Midnight Sea (Aloha Reef Series)

by Colleen Coble

  Yoshi made the call, and Ben went to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of chips. His stomach felt hollow. Back in the living room, he began to munch. Fisher sat back on his haunches at Ben’s feet. “You little beggar,” Ben said. He tossed a chip to the dog, who practically inhaled it.

  Yoshi dropped his cell phone back into his pocket. “They’re sending someone out.”

  “Thanks.”

  The front door opened, and Rina stepped inside. She stopped when she saw them. “You startled me.” Her mouth turned up in a smile, and her color rose.

  “I waited around to talk to you,” Yoshi said.

  “Oh?” She went to the chair by Ben and sank into it. “Has something else happened?”

  “Something is going on here, Aunt Rina. Burlap bags of Kona Kai coffee were found around Ethan’s boat. He claimed to be delivering coffee for you.”

  She shook her head. “We don’t hire delivery people like that.”

  Ben examined her expression and thought she looked sincerely puzzled. “How do you explain the bags of coffee on the boat?”

  She spread her hands. “I can’t explain it.” Someone tapped on the door, and she got up to answer it.

  Ben heard a deep voice, then Willie stepped into the entry. Rina invited him inside.

  Willie stopped at the front door. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

  “Come on in,” Yoshi said. “Maybe you can shed some light on this.”

  Willie went to a chair, and Rina followed him. “On what?” he asked.

  “It appears my brother may have been smuggling protected coral in bags of coffee,” Ben said.

  Rina gasped. “Smuggling coral!”

  Yoshi sent Ben a warning look and took over the questioning. “Have you noticed any missing coffee from your farm?”

  Willie shook his head. “I run a pretty tight ship. No one comes into or out of my shop unless I know about it.”

  “The bags are marked Kona Kai,” Yoshi said, shooting an intense glance toward Rina.

  “Are you accusing Rina of being involved in smuggling?” Willie’s voice rose. “I’ve never heard anything so stupid in my life.” He balled his fists. “Your own aunt?”

  “No,” Yoshi sounded weary. “I don’t think for a minute that Aunt Rina is involved. But someone connected with the farm is. I’ve questioned all the employees. Nothing has shown up yet, but I’m convinced the answer is here. I’m just trying to get to the bottom of it.”

  “The bottom of what?” Josie stepped out of the hallway. A bright red cotton robe clad her stolid figure.

  “Someone is using Kona Kai coffee to smuggle coral,” Rina said in a shaky voice.

  “That’s nonsense,” Josie said. “Now all of you get out of here. We need to get to bed.” She shook her finger at Yoshi. “You, of all people, shouldn’t be tiring your cousin or your aunt. We have a big day Monday.”

  Ben had forgotten about the coffee harvest starting in the morning, not that it would affect him. He had funeral arrangements to make. And he needed to locate his mother.

  Chapter Eleven

  Early Monday morning Lani rode in the truck with her aunt toward the coffee orchard. The air still smelled of dew. Workers of every nationality crammed the bed of the truck behind the back window. Her aunt’s friends were coming in another vehicle.

  “I hope I can tell the ripe cherries from the green,” Lani told her aunt. She slung her arm around Fisher’s neck, damp from his morning splash in the water bowl. She’d never seen a dog who loved water so much.

  “I’ll help you get started. You’ve picked coffee cherries enough to recognize the feel,” her aunt said. “I really need every hand this week. I thought I’d be able to get more workers, but Willie snatched them all.”

  “You think he did it on purpose? Surely he didn’t need that many workers. His farm is half the size of this one.”

  “I’m trying not to wig out about it. I’ll get my cherries harvested if I have to do it all myself.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to the day? You sound tired.” Lani knew the lupus often sapped her aunt’s energy.

  “I’m not tired, not really. Not since Jerry started me on his newest supplement a few weeks ago.” Her aunt’s light laugh came. “Josie hates them, but they work. It hardly feels like I have lupus anymore.”

  Lani wet her lips. Maybe Rina would tell her more than she’d been willing to share with Yoshi last night. “I know you told Yoshi you didn’t know anything about Ethan’s coffee, but there might be some clue you’ve missed. Anyone lurking around the packing room? Any breakins?”

  “No. I can’t imagine how someone got our burlap bags, either. Do you think the attacks on you and Pam are related to the smuggling?”

  “I don’t know. But with three people dead, it’s not out of the question. And we think the orchid farm down the road is smuggling Asian slipper orchids.”

  “But we know less about that than anything. Are there other orchids of that type that aren’t forbidden to be sold?”

  “I’m sure it’s an Asian,” Lani said. “But the coffee, Aunt Rina. I touched some of the beans that were recovered from the boating accident. They were large like ours. Ours are the biggest ones in the area, thanks to Sonic Bloom. I think those bags were filled with our coffee.”

  Her aunt didn’t answer for several long moments. “They didn’t come from my trees,” she said finally.

  “Could Willie be involved in something more than engineered plants?”

  “I don’t believe it,” Rina said.

  It took Lani an extra second to decide to go out on a limb. “I wonder if he’s trying to implicate you, get you out of his way.”

  “You sound hesitant,” her aunt said. “We’ve always liked Willie, at least until he started this engineered-plant business. We’ve been friends a lot of years. Do you really think he could be involved in something so underhanded?”

  Lani tucked her head down. “I don’t know, but you have to admit it’s a possibility.”

  Her aunt didn’t answer, and the truck slowed. “Looks like the other group is here.” The truck stopped.

  Lani heard the murmur of voices. “Is it light yet?” she asked.

  “No, it’s still pitch dark, but I can see a glow in the east,” her aunt said. The truck door slammed shut. “You know, Lani, it’s been a gas watching you blossom and regain your confidence. You’re an inspiration.”

  Her—an inspiration? “I still want to see again,” Lani said.

  “Of course you do. But at least you know you can cope if your sight doesn’t come back.” Lani heard Rina move off to speak to other workers.

  Could she endure life in this black sea? Maybe. Lani opened her door and felt for the ground with her foot. “Come on, Fisher,” she said. Holding open the door, she waited until the dog pressed against her leg, then grabbed the harness. She faced the direction of the babble of voices. “Forward,” she said with confidence.

  Fisher didn’t move. “Come on, boy.” She shook the harness. “Forward.” He still didn’t move, so she started to take a step herself. Fisher planted himself in front of her and began to bark. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “He’s protecting you.” Fawn’s voice spoke to her left. “There is a deep ravine right there. If you take a step, you’ll fall. Don’t move.”

  Her initial confidence burst. So much for independence.

  Fawn touched Lani’s hand. “This way.”

  Lani put her hand on the back of her friend’s elbow and followed. The voices grew louder. “Who’s got Meg?” she asked the group. The toddler was already out of her crib when Lani got dressed. Ben was making funeral arrangements, and Rina had told him to leave Meg at the farm.

  Josie answered, “She’s with me. She was none too happy about being awakened so early, but I gave her some gum and she was good to go.”

  Lani reached out for the little girl. “Hey, Meg,” she said.

  “She’s not saying much yet,” Josie said. She took Lani�
�s hand and guided it to Meg’s shoulder. “Say good morning, Meg.”

  The sound of chomping gum made Lani smile. “It’s amazing the way she doesn’t swallow it. Most kids her age would. Are you going to help us pick coffee cherries, Meg?” she asked.

  “Doggie,” Meg said clearly.

  She bumped into Lani’s legs in her eagerness to get to Fisher. The sound of licking made Lani smile as much as the toddler’s giggling. “You must have needed a bath, Meg.”

  “Bath?” Meg said.

  “If you’ll all gather around, I’ll explain the process,” Rina called.

  Lani moved toward her aunt’s voice. Josie’s and Meg’s feet crunched through the gravel beside her.

  “I’m ready to go back to bed,” a man’s voice murmured in her ear.

  She recognized Harry Drayton’s voice. “I don’t think you’re scared of some hard work,” she said, thinking of the hard calluses on his hands.

  “Is that a challenge?” His voice sounded cheery and alert.

  “I imagine you’ll pick three times what I can.”

  “Quiet down,” her aunt called. “Here’s the skinny on our job today. Some of you have harvested before, but for the newbies here, I’ll go over it again. These trees produce premium arabica beans. We want only ripe coffee cherries. Green cherries will make the coffee bitter. We don’t want them overripe either. If they’re dark, almost black, they’re too far gone. The cherries will grow in clusters, so you can grab several at a time. Put them in the burlap sacks I’ll be passing out. We have to get the bulk of them picked before they get too ripe. Any questions?”

  “What about the cherries at the tops of the trees?” a voice called.

  “Most of the trees are trimmed to six feet. You should be able to reach them all since they don’t grow at the very top. Thank you all for coming. Now let’s get picking!”

  The crowd moved as one. Lani found herself with a burlap sack in her hands. She waited until her aunt finished answering questions. “Where do you want me?” It had been useless to come out here. Maybe she should go home with Meg.

  “Come with me.” Rina waited until Lani rested her fingers on the back of her elbow, then walked forward.

  Lani gripped Fisher’s harness with her other hand and stumbled a little on the uneven ground. The reality of her situation was beginning to get to her. When would her sight come back? She watched every moment for some glimmer of light.

  “Here we are.” Her aunt took Lani’s hand and guided it to the coffee tree. “Touch the cherries, Lani. See if you can tell which ones are ripe. I’ll tell you if you’re right.”

  Lani stroked her fingertips over the coffee cherries. She pictured them in her mind. Plump and red, shiny skin glistening with dew. The two seeds in the middle would make sweet, delicious Kona coffee, the best in the world. The taste made it worth every effort.

  Gently squeezing several cherries, she fingered one. “I think this is ripe. This next one is too, just not quite as ripe but good enough.”

  “You’re right! There’s a blackened one here too. See if you can find it.”

  Lani ran her fingers over the clustered cherries. “This one?” she asked.

  “I knew you would be able to do it. Don’t worry about speed. Do what you can.” Her aunt patted her hand. “I’d better get busy on my tree. These are easy trees since I’ve pruned them. The cherries cluster in clumps that aren’t too high. Just be careful. There’s a ravine about ten feet away. Stay close to the trees.”

  Lani heard her aunt walk off through the grass. She began to pluck the cherries and drop them into her bag. Having to examine each cherry by touch took longer, but at least she felt useful. Every tree she managed to harvest would be one less her aunt had to do.

  Ben started his Harley, then he and the bike roared away from Aloha Mortuary. That was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life. His hands were still shaking. Even the wind in his face didn’t lift his depression. The thought of his brother in the casket he’d picked out made him want to throw up.

  He drove to the attorney’s office. This would be nearly as uncomfortable as making funeral arrangements. The receptionist took his name, and Cliff Grayson waved him back to the office a few moments later.

  Cliff shook his hand and pointed to a leather chair. “Hey, Ben, so sorry to hear about your brother.”

  News traveled fast. “Thanks.” He sat in the chair and leaned forward. “I need to find my mother. The funeral should be tomorrow, but I’ve pushed it back to Thursday.”

  “You don’t know where she is?”

  Ben shook his head. “The last I heard she was in Michigan, but that was a year ago. I tried the last number I had, but it’s been disconnected.” Having to talk about the depth of his family’s dysfunction hurt.

  “I’ll see what I can do. What’s her name?”

  “Nancy Anderson. Or at least I assume it’s still Anderson. She might have ditched the current husband and found another. There’s no telling.”

  Cliff nodded but didn’t comment. “I’ll call you when I find her. Do you want to tell her the news yourself?”

  “No, you can do it.” It was the coward’s way out, but right now, Ben couldn’t bear the thought of hearing her voice. He rose and shook Cliff ’s hand. “Thanks. You’ve got my cell number. Oh, and check on getting me custody of Meg.”

  He escaped into the fresh air, but he couldn’t escape the memories so easily: The afternoons when he would come home from school to find his mother passed out on the couch—or worse, in bed with some stranger. The days when the refrigerator held nothing but moldy leftovers. She never hit him, but her words could cut deeper than any knife.

  Ethan had always been her favorite, though even he didn’t enjoy much favor. Ben held on to a thin hope that she had changed in the five years since he’d seen her last. While it wasn’t likely, it was possible. God was in the business of changing people.

  He drove his bike to the police station and went inside. Several officers stopped to talk and express their condolences, so a few minutes passed before he managed to get down the hall to Yoshi’s office. His friend sat with the phone pressed to his ear, and Ben dropped into the chair opposite the desk. Yoshi held up a finger to indicate he’d only be a minute.

  When he hung up, he leaned back in his chair. “How’re you doing?” His brown eyes were warm.

  Ben cleared his throat, then swallowed. “Okay. I just made . . . funeral arrangements.”

  “I’m so sorry, buddy.”

  “Me too.” Ben looked down at his hands, then back up. “I wondered what you found out about Simi and who owns the orchid farm.”

  Yoshi bent over his stacks of papers. “Child protective services couldn’t find anyone around other than a housekeeper, who insisted there was no child in the house. The worker called a police officer, who searched the house but found nothing. We still can’t figure out who’s behind the holding company. We’re trying to get to the bottom of it and not having much luck yet.”

  “There has to be a connection, Yoshi. And someone tried to drown Lani at Honaunau. Have you checked out Pam’s background?”

  Yoshi kept his head down and riffled through more pages. “She doesn’t seem to have had any enemies, and her record is spotless. One employee—Joey Babao—has a track record. Just petty stuff.” He squinted at the paper. “Reckless driving, a count of shoplifting, and a stolen car when he was sixteen. We’re checking him out a little deeper. You ever see Ethan with him?”

  Ben shook his head and stood. “Keep me posted. I need to get back to the coffee farm. They started harvest this morning, and your aunt has Meg.”

  “How’s she doing?”

  “About as well as you’d expect for a baby who cries for her mommy.” Ben rubbed his burning eyes. “Thanks, Yoshi.” He walked out the door and down the hill to his bike. Maybe he could outride the pain in his heart.

  The fragrant breeze caressed Lani’s face and cooled the damp sheen on her skin. She could
tell when the sun came up and the orchard began to warm with its rays.

  Fawn had been working at a nearby tree, but she’d left a few minutes ago to run to the bathroom. The other pickers were on the opposite side of the orchard. Maybe Rina had started them there so it wouldn’t seem as though everyone were rushing Lani. She enjoyed the time of harvest. The slight popping sound the cherries made as they came loose from the tree mingled with the hum of insects. She heard the roar of Ben’s Harley. He’d be a good worker once Rina showed him what to do.

  A cry came from behind her. It sounded like a child. “Meg?” The sob came again. Lani turned and called again. “Meggie, you okay?” A whimper came back on the wind. “Fisher, here.” She patted her leg, and the dog came at once. She grabbed the harness. “Forward.” Moving slowly, she shuffled through the grass. “Meg, where are you?”

  The sound had come from this way, she thought. “Meg?” She heard the whimper again. Fisher suddenly stopped in front of her. “What is it, boy?” He barked, a frenzied sound. The cry came again, and Lani pushed past the dog. “Come on, Fisher.” The dog tried to pull back on the harness, so she dropped it. She had to get to Meg with or without the dog. He shoved her back, but he was at an angle, and it made her stumble in the direction she’d been walking.

  Her foot came down but touched nothing. She flung out her arms and tried to grab something, anything, but found only air. Then she was falling into space. She screamed, her hands reaching out for something to grasp. She hit the ground hard, and the air flew from her lungs as her body collided with the rocks. Rolling over and over, she tumbled in the darkness. Stones cut her face, but the pain didn’t penetrate her panic.

  Branches lashed her face. She clutched at hard objects she couldn’t identify as she hurtled down the slope. The idea of falling had always terrified her, but the reality paired with the disorientation of being blind was even worse. A flash of light came along with the blurred impression of something passing by her face. Then her head banged a rock, and as a reflex, she grabbed at it. Her body came to a jarring halt with her arms wrapped around the rock. Her head ached, and the vague images were gone.