“I did, yes.” Leia managed to keep her hand from wandering to the scar on her lip, but she felt her mother’s gaze touch it.
“Where have you been all evening?” her father asked.
“I took some time off to dive with Bane, but we’re held up by an injunction OHA has slapped on us. I went to see Pete to try to sort it out, but he wouldn’t budge. I finally gave up since I had something pressing to talk to you both about.”
“Oh?” Her mother took a sip of her mango iced tea. “That sounds rather ominous.”
Leia wet her lips. “It’s about T?t?. She’s been very confused lately, as I’m sure you know.”
“I know.” Her father moved his head in a weary wag. “I think she’s getting worse.”
“I’m sure of it too.” Leia glanced at her mother, then back to her father’s face. “I think she shouldn’t be living alone any longer. Something has to be done.”
Her father plucked a strip of coconut twine from his shorts. “I don’t want to move her into a home.”
Leia kept her gaze on her father. “I had another idea. I’m going to move in with her.”
“You will do no such thing!” Her mother stood and put her glass of tea on the glass-topped table. “I blame your grandmother for your ridiculous obsession with that paper cloth and for throwing away your career. Paper cloth! Is there anything less relevant to real life?”
Leia wondered if her mother might be jealous of the closeness Leia shared with her grandmother. She rejected the idea. Her mother always seemed so self-sufficient, jealousy didn’t seem possible. “You’re consumed by your work as well.”
“I’m not consumed, I’m merely interested. I can leave it at my office. You put in way too many hours at that little clinic for a pittance, and then spend your off time working on an outdated hobby. You’ll never have anything at this rate.” Ingrid’s voice softened. “I want only what’s best for you, Leia. You have your head so up in the clouds that you never seem to see the chasms yawning under your feet. As your mother, it’s my duty to protect you. I can’t let you do this. I’ll begin to look for a place for her.”
Leia shook her head. “I’m going to try it for a few weeks and see how it goes. Malia said she would stay with T?t? during the day when I’m gone. At some point, we likely will have no choice but to put her in a nursing home for her own safety, but she’s not bad enough yet.”
“I don’t like it. Ipo will just require more and more of your time. You’ll never break free.” Ingrid clasped her hands together. Her gaze went past Leia, and she frowned. “Eva, you’re supposed to be in bed.”
Leia turned to see her sister. She had her fingers in her mouth and was humming. “Aloha, keiki. I’ve missed you.”
Eva took her fingers out of her mouth. Her eyes were huge in her face. “Don’t go in your shop, Leia. I dreamed it was broken.”
“Broken?” Leia tried not to smile. “You mean the roof or what?”
Eva’s forehead wrinkled. “I don’t remember. But it was scary. I don’t want you to go there.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. Want me to read you a story before you go back to sleep?”
Eva began to smile, and she nodded. “Will you read Green Eggs and Ham?”
“Okay. You go on up, and I’ll be right there,” Leia told her. She ran from the room, and Leia turned back to her mother. She wet her lips. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about. This involves you, Mama.”
Her mother sat back down slowly on the edge of the chair. “All right, I’m listening.”
“Have the police been to see you about Tony’s death?”
Her mother’s eyes widened. “Whatever for? I didn’t even know he’d died until Eva told me. Why would you think they’d be coming to see me?”
“Yesterday after Koma was killed, Detective Ono asked me how well you knew Tony. They suspect he was injected with a narcotic that depressed his breathing. And some narcotics are missing from the hospital.”
Her mother didn’t say anything at first. She took a sip of her tea. “So that explains why there was an inventory of the controlled substances.”
Her mother was handling it better than Leia had thought she would. “Ono asked if I’d ever heard you and Tony fighting.”
“I suppose you told him about the disagreement we had over the lease on the building.” Her mother gave a heavy sigh. “Really, Leia, you should learn to hold your tongue. I’m sure he’ll be around to see me.”
“I didn’t tell him. I’d forgotten.” In fact, Leia hadn’t even remembered her mother owned the building Tony leased for his shop. They’d argued over her mother’s decision to raise the rent, and the disagreement had gotten heated.
Her mother began to smile. “You’re a good daughter. The last thing I need is for my patients to hear that I’m under suspicion for murder. It would be the final death knell for my practice.” The glance she sent toward her husband held a trace of censure.