Yuletide Stalker

by Irene Brand

  Two policemen held a struggling, shouting girl, who looked to be in her early teens. Her Asian features were covered with makeup. She wore a bikini underneath a long, transparent gown. The girl ranted in a language Maddie didn’t understand, and her eyes were wild. Holding a medical syringe, Stella stood beside the girl, speaking soothingly.

  Shaking herself out of her astonishment, Maddie said, “I’m here. What can I do?”

  Stella handed Maddie the syringe. “Hold this until I can calm her down. I can’t risk giving her an injection when she’s carrying on like this.”

  Stella took the child’s flailing hands and held them closely in hers. The girl kicked out savagely, and her high-heeled shoes cracked Stella’s ankle. Stella flinched slightly, but she kept whispering quietly, calmly to the child.

  Maddie leaned against the wall to support her trembling legs. She wouldn’t be much help to Stella if she passed out. At VOH, she hadn’t been subjected to this type of horror because residents were emotionally able to live in a communal situation before they were accepted. This was a raw side of life she’d never known before.

  Gradually, the child quieted and her head drooped sideways. Stella held out her hand, and Maddie gave her the syringe.

  “Get some blankets out of the closet in the room next door,” she said quietly.

  Maddie welcomed something to do. She groped along the dark hallway until she saw a sign that indicated a storeroom. She opened the door and felt along the wall for a light switch, all the time wondering if someone was in the darkness waiting to grab her.

  She found the switch and turned on the low-wattage light. Several shelves held cleaning and bathroom supplies, but she didn’t see any bedcovers. She found them in a closet and gathered three blankets into her arms.

  When she returned to the anteroom, the child lay on a couch. The sedative must have been having an effect for she had ceased struggling, but her tiny fingers moved restlessly and she groaned, perhaps from mental anguish. Stella took the blankets from Maddie and tenderly wrapped them around the child.

  The two policemen stood in the background, and when Maddie glanced their way, one of the men stared at her intently. She turned her back, and as she did her long blond hair fell forward over her face. She lifted her hand and touched her face, realizing that she was no longer disguised.

  At the same time, Stella rose from her knees and looked at Maddie. The horror on her face alerted Maddie to the fact that Stella, too, had just now discovered that Maddie’s presence at Open Arms Shelter was no longer secret.

  The police sergeant said, “Do you think you can handle the situation now?”

  “Yes,” Stella answered. “We’ll do what we can. If you gentlemen will come with me to the office, we’ll take care of the paperwork.” She turned to Maddie, and perhaps hoping to undo any harm that might have occurred, she said, “Miss Lee, will you stay with her until I come back?”

  As the three left the anteroom, the shorter policeman took another searching look at Maddie. She sank into a chair close to the girl, wondering what to do if she became violent again. While she waited, Maddie also worried about her own situation. Had that policemen recognized her?

  When Stella returned, she said, “I surely made a mistake when I let you come here to help tonight. I didn’t realize you weren’t in disguise.”

  “I was already in bed when you came, and I didn’t think about it, either. One of those cops kept looking at me. He must have recognized me.”

  Stella smiled. “You probably don’t realize what a fetching picture you made tonight—almost anyone would have stared. You have on that white robe, and with your blond hair tumbling about your shoulders, the young man probably thought you were an angel. I’m not surprised that he stared. I only hope that was his only reason for looking at you.”

  The girl on the couch stirred and coughed.

  “Who is she?” Maddie whispered. “Why did they bring her here?”

  “This is her third time at the shelter. That’s the reason she was putting up such a fight. She’s a twelve-year-old child on drugs and has taken to prostitution to feed her habit. The police know her now and pick her up every time they see her. The other two times, we’ve kept her a few days, but we aren’t equipped to cure her of this addiction. We’ve turned her over to the custody of her father, but he beats her to make her straighten up. That never works. This time, I’m going to keep her until she can be admitted to a clinic where she can get some help. She’s suicidal, and I can’t risk turning her away again.”

  “Does she come from a poor family?”

  “No. Her father is a businessman in Honolulu, but his wife left him, and he doesn’t give the child any care at all. I don’t usually go this far in helping children, but we have some volunteer lawyers who assist us. I’ll see if one of them will take steps to remove this child from his care.”

  “You’re doing wonderful work here. Tell me a bit about your background and why you chose to come to Honolulu.”

  “My home is in North Dakota, but I had several misfortunes in my life. I had two miscarriages and my husband died about the time my church denomination started this mission. I’m a nurse by profession, and to get away from my own troubles, I volunteered to come as a short-term missionary. That was thirty years ago. I’ve been here ever since,” she added with a half smile.

  “How did you meet Miss Caroline?”

  “Her mother and mine grew up together in the same town, and they kept in touch after my family moved. Caroline and I corresponded often, and after my husband died, I went to VOH to visit her. Seeing the work she was doing encouraged me to accept a position at Open Arms Shelter.”

  “I’m been thinking of going into social work, partly because of Miss Caroline’s example. Being here with you these few days has made me feel it’s the thing for me to do.”

  “It may be, but you want to be really sure. Both Caroline and I wanted to be a wife and mother—and there’s no greater calling than that. I may be talking out of turn, but you have a young man who seems very interested in you, and I’ve gathered you feel the same way about him.”

  Maddie’s consternation must have shown on her face, for Stella said, “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have meddled. I don’t have that right.”

  Coming on top of everything else that had happened tonight, this was more than Maddie could handle, and she started sobbing. Stella was beside her immediately and tried to soothe her.

  “I’m going home,” Maddie said. “That policeman may have recognized me, and I have no other place to hide. If the news gets out that you’re harboring me, my enemies might start attacking the shelter. I’m a nuisance to everyone. I’ve got a return ticket, and it will be best for all concerned if I leave the islands.”

  “Maddie, don’t make any rash decisions. You might make a mistake that will ruin the rest of your life. Pray about any move you make.”

  Maddie went back to her room and she tried to pray, but the words wouldn’t come.

  The next morning she called the airport. With a heavy heart she booked a flight for the following Monday.

  FOURTEEN

  When Linc got home after the disastrous evening with Maddie, he changed into swimming trunks, went to the beach and battled the waves until he was exhausted. The water chilled him, but he stretched out on the sand and stared toward the sky.

  How could he make peace with Maddie? All he’d wanted to do was to protect her from himself. She deserved a younger man, and he hadn’t wanted her to feel obligated to return his attentions if she regarded him as if he was her father. For all the innocence mirrored on her face, Maddie was obviously a deep thinker, and he hadn’t been able to tell what she thought about him. Was it possible that she loved him?

  Regardless, he’d really ruined it tonight. When he’d reprimanded her, was he acting like a father? But he didn’t know how a father was supposed to act. The waves lapped at his feet as he prayed.

  God, what’s Your will for our lives? Is it righ
t for Maddie and me to be together? Does she love me as a father or as a potential husband? I have all the questions, but You have the answers. Reveal them to me. My gut feeling is if I let Maddie go, I will have made the worst mistake of my life. Am I right?

  He didn’t get an immediate answer to his questions, but God did send peace of mind, so when he returned to the house, he felt comforted. Believing that God would work His will in their lives, he went to sleep and rested.

  When Linc went to the office the next morning, Steve Kingsbury was in Ahonui’s office. Linc hadn’t seen Steve since Christmas Day, and he was surprised at the difference in the man. He looked haggard to the point that Linc said, “Anything wrong, Steve?”

  Laughing hollowly, Steve answered, “Just too much work and too many late nights. I may go away for a vacation before too long.”

  Steve had always been shifty-eyed, but he wouldn’t meet Linc’s eyes at all. Linc figured Steve was putting the touch on his sister for a loan. He’d often suspected that Ahonui financed her brother, but he’d never inquired. It wasn’t any of his business how Ahonui spent her money.

  He went on toward his office, but halted his steps when Steve said, “Have you heard from Miss Horton since she returned home?”

  How was he going to answer this without lying? But since Maddie hadn’t gone home, he could answer in the negative.

  He turned to face Steve, who was looking at the floor.

  “No.”

  “I’m sure you must miss her,” Steve persisted.

  “Of course, I do,” Linc said. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a busy day ahead. I’ll be away for a few days,” he said to Ahonui. “I’m leaving this afternoon for Kauai and Maui.”

  He cast a questioning glance in Steve’s direction, but Kingsbury wouldn’t meet his eyes. Linc went into his office and closed the door. He stared at the walls for several minutes. Was there a hidden meaning in Steve’s comments?

  Later, as he drove to the airport, Linc considered calling Maddie to apologize before he left. After he parked his car, he picked up his cell phone. With a sigh, he put it in his briefcase. It would be better if he waited until he came back before he contacted her. They’d both been angry when they parted, and they needed a cooling-off period. But as he pointed his plane toward Maui, he regretted that he hadn’t made the call.

  Maddie had expected Linc to call her, and when he didn’t, she was tempted to contact him. She wanted to apologize for the way she’d acted. She didn’t dare call the office or his home for either Ahonui or Roselina would recognize her voice. Why hadn’t she learned his cell-phone number? She wanted to hear his voice once more before she left Hawaii.

  She had apologized to Ailina for her churlish behavior, but Ailina assured her she hadn’t been offended.

  Perhaps sensing that Maddie was troubled, Ailina said, “I’m going home for the weekend, why not come with me? You haven’t been to Maui, and it’s the best of the islands. Although I’m undoubtedly prejudiced,” she said, a smile lighting her somber features.

  For a moment Maddie was tempted, but she finally decided that she shouldn’t leave the shelter until she went to the airport to catch her plane. But she anticipated a long weekend.

  Feeling lonely in the room without Ailina, Maddie was restless, and she couldn’t go to sleep. She kept Linc’s ring around her neck all the time, but she’d forgotten to remove her mother’s ring. It kept twisting on her finger. She finally took it off and slipped it under the pillow.

  Maddie didn’t realize she’d gone to sleep until a noise woke her. At first, she felt disoriented. Struggling awake, it dawned on her that someone was knocking on the door. The clock showed two o’clock in the morning. She figured Stella must need help again, for the young girl she’d taken in a few nights ago was still violent. Stella stayed at her side most of the time.

  Maddie padded to the door in her bare feet, but left the security chain on when she gapped the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “Steve Kingsbury. I need to talk to you.”

  Stunned to silence for a few minutes, she wondered how Steve had gotten inside Open Arms Shelter, especially at this hour of night. But since she associated Steve with Ahonui and Linc, she said in alarm, “What do you want?”

  “It’s about Linc. He’s been hurt.”

  Linc! He’d said the magic word, and forgetting caution, Maddie unhooked the chain and opened the door. When she stepped back, Steve entered and closed the door.

  “What happened?”

  “He was returning from Kauai, and when he tried to land, his plane missed the runway. He’s in the hospital. Ahonui is with him, but he’s asking for you.”

  She gasped, smothering a shiver of panic.

  “Is he going to die?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him. Ahonui called me and told me to contact you.”

  “But how did you know where to find me?”

  “Linc told her where you were.”

  Her instincts told her not to trust Steve, but as far as she knew, only Stella, Ailina and Linc, knew where she was hiding. A wave of apprehension spread through her. Linc’s condition must be bad for him to reveal her whereabouts.

  “If you’ll step outside, I’ll dress and go with you. I’ll have to tell Stella where I am.”

  “Oh, she knows,” Steve said casually. “I cleared it with her before I came to your room.”

  If Maddie hadn’t been so distressed about Linc, she would have realized how hollow this story sounded. Steve turned toward the door, and Maddie said, “I’ll not be long.”

  She turned her back on him, and he grabbed her from behind, and clapped his hand over her mouth. She struggled against him, and he said, “Hele mai.”

  Maddie knew that meant come in, and she heard the door open. Steve swung her to face the newcomer—a native Hawaiian, whom she recognized immediately as the person who’d been stalking her. Maddie felt a prick in her arm and she was out like a light.

  INTERLUDE

  A smile of satisfaction crossing her face, Edena watched as Tivini, Steve to most people, lowered the sedated blonde to the bed and trussed her up like a goose ready for the oven.

  Determining which side of the room was Maddie’s, she emptied the drawers of the chest, pulled all the garments from the closet and stuffed them in Maddie’s luggage. When she thought she’d removed all traces of the girl from the room, she propped a typewritten note on the empty dresser.

  Mama Stella,

  Thank you for doing me the honor of sheltering me. I do not want to cause any trouble for you, so I must leave you. I go home in few days, so I hide until then. Tell Linc goodbye for me.

  Madison.

  Pleased with her handiwork, Edena peered out the door. The hallway was empty, and she motioned for Tivini to go first. He lifted the unconscious girl and crept out of the room. Edena picked up the two suitcases and followed him down the back steps and out the door, left conveniently open by a friendly cop who was a Sanale cousin.

  Her departed family could rejoice tonight. Soon their deaths would be avenged.

  FIFTEEN

  To his annoyance, it had been necessary for Linc to delay his departure from Maui an extra day. Circling the small private airport in Honolulu waiting clearance for landing, he struggled to keep a tight rein on his emotions. He was worried about Maddie, and he didn’t know why.

  If he’d entered the shelter’s phone number in his cell phone, he would have called Maddie the first day he was gone. But he didn’t have the number, so he’d worried away the days, while one irritating business matter after another kept him from coming home.

  He taxied toward his hangar and turned the plane over to a mechanic for servicing. When he got in his car, he drove a few blocks from the airport, pulled into a shopping center parking lot, found a bank of phones, looked up the shelter’s number in the directory and dialed. It was only eleven o’clock, so Maddie should still be working. The phone rang and rang. Finally a man answered the phone
and Linc stifled his disappointment.

  “May I speak to Miss Lee?” he asked, remembering at the last minute that Maddie didn’t use her family name at the center.

  “She ain’t here,” he said. “This is Luke, the janitor. I’m sweeping the office.”

  “Will you call Miss Lee to the phone?”

  “I tell you—she ain’t at Open Arms Shelter anymore.”

  A sinking feeling in his stomach, Linc strove for patience, and said, “Then please get Stella for me.”

  “I’ll see if I can find her.”

  Linc waited a full ten minutes, which seemed like an eternity, before Stella’s voice came over the line.

  “Yes?”

  “Stella, this is Linc Carey. Where has Maddie gone?”

  “I don’t know. She went last night without telling me. She left a note, saying she was going home in a few days. All her clothes are gone. I don’t know what to make of it.” She explained about the people who’d seen Maddie without her disguise. “I suppose she thought the word would get around that she was staying here.”

  “Haven’t you tried to find her?”

  “No. Maddie is a competent woman. She made her move to Open Arms Shelter without any help when she thought you were in danger. I figure she left here for the same reason. I don’t have a clue where to look.”

  A chill black wave of anxiety swept over Linc. “Do you mind if I come and look at the note she left and at her room?”

  “She did say goodbye to you in the note, so you can look at it if you like. I’m sorry not to be more helpful, but one of our residents committed suicide yesterday. We’re in an upheaval around here now—police and social workers all over the place.”

  “I’m sorry I bothered you at such a time, but I’ll come and see what I can find. I feel responsible for her.”

  With a sinking suspicion that Maddie hadn’t walked away voluntarily this time, Linc wended his way through the crowded Honolulu streets. He had to show his identification to the officer on duty at the front door of the shelter, momentarily wondering why there was so much security over a suicide.