Terri Reed - Double Cross

“Yes,” Ryan answered.

Pano’s gaze narrowed. “Did you do this?”

That was the same question Kiki had considered. She watched Ryan closely as he shook his head, his gaze direct and honest.

“No, I didn’t. But I can see how this doesn’t look good for me.” Ryan turned to address Nik. “I’ll cooperate fully in your investigation. I have nothing to hide.”

Nik nodded his thanks. “That’s appreciated. I’ll have more questions I’m sure.”

“Why don’t you ask him about the deal the neighbors have?” Pano suggested to Nik, his gaze hard on Ryan.

Kiki flitted a glance at Ryan as wariness twisted in her gut. Deal?

“The neighbors on both sides of the property want to sell, but the deal won’t go through unless the investors I represent have this land, as well,” Ryan explained.

Anger shot through Kiki. Had one of her neighbors done this? “The neighbors are just going to have to live with disappointment.”

“When did you make this deal with the neighbors?” Nik asked.

“We’ve been in negotiations since last May,” Ryan responded.

Kiki blinked as disbelief swept through her.

He’d been talking to their neighbors even after she’d told him they wouldn’t sell?

Now Mr. Laanui’s comment at the grocery store last month made sense. The old man had cornered her in the produce section. “You’re standing in the way,” he’d stated in English, his black eyes cold.

She’d assumed he meant she was in his way with her cart, but now she wasn’t so sure. Could he have blown up her truck? Or had one of the other neighbors?

“Pano, I’m sure Ryan had nothing to do with this,” Tutu stated firmly. “He is a guest on the island and would like to learn to bodysurf. Why don’t you take him tomorrow?” Tutu suggested, though judging by the forceful look in her dark eyes she expected Pano to do as she asked.

For a moment, Kiki didn’t think Pano would comply. But then he relented and nodded.

“Sure. You up for that?” Pano asked Ryan.

Ryan gave Pano a thumbs-up sign. Kiki’s teeth clenched. The last thing she needed was Ryan and Pano buddying up, giving Ryan an opportunity to convince Pano to advocate the sale of the land. She wasn’t sure where Pano stood on the issue. He’d never taken much of an interest in the business, even though he’d grown up on the farm. He’d moved out as soon as he could and now lived in a beachside apartment complex in Kihei.

A shrill ringing filled the air.

“I’ll get it,” said Tutu. She hurried toward the house.

At the questioning looks of the men, Kiki explained, “We have the phone set up on a loudspeaker system so we can hear it if we’re in the field or the greenhouse.”

“You’d definitely be able to hear that,” quipped Ryan.

“Where are you staying, McClain?” Pano asked.

“The Mana Kai.”

Nik nodded. “If I have any more questions for you, I’ll know where to find you.”

“Kiki!” Tutu called from the doorway.

“Excuse me.” Kiki left the three men talking and hurried to the house, careful not to brush against the floral couch. Tutu sat in a cane-back chair at the dining table, the phone sitting on the table. There was a strange expression on Tutu’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Kiki asked, concern running cold in her veins.

Tutu gestured to the phone. “Your father is on the line.”

Kiki picked it up. “Daddy?”

“Hi, sweetheart. There’s an issue that you need to know about. An ex-con named Jeff Tolar, who was released six months ago, has vowed revenge on your grandfather for putting him away.”

Distress tightened Kiki’s lungs. She pulled out a chair and sat next to Tutu. Tutu wrapped her hand around Kiki’s free hand.

“What did Grandfather put him away for?”

“Second-degree murder. During a convenience-store robbery, the store clerk tried to stop Tolar. He shot and killed the clerk during the ensuing struggle. Tolar claimed he’d never intended to hurt anyone. Your grandfather gave the guy the max. But he got out early on a technicality. Earlier this week, your grandfather’s office was ransacked and the only thing missing was his photo of the grandkids.”

Kiki knew immediately which picture he referred to. At Christmas four years ago, all the grandkids had posed in front of the old white oak tree outside of her grandparents’ home. It had been the first time in years that the six of them had all been together for the holiday. The picture had sat on her grandfather’s sideboard in his judge’s chambers ever since.

There’d been threats made on the family over the years, even a few attempts directly made on her grandfather’s life. Most judges received them at one time or another. Whenever a threat was made, the whole family went on alert. “You’ll keep Mother safe?”

“Of course. We all have protection here.”

“How’s Grandfather taking this?” Kiki asked, picturing in her mind the tough judge whose gruff voice and craggy face had frightened Kiki as a child.

“In stride. But he’s getting on in years and is thinking about retiring.”

Kiki didn’t have any strong feelings one way or another about her grandfather’s retirement. She’d never been close to her father’s parents even though she’d grown up near them in Philadelphia. “Please give everyone my love and tell them I’ll be praying for them.”

“I will. But Kiki, you have to be careful, okay?”

“It’s highly unlikely this Jeff Tolar guy is going to come to the island looking for me.”

“The police think otherwise. Promise me if any strangers come around, you’ll contact the police and me ASAP.”

Kiki frowned as the events of the day played out in her head. Surely one didn’t have anything to do with the other. Did it?

Her father’s words replayed in her head. An ex-con released six months ago. About the time that Ryan had first shown up. Coincidence? Or was there something more sinister about his appearance at the Kaapa farm?

The hair at the nape of her neck shimmied with awareness. She knew before she even turned her gaze that she’d find Ryan standing in the doorway, filling the frame with his presence.

And blocking the only escape.

Turning her face away from Ryan and lowering her voice, Kiki said, “There has been a stranger here wanting to buy the farm.”

“Give me his name and I’ll have the FBI run a check on him,” Hunter said, his voice echoing her anxiety.

As a well-respected lawyer in his own right, Hunter had connections in all areas of law enforcement. Kiki gave him the information, aware that Tutu had moved to talk quietly with Ryan.

“Also, Daddy, someone blew up the fertilizer truck today. The police said it was a homemade pipe bomb.”

“Kiki, you and Lana come to Philly immediately,” he demanded, his voice hard and laced with worry.

“No, Daddy,” Kiki replied with a good dose of stubbornness. They’d been down this road several times over the last year. Her parents thought she was wasting her talents on a business that had never really seen great success. Kiki’s mother wanted Lana to sell and move to Philadelphia to live with them. And she’d been very upset about Kiki’s decision to move to Maui. Kiki didn’t understand how her mother could turn her back on her heritage, a thing Kiki could never do. Not even an explosion could make her go back to Philadelphia and the life she’d had there.

“At least until all this unpleasantness is settled,” he insisted.

“No,” she repeated. If there was danger here on the island, she’d rather trust the Maui police to protect her and Tutu than go back to Philly and subject herself and Tutu to her father’s family.