“But what could he want? Someone’s already been in the house. I don’t get it.”
“I don’t either, but we need to find out.”
She hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about what her grandmother had said. “You remember Koma said to talk to my grandmother? She told me tonight that she knew where the treasure was. I tried to get her to take me tonight, but she didn’t want to do it until morning.”
“You know how fuzzy she was tonight. I wouldn’t take anything she said too seriously.”
“No, she was clear about this. I think she really knows something. If she does, she might be in real danger, Bane.” Suddenly cold, she rubbed her arms.
He put his arm around her. “I’m here, Leia. I won’t let anything happen to your grandmother or to you.”
Leaning against him, she believed he meant what he said. “But you can’t be here every minute. We’re so remote out here. I’m not sure any of us should stay at the cottage.”
“You want to go to your mom’s tonight?”
She hesitated, then shook her head. “T?t? is already sleeping. I don’t want to disturb her. But we’d better think about it tomorrow. We’re dealing with a bold person. They ransacked her house in the middle of the day and skulked around at night even though we’re with her now. A person like that sounds desperate, and desperate people are dangerous.”
Bane dropped his arm from her shoulder but took possession of her hand. They turned and started back to the house. “I’ll stay up tonight and keep watch.”
“I hate for you to do that. It’s midnight, and daylight is a long way off. Wake me in a couple of hours and I’ll take a turn.”
“A little thing like you wouldn’t scare him off.”
“Little! Look at me.” She smiled in the darkness. He always knew the right thing to say.
“You get some rest,” he said as they stepped into the house.
“Wake me,” she told him again. He didn’t answer, and she knew he was going to be bullheaded about it. She’d just set her alarm. She went to her room and set the clock, then lay back on the pillow. The walk had made her hot. She relished the fan’s movement. Moonlight spilled in the open window, and the breeze touched her heated body. She heard a rustle from her bedroom closet and froze. Her throat closed. She heard the tick of the clock over the sound of her ragged breath. Should she run to get Bane or investigate?
She’d look pretty foolish if it was only Hina in there. Glancing around for a weapon, she saw nothing that would work. Her slippers were just thin rubber, and she wished she had her hiking boots handy. Then she spied her grandfather’s la’au palau hanging in a wooden rack on the wall. She took it out. Moving stealthily, she advanced to the closet. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she hesitated. Should she yell when she flung it open or just do it quietly? Her grandmother was a heavy sleeper, so maybe she wouldn’t awaken.
Hefting the bat to her shoulder, she planted her feet wide and held on with one hand. Her other hand twisted the knob and flung the door open as she uttered a war cry. “Aiiaa!” Hina rushed past her, squalling at the top of her lungs. Leia giggled, and she slumped in relief. But the hair on the back of her neck still stood at attention. She felt a presence, a noiseless something from inside the closet.
Then she heard another scrabble in the back of the closet. She backed away with the club held high, then a dark figure rushed her. She swung the la’au palau, connecting with the person’s mid-section. A muffled umph told her she’d inflicted some damage. But it wasn’t enough, because the intruder brushed by her, knocking her out of the way. She fell back against the nightstand. It toppled and sent the lamp crashing to the floor. She heard Ajax begin to bark. The figure flitted by the window, blocking the moonlight, then the door to the hallway opened, and he fled. She heard Bane’s heavy footsteps pound down the hall, then a crash. Ajax was growling ferociously. The man yelped. She ran to the door and peered into the hall. Bane was picking himself up off the floor, but the other man gained his feet first and disappeared into the kitchen with Ajax on his heels. Moments later, the back door crashed open and slammed shut again. Ajax’s bark was frantic.
Leia ran to Bane. “Are you okay?”
He was shaking his head as if to clear it. “Only my pride is hurt.”
He started to go toward the back door, but she held him back. “It’s useless in the dark. We already found that out. We need to call the police again.” She called to the dog, then stepped to her grandmother’s doorway and peeked inside. T?t? sat up and looked at her with a vacant stare, then fell back against the pillow and rolled over. Her eyes closed, and her breathing evened out.
“At least she’s okay,” Bane said. “The guy must have sneaked back around while we were outside. He’s after something.”
“It has to be the treasure. That’s the only thing that makes sense.” She went to phone the police. Her grandmother knew something. If only Leia could figure out what it was.