Annie went ahead of him to the door and knocked. Mano glanced around as they waited. He thought he heard slack-key guitar music drifting from the back of the house. Whoever was playing was a master. The chords had been tuned to a major seventh note, a “wahine” tuning that was Mano’s favorite.
When no one came to the door, he touched Annie on the elbow and jerked his head. “Around back.” She followed him. The difference between the front and back yards was jarring. Back here, the ground had been left in its native condition. Hard bits of lava-rock gravel crunched under his boots. He saw a group of people seated in a circle on yard chairs. The two men and one woman all had guitars, though only the woman was playing.
His attention focused on the woman. She was nearly as tiny as Annie. Though gray streaked her sleek black hair, her skin was smooth and unlined. He judged her to be about fifty. Dressed in shorts and a sleeveless top, her small hands plucked delicately at the guitar keys. “Who is that?” he whispered to Annie.
“My boss, Gina.” Annie stepped around him and took the lead. She walked to the edge of the group.
The men looked up, and Mano noticed them eyeing Annie. He scowled at the one with the most appreciative stare, but the guy only had eyes for her. Mano stepped into the man’s line of vision, and his movement caught Gina’s attention. Her fingers stilled and the guitar’s twang faded. She raised her eyebrows.
“Annie, what are you doing here?” She rose and laid the guitar across her seat. “Is everything all right?”
“Not really. My sister is missing. I wondered if you’d seen her.” Annie’s voice sounded strained and tired.
Gina’s gaze searched Annie’s face. “Leilani? Perhaps she’s gone off with her friends again.”
“Maybe. But she’s never gone off without at least calling the next morning. It’s been two days since anyone saw her. She can be a little airheaded, but she knows how I worry.”
Gina touched Annie’s shoulder. “You take on your whole family’s problems. Leilani is an adult. She’ll be all right.”
“We found an altar out at the park,” Mano said.
A slight smile tugged the corners of Gina’s lips. “Offerings to Pele aren’t unusual. What does that have to do with Leilani?”
“This wasn’t just a food offering. It was an actual heiau, and an animal had been sacrificed. Leilani was going to meetings of some kind of Ku cult. Have you seen anything like that going on at Aloha Shores, or anywhere else?”
Gina frowned. “One always hears rumors of radical cultural activities. Maybe this is nothing more serious than that. Just because some natives are exploring their ancient heritage doesn’t mean Leilani is in danger.”
“A bloodstained shirt like hers was by the altar.”
Gina inhaled sharply at the revelation. “You’re sure it was hers?”
“Well, no, not really. But with her missing and then finding the necklace . . .”
Gina patted her hand. “A coincidence about the shirt then.”
Mano could tell the woman was fond of Annie, and that raised his estimation of her. “Have you ever met Annie’s brother, Tomi?”
Gina’s dark eyes widened. “Tomi? No, he was away when I moved here, then later . . .” She looked away.
He nodded toward Annie. “We wondered if Tomi might be hiding out here.”
One of the men snickered. Gina gave him a warning glance. “I must apologize for my son, Jason. His manners aren’t the best.” The young man’s nostrils flared, and he looked away. “I don’t understand. Are you saying Tomi is alive?”
“Yes, it looks that way.”
She nodded to the other man. “This is Evan Chun. He’s teaching us to play slack-key guitar, though I confess I don’t have much aptitude for it.”
The man nodded. Chun was close to Gina’s age. His sleek black hair fell over one eye, and he had a gold dragon earring in one ear. His bony knees poked from below his shorts, and he reminded Mano of an oriental Ichabod Crane. The guitar he held in his long fingers was a Gibson, an expensive one.
Gina turned her gaze back to him again. “So explain this about Tomi and what you’re doing here.”
“I got a call from Tomi last week.”
She didn’t show any surprise but just nodded. “I see. And what makes you think he’d be in Aloha Shores?”
“It’s a good place to disappear.”
“Maybe.”
“Have you seen anything?” Annie put in eagerly.
Gina shook her head; then her eyes widened. “I’ve seen signs of occupancy at the cottage at the end of Pali Road.” She turned to Evan. “Have you sold or rented that place to anyone?”
Evan nodded. “A John Smith rented it from me last week.”
Mano straightened. With a generic name like that, it could be Tomi. “What did he look like?”
“Never met him. We conducted the transaction over the phone,” Chun said.
“We’d like to go out there.” Annie took a step away from the circle.
“Let me check it out for you,” Gina said. “Only residents are allowed to wander the grounds, but no one ever stops me. I think they believe I live there.”
“I want to come,” Annie said firmly. “You’ve only seen pictures of Tomi. If he’s disguised, you might not recognize him.”
“Okay. But we’ll take my Jeep. Everyone knows it.” Gina turned to Jason. “I’ll be back in half an hour. Don’t go anywhere. I have some things for you to do today.”
Jason rolled his eyes, but he said nothing. He picked up her guitar and carried it toward the house. Gina led the way to her Jeep, an army green Cherokee that had been recently waxed. Mano took the front passenger seat. Gina pulled out of the driveway and bar-reled over the rough potholes. They went airborne several times.
Mano glanced back to make sure Annie was surviving the rough ride. She’d been staring at the back of his head. She flushed and looked away. He turned back around and resolved to have a talk with her at some opportune moment. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but the strain between them was getting to him.
Gina jerked the Jeep to a halt at a path that led through scrubby shrubs. It wound around a hill and disappeared. “This is as far as we can go. The rest is on foot.” She got out and slammed the door.
Mano jumped out and moved the seat for Annie to exit the Jeep. “Does she always drive like that?” he whispered. A dimple appeared in Annie’s cheek, and he realized he’d been watching for her smile.
She nodded. “She likes to live dangerously. She thinks it keeps her young.”
“She’ll be lucky to hit sixty.” He held out his hand, but she ignored it and moved past him. He stifled a sigh and followed her. Gina walked nimbly along the narrow path. She led them around several piles of boulders and up a steep hill. At the top of another hill, he saw a small cottage.
“That’s it,” Gina said.
She increased her pace. Annie and Mano jogged behind her. As they neared the cottage, Mano’s optimism faded. Some of the window panes were missing, and the door looked like a stiff wind would detach it from the structure. The place hadn’t seen a paintbrush in twenty years. Surely Chun was wrong. No one would rent this derelict place.
Gina stepped briskly up to the flimsy door and rapped. To Mano’s astonishment, he heard footsteps from inside, and the door swung open. He didn’t expect the familiar face that peered out. Noah Sommers.
Noah’s eyes widened. “Mano, what are you doing here?”
“John Smith, I presume,” Mano said dryly.
Noah flushed. He pushed open the screen door and stepped onto the step. “Is Jillian all right?”
Interesting that his first thought was of Jillian and not Heidi, Mano thought. “She and Heidi are fine. I’m actually looking for someone else. Are you staying here alone?”
Noah hesitated, then nodded. His eyes flickered away from Mano. He was lying; Mano was sure of it. “Sorry to disturb you then,” Mano said. As they walked back to the Jeep, he wondered what N
oah was trying to hide.
Gina returned them to Mano’s rental car and then drove off. “What now?” Mano said, more to himself than to Annie. They wouldn’t find any information here about the cult. If Tomi would only call, they might be able to let go of their worry. “Any other ideas where your brother might be hiding if he was on the island now?”
A line crinkled between her eyes as she thought. She finally nodded. “There’s an old man up the mountainside from our home. He doesn’t generally let anyone up there, but he liked Tomi and let him build a clubhouse on his property when we were kids. I think it’s still there. I’ve been meaning to go see him anyway. Jillian and I have been trying to talk him into letting us put GPS receivers on his lot. Want to try there?”
“Sounds like a possibility. Tell me more about him.” Mano drove toward the Tagama property.
“His name is Orson Kauhi. I think he’s as old as the lava fields he lives on.” She smiled and turned the radio down. “GPS helps us figure out where the ground is heaving and sinking. That data could help pinpoint new magma chambers. Jillian’s convinced the area holds real potential for one, but Kauhi has refused to let us do any research on his property.”
Mano knew the fields in her area were formed by the 1926 flow. If she was serious about Kauhi’s age, that would make the man nearly eighty or more. “Family?”
She shook her head. “His wife died before I was born, and they didn’t have any kids. I was scared of him when we were little. Maybe I still am. Tomi used to tell me he was Pii, the dragon in man form.”
Mano knew the legend. Pii lived on a steep precipice and could rush incredibly fast to fight his adversaries. “Is this guy big?”
“Huge. That’s one reason I believed Tomi. He never leaves his place.”
“How does he live?”
“He grows everything he needs on his mountain. I imagine he orders clothing by mail or phone.”
“Sounds like we’re stepping into the mouth of the barracuda.”
“He’s probably harmless. I was young and impressionable the last time I saw him.” She pointed. “Go to the road past our house and turn.”
He followed her directions until they could go no farther. The road ended in a field of lava rock. Black boulders lay strewn up the hillside as though a giant had tossed them there. “Do you know where his house is?”
“There was a narrow trail here that Tomi always used to take. I’ll see if I can find it.” She got out and stood by the car. “Here it is.” She set off up the steep slope. Mano followed her. Her boots loosened small stones, and they skittered down past him. He struggled to navigate the many boulders. They were both huffing by the time they reached the crest.
Pausing at the top, he gazed at the bleak landscape. “Is that a house?” He pointed to a dark structure camouflaged by the black lava rocks.
“That’s it!” Annie started off toward the cabin.
Mano hurried after her. “Should we shout or something? Warn him that we’re coming?
Before Annie could answer, a shot reverberated in the air. He pulled her down behind a boulder. “He’s seen us, but I don’t think he’s trying to hit us.”
“Let me talk to him.” She struggled to get up.
“Wait, let me see if I can spot him.” He lifted his head and looked toward a pile of black boulders. “I think he’s over there. Call to him and tell him who you are.”
She peered over the top of the boulder. “Mr. Kauhi, it’s Annie Tagama, your neighbor. I need to talk to you.”
The call of a hawk overhead filled the silence. Then a voice boomed out. “Show yourself, Miss Tagama, you and your friend.”
Mano and Annie stared at one another. “We don’t have much choice,” he whispered.
She nodded and stood slowly with her hands in the air. Mano did the same. A man stepped out from behind a rockfall. He was nearly seven feet tall. His shaggy black hair held only a few traces of white.
“I’ve never seen such a tall Hawaiian.”
Annie barely nodded. She stepped out. “Can we put our hands down now?”
Orson Kauhi lowered his rifle. “Make it fast. I don’t have all day.” His glower deepened.
As they came within three feet of the man, Mano realized he was older than he appeared from a distance. His face was lined with wrinkles, and his muscles were atrophied. In his prime, he must have been terrifying to a child. Annie smiled, but Mano could sense her fear and wondered if Kauhi could as well. Mano put his hand on her back.
“I was wondering if you’d seen my brother, Tomi, lately, Mr. Kauhi.”
He stared at her from under bushy eyebrows. “I heard he died.”
“That’s what we thought, but there’s talk he might be alive. Leilani might be with him. Did you ever see my younger sister?”
“She’s the nosy one, always coming here and peeking in my windows. Not like you. You were too scared.” Kauhi continued to glower, but amusement seemed to lurk in his dark eyes.
“Have you seen her lately?”
He reached out and Annie flinched, but he just touched her shoulder. “Go home, little girl. Forget about your sister. Live your own life. You worry too much about your family.”
She glanced at Mano, and he read the desperation in her face. He cleared his throat. “Have you seen either Tomi or Leilani in the last week, Mr. Kauhi?”
The big man shook his head. “No. Now leave me.”
Annie bit her lip. “One other thing. The GPS receivers. It’s critical we place some here to gauge the earth’s movement. You’d have final say on exactly where we put them. You turned down my coworker’s request, but would you please reconsider?”
“No. Like I’ve said, I don’t let anyone on my land. Not now, not ever. Study your volcano somewhere else. Ku protects me here as long as I keep the outsiders away.” He turned and moved swiftly away.
Ku. Mano gave a start. Maybe this guy was part of the cult. “Mr. Kauhi, I’ve got some more questions.”
The big man ignored him and went into the cabin. The door slammed. Annie started to follow, but Mano grabbed her arm. “Forget it. He won’t change his mind. I’ll check out the mountain after dark.”
Six
Annie rinsed the sink and hung up the dishcloth to dry. After Mano dropped her off, she had called Sam, but he didn’t have any new leads on Leilani. Then she’d cleaned the house from one end to the other, trying to maintain as normal a state as possible. Leilani would call when she was ready. She always did.
Wilson lay curled under her feet, and she nearly tripped over him several times. She gently pushed him away with her foot, and he growled softly. “Cool your jets,” she told him. The doorbell rang, and she went to answer it. Glancing out the living-room window as she passed, she saw Fawn’s car. Good, she needed someone to talk to. She swung the door open and saw her friend standing there with a baggie full of goodies. “Yum, what is it?”
“Wheatless carrot cake.” Fawn wore a hot pink beach coverup and reef shoes.
“Um, onolicious,” Annie said, paying the highest compliment she could. She was being only half-sarcastic. Though Fawn’s concoctions sounded horrible, they were generally tasty. “As long as it doesn’t have grass in it.”
Fawn stepped inside. “No grass, just natural vanilla, maple syrup, rice flour, and organic eggs. No sugar or wheat.”
“It smells good,” Annie said cautiously. She followed Fawn to the kitchen. Her friend put the cake on the counter. “How about a swim? You need to do something fun today.”
“I should clean the bathrooms.” Annie’s protest was halfhearted. She could use a diversion.
Fawn put her hands on her hips. “You need some exercise, an outlet for the stress. Go get your swimsuit.”
When Fawn had that stubborn expression on her face, there was no getting around her. “You win.” Annie hurried to her room and grabbed her suit and equipment from a box labeled “swim gear.” She changed and pulled on her swimsuit. The scars on her foot were still an an
gry red, and she rubbed them with some pure lanolin Fawn had given her. At least her reef shoes covered half of the scars.
Being around Fawn always lifted Annie’s spirits. She joined Fawn in the living room. “I can’t stay out long,” she told her friend. “I’ll need to get dinner started in another hour or so.”
“What are we having? And I’m up for Scrabble afterward.” Fawn’s expression was innocent.
Annie grinned. “More therapy? I’ll take it. Scrabble sounds good. I’ve got to be sharp for the tournament next month.”
“You and your Scrabble.” Fawn shook her head and followed Annie out the back door. Annie whistled for Wilson, and he came running toward them full speed ahead. He loved to swim. She grabbed the surfboard propped against the back wall of the house. They trod the path made of crushed lava rock down to the water. The property ended in a small black-sand beach. Annie shed her coverup, put on her mask, and walked toward the water carrying her fins. She waded into the waves and slipped them on. Wilson plunged in behind her.
Fawn donned her fins and dove into the waves. She came up sputtering. “Hey, there’s a bunch of honu out here today!” she shouted, referring to the Hawaiian green sea turtles.
Annie joined her, and her tension began to dissipate as she watched Wilson chase the schools of brightly colored tang, butterfly fish, and unicorn fish. She slowly swam alongside a huge honu that turned to stare at her before rolling over and diving deeper. The waves were good today. She called Wilson, and he swam to her. Tossing her fins and mask to Fawn, she helped him onto the surfboard, then paddled out to the break. A perfect wave came, and she caught it. With her toes hanging off the end of the board and Wilson between her feet, it was a perfect ride.
Breathless and elated, Annie flopped onto her back on the board. The warmth of the late-afternoon sun touched her face. Out here there were no worries, no problems. As she turned, she caught sight of a figure on shore. Mano. She glanced around for Fawn, but her friend had already seen him.
“Let’s go talk to him. I haven’t seen the yummy Mano Oana in ages.” The two swam to shore.
Black Sands Page 6
