much for letting me know.”
“I just want victims to get help and closure.”
“I so appreciate your advocacy.” Social workers loved words like “advocacy,” and Lei definitely planned on getting closure on Kwon.
Lei closed the phone and slid it into her pocket, then cranked up the speed again to get home quickly. She’d waited a long time to deal with the man who’d stolen her childhood, and now he was almost within reach.
Chapter 7
Lei pulled the Tacoma into a parking spot at Kahului Harbor. The Rainbow Duchess loomed above her, a vast floating wedding cake of cruise ship fantasy, glowing in the morning sun. Pono jumped out of his purple truck beside her, slamming the door. He looked fresh and sassy in a big man’s hibiscus-flowered aloha shirt and chinos.
“Hey, partner. Glad you got my message.” They fell in step toward the ship.
“Yeah, no problem.”
“You seem in a better mood. You okay about the chicken thing?”
“Sure.” He paused midstride, glanced at her. A dimple appeared in the brown wall of his cheek. “We have a new pet at the Kaihale house.”
“You’re kidding!” Lei stopped, put her hands on her hips. “Tell me you’re kidding!”
He walked on. “Nope. His name’s Jet. I know a guy who can do something to his vocal cords to chill out his crowing; once I promised Tiare we’d do that, she said it was okay. He’s bedded down in the laundry room.”
Lei laughed aloud. They did a fist bump.
“That’s my boy! What’d the Humane Society say?”
“Nothing. I said I needed the bird for evidence collection. I’m sure they thought I was going to take him out back and chop his head off.”
“Gotta catch you up on the follow-up from the raid, but here’s what we know so far about the missing guy off the ship.” Lei sketched in the details she’d picked up about the Simmons disappearance.
They boarded the ship and were met by the coordinator, a dapper young man with a wannabe mustache who led them up to the captain’s office. It was a handsome wood-paneled room with a magnificent view, fifteen floors above the harbor. Lei tried not to let on how impressed she was as the captain shook their hands and sat them at the conference table.
He was an imposing silver-haired man dressed in crisp whites, radiating authority.
“I hope we can get some traction on this soon. We’re set to sail out of here at nine a.m.,” the captain boomed.
“I’m sorry. That’s definitely out of the question,” Lei said. “You’re missing a passenger who may have met foul play or an accident on board. We have to at least have time to search the ship.”
“We’ve already done that. I had my crew do a top-to-bottom. We didn’t find him.”
“I’m afraid I can’t just take your word for it,” Lei said. Pono was already dialing Lieutenant Omura.
“You can speak to our commanding officer,” Pono said a moment later, and handed the cell phone over.
The captain had met his match in the lieutenant, and in the end he threw his hands up in disgust after handing back the phone. “Take the time you need to interview people and do your search, but I warn you, the natives are going to be restless. I’m going to make the announcement that we can’t leave port on schedule.”
The detectives ensconced themselves at the conference table. The purser brought in the red-eyed bride, a large woman in her fifties with orange hair and a flowing purple caftan. A gigantic square-cut diamond glittered on her finger.
“I can’t believe the police have had to be called. This is a nightmare.” The newly wedded Mrs. Simmons waved the hankie wadded in her hand. “Where could Robert be?”
“Ma’am, we’ll do all we can to find your husband.” A suspicion niggled at Lei’s mind as she looked down at the photo taken of the happy couple when they’d come on board, handed to her by the purser. Clara Simmons, looking almost pretty, embraced a muscle-bound spray-tanned man with a head of
“I just want victims to get help and closure.”
“I so appreciate your advocacy.” Social workers loved words like “advocacy,” and Lei definitely planned on getting closure on Kwon.
Lei closed the phone and slid it into her pocket, then cranked up the speed again to get home quickly. She’d waited a long time to deal with the man who’d stolen her childhood, and now he was almost within reach.
Chapter 7
Lei pulled the Tacoma into a parking spot at Kahului Harbor. The Rainbow Duchess loomed above her, a vast floating wedding cake of cruise ship fantasy, glowing in the morning sun. Pono jumped out of his purple truck beside her, slamming the door. He looked fresh and sassy in a big man’s hibiscus-flowered aloha shirt and chinos.
“Hey, partner. Glad you got my message.” They fell in step toward the ship.
“Yeah, no problem.”
“You seem in a better mood. You okay about the chicken thing?”
“Sure.” He paused midstride, glanced at her. A dimple appeared in the brown wall of his cheek. “We have a new pet at the Kaihale house.”
“You’re kidding!” Lei stopped, put her hands on her hips. “Tell me you’re kidding!”
He walked on. “Nope. His name’s Jet. I know a guy who can do something to his vocal cords to chill out his crowing; once I promised Tiare we’d do that, she said it was okay. He’s bedded down in the laundry room.”
Lei laughed aloud. They did a fist bump.
“That’s my boy! What’d the Humane Society say?”
“Nothing. I said I needed the bird for evidence collection. I’m sure they thought I was going to take him out back and chop his head off.”
“Gotta catch you up on the follow-up from the raid, but here’s what we know so far about the missing guy off the ship.” Lei sketched in the details she’d picked up about the Simmons disappearance.
They boarded the ship and were met by the coordinator, a dapper young man with a wannabe mustache who led them up to the captain’s office. It was a handsome wood-paneled room with a magnificent view, fifteen floors above the harbor. Lei tried not to let on how impressed she was as the captain shook their hands and sat them at the conference table.
He was an imposing silver-haired man dressed in crisp whites, radiating authority.
“I hope we can get some traction on this soon. We’re set to sail out of here at nine a.m.,” the captain boomed.
“I’m sorry. That’s definitely out of the question,” Lei said. “You’re missing a passenger who may have met foul play or an accident on board. We have to at least have time to search the ship.”
“We’ve already done that. I had my crew do a top-to-bottom. We didn’t find him.”
“I’m afraid I can’t just take your word for it,” Lei said. Pono was already dialing Lieutenant Omura.
“You can speak to our commanding officer,” Pono said a moment later, and handed the cell phone over.
The captain had met his match in the lieutenant, and in the end he threw his hands up in disgust after handing back the phone. “Take the time you need to interview people and do your search, but I warn you, the natives are going to be restless. I’m going to make the announcement that we can’t leave port on schedule.”
The detectives ensconced themselves at the conference table. The purser brought in the red-eyed bride, a large woman in her fifties with orange hair and a flowing purple caftan. A gigantic square-cut diamond glittered on her finger.
“I can’t believe the police have had to be called. This is a nightmare.” The newly wedded Mrs. Simmons waved the hankie wadded in her hand. “Where could Robert be?”
“Ma’am, we’ll do all we can to find your husband.” A suspicion niggled at Lei’s mind as she looked down at the photo taken of the happy couple when they’d come on board, handed to her by the purser. Clara Simmons, looking almost pretty, embraced a muscle-bound spray-tanned man with a head of
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