Page 87 of Still See You Everywhere

I reach into my back pocket for my final piece to this headache-inducing riddle when—

The office door flies open. Vaughn fills the space. His gaze goes from me to Tannis to Ronin to Aolani sitting at his desk.

“What. The. Fuck.”

He stalks into his office. And I start talking very, very fast.

CHAPTER 26

TO GIVE VAUGHN CREDIT, HE doesn’t interrupt. His expression grows darker, and he starts to jangle some loose change in his shorts pocket before slowly pinging coin after coin into the swear jar as I prattle on. Apparently, cursing inside one’s mind counts.

When I finally wrap up, he has a single summary assessment: “Fuck.”

We all glance automatically at the swear jar, then shrug. Given the fistful of change the man just dumped in, he’s probably paid enough.

Vaughn’s attention bounces to Aolani next, as she’s the one camped in front of his computer. “You found articles on the jail escape? Proof that this serial killer is Lea’s older sister?”

Aolani turns the monitor toward him. The original images are still on the screen, but now dimmer, while the spinning wheel of doom takes front and center. Aolani whacks the frame, as if to force it back to life, but it doesn’t make a difference. Apparently the computer has lost its signal. At least we still have residual results to work with.

“The articles don’t list Keahi Pierson as having a sister, but according to Frankie, Lea didn’t deny it.”

“Just look at the photo,” I urge. “You can see the family resemblance. I mean, if you discount that Lea walks around looking like a Disney princess, versus Keahi’s decidedly… harsher demeanor. But you know, cut of the cheekbones, same noses, similar eyes. The real stuff.”

I’m babbling. It shouldn’t matter to me if Vaughn believes my story or not, but it does.

For now, he studies the grayed-out images, then grunts, which could mean most anything. I focus on more salient points: “Look at the CO—Joe Lacchei. Recognize him? Is it possible he or anyone named Lacchei was part of the construction crew, prior worker, anything?”

Vaughn scratches his whiskered jaw. Finally, he shakes his head. “You think Keahi Pierson and the CO will both come here?”

“Keahi and her lawyer got me here in less than twenty-four hours. So, yeah, where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“But then she turned on her lawyer.”

“Apparently serial killers aren’t the loyal type. Look, I only met the Beautiful Butcher once, so I’m no expert, but I can tell you she’s genuinely obsessed with Leilani. As in she wants to save her younger sister from the clutches of her diabolical, abusive ex, Sanders MacManus. She and her lawyer, Victoria Twanow, had already concluded that the easiest way to gain access to MacManus is right here on Pomaikai, where he can’t hide in a gated community or behind an army of workers. Keahi will focus on this location once again, I’m sure. How she’ll get here, I’m less certain, especially now that MacManus has his guard up. But I’m thinking that’s the CO Lacchei’s job. If we can tie him to MacManus’s operations or Pomaikai, that’ll tell us what we need to know.”

“I doubt he has any connection to the atoll. I’ve never seen that man before in my life.”

“Directly,” I argue. “But what about the company that operates the charter jet, or the distributor supplying all your food? You know all their employees and their family and friends?”

Vaughn scowls. His hand sneaks up to his hair.

“It’s already standing on end,” I assure him.

I don’t need his deposit in the swear jar to understand his next look. Tannis starts chuckling, turning it into a quick cough when he directs that same glare at her.

“There’s also the matter of Charlie,” I begin, earning a fresh glower. I shrug. “In his post-concussion delirium, he was adamant he needed to stay on the atoll long enough for some woman to arrive. I assumed he meant Leilani. However, given this latest news…”

Vaughn sighs, shakes his head, sighs some more. I don’t blame him. This entire conversation is overwhelming me, and I’ve had more time to consider the angles.

“Charlie is taken care of for the moment,” Vaughn announces finally. “MacManus has him under constant supervision. Let’s remove him from the equation for now, move on to more pressing issues.”

“Great, because we have one more problem.”

“Another problem?” Ronin interjects. He’s standing near Aolani’s shoulder. I can see him just resist the urge to give her arm a reassuring squeeze.

“I um, well, so my job has been to make contact with Leilani—Lea—who may be held against her will. So of course, I searched MacManus’s lodge to see what I could learn.”

“You have been busy,” Vaughn drawls.

---