Sujata Massey - Shimura Trouble

“Do you think it’s possible that Winston Liang assumed control of the property with all Harue Shimura’s possessions still inside?”

“Sure. You have to understand, she died in her garden-dropped from a stroke, the doctor told us. No relatives or friends came to clean up anything. In situations like this, the new tenant’s wife keeps what she wants and throws out the rest.”

I was about to say that it certainly would have been in the Liang family’s interest to throw out any deeds of ownership they found, but the maid returned, a cordless telephone in hand. In her soft voice she said, “Your brother wants to speak to you. Shall I tell him later?”

“No, I’d better take it.” He looked at us. “Sorry for cutting things short. Lindsay’s going to want to know the extent of the fire damage.”

“Oh, we understand, and we didn’t mention it before, but we’re very sorry about the fire,” Michael said, getting to his feet. “Thank you so much for your time, and your patience with our questions.”

“Nothing to thank me for. I don’t think I particularly helped anything,” Josiah Pierce answered.

But as Michael and I said goodbye, I thought that he had helped, and perhaps it was better that he didn’t know it.

I TOOK THE wheel on the way down Tantalus Road, because driving is easier than being a passenger when it comes to carsickness. Part of it was avoiding a replay of my earlier nausea, but I was also feeling frustrated and tired of sitting on my hands. Driving at least gave me power.

“The deed of sale, if it ever existed, is gone,” I said glumly. “The Liangs probably just got rid of it, either accidentally or intentionally.”

“That’s what he wants you to think,” Michael said. “He was quite warm and seemingly open, but that could be disingenuous. I’d meant to catch him off-guard with the mention of Will, but his reaction made me wonder.”

“I want to find Winston Liang’s son. I wish I’d asked his name.”

The Sebring’s top was down, and a gust of wind flared a bit of my dress upward. Michael put his hand on my thigh, and I felt the hard wedding band against my skin. Now I felt desire mixed with sadness that it had all been a ridiculous game.

“Don’t forget to take off the ring,” I said, lifting his hand and fixing the dress. It was a rather complicated maneuver, with the hairpin Tantalus turns.

“Can’t wait to be divorced from me, huh?” Michael sighed heavily, slipped off his gold band, and dropped it into one of the car’s two empty cup-holders.

I looked straight ahead, not wanting to meet his gaze. “It’s just that I don’t want you to embarrass yourself by forgetting to take the ring off. Earlier today you mentioned that we should stop in at the yacht club, and I’d hate for you to walk in and have your friends think you’d just, boom, had a quick marriage.”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks-you should know that by now. But there is something I’m starting to get mad about.”

“What?” I asked cautiously.

“You haven’t kissed me yet today. It’s like what happened between us yesterday has been absolutely buried and forgotten! Hello, there. We’re officially dating.”

“It’s a two-way street,” I said, unable to suppress a smile. And when we reached the stop sign at the bottom of the hill, and I was trying to remember which way to turn for Ala Moana, he took advantage of the lull, and he kissed me with something that told me he might have been feeling the same way.

WE LEFT THE car at the shopping center again-I was starting to feel vaguely guilty, like I should step in and buy something there, sooner or later. It felt nice to stroll hand-in-hand to the yacht club, and nicer still to see Michael warmly welcomed by fellow racers, who had grown in number since the previous day. Three more sailboats had arrived, and we were both coaxed into sitting down. A quick hello, Michael said, before he dropped me back at the resort.

“Mike!” Kurt called out, his fingers forming a mock-gun the way little boys liked to do.

“Rei, I’m sorry we didn’t know about you! I would have ordered you a T-shirt too.” A fair-skinned redhead wearing shorts and a white T-shirt with a photo of Four Guys on the Edge greeted me. She was sitting next to a pretty black woman about ten years my senior, with stylishly upswept black hair, who was also wearing the T-shirt, but with floral-patterned capris.

“That’s OK. I run, so I have too many T-shirts already.”

“What you don’t have is a drink. You look like a mai tai girl.” Kurt appraised me as if it were the first time he was seeing me.

“I don’t know about that-”

“We don’t have time for a drink at all,” Michael said. “We really just stopped in to say hello.”

“Why are you always leaving? You missed out on a chance to be interviewed by both papers yesterday,” Parker said.

“I’d rather not be in the papers. So what’s your plan for the rest of the day? Beach and then a good dinner?” Michael stood up, and from his posture, I could see he was about to bolt.

“Just wait a minute! You’ve been so rude, Michael, not properly introducing Rei to Jody and me. My name is Karen Drummond; I’m Parker’s wife.” The woman in Pucci extended a hand with long, scarlet nails toward me, making me regret my own manicure’s lack of color. “You’re joining us for dinner tonight at Alan Wong, aren’t you? We booked a table for seven at seven. Easy to remember that way.”

I was about to say I’d like to, but I should check with my family first, but Michael was already shaking his head. “I hate to miss catching up with you, Karen-and Jody, too-but Rei and I have another plan tonight. We’ll all eat together at the Transpac banquet, though.”

“Weren’t you being a little rude, Michael?” I asked as we waited to cross Ala Moana Boulevard a minute later. “Or is there a reason you don’t want me to know your friends?”

“I’m…I’m a little bit nervous, yes,” Michael said. “The guys at least were spinning crazy fantasies about why I didn’t get home until two in the morning. They’re too happy about your existence, Rei. It makes me nervous.”

As I started to tell him to relax, my mobile phone buzzed against my hip.

“Not again,” Michael said.

I fished the phone out of my dress pocket and looked at the number in the window. “Oh-oh, a Tokyo exchange. That means my cousin Tom, most likely.” I clicked the phone on and greeted Tom coolly; it was the first time we’d spoken since our argument the previous evening.

“Where are you, Rei-chan? We tried to reach you earlier, and your phone just rang.”

“Sorry, I turned it off during a meeting,” I said. “Is my father all right?”

“Yes, but you must return immediately. Edwin has requested our help.”

“Of course he needs our help,” I interrupted. “He’s been saying that for days.”

“No, no, Rei-chan, this time it’s different. The police have arrested Braden.”

“What on earth…?”

“He’s at the police station in Kapolei. This is very bad for your father! I told him not to go, despite his wish to help. My father, I worry, won’t make a good impression because of the language barrier. I could go alone, but I’d rather we did it together-”

“Actually, Tom, I think it’s best if you stay with our fathers. I have Michael and his car, so we can go directly to the station. But tell me one thing-why was he arrested?”

“Edwin didn’t say. He just needs a family member to sign a paper and pick Braden up as soon as possible.”