Yuletide Stalker

by Irene Brand

  Linc looked at his watch. “That will give us a little more than two hours.” Turning to Maddie, he said, “It’s a little cool tonight. You might want to take a sweater.”

  As soon as Maddie left, Linc said to Stella, “I know it’s obvious I’m in love with her, but I haven’t told her. I assure you that she’s safe with me.”

  “I have no doubt of that, and I’m glad you stopped by. I sensed from the note I received from my friend, Caroline Renault, that she was concerned about Maddie’s visit. I’ll be glad to report that Maddie is in safe hands.”

  “Thanks. I’m doing my best, but a lot of problems have come up that I can’t seem to handle. It would be easier if we could be given a map for the future.”

  “But that isn’t the way God directs our lives. He gave us a free will and the wisdom to make decisions. From that point, it’s in our hands.”

  But when he loved Maddie so much, was he capable of making a decision that was good for her?

  Edena, disguised now as Kamu, stood in the shadow of the palm-covered shelter. The lapping of the waves on Waikiki Beach usually soothed her, but she had lost sight of her prey. She was angry. And the gods were angry at her.

  The blood of her dead relatives cried out for revenge, and Edena’s soul was weary of failure. She longed to join the rest of her family. But the blood price must be paid. Where had Madison Horton gone?

  Hearing a quiet step behind her, knife in hand, she swung toward the sound. Recognizing the man, she said quietly, “Ah, Tivini, you’re late.”

  “I couldn’t find a taxi.”

  “What news do you have for me?”

  “Nothing. The chit has disappeared. I think she’s gone home.”

  “I think not. My cousins have watched planes departing for Houston since she left the Carey place. She is still in Hawaii. Your sister can tell you where she is.”

  “My sister doesn’t know.”

  Steve wanted this investigation to stop. If he could persuade Edena that Madison was no longer in Hawaii, maybe she’d forget her plan of revenge. But he also knew that the death of Madison Horton would benefit him, too. He liked Madison, but he was a pragmatic man.

  “My sister, too, believes that the Horton girl is still in Hawaii. She says that about a week ago, Linc Carey seemed to stop worrying about where she is. Of course, that could mean he’s learned she’d left Hawaii. If she’s still here, if you shadow Carey, he’ll eventually lead to Madison.”

  “You shadow him. I have plans to make for the sacrifice. I’ll give you one week to find her and deliver her to me at this spot. If not, I will send the papers proving your involvement in the theft of equipment to the navy officers. For ten years you’ve been free while my family has done hard time and you’re as guilty as they were.”

  “If you’ve got that proof,” Tivini said with a sneer, “why haven’t you used it before this?”

  “Because my brothers figured to make you pay for our silence when they left prison.” Edena laughed bitterly. “And you haven’t amounted to anything. You can’t even support yourself, let alone give us any money. So you’re going to help me find Madison Horton!”

  The urge to kill was strong in Tivini, and his hand tightened around the gun in his pocket. But he didn’t have the nerve to use it. “I’ll try to find her.”

  “You have one week. I’ll be here three nights from now. Report on your progress.”

  THIRTEEN

  Stella walked downstairs with them, and when she opened the door, she peered out cautiously. “Your cab is waiting.”

  When Linc followed Maddie into the taxi, he said to the driver, “Take us to a nearby reputable restaurant.”

  “How about the Pacific Grill ten blocks away? They have quick service and a wide selection of food.”

  “Just what we want,” Linc said.

  Linc put his arm around Maddie’s waist and drew her close to him. She nestled contentedly in his arms.

  “I guess I should apologize for stealing your ring,” she said.

  “You didn’t steal it—you left your opal ring in its place, which I brought back to you. I know how much you prize your mother’s ring.” He took the ring out of his pocket and put it on her finger.

  “Thank you. I have missed wearing the ring, but I wanted something of yours to take with me. I didn’t feel quite so bad when I left mine in its place.”

  “You’re welcome to the ring,” he said, “but it’s too big for you. Have it sized to your finger, if you like.”

  She pulled a chain from inside her dress. “I wear it on this chain.”

  Why had she wanted something of his? Did this mean that she missed him as much as he’d missed her in the past few days? But that wasn’t a safe subject, so he said, “I like Stella. You’ll be as safe there as anywhere, but I miss you in the house.”

  The questions he’d been considering for weeks flitted through his mind. If he missed her when she was still in Hawaii, how would he feel when she went back to the mainland? Should he ask her to stay with him?

  “I didn’t want to run away, but it wasn’t fair for me to hide behind you. I didn’t want you in danger.”

  “Ahonui admitted that she’d told you.”

  “I’m glad she did.”

  “Well, I’m not,” he said sternly. “In the first place, she shouldn’t listen to my personal messages. I’ll admit there have been times when I’ve asked her to monitor my business calls. But, regardless, she had no right to pass that information on to you. When I confronted her with my suspicions, I warned her that if you came to harm, she could look for another job.”

  “Then I would have been responsible for that,” Maddie said in a peevish tone.

  He shook her slightly. “Ahonui brought that on herself. Stop blaming yourself for everything that happens.”

  “If I hadn’t come to Hawaii, the Sanale family wouldn’t know anything about me. Why wouldn’t I blame myself if you’re hurt or Carey Enterprises is disrupted because of me?”

  “But I invited you to visit,” he said sternly. “So, if we go by that reasoning, it would be my fault. The Sanales are crooks. If they’d stayed honest, none of this would have happened. Your father would still be alive. It’s childish to blame yourself for something that started years ago.”

  The instant the words left his lips, Linc knew he’d pushed the wrong button. Although Maddie didn’t move out of his embrace, her body stiffened. The atmosphere got so cold in the taxi, he thought he must have taken a sudden trip to the North Pole. Streetlights illuminated the car slightly, and he saw that her eyes blazed with anger.

  She turned on him furiously. “I’m tired of having you treat me like a child. I am not a child. For your information, it’s a maturing experience to lose your father when you’re a child. And I grew up a lot during the five years I watched my mother die. It aged me considerably when I sat by her bed and watched her gasp for her last breath. I had to leave VOH when I was eighteen and started making my own decisions without any guidance from anyone. I can’t help the way I look, but I hardly consider myself a child.”

  “I…” Linc started to defend himself, and Maddie interrupted him.

  “Since the day I landed in Hawaii you’ve been talking down to me as if I was still ten years old. You’re my self-appointed guardian—I didn’t ask you to look after me.” She moved away from him. “Take me back to the shelter. If I go to dinner with you, you’ll probably ask the waitress to put a bib around my neck so I won’t spill anything on my clothes. And if once more, you talk to me as if I haven’t been weaned, I’m apt to slap you.”

  She turned her face from him, but not before he noticed that her lips were trembling. Torn between amusement and chagrin, Linc swung her into the circle of his arms more roughly than he’d ever touched her before. When he lowered his head to hers, she tried to fend him off by pounding on his chest with both hands.

  His lips brushed against hers as he said, “It would be much simpler for my peace of mind if I did think
of you as a child.”

  His kiss was warm and sweet, and tended to cool her anger as words couldn’t have done.

  “But regardless of what we feel, I’m eleven years older than you are. That may not sound like much now, but it could seem like a lot more later on.” He looked away from her. “You’re forcing me to say things I shouldn’t say.”

  Maddie’s heartbeat skyrocketed, and momentarily she felt as if she was floating in space. She pulled away from him and moved to the far side of the taxi. After she caught her breath, she said, “I’m sorry I lost my temper. But I do want to go back to the shelter.”

  Suddenly aware that the taxi had stopped, Linc realized they were in front of the restaurant. The taxi driver was peering back at them, a smile on his lips.

  “Well, buddy, here you are. I hated to interfere.”

  Embarrassed, Linc paid the fare and urged Maddie to go into the restaurant. “If we return immediately, Stella will know we’ve been quarreling. You don’t want that, do you?”

  Without answering, Maddie stepped out of the cab and preceded him into the restaurant. Her back was as rigid as a flagpole, and he knew she was still angry. He chose a corner booth where he could see all parts of the room, which he surveyed carefully to determine if they had created any particular notice. He had dressed as casually as he would have for a walk on the beach. Maddie’s Hawaiian outfit was no different from the garments worn by the native women in the room. No one seemed to be watching them.

  They ordered and sat silently. Maddie wouldn’t look at him. She sipped on the water the waitress brought and played idly with the wrapped silverware.

  Linc had seen Maddie display a lot of moods in the past month—pleasure, fear, love, optimism, but anger was a part of her that he hadn’t anticipated. This new trait, coupled with the fact that he couldn’t get used to her changed appearance made him uncomfortable.

  Her beauty was in no way lessened by changing from a blonde to a brunette. When he’d first seen her, he’d thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and that her appearance couldn’t be improved. But the woman across the table from him was as alluring now as she’d ever been. So it wasn’t her appearance that had drawn him to her, but rather her innate honesty, spiritual and moral character. These intangible qualities made Maddie what she really was. It was just an added touch when God made her beautiful.

  Maddie had worn very little makeup—in fact her glowing ivory skin needed no enhancement. Now her makeup, expertly applied, had changed the color of her skin to a dusky tan. Linc hadn’t believed that her eyes could be any more compelling, but with the dark eye shadow and the tinted glasses, she now had mysterious eyes that seemed almost black.

  Never again would Maddie seem like a girl to him. Her altered appearance had changed her into an adult in his eyes. He’d been ashamed of himself the few times he’d kissed her, as if he was kissing the ten-year-old he’d remembered. In her disguise, she looked almost as mature as he was. He couldn’t see one trace of the girl he’d known, and although he knew that he’d miss the child of his memory, he understood how much more this mature woman could mean to him. He felt no compulsion now about loving Maddie and seeking to make her love him, too. The very thought excited him.

  This wasn’t the time or the place to tell her of his discovery, so he said, “What are you doing to keep busy at the shelter?”

  “Stella has given me private work where I won’t be seen much by the residents. I spend the morning in the office, helping with correspondence. They have lots of reports to submit on each case, so I’m learning to do that. Actually, it’s good experience—because of the needs I saw at VOH I’ve considered preparing for social work.”

  “I didn’t know that. Since you’re doing a history project, I assumed that history was a priority for you.”

  She shook her head. “The history class is an elective, for I hadn’t gotten much history in my high school education. The school I attended before my mother died didn’t offer United States history until the junior year. VOH scheduled history in the sophomore year, so I don’t know much about the country’s history.”

  Linc understood why Maddie was annoyed that he’d treated her like a child. Obviously she’d been making adult decisions for a long time.

  “Stella doesn’t want me to have any contact with the residents, so I work in the kitchen during the afternoons, cleaning up after lunch and helping to prepare dinner.”

  Her smooth, well-cared-for hands didn’t indicate that she had done much manual work.

  “That doesn’t bother you?” Linc asked.

  “Of course not. All of the residents at VOH had jobs assigned to them. We cleaned, cooked and worked in the gardens. Besides, I did most of the housework at home while my mother was sick. I’m not a spoiled brat, if that’s what you think.”

  Linc sighed inwardly. Seemed as if every time he opened his mouth he put his foot in it. He was saved from answering when the waiter brought their food.

  Maddie was so annoyed with herself that she felt like screaming. She had never talked to anyone as she had to Linc this evening. What on earth was wrong with her? She’d chided him for treating her like a child. Well, her behavior the past hour had certainly been childish.

  Trying to repair the damage she’d done to their relationship, she said, “Stella reminds me a lot of Miss Caroline. She doesn’t have as many residents as we had at VOH, but she doesn’t have many full-time workers, either.”

  “How many residents are there?”

  “They change every day, it seems, but I believe there are about thirty now.”

  They still had twenty minutes before nine o’clock when they finished dinner, but they soon found a taxi. When they got back to Open Arms Shelter, Linc walked with her to the door.

  “Thank you for taking me out tonight,” Maddie said, “but I believe it will be better for both of us if you stay away from me.”

  Linc felt as if he’d just landed in the Arctic Circle again. Her coolness and rejection confused him, and he glared at her. Did he deserve such treatment? If she expected him to grovel at her feet, he wouldn’t. His temper flared, and his voice was cold when he answered, “Very well.”

  He made no move to touch her, but he stood at the door until she was inside and he heard the door lock. He bounded down the steps and entered the taxi. Why had he been so foolish as to invite Maddie to visit him?

  Ailina was lying in bed, reading, when Maddie went to the room. She pitched the dark brown wig on her dresser and laid her glasses aside. She took off her dress and hung it in the closet. She went into the lavatory and removed the heavy coat of makeup she was obligated to wear every day. She was sick and tired of this disguise she wore. Actually, she was sick and tired of Hawaii and everything in it. She might as well go home. Was it necessary for her to stay in Hawaii until she learned whether her father had been murdered or had died an accidental death? He was gone and nothing could change that. What could she personally do to find those responsible and bring them to justice? She knew now that she’d used this investigation as a reason for staying in Hawaii so she could be near Linc. But what did it matter now?

  She could probably get a flight home in a few days. But what would she do then? It was too late to continue her college classes for the quarter. Perhaps she could get a job of some kind until the next semester started. She’d made a mess of everything.

  Laying aside her book, Ailina asked, “Want to talk?” when Maddie got into bed, hooked her hands behind her neck and stared into space.

  “No, not really. I’ve talked too much already tonight.”

  Ailina shrugged her shoulders, switched off the reading light and turned on her side away from Maddie.

  So now she’d made Ailina mad! Why was she such a shrew tonight? She supposed she’d turn on Stella next. She turned off the lights so she wouldn’t disturb Ailina’s sleep, flexed her knees and laid her head on her knees.

  God, what is wrong with me? I’ve always believed that
You are my Guide and Protector. I still believe that, but since I’ve been in Hawaii, I’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions. Help me to understand Your will for my life.

  Praying calmed her somewhat, but when she stretched out under the covers, she couldn’t go to sleep.

  An hour later, a light tap on the door alerted Maddie. She slipped quietly out of bed and cracked the door, without removing the security chain.

  Stella stood at the door, fully clothed. Maddie opened the door immediately, surprised at Stella’s agitation. She was always steady and in charge of any situation. Tonight, there was a wild look in her eyes, and her voice trembled, “I’m sorry to wake you,” she said, “but I need Ailina for an emergency.”

  “She’s asleep. I’ll be glad to help you.”

  “Ailina has had a hard day. If you don’t mind, come along,” Stella said, turned abruptly and hurried down the hallway.

  Maddie shrugged into a robe and tied it securely around her waist. She picked up her slippers, turned out the light and eased out of the room and locked it behind her. She put on her slippers and hurried toward the stairway. Stella had already disappeared, and Maddie didn’t know where to go.

  She groped her way down the dimly lit stairway and paused before the door to the right at the foot of the stairs, which led to the resident hall for those who spent the night at the shelter. A shiver of panic shook Maddie and she wondered if she was exposing herself to discovery. But Stella had guarded her carefully—surely she wouldn’t have accepted her help if there was any danger.

  Maddie pushed on the door, which opened easily. An attendant sat inside an enclosed cubicle directly inside the door. She lifted startled eyes. Maddie opened her mouth to ask the woman where to find Stella, when a bloodcurdling shriek sounded and goose bumps riddled Maddie’s flesh.

  Trying to steady her erratic pulse, Maddie ran in the direction of the shriek. She hurried into an anteroom of an outside entrance Maddie had never used.