He might think of her as a sister, but he’d wanted more from Leilani. The problem was Annie always wanted to be more than a sister to Mano. She thought she’d pulled that yearning out by its roots when they got word of how Tomi died. She must have missed a piece, because it came surging back with one glance into his eyes.
The sun bathed the lava fields with a pink glaze. Mano was glad he was wearing his shoes instead of his flip-flops. The a’a lava would cut his slippers to ribbons and then start on the soles of his feet. He and Annie skirted a hissing steam vent that belched sulfur and gases in a nauseating stench. Every time he came out here, he wondered how Annie could stand working in such a hellish place.
“It was right in here someplace.” Annie walked slowly and carefully along the lava bench.
Was that fear on her face? He didn’t think she was ever afraid out here. And what caused her limp? From the expression on her set face, he knew now was not the time to ask. He stepped to the edge, where the ground fell away. Steam hissed from fumaroles around the caldera.
“Not there!” she said sharply. “Step away from there.”
Mano glanced over the edge. This area hadn’t had any landslides in decades. Lava no longer encroached here, and the only heat that rolled out was from the underground steam. Still, Leilani would have run screaming in the other direction at the sight. She wouldn’t come right up to the edge. He backed away and returned to the path. “The necklace was found right here?”
She nodded.
He stepped off the path again and headed toward a group of rocks that had been belched from the volcano at some point in the past. The formation reminded him of a pile of cannonballs left over from the Civil War, round and black as though they were waiting to be loaded into the big gun.
The ground was a little smoother here. He’d always been fascinated by volcanoes. It was one reason he’d spent so much time at the Tagama house. The talk around the dinner table between Annie and her father was always interesting. There was a curious chemistry among them all—Annie’s mother, Adele, was so quiet and attuned to all their needs, while her three grown kids and her husband filled the house with noise and excitement. At least two of the kids were noisy. Annie was a carbon copy of her mother, directing everything with a firm yet quiet hand. Adele treated Mano like one of her own, and because his own mother abandoned him when he was a kid, Mano reveled in her attention.
Now, with only Edega and Annie at the house, everything was different. Mano didn’t think he could remember a time when the house wasn’t full with good-natured teasing and laughter. What had Tomi been thinking to risk ruining his family this way? When Mano found him, he’d demand some answers.
He rounded the rock formation and stopped. His heart slammed against his ribs. “Annie, come here,” he called. Maybe she could explain this, though he didn’t see how. She joined him immediately, and he heard her gasp. She reached out and grabbed his forearm. He winced as her nails dug into his skin, but he didn’t pull away.
“A heiau,” she breathed. “What is it doing here?”
In the old days, Hawaiians built massive temples, or heiau, to worship their gods. Many of the ancient temples ranged from the size of a basketball court to bigger than a football field. This one was much smaller than average. Only about eight feet square, the customary stone base was crudely composed of lava rock. But all the basics were there, including a wooden structure atop the stone base.
Mano stepped up to the heiau and entered it. A stone altar had been erected under the roof of ti leaves. An idol of lava stone, wood, and feathers sat at the head of the altar. The idol’s gaping mouth was lined with some animal’s teeth.
A drone of flies caught his ear, and he looked down to see the insects buzzing around a sticky mess at the base of the altar. Annie put her hands over her eyes and moaned. She backed away. Mano wanted to turn tail and run. The air thickened with sinister intent. He forced himself to examine the blood. A hiss of relief escaped his lips when he realized the mess held traces of animal fur.
He needed air. Turning, he bolted after Annie. She was trembling. “It’s not Leilani,” he assured her. “It’s an animal.”
“Who would build a heiau out here?” she whispered. “Could you tell what god that was?”
He shook his head. “I’d guess it’s Pele, but it’s hard to say.”
“What about Ku?”
He stared at her. “You think Leilani could have been part of this?”
“I hope not, but with her necklace here . . .”
“I’d better call Sam. Maybe he can figure it out.” He dialed his cell phone and told Sam what he’d found. Annie was staring at the temple. She blinked rapidly, and a shimmer of moisture clung to her lashes. He wanted to pull her into his arms, but he curled his fingers into his palms instead. She wouldn’t welcome such a forward gesture.
Annie moved toward the heiau again. Her hand shook as she extended it and pointed toward a wisp of fabric that decorated the idol. “That’s from Leilani’s favorite top.”