Mano hurried after her. “Should we shout or something? Warn him that we’re coming?
Before Annie could answer, a shot reverberated in the air. He pulled her down behind a boulder. “He’s seen us, but I don’t think he’s trying to hit us.”
“Let me talk to him.” She struggled to get up.
“Wait, let me see if I can spot him.” He lifted his head and looked toward a pile of black boulders. “I think he’s over there. Call to him and tell him who you are.”
She peered over the top of the boulder. “Mr. Kauhi, it’s Annie Tagama, your neighbor. I need to talk to you.”
The call of a hawk overhead filled the silence. Then a voice boomed out. “Show yourself, Miss Tagama, you and your friend.”
Mano and Annie stared at one another. “We don’t have much choice,” he whispered.
She nodded and stood slowly with her hands in the air. Mano did the same. A man stepped out from behind a rockfall. He was nearly seven feet tall. His shaggy black hair held only a few traces of white.
“I’ve never seen such a tall Hawaiian.”
Annie barely nodded. She stepped out. “Can we put our hands down now?”
Orson Kauhi lowered his rifle. “Make it fast. I don’t have all day.” His glower deepened.
As they came within three feet of the man, Mano realized he was older than he appeared from a distance. His face was lined with wrinkles, and his muscles were atrophied. In his prime, he must have been terrifying to a child. Annie smiled, but Mano could sense her fear and wondered if Kauhi could as well. Mano put his hand on her back.
“I was wondering if you’d seen my brother, Tomi, lately, Mr. Kauhi.”
He stared at her from under bushy eyebrows. “I heard he died.”
“That’s what we thought, but there’s talk he might be alive. Leilani might be with him. Did you ever see my younger sister?”
“She’s the nosy one, always coming here and peeking in my windows. Not like you. You were too scared.” Kauhi continued to glower, but amusement seemed to lurk in his dark eyes.
“Have you seen her lately?”
He reached out and Annie flinched, but he just touched her shoulder. “Go home, little girl. Forget about your sister. Live your own life. You worry too much about your family.”
She glanced at Mano, and he read the desperation in her face. He cleared his throat. “Have you seen either Tomi or Leilani in the last week, Mr. Kauhi?”
The big man shook his head. “No. Now leave me.”
Annie bit her lip. “One other thing. The GPS receivers. It’s critical we place some here to gauge the earth’s movement. You’d have final say on exactly where we put them. You turned down my coworker’s request, but would you please reconsider?”
“No. Like I’ve said, I don’t let anyone on my land. Not now, not ever. Study your volcano somewhere else. Ku protects me here as long as I keep the outsiders away.” He turned and moved swiftly away.
Ku. Mano gave a start. Maybe this guy was part of the cult. “Mr. Kauhi, I’ve got some more questions.”
The big man ignored him and went into the cabin. The door slammed. Annie started to follow, but Mano grabbed her arm. “Forget it. He won’t change his mind. I’ll check out the mountain after dark.”
Six
Annie rinsed the sink and hung up the dishcloth to dry. After Mano dropped her off, she had called Sam, but he didn’t have any new leads on Leilani. Then she’d cleaned the house from one end to the other, trying to maintain as normal a state as possible. Leilani would call when she was ready. She always did.
Wilson lay curled under her feet, and she nearly tripped over him several times. She gently pushed him away with her foot, and he growled softly. “Cool your jets,” she told him. The doorbell rang, and she went to answer it. Glancing out the living-room window as she passed, she saw Fawn’s car. Good, she needed someone to talk to. She swung the door open and saw her friend standing there with a baggie full of goodies. “Yum, what is it?”
“Wheatless carrot cake.” Fawn wore a hot pink beach coverup and reef shoes.
“Um, onolicious,” Annie said, paying the highest compliment she could. She was being only half-sarcastic. Though Fawn’s concoctions sounded horrible, they were generally tasty. “As long as it doesn’t have grass in it.”
Fawn stepped inside. “No grass, just natural vanilla, maple syrup, rice flour, and organic eggs. No sugar or wheat.”
“It smells good,” Annie said cautiously. She followed Fawn to the kitchen. Her friend put the cake on the counter. “How about a swim? You need to do something fun today.”
“I should clean the bathrooms.” Annie’s protest was halfhearted. She could use a diversion.