House of the Hanging Jade (20 page)

“Much better, thank you. And thanks for ordering dinner. The kids made a fancy occasion out of it and invited Liko and me to join them. It was so nice.”

Barbie beamed. “I'm so glad to hear it. But believe me, we'll be happy to have you cooking for us again tomorrow. We've gotten spoiled by you.”

I accepted her praise with a nod of my head, then she continued. “As a matter of fact, I've been thinking about how spoiled we are now. I haven't really talked to you about what will happen after the divorce, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in continuing on with me and the kids. As our personal chef.”

I was taken aback. “Um, I—” I stammered. “I don't know for sure what my plans are. Do you need an answer now?”

“Of course not. Just think about it. We'd love to have you.”

It seemed Barbie was already assuming she would have custody of the kids after the divorce was final. And she would, of course, if Lars was convicted of killing Dr. Doug. I pushed that thought away. I felt a pang of anxiety, wondering what I would say if she pressed me for an answer. She would certainly change her mind if she knew that a relationship was starting to blossom between her husband and me.

The next day was Sunday, so I didn't have to make anything for the family until dinnertime. As soon as I had checked the fridge and the cupboards to make sure I had most of the ingredients I would need, I set off for my parents' house. I hadn't seen them since the shark attack and I was happy to be spending the day with them, away from worries about Geoffrey and about the future of the Jorgensen family.

I sped south along the highway, watching carefully in my rearview mirror to make sure Geoffrey wasn't following me. I had a long stretch of road completely to myself, so I knew I was alone. It would be nice to get out from under Geoffrey's shadow.

I had told my parents I was coming for a visit, so they were waiting for me when I got there. My sister and niece and I spent the morning on the beach playing ball, swimming, and lounging on the sand. My parents closed the bakery early and joined us for a picnic lunch. I felt rejuvenated and relaxed with my family. I had to head back north by mid-afternoon, so we crammed in as much conversation and laughter as we could in our few hours together. When my father and sister took Haliaka for a walk along the beach, my mother and I sat in the shade talking.

“Is everything okay at the Jorgensen house?”

“Sure. Why do you ask?”

“I always know when something isn't quite right with you and I'm getting that feeling now.”

I smiled at her. “There
has
been a lot of drama lately.” I told her about the Jorgensens' divorce, about Lars being arrested—wrongly, in my opinion—for the murder of Dr. Doug, the death of Dr. Rutledge, and finally, about my feelings for Lars. I left out any mention of Geoffrey.

“Be careful,” she warned. “You know as well as I do that a new relationship can be very thrilling and you want to tell the world about it, but you don't want Barbie getting suspicious.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I haven't told anyone but you. I certainly can't tell Liko, since I criticize him for doing practically the same thing.”

“It's definitely not the same thing. Behavior like his is part of the reason they're getting divorced. Your relationship with Lars is only alive
because
of the divorce—not the other way around.”

“Do you think it's wrong?”

She thought for a minute. “No, I don't think it's wrong. I just wish the timing were different.” She smiled. “Go for a quick swim before you have to head north. The beach is not a place for brooding.”

I took her advice and drove back to the Jorgensens tired but happy. Now that my mother knew my secret about Lars, I felt like a weight had been lifted; my secret wasn't a secret anymore, but I knew I could trust Mom.

When I turned into the Jorgensens' driveway, I instinctively looked across the road, my eyes squinting, seeking Geoffrey's monkeypod tree. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I breathed a sigh of relief and went inside.

Detective Alana had left a message for me, so I called him back and told him what I knew about Geoffrey's new hiding place. I didn't know how often he was there, but at least I could give the police a lead in helping to find him. The detective promised to send out officers to have a look around.

Dinner that night was a bit strained because the entire family sat around the table. There was little conversation; it must have been very awkward for all of them. They ate quickly and went their separate ways.

Marcus came looking for me after the dishes were done and the kitchen cleaned. “I saw that guy again this afternoon,” he told me.

“The guy who gave you the note?”

“Yeah. He said to tell you he'll see you soon.”

“Is that all he said?” I asked, hoping my voice didn't betray the fear that suddenly gripped my chest.

“Yeah. Are you okay?” So I wasn't fooling him.

“Don't worry about me,” I told him, dodging the question. I was
not
okay. I was terrified and suddenly sick to my stomach.

“Is that guy bothering you?” he asked shrewdly. “You should tell my dad.”

“Your dad already knows about him and I think he has other things on his mind,” I said. “You need to stay away from that man. I know I asked you this once before, but please come home as soon as you see him. I don't want you near him. He's not a nice person.”

“I did come home as soon as I saw him, but you weren't here. And then I couldn't tell you at dinner because everyone else was there. This is the first chance I've had. Maybe you should tell Liko about him too.”

“Liko knows all about him, believe me. I just want everyone to stay away from him.”

“Do you think he'll hurt you?”

“No,” I scoffed, hoping he believed me.

My relaxing day off had segued quickly into a fearful and anxious evening. I called the detective and left another message for him. Since it was late on a Sunday, I hadn't expected him to be in the office. I tried sleeping, but couldn't. I went out onto the lanai, hoping the sound of the ocean would soothe my restlessness. I sat out there in the dark, trying to calm down as I focused on the waves crashing into the shore.

But before long I heard a different sort of noise, one coming from the lawn below me. I strained my ears and moved softly to the edge of the lanai, but the noise had stopped and the night had fallen silent again except for the rhythm of the breaking waves. I waited breathlessly until I heard it again—it was the sound of something snapping. A stick, perhaps.

My eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and I stood still, watching and listening. I didn't have to wait long. There was a figure moving stealthily on the lawn beneath me.

I didn't know whether to shout, to alert everyone in the house, to alert Geoffrey that I knew he was there, or to remain quiet and wait to see what he did.

I opted to wait and watch. I didn't worry that he could see me, since I was hidden in the shadows. I didn't worry that he could come any closer to me, since the lanai and all the windows and doors were armed. I didn't worry, but I was utterly terrified.

I quickly tiptoed to the kitchen and called the police, telling them there was an intruder on the property. I asked them to come quickly, but to leave their lights and sirens off so they could surprise Geoffrey and catch him. The dispatcher told me drily that the officers would consider my suggestion.

I went back out, making sure to stay in the shadows. Geoffrey was still out there. He was seated on the grass, his back to me. I wondered if he was there because he had nowhere else to go.

Several minutes went by. I was still watching Geoffrey, when out of the corner of my eye I caught movement at the end of the lanai. The police.

Geoffrey had seen them too. He bolted to his feet and crashed off through the brush surrounding the lawn, heading toward the courtyard and the pool. The police gave chase, yelling directions to each other when one caught a glimpse of their quarry.

Lights started coming on in the house. Pretty soon the whole family, Liko, and Akela had joined me on the lanai.

“What's going on?”

“Who's shouting?”

“Is everyone all right?”

“What's all the commotion?”

I asked the kids to bring a pitcher of water and several glasses from the kitchen. Once they had gone, I quickly explained to the adults gathered that I had come out, unable to sleep, and had heard, then seen, an intruder on the grounds. I called the police, I explained, without waking anyone up, because I didn't want to scare the person away. I thought the police would have a better chance of catching him if they could surprise him. I didn't mention that I knew very well who the person was.

“I can't
believe
this!” exclaimed Barbie. “I feel so
violated.
”

Lars didn't say anything; he just gave me a hard stare as if he knew I was hiding something.

Just then Marcus and Justine came back with water for everyone. I think I was the only one who had any. The rest of us stopped talking.

“What happened?” Marcus asked.

“Kailani heard—” Barbie began.

Lars interrupted her. “Kailani thought she heard a noise and called the police. That's all.”

“I'm sure it was nothing,” I said, sounding apologetic. I turned to Marcus and Justine. “I'm sorry. You can go back to bed. I'll talk to the police.”

The kids seemed to buy my story and shuffled back to their rooms, where I'm sure they had a hard time falling asleep after all the excitement.

“What should we do?” Barbie fretted.

“Go back to bed,” said Lars. “You too, Liko and Akela. I'll stay down here and talk to the police.” He looked at me as if to warn me to stay silent.

“Ah, excuse me,” said Akela quietly. “I just don't think I can work here any longer. It's just too much.”

Lars and Barbie exchanged glances. “I understand, Akela,” Lars told her. “This has been a very stressful place lately. Would you like to take some time off until things calm down?”

“I don't think so,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I've been looking for another job and I think I'll just stay with my parents until I find one.”

“We'll be sorry to see you go, Akela,” Barbie said. Lars nodded in agreement.

Akela went back to her room and Barbie looked at Lars. “Now we'll have to find a new housekeeper.”

“Can we not worry about how the house is going to get cleaned right now?”

Barbie sighed and went back upstairs and Liko returned to the guesthouse. Lars and I were left alone on the lanai.

“Was Geoffrey here?” he asked. I nodded. “What was he doing?”

“Just sitting out there on the grass. I called the police because they've had a hard time finding him. I thought if they were able to catch him by surprise, they might be able to arrest him or at least get some information out of him.”

“But he didn't come onto the lanai?”

“No. I made sure the lanai was armed before I went to bed. The alarm would have gone off if he tried to get over one of the glass panels.”

“Thank God you're okay,” he said quietly, reaching for my hand.

We sat opposite each other at the big table until we heard a knock. I jumped in my seat, startled, but I stood up and followed Lars as he walked calmly to the front door and whispered, “Who is it?”

“Police.”

I would have demanded proof, but Lars had more faith than I did. He opened the door and two officers stood there. I looked beyond them into the darkness and saw nothing.

“The suspect ran off,” the first officer said with a frown. “He escaped into the growth beyond the pool and we lost him.”

I looked frantically from one officer to the other. “What do we do?” I asked in a high-pitched voice.

“Do you have any idea who it was?” asked the second officer.

Everyone was looking at me. “Yes, it was Geoffrey Corcoran, my ex-boyfriend. He's been bothering me lately. Detective Alana knows all about him.”

The officers nodded. One took out a notebook and wrote something down, then flipped the notebook shut. “We'll discuss this with Detective Alana when he gets in, before we go off duty. He can take it from there.” He looked at his watch. “He gets in at seven,” the officer added. “In the meantime, just make sure the doors are locked. Are there doors out to the lanai?”

Lars shook his head. “It's open. But the glass panels on the lanai are armed with a laser security system. If anyone tries to breach the lanai while the system is armed a loud alarm goes off.”

“Good. I would keep that system armed until you've talked to the detective.” The officers turned to go and Lars closed the door behind them.

“Do you think you'll be able to get to sleep?” he asked me.

“Not a chance.”

“Is there anything you can take to help you? A sleeping pill or something? I'm only thinking that without some sleep, tomorrow might be hard for you. Want me to wake Barbie and see if she has anything?”

“No, I have some pills left from the shark attack. They're pretty good at making me fall asleep.”

He looked at me tenderly. “I'm so sorry you have to go through this. It seems like they should have caught up with Geoffrey by now.”

“Lars, there's something you should probably know,” I whispered, drawing him into the darkened kitchen. “The other day Marcus came home with an envelope for me. Geoffrey had given it to him.”