Paradise Crime Thrillers Box Set

by Toby Neal

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  After taking Sophie’s official statement of events on video, Lei asked the team to sit through a recap of the case on one of the whiteboards in Kahului Station’s utilitarian conference room. Sophie held a cup of hot cocoa with both hands, letting the warmth soak in and calm her shaking hands, the sugar stabilizing her adrenaline crash, the sweet scent erasing the memory of the smell of Jake’s blood in her nostrils.

  “So, as you know, Long lawyered up as soon as he was treated for his stab wound,” Lei said. “He claims he surprised Sophie stealing his bone hook collection and that he was within his rights to fire upon her and Jake, an additional intruder.”

  “He will have trouble proving that,” Captain Omura said. The Japanese woman brushed at her immaculate uniform and pushed an errant strand of smooth black hair behind her ear.

  “True, but his lawyer is backing him up, so that’s the battle we’ll be fighting. But we got a search warrant for the safe, and a safecracker is on his way. I can’t wait to get my hands on all the dirt hidden in there,” Lei said, the dimple in her cheek flashing in anticipation.

  “He virtually admitted to the murder of Mano, as I told you,” Sophie said. “I speculated that he was Mano’s partner, and that he killed Mano for trying to extort from him, and his answer was to tell me I had no proof.”

  “If the blackmail materials are in the safe, we’ll have a solid case. We will have a trickier time proving that he was near the body with no physical evidence but Magnuson’s hair, but we can build a pretty convincing picture with the circumstantial evidence,” Hiromo, the District Attorney, said from his side of the table. “Though of course, I will be counting on your testimony, Ms. Ang.”

  “Of course. Did you let Dr. Taggart go?” Sophie asked Lei.

  “We did. His company declined to press charges on him for having the artifacts in his possession. They said they believed his statement that he had merely neglected to log them in. He’s working at his lab with a partner to authenticate Long’s bone hook collection. We expect those to be human bone hooks, and hopefully the archaeology team will find a way to tie them to the Kakela site,” Lei said. “So. Let me take us through the case and see if we have any loose ends. Kakela was being burgled by someone looking rather haphazardly for bone hooks. Security Solutions is hired to prevent the incursions. Seth Mano’s body turns up in one of the ‘test unit’ holes on the site, head bashed in. Only physical evidence is Pomai Magnuson’s hair on his body.” She looked around. “Anyone need a malasada break besides me?”

  “Texeira, we’ve gone to heart-healthy snacks here at Kahului Station, as you well know,” Captain Omura said. “I can have someone bring in some celery sticks and hummus, if you like.”

  “No, thank you, sir.” Lei shuddered. “Anyway, Sophie found a list of blackmail victims on Mano’s computer. One of the names on it was Brock Blackthorne, who had recently put in a bid on the Kakela site. We went out to his estate to question him in the matter, and he took Sophie hostage. He had been behind the burglaries, and Seth Mano had sold him the GPR report, which helped him target the artifacts he was after, including the bones of the Hawaiian queen. We were able to extract Sophie, but Blackthorne committed suicide in the process.”

  Sophie felt a chill pass over her skin at the memory of Blackthorne’s blood pumping over the obsidian knife in her hand.

  “The case appeared closed, though we weren’t sure how Blackthorne had killed Mano. Then Sophie asked me to check Pomai Magnuson’s hair against the one found on the body. She wasn’t in the system, but we were able to obtain a sample and verify that it was her hair on the body. When we brought her in, she fingered Brett Taggart, who then fled his apartment in an attempt not to be caught in possession of artifacts that he had not logged in with his company, making him look like a good candidate for the murder.” Lei paused and took a swig of her water bottle. “Am I right so far?”

  Nods.

  “Anyone got anything to add?”

  “I never thought Taggart was the killer,” Sophie said.

  “Well, he’s a likeable guy, but it’s not a popularity contest. We follow the evidence wherever it leads, and Sophie found another lead just when we were ready to close the case again and pin it on Taggart. She went over and trespassed at Aki Long’s house, uncovering evidence linking him to the bone hooks and an admission that he was involved.”

  “Now all we need is something from that safe on Long’s wall to tie to Mano or Kakela for us to be able to make a convincing case,” Pono said. “Sophie, I know you want to go see Jake at the hospital. We’ll call you if there’s anything you need to know.”

  Sophie was grateful to be dismissed.

  Jake was on the fourth floor of Maui Memorial Hospital, propped up in bed, his shoulder thick with strapping.

  The nurse had told Sophie to “go right in,” but Jake’s eyes were shut, and she hesitated in the doorway.

  She’d scrolled through his phone at the scene and, after the ambulance took him away, called his mother and sisters to tell them that he’d been shot; they were on their way, and to judge by their horrified exclamations, he was well-loved.

  And he should be. Jake was every inch a hero, several times over.

  Sophie padded forward silently so as not to wake him, but Jake’s eyes opened. Though glassy with pain meds, his gaze brightened at the sight of her. “Thought you’d never get here.”

  “How did the surgery go?” Sophie sat in a slick plastic chair beside the bed. “Here’s your phone back.” She set it on the little table beside the bed.

  “They told me they got the bullet out.” He pointed with his good hand to a small lidded glass jar. “Gave me a souvenir. Said I’d recover as well as could be expected, whatever that means.”

  “Lei will probably want that bullet.” Sophie picked the jar up and shuddered at the thought of that conical gray slug being dug out of his flesh and bone. “I’m just sick that this happened to you.”

  “Better than the alternative.”

  She looked up and met his eyes.

  “I’m getting tired of men taking a bullet for me,” Sophie whispered. “Men I care about. I think I need to get into another line of work.”

  Jake fumbled a big hand across the bedclothes and reached for hers.

  Sophie didn’t want to take it. She had a boyfriend. Jake might get the wrong idea…but she couldn’t resist her partner’s mute appeal. She sighed, taking his hand in her own bandaged one and leaning against the bed. “I’m so tired,” she said. “What a long, horrible day.”

  “Come rest a while. I’m going to sleep,” Jake mumbled.

  Sophie scooted her chair closer, and leaned her head against the angled back of his bed, their joined hands resting on the edge. His bulky warmth soothed her, as did the sound of his breathing. Just a few minutes of rest, that was all she needed, and she’d be on her way back to her condo, after he was asleep and he didn’t need her any more. It had been such a long day.

  Sophie woke with a start to a touch on her shoulder. Dawn was breaking over the ocean, sun shining through a window that had shown nothing but an inky night sky when she first sat down. She was stiff and achy, having fallen asleep in that uncomfortable position for hours.

  A kind, matronly face looked down at Sophie, gray eyes inquisitive. “Are you the woman who called me?” The woman whispered, pushing ash-blonde hair back behind her ears and setting a bulky purse on the floor beside the bed.

  “I am,” Sophie whispered, extracting her hand from Jake’s and stifling a groan as she straightened up to stand, every muscle screaming. “Are you his mother?”

  “Yes, I’m Janice. Janice Dunn.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here. He will have company now.” Sophie smiled and picked up her backpack as she sidled toward the door. “Tell him I’ll call soon.”

  “Are you his girlfriend?” Mrs. Dunn sat in the chair she’d vacated.

  “No, no. I’m his partner. At the security firm. W
e work together,” Sophie stuttered, glancing at Jake, who was, mercifully, still snoring among the beeping machines. “I’m Sophie Ang.”

  “Oh.” Mrs. Dunn’s mouth turned down. “All right then. Thank you for calling me. He probably wouldn’t even have told me anything happened until he was better.”

  “He’s pretty independent,” Sophie agreed. “But everyone should have company when they’re injured and hurting.”

  Mrs. Dunn nodded, her gaze fastened on her son, and Sophie slipped out.

  She found a bathroom and used the facilities, then splashed water on her face. Her complexion looked ashy and her hand ached. They were both so lucky that one, or both of them, hadn’t ended up on a slab in the morgue. She gave another little shiver, and dug her phone out of her purse.

  Lei had called, confirming that Aki Long’s safe contained the blackmail materials they had been looking for, and that they “had him nailed.” Sophie smiled at her friend’s triumphant tone. “And don’t bother using DAVID on him right now. We have him dead to rights, and I don’t want you getting in trouble with that rogue program on our behalf,” Lei ended. Sophie couldn’t help but feel relieved.

  Several calls from Connor showed, and even a couple of voice mails: “Are you all right? I heard Jake was shot! Call me.”

  Then a second one: “I’m coming over. I’m sure you’re at the hospital with him. I’ll be there soon.”

  That was three hours ago.

  Sophie’s pulse picked up as she strode out of the bathroom, calling Connor back, but there was no phone reception in the hospital. She hurried down the glossy, antiseptic-smelling halls into the elevator and down to the exit. She’d taken an Uber from the nearby police station, and tried another call to Connor before she summoned a ride back to her condo.

  “Sophie? I’m almost at the hospital. Are you okay?” Connor’s voice energized her immediately. She felt exhaustion and trauma falling away as if plugging into an electric current.

  “I’m fine. I’m out at the front. Can you pick me up and take me back to my condo? Jake’s resting and his mother just arrived,” Sophie said, rubbing her scar distractedly.

  “Perfect.”

  Five minutes later, Connor pulled up in a big white Honda SUV. “Security Solutions has vehicles over here?” Sophie asked, hopping into the passenger seat before he could open the door for her.

  Connor put the vehicle in park, stomped on the parking brake, and gestured. “Come here. I need a kiss after that harrowing experience of worrying about you.”

  Sophie smiled, warmth crackling over all of her nerve endings. She leaned over and Connor caught the back of her head, drawing her in for a deep kiss that brought on a whistle from someone exiting the hospital.

  They broke apart at last, and Sophie saw her smile reflected in Connor’s face. She cleared her throat. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Me, too.” Connor put the Honda in gear and pulled out from under the hospital’s drop-off canopy. “And to answer your question, yes. Security Solutions has begun the process of opening a satellite office over here so we’ve shipped over a couple of these vehicles. I thought Jake told you. Anyway, we’re not going back to your condo. I have something else in mind.”

  “Oh really?” Sophie quirked a brow.

  “Yep. All you need is your bathing suit and a couple of changes of clothes. You’re off for the weekend, and we’re getting some serious R and R.”

  “What about Jake?” Sophie felt a tug of guilt and something more, something soft and longing as she looked back at the hospital in the rearview mirror.

  “I thought you said his mother arrived?” Connor’s blue eyes were guileless. He had no reason to be jealous of Jake, and she wanted to keep it that way.

  “You’re right.” Sophie looked away. Jake had his family. He’d be fine. “I have a few things to finish for Lei and Pono, including a search I started on Long for the investigation, but I can do that on the laptop from wherever you’re taking me. And where is that, by the way?”

  “Surprises are the spice of life.”

  “I’ve never cared for them.” Sophie tugged at her hair, arranging it over her scar.

  “You’ll like this one. But we have a bit of a drive, so why don’t you tell me about the case, from start to finish?”

  The road to Hana was one of Maui’s special experiences, Sophie discovered. Two-lane, steep-shouldered, narrowing to one at various points, Hana Highway wound along the coastline in deep arcs, necessitating frequent and harrowing pullovers as cars passed each other. Waterfalls gushed every mile or two, and green jungle, blooming flowers, and vast bamboo forests decorated lush, steep bluffs above a tumbling cobalt sea. The drive is never shorter than two hours, Connor informed her, but the way Sophie and Connor did it, the route took three.

  Sophie loved playing tourist, parking at every vista to pose for selfies with Connor, keeping a pair of binoculars out to look for whales, and walking to the base of each accessible waterfall to offer a leaf or a flower into the water, a tradition from her childhood.

  Every mile that passed took Sophie further from the stresses and strains of the case. Telling Connor about it and the ugly revelation of Aki Long as the real criminal behind it all was a way to purge the experience from her mind and heart.

  As they pulled in to the turnaround for valet parking at the famous, elegantly low-key Hana Hotel, Sophie tucked a plumeria behind Connor’s ear. “Talking to you is more therapeutic than a debriefing with Dr. Kinoshita.”

  He grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment. I guess. But I have something a lot more therapeutic in mind.”

  Sophie laughed.

  They carried Sophie’s laptop and backpack, repacked from Miller’s house, and Connor’s overnight bag, into the single-story hotel built around a lava stone fountain. The bellman driving them in a golf cart through acres of open grounds planted in tropical plants pointed out a nine-hole golf course, an infinity pool and spa, a croquet field, tennis courts, and archery range, all providing possible activities. As they approached a bungalow overlooking the sea, Connor took Sophie’s hand. “The idea is that we never have to leave the grounds.”

  “I agree with that plan,” she said. Velvety green grass and palms swaying overhead framed a large, lovely cottage set on a swath of bluff overlooking the ocean. The bellman carried their bags in, showing them a full kitchen and welcome basket of fruit, flowers, and famous Hana banana bread.

  Connor tipped him as Sophie walked through the big glass sliders to look out at the cobalt blue, wave-tossed sea. “I thought Wailea was as pretty as this island could get. But I like this, too.”

  “The east shore always gets more rain and storm action, but it has unique charms.” Connor joined her at the railing. Side by side, they took in the view. Clouds whirled by, and a cormorant dipped over the ocean. Waves broke on the black lava rocks lining the nearby bay. The sound of surf filled their bungalow like a lullaby.

  Sophie looked at Connor. “You brought me here to get me away from anywhere that Assan could track me.”

  “Yes. You must have noticed when we registered that we’re Mr. and Mrs. Jones. We are hidden and off the grid for the weekend, as best as I could do. I thought that might help us both sleep better, for a little while at least.”

  Sophie turned fully toward him, still leaning on the railing. His sea-blue eyes were serious. He lifted a finger to trace the scar on her cheek. “I want you safe. I won’t rest until he’s dead.”

  She turned her head and caught the tip of his finger with her teeth, nipping it. “That’s somehow very sexy. Thank you—even though Assan is mine to kill. I love you for saying that. For doing whatever the Ghost is doing to track him.”

  “That almost sounded like ‘I love you.’” Heat bloomed in Connor’s eyes as he slid his hand around the back of her neck and drew her closer. Their bodies pressed together, and the kiss kindled a fire in Sophie’s belly. She leaned into it, pressing into him, shedding her preoccupation with work,
her wounds from the past, her inhibitions.

  Sophie lifted her head finally and brown eyes gazed into blue. “I love you, Connor. I’ve never said that before, to anyone but my parents.”

  “And I love you.” His kiss was filled with the banked passion of a love she could not misinterpret. They shed their clothing on the way to a big bed overlooking the sea—and to the sound of breaking waves, Sophie left her past behind and embraced a future with the Ghost.

  Turn the page for a sneak peek of book four of the Paradise Crime Thrillers, Wired Dark!

  Wired Dark

  Paradise Crime, Book 4

  “Glam (style) really did plant seeds for a new identity. I think a lot of kids needed that sense of reinvention. Kids learned that however crazy you may think it is, there is a place for what you want to do and who you want to be.” - David Bowie

  “In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.” - Erik Erikson

  “We are all instinctively struggling to reach our potential—and some of us completely remake ourselves numerous times in order to do so.” - Toby Neal

  Chapter One

  His wife’s room was almost ready for her.

  Assan Ang looked around a bare white space. He liked the simplicity of it: just a king-size bed, and the great wheel mounted on the wall with all its straps and accoutrements. Off to the side, a locked metal cabinet.

  No windows. Windows were just an opportunity for escape and distraction, and he liked to keep her in the dark when he wasn’t visiting.

  The floor was covered with a deep, plush collection of hand-knotted Persian rugs. A screen hid a toilet, plastic shower stall, and sink in the corner. The door into the hallway was soundproofed and reinforced. A slit in the bottom with a metal flap provided enough space for a plate to slide in so that he could feed her.