Distant Echoes (27 page)

“No, we can just go over. But I need to call some of my cousins.” She dug her cell phone out of her purse and made a couple of calls. “You mind if we stop for some cat food for Hiwa?”

“No problem.” As he drove along Highway 50, Jesse’s mind raced. They couldn’t keep reacting to things. He needed to take charge and dig out the truth. Once they got some sleep, he would pay a visit to Nahele Aki and see if he could rattle him enough to make him admit he’d tried to take Heidi.

He didn’t know what Pele Hawai´i would want with his niece though, especially since Jesse was no longer in charge of base security. They couldn’t threaten her as a way to make him do anything. Nothing made any sense.

They stopped to get cat food for Hiwa then went on to Kaia’s. As he stopped in front of Kaia’s house, his cell phone rang. “Heidi and I will wait here,” he told Kaia. He answered his phone. “Matthews.”

“Jesse, what is going on?” Jillian’s voice was agitated. “I called Faye and she told me someone tried to kidnap Heidi last night.”

“I was going to call you.”

“You should have called me last night! It was probably Noah.”

“Jillian, you don’t believe that.”

“I don’t know what I believe anymore.” She took a ragged breath.

“Noah might be a lot of things, but he wouldn’t put Heidi through an ordeal like last night. The thugs used chloroform. You know how Noah hates drugs.”

His sister sounded near tears. “Is Heidi suffering any effects from it? Faye didn’t say anything about chloroform.”

“She’s right as rain this morning.” He glanced in the rearview mirror and watched the concentration on his niece’s face as she played Mario. The beeps and noises from the GameBoy assured him she was back to her old self.

“I’d better get there,” Jillian said. “I should have brought her with me. I wasn’t thinking.”

“I can’t let you take her until we get to the bottom of this.”

“
You
can’t let me take her? She’s my daughter, Jesse.” Jillian’s voice rose. “I’m coming home. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to Heidi.”

“I know she’s your daughter. Just calm down. You would have been no match for those men last night. Heidi needs to be protected. If you want to come here, fine, but don’t expect to take Heidi until I’m sure she’ll be safe. The men could follow you to whereever you are and just take her. We don’t know why they wanted her. Until we do, we have to keep her safe.”

“They wouldn’t follow us to Italy,” his sister insisted.

“They had obviously laid their plans well last night, sis. I think whoever is behind this is capable of anything.” He told her about being relieved of his duties and the investigation.

“That’s nuts, Jesse! The captain has to know your character.”

“It was a shock,” he admitted. “But it’s for the best now. I can go about things my own way.”

“I’m scared.” Jillian’s voice fell to a whisper. “What can I do?”

“I’ve got it under control, little sister. Try not to worry. Nothing will happen to her. We’ll get the culprit soon.”

“You’ve always been there for me, Jesse. For both me and Livia. School would have been impossible if you hadn’t protected us.”

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Jillian laughed. “You and your motto. I don’t feel very strong right now.”

“You’re stronger than you realize. Some women would have gone into hiding after what Noah did.” He could tell his sister was getting her spunk back.

“The wheels of justice grind exceedingly fine,” Jillian said. “He’ll get what’s coming to him, and I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes when he does.”

“Have you heard from him?”

“There was a message from him on my answering machine. He just said to call him and left a number. I looked it up. He’s in India.”

“What’s he doing there?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t call him.”

“Are you going to?”

“And say what? If I have to listen to any of his excuses, I’ll puke. What he did was unforgivable.”

“I’ve always liked Noah. Maybe you should listen.”

“You listen then,” Jillian retorted. “I never want to hear his voice again.” Her voice changed. “I’ll book a flight tomorrow. I’ll call and let you know when to come get me.”

Jesse wished he could make everything right for Jillian. Once he figured out what was happening here, maybe he’d go looking for Noah.

Twenty-one

F
aye wiped sweaty palms on her shorts. All she had to do was lift her hand and knock on the door, but her limbs felt frozen. The safety of her car was right behind her. She could rush back there or go forward. The way her heart was throbbing out of her chest, she wasn’t sure she could even say anything to her dad.

God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love and a sound mind.
She reminded herself of the verse that had gotten her this far. Though the preacher who’d prayed with her had assured her God had answered her prayers and was waiting to listen to her, she still felt inadequate and undeserving when she tried to pray. She didn’t see how God could want to hear from anyone like her.

Steeling herself, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. Maybe he would be gone. Then she heard the sound of movement from inside.

“Coming,” a man’s voice said.

The familiarity of those gruff tones sapped the strength from her knees, and she nearly crumpled on the porch. Her smile felt frozen in place.

The door swung open, and the familiar scent of cloves greeted her. Otherwise, she almost didn’t recognize the man standing there. His thick black hair was now as white as the oyster shells he used to dive for, and his muscles had thinned. He looked almost gaunt compared to her mind’s picture of the vibrant man of fifty-three she’d last seen. Twenty-five years had passed since then. He was seventy-eight now, though he still held himself erect.

“May I help you?” her father asked. His sharp eyes settled on her face. He gave a start, and a tiny frown crouched between his eyes. His gaze swept her figure, then he blinked rapidly as though to clear his vision. He leaned against the doorjamb. “Paie?” His voice trembled as he called her by her Hawaiian name.

“Yes,
Makuakane
, I have come home.” The screen door still separated them. Faye wanted to fling it open and throw herself into her father’s arms.

As if he felt the longing in her heart, he pushed open the screen door and stepped onto the porch. “You’ve come home.” He lifted his hand then dropped it as if he didn’t know if she’d welcome his touch.

Faye was sobbing in earnest now. “I’m so sorry,
Makuakane.
I hurt you so much.
You and the children.” She burrowed into his arms, pressing her face to his cotton shirt and inhaling his spicy scent.

His hand finally came up, and he smoothed her hair. His touch felt alien to her. He’d never been one for hugs and kisses like her mother. She could feel his chest heaving and thought he might be crying as well. Peeking up into his face, she saw tears trickling down the furrows in his cheeks. His hands gripped her shoulders, and he ended their embrace. “Come inside, Paie. I want to hear everything.”

She followed him inside and glanced around the living room. The sights and scents of her home swept over her like a rogue wave and nearly threw her onto the rocky shores of unendurable remorse. She closed her eyes and swayed on unsteady legs.

“Sit.”

Her father pointed to her favorite chair, a wooden rocker he had made when Faye was a child. Her mother had always used that chair, and Faye had often sat on the floor and leaned her head against her mother’s knees. “I didn’t know about
Makuahine
until I came back to the island. I wish I could have asked her to forgive me.”

Her father was silent. “She always longed for you.”

Faye’s throat closed. “I brought you both so much pain.”

“Perhaps. But I’ve learned from it. Where there is great joy there is always great pain as well. They are two sides of the same shell.”

“I’m afraid you experienced more tears than laughter with me,” she said.

His head bowed. “You are here now.”

“Do you forgive me,
Makuakane
?” she whispered.

He looked up, and his dark eyes pierced her soul. “I worked through that long ago. I forgive you, Paie, but you have amends to make with the children.”

“I know.” She hesitated. “I saw Bane yesterday.”

“Ah. And Mano and Kaia?”

“Kaia knows me but not who I am. I’ve been watching Heidi, her friend’s niece.”

His eyes widened. “You are the Faye I’ve heard so much about?”

“When she learns I am her mother, I don’t know how she will react.”

Her father’s gaze went to the window. “Perhaps you are about to find out.” He nodded toward the vehicle pulling in front of the house. “Unless I’m mistaken, there is Kaia with Jesse.”

K
aia felt clumsy and awkward as she let Heidi out of the backseat. “I forgot to take the cat food in,” she said when she saw the cans still in the back of the Jeep. It was no wonder. She was so tired it was hard to make her hand obey her brain. She knew Jesse felt the same way. The thought of the soft bed she’d slept in every night of her young life was as tempting as a rainbow shave ice.

“Looks like your grandfather has company.” Jesse nodded toward the Volvo convertible.

“Faye’s here! Yay!” Heidi shouted.

Faye? Kaia was almost too tired to wonder what the older woman was doing here. Maybe Jesse had told her to meet them. Kaia was in no mood to socialize, though they’d bonded. That afternoon seemed very far away now, however, and the thought of smiling and making small talk was overwhelming when all she wanted to do was creep under the quilt her grandmother had made.

Heidi rushed inside the house without knocking. Kaia smiled at how the little girl had become part of the family.

“I’ll get your bag,” Jesse said. His steps were slow as he reached in the back and grabbed Kaia’s suitcase.

“Mahalo.”
She waited for him then led the way up the flagstone path to the cottage. How many times had she walked this yard? Thousands. Being here was like entering a cocoon where nothing could hurt her.

She poked her head in the door. “
Tutu kane
? We’ve come to throw ourselves on your mercy. We need a place to crash.” She forced a smile when she looked at Faye. “Couldn’t stay away, huh? I’ll admit Heidi is a
keiki
who is hard to resist.”

Faye had risen from her chair and was clasping her hands together as though they might keep her from toppling over. Her mouth trembled in her white face. Red rimmed her eyes.

Heidi went to her and took her hand. “Are you sad, Faye?”

“I’m fine,” Faye said. “Would you like to fix us both a cup of tea?”

“By myself ?”

“You can use the microwave like a big girl, can’t you?”

“Sure.” Heidi gave her a puzzled look then disappeared down the hall.

The pleading expression on Faye’s face puzzled Kaia. Kaia’s gaze traveled to her grandfather. His face was wet, and he looked strange—almost
exalted
, though that made no sense. “What’s wrong?” she asked. She felt pummeled by the problems of these past weeks and wasn’t sure if she could handle anything more.

No one answered her for a long moment. Faye glanced at Kaia’s grandfather, and he nodded his head.

Faye wet her lips. The expression on her face could only be described as beseeching, Kaia thought. Unease stirred in her gut. She glanced at Jesse, and he raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

Kaia looked back at Faye. “Isn’t anyone going to speak?”

“I—I have something to tell you,” Faye said. Her face grew red, and she looked as though she might burst into tears again.

Kaia froze. “Did Curtis sell the dolphins?” Her voice rose. She hadn’t seen Nani all morning.

Faye raised her hand. “No, no, nothing like that. The dolphins are fine.” She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the wood floor then back up at Kaia again. “Sit down. Please.”

Kaia advanced into the room, and Jesse followed. She perched on the edge of the sofa and folded her hands in her lap. “I’m sitting. Now tell me what’s wrong. You’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry.” Faye wrung her hands. “I think I told you I lived here when I was younger?”

Kaia nodded.

“I want to tell you a story,” Faye said. She drew in a deep breath then sank back into the chair and leaned forward. “I had an idyllic life here. I grew up along the edge of the sea with loving parents who spoiled me rotten. I thought the world was mine for the asking.” She wet her lips. “When I met a handsome man who adored me like my parents had done, I was sure nothing could ever bring me pain or heartache.” She looked down at the floor. “I was wrong.”

“You’re divorced now?” Kaia had seen the pain divorce had brought to her friends. At least she’d never been torn between two parents.

“Several times. But I was widowed before any of that. I couldn’t cope, couldn’t face life without him. Everywhere I looked was a painful reminder of all I’d lost. When I met a wealthy businessman who promised me the moon, I took it. The fact that he was a slack key guitarist was just icing on the cake. He’d had an offer to make a record in Nashville, so I left with him. I always thought I’d only be gone a little while. I took my daughter with me.”

Unease stirred. This story sounded a little like her own.

“One wrong step and we can go down a path that takes us farther and farther from what’s right, from where we intended to go.” Tears rolled down Faye’s cheeks. “I was lonesome and found solace in the drugs Richard brought home. Within a couple of months, I knew I couldn’t come home. I was too ashamed. Everything went downhill from there. Richard left me. I had no money and a drug habit that was eating me alive. I left my daughter with friends and went to a clinic to dry out. It didn’t work. I was back on the streets within two months of getting out.”

A tightness began to squeeze Kaia’s chest. “What about your daughter?” she whispered.

“She was raised by loving grandparents. I knew she was fine, but I wasn’t. My next marriage lasted ten years, but neither of us was ever really happy. I was searching for the paradise I’d lost, but I never found it.”