The pale green silk pajamas she’d bought him had been a mistake, she thought, turning to look at him. They were the wrong color for his florid face, and they were too tight across his stomach.
Curtis sighed and reached out to draw her against his chest. “I see that look in your eyes. You’re not running away from this, Faye. We’ve come too far to back out now. And I’ve plowed too much money into Seaworthy Labs to just walk away. You wanted this, and now you’re going to stay here and face it.”
“I know, I know,” she murmured against the silk pajama top. “You’re so good to me, Curtis. So much better than I deserve.”
He leaned her away from his chest and gave her a gentle shake. “Quit that kind of talk. You’re deserving of so much more than I can give you, Faye. This is going to work out—you’ll see.”
She nodded and laid her head back against his chest. The beat of his heart thudded against her ear in a steady, rhythmic beat that calmed her like a baby laid against its mother’s breast. “I met Kaia today too. I wasn’t sure it was ever going to happen. So something good came out of the day.”
The hand he’d been petting her hair with grew still. “What did you think of her?”
“She’s beautiful, more lovely than I could have imagined. Smart and strong too. You should have seen the way she dove into the water and went after Heidi. She seemed almost as much fish as human.”
“She’s really remarkable. Her affinity with the dolphins is going to make her famous someday. And Seaworthy Labs too, she says.”
“She’s meeting me and Heidi for breakfast in the morning.”
“Here?” Curtis drew back. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“Wise or not, she’s coming here when she gets off work in the morning. Don’t worry. I’ll be good. She’ll never suspect a thing.”
Kaia shifted restlessly in her seat aboard the navy cruiser. A misty rain had fallen earlier, a remnant of the system that had blown in during the afternoon with the large swells. The clouds had dissipated, and the stars had come out around one o’clock in the morning. The two SPs Jesse had assigned to accompany her spent their time at the helm and largely ignored her—a state of affairs she welcomed. They were both older and married, which helped put her at ease.
Tonight they were anchored just off Nohili Point, south of Barking Sands. The waves had died down to gentle swells. She sat under the overhang and looked out over the water. There were hardly any lights along the shore here, and she felt alone.
She hadn’t wanted to have Nani in danger again, but she had to try to figure out what was going on so she could protect Mano from himself. She was certain Pele Hawai′i was involved, and if they were behind the break-ins, Mano might be too.
Nani chattered from just off the bow, and Kaia got up to speak to her. “What’s the matter, girl? Are you lonely?”
The dolphin flung herself into the air and splashed Kaia. Nani chattered again as she danced along the waves. If Kaia weren’t so tired, she’d join Nani for a swim. Heidi’s rescue had taken a lot out of her. She could curl up on the deck and take a nap.
Now was as good a time as any to do what she had to do. After Nani’s failure to realize she needed to find Heidi, Kaia had come to the conclusion she had to do what Curtis suggested: train Nani and the other dolphins to jump through hoops and perform the tricks that brought in more people. If enough money came in that way, maybe they could continue the research long enough to make the communication connection.
She turned to get the equipment she’d brought when she became aware of the sound of a boat engine in the distance. The lights were out as though they didn’t want to be seen. She doubted they could see the navy boat sitting quietly in its anchorage. The other boat hugged the coastline as close to shore as possible without running aground. In a few minutes, the hum of the engine fell silent.
She should check it out. She poked her head into the engine room and told the sailors what she was doing.
“One of us should go with you.” Mick Wilson, the burly petty officer who’d been assigned to her, stood.
“I’ve got Nani. She and I can slip in without being seen. If I get in trouble, I’ll signal you with my flashlight and wave into Nani’s camera.”
He hesitated then nodded. Kaia stepped out of her slippers and went down the ladder. Nani met her at the bottom. Kaia began swimming toward the boat, and when Nani caught on, Kaia grabbed the dolphin’s dorsal fin. Together they sped through the water.
The boat was anchored just offshore in an inlet cove. No lights shone, and if she hadn’t heard the motor before it was cut, she never would have noticed it. The waves streamed past her body in a silken flow. She released Nani’s fin and treaded water while she assessed the situation.