Page 35 of Deadly Sacrifice

Stevens’s crystal-blue eyes were crinkled at the corners with affection. “Glad to hear it.” He gave Lei a soft kiss on the lips. “Dinner’s almost ready. You’re just in time.”

“How’d I get to be so lucky? Six pack abs and a good cook, too. I think I’ll keep you.” Lei moved in to kiss him back.

That went on for a bit until Rosie gave her father a push. “Go fix dinner, Papa.”

“Yeah, get moving.” Lei gave Stevens a playful swat on the rear. “All I’ve had today was a Hot Pocket and coffee.”

The smells of garlic and coconut milk wafted from the kitchen, hinting at a tasty seafood curry. As Lei followed her husband back into the house, the stresses of her day began to dissolve in the warmth of home. Kiet, sitting on the couch with a book open and a pencil behind his ear, waved. “Hey, Mom.”

She went over and dropped a kiss on his shiny black hair. “Hey, son. Can you keep an eye on Rosie? I’m going to hop in the shower before dinner.” A good hot scrub in their spacious shower would wash away the last of her depressing day.

“Sure.” Kiet moved his books over. “She can sit here.”

Lei dropped Rosie in beside her brother; she promptly snuggled against his side and popped a thumb in her mouth, peering over at his textbook.

Passing her husband with his back turned to her at the stove, she headed for the office, loosening her shoulder holster so she could lock up her badge and gun.

Tonight was for family. The case, its dangers and decisions—those would have to wait until tomorrow. There had been a time when she hadn’t been able to let any of it go.

23

LEI

The next morning,Lei walked down to Katie’s Cave for an update on what her protégée had been able to access on Jonas Kleftes’s USB drives.

Katie’s appearance had morphed again. Today, she wore her hair in a high ponytail and had on glasses with red cat-eye frames. Her work area was different too: the walls were covered with photographs enlarged and printed from Jeff Brian’s RAW files, but it wasn’t the pictures of a shadowy figure on the lava at La Perouse Bay that drew Lei’s attention—it was two enormous computer towers with blue and red lights pulsing on their front panels, standing side by side behind her massive monitor.

“Where did those come from?” Lei asked, pointing to the towers.

“Mm . . . you’re probably better off not knowing,” Katie said, a smile curving her bright red lips.

“Katie, you’re going to get in trouble.” Tension hardened Lei’s voice. “I don’t like bureaucracy any more than you do, but you have to go through channels to buy this kind of stuff.”

“Oh! It’s all good then. The Department didn’t buy anything. I found a grant.”

When Lei frowned, opening her mouth to ask more questions, Katie bounced up and began pacing in her cramped quarters.

“Listen,” she said, “you’re my role model, Lei. Didn’t you tell me, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than for permission? Besides, no one ever comes down here. I’m stuck in this basement with no windows all day. Except for yesterday, I never get to go out anymore, and I don’t do any work on the street. I’ve gotta do something to stay sane. Big results need big computers, and I want big results.”

Katie seemed to have worked up a head of steam while venting. She wrapped up her pitch with an angry challenge. “Come on, boss, let’s use everything we’ve got and just catch this sucker!” With that, she threw a side kick into a file cabinet with a loud bang.

Lei jumped. “Easy, tiger.”

“Oops,” Katie smiled. “Sorry. Got a little carried away. What did you come down here for, anyway?”

“You’re fired up. I came down to see if you had anything new for me. From those USB drives we found at the Kleftes’s place.”

“Sure, have a seat.” Katie flopped back into her ergonomic chair; Lei took the one beside her. “I’ve pulled up a ton of information about the development group from the drives. They’re called Kuleana Development, LLC. Kind of ironic, sincekuleanameans responsibility, right? But the parent company Steinbrenner owns is in California. Global Lifestyles, Inc, has been sued repeatedly for environmental violations, among other things.”

“Interesting,” Lei said. “What else?”

“As I said, it looks like Kuleana’s core team included four people. Our victims were the money guy and the attorney. Still alive are the developer and the program manager. Whoever did this has decapitated Kuleana. To complete the project, they’ll likely have to bring in new people.”

Lei nodded. “Tell me about the project they’re working on.”

“It’s very controversial. Locals and environmentalists have been up in arms ever since it was leaked to the press. You’ve got the Hawaiian cultural groups, the water rights groups, Maui Tomorrow, the Sierra Club, etcetera, all lined up against it. It’s kind of like the DMV: you want a shot at these guys, take a number and get in line.”

“Sounds like we might have motive.” Lei slid a hand into her pocket to rub the bone hook she always carried. “Lots of irate folks in those various organizations.”

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