Claws for a Cause (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 15) (18 page)

“Yes, I know. Thank you for coming. I’m so glad you were here.”

“Me too,” he said, kissing her again. He choked up a little when he added, “It was awesome.”

As Savannah wheeled Harrison into the lobby, they noticed Craig walking through the door.

“Well, good timing,” he said. “Is there a baby yet?”

“Yes, a boy,” Harrison said, proudly. “Named after me.”

“Congratulations,” Craig said, “…I guess,” he added, looking confused.

Savannah patted Craig’s arm and spoke quietly. “The times, they are a changin’.”

“I guess so.” Craig cleared his throat. “Harrison, before you go, I’d like you to look at a couple of pictures, if you don’t mind.” He lowered himself onto a small sofa near the wheelchair, pulled out an envelope, and laid four photographs on a table in front of him. “Recognize anyone?” he asked.

Harrison peered at the pictures one at a time, finally pointing. “That’s one of them,” he said in a growl. “That’s him for sure. The other guy had darker skin and a big tattoo along one side of his neck—his right side.” He looked at Craig. “Don’t ask me what it was—all I saw was a big black blur of ink.”

“Harrison, now that you’ve had time to think about it, do you remember if they said anything to you?”

“Yes,” he said, furrowing his brow. “I was going to call you—something came to me last night—something I remembered. The other guy said, ‘Too bad you had to get involved, pretty boy.’”

“Involved?” Craig repeated. “What do you think that meant? What have you been involved in, lately that might cause such a violent reaction?”

Harrison shook his head. “Man, danged if I know.”

Craig was quiet for a minute, then asked, “Could it have something to do with Leah?”

Harrison looked down. “I sure don’t want to think so.”

“What is that girl into, Craig—do you know?” Colbi asked.

“Not exactly, but we’re getting closer to figuring it out.” He looked at Colbi, then Harrison. “I hope she’s an innocent bystander, but I’m pretty sure she has something or had something that someone else wants awfully bad. And maybe they found it. Maybe it’s all over for the two of you, unless…”

“Unless what, Craig?” Colbi asked.

“Unless those two goons think Harrison can identify them.”

“Well, I can and I will,” Harrison said. He fought back emotion when he added, “They killed my buddy.”

****

“Craig, thank you for giving Leah time to rest with her baby before bringing police business to her,” Savannah said late the next day as she ushered him into her home.

“How’s she doing?” he asked.

“Well, she’s young and fairly healthy—now that she’s eating regularly.”

“Can I see her?”

“Yes, she’s expecting you. She’s in the first room on the left at the top of the stairs. Knock first, in case she’s…you know, nursing or something.”

Craig nodded. He then asked, “Can you join us?”

Savannah looked around. “Well, yeah. Michael’s picking Lily up from your place on his way home from work. Max is bringing dinner over. Yeah, I’ll go up with you.”

After climbing the stairs, Savannah tapped on the door. “Knock, knock—Detective Craig’s here. Can we come in?”

“Yes,” Leah said.

They found her rocking the baby in the nursing chair Savannah and Michael had moved upstairs. “He seems happy here,” she said, smiling.

“You doing okay?” Craig asked.

Leah nodded.

“Great. Now, I have a few questions. I’ve asked Savannah to be here, if that’s okay with you.”

She glanced at Savannah. “Sure.”

“Okay. Now Leah, I want to know what it was that you put in Savannah’s suitcase before you left the island.”

Leah looked down at the baby, then gently kissed him on the head. “Ano told me it would secure our future—mine and the baby’s. It was the key to something belonging to Kale. Ano thought I should have it. I was to hide the information somehow. He said I shouldn’t carry it myself because I was being watched.”

“Who was supposed to be watching you, Leah? Do you know?” Craig asked. “Authorities?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. But I couldn’t be caught leaving the island with it, so I put it in Savannah’s suitcase.”

“And you don’t know what it was? You never looked at it?”

“It was a key,” she said, quietly. “To a storage unit, I think. I was supposed to meet up with a woman named Lani in Frisco and she would take me there or give me the address.”

Craig hesitated and took a deep breath. “We believe Harrison was attacked because of what was in that envelope Ano gave you.”

Leah started to cry. “Oh no. I hoped that wasn’t the case. Then I
was
the cause of his beating and Moss’s death. My God, what have I done?”

“You didn’t know…” Savannah started.

Craig put his hand up to stop her. He paused, then said, “It’s rough out there for a runaway girl. There are predators dressed up like well-meaning saviors. They treat you like a queen so they can use you to further their thieving, murderous ways.”

Leah continued to sob, holding tightly to her baby boy. She lifted her head and looked at Craig and Savannah. “I guess I’m just about the most stupid person alive.”

Savannah came quickly to her rescue. “No, Leah…no, you’re not.”

Craig jumped in, saying, “Leah, you’ve done some dumb things, but you can make it right again and maybe save some lives if you’ll tell me what you know about these people.” He hesitated, then asked, “Kale and Ano were involved in gang activity on the island, weren’t they?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Well, I can tell you that they were. The guys they hung around with weren’t high school chums or golfing buddies, they were hard-core gangbangers bent on causing havoc. The things you witnessed or heard about happening within the tight-knit group Kale hung with—those weren’t coincidental accidents. Those guys were out looking for trouble and finding it. And their craving for trouble was accelerating. They hurt people for the fun of it. They didn’t care about anyone or anything but the next thrill of the drugs or the killing or the beating. They weren’t victims, Leah. When they were winged in a drive-by shooting, it was usually a policeman’s bullet that got them as they made their getaway after terrorizing or killing someone.”

“Stop!” Leah insisted. “That’s not the way it was. You weren’t there!” she shouted. “You don’t know. Kale and his friends were good to me.”

“Yeah, because they could use you. Once they didn’t need you anymore, they wouldn’t have been so kind. They were using you, Leah.” He lowered his voice. “And I believe some of them have followed you here, to make sure that you never get what’s behind door number-one.” When Leah looked confused, he explained, “The money, Leah.” His voice softened. “Honey, you would never have made it out of San Francisco alive. There was nothing in this for you, except an early grave.”

“My God!” she shouted. “How do you know all of this? I mean…”

“It’s my job, Leah. When I heard about the suitcase caper, I did some checking with local authorities on Oahu.” He squinted in her direction. “Do you know a young woman named Malia?”

Her eyes brightened. “Yes, she was from the states, too—Maria. She took the Hawaiian name Malia. She’s Ano’s girl. She’d known him and Kale for a long time—like maybe a couple of years.”

“Well, she’s dead.”

“What?”

“Shot and killed. It looks like it was someone she knew—someone she was intimate with. They want to question her boyfriend.”

“Ano?” Leah asked. “Oh my God!” She comforted her baby when he started to wriggle and fuss. After kissing him on top of the head, she said more quietly, “I thought I saw a couple of familiar faces last week when I was on the street. I don’t think they saw me and I didn’t speak to them.” Her eyes wide with fear, she asked, “They were looking for me?”

Craig quickly pulled an envelope from his inside jacket pocket and removed the photos he’d shown Harrison. “Do you recognize any of these men?”

“Yes,” she said, immediately. “That’s Ano, right there!” She studied the remaining photos. “I don’t know the others.”

“Harrison identified him as one of his attackers,” Craig said quietly.

She took a breath and let it out slowly. “The other man I saw on the streets with Ano that day was Pono. He has a big black tattoo on his neck.”

“Do you know anything else about him?”

Leah thought for a moment. “He walks with a slight limp from a gunshot wound that didn’t heal right. He likes barbecue—he’s always eating barbecue—and he buys some oddball beer. I can’t remember what it’s called, but it was hard to find on the island, I remember.”

“Does he have money, or does he live on the streets?”

“Depends. I’ve seen him with money, but I’ve also seen him in some of the homeless encampments. Oh, he gambles…a lot.”

“Good,” Craig said. “That ought to help us find him, if he’s still around here.” He turned to Savannah. “Keep this place under lockdown, will you?” he thought for a moment. “I think I’ll get a couple of guards out here, too.”

Leah held her baby close. “Do you think they’d come after me here?”

Craig let out a sigh. “We don’t know what they’ll do, but it’s possible. We don’t want to take any chances, for your sake and the baby’s.” He then asked, “Did you tell Ano, Kale, or any of the others where you were going to retrieve the suitcase? Did you give anyone this address?”

Savannah saw the color drain from Leah’s face. Her eyes filled with dread. “I…” she started, “it’s possible that I said something. I don’t remember for sure.” She looked directly at Craig. “I saw no reason not to tell them where I was going, but I don’t remember if I actually gave them Savannah’s and Michael’s names or maybe the name of the town…I’m just not sure.” After thinking about it for a moment, she said, her voice cracking, “I may have said something about it to Malia.”

Craig thinned his lips and stared at the young woman. Finally he said, “One more thing, Leah. Where were you supposed to go in Frisco, do you know?”

“Yes,” she said. “That information is with the key, but I also wrote it down. Malia helped me sew it into my backpack.”

“Want me to get it?” Savannah offered.

“Yes, it’s on a hook in the closet,” she said. “Do you have scissors?”

Savannah found a pair in the bathroom. She placed the pack on the floor near Leah, put the scissors on a table next to her, and took the baby. Leah promptly cut the threads and pulled out a piece of paper with an address on it. She handed it to Craig.

Looking at it, he said, “Thanks. With this, we may be able to bring the gang to its knees. We especially don’t relish them bringing their terrorist activities here.” Craig stared into Leah’s eyes. “So, little girl, what about your parents?”

“What about them?” she asked, sarcastically.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you stopped torturing them?”

“Torturing them? I haven’t even seen them or talked to them.”

“I know. That’s what I mean. Don’t you think they’re frantic wondering what has happened to their little girl? Now that you have a baby of your own, can’t you just imagine the pain you’ve brought them by disappearing the way you did?”

Leah looked at her baby in Savannah’s arms and began to cry. Wiping at her eyes, she said, “I don’t know why I’m so teary, lately.”

“Hormones,” Savannah said. “Plus, I think you’d really like to have your parents with you during this wonderful time in your life. Don’t you want to share Charlie with them?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “I just can’t imagine they’d care. They’re so strict. You just don’t know how they are.”

“Only because they love you, Leah. How about this—why don’t you contact your sister? Can you do that? She’ll give you some indication of your parents’ frame of mind.”

Leah thought about it. “Yeah, I guess I could do that. Maybe tomorrow. I’m really kind of tired now. I’d like to lie down and get some sleep.”

“Yes, good idea,” Savannah said laying the baby in the portable crib she’d brought up from Lily’s room. “Let me know when you wake up and I’ll bring you a bowl of chicken soup. Sound good?” Savannah asked, smoothing Leah’s hair and helping her stand up from the chair.

She nodded. “Thank you. And thank you, Detective.”

“Just doin’ my job,” he said.

The following morning, Leah joined Savannah and Michael for breakfast in the kitchen. She laid the baby in the portable crib Michael had carried down for her.

“Ba-bee,” Lily said, pointing. “Ba-bee, shhhh,” she hushed, putting her little finger against her lips.

Leah reached for Lily’s hand. “Yes, the baby’s sleeping, isn’t he?” She turned to Michael. “She’s sure smart—talking already and all.”

“She doesn’t miss much,” Michael said. “And she does love babies.”

“And ki-kis and…what does she call the dog?” Leah asked. She laughed. “Wow-wow, goggie, pup-pup?”

Lily pointed toward Lexie. “Oof-oof.”

“Ah yes, oof-oof,” she repeated, laughing.

“I’ll be right back,” Savannah said. “I want to take coffee to the security guys.”

“Everything go okay out there last night?” Michael asked when she returned.

“Yes, no trouble. They said it dipped down to near freezing earlier this morning, though, so they were happy to get the coffee.” Savannah peered down at baby Charlie and smiled. “How’d the baby sleep last night?”

“Pretty good,” Leah said. “He got me up to nurse a few times and I changed his diaper. He’s a good eater…and a good pooper. I guess that’s all good.”

Michael smiled. “He’s sure a handsome little guy.”

“Adorable, like his mommy,” Savannah said, running her hand over the younger woman’s hair before slipping into a kitchen chair.

“I called my sister this morning,” Leah said quietly.

Savannah looked across the table at her. “Oh?”

“Yeah, she cried when she heard my voice. She was at basketball practice.” Leah paused. “She said Mom and Dad haven’t stopped looking for me. They’ve been obsessed with finding me.” She choked up. “She said they cry a lot—both of them. When I told her about Charlie, she went ballistic, saying how cool it was and how happy Mom would be.”

“So, what now?” Savannah asked.

“I think I’ve sorta jumped in with both feet.” She grinned. “My sister can’t keep a secret. I guess I have to call my folks now.”

“How do you feel about that?” Michael asked.

She shrugged. “It’s time. If I want to be a grown-up, I really should start acting like one.”

Savannah smiled. “Good for you. I’m proud of you.”

Leah spoke more quietly. “I’d really like to know those people are all caught before I bring my parents into the mess I’ve made. I don’t want them in any danger. And I don’t want to tell them about the…problem.” She then said, “Harrison and I want to be together with the baby for a while today. Which do you think would be best—for him to come here or for me to go to his place?” She looked from one to the other, waiting for a response.

“Well, he’s certainly welcome here,” Savannah said, “but I don’t imagine he’s ready to climb stairs, so maybe we should take you over to Colbi’s house.”

“…and his house,” Leah said. “He’s part owner, you know.” She chuckled. “He’s pretty excited about owning something.”

“Does he know what comes with ownership?” Michael asked, sounding skeptical.

“Um…” Leah hesitated.

“Responsibility,” Michael said.

She nodded. “Oh, he knows that. As soon as he’s on his feet, he plans to become a chef. We’ll get married and raise Charlie together. When the baby’s in kindergarten, I might go back to school and study to become a paralegal.”

“A paralegal?” Michael questioned.

“My dream was to become an attorney. I still might get to do that someday. I’d like to join a firm that focuses on family issues.”

“Sounds like you two have it all figured out,” Savannah said.

“Yes, Harrison and I have been talking on the phone a lot and making wonderful plans.”

Savannah’s tone became more serious when she asked, “Honey, would you consider this?”

“What?” Leah asked suspiciously.

“Please don’t make a legal commitment with Harrison until he has proven himself. Can you promise yourself that you’ll do that?” When the younger woman looked puzzled, Savannah explained, “He doesn’t have a very good track record. He’s been given the benefit of the doubt many times, and so far, he has never held up his end of any bargain. He seems bent on self-destructing. I wouldn’t trust him until he starts performing those promises he’s making.” When it appeared that Leah was going to protest, Savannah said, “I’m not saying he does this by design. It seems to be a habit he’s in, and habits—bad and good—are hard to break. It takes a lot of gumption to change, and so far Harrison hasn’t displayed much of that gumption.”

Leah sat quietly for a moment, then said, “I hear you, Savannah. I really do. And I promise you and myself…” she glanced at her baby, “…and Charlie…that I won’t do anything drastic or agree to anything legal and binding with him until he shows me the money.” When Savannah started to interject, Leah held up her hand. “But Savannah, I can tell you right now that I truly believe in him, in the deepest crevices of my heart. Being attacked and witnessing the brutal murder of his friend has…well, it affected a lot more than just his body. He truly wants to change and I believe I can help him with that. But I’ve already made it clear to him that I won’t jeopardize my son’s life by making any more stupid mistakes.” She chuckled. “He said he promises never to become one of my stupid mistakes.”

“Good girl. I’m glad to hear that he’s at least making the right comments. Now, what time do you want to go over to Colbi’s and Harrison’s?”

“I can be ready in an hour—after I help with the dishes and anything else you’d like me to do.”

“Sounds good.”

“Hey, did you know that Colbi and Damon are about to set a date? They’re talking about buying a more modern house along the river, so Harrison and I might eventually take over the family property.” When Leah saw the look on Savannah’s face, she added, “Eventually, I said. No legal commitment, no more babies out of wedlock.”

“Then okay,” Savannah said, smiling. “You make Mama Savannah very happy.”

****

“Are you coming in with us?” Leah asked Savannah when they arrived at Colbi’s home later that morning.

“Absolutely; I want to hear about the marriage plans,” Savannah said excitedly as she unstrapped Lily from her car seat.

Just then, Colbi stepped out her front door and rushed to the car, smiling broadly. “I don’t know which little one I want to get my hands on first,” she said, looking from Lily to Charlie. “Oh give me this one,” she said, reaching for the new baby. When she noticed Lily whining and holding her arms out to her, Colbi said, “Oh, how sweet is that? She wants Aunt Colbi.”

Everyone laughed.

Once they were inside, they found Harrison sitting in a recliner chair in the living room. Leah rushed to him and kissed him and he held onto her, trying to coax her onto his lap. “No, I don’t want to hurt you,” she said.

He laughed. “Hurt me, hurt me.”

“Here, Harrison, take the lightweight,” Colbi said, offering him the baby.

“Awww, there’s my handsome boy,” he cooed at the sleeping baby.

Colbi took Lily from Savannah and hugged her. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked her guests.

“Nothing for me,” Savannah said. “Lily and I aren’t staying; I just want to hear the news…”

“News?” Colbi said. “What news? Something on TV?”

“No,
your
news.”

Colbi glanced around at Harrison, Leah, and then Savannah. Just then they heard another voice. “Do you mean
our
news?” Damon asked, walking into the room.

“Hi, Damon, I didn’t see your car!” Savannah said.

“I parked in back—doing some guy-work in the laundry room.” He cringed. “Stuff Michael taught me, damn him.”

Savannah frowned. “Why damn him?”

“Now that I know how to do this stuff, I have to do this stuff.”

“Not your cup of tea, huh?” Savannah said, laughing.

Colbi smiled and rubbed his arm. “But he’s so good at it.”

“Hey, how about we take the boy and hang out in my room for a while,” Harrison suggested to Leah.

“Yeah, see you later, Savannah. Thanks for the ride.”

“Let me know when you’re ready to come back,” she called. Once the couple had disappeared, Savannah asked, “Well, when are you doing it?”

“Doing what?” Colbi asked playing dumb.

“Getting married, that’s what!” Savannah insisted.

Both Damon and Colbi smiled. He pulled her against him by the shoulders, saying, “Soon.”

“No date, yet,” Colbi added.

“And you’re moving?”

“Thinking about it,” Colbi said. “I’d like to live in a more modern place and Harrison loves this old place. He wants Damon to teach him how to fix things. He was actually helping Damon out there until he got too tired.”

“Yeah, he’s creative and has a fix-it-man’s mentality. He’ll be good at that kind of work. Of course, his passion seems to be cooking.”

“Yes,” Colbi said excitedly, “Max is coming over to talk to him this evening. Isn’t that cool? Maggie, too. They’re coming for dinner. Harrison hopes Max can give him some good tips for breaking in as a chef. Did Max go to a culinary school, do you know?”

“I think so. I’m not sure. Is there one around here?”

“Harrison has actually been checking into some in Frisco,” Colbi said. “Oh Savannah, I’m so happy. I have both of my men back in my life, big-time. And maybe a third.”

“A third?” Savannah asked, tilting her head.

“Yes, Charlie,” she said, smiling. “Harrison sure wants to bond with the little guy and if he and Leah can make a life together, I guess I’ll be a bona fide aunt, won’t I?”

“Oh, my phone,” Savannah said. She looked up. “It’s Craig. I’d better take it. Excuse me, will you?” She walked into the dining room. “Hello, Craig.”

“Where are you?”

“Colbi’s.”

“Is Leah with you?”

“Yes, why?”

“Just wanted to let her know that we caught up with Ano and Pono. I’d like to have Harrison ID Pono. Is he there?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell him and Leah that I’ll be by in a little bit?”

“Sure. Are we safe now? Have you arrested them?”

“Once we get the ID, they should be locked up for a very long time. As for the gal in Frisco, they’ve been looking for her on some charges that, if they stick, will keep her out of circulation, too.”

“Good—but she probably wouldn’t have been a threat to Leah until she went to Frisco, right?”

“Possibly.” He cleared his throat. “I talked to her father this morning.”

“Leah’s?”

“Yes.”

“Oh? I guess little sister
can’t
keep a secret,” she said.

“What?”

“Nothing. Did you tell him where Leah is?”

“Well, not until I felt him out.”

“What do you mean, Craig?”

“You know, I wanted to get a sense about his intentions. Leah’s nearly twenty-one now and she has rights, too. He sounds like a reasonable parent to me—caring and worried sick about his daughter. Can you get her to call them, please? I want it to be between her and them. She hasn’t broken any laws, really; she’s a free woman.” He coughed. “Do you think you can talk her into calling them?”

“I think she plans to do that. I’m not sure if she did it, yet, but yeah, I’ll push the issue. Can I tell her you talked to her dad?”

“Yeah.”

****

“They’re flying into Frisco and renting a car,” Leah said the following Monday morning at breakfast in the Iveys’ kitchen. “Should be here around two this afternoon.”

“Are you excited?”

“Frightened?” Michael asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know how to feel. So much has happened since…”

“Yes, it has,” he said. “I guess you’ll know how you feel once you see them, won’t you?”

“What time’s the baby’s doctor appointment this morning?” Savannah asked.

“Ten. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think he’s gained weight?” Michael asked.

“He should have with all that he’s eating. He’s a little glutton.”

Savannah and Michael smiled.

“What if your folks want you to go home with them?” Savannah asked.

Leah thought for a moment, then said, “You know, I hope they do. I think I’d like to go home for a while and think about things. Learn how to care for a baby—Mom will be such a great teacher. Harrison and I can stay in touch. We discussed it, and we think it would be good for us not to rush into anything. I’d like him to have the space to go to culinary school if that’s what he wants to do. I want to reunite with my family—Nana, my cousins, my sister—before Harrison and I marry.”

“You seem pretty certain that you’ll end up together,” Michael said.

“I am. But we both want to be sure. Colbi helped us to understand how important it is to become whole as a person before you share your life with another person. It’s two wholes that make a healthy relationship, not two halves, like some people think. Now that makes so much sense to me—and I think Harrison is starting to get it, too.” She turned and looked at Savannah, then Michael, saying excitedly, “Guess what Harrison is thinking about doing?”

“What?” Savannah asked.

“Joining the circus.”

“What?” they both said.

“Well, actually the carnival circuit. He’s been talking to his cousin, and Klint told him there are people who make good money following carnivals with their food booths. Harrison is super excited about the idea of having his own restaurant on wheels and he thinks traveling would be a blast. We could get a small camper and maybe eventually expand to a motor home. I can home school Charlie, or maybe we’d make enough money that we can buy a place and he could open his own restaurant, maybe in Hawaii.”

“Wow! You have some interesting dreams, there, “Michael said.

“Harrison’s going to talk to Max about it and ask if he’ll help him come up with a good carnival-food item. You should have heard Klint talk about some of the concoctions people serve at carnivals.”

“Gosh, I’m stunned,” Savannah said. “Sounds like, as Michael says, an interesting lifestyle. It could be fun and profitable.” She hugged Leah. “You’ve come a long way, hon. I’m so happy for you and proud of you. I hope our daughter grows up with the same wisdom.”

Leah guffawed. She ran her hand over Lily’s head. “Yeah, let’s hope she doesn’t make any awful mistakes like running away and getting involved with …” she shuddered. “Oh, I don’t even want to think about it.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’d better get Charlie bathed and fed so we’re ready to go for his first checkup.”