hostile neighbors, it had been hard to explain the patrol of her neighborhood that had ended so badly.
“At least the stalker will think twice about coming by on foot while I’m home,” she said out loud, flinging off the sleep mask. Keiki raised her head to look at her from the foot of the bed. Lei rocked herself some more, but for once it brought no comfort as she thought of the stark terror in her neighbor’s face, the outrage of the woman’s husband, the trembling little white dog they’d found two blocks away.
I wonder if he was watching? If so he must be laughing his ass off, she thought, and squeezed her eyes shut again.
Her cell phone bleeped from the side table and she looked at the caller ID before she answered it.
“Pono. Hey.”
“Called in sick, huh?”
“I don’t feel so good,” she said.
“You’re the owner of one sick puppy, that’s for sure.” He chuckled, but there was an angry edge to it.
“Very funny. What did you hear?”
“You and your dog were running around the neighborhood, out for vigilante justice, scaring old ladies out of their wits and waving a gun around. The husband is trying to press charges on you for attempted assault with a deadly weapon and terroristic threatening.”
“What? The worst I did is disturb the peace!”
“The dog. Says she’s a deadly assault weapon and you knowingly unleashed her. She was the one doing the terroristic threatening.”
“Oh my God.” Lei sat up. “I know Keiki scared the crap out of them, but she wouldn’t have attacked.”
“You say that and, frankly, you’re the only one who believes it. Anyway you shouldn’t have run out there alone with your gun and your dog, Lei! What were you thinking?” His volume was steadily increasing. “You should have had backup. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve come and helped you!”
She put her hand over her face. Tears rushed up and stung her eyes like a thousand tiny bees. She tried to control her voice.
“I just wanted to get him. I’m not going to be a victim again! I didn’t want to let him scare me.”
“I’m the one scared. And your neighbors . . .” She heard him breathing hard, trying to get control.
“I’ll call for backup next time,” she said in a small voice. Keiki belly-crawled across the fluffy duvet and licked the tears off her face.
“I hear that damn dog slurping. Hope she doesn’t get put down.”
Lei clutched Keiki’s neck as fresh tears welled. The enormity of the trouble she was in hit her and she let out a sob.
“Oh, God,” Pono exclaimed in a tone of horror. “Are you crying?”
“They can’t take my dog!”
“They probably won’t, but only because she didn’t actually bite anyone. I’m just saying, if she’s being seen as a dangerous weapon in the hands of a reckless police officer…it’s not good.”
“I know.” Lei wiped her face on Keiki’s ruff.
“Did you give them the note?” he asked. She heard the clicking of his keyboard.
“I did. They said they’d investigate, but what is there to investigate? That’s what I was doing last night!” Her voice ended in a cry of frustration.
“Okay, yeah. Ross and Nagata entered the note into evidence and they must have seen you had an open case started. I hope that helps, that you were following protocol about that at least.”
“I can’t believe things got this out of control. If only I hadn’t taken the leash off her…”
“That’s another thing. I think you should stick to the story that you went outside investigating, and she got away from you.”
Lei battled with herself. It was pride in her well-trained dog that was taking the worst beating: Keiki would never run away from her and go after someone. It was disloyal to say ot
herwise. It just wasn’t the truth.
“No,” she said. “I took a risk letting her off the leash. I knew she could find him if he was out there, but that she would confront anyone she found. I shouldn’t have taken that risk.”
“It’s your ass,” he said. She could tell he was still mad, and they sat there in silence. “I’ll go talk to the Lieutenant. Tell him you were being stalked, and weren’t going to take it.”
Lei shot out of the bed in agitation, the sheet tangling around her legs.
“No way. I’ll handle it myself.”
“Whatever. Just trying to help,” he said, his voice short. “I’ll call you if I hear anything.” He clicked off. Lei sighed as she put the phone down. She had to get ready for the interview at the high school.
Chapter Thirteen
At 10 a.m. Lei pulled into the “Visitor” stall at Hilo High School. She’d put on jeans and a tank top and for once her hair was behaving. She hopped out of the car, slamming the door, and a chunk of rust fell out of the wheel well.
“Stupid granny car,” she muttered. She kicked the tire and it dropped more rust, this time on her athletic shoe.
“Lei!” Stevens called. She looked up, enjoying the way his long legs ate up the ground as he walked toward her. “I see you remembered to wear your civvies.”
“Hey,” she said, moving to meet him. “Nice change for me. Where do we go?”
“Check in at the office first. How’re you doing after your adventure last night?” Braced for teasing, she was almost undone by the concern in his voice. She blinked, slipping her hands into the tight pockets of her jeans. His card was still in there, and she let herself feel its fuzzy edges.
“Okay,” she said. “But it was scary.”
“You’ve got friends who will vouch for you at the station. I don’t think those charges will stick. But the whole thing must have been bad.”
“It was. I shouldn’t have gone out alone after the guy, I know that now, but at the time it just seemed so important not to let him scare me…” Her voice trailed off. She looked at the ground.
He reached out and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. It was so sudden she stumbled forward. Her hands were pinned at her sides, and she stiffened instinctively. As he continued to hold her, close but gentle, she slowly relaxed. His chin rested on her head. She closed her eyes, breathing in the warm smell of his shirt. Finally, he stepped back, clearing his throat.
“Let’s get going. I sent Jeremy to work on another lead since you were coming to this interview—don’t want to intimidate our witness with too many people.”
She nodded, wordless. His hug seemed to have melted something around her heart. She followed him into the school office.
They signed in and got visitor badges, and the vice principal showed them to a small study room off the main library area. Stevens got out his portable tape recorder, the file of photos, a notebook, and pen.
The vice principal returned a few minutes later with a petite Filipino girl. Her long, glossy black hair hung over her face and she peeked at them through the screen of her bangs. She flopped into the molded plastic chair with boneless grace.
“Hi again, Angela. Remember me, Detective Stevens? And this is Officer Texeira.”
The girl nodded, dark doe eyes flicking over to Lei and returning to Stevens.
“Is it okay if we tape this interview?” he asked. “Your parents gave permission for me to interview you.” She nodded, a shy bob of the head. Her earrings swung, a sparkle of silver.
“Okay. Last time we talked, you told me you had seen Haunani Pohakoa get in a black Toyota truck after school with an older man.”
She nodded.
“Please state your response out loud,” Stevens said, giving her an encouraging smile.
“Yes,” Angela said softly, her eyes still on him. Lei couldn’t help noticing how something about him made even a high school student respond with trust and confidence.
“When was this?”
“I don’t know. A week or two before they found them.”
“Did she say anything to you about this guy?”
“She called him her ‘secret admirer.’”
“Was there any student gossip about him?”
“Everybody was calling him Haunani’s sugar daddy,” she said with a giggle. The spiteful edge to it made the hairs rise on Lei’s neck.
“But nobody knew who he was?”
“No. That’s why I wanted to get a look at him,” Angela said. “I thought it must be someone other kids knew—somebody’s uncle or brother or something.” Was she really a friend of Haunani’s? Or more of an enemy?
“Did he pick Haunani up regularly?”
“I only saw the truck a couple times.”
“Did you ever see Kelly go with them?”
“No. Kelly and Haunani were just getting to be friends. I don’t think Haunani wanted anyone else to meet him. She wanted to keep him all to herself.” Again the silvery giggle. “So I walked across the street when he was picking her up so I could get a look at him, but he wasn’t anybody I know.”
Stevens slid the folder of photos over to her. Lei had folded the license information over so only the pictures were showing.
“Do you think you could pick out his picture?” he asked.
“Maybe.” Angela leaned over the photos, the swath of hair a black silk curtain hiding her face. She slid each printout to the side as she rejected it. She took her time, but in the end she pushed them all aside.
“I don’t see him.” Her eyes glittered defiantly. Stevens reassembled the pictures into a grid.
“Look again.” He set the photos before her, six on a side. She went through them again, shook her head.
“No.”
“Are you sure?” he urged. Lei felt the glare of James Reynolds’s eyes burning up at her from his photo on the top left. Angela cut her eyes to Stevens.
“He’s not here.”
“These are all the photos of men 25 to 45 who drive a dark Toyota truck with Hilo or outlying addresses. That’s what you told us. So what did he look like?”
“I’m not sure how old he was. Dark hair. And I think the truck was black.” A long pause. The only sound was Stevens breathing through his nose.
“What about dark blue or charcoal?” Lei asked, gesturing to the photos.
“I don’t know,” Angela repeated. “I thought it was black.” She stood up, gossamer hair swinging back over her narrow shoulders. “I have to go. My friends are waiting for me.”
Stevens put his hand on her arm, held her gaze.
“It’s important that you try to remember. Anything, any details. You don’t know what might be important. This man may have killed your friends.” Angela looked down, fiddling with the gold-plated logo dangling from her purse.
“I know. But he’s not here.”
“Okay. I may see you again if I get anything else. Here’s my card,” Stevens said, slipping it into the side pocket of her purse. “Call me if anything else comes to mind.”
She nodded and spun on kitten-heeled slippers to clip-clop out of the room. The door shut with a clang behind her. Stevens shuffled the pictures back into the folder and looked at Lei.
“Well? What do you think?”
“I believe her. She didn’t recognize him. I was so sure she would pick Reynolds out, and he does have dark hair. It’s too bad, would have made things easier. So, what is his supposedly airtight alibi?”
“Nothing too exciting. He was out with his wife, having a ‘weekend away.’ Left Kelly on her own at the house to take care of the dog. Kelly’s mom confirms they went to a bed and breakfast for the night, and when they got back, the dog was still locked in the house and hadn’t been fed or let out. They were worried something had happened to Kelly and started calling all her friends and the police.”
“What do you think?”
“I can’t believe a mother would choose her new husband over her daughter and cover for foul play.
I know it happens, but I can’t get my head around it. So yeah, I believe them.”
“Believe it. It happens,” Lei said flatly. “Check it out.”
“Jeremy’s following up on it.”
They made their way back to the office, turned in the visitor badges. Stevens’s hand touched her lower back as they pushed through the glass door, and she felt the simple gesture zing up her spine. He squinted at her in the midmorning sun outside.
“Well? Are we going car shopping?”
“I thought you’d given up on that with all the drama that’s been going on. I know I did.”
“I’m still game if you are.”
“Sure, I guess.” She played it cool.
“Follow me,” he said, with a sweeping gesture.
Chapter Fourteen
Lei turned the key, smiling at the snarl of the engine turning over, the purr as it settled down. Her silver Toyota Tacoma had that new car smell and sound. That black truck can’t outrun me in this, she thought. Keiki sat majestically upright on the seat beside her. She’d bought the extended cab so that in case she had a passenger, she could put the dog behind them. There was plenty of room for the leash, water bottles, and beach and bookbags she’d packed. Since she’d already called in sick, she might as well try to relax, have a little fun.
Lei pulled out and drove past Tom Watanabe’s house. His second car, a black Nissan Frontier, was in the driveway this time. She continued on through her meandering neighborhood, with its plantation-style homes, neat yards, and sagging electric lines. Most of Hilo was older, built in the style popular in Hawaii with extended roofs over porches to catch the trade winds. Hilo had a downtown area with big box stores and industrial buildings, but most of it was unpretentiously residential. The plethora of hapu`u fern trees lining driveways and exotic hibiscus, orchids and plumeria massed in gardens was what set Hilo apart—that, and the volcano looming in the distance.