He looked up, his deep brown eyes intense, ridiculously tiny reading glasses perched on his wide nose. “I can’t stand this sick shit happening in my town. Detectives Stevens and Ito are primary on the case; I’m requesting more backup from Hilo District. Stevens will be asking for additional support from you as it’s needed. Detective Stevens?”
Stevens came up and took the lectern. “Our top priority is interviewing the girls’ parents. In fact, early this morning we heard from Kelly Andrade’s parents who called in to report her missing. Ito and I did a quick trip to the house to inform them. Mother was too upset to talk so we set up an interview for this afternoon.” He looked down at his notes. “We haven’t talked to Haunani’s parents yet and we need a female officer. Texeira? Can you come do the interview with me?”
Lei went rigid, eagerness warring with apprehension, but her voice was steady as she answered.
“Of course.”
Chapter 5
Lei and Stevens got into the unmarked Bronco he drove. Lei’s stomach cramped around the granola bar she’d eaten on the way into the station, and with a panicky feeling she realized she’d forgotten the tiny cowrie shell. She’d only been on one death notification before and it honestly wasn’t something she’d ever wanted to do again.
“So you wanted a female officer-why?”
Stevens’ jaw bunched as he turned the key and the Bronco roared into life. The vehicle smelled of Mohuli`i Pond. Lei glanced into the backseat and saw muddy boots on a pile of plastic evidence bags from yesterday’s crime scene.
“Kelly’s mom, Stacie, did a lot of screaming, ran into the bathroom and took a big handful of sleeping pills. Not enough to send her to Emergency for stomach pumping, but I’m doubting she’s going to make it into the station this afternoon for the interview. The stepdad, James Reynolds, was cool as a cucumber. Blamed us for upsetting her.” He shook his head. “Ito’s a good partner but he just froze up when it got emotional, left the room. I was thinking if you talked to Haunani’s mom, you know, woman to woman, it might help us get a little more out of them.”
“Not sure why you thought I’d be any better at this than Ito.” Lei gave a short laugh.
“You said you wanted to help. This is all I got right now.”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks for giving me a shot.”
She looked out the mud-speckled window into morning light that failed to brighten the shabby low-income neighborhood they’d entered. Tiny tin-roofed cottages leaned into each other, draped in flapping laundry, lawns decorated with decrepit cars and scratching chickens.
Stevens peered over at the navigator bolted onto the dash. “This is it.”
They pulled onto a scrap of grass in front of a dwelling made of multicolored plywood shaded by a rusting tin roof. A broken Big Wheel leaned against a cement stoop where a thin brown woman sat, wreathed in cigarette smoke that did little to soften the haggard planes of her face. A flagrantly blooming plumeria tree shaded the doorway above her, and as Lei got out, a single pinwheel blossom spiraled down and landed on long black hair that reminded her of Haunani like a punch to the gut.
She hung back as Stevens approached, holding his shield up.
“Hi there. Nani Pohakoa?” His tongue still tripped over the multiple vowels of the musical language.
“I’m Nani. Who you stay?” A smoker’s voice, gravelly and suspicious.
“I’m Detective Stevens and this is Officer Texeira from South Hilo Police Department.”
“What she done? Stupid girl stay gone two days now.”
A long pause. Stevens glanced at Lei, signaling her. She stepped forward, lowered her voice. “We need to speak to you privately, Ms. Pohakoa. Can we come inside?”
Dark eyes peered at her through a rheumy film. The woman’s bony arms gestured to a couple of frayed beach chairs leaning against the wall.
“We talk here. Nowhere for sit inside.”
Lei and Stevens brought the chairs over, sat on them gingerly. The older woman dropped the cigarette butt into a jar of water at her feet, lit another one with hands that fumbled with the red Bic lighter. She took several drags and her eyes skittered away.
“Where’s Haunani’s father?”
Shrug. More drags on the cigarette. “Haven’t seen the fucka in years.”
“Well. I’m sorry fo’ say we get bad news,” Lei said in pidgin. She steadied her voice. “Haunani stay make. She’s dead.”
No reaction. Nani looked blankly out into space, took another drag off the the cigarette, but now her hand shook as if with an ague. Lei reached over and captured the one holding the lighter in both of hers. Stevens shot her a quick glance.
“I’m sorry.”
Nani’s hand felt like a bundle of sticks. The woman’s throat worked as she swallowed. “How?”
“She was drowned.”
“I told her a hundred times never go swimming by the rivermouth but she never listen. She always get one hard head, that girl.”
“It wasn’t accidental.” Stevens’ low voice sawed across the tension.
Another long pause.
Moving faster than she could have believed, Nani brought the lit cigarette down on the back of Lei’s hand, spitting into her face. Nani’s black eyes were empty pits of wild as she clawed at Lei, screaming incoherent curses.
Lei recoiled with a cry, flying over backwards in the flimsy beach chair as Stevens surged up and grabbed the woman, spinning her around and putting her against the wall. He cuffed her as she continued to yell incomprehensible abuse.
Lei scrambled up and went to the Bronco, listening with one ear as Stevens tried to calm Nani down. She fumbled in the glove box for the first aid kit, hoping there wasn’t HIV in the spit making its way into her eyes, down her cheek. She ripped open a Bactine-soaked wipe and scrubbed her face with it, rubbed another one on the blistering circular burn on the back of her hand, using the minutiae of attending the small wound to collect herself.
Fucking rookie move, getting close, touching the woman like that. She deserved to get burned.
Nani’s invective had switched to a dry sobbing that sounded like branches rubbing in a high wind. Lei finally turned to face the tableau of Stevens beside the frail, hunched woman on the stoop, her hands cuffed behind her, skeins of black hair trailing.
“Do you want to press charges?” Stevens asked. She could tell by the timbre of his voice he didn’t want her to, and Lei knew that would shut down any further communication they might get out of Nani. Lei shook her head-she couldn’t seem to find her voice.
“I’m going to take these restraints off,” Stevens said gently. “But I’ll put them back on and take you down to the station if you try anything more.”
A tiny nod among the terrible sounds coming from the slight form. Stevens took off the cuffs. “Who can we call for you?”
He needn’t have asked, as doors had been opening along the row of dwellings and neighbors came out. A tall, wide woman in a muumuu and slippers approached.
“What you wen’ do to Nani?”
“Her girl, she drowned,” Lei said, coming forward.
“Oh the poor ’ting!” the neighbor exclaimed. It was unclear whether she meant Nani or her daughter, but she wedged her bulk between Stevens and Nani on the stoop, effectively squeezing him off as she looped a hamlike arm over the woman. “I going take care of you.”
“Fuck you, Ohia,” Nani snarled, trying to get up, but Ohia just hoisted her closer.
“I take you inside, fix you something for eat. Bet you never wen’ eat today,” the neighbor went on, hauling Nani into the fetid interior. They disappeared, and the door slammed.