Page 45 of Wired Target

Lei tightened her mouth.“I know you’ll do your best, but your mom is harder to kill than a cockroach.”

“You are correct.”Sophie gave a watery snort of laughter.“But at least I have some good news; we’ve found the three perpetrators of the Moli Massacre, and I’ve got some information for you—the name of the kids on Maui who broke into the Albatross Sanctuary and stole live eggs.”

“What?Fill me in.”Lei took out her phone.“I’ll take notes here.We can go inside and record your statement with Jones for MPD later.”

“Okay, if that’s how you want to do it.”

Sophie told Lei how the security officer at the school had tracked down two boys harassing the third perp using a Stingray device, and how that boy had confirmed the names Sophie had matched to phone numbers.District Attorney Chang had been called via video link to join their meeting and had offered the suicidal teen a reduced charge and sealed records if he made a confession; the boy had done so, recorded and witnessed by Char Leong, the school’s security officer, and Dharma Dawnhorse, the counselor.At that meeting, he’d also given up the two boys who were planning to sell the live albatross eggs they’d stolen from the sanctuary on Maui.

Lei took down the names of the boys.“I’ve got to make some calls.”

Sophie smiled for the first time.“I thought you might.”

Lei stood up and called Torufu on Maui, leaving him a message on his phone with the names of the two students and the fact that the meet to sell the eggs might be coming up.“I’d like to catch them in the act, maybe scoop up the buyer too.We can nip this thing in the bud that way.See you soon, partner.”She ended the call and rejoined Sophie on the bench.“What else have you got cooking,sistah?”

“My father has cancer.Leukemia.He told me today.”

“Oh no.”Lei covered her mouth with a hand, her eyes widening.“That’s terrible news.How’s he doing?”

“He retired, finally.Sad it took this kind of health scare to finally get him to take some time off to spend with his family.”Sophie’s shoulders hunched miserably.“He’s about to begin treatment.”

Wayne Texeira, Lei’s father, had come back into her life as an adult, after a twenty-year stint in prison.They’d rebuilt their relationship to a firm bond of shared, committed love; the thought of losing Wayne was devastating.Sophie’s dad had been her only functional parent.Their rough histories with their moms were a thread that had brought them together as friends.“I’m so sorry, Sophie.”

“Yes.Me too.”Sophie’s smile was a bit wobbly.“Let’s go inside and let the babies cheer us up, shall we?”

“Yep.The feel of sticky little fingers on my shirt is a balm to the heart,” Lei said.“Can’t wait.”Sophie chuckled and led the way back toward the front of the house, and Lei used the time following her to plan taking Sophie’s statement.

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Sophie breathed through a wave of apprehension as she opened the big teak front door for Lei to follow her inside.She wasn’t looking forward to making her official statement regarding the drone attack.Going on the record with her wild story was bound to be awkward.

“Wow, Sophie.Your place is gorgeous.”Lei tilted her head to look around the entry, a high-ceilinged area trimmed in antiquekoawood.“Give me the grand tour.”

“Auntie Lei!”Momi came running from the living room to embrace Lei’s jeans-clad legs.Soon the three of them, with Lei carrying Momi, did a brief tour of the house, ending with the guest room just adjacent to Sophie’s office.

“Has its own bathroom and kitchenette,” Sophie said.“This is where you’ll stay if I can talk you into an overnight.”

“Stay, Auntie,” Momi commanded.

Lei laughed, turning in a circle to take in the huge sleigh style bed inkoawood with a Hawaiian print quilt with a pineapple pattern on it.“How could I refuse such a great offer?But you need to feed me, too.”

“We have food,” Momi informed Lei.“Lots.”

Both women laughed.

“Where’s that baby of yours?I haven’t seen him since he was a newborn,” Lei said.

“Baby Sean is big now,” Momi said.She wriggled to be put down.“I show you!”She ran off.

“Whew,” Lei told Sophie.“She’s adorable, but you sure have your hands full.”

“I know.I truly couldn’t manage without Armita.”Sophie led Lei back to the living room, where Momi was trying to wrestle Sean out of Lono Jones’s capable arms.

“Armita went to get some refreshments, and Momi wanted to carry the baby back to see you,” Jones said.“You showed up just in time, I was losing the battle.”

“Auntie Lei, here is baby Sean!”Momi gave up the tug-of-war and yelled dramatically, pointing to the baby.

“Yes, there he is—and what a cutie.”Lei swooped in to scoop Sean into her arms.“Wow, he’s grown, and look at those chipmunk cheeks!”She nuzzled Sean’s neck.He giggled—and spat up on Lei’s shirt.

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