Page 37 of Wired Target

“She did find the operator’s launch site,” Lei said.“But yeah, I agree.I can either send Oahu PD to her house in Kailua to get a statement or fly over there myself.I’m leaning toward the latter.She’ll talk to me.”

“Will she?”Torufu cocked his big square head, dark eyes hard.“She’s hiding something.And back to my first statement: so are you.”

Lei rubbed her eyes again.She’d hardly slept last night, replaying the events of the day and grinding over the fact that Sophie hadn’t returned her calls or texts.She needed to treat Sophie as a hostile witness at this point and let go of the idea that they were friends at all.“I’ll check with Omura and then go over there.I think I can get her to go on the record.”

“With what, exactly?”

Lei sighed.“She told me a far-fetched story about her mother being an assassin who wants to kill her.She thinks the poisoned dart was meant for her, and Sari was shot by accident.”

Torufu didn’t blink.“That sounds about right.Sophie’s always been mixed up in crazy crap overseas.”

“I know.”Lei pinched the web of skin between her thumb and forefinger, a stress-reduction technique Dr.Wilson had suggested.So far it wasn’t working.“If what Sophie said is true, we’ll get nowhere looking for the assassin who operated the drone; the case is much bigger and more far-reaching than we can deal with on our little island.We need the FBI involved, at minimum.”She stared glumly at Torufu.“I was keeping a lid on it for the moment because Sophie swore she was hunting for the perp and would have a better chance of catching them than we would.And I believe her about that, at least.”

Torufu scowled.“Let’s go see Omura.Right now.”

Captain C.J.Omura made a steeple of her glossy red fingernails as she eyed Lei from across her immaculate desk.“Tell me again.”

Lei glanced over at Torufu.He stared stonily at Lei.

Lei repeated what Sophie had told her.“And then she jogged off and, I believe, got picked up by the Security Solutions private plane to go back to Oahu—or somewhere.She said she was looking for her mother and could find her faster than we would.”

“Let me get this straight.You sat on information for a day.Just to—what?”

“Give her time to deliver on her promise.”

“And now she’s gone off-island.”

“It’s likely, yes.I’m sorry if I made the wrong call.”

“You did.Reach out to Security Solutions and find her.Reach out to the FBI and find her.Get your butt to her house on Oahu and find her.I don’t care how you do it.Just freakin’ find her!”Omura seldom lost her temper.

“Yes sir.”Lei scuttled out and closed the door, leaving Torufu inside.She exhaled as she hurried down the hall.“I’ll take that as permission to go to Oahu—right now.”

23

Day 7

The jet made a tight circle as it dropped out of the brilliant blue sky to land on the small but well-kept private aircraft runway on Corfu in Greece.As soon as the wheels touched down, Raveaux turned on his phone—and was pleased to pick up a message from Sophie.

The bad news about the drone attack made his belly tighten; but the emotion in Sophie’s tone as she bade him take care, as she told him she and the children missed him—that warmed and energized him.

The plane coasted to a stop in front of a stark white stone and plaster arrival building with a red ceramic tile roof.The baggage claim was a long steel counter outside.

“I’ve already got us rooms in a flat near Pim Wat’s address,” Raveaux told Rab, who translated to Sam.“I need you to dress to blend with the local population.Wait here in the courtesy lounge while I procure clothing.”

Rab nodded.The three checked in through a tiny Customs counter, and Rab and Sam occupied themselves with phones in the small but luxurious private passenger lounge.

Raveaux had dressed carefully before the flight in a white linen shirt and khaki pants with woven leather sandals and a pale straw Panama hat.Hefting his ever-present satchel and sliding on a pair of sunglasses, he blended with other expat businessmen leaving the private airport’s arrival building.

He took a taxi to the local market and had the driver wait while he shopped, buying clothing for his two associates and foodstuffs for the upcoming stakeout of Pim Wat’s dwelling.

Returning to the airport, he took the clothing back into the building and handed over outfits like his to the men.Rab and Sam didn’t take long to change, and Raveaux looked them over critically as the pair came out of the restroom.

“You’ll do,” he said, adjusting Sam’s straw fedora at a rakish angle and showing Rab how to buckle his leather belt so his pants draped properly.“Let’s go find our lodging.It’s right across the street from Pim Wat’s address.Hopefully we can get a surveillance angle from there.”

Rab and Sam both preened a bit in their new garb, watching their reflections in windows as they passed; Raveaux suppressed amusement as the trio walked through the exits to the curb, carrying their minimal luggage.

The long-suffering cabbie had waited again, and soon the small, round, bright yellow taxi was rocketing through narrow cobbled streets, headed for the remote coastal town where Pim Wat had made a nest for herself under a new name.

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