Page 61 of Shark Cove

The officer soon returned with a water bottle and handed it to her. “Try not to drink too fast. You don’t want to get sick.”

Stacey nodded, but quickly drained half of it. Her voice was stronger when she spoke. “I haven’t had food in a while either.”

“We have a granola bar or two somewhere, I’m sure. It’s probably okay for you to eat something on the way to the hospital.” Lei nodded to the officer to fetch whatever he could find, then crouched down beside the shivering teen. “Do you have any other injuries? Did they . . . abuse you?”

Stacey shook her head so vigorously that her greasy hair flew around her cheeks. “No. I was afraid he was going to, but he didn’t.”

“Can you tell us anything about who took you?”

“This guy, he told me he’d give me a ride home from school. I knew I shouldn’t, but he had a nice car, he was young and cute . . .” Tears filled her eyes. “It’s all my fault.”

Keo Avila.Had to be. Anger tightened Lei’s belly. “No, it’s all your kidnapper’s fault. Never forget it. This was done to you. That man who picked you up?”Keo Avila’s glib tongue was stilled forever.“He will never bother you again.”

Stacey raised wet eyes to meet Lei’s gaze. “He’s dead?”

Lei tightened her lips. “I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but yes. He is.”

“I’m glad. He kept me in another box, even smaller, with hardly any food, water or changing the bucket.” Stacey indicated the receptacle with her chin. “Then he brought me out here. I hope he burns in hell.” She choked on an angry sob. “I hate him!”

“Anger is good right now,” Lei said. “Just don’t direct it at yourself.” She patted the girl’s shoulder. “There will be a counselor at the hospital to talk to you.” She scrolled through her contacts and sent a text to make sure that someone met Stacey when she arrived.

“What else can you tell us? Did you see anyone else?” Pono asked.

“No. I was in a different place for the first few days—smaller, just a box really, like I said. But at least I had magazines and I wasn’t tied up.” Stacey licked her dry lips. “I tried to get away when he moved me here, and he tied my hands after that.”

She’d likely been in Evenson’s warehouse until Avila was forced to spill the beans and set up Evenson by planting the hair samples—then he’d moved her here. But where had he kept Camille? “You didn’t see another girl?”

“No. But I could tell someone was here before me—the smell. She had blonde hair, too.” Stacey indicated the filthy pillow.

Avila had limited contact with the girls himself, and had kept them separated—that blonde hair on the pillow likely belonged to Camille William.

Pono was on his radio, calling into the station with the information that Stacey had been rescued to be routed to her parents. He approached, a big grin on his face. “Your parents will meet you at the hospital. Let’s get you to the ambulance.”

Lei hooked an arm under one of Stacey’s and lifted the girl to her feet. After not being able to move much for so long, with so little nourishment, Stacey’s legs wobbled as she tried to help Lei and Pono carry her out of the filthy container.

All three of them sucked in a deep breath of fresh air once they got outside. The backup officers had cut the lock on the gate, and the ambulance trundled into view.

Stacey blinked in the bright sunlight, then smiled, looking at Lei on one side and Pono on the other as they supported her to the vehicle. “If I don’t get a chance to thank you again . . . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” The girl spoke her gratitude aloud with each step she took.

Lei’s eyes prickled. She glanced across Stacey to Pono, and her partner smiled back as tears rolled freely down his fierce brown face.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lei and Ponogot back into Stanley once the ambulance had pulled away and radioed Agent Aina Thomas at the Kahului Harbor. “We found one of the missing girls! Any luck at your end?” Lei asked.

“As a matter of fact, yes! We found another girl on the freighter in the harbor. She looks like she’s been here for a good long while. We’re giving first aid, and Detectives Torufu and Bunuelos have an ambulance and a trauma social worker from the hospital on their way. They’re making plans to interview her later.” Lei met Pono’s eyes—this had to be the girl who had gone missing before Stacey!

“Perfect.” Lei blew out a breath. “Listen. Now’s the time to move on the Chang operation connected with Leonard William’s shipping platform. Can you radio to Oahu to have them search and seize any William craft that are underway on the open sea over there?”

“Copy that,” Agent Thomas said. “I’m on it.”

“I’ll get a hold of the FBI to locate any William craft that are moored on Oahu and for some higher level warrants for Chang properties on the other islands,” Lei said, with satisfaction. “We’ll have those searched, too. Catch up soon.”

Back at the station, a flurry of phone calls and other updates followed—but Lei had another priority.

She took time to shower and freshen up in the station’s locker room, eager to wash the stench of Stacey’s prison off her skin and hair. Her heart still squeezed every time she thought of that fragile girl in that awful metal container with the overflowing sewer bucket.

What had Camille William been through? The same, or worse? Hopefully, Malia Clark would know.

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