Page 39 of Deadly Sacrifice

“Of course,” Noble said. “I can’t believe David’s missing. What’s going on?”

“We don’t know yet,” Lei said. “But we’re concerned he might have been abducted; we’ve got an alert out on him. Two of your colleagues in the Kuleana project have already been murdered. We’re concerned you might be in danger too.”

Noble’s face paled. “Who else was murdered? I knew about Goodwin, but . . .” He trailed off, clearly shaken.

“Jonas Kleftes was killed on Haleakala,” Pono said. “We’re trying to keep it quiet in the news.”

“How do you know the murders are connected?” Noble ran a hand through his disordered hair. “I mean, it is a lot to be a coincidence . . .”

“It’s connected,” Lei said firmly. “We need you to show us around the site and tell us what is happening out here.”

Beck nodded quickly. “Of course. I’ll take you through the main areas. We’ve had a few delays with the environmental protests, but nothing that seemed like a dangerous threat.” He produced a key for the chain and padlock on the gate and opened it for them. “The archeological surveys were recently completed. No burials or artifacts on the grounds.”

“Environmental impact study?” Pono said, his eyes narrowed.

Noble avoided her partner’s gaze. “Ongoing.”

As they followed Beck through the site, Lei never stopped scanning the surroundings; David Steinbrenner might be here, on this site, dead or alive.

The tension in the air felt palpable. The valley, usually calm and peaceful, felt like it was holding its breath.

And then, a wild chicken with a batch of babies flew up from under Pono’s feet with a loud squawk, making the three of them jump—until they saw the little puffball chicks cheeping as they ran after their mother.

“Comic relief,” Pono said. Noble gave a nervous chuckle.

“Anything out of the ordinary? Construction delays? Unhappy workers? We’re looking for anything that might help us figure out where David is,” Lei said as they moved deeper into the muddy development area.

“No, believe me. I’ve been racking my brain. I was just out here yesterday, and everything looks the same, today,” Noble said.

They walked deeper into the site, the sounds of nature mingling with the hum of machinery behind the trailers. The Kuleana development project was still in its early stages as the land was cleared. Beck led the way, his movements quick and nervous as he pointed out various areas that were under construction or intended for future development.

“This area here,” Beck said, gesturing toward a patch of flattened earth, “is where we’re planning to build the main resort. The foundation work was supposed to start next week, but with everything going on, we’ve had to delay it.”

Lei glanced around, her eyes scanning the perimeter. There was something unsettling about the way the area seemed so serene, yet a suspenseful feeling hung in the air, almost as if the land itself was watching and waiting. The‘ainawanted something.

Lei suddenly felt certain what it was.

“Beck Noble,” she said, coming to a stop and turning to face the project manager. “I’m ordering that all construction on this site be halted immediately.”

Pono stepped over to back Lei up. “We’re closing down the operation as of now. Call your people and turn off the machinery.”

Noble blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Wait—what? Halted? Detective, you can’t just?—”

“It’s Sergeant, and we can,” Lei interrupted firmly. “These grounds are now part of an active murder investigation. Two people connected to Kuleana Development have already been killed, and now David Steinbrenner is missing. We have reason to believe that whoever is targeting your group isn’t finished yet. And if Steinbrenner isn’t found soon, you won’t have a team to continue building, anyway.”

Noble’s face drained of color as the reality of the situation sank in. “I guess you’re right about that.”

“I am,” Lei’s voice was hard. “And until we figure out what’s going on, this entire project is on hold. No one comes in or out of this site without police clearance. We’ll put up tape around the barrier before we leave.”

Beck opened his mouth to protest, but Lei’s expression stopped him. He swallowed, his eyes darting nervously between Lei and Pono, who had folded his arms over his massive chest.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll notify the construction teams to stop work immediately.”

“Good,” Lei said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “But we’re not done. After that, you’re coming with us back to the station.”

“What?” Beck’s eyes widened. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Lei stepped closer; her voice low but growing more intense. “We need to interview you formally, Mr. Noble. You’ve been involved with this project from the start, and you might know something—whether you realize it or not—that could help us figure out who’s behind these murders.”

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