Page 5 of Maliea's Hero

“I’m sad we didn’t have time to work things out.” Maliea sniffed. “But losing my dad...” She bit down on her lip to keep it from trembling. “I’m heartbroken. He was my rock. I could handle anything, knowing he was always there for me and Nani.”

“I’m so sorry.” Tish started toward her, arms outstretched.

Maliea held up a hand. “I’ll be okay. You need your sleep.”

Tish stopped. “Are you sure?”

Maliea squared her shoulders. “I have to be. For Nani’s sake, if not for mine.” She dropped onto the couch. “Goodnight, Tish. Thanks for everything.”

Tish remained where she was standing. “The shoot shouldn’t take longer than a few hours. If you wait until then, I can go with you to the university.”

“I can do it on my own,” Maliea said.

“But you don’t have to,” Tish said. “Wait. Let me come with you—especially when you go to your father’s office.”

Maliea hesitated, not wanting to burden her friend any more than she had.

“You know you want me there,” Tish said with a smile. “You’re waiting, and I’m going with you. What about Nani? Is she coming, too?”

Maliea shook her head. “She was looking forward to attending the Mother’s Day Out program tomorrow. She has little friends she likes playing with there. Do you think she’ll be safe?”

Tish’s eyes narrowed. “We don’t know what the intruder was after at your apartment. Since he trashed it, I’d think he was looking for something, not someone. For all you know, it was a random act.”

“The Mother’s Day Out program is next door to a branch of the Honolulu Police Department. They have strict rules for drop-off and pick-up. I can also tell them to be extra wary.” Maliea sighed. “Or I could take her with me to the university. She’ll be disappointed, but I’ll feel better having her in sight.”

“Then it’s settled,” Tish said. “You’re waiting for me, and Nani’s coming with us.” She turned and walked toward the bedroom. “Now, I’m going for some beauty sleep, or they’ll fire me before we start tomorrow morning. Don’t forget...Solange should be in around midnight.”

“I won’t forget,” Maliea said.

Tish entered the bedroom, leaving the door wide open.

For a long time, Maliea lay on the couch, staring up at the low ceiling of the apartment, wondering what to do next. She couldn’t take Nani back to the apartment after an intruder had compromised their supposedly safe haven.

Where else could they go until the burglar was caught? She didn’t have spare cash or a relative to visit. Just Tish and Solange.

Close to midnight, Maliea’s thoughts finally calmed enough to let her close her eyes.

She’d just drifted off to sleep when a sound jerked her awake. A quick glance at the clock on her cell phone confirmed it was a few minutes shy of midnight.

Maliea rose from the couch and walked barefoot to the door to peer through the peephole.

The hallway in front of the door was empty. The sound she’d heard happened again.

Maliea turned to the window overlooking the parking lot below. She lifted a slat and stared down at the parking lot where she’d left her car, expecting to see Solange any moment.

Nothing moved in the parking lot full of cars. Solange had yet to arrive.

As Maliea dropped the slat, a movement caught her attention. She lifted the blind slat again and stared down at a shadowy figure wearing what looked like a black ski mask. He held something in his hand, sliding it along the passenger side window of a car.

Maliea’s pulse leaped. “That’s my car,” she whispered.

The person who was standing beside her vehicle opened the door.

Maliea gasped. “Holy shit, he unlocked the door.”

At that moment, another vehicle turned into the parking lot, headlights glancing off the side of Maliea’s car. The man who’d opened her car door closed it and ducked down beside her car.

The vehicle with the headlights pulled into the parking space beside Maliea’s car. At that moment, she recognized the red Jeep Solange had found on a used car lot.

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