“You think it belongs to whoever shot Koma?”
He dropped the watch into another bag. “It’s not rusted or wet. I’d say it was dropped today.”
Leia’s neck prickled again. “I hope it was an accident.”
Ono waggled his eyebrow. “Looks like premeditated murder to me, Pilgrim. The bullet is a high-powered 30-06. Not your usual hunting gun.”
Murder. Such an ugly word. Leia shivered and settled back on the log.
Nine
Bane’s cell phone beeped as he lay on his bunk in the belly of the boat with Ajax sleeping beside him. He had a message. Odd that he hadn’t heard it ring. He must have been in a dead spot. When Leia’s voice came to his ear, his fingers tightened on the phone. He could hear the stress in her voice as she told him Koma had been killed, and he sat up on the bunk. Ajax lifted his head and looked at him.
The research ship anchored off the Kalaupapa Peninsula. He called his dog to come with him, then took the small skiff from the boat to shore and docked it. He hurried to Leia’s grandmother’s cottage. Bane went toward the door, and Ipo’s nene came running to meet him. Ajax cowered from the goose. Pua squawked, and Bane reached down to rub her head. “Ajax, you’re a big baby. Pua won’t hurt you.” The goose waddled away after a moment, and he stepped to the door. Before he could knock, Eva opened the screen.
Her lopsided smile burst out when she saw him. “Pehea ‘oe?”
“I’m fine,” he said. “It’s all of you I’m worried about.”
“I dreamed you were trapped in a hole and couldn’t get out.” Her bright blue eyes skimmed over his face. “Then you followed the stars out.”
For a moment, he thought of the deep blue hole of the abyss he’d peered into. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Where are Malia and your sister?”
“Malia is talking to the policeman. Leia told me I had to stay here with T?t?.”
He listened but heard no voices. “Are they outside? Where is your t?t??”
“She’s fixing tea. Leia took the policeman to find Koma.” Her eyebrows came together. “He got shot.”
“I heard about that.”
She hugged him. “You want some mango tea?”
He hugged her back, then released her. “I’d better go help your sister. But save me some tea.”
“We’re going to have pineapple boats too. So don’t be late.”
She seemed to have forgotten the dead man, and Bane patted her arm. He wished he could focus on the good in life the way Eva did. Sunshine seemed to follow her around. He started toward the door, but Ipo began to sing in her monotone voice. Hesitating in the doorway, he sighed and shut the door. Ipo usually only sang when the clouds rolled in. He wasn’t sure he should leave Eva here alone with her grandmother. Though she was twenty, her mind was like a child’s, and she was easily frightened.
Eva’s smile began to falter. “T?t? is singing. She won’t know who I am. I hate it when she forgets my name.” Tears flooded her eyes.
“Maybe it will pass soon. I’ll go check on her. Why don’t you get Ajax some water?” He patted her shoulder, and they went into the kitchen.
Ipo sat at the wooden table. Most of the white paint on it was scuffed and worn. She stared at the wall and sang in a surprisingly melodious voice. When she got to the final stanza of “Ka Uluwehi o Ke Kai,” a traditional hula tune, she stood and began to sway. In her day, Ipo had been a hula dancer of great renown on the islands. Hula had originated on Moloka’i, and it still boasted exceptional dancers. He could still see traces of her grace in the fluid movements.
“Ipo?” He stepped to her side and touched her hand. She ignored him and continued to sing and sway. “It’s Bane.” She pulled the hand he touched away and moved into the center of the kitchen.
“T?t?, I’m hungry,” Eva said. She placed herself directly in front of her grandmother, but Ipo danced around her grand-daughter. Her voice grew louder, and she closed her eyes. Eva looked at Bane. “She forgot me again.”
The pathos in her voice touched Bane. Though he felt an urgency to see Leia and find out what had happened, he didn’t dare leave Ipo and Eva like this with a shooter in the forest. He went to the refrigerator. “I think I’ll take some tea after all,” he said. “Would you like some mango tea, Ipo?”
The older woman dropped her arms from over her head. “Loose tea in the treasure chest,” she said in a wooden voice.
Bane sighed. She was still lost in the clouds and talking non-sense. He grabbed three glasses from the cupboard and dumped ice into them, then poured the mango tea. He took Ipo’s hand. “Here, why don’t you sit down and have some tea with us? It’s nearly eight o’clock. Leia will be back soon.”