Dangerous Depths (13 page)

“I doubt it. You’re unforgettable.” His voice took on a husky tone, and he reached over and grasped her hand.

The touch of his warm hand sent a shock along her arms. It was a perfect night for romance. The heady scent of the sea mingled with Bane’s cologne. She needed to be careful. It would be easy to drop her guard on a night like this. She withdrew her hand, feeling a stab of regret. She didn’t want to hurt him, but it had to be this way. She saw him hunch his shoulders over the boat’s controls. She turned her gaze away.

He didn’t say anything more until he moored at the big research vessel. “I discovered my plane had been sabotaged. I forgot to tell you.”

“A bomb?”

“Yep. I found the traces. Ron is sure it’s his ex–brother-in-law, Sam Westerfield. I guess the guy blames him for the accident that killed Ron’s wife.”

“Sam Westerfield? My dad can’t stand him. He was the one who implicated
Makua
in the robbery. He is on the board at the museum and insisted my father had to know more than he was telling. Even when the police exonerated him, Westerfield kept pointing fingers. My father won’t be happy to hear he’s here.”

“Sounds like no one much likes him.”

“Could this guy be behind Tony’s death too?”

Bane didn’t answer for a moment. “I wouldn’t think so, but I have to admit I never even considered it. Ron says Westerfield wants to find the galleon, and the ship is worth millions. That’s massive stakes. If you add revenge into the mix, it’s a killer motive. I’ll say something to Ron.” Bane stood and began to climb the ladder to the ship. “You want to come aboard?”

“Sure, why not?” She followed him onto the deck. Hina had been sleeping in her arms, but she raised her head and looked around.

A crew member with red hair stood in the doorway. He backed away when he saw the cat. Hina stalked toward him with her tail in the air. “Uh, I’ve got work to do.” He vanished through the doorway.

“I’d guess Logan is scared of cats too, just like Ajax,” Bane said. “Come here, boy,” he said in a coaxing voice. “You can stay in my quarters.”

Leia stifled a giggle. No wonder that dog was the most spoiled animal on the face of the earth. Purring, Hina reached out her paw and touched Bane on the arm as if he were calling for her. Ajax’s claws clicked on the deck as he raced to slobber over his owner. Hina hissed. She let out a yowl that would have raised Neptune from the deep. She arched her back, her tail lashing in the air, then with a last yowl, leaped onto Ajax’s back. The dog yelped and dashed for Bane’s legs.

He soothed him. “It’s okay. The bad cat won’t hurt you.” He was grinning, and his gaze met Leia’s. “Those two are like oil and water. What’s wrong with this picture? The dog should be terrorizing the cat, not the other way around.”

He was like a kid with that dog. Whenever he had children, he would be a great dad. Her smile faded. She watched while Bane fed Ajax, then they got back in the boat with Hina and headed to shore. They were both quiet. Leia wondered what Bane was thinking about as he stared out over the dark waters. She always got the impression that Bane was holding something of himself back. There was an invisible wall around him. He wanted to be the one to take care of everyone else, but it somehow made him aloof. She’d always wondered if he thought he wasn’t allowed to show any weaknesses.

Nothing more was said between them as they docked and walked to Candace’s house. The lights spilled out of the big plantation house. The driveway was empty, but Leia assumed Candace’s car was in the garage. As they approached the door, she could hear music drifting out the open window. Candace was a huge fan of Paul McCartney and played his songs all the time. Through the open curtains, she could see Candace in a nightgown. Her eyes closed, she was dancing in the middle of the floor. Swaying and weaving with the music, she seemed
to be talking to herself.

“You think she’s okay?” Leia whispered.

“You’d better go in alone. She’s ready for bed,” Bane said. “I’ll wait in the car. She wouldn’t want anyone but a woman to see her like that.”

She respected the way he kept his eyes averted from the spectacle of Candace in the flimsy nightgown. Leia pressed the buzzer and waited. No response. She tried the handle and found the door unlocked. “Hello? Candace, it’s Leia.” There was still no answer, so she stepped inside and went down the hallway.

Candace was still lost in her music and dance. Leia’s gaze went to the coffee table where two glasses and a bottle of scotch sat. Even from here, she could smell the reek of the alcohol. She grimaced and stepped across Candace’s discarded slippers and clothing on the floor. She touched Candace’s arm. “Candace, are you all right?”

Candace looked back at her with glassy eyes. “Leia,” she slurred. “Come dance with me.”

“You need a smoothie to counteract the effects of that alcohol,” Leia said, guiding the other woman to a nearby chair. “Wait here.” She went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She dumped ice, a banana, and some fresh pineapple into the blender and turned it on. What was Candace thinking to be drinking while she was pregnant? Leia pressed her lips together as she poured the smoothie into a glass. Carrying it into the living room, she found Candace curled up on the sofa with her eyes closed. “Here, Candace, drink this.” She lifted her friend and held the glass to her lips. Candace barely opened her eyes, but she managed to sip the smoothie.

Leia watched her, and in a few minutes, Candace began to look a little more alert. “You can’t do this again,” Leia said. “You have to think about the baby.”

Candace sat up straighter. “Tony would have made such a good fa—father. I’ll make a terrible mother.”

“You’ll be fine.” Leia smoothed Candace’s hair back from her forehead. “Look at the way you baby your flowers. You’ll be a great mother. It will be hard, but I’ll be here for you, and so will the rest of your friends.”

Candace clutched Leia’s hands. “You think so? I haven’t been around kids much. I—I’m scared to do this by myself.”

“I think it will come naturally to you. But you have to take care of yourself. No more alcohol. It’s bad for the baby.”

Fresh tears filled Candace’s eyes. “Is it really? I haven’t been to the doctor yet. Do you think I hurt the baby?”

“You’re going to be fine. Your baby is going to be fine. But you have to go see the doctor and let him tell you how to care for your-self.” Candace nodded and Leia let her lean back against the sofa again, then forced a few more sips of the drink down her. “I’ll be right back,” she told Candace before she went to tell Bane she needed to stay here.

Bane was leaning against the trunk of the car with his arms folded over his chest. “Is she okay?”

“Not really. She’s been drinking. I think I should stay with her tonight.
Mahalo
for bringing me over.”

“I’ll come by and get you for work in the morning. You’re stranded here.”

“What time?”

“About eight?”

“You know, don’t bother. I want to get my mom’s boat anyway. I’ll have Malia get me. Don’t look for me before ten.” She laced her fingers together and wished she knew what to say to him. He’d been a rock for her today.

“Okay.”

“Well, good night.” The words were barely out of her mouth when he stepped toward her and leaned down. His lips brushed hers, and the unfamiliar facial hair tickled her lip. Inhaling the masculine scent of him was like the most potent drug. Without a conscious movement, she found herself grasping his shirt and kissing him back. When she realized what she’d done, she jerked away. Dropping her hands, she whirled and ran for the house. Bane’s soft laughter floated after her on the wind.

Ten

B
ane waved at his sister, who sat at the helm of a thirty-foot Chris-Craft. She waved back and cut the engine. The boat slewed sideways as it slowed near the
Pomaik’i
. He went down to the boarding platform to greet her. It was only then he noticed the dolphin zipping through the water beside her boat. Nani leaped from the water, rolled in the air, and splashed down. The spray arced through the air and drenched him in a warm salt bath.

“Hey, you did that on purpose! No fish for you, Nani.” The dolphin chattered from the water, and he could have sworn she was smiling. Her exuberance brought a smile to his lips. “Did you tell her to do that?”

“Nope,” Kaia said, climbing aboard the platform. “She is just trying to show how excited she is to see you.”

“Here, I’ll share the excitement with you.” He hugged her tight, trying to transfer as much moisture from his shirt to her red tank top.

“Ew,
mahalo nui loa
.” She hugged him back, then stepped away and looked up into his face “You’ve lost weight. Are you okay?”

“Sure. I’ve just been too busy to eat.”

“You get on a new project like this, and you get obsessed.” She shook her head, then linked arms with him. They went up to the deck of the research vessel. Kaia stepped to the salon, where she rummaged in the cooler and got a Pepsi.

“Don’t let Leia see you drink that. She’ll be on your case about how bad sugar is for you.” He probably shouldn’t have said any-thing about Leia. Kaia wanted to see everyone married now that she was happily settled. Mano was just as bad. Bane was the oldest and would be the last to enter matrimony.

Kaia stopped with the can halfway to her lips. “Leia is back? You never said a word.”

“She chucked her career and came back here. She’s making
kapa
now and working in the little clinic on Kalaupapa administering alternative treatments to the residents.”

She looked at him with a sharp gaze. “I can see her doing that. I never saw her as a traditional doctor. I hope you didn’t say ‘I told you so.’”

His sister knew him too well. “I didn’t expect her to hate it so much she’d quit. But I did talk her into helping out on the project.”

“Is that all you’ve talked her into? Is romance blooming again?”

“Easy, tiger. Don’t go pushing me.” He grinned. “How’s
Makuahine
? And
Tûtû-man
.”

She shot him a droll look. “I guess I’ll let you change the subject. They’re fine. Grandfather wants to come over for the ukulele festival. Have you been practicing?”

“Not yet, but I will. Are you still happily married?”

She smiled. “I think Jesse is relieved all the fuss is over, and I have to admit I feel the same. Now we’re just an old married couple.” She patted her stomach. “And baby makes three.”

Bane grinned. “I’m going to spoil that kid rotten. You look great.”

Kaia sipped her soda. “I feel good too, other than the morning sickness. So what do you have planned for Nani? I can only stay for the weekend, then I need to get back home, but Nani can stay as long as you need her. I have to write up a massive report on the progress with Nani to apply for some new funding.”

“We’re looking for a Spanish galleon down here. We’ve found some artifacts. Twenty feet or so from the site where we found the cannonballs, the ocean floor drops off. I was hoping Nani could go down with a camera and see what’s
there. We’ve got a minisub we can take down too, but Nani can maneuver into smaller places.”

“I’m sure she’ll love the work.”

“There’s something else. There have been some earthquakes in the area. Part of the shelf we’re examining went over the edge. I hope we have time to get it all out.”

“You should call Annie and ask about activity.”

Annie was Mano’s fiancée. A top-notch volcanologist, she worked at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory. “Great idea. I’ll call her now.” He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and found her stored number. No signal. He walked to the deck and tried again, finally getting a signal, though it was weak. “Annie, it’s Bane.” The signal was still poor, so he stepped a few feet to the port. Kaia followed him.

Annie’s soft voice was full of welcome. “Hey, Bane. Mano and I were just talking about you.”

“Mano is there? Tell him I’m on Moloka’i and could use some dive help. He’s still looking for a job, and I’ve got one for him.”

“Moloka’i?” Her tone turned sharp. “We’ve been having some earthquake swarms off the north shore.”

“That’s why I’m calling. I found a crack right where I’m working, and the last quake sheared off some of the seabed into the deep. How serious is it?”

“No way of knowing for sure, but the quakes have been increasing in frequency and strength. We’re scrambling to get some scientists out there to check it out. We may have another seamount developing like Lo’ihi. In fact, I was planning on coming there myself. I think I can talk Mano into coming.”

“Kaia is here too. We’ll make it a family affair. Let me know when you’re arriving, and we’ll pick you up.” He clicked his phone off and dropped it back into his pocket. “They’re both coming.” He told his sister what Annie had said. “We’re going to have to watch that fissure. If it starts spewing lava, we’re in trouble.”

“I wish I could dive with you.” She chewed on her lip. “Diving isn’t recommended while pregnant.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ve got a good crew.” He turned at the sound of a motor craft and shaded his eyes with his hand. “Here comes Leia now.” He tried to keep the pleasure from his voice, but he saw his sister’s smile as she followed him to the rail.

Leia handed a backpack up to him. Kaia met her on deck, and the two hugged. “You look great,” Leia said.

“I feel great. A little morning sickness, that’s all. Got any concoctions to help with that?”

“I sure do. I’ll bring it to you.”

He listened to them chatter before deciding he needed to interrupt and get to work. “Hey, we’re not finding the galleon up here. You ready to suit up?”

“I’ll swim while you dive,” Kaia said. She grabbed her satchel. “I’ll change into my swimsuit in the head.”

Leia had a pair of drawstring shorts over her one-piece swim-suit. She shucked the shorts and pulled her leopard wet suit out of her bag, then began to tug it onto her slim figure. Bane turned away to get into his own gear. She’d run from him last night—but she’d also kissed him back. Did she still find him attractive, or was that special something between them only on his part? He couldn’t decide, but he wasn’t giving up without a fight.