Page 48 of Shark Cove

Malia slowly slid to stand upright, where she could peek in the window. The window was open a couple of inches for circulation, allowing her to listen as well as observe.

Ms. William’s desk light was on, and the woman was on the phone. She pinched her forehead with spread fingers, frowning. “Okay. I’m coming in a few minutes.” She hung up the phone and straightened, dabbing her eyes with a Kleenex.

Malia stiffened and pulled away, flattening against the wall. “This will all be over soon,” Ms. William muttered, and her footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor as she walked out of her office and through the house, headed for the front door.

What would be over soon?

Regina William seemed to be getting ready to go somewhere, and Malia was near the garage. Malia hurried to the outside garage door, which was locked. Fortunately, she knew where the key was. Frantic now, Malia hunched over and ran all the way back around the house to the Japanese garden, finding the extra keys under the rubber rock and running all the way back.

She was turning the key in the lock of the garage door when, just out of sight, Malia heard the front door closing. That front door was the noisiest thing in the house, Camille had always said.

That sound meant Regina William was heading for her car.

Inside the darkened garage, Malia hurried to Camille’s Prius and grabbed the door’s handle. Thankfully, the vehicle wasn’t locked. Camille kept the keys under the sunshade on the passenger side, her idea of security. Malia reached up and fumbled for them.

Directly behind and to the right, outside the garage, Regina William’s BMW roared into life.

Under the mask of that sound, Malia turned on Camille’s much quieter car. It started with a happy purr, and she glanced backward at the garage’s closed door.

How soon would it be safe to hit the door opener and try to follow Regina William?

Malia shut her eyes, counting aloud as she visualized Regina William reversing down the driveway, then moving forward to leave. Malia hit the garage door button clipped to the Prius’s visor.

The metal door began an incredibly loud rumble upward as Malia put the vehicle in reverse, and when the door was halfway open, shot backwards. The Prius barely cleared the metal slider of the garage, but sure enough, Regina William’s BMW was gone from view.

Malia braked hard when she hit the bottom of the driveway and then punched the garage door opener button to close it, before she turned to exit the Valley View Estates.

Hopefully, she could return the car somehow before the theft was discovered.

“It’s not theft, it’s borrowing,” Malia said aloud. “Camille told me I could use her car any time I wanted to.” Malia gunned the mostly silent Toyota down the winding road until she spotted Regina William at the entrance to the Estates; the SUV’s left-hand turn signal was on.

Malia slowed; she couldn’t follow too close or Ms. William would recognize the car. An older silver Toyota Prius was a common sight on Maui roads, except for strings of colored plastic Mardi Gras beads hanging from the mirror that made this car uniquely Camille’s.

Malia pulled the beads off and tossed them into the glove box. Opening it drafted a waft of Camille’s vanilla perfume into the interior. “I’m coming to find you, Camille,” Malia said aloud, and slammed it shut.

Malia let Regina William dip out of sight down the hill before she followed, and finally a couple of cars filled in between the two vehicles as they approached Wailuku town.

The implications of what she’d just done sank in as Malia drove. Her whole body trembled—she’d just committed grand theft auto without even having a driver’s license!

But if this reckless act led to finding Camille, it would be worth it.

She wasn’t surprised when Regina William took the Pali highway, heading toward Lahaina. Whatever Camille’s mom was up to, Malia’d bet money it had something to do with Leonard William and theMoonlit Mermaid.

Malia pulled the Prius into a stall in the parking lot as far as she could get from Regina William’s SUV when the older woman parked at the Lahaina Harbor. Malia slid down, cracking the windows for some ventilation, and hiding in the shadow of a truck and boat trailer combo.

Should she get out and follow Regina William toward the yacht? Maybe this was the time to confront Camille’s parents and see if Camille was on board theMermaid, but remembering the armed guard dampened Malia’s enthusiasm. Still debating, Malia was glad she’d stayed put when Regina William reappeared with Leonard William. Both were carrying good-sized duffel bags, and two men in army camouflage followed them.

Malia’s eyes widened when she saw the bulges of guns on their hips. She slid back down out of view. “Holy shit, what’s going on? This is crazy!”

She fumbled the burner phone out of her pocket.Only five minutes left!She dialed 911 as the big black Cadillac Escalade Regina William had parked next to rumbled into life; they must be leaving in that car.

“911. What’s your emergency?”

“This is Malia Clark and I’m in the parking lot at Lahaina Harbor. A man and woman, accompanied by two men in camouflage gear armed with guns, just got into a Cadillac Escalade. I think they are being kidnapped!” Her voice wobbled. “They are being forced to go somewhere!”

“What’s the license plate number?”

Malia scooted up to see and recited the plate number as the big black SUV backed up and began to drive away. “I’m going to follow them.” She started the Toyota.

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