Dark Lava: Lei Crime Book 7 (Lei Crime Series) (19 page)

“
Already done,” Marcella said. “The file on him was barely closed, anyway.” Last year Lei had been at the forefront of a case in which the scion of the Chang crime family had been involved. His hatred for the Texeiras had been activated by Lei’s deadly encounter with his grandmother. “We haven’t found anything solid on him, but word on the street is that he’s assumed the reins of the Chang operation. On paper, and online, he’s clean as a whistle, with a nice little import/export business in Hilo and nothing more. I’ve got local PD keeping an eye on him, too, and he seems to be in Hilo most of the time.”

“
I am hoping a sketch artist can get a description out of the GreenDeath Place owner—not that it will show much, but all it has to do is rule out Stevens. The man described an Asian guy with a medium build.”

“
Someone was also with Anchara in the motel,” Marcella said. “With any luck at all, someone there saw that man.”

“
I forgot about that! Though McGregor and Chun aren’t exactly telling us anything. Seem to be running things totally by the book. I just want to see Stevens cleared.” Lei rubbed the white gold pendant around her neck. “We can’t bring the baby home, out of foster care, until he’s ruled out.”

“
Are you in a hurry for that? Really?” Marcella sounded skeptical. “I mean, I think you’re a saint to take him on at all. Anchara’s baby.”

“
Well, the more I think about it, the more I’m okay with it. It’s not his fault, poor little guy, and we can’t leave him in foster. But still, with this investigation, all our cases, and my aunty dying, it’s not exactly a good time.” Lei told her friend that Aunty Rosario was going downhill fast. “I just hope I can get away at all. I haven’t even asked the captain yet—I know she’s going to say no. Between the bomb squad and a fresh murder, this isn’t the time for compassionate leave.”

“
Yeah, about the bomb squad. I don’t like that assignment for you, Lei.” Marcella seemed to be gathering her thoughts. “I don’t think it’s a good fit for your personality. All the bomb techs I know are tinkerers who like figuring out how things work. They’re loners, and they’re emotionally under-reactive. The only part of what I just described that fits you is the loner thing.”

“
Yeah, and I’m an ex-loner,” Lei said. “I’ve been worrying about this, too. I don’t have cool nerves, and I don’t like the pressure.” She told Marcella about the simple ordnance retrieval they’d done and the massive public pressure and TV reporting. “I hated it.”

“
Talk to your captain sooner rather than later. And what if you get pregnant?”

“
Oh, God, Marcella. I’d succeeded in forgetting that.” Lei groaned. “I’m not getting pregnant now, with a baby already on the way.”

“
Why not?” Marcella echoed Dr. Wilson’s words. “When you’ve already taken the plunge, what’s one more? You could stop at two and have a complete family. Voilà!”

“
You make it sound so easy,” Lei said. “I gotta go. I’ve taken too long for this call as it is. Abe has been patient with me disappearing all day.”

“
I’ll let you know anything I hear on Chang’s activities,” Marcella said.

“
Thanks. And give my husband a kiss for me tonight.”

“
I will. But I promise, no tongue with Marcus right there.”

Lei laughed as she hung up. Marcella always made her fee
l better. Thinking how important that friendship was to her reminded Lei that two shrouds were left. She didn’t like wondering what plans the killer had for them.

Stevens was on the way to the airport the next morning in yet another taxi when his burner phone rang. “Lieutenant Stevens.”

“
Lieutenant, sir! This is Mahoe. I have a tip for you on the
heiau
case.”

“
Go ahead.” Stevens kept his eyes on the sparkling horizon line of the ocean as the taxi rose in elevation on the expressway into the airport. His head ached from drinking with Marcus and Lei’s FBI buddies, and his heart felt sore, too. He’d said goodbye to Kiet that morning at the home where his son was being cared for, and he’d been able to assure himself that the foster family were caring and kind.

“
I overheard something. Some of the higher-up organizers were talking about where the artifacts might be going, and they mentioned an art dealer on Maui. Magda Kennedy.”

The woman
’s name instantly conjured her in Stevens’s mind: lava-black hair, blue eyes, beautiful face—and an attitude. He and Lei had dealt with her on another case a couple of years ago—the same case that had brought Anchara into their lives. Could there be a connection?

“
Anything more? What her role is?”

“
I didn’t get anything more. I was just trying to get in and hear what they were talking about, and they shut up.”

“
Were they going to do anything about this?”

“
I believe what’s going on is that the Hui is conducting their own investigation. They are trying to figure it out on their own and shut it down. I know that’s dangerous to all involved, sir.”

“
You got that right.” The taxi swung in to the drop-off zone for Hawaiian Airlines and he got out, handing the driver cash and waiting for a receipt. “I need to pass this on to Captain Omura right away. Anything else? How’s Okapa doing?”

“
Uncle?” The young man’s voice contained a smile. “He’s having the time of his life. All fired up, comes to every meeting wearing his
kihei
robe and war paint.”

“
Well, you should be aware there’s been another development, and it means you need to be more careful than ever.” Stevens reminded Mahoe about the bludgeon murder of the Norwegian. “Keep your ears and eyes open for anything about this.”

“
Will do, boss. Talk tomorrow.” They hung up, and Stevens called Omura next on her direct cell phone line.

“
Keep it short. I’m going into a meeting,” Omura said.

Stevens passed on the tip from Mahoe. “
I’m done over here on Oahu. My son is going into foster care until I’m cleared in Anchara’s murder,” Stevens said. “I’d like to return to work. My station needs me, and there are some developments in the case.” He passed on Mahoe’s tip. “I’d like to bring Kennedy in for an interview.”

A pause. He could picture Omura frowning even as he went through the Hawaiian Airlines automated check-in kiosk. He had
only a small backpack, so the process was short.

“
Well, let me take a moment to bring you up to speed on what’s been happening,” she said. “The
Maui’s Secrets
people have agreed to pull down and revise the book. They’ve issued a statement that should be on the news tonight that they want to show ‘respect and collaboration with the Hawaiian culture.’ So that’s good. I also went ahead and contacted Marcus Kamuela’s mother, Moani Kamuela, as our cultural expert. She came in and helped our team map out the sites of the
heiaus
. We’ve organized and begun supplementary patrols. All that is underway, but I really do need you back on the job. So, yes. Come back to work today.”

“
Thanks, Captain. Any breaks in Anchara’s case?”

“
You know I can’t discuss that with you. But I will say, the team on that case is following some interesting leads that don’t involve you or Lei.”

“
That’s a relief.” Stevens rose on the escalator toward the boarding gates, his spirits lifting at the thought of being back in his home office. “The sooner I’m cleared, the sooner I can bring Kiet home.”

“
Kiet? That’s an unusual name. How is the baby doing?” Omura’s voice was hesitant. He knew without being told that she wasn’t thrilled about how the sudden addition of a newborn was going to complicate the lives of two of her best officers.

“
It’s Thai. Means honor. And he’s doing well. Healthy, so far.”

A long pause. “
Seems appropriate to ‘honor’ his mother’s memory with that name,” Omura said. “Well, give me a call when you’re able to come in. I have another meeting with the Hui leader scheduled, trying to get him to accept our help patrolling the sites.”

Stevens cleared his t
hroat. “Yes, sir.” He slid the phone into his pocket. He got to return to the job, and things were moving in another direction on Anchara’s murder case. He couldn’t hope for more.

He pictured placing the tiny newborn in the crib he
’d assembled at home. He couldn’t wait to bring Kiet home—there was nothing like the feeling of the child’s soft weight in his arms. He hoped Lei felt the same, but told himself it wasn’t realistic. She hadn’t had the experience he’d had: a lightning bolt of love that made any sacrifice seem worthwhile.

On the plane, looking out the round oval window for the short twenty-minute flight to Maui, Stevens wondered who could possibly hate him so much that they
’d killed his ex-wife and set him up for murder. He rubbed the tiny purple heart on his arm thoughtfully. There weren’t many names. Just one, an enemy he’d gained with his marriage to Lei.

Terence Chang.

Lei walked out of the morgue, leaving an early-morning meeting with Abe Torufu and Dr. Gregory over the art thief
’s body. There were no big surprises about cause of death and no new breakthroughs.

Lei sucked a few deep breaths of fresh air, walking briskly across the hospital
’s parking lot. Her phone rang. She checked the little window and held up a finger to Torufu. “I have to take this. I’ll catch up with you at the station.”

Torufu nodded and Lei picked up the call, greeting a woman she hadn
’t spoken to in at least a year.

“
Mrs. Ka`awai.”

“
Hello, Lei.” The Kaua`i wise woman’s resonant voice never failed to calm Lei’s heart rate. She immediately pictured the woman’s regal bearing, her graceful muumuu, her waist-length hair in a coronet of braids. “I thought I should give you a call. There are some disturbances going on here on Kaua`i.”

“
Am I the right person to call? Shouldn’t you be contacting your local police?” Lei couldn’t help wondering what kind of “disturbances” Esther Ka`awai meant.

“
I have.” Lei heard the dismissal in the older woman’s voice. “But I felt Spirit telling me to call you.”

“
Oh. Okay.” Esther had been important in the uncovering of a serial killer on the remote Garden Island where she lived and worked as a kumu hula. Her “words of knowledge” had provided some insight to the baffling and extensive case Lei and Stevens had worked on there. Lei unlocked her truck. Even as early as it was, the vehicle was hot. She lowered the windows and turned on the engine to cool it down with AC while they talked. “So how can I help you?”

“
No, it is I helping you,” Esther said. “There is a new one coming into your life, and you are both in danger.”

Lei stiffened. Even though she
’d experienced Esther’s psychic moments before, she still didn’t know how to take them. Esther must be referring to baby Kiet. “Where is this danger coming from? And what are these ‘disturbances’ you are concerned about?”

“
They are two different things. First of all, I am concerned about some of the attitudes within the Heiau Hui group that has formed here on Kauai. Are you familiar with the Heiau Hui?”

“
Yes, we are. They’re a vigilante group protecting the Hawaiian sacred sites from these desecrations that have been going on.”

“
Yes, and we have a branch on Kaua`i. I have been involved because of my interest in protecting culture. But recently I have come to suspect that some of the Hui members are not as honest as they should be about what the group is doing.”

“
Tell me more.”

“
I cannot. Only that some are violent, and some other agendas are behind the organization.”

“
We are aware of that, but thank you for telling me Kaua`i is having the same issues,” Lei said. “What other disturbances are going on?”

“
Just that I am getting the impression that there is someone behind all these thefts. Someone who thinks they are doing a good thing.”

“
Do you have anything harder than that? And why call me?”

“
You are a daughter of my heart,” Esther said simply. “You were given to me to pray for. I sense danger to you in this, and to the new little one coming to you.”

“
Thank you, Esther.” Lei knew the gift she was being given, to be chosen in this way. “I’ll tell Stevens. We
are
getting a baby unexpectedly, and he’s in foster care. We’ll alert the people working with his case. His mother was murdered, so you are right to be concerned.”

A long pause. Lei could picture Esther
’s wide, smooth brown forehead, her finely modeled lips, and her shining brown eyes as she contemplated this.