by Toby Neal
She took a few minutes to call Aunty Rosario, verifying that she didn’t know anything about Charlie Kwon’s whereabouts and that Anela Ka`awai still worked at the restaurant. Rosario hadn’t talked to anyone about Lei’s sexual abuse except the social services worker and the therapists she sent Lei to, and no names had been mentioned.
“But I told you Momi knows, though,” Aunty finally said. “I don’t know, she might have told someone. Now put that police Lieutenant on cuz I like talk to him.”
Lieutenant Ohale got on the line. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as Rosario gave him a piece of her mind in pidgin. When he was able to get a word in he told her that it looked like they were finally going to be able to solve Lei’s stalking case and the full resources of the department were behind the investigation.
“I see where you get your fighting spirit,” he said, handing her the phone at last. “Stevens is going to take you home.”
“Okay,” Lei said, and decided not to push her luck by asking for someone other than Stevens. Lieutenant Ohale walked her out to the SUV, which Stevens had idling in the parking lot. She got in and they sat in awkward silence for the drive across town.
“Can you turn off the AC?” Shivering, she plucked the stiffening, bloody shirt away from her body. “I can’t wait to get a shower.”
Stevens didn’t try to talk to her; just turned on the heater full blast.
They pulled into her driveway and Lei ran in, punched in the code and hurried to the bathroom. She showered until her fingertips were pruney and the hot water was running cold.
She eventually had to come out, toweling her hair and wrapped in the old kimono.
“Thanks for giving me a ride home.” She’d put the clothes she’d been wearing into a couple of Ziploc bags for the crime techs and she set those by the door.
“No problem.” He was putting some food away in the fridge. She went to the couch and wrapped herself in the crocheted afghan Aunty Rosario had made. She wondered if she’d ever feel warm again.
“Did you hear about Ray Solomon?” she asked. Nagata had told her he was paralyzed, his spinal cord severed.
“Yeah.”
“I wonder if he would rather have died,” she said thoughtfully. “I think I would.”
“He should have known better. If he’d surrendered when you told him to he’d still be able to wiggle his toes. I’m making some soup-want some?”
“Yes, please.” Her stomach rumbled, as if hearing the conversation. She relaxed a little. It seemed like he wasn’t going to talk about their breakup. “Has anyone figured out what Ray’s relationship is with the Changs? He told me he was a Chang.”
He stirred the soup on the stove. It smelled delicious and her stomach rumbled again.
“Yeah. Soon as you told them that Ross and Nagata started digging. Ross told me he’s the illegitimate son of Terry “Hatchet” Chang. He was raised by his mother’s relatives and took their name in California.”
“I knew he grew up in California with relatives. No wonder he never wanted to talk about it.”
“Chang was quite the ladies’ man. He had four children with Healani, who are all grown and up to no good here in Hawaii, but scattered around California are several children by other women, including someone you put the Lieutenant onto.” He put down the spoon, consulted a spiral notepad. “Anela Ka`awai.”
“Anela!” Lei exclaimed. “She works at Aunty Rosario’s restaurant-she’s a waitress there. She must be the connection to Charlie Kwon-she must’ve got his name out of Rosario or Momi somehow, been spying on me. I bet she’s the one who sent the panties, too, since Aunty gave them to me for Christmas.”
“Sounds likely.” Stevens reached for his phone. “I’ll check with Ross and we’ll have her picked up for questioning.”
He made the call while stirring the soup and dishing it up. Lei listened with half an ear to the discussion as she spooned up the tasty chicken noodle, getting up and serving herself seconds. Eventually he closed the phone, spooned up his own soup.
“Not as good as Aunty’s,” he said.
“Good enough. I was hungry.” She sat back, eating a cracker from the pile he had served with the soup. “What a long, god-awful day.”
“Glad you’re still here to bitch about it. That was some gunfight.”
“I don’t like you being on my case.” She got up, cleared her bowl to the sink. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t want you involved. It’s a conflict of interest.”
“Tell the Lieutenant, then,” he said evenly. He opened a file on the table. She realized he hadn’t looked at her all evening, and seemed to be holding himself in check with an effort. “He assigned me as backup for Ross and Nagata.”
“Shit.” She could hardly stand to look at him the pull toward him was so strong-and yet, she was so wrong for him.
“You know what? Fuck you.” He slammed the folder shut. “You seem to think you get to be the only one who has anything to say about this relationship. You seem to think that because some pedophile called you “damaged goods” and did a number on you, you’re going to be fucked up forever. What a load of crap. You think you’re the only one who knows about pain and dysfunction?” He put his hands on his hips and finally looked at her, and when he did his Viking blue eyes were blazing. “I’m not buying that old shit. I know what we had, what we could have, and you’re not getting rid of me that easily. That’s what I came to tell you this afternoon while you were out trying to get shot in the park.”
She couldn’t think of a thing to say, and found herself scuttling to her room and locking the door.
“I’m going to be around whether you like it or not,” he said through the closed door. “You’re damaged. I’m damaged. So fucking what. Now get some rest.”
She climbed into bed, exhaustion and the safety he brought making it possible for her to snuggle deep into her silky sheets, relaxing. She closed her eyes, a smile curving her mouth. He might just be even more of a glutton for punishment than she was.
Chapter 46
Lei sat on the floor of the kennel the next day and stroked Keiki’s big square head. The dog’s eyes looked up at her trustingly as she played with the light-brown eyebrow patches, stroked her satiny ears. Keiki lay on her good side, a big white cone around her neck to keep her from biting at her bandages or the veterinary staff.
“She’s looking good,” Dr. Westfall said, pocketing the stethoscope he’d used to listen to her lungs. “The bullet came in through her chest but missed any organs, and exited the shoulder as you can see. The biggest concern right now is blood loss and infection. I’ve got her on a fluid drip of antibiotics. If we can keep her sedated and resting a few more days I think she’ll be out of the woods. Later on, our concern will be the mobility she will have through that shoulder.”
“Thanks, doc,” Lei said, resting her cheek against Keiki’s. The dog stuck her tongue out, trying to lick her, and she laughed blearily. “You have no idea how much this means.”
“You’d be surprised,” he said. “Animals can be closer than family.”
“This one is family.”
She didn’t notice when he left the kennel, closing the door softly.
Nagata was waiting for her on the worn little porch when she drove up. She hurried to join him on the top step.
“So far your story is checking out about what went down in Volcano Park. Lieutenant wants you on admin leave until this whole thing gets sorted out.”
“That sucks. I’m going to go nuts with that much time on my hands. What’s happening with the Chang thing?” Lei rubbed the black stone in her pocket as she talked with the detective.
“We’ve had Anela picked up in California. Ross is flying back there to interview her. The local PD in San Rafael don’t know enough about the situation to get us what we need. Ray Solomon’s stable in the hospital and has admitted to doing the stalking campaign.”
She’d thought as much, but it was good to have it con
firmed.
“Anyone been able to find out anything about Kwon?”
“Yeah. He’s in Lompoc Federal Prison for molesting some kids.”
Lei rocked back as she absorbed this, standing on her porch. The weak sunlight of an overcast day gilded the tilted aluminum pole of her mailbox, the chipped cement steps, little rag of lawn. She was disappointed Kwon was out of reach. Part of her had fantasized pointing her Glock at his crotch and pulling the trigger.
“We still don’t know how much the other Changs are involved in this and if Healani Chang has authorized any further action against you. Lieutenant would like you to come to the county safe house,” Nagata said, adjusting his dapper button-down shirt as he went down the steps.
“No. They’re sending Keiki home tomorrow, and she needs to be in familiar surroundings,” Lei said, adjusting her sling as she walked down to the sidewalk beside him.
“Yeah, we know how you feel about that dog,” Nagata said with a twinkle, as he got in the unmarked Bronco. “Okay. We’re sending a uniform out to do sweeps by your house.”
“Thanks.”
She watched him drive away with a tremendous feeling of relief. She was almost sure whoever was left in the Chang conspiracy would think twice about messing with her now that she’d shot Ray. Lei hurried up the stairs into her cottage as Nagata drove away, punched in the code and re-activated it behind her.
Sighing, she went to the kitchen and ran herself a glass of water, drank it at the sink, then went and took a shower. Feeling a little better, she sat down at the little Formica kitchen table wrapped in her robe.
It was taking a lot of showers to feel like the blood had finally been washed off.
Stevens had left behind the file he had been studying last night. It was full of photocopied records on various members of the Chang crime family. She perused the records on the patriarch, Terence “Hatchet” Chang.
His rap sheet had close to fifty different drug, racketeering, and trafficking charges, many of which had been dismissed. Eventually he’d been convicted of felony drug trafficking and second-degree murder. His cause of death three years ago was listed as homicide.
No assailant name was listed on the criminal report, but Lei knew that name was Wayne Texeira and so did the Changs. She looked at the next of kin-Healani Chang, 221 Olomua Avenue in Hilo-the crime boss was guardian of the teenage boys she and Pono had brought in for tagging, and their neighborhood wasn’t that far from hers.
I wonder what would happen if I just went there and talked to her, checked up on the boys… Send her a message I’m on to them. I might be able to clear this whole drama up myself.
Hiding out at the house was just not Lei’s style.
Galvanized, she changed into running clothes, strapping on the shoulder holster with the old Glock since her new one was at Ballistics. She filled the pockets of the windbreaker with handcuffs, cell phone, and badge. Not that she was investigating or anything..
Lei got in the truck, feeling the hum of adrenaline in her veins as she turned the key. She remembered Stevens’ lecture at the restaurant about taking care of herself, and felt a stab of guilt or maybe apprehension-none of the team working her case would think this was a good idea. But if she could just talk to Healani, maybe it could all be cleared up.
Lei threw the truck into reverse and pulled out before she could change her mind.
Chapter 47
The Chang house was in an older, poorly-maintained neighborhood. It was a dilapidated plantation style that had been added onto until it sprawled in all directions, filling a large corner lot. Several expensive cars were parked on the strip of dry, weedy grass, and a pit bull in the side yard barked ferociously as she pulled over onto the curb in front.
“Hey!” A dark figure appeared at the iron latticework security door as Lei got out. Her hand settled on the Glock. “What you doing in our neighborhood?”
She faced the house. Several other shadowy figures had clustered around the one addressing her.
“You talking to me?” Lei put cop in her voice.
“I said, what you stay doing here?” A reedy timbre-one of the teenagers.
“Coming to talk to Healani Chang. You got a problem with that?”
The door opened. It was the lanky kid she had run down in the alley. He was wearing a red do-rag on his head, gang colors.
“This is harassment,” he said. Three other teens came out, ranging behind him, their arms folded over their chests as they tried on attitude.
“Chill out.” Lei took her hand off her gun, opened her arms. “I just want to talk to your grandma. Is she home?”
“What you like with her?”
“Nothing. Just saying hi, and hope you boys are staying out of trouble.”
Her nonaggressive stance and calm voice were working.
One of the boys turned and yelled back into the house, “ Tutu! Get one cop out here like talk to you!”
A few seconds passed and the screen door creaked shut behind an older woman in a scarlet muumuu, frowning as she wiped her hands on a dishcloth. She made shooing motions.
“What you boys doing? Get back in the house!”
The teenagers scattered, only Do-rag pausing to give Lei the finger behind his grandmother’s back.
Lei waited as the Chang matriarch came down the steps and stood a few feet away. She reminded Lei of a beautiful warship’s figurehead after it had been through some long campaigns. She folded arms on an impressive chest and gave a good staredown.
“You Wayne’s girl,” she said. Healani Chang knew exactly who Lei was.
“Yes.”
A long moment passed.
“Someone been making trouble for me. I like you make it stop,” Lei said in pidgin.
“You think I care?” Healani Chang laughed, a rusty cough. Lei stared into the woman’s rich, chocolate-brown eyes.
“Please.” She softened her voice. “I just want it to end. I got no beef with you. The cops will be all over you folks if they aren’t already.”
Healani said nothing, staring at her unblinking.
Lei turned away at last. It had been worth a try.
“Wait.” The older woman’s voice was husky, as if from smoking or yelling at the teenagers. “It was Ray, and that other girl Anela in the Mainland. Thought if they made trouble to you, took you out, I’d recognize them and give ’em a part in the family business. It was never going to happen. I told Ray if he kills a cop he brings trouble for all of us.”
“Glad you see it that way,” Lei said. Her ironic tone was lost on Healani.
“I was never going give nothing to Terry’s bastards,” Healani spat. “No matter what they did.”
“The cops took Anela into custody and Ray will have trouble ever shooting anyone again. Know anything about Charlie Kwon? Any way he was involved?”
“Charlie, he my cousin.” Healani nodded as Lei’s eyes widened. “Fucking pedophile deserves to be in Lompoc and I hope he stays there a long time, but he still family. He always had it in for Wayne from going against him on the street, and he tol’ us back in the day what he did to you and Maylene-getting her more hooked by the day until he broke her. From prison he gave Anela information she wen’ pass on to Ray.” Her flat eyes reminded Lei of a moray eel as she shrugged. “They thought they’d impress me with that? I play the game, but I play straight up. So I telling you I had no part in going after you, nor any of my children.”
Lei struggled to assimilate this. Apparently Charlie’d got her mother deep into her addiction on purpose, and raping Lei had been a nice perk along the way. Her vision dimmed, but she dug her nails fiercely into her palm to anchor herself.
She’d deal with Kwon someday. It was a promise.
“So it’s over.”
“It was over when you shot Ray. Stupid bastard.” The way the older woman said the word Lei knew she meant its literal meaning.
“All right, Mrs. Chang.” She couldn’t bring herself to call the older woman ‘auntie�
� as would be customary. “Goodbye then.”
Healani didn’t answer, just looking at her with that basilisk stare as Lei walked toward the truck.
Her scalp prickled, a feeling like a thousand fire ants crawling over it. She always knew when someone had a gun on her, and as she glanced up into the doorway she could see Do-Rag waving a massive silver. 357 Magnum at her. Talk about overcompensating. She walked away and got in the truck, pulling away sedately, ignoring the tingling at the back of her head.
She gunned the engine when she reached the end of the block and thumbed open her phone to call Nagata with the details. She’d taken a risk and for once it’d paid off.
Chapter 48
Everything was in its place: the paintings, the Japanese sand garden, the doctor in her lounger. This felt good to Lei and she breathed a little easier as she sat back on the couch in Dr. Wilson’s office.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Where do you want to begin?”
“I don’t know.”
They sat in silence for a while. Lei took the black stone from Mary’s memorial out of her pocket and rubbed it in both hands. It felt substantial enough to anchor her, a tiny black bit of the earth’s blood that would always remind her of her lost friend.
“Okay then. Why don’t you begin at the beginning. Tell me about child Lei.”
“Why? What’s that got to do with trauma debriefing, which is what I’m here for?” The old defensiveness raised its voice. Lei wished it would shut up.
“Everything has to do with everything else-you know that by now. So begin at the beginning, and it will lead to the end.”
So Lei told about losing her father to a drug bust. About how that loss led her mother Maylene further into addiction, how Charlie Kwon came into their lives. What Charlie did and how he’d made her Damaged Goods.
Now she remembered everything, and couldn’t dissociate anymore, even when she wanted to. In the midst of all that, she had been stalked by a rapist and murderer. A man who saw himself as an artist. A man who had betrayed all their trust, whom she’d killed with her bare hands.
