Curtis put down his fork. “You have to stop running someday. It’s time to face up to what you’ve done.”
“I’m not sure I can.” The old, familiar panic clawed at her chest. She couldn’t handle this. It was too much. Though Curtis didn’t know it, she had a voucher for an airline ticket to Chicago in her dresser. The safety net it gave her had calmed her more than once. Maybe it was time to use it.
But no. She couldn’t leave Curtis. She loved him. He would be so hurt and disappointed in her. Even if the future brought pain, she needed to see this through. She was too old to keep running. Faye had thought she’d grown up, but she was beginning to see the old habits were harder to kill than she’d realized.
She must have some kind of defect that made her hate confrontation and trouble. Maybe she would never overcome it. And if she didn’t, what would she do with her life? Where would she go? She wouldn’t be able to stay here and face all her failures. Was there ever a woman with more regrets than she carried?
Jesse parked at an overlook with the panorama of Waimea Canyon spread out before them. “You sure this is the place?” he asked Kaia.
From here Kaia could see the reds and greens of the canyon that nearly took her breath away. Dubbed “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific” by Mark Twain, the smaller canyon was no less spectacular than its larger namesake. The colors were deep and rich and spoke to her soul.
Kaia nodded. “Mano gave me directions.”
“How’d you weasel them out of him?”
“I told him the truth that I wanted to talk to Jonah Kapolei’s family. He tried to talk me out of it, but he knew I could find out in town if I asked.”
“Did he ask to come with you?”
She nodded. “I told him you’d be along to protect me.” She turned in her seat and smiled at him. It felt good to be here with him. When had she begun to drop her defenses? She needed to be careful. He was not the type of man she’d always thought of marrying. He was older and not Hawaiian.
“We’d better get moving. I need to pick up Heidi at ten. And you look beat.”
“I am,” she admitted. “I’m hitting the bed as soon as I get home.”
“Want to go on a picnic with me and Heidi after church tomorrow?”
“Sure,” she said before she thought. What was she thinking? She’d just decided she needed to be more careful. She got out of the Jeep and wished she could find a way to bow out gracefully.
“I thought we’d go to Po’ipu and watch for monk seals. Heidi loves them.”
“Sounds fun. Where have you been going to church?”
“Nowhere yet. I haven’t had a chance to look for one, but I thought I’d figure out where to go.”
“I haven’t been in ages,” she said. “I’ve been feeling pretty guilty about it. You could come with me and my grandfather,” she offered. She was getting herself in deeper and deeper. Maybe he’d refuse.
“I’d love to. Want me to pick you up?”
“Okay.” She slammed her door and headed toward the path that led down the hillside.
The house they approached looked as though it had been perched on the ledge since King Kamehameha had ruled the island. Wood weathered to silvery gray covered the small home, and a stone porch added substance to the structure. Wild orchids, plume-ria, and ginger grew in profusion along the brick path to the front door. The trade winds brought the sweet scent to Kaia’s nose.
“Let me start us off,” Kaia whispered as they got to the door. With Jesse in a uniform, he was liable to choke off any information the woman might give.
He nodded and let her go in front. From inside she could hear the strains of a ukulele. Kaia rapped on the door. There was no answer at first, then the sound of footsteps echoed on hardwood floors.
The woman who opened the door was about Kaia’s height. Her Hawaiian features were framed by black hair cut into a short bob. She wore khaki shorts and an orange top. Maybe the outfit would have been attractive on a twenty-year-old, but it made her forty-something skin look sallow. Kaia guessed she was at least five years older than her husband had been.
“Mrs. Kapolei?” Kaia held out her hand. “I’m Kaia Oana and this is Lieutenant Commander Jesse Matthews. We’d like to ask you a few questions about Jonah, but first I’d like to say I’m so sorry for your loss.”
The woman blinked rapidly and bit her lip. “Mahalo. Who are you? I already told the other military guys and the police everything I know.”
“We’re also investigating for the base,” Jesse said. “Do you have any idea why he was diving by himself? Did he usually dive with a partner?”
“I’d begged him not to go out alone, but he always laughed at me. He thought he was invincible.” Mrs. Kapolei rubbed her forehead.
“Did he always dive with a dart gun?” Jesse put in.