Page 68 of Wired Strong

“I hope not.” Sophie cut a bite of pancake from the stack on her plate. “She’s a danger to all of us.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“Pim Wat gave birth to me. That is all the good she ever did in my life. I owe her something for that, and I have repaid it.”

“I feel exactly the same.” He set the pan in the sink, and came over to give Sophie a hug. “I’m sorry. You deserved better.”

“So did you, Dad.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Go get dressed and get to work. That’ll perk you up.”

* * *

Leede and Raveauxcame into Sophie’s office a couple of hours later. Leede wore one of those outfits that she must have custom tailored for her tiny figure; today’s was bright turquoise, worn with high-heeled Mary Janes. Her white hair had been trimmed to shoulder length. Sophie couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her. “You look lovely, Heri.”

“And you look like you didn’t get a good night’s sleep,” Heri said. “You need to take better care of yourself, for the baby’s sake.”

“You sound just like my father.” Sophie gave an eye roll. Raveaux, who’d entered just behind Heri, had been silent through this exchange. She glanced over at him. “Well? Are you going to give me a lecture, too?”

“You forget. I’ve been a parent. I know a good night’s sleep is always a luxury,” he said. Raveaux wore a long-sleeved, amethyst silk shirt and black linen slacks. Freshly shaved, he smelled of cinnamon as he walked past her to sit at the round table. “I brought the files on the Kama`aina case for us to go over, so we can submit our final billing.”

“Our boy Conrad skimmed six million dollars! My fee is ten percent of the cash recovered, so a pretty good payday, at least for me.” Leede smiled.

Sophie widened her eyes. “I will have to talk to Bix about billing extra for my computer expertise.”

“That will be fine. I’m planning to give each of you a bonus as well,” Leede said. “And I have a good outcome to report, as far as our young computer genius.”

“What’s that?” Sophie asked.

“Kama`aina Schools is expelling him, but they transferred his scholarship money to another very good private school in Honolulu. The rest of his year there is paid for. With any luck at all, they will extend his scholarship and keep him as a student until he graduates. They are not pressing charges since they were able to recover the funds.”

“Wonderful.” Sophie felt quick tears fill her eyes. She dabbed them with a tissue. “Sorry. This is the best news I could have heard today. I just keep thinking of Jana, and how worried she was.”

“All three of us are relieved,” Raveaux said. “I was able to hear your entire meeting through that surveillance device in the car. You and Heri were pitch perfect in that interview with the Kanekoas.”

“I very much enjoyed working with you both,” Heri said. “I’ll look for your billing in the mail. But if that’s all, I’ll leave you to get on with the day. I need to go back to my office and count my filthy lucre.” She clapped her be-jeweled hands like a child. “I think I deserve a new condo. Maybe two.” On that note, Heri Leede wafted out the door.

Raveaux headed to the credenza. “You look like you could use another cup of tea.”

“Yes, I could.”

Raveaux fixed the tea as Sophie considered how much to tell him about Connor.

She might as well tell him the whole truth.He already knew it all, anyway, and maybe it would provide her a measure of relief to be honest and open with someone a little more objective than Marcella and her father.

“Connor sent me a photo of the Master’s body yesterday. He had killed him per his agreement with the international task force. Marcella then told me that the team will not extend an immunity offer until he brings in Pim Wat, as well.”

Raveaux assembled the tea service on the tray, and carried it to the table. “How did the Master die?”

“Does it matter?” Sophie looked down and sighed. “Connor stabbed him. Multiple times.” She covered her face with her hands, trying to block out what she’d seen, as if she could. “It was—a messy crime scene.”

Raveaux approached. He gently pulled her hands away from her face, and drew her up to stand. He took her into his arms. “Lean on me,” he said into her ear. “It’s going to be all right.”

Sophie tentatively rested her cheek on the smooth silk of his shirt. She breathed in the warm cinnamon smell of his aftershave. The skin of his neck was close to her lips as he held her. She closed her eyes—and oh, how they ached from all the crying.

Sophie let herself relax, and feel all that she felt, though she wasn’t willing to put any name or label to it. He rocked her gently.

Gentle. Supportive.Loving.

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