a Touch of the Past (An Everly Gray Adventure)

by Charles, L. j.

  She jumped out of my reach. It threw me completely off because I thought we’d come to terms with my touching quirk years ago.

  "Sorry," I said, raising my hands, palms-up. "I wasn’t going to touch you. Not like that."

  She huffed out a sigh, and headed back to our table in the café, not saying a word until the three of us had resettled, our half-eaten plates of food in front of us.

  Pierce forked a mouthful of rice and papaya, chewed, then folded his arms on the table. "Talk."

  I bit my cheek to keep from laughing. Good to know I wasn’t the only one he used that tone with. I savored a swallow of the delicious Kona coffee. Annie’d been right about them serving the good stuff here.

  Her gaze darted between us. "The thing is—" she placed her empty orange juice glass on the table— "I’m not ready to talk about it."

  Pierce slid his sunglasses down his nose, pinning her with the blue-eyed stare. I had the distinct impression they’d frosted over and I was really glad I wasn’t the target of his attention. I’d have peed my pants.

  Her gaze skittered away from him. "It’s nice here. In the islands," she said, pulling out her cell phone.

  My mouth dropped open. Without looking, Pierce reached over and tapped my chin with his index finger.

  Annie punched in a single number. Apparently someone answered because she stood and took a couple of steps away from us. Didn’t do much to ensure her privacy, since we could still hear her, but it probably made her feel better. "I need to tell El and Pierce," she whispered. "You okay with that?"

  A minute later she snapped the phone closed, tucked it in her pocket, and ran her tongue along her bottom lip. "The thing is…she faced us. Sean-and-I-are-getting-married."

  Ten

  Married? Annie? My mind fogged, and the white noise of the busy café disappeared into hazy mist. I sorted through the jumbled mess of words Annie had tossed out. "Married? You and Sean?"

  Free fall. No parachute.

  Pierce leaned back in his chair, balancing on the hind legs. His gaze centered on Annie without so much as an eyelash flicker.

  A smile crinkled the soft skin around her eyes. "As soon as he gets here."

  "You sure, A.J.?" Pierce’s chair landed on all four legs with a dull thud.

  She wrapped her hand around his. "Very sure."

  My fingers itched. They weren’t about to stay out of news like this unless I sat on my hands—and even then it’d be touch and go.

  Annie grinned at me. "Here." She offered her hand. "Touch me and take a look before you explode."

  I rested my fingertips against her palm and watched the images play across my internal movie screen. Respect and kindness flowed between Annie and Sean, and…oops. I jerked my hand back as the pictures became a bit more personal. Heat crept up my neck and into my cheeks. "Oookay then," I stammered.

  Annie angled her head to the side, her smile mischievous. "See more than you bargained for?"

  "Um." It was all I could manage.

  Pierce huffed, sighed, shifted to retrieve his wallet, and tossed some cash on top of the check. "How about we find Makani Maliu’s killer instead of debating A.J.’s sex life?"

  The loss of my grandmother was a constant ache that had settled over my skin, and I had to move ahead, stand for her, defend her in death, especially since I didn’t have a chance to protect her while she’d been alive. And I needed to focus on finding the friggin’ pond scum who ended her life.

  But not yet. The living had to come before the dead. I stood, took one last swallow of coffee-gone-cold, grabbed Annie’s hand, and led the way to the gazebo. "Is this where you’re planning to get married?" I asked, waving my hand toward the graceful white arches. "That’s why you ran over here? To check it out?"

  Annie nodded, her cheeks flushed the pale rose shade that looked so good on blondes.

  "Excited, much?" I asked.

  "Sean liked the pictures on the website." Her smile blossomed into a full-out grin.

  I wandered around the path that ringed the gazebo, spotted the door to the chapel, and held it open for Annie. "Now is as good a time as any to see if it suits you. Pictures won’t do justice to the energy it holds."

  Pierce shoved his shades firmly against his nose and shook his head.

  I poked him in the pecs, my finger bouncing off the well-defined muscles. "If we don’t do this now, it’ll nag at her all day, distracting her from everything else. Besides, I want to be sure there aren’t any negative vibes hanging around in there."

  "Negative vibes?"

  Pierce didn’t know about my latest hinky touch experiences, the ones where the walls had started talking to me. And it wasn’t something I wanted to explain, so I gave him my best imitation of a Tynan Pierce shrug instead of an explanation.

  By the time we caught up to Annie, she was chatting with the receptionist—the perfect employee for a wedding chapel, her sparkling brown eyes dancing with the promise of happily ever after. Easing from behind her desk, she pointed toward a beige and pink marble staircase. "Go ahead. It’s right upstairs. I’ll give you a few minutes, and then come up to answer any questions, but we need to be clear of the area in twenty minutes because there’s a wedding scheduled soon."

  We trooped upstairs, Annie’s steps light, rushed, and a direct counterpoint to Pierce’s impatient tread.

  At the top, Annie stopped suddenly, rocking on the balls of her feet. "Ohhhhh. My."

  I peeked around her shoulder. The pews were white and draped with bouquets of plumeria and orchids. The altar was backed by floor-to-ceiling windows that framed a spectacular view of the ocean, and welcomed the majesty and power of the sea into the room. Streaming garlands of tropical flowers flanked the sides of the altar, the floral scents mingling into a mystical presence that bathed the room in tranquility.

  "Wow," Annie said, turning a few circles and snapping pictures with her cell phone. She had to be imagining the moment when she and Sean exchanged vows. The more I thought about it, the more agitated I got. "Annie—" I started.

  She stopped and faced me. "You’re going to say this is too fast."

  "Well…" I truly didn’t know how to finish my sentence. As much as I loved Annie, this decision was so none of my business.

  Pierce came up behind me, and dropped an arm over my shoulder. "A.J.’s ready." There wasn’t so much as a whisper of doubt clouding his announcement.

  I nodded. Once. And with abrupt clarity understood how he’d picked up the habit. It happened when anything you said would cause a heap of trouble. It was akin to something I taught my clients—don’t speak unless you can improve the silence. I’d been working on applying that truism to my life for years, and so far had been totally unsuccessful.

  Wandering to the nearest wall, I skimmed my fingers over the surface. Hazy images of strangers clouded my mind. Nothing noteworthy, so I sent a mental "talk to me" message into the ethers. Sometimes it worked.

  "Peace," came back to me. It was short and to the point, but I got the message, and with it some of the tension eased from my shoulders.

  "I need a few minutes here," Annie said, waving her cell phone.

  It was clear she wanted privacy to share the pictures she’d been taking with Sean, and I could use the time to chat up the Hilton concierge. Earlier, I’d checked with the staff at the Ma Kai about studying Huna, not that I planned to become a Hawaiian shaman, but the metaphysics were fascinating. And more importantly, it would put me in touch with people who probably knew my grandparents. Plus, it would help me decide what my next step should be.

  I left the chapel and headed toward the main entrance of the hotel, Pierce glued to my side. "I’m just going to ask them if they can recommend a Kahuna." I waved my hand in the direction of the lobby. "I’ll be right back."

  He didn’t bother with a comment, just kept pace with me. I changed the subject. "You really think she’s ready?"

  "Yeah. I’ve watched A.J. for a long time. She’s ready." Pierce knew a different An
nie from the woman who had been my friend for the past six years. He’d worked with her, seen her under fire. Literally. They had been partners in situations where the slightest miscalculation could mean instant death to either or both of them, so I believed his assessment.

  "I agree. I think. She’s different around Sean. More fluid and relaxed, like she is with Adam, you, and me. I’ve never seen her truly relax with anyone else." As I explained it to Pierce, the rest of my protective instincts evaporated. Annie really was ready to get married.

  When we got to the information desk, I approached a white-haired gentleman. "I’m interested in studying with a Kahuna. Do you have any recommendations?"

  He stepped back, crossed his arms, and studied me with a measured smile.

  Shivers hit the bottom of my stomach.

  He slid a business card out of his pocket, flipped it over, and placed it in front of me. "If you write out your name and contact number, I’ll see that my Kahuna gets in touch with you." He handed me a pen, and his gaze didn’t waver from my face.

  I wrote down my Hawaiian name and cell number, then handed him the card, letting my fingers rest against the back of his hand. An image of my grandmother standing with a man, his arm around her shoulders, flashed on my internal screen.

  "Oh…" Too shrill, the single syllable had Pierce moving up behind me. The floor slipped away, and I grabbed the counter. I was going to have to buy a parachute if this kept up.

  Pierce was too close. I sidestepped, not wanting anyone near me. My heart pounded against my ribs, a staccato rhythm that took my breath. Coincidence be dammed, he couldn’t look at me and know Makani Maliu and I were related. "How do you know my grandmother?" My voice was surprisingly steady.

  Pierce morphed into a hunter—gaze scanning the area, arms loose, weight evenly distributed—scary as all hell. I tore my gaze from his transformation and focused on the clerk.

  "You have her voice, my child. And you read me with your touch, so you have her gifts as well." His words were soothing, soft with the lilt of the islands.

  "Who are you?" My voice cracked. Grandma had ESP fingers?

  The clerk dipped his chin, his eyes brimming with tears. "I am Kaulele. Makani and I studied with the same Kahuna for many years. I thank I’o for bringing you to me."

  A man wearing a nondescript suit, with a tie knotted firmly under his Adam’s apple, came up behind Kaulele. "Is there a problem?"

  Pierce stepped up. "No problem. An unexpected meeting of old friends."

  The suit’s nostrils flared. "There are other guests waiting, Kaulele. See to them."

  I opened my mouth, the need to express my inner bitch pressing against my throat, but Pierce dropped his arm across my shoulders. "Sorry to have caused an inconvenience. We’ll meet with you later, Kaulele."

  Pierce never talked like that, all wishy-washy and deferential.

  "Aloha pumehana," Kaulele said softly when we turned to leave.

  "Wonder what that means. And what’s with this I’o god?" I made an about-face to hit the gift shop for a Hawaiian dictionary. It was well beyond time for me to have one available at a moment’s notice. And I wasn’t letting Kaulele out of my sight until I had some answers.

  "Go with peace, and I’o is the chief Hawaiian god," Pierce said.

  I stopped dead. "Really? He told me to go with peace?" The words made me unaccountably happy, and I couldn’t stop smiling as I paid for the dictionary and slid it in my pocket. I’d read up on Hawaiian deities later.

  "You touched him, and got an image of Makani. Did I get that right?" Pierce—irritation riding his words.

  "In one. It was a heck of a shock to pick up her image from his hand. Too…strange. Even if Hawaii is a mystical place, and I come from a family of crazy psychic people, it borders on creepy, Pierce. I’m scared."

  He ran his palm down my arm. "Kaulele surprised you, so you missed his reaction. And you were too focused on hiding your next move from me."

  "What? I—"

  "Ah, ah. Do not lie to me. Your nose’ll grow, Niele."

  I blew out a frustrated sigh. Damn his leprechaun genes. "I have a million questions for Kaulele, and that manager was beyond rude. Why did you—?"

  "Too memorable. People would notice if you strangled him."

  Laughter bubbled in my chest. "A perfect use for his tie though."

  "No argument there."

  We’d both continued to keep watch on Kaulele, until the manager sent a young woman to replace him at the front desk and my only living clue disappeared into the back room. Adrenaline pushed hard through my body, and I started across the lobby at a run. Pierce clamped his hand on my shoulder. "Not now. He has your number. He’ll call."

  I fought for calm. "How do you know that? Maybe he’ll run. Maybe he knows about whatever secrets Grandma was hiding. We can’t take a chance…"

  What I didn’t say: Kaulele was the only link I had to my grandfather. I closed my eyes and frantically scanned the mental image I’d picked up from touching him. At least now I knew what Grandfather looked like. Maybe. Or maybe the guy with his arm around grandma was someone else.

  It made me cranky, having so many loose ends with no way to immediately follow any of them.

  My cell rang and Annie's name flashed on the screen. "Where are you guys?"

  "In the hotel lobby. Did you get your wedding planned?"

  "Yeah. Heading your way. Don’t move." She rang off.

  Pierce tapped my arm. "Stop it. Your brain will explode if you don’t chill."

  He was right. I’d lost touch with my intuition and needed to sit down with what I knew and…"I need answers, Pierce."

  He growled. "Bait’ll get you answers every time."

  A sliver of hope wound its way into my heart. "You have a plan? Ideas for a trap?"

  "Don’t need one. Hard to miss you, Belisama, and since you set yourself up as bait—"

  "Bait? No one knew I’d be at the Hilton this morning. Not even me. How could I have set myself up?"

  "Hawaiian underground. It’d be a mistake to underestimate it, and you’ve been asking questions." Pierce threaded our hands together, avoiding my fingertips. "No running away from me, Everly. I will find you."

  His words jolted me. Had he somehow found out about the note from my grandfather? He couldn’t have read that letter, but his intuition was about as accurate as my ESP fingers. Still, he had to be making the bait connection with finding Grandma’s killer, not with a grandfather no one had ever mentioned.

  Best to keep him busy. "We need to know details about Sean’s arrival, flowers, a cake, oh, holy Mamma Mia—dresses."

  "Huh," he grunted. We need to get back on task."

  I elbowed him. "Stop with the attitude. We’re so on task, it’s scary. Annie’s wedding will make a great cover for why I’m really here."

  Annie met up with us, and led us back to the chapel. "It’s fate. This place is usually booked years in advance, but there was a cancellation and we can be married next Wednesday afternoon. Talk about being in the right place at the perfect moment."

  I hugged her, our feet doing a tappy dance on the concrete walkway. Annie was truly getting married. I pulled out my cell to send Mitch a text, and as I typed in the date—Wednesday was five days away—reality slammed into me.

  How was I going to find my grandmother’s killer, grill Kaulele for information, meet and protect my grandfather, and take care of The Bride? All equally important. All requiring my full attention. All huge time sucks.

  Pierce cut through my building panic, bringing it to a juddering halt.

  "Dude following us has a weapon."

  Eleven

  Pierce gave Annie a hand signal. She stepped behind me, shoved me around the corner, and pushed me under a huge banana plant. Adrenaline rumbled in my veins but didn’t spike. The dude, as Pierce called him, wasn’t going to shoot us. Not when an entire wedding party, guests included, had started pouring into the area around the gazebo, crowding the space between h
is weapon and us.

  Pierce caught up with us, he and Annie moving to flank me in a dance they’d obviously done many times in the past. They wanted to protect me, but damn if it wasn’t making me claustrophobic.

  "How’d they find us here? So fast?" Anger simmered through my veins, and irrational words blurted from my mouth. "Was it someone working with you, Pierce? Some government type?"

  "Nope. Looked Middle Eastern. Let’s head out to Makani Maliu’s house. Let A. J. take a look at it."

  Not what I wanted to do. At all. My nerves crackled with restrained energy, smothering my common sense. "You’re trying to tell me the government doesn’t have anyone working for them who looks Middle Eastern? That’s ridiculous."

  "Chill, Belisama. I know everyone on my team."

  I sucked in a breath, held it until my lungs ached with the effort. Dark shadows of grief demanded that I run, push through the crowd, and not stop until I was far away from reality. I couldn’t go to the North Shore. Couldn’t face Grandma’s home again. What if they were exhuming her body? My stomach churned.

  "Okay," I said. Maybe I'm stressed, and was out of line. But I still don’t think it’s a good time for a trip to the North Shore. We could go shopping instead. Hiding in a crowd seems to be working, and Annie needs a wedding dress."

  They ignored me, wasting no time pushing me into the back seat with orders to keep my head down. Pierce maneuvered through city traffic, changing lanes and making unexpected turns with smooth efficiency.

  Dryness spread from my throat to my mouth, stealing words before I could say them.

  "We’re clear." Pierce glanced at Annie. "You up for a look at the Maliu site?"

  "Yes, but El has a point. We both need dresses for my wedding, and there is a certain amount of anonymity in a crowded mall. How about we hit the North Shore first, then the Ala Moana shopping center? There should be enough time between to get some intel on who’s after El. Protection detail will go better if we know who we’re looking for."