Toby Neal: Blood Orchids

“Dammit, this situation deserves the full attention of the department. You helped crack the Mohuli`i case at considerable personal expense, and I appreciate the way you’ve got yourself out of some deep shibai. Taking down some Chang connections might also help with the bad PR we’ve had from the Ito mess.”

“Something new happened with the last two stalker letters.” She took a deep breath and told him about Charlie Kwon, and the only ‘Anela’ she knew, the waitress working for her aunt’s restaurant. “Someone knows a lot more about me than just my cell phone number. Can I call my aunt? She’s the only other person that knows about the molester, and I haven’t heard from her since she went back to California.”

She took a few minutes to call Aunty Rosario, verifying that she didn’t know anything about Charlie Kwon’s whereabouts and that Anela Ka`awai still worked at the restaurant. Rosario hadn’t talked to anyone about Lei’s sexual abuse except the social services worker and the therapists she sent Lei to, and no names had been mentioned.

“But I told you Momi knows, though,” Aunty finally said. “I don’t know, she might have told someone. Now put that police Lieutenant on cuz I like talk to him.”

Lieutenant Ohale got on the line. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as Rosario gave him a piece of her mind in pidgin. When he was able to get a word in he told her that it looked like they were finally going to be able to solve Lei’s stalking case and the full resources of the department were behind the investigation.

“I see where you get your fighting spirit,” he said, handing her the phone at last. “Stevens is going to take you home.”

“Okay,” Lei said, and decided not to push her luck by asking for someone other than Stevens. Lieutenant Ohale walked her out to the SUV, which Stevens had idling in the parking lot. She got in and they sat in awkward silence for the drive across town.

“Can you turn off the AC?” Shivering, she plucked the stiffening, bloody shirt away from her body. “I can’t wait to get a shower.”

Stevens didn’t try to talk to her; just turned on the heater full blast.

They pulled into her driveway and Lei ran in, punched in the code and hurried to the bathroom. She showered until her fingertips were pruney and the hot water was running cold.

She eventually had to come out, toweling her hair and wrapped in the old kimono.

“Thanks for giving me a ride home.” She’d put the clothes she’d been wearing into a couple of Ziploc bags for the crime techs and she set those by the door.

“No problem.” He was putting some food away in the fridge. She went to the couch and wrapped herself in the crocheted afghan Aunty Rosario had made. She wondered if she’d ever feel warm again.

“Did you hear about Ray Solomon?” she asked. Nagata had told her he was paralyzed, his spinal cord severed.

“Yeah.”

“I wonder if he would rather have died,” she said thoughtfully. “I think I would.”

“He should have known better. If he’d surrendered when you told him to he’d still be able to wiggle his toes. I’m making some soup-want some?”

“Yes, please.” Her stomach rumbled, as if hearing the conversation. She relaxed a little. It seemed like he wasn’t going to talk about their breakup. “Has anyone figured out what Ray’s relationship is with the Changs? He told me he was a Chang.”

He stirred the soup on the stove. It smelled delicious and her stomach rumbled again.

“Yeah. Soon as you told them that Ross and Nagata started digging. Ross told me he’s the illegitimate son of Terry “Hatchet” Chang. He was raised by his mother’s relatives and took their name in California.”

“I knew he grew up in California with relatives. No wonder he never wanted to talk about it.”

“Chang was quite the ladies’ man. He had four children with Healani, who are all grown and up to no good here in Hawaii, but scattered around California are several children by other women, including someone you put the Lieutenant onto.” He put down the spoon, consulted a spiral notepad. “Anela Ka`awai.”

“Anela!” Lei exclaimed. “She works at Aunty Rosario’s restaurant-she’s a waitress there. She must be the connection to Charlie Kwon-she must’ve got his name out of Rosario or Momi somehow, been spying on me. I bet she’s the one who sent the panties, too, since Aunty gave them to me for Christmas.”

“Sounds likely.” Stevens reached for his phone. “I’ll check with Ross and we’ll have her picked up for questioning.”

He made the call while stirring the soup and dishing it up. Lei listened with half an ear to the discussion as she spooned up the tasty chicken noodle, getting up and serving herself seconds. Eventually he closed the phone, spooned up his own soup.

“Not as good as Aunty’s,” he said.

“Good enough. I was hungry.” She sat back, eating a cracker from the pile he had served with the soup. “What a long, god-awful day.”

“Glad you’re still here to bitch about it. That was some gunfight.”

“I don’t like you being on my case.” She got up, cleared her bowl to the sink. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t want you involved. It’s a conflict of interest.”

“Tell the Lieutenant, then,” he said evenly. He opened a file on the table. She realized he hadn’t looked at her all evening, and seemed to be holding himself in check with an effort. “He assigned me as backup for Ross and Nagata.”

“Shit.” She could hardly stand to look at him the pull toward him was so strong-and yet, she was so wrong for him.

“You know what? Fuck you.” He slammed the folder shut. “You seem to think you get to be the only one who has anything to say about this relationship. You seem to think that because some pedophile called you “damaged goods” and did a number on you, you’re going to be fucked up forever. What a load of crap. You think you’re the only one who knows about pain and dysfunction?” He put his hands on his hips and finally looked at her, and when he did his Viking blue eyes were blazing. “I’m not buying that old shit. I know what we had, what we could have, and you’re not getting rid of me that easily. That’s what I came to tell you this afternoon while you were out trying to get shot in the park.”

She couldn’t think of a thing to say, and found herself scuttling to her room and locking the door.

“I’m going to be around whether you like it or not,” he said through the closed door. “You’re damaged. I’m damaged. So fucking what. Now get some rest.”

She climbed into bed, exhaustion and the safety he brought making it possible for her to snuggle deep into her silky sheets, relaxing. She closed her eyes, a smile curving her mouth. He might just be even more of a glutton for punishment than she was.

Lei sat on the floor of the kennel the next day and stroked Keiki’s big square head. The dog’s eyes looked up at her trustingly as she played with the light-brown eyebrow patches, stroked her satiny ears. Keiki lay on her good side, a big white cone around her neck to keep her from biting at her bandages or the veterinary staff.

“She’s looking good,” Dr. Westfall said, pocketing the stethoscope he’d used to listen to her lungs. “The bullet came in through her chest but missed any organs, and exited the shoulder as you can see. The biggest concern right now is blood loss and infection. I’ve got her on a fluid drip of antibiotics. If we can keep her sedated and resting a few more days I think she’ll be out of the woods. Later on, our concern will be the mobility she will have through that shoulder.”

“Thanks, doc,” Lei said, resting her cheek against Keiki’s. The dog stuck her tongue out, trying to lick her, and she laughed blearily. “You have no idea how much this means.”