Annie looked at the sea rolling into the shore. She was as lost and aimless as the flotsam rolling in with the tide. What had her brother gotten them into? She usually had things under control and in order, and for the first time in her life, she knew she couldn’t take care of this, couldn’t make everything right for her brother and her father. And Leilani. Her entire family was disintegrating, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Wilson went to the edge of the water and barked. He kept it up for several minutes, and Annie saw a dorsal fin slice through the water. A dolphin. The sea mammal leaped into the air, and she recognized Nani. “So you’ve figured out how to call Nani, huh, Wilson?”
The bright wash of the moonlight touched the whitecaps as they rolled in to shore. She took off her boots and waded into the water. There was movement behind her, and she heard Mano call her name, but she ignored him and went farther into the waves. Wilson followed her. Nani chattered from deeper out and then swam in to meet them. Still dressed in her shorts and tank top, Annie dove into the water. Wilson clambered onto the dolphin’s back. Annie grabbed the dolphin’s dorsal fin and let Nani pull her out into the turquoise water.
The soothing warmth always comforted her, and it didn’t fail to do that tonight. After swimming for a few minutes, she urged Nani toward the shore. Wilson slid off, and his sleek little body followed Annie to land. Her gaze swept the beach.
Mano sat on a large lava rock. At least he hadn’t insisted she come in. She limped as she came across the rough rocks.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Not really. We have to find out what’s going on,” she said. “What do we do next?” She sat beside him and pulled her socks on over her scarred feet, then put her boots back on.
Wilson climbed onto Mano’s lap and shook himself, flinging water all over Mano. Mano didn’t seem to mind. He tucked the mongoose inside his shirt. “I don’t have any answers, Annie. Tomi might have some, but until he contacts us again, we’re in the dark. We should call the police in on it. Or the navy or the FBI.”
She absorbed his recommendation in silence. “What if that gets Tomi into even more trouble? It sounds like these guys mean business. Can we find out who they are? Maybe Tomi would tell you.”
“I don’t know how to get in touch with him,” he pointed out. “His number comes up unknown.”
She bit her lip. “Okay. But we can’t call in the authorities yet. Not if we have a chance of getting Tomi out of this mess. We’re going to have to figure this out on our own. I’m going to go see Leilani’s friends first thing in the morning, if Tomi doesn’t get in touch about meeting him at the bank. Maybe one of them can shed light on what’s happened to her.”
“You realize I’m going to be in a lot of trouble if I don’t contact the navy, don’t you?”
She hadn’t considered that. “Why would they blame you?”
“I have a duty to turn in AWOL personnel. And to report anything I know about espionage.”
She didn’t like the term. “But he didn’t really engage in espionage. He gave them nothing useful.”
“He gave them enough to figure out the rest. He’s got some explaining to do.”
“I have to try to help him. And I can’t do it alone. I need your help, Mano.” What would she do if he refused? She knew nothing about this kind of thing. The silence seemed to last forever, and she realized she was asking him to betray his commitment to the navy. Mano was an honorable man. Maybe she was asking too much.
He finally sighed. “Okay. But only for a few days. If we haven’t found your sister and gotten Tomi out of this mess by next weekend, I’m going to have to call in some help.” He stood.
“I should stay here tonight. I don’t think you should be alone. You might be the next target.”
She hadn’t considered the possibility that she might be in danger. Shivering, she went toward the house. “I could stay with Fawn.”
“Good idea.”
Mano glanced at her, then quickly averted his eyes. “I can still read you, Mano. You have no intention of leaving us alone. You’re planning to camp outside her house, aren’t you?”
He grinned, and his teeth shone white in the moonlight. “Maybe.”
“We’ll be fine. I’ve got a gun I can take.”
“The last thing we need is you with a gun.”
“Hey, I know how to shoot,” she protested.
“It won’t hurt me to sleep in the car.”
She didn’t protest. Maybe knowing he was out there would keep the fear at bay. She took the cell phone he handed her and called Fawn. She got the answering machine. “I forgot she called to tell me she was leaving tonight. Her brother is getting married Saturday, and she flew to Honolulu to help with last-minute preparations.” She punched in another number. “I can try Gina . . .” Her supervisor answered on the first ring and told her to come right over with her father.
“At least no one will think to look for you there,” Mano said. “And Gina will make sure nothing happens to you.”
Annie nodded. “Her son, Jason, used to be in the military. He’s probably got weapons in the house.”
“He looks the type.”
Annie smiled at the scorn in Mano’s voice. “Hey, at least you’ll be able check out Aloha Shores. Do you still think Noah has something to do with this?”