North Shore Nanny

by Terry Ambrose

  A chorus of “whats” filled the air. I snickered. “Do you always get what you want?”

  “Nah, only the important stuff. You have to pick your battles.”

  Chance shook his head as he looked at me. “She’s ten and she’s a shark.” He smiled. “No rent raises, McKenna.”

  I ignored him and scowled at Kai. "You told your mother you were going to the beach with Alexander. Tell us where to find Juliana.”

  "Doh." Kai shook her head. “I never said that. I told her Uncle Alexander agreed to take me. I never said I'd go.”

  If intimidation wouldn't work, maybe we could trick the kid into believing she was getting her way. Time to be devious. “You win, Kai, lead the way.”

  Alexander was adamant he wouldn’t break his promise to June, but there was no point in trying to do this any way other than Kai’s. At least, not until we found Juliana. After that, we could cut the kid out of the deal and do our jobs. She might hate me for it, but it would keep her safe.

  We went through the first round of negotiations with me assuring the others they needed to trust me. Okay, it didn't work well. It went about as far as a rock could roll uphill. In round two, the other adults declared involving the kid was out of the question. Now, however, they’d stopped relying on reasoning and were working off emotion. By round three, they all succumbed to reality. Kai held all the cards and was our only lead if we wanted to find Juliana.

  The bottom line was we needed Kai's help—for now. So, she and Alexander piled into his truck; Chance and I took the Ferrari. Benni said she’d stay behind, citing the need to book her flight back to the Big Island. Right, she had to prepare for her new client’s arrival tomorrow.

  Kai guided us to a Honolulu high-rise where the Palakiko’s maintained a condo for clients. She led us through the lobby to the elevators and we rode up in the company of an elderly couple. The couple told us they were on their third honeymoon and their thirtieth anniversary. They'd attained this auspicious status by marrying each other three times. Marriage No. 1 happened fresh out of high school. They divorced after he cheated while on a business trip. Marriage No. 2 broke up after she cheated. No. 3 came about because her second husband died. Somehow, we got the whole story in the time it took us to go twelve floors.

  When the doors opened, Kai instructed us to exit and immediately went to the stairs. We followed her up to the fourteenth floor. On the way, I asked, “What are you, paranoid?”

  She sighed as she explained how when you’re trying to hide out, you can never be too cautious. My only comment was, “I’m glad you weren’t one of the skips I had to find. You might have been the one who got away.”

  At the door, Kai pulled a key card from her back pocket. “It’s my mom’s,” she said. She swiped the card, knocked, and said, “Housekeeping.”

  From the kitchen, I heard a woman’s voice. “Someone’s at the door, I’ll come in this afternoon.” A few seconds later, I heard her say, “Kai? What are you doing here?”

  How could the woman behind the voice not know why we were here? Princess Kai had demanded it, and we, her loyal retinue, had followed. Our little group settled in on a white, wraparound sectional in the living room. A glass-topped coffee table and a flowered recliner filled out the conversation area.

  Juliana had blonde-streaked hair, blue eyes, and delicate facial features. The faint creases of a stressful experience didn't mar her beauty. When we asked about her case, she said, “Not with Kai here. I won’t allow her to become involved in my mess. She’s already risking her future and it's gone way too far. I told you what would happen if you persisted, Kai.”

  Kai jumped up. “Juliana! You can’t cut me out. You can’t!”

  While Kai whimpered, Juliana raised a hand, her fingers splayed. “Talk to the hand, Kai. You know I mean what I say.” Her voice was firm, yet polite. Juliana Rollins struck me as someone who had, at least at one point, been used to giving orders.

  “You and Keawe,” Kai grumbled as she suppressed a smile.

  “Who’s that?” I asked.

  “Her surfing instructor. Kai knows if she doesn’t obey his orders, he’ll drop her. It’s one of the reasons she’s so good. She’s learning tremendous discipline from him.”

  This kid understood discipline? Could’ve fooled me. But, maybe deep down, Kai was a child in need of strong guidance. I think she knew it, too, which could be the real reason she was so desperate to get Juliana back. We definitely had to save Juliana Rollins.

  Alexander agreed to take Kai home. She put up no resistance, but she did insist on a trip to the bathroom first. When she returned, she needed a glass of water. I had the impression she was doing everything she could to prolong her time with Juliana. We all went back to the living room and waited while the little princess drank one glass, then another. At one point, she said, “Keawe says I have to stay hydrated all the time.”

  Finally, when the second glass was gone, Kai called to Alexander from the kitchen. “I’m ready!”

  Once it was just Chance, Juliana, and me, we got down to business. “You said last night some higher ups think you’re a troublemaker. That’s a far cry from framing someone for murder. Who’d go to such extreme lengths?”

  “Are you familiar with a Dr. Preston Wayford?”

  Neither Chance nor I had heard the name before. It turned out he was the former Chief of Staff at Madigan Army Medical Center and she’d been one of the head nurses. She also told us she’d worked with veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

  “He’s connected to a couple of powerful senators,” said Juliana. “Wayford’s political cronies ousted Dr. Duffy, which is when the care went downhill. I’d been promoted under Dr. Duffy. He had good intentions but was an ineffective administrator. He was a brilliant diagnostician. He didn’t understand people at all, though. He chewed me out the first time I criticized one of his admin decisions. The following day he said he’d thought about it and changed his mind. He always consulted with me before he did anything after that. We grew quite close.”

  “Sounds like it worked out,” I said.

  “It was fine until we decided to improve the medical care for our patients.” She massaged the small crease at the bridge of her nose before continuing. “The problem involved the decision to do more extensive testing for PTSD. It was going to cost the Army millions.”

  “Money they didn’t have. Right?” I said.

  “Exactly. When Dr. Duffy tried to get funding, they fired him. Basically, he took the fall for something I convinced him to do. I’m the reason he lost his job.”

  “That’s not where it ended, is it?” asked Chance.

  Juliana shook her head. “It got worse when Dr. Wayford hired his brother-in-law as the Chief of Staff. I complained about blatant nepotism, so he called me into his office. He said he knew my recommendation was what got Dr. Duffy fired. He accused me of being a lone wolf and promised to destroy me.”

  “You mean he was going to fire you?” Chance asked.

  Juliana shook her head. “No. He was screaming and red-in-the-face serious. He said he hated troublemakers and when I least expected it, I’d get my comeuppance.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Juliana's claims smacked of insanity. A high-ranking Army officer had killed a nanny to frame Juliana for murder? Seriously? How "out there" could you get?

  At least Chance and I appeared to be on the same track. We had a nut case on our hands. And a ten-year-old kid who didn’t understand her friend might not be as innocent—or sane—as she thought. We asked a few more questions out of curiosity, there was no way this would turn out well. For now, Chance and I just wanted out of the condo before something else happened.

  In the elevator, my frustration boiled over. “This case sucks. You don’t believe her either, do you?”

  Chance shook his head. “I’m not real big on Army protocol, McKenna, but my dad did deal with the government. We had senators and generals at our house lots of times. They sometimes
talked about the people who badmouthed them. But, you know what? They all laughed about stationing guys in remote Arctic outposts, but none of them would have condoned murder. I'm sure of it. It’s way too easy to make a troublemaker regret his entire life when you’ve got so much power.”

  The elevator stopped on the sixth floor and a family of four entered. Beach wear, everywhere. They had a full load, including towels, boogie boards, a cooler, and other beach paraphernalia. We put our conversation on hold while the little boy, a four-foot-tall expert on Waikīkī, rattled on about how he was going to “shred those waves.”

  Our next stop was the lobby, where the family shuffled out. Chance started to follow them but stopped when he saw me with my finger still on the Open Door button.

  “What’s up, McKenna?”

  I tilted my head upwards. “I can’t let her tell a story like that without getting some proof. If she can’t convince me what she’s saying is true, we’re going to have to find a way to tell Kai her nanny is a whacko. And a liar.”

  Chance snorted. “I’ll go with you. I have to see this.”

  On our ride back to the 14th floor, we shared the elevator with a hot-to-trot young couple. They made moon-eyes at each other throughout the ride and made a quick exit on the tenth floor. Their incessant giggling carried back to us as the doors slid shut.

  "Ah, young love," I said.

  Chance didn't comment, but he also had a faint smile on his face.

  When we arrived at the Palakiko’s condo, I knocked and waited. No answer. Knocked again. Still nothing.

  “You think she left?” Chance asked.

  I did a double take and peered at him. No way. “We’ve haven’t even been gone five minutes. How could she have packed up so fast? She must be in the bathroom.” I gave Juliana another half minute, then knocked.

  While we waited, the elevator dinged.

  Under his breath, I heard Chance mutter, “Here comes trouble.”

  June Palakiko marched toward us from the elevators, a scowl on her face. “What are you two doing here?” A man wearing a gold name tag was struggling to keep up.

  “Hi, June.” My attempt at casual fell flat. She knew she’d caught me off guard.

  “Were these the ones who were with my daughter?”

  Her tagalong was Assistant Manager Robert. He peered at me from behind a pair of tortoise-shell glasses for a moment before answering. “Uh, yes, ma’am.”

  “Open it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  June shot daggers at me while Robert swiped his card. She said, “Kai stole my key. Her father’s, too. This has gone far enough.”

  The moment the lock clicked, June pushed past Robert. His face screwed up as he swallowed hard and flattened his back against the door. The poor guy looked like he might wet his pants. Chance and I preyed on his momentary inability to move and went in next. Robert finally recovered and followed us in.

  There was no sign anyone had been here. No dirty dishes in the kitchen. The towels in the bathroom were nice and straight. Bed made. No clothes in sight. “What was she, ready to walk out the door when we arrived?” I asked.

  “You knew she was here?” The blood vessels in June’s forehead pulsed as though hot lava flowed in her veins.

  No way did I want any part of her fury. “Kai brought us here. She wouldn’t even tell us the number until we stopped in front of the door. She's a cautious one, June. Can we talk for a minute? Alone?”

  June dismissed her escort with a nod. “Thank you, Robert.”

  “Is there anything else I should do, ma’am? Do you want me to ask security to keep an eye out for her?”

  “I’ll let you know.”

  When the front door closed, I tried my best tactful tone with June. “You said Kai left her phone at home. Why did you put a tracking service on it?”

  “After yesterday, she must have realized I knew how to use it. She assumes I’m a total technophobe.”

  “I guess she figured out a way around the tracker,” I said. “You should realize by now your daughter is determined to help Juliana. Right now, Kai is with Alexander. They’ve gone surfing.”

  Chance chuckled. “Unless she’s given him the slip.”

  Thanks, buddy. Nice way to assure the parent we were complete incompetents. I wondered if I could get June’s mind off Chance’s blunder. “When’s the last time you spoke with Juliana?”

  “It’s been a while. Since she went to work for the service, I suppose. I’ve been on this huge case and have been putting in long hours.”

  To me, that sounded a lot like June trying to rationalize her guilt over entrusting Kai’s care to a nanny.

  She chewed on her lower lip and rubbed her forehead. Her sigh of exasperation came from deep within. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with her. We raised her to be fearless and independent and now she’s . . .”

  “Fearless and independent,” I said. “Kai is one of a kind. I’ve done my best to make her question her loyalty to Juliana and she’s been unshakable. It’s one reason we came here. We knew if we didn’t cooperate, she’d find someone else to help. And next time, she might get, well, who knows what?”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  “That you stop trying to force her to believe something she doesn’t. Let us help her come to the right conclusion on her own. She won’t hate you for it.”

  “Believe me,” Chance said. “Whenever my dad tried forcing a decision on me, I fought back as hard as I could. We’re still working it out.”

  Plopping down onto the couch, June said, “I’m an attorney. An officer of the court.”

  “And Kai is your daughter. How much do you want to help her?”

  Turmoil played out on June’s face as she stood and paced the room. Her color paled and tears brimmed in her eyes. All the while she chewed her lower lip until red lipstick painted her teeth. Her voice was ragged when she spoke. “Do you know what you’re asking me to do?”

  Chance drifted away, citing a need to use the bathroom. Now? He needed the little boy's room in the middle of an interrogation? Even I could have held it a little longer.

  “Do you ever worry about her when she’s out there in the ocean up against a monster wave? From what I hear, Kai thinks nothing of taking on a twenty-footer. Christ, that's bigger than a house."

  A dark streak of mascara trickled down June’s cheek. “My heart stops every single time.” She swiped at her cheek with the same motion I’d seen Kai use on the boat. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her.”

  “Then trust her,” I said. “From what I can see, your daughter has good instincts. If Juliana’s guilty, Kai will come to realize it. I’ll handle getting her turned into the law so you’re not involved. It wouldn’t be the first time someone has wanted to throw me off the island. Did Robert know Juliana was here?”

  June shook her head. “He called me because he saw Kai with you two. At the time, even I didn't know Juliana was here."

  Chance returned. Oh, good grief, he had a bulge in one of his front pockets. Control yourself, kid, now's not the time to get all worked up. I could only hope June didn't notice. That would be embarrassing.

  I quietly coughed to catch June's attention. “You never saw Julianna Rollins. Right?”

  “That’s correct, Counselor.” She smiled at me. “I have no firsthand knowledge of her being here.”

  “Then there’s nothing for you to report.”

  I snuck a peek at Chance. He, too, seemed satisfied.

  A moment later, June smiled and stood. She straightened her skirt and blouse, then opened her purse. She handed me five one-hundred-dollar bills. “Just in case you have any—expenses. You know, while you’re—babysitting—my daughter.” June snapped her purse closed and went to the door. On her way out, she said, “The door will lock automatically when you leave.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Chance and I stood in the living room of the Palakiko’s condo staring after June. Never had I expected her
to willingly withhold information from the police about Juliana. It looked like Chance might have been even more surprised; his jaw hung slack and he appeared at a loss for words.

  “She gave us a free pass to search the place.” I sighed and pointed at the bulge in Chance’s shorts. “What's with you?”

  He pulled out a tissue, which he’d wrapped around a few items. Toothbrush. Hairbrush. Nondescript brown bottle. “Looks like she missed a couple of things in her rush. The countertop was clean, but there was a razor in the shower and the other stuff was in the medicine cabinet. Do you think she’ll be coming back?”

  “I doubt it. The way she cleared out of here, I don’t think she feels safe in this condo now. You didn’t find anything else?”

  “From what I can see, this is the only sign she was here.”

  "Did you check all the drawers in the dresser, too? What about the top shelf of the closet?"

  "Will do, Boss."

  I went into the kitchen and looked through the drawers while Chance scoured the bedroom. From a search standpoint, my findings were pitiful. There were the usual kitchen utensils, a few spare lightbulbs, and a rechargeable flashlight. In short, a big fat nothing.

  Chance returned holding a sweatshirt in his hands. I tossed him a recyclable shopping bag I'd found under the counter. “Here, use this.”

  "Right." He stuffed the sweatshirt and toiletries inside.

  As we did our last check of the condo, my anxiety grew. Would June Palakiko change her mind and return with the police? I wanted to sit down and replay the conversation with her and look for clues about why she’d had a sudden change of heart. That, however, might be the worst thing I could do. We needed to search one last time for anything we might have missed, and then leave.

  The five minutes it took to check and double-check every single place in the small condo felt like twenty, but when we were done, all we had were the three items Chance had found in the bathroom and the sweatshirt. On the way out, Chance made a comment about Juliana not even having food in the condo.