Page 27 of Wrong Turn

Lei took a long, hot shower. She then wiped Keiki down with disinfectant pet wipes to cool her and get the sweat off her fur. Lei let Keiki up on her bed for the first time—needing the closeness of the dog beside her, needing to have her hand on Keiki’s back, feeling the Rottweiler’s heartbeat, knowing that she was safe and alive.

Lei had needlessly endangered herself and her beloved animal. Tomorrow night would be very different.

Chapter Seventeen

Lei draggedherself out into the kitchen the next morning, relieved to see that Aunty was up and had made a big pot of coffee. “Did you hear about all the excitement last night, Aunty?”

Aunty yawned. “No, I was at the restaurant until ten p.m., so by the time I got home, you and Keiki were in bed. What happened?”

Lei poured herself a cup of coffee, pondering how much to share. “Keiki and I caught the robbers in the act. We called the police on them, and they almost got busted. At least we prevented another break-in at a house three down from us.”

“What!” Aunty almost dropped her cup into the sink. “I hope you two are okay?”

“Well, as I told you, we’re only supposed to call the police,” Lei hedged. She felt that blush that always gave her away burning her cheeks and ears, so she avoided looking at Aunty. “They were armed with at least one gun. I’m sure you would have woken up at the sound of the gunshot if you were home, because they shot at us.”

Aunty hurried to hug Lei, squeezing her close. “Oh honey!”

Lei couldn’t lie to her aunt. “Aunty, it was my fault. I wasn’t supposed to, but I wanted to be the one to bust those men. So, I caught them in my flashlight beam and told them to stop what they were doing. It almost seemed like it was working, until . . . one of the guys fired at us.”

Aunty swayed on her feet, going pale. Lei held her up. “Aunty! Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I did such a stupid thing. I promise I won’t take chances like that tonight when we’re on patrol!”

“You can’t go! I won’t let you!”

“But Aunty, I’m going to become a police officer. This is all practice for that, and . . . while I’m telling you things—I got the acceptance letter from the Hawaii Police Academy. I start in two weeks.”

Rosario reached for one of the kitchen chairs and fell into it like a bag of laundry. “I need some more coffee.”

Lei hurried over and filled Aunty’s cup with fresh brew, then came and sat down next to her. Keiki, sensing that the women were upset, padded over to lean against Aunty Rosario’s legs, laying her head in Rosario’s lap and looking up with soulful eyes. Aunty’s hand stroked the Rottweiler’s broad forehead, her fingers playing with Keiki’s silky ears. “What am I going to do without the two of you?”

“I’ve been thinking, Aunty. I don’t feel good about taking Keiki away while we still have this threat. So I’ll fly over to Hawaii by myself so that I can figure things out, like a place to live. Keiki has to go through a quarantine process for our move anyway, so she can stay here with you for a while. I will find myself an apartment and get started with the training, and when we know that these robbers have been captured, that’s when Keiki can come over and join me.”

Aunty glanced at Lei. Her brown eyes, ones that Lei saw in the mirror every day on her own face, were deeply sad. “I don’t want you to go, Lei-girl. Are you sure you can’t just join the California police department?”

Lei set her hand over Aunty’s, resting on top of Keiki’s head. “I need to go to Hilo, where it all began. I have to go, Aunty, to figure out . . . myself, things about my past. I have a feeling that will help me move forward in life.”

Aunty heaved a gusty sigh. “I understand, but I don’t have to like it.” She reached over and grabbed a tissue from a nearby box on the table, and blew her nose.

Lei found herself blowing her nose too. “I wish you would come with me.”

Aunty rolled her eyes. “After all I’ve been through building this restaurant and establishing myself here in San Rafael? No. This is my home now, though a part of my heart will always live in thepaniolocountry of Waimea.”

Lei leaned over to kiss Aunty’s forehead. “At least you’ll have Keiki to keep you company and protect you while I’m gone.”

“For a while, at least.” Aunty blew her nose again. “Good thing I have lots of friends at the restaurant.”

Chapter Eighteen

Two weeks later. . .

Lei staggered comically under the towering stack of leis draped around her neck as she looped an arm around her aunt.

“Haven’t been lei’d this much since I graduated high school,” she laughed, pushing the mountain of flower lei, paper lei, yarn lei, origami lei, crochet lei, candy lei and feather boas down enough to grin over the pile as she posed for a picture beside Aunty Rosario.

Rosario, wearing her trademark plumeria print apron and a chef’s hat in matching fabric, wiped tears off her cheeks without shame. “So proud of my girl!”

“You’d think I graduated from the Hawaii Police Academy, but I’m just leaving for it,” Lei said, with an expansive gesture. “Thanks so much for coming and making this night so special.”

The packed restaurant, closed for business except to friends and family for Lei’s going-away party, erupted in cheers and congratulations. Lei’s aunty’s extensive‘ohanaof friends and mainland relatives loved nothing more than an excuse to gather for food and fellowship.

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