Page 42 of Wired Target

“He said he’d be my friend.That he’d protect me.We’d be the three Musketeers; us against the world,” Valas said.

“Who made this promise?”Sophie asked.

“Oz.Remo Ozawa.”

“And the other student?”

“Kermit.Neville Ignacio.He goes by Kermit, though.”

“So, tell us about that night.Just a sketch.”

“Oz said and Kermit and I had to prove we were worthy to be in his posse by doing—something way out there no one else would believe.”He looked down; his shoulders slumped.“I can’t believe it, either.”

“Go on,” Chang nudged.

“Me and Kermit didn’t know what it was.He wouldn’t say.Said it was a test, a surprise.We’d go camping on the beach; it would be fun.But he’d packed—the weapons and booze.Stole it from his dad, he said.We hiked out to Ka‘ena Point after the park was closed, in the dark.It was kind of cool.We made a fire on the beach; Oz got out the bottle and we drank the whole thing.”Valas began to shake; he gripped his knees.“We were drunk when he got out the machete and the tire iron and told us what we had to do.Said it was a test of our strength and loyalty.We went into the fenced area, all three of us—but he stayed outside of the gate.He yelled at us, called us pussies.Kermit did most of it.”The tears had begun to flow again.“When we came out after, we saw that Oz was holding a few eggs.Souvenirs, he called them.”

“Where are those eggs now?”Sophie asked.

“He sold them online.”

A fillip of triumph zipped up Sophie’s spine—she would find thatfoul pox-ridden snakeand crucify him; Oz couldn’t hide from her online.“Do you know anything about the eggs stolen on Maui?”

“Yes.The kids from Paradise Prep got the idea from Oz.They told us they had an ad out on the darknet.Their eggs are going to someone in China.I heard it was this weekend.”

Sophie teased the details out of him—a transfer was going down at the commercial section of the Maui airport in a couple of days.Sophie now had solid information for Lei; maybe that would help her reconcile with her friend.

Chang pulled the interview back on track.“So, at no time did Oz actually injure any birds?”

“No.I told you.He made us do it.Then he threatened us—that he’d turn us in if we talked.He took pictures of us while we were ...”The boy’s voice trailed off.He covered his face with his hands.

Sophie wanted those pictures; they’d show intent, planning, as did bringing the weapons.“Where are the pictures?”

“I don’t know.On his phone maybe?”

If they were in cloud storage, Sophie could get them.If they were physically on his phone, Marcus could get them when the boy was arrested—provided he didn’t have time to dispose of the device.

“Thank you, Mr.Valas,” DA Chang said.“Are you ready to write out your confession now?”

Bernard “Nard” Valas looked up for the first time.“Yes.I’ll tell you everything.”

Relief was palpable around him.Confession was good for the soul, even if it didn’t bring back the dead.

25

Day 8

Lono Jones from Security Solutions met Lei at the baggage claim for Hawaiian Airlines in one of the company’s white SUVs.

“Long time no see, Lei.”The former detective got out of the vehicle to give her a quick collegial hug and hefted her hastily packed overnight bag into the back seat.“I wondered when our paths would cross again.”

“It’s been a couple of years, at least, since you left MPD,” Lei said, getting into the passenger side of the vehicle.“I was surprised your cell number still worked.”

“Well, just because I changed islands doesn’t mean I needed to change phone numbers.I figured it must be important for you to reach out and ask for a ride,” the lanky blond man said, getting in on his side and starting the vehicle.“Where to?”

“Sophie Smithson’s new house in Kailua,” Lei said.

Jones slanted Lei a glance from intelligent hazel eyes guarded by thick brows.“I was wondering who they’d send to talk to Sophie about what went down over there.”

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