For a moment Cliff looked like he might break down in tears, and she felt for him. There was nothing worse than being backed into a cave and the only way out was to fight and claw and scream. Her nightmares contained a similar vein of powerlessness.
Nalu nodded toward the bar television. “Sorry to interrupt, but... news time.”
She and Nalu hurried over to the two empty bar seats in order to hear better, leaving the brothers some time alone.
A young local guy named Keone Kern was just introducing fire department spokesman Cyril Macadangdang.
“What can you tell us about this possible new development in the disappearance of Hank Johnson?”
“Keone, it’s too early to tell, but divers found a leg wedged in a crack in about fifteen feet of water. This was in the general area where Hank was last seen. And because we’re looking at over twoweeks since he went missing, there has unfortunately been significant decomposition. It’s still uncertain if the leg was severed before or after the owner died. But I can tell you this: There are tooth imprints on the bone. Large ones.”
“Oh shit,” Minnow said.
“No one left me a message. That sucks,” Nalu said.
They’d given the intern’s number to Lum’s secretary since Hale Niuhi had no answering machine and they were hardly ever in the house.
“At this point we’re just noise,” she said, standing up to return to the table, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave.
Keone wore a solemn look. “Any estimation how long it will take to find out?”
“Couple days max. This is being expedited, especially with the shark hunt to begin Saturday.”
“As someone with a long history of experience in this kind of thing, what else can you tell us, Cyril?”
“There are no other missing people in the area, and we know with a hundred percent certainty of a large predatory shark cruising this coastline, so that tells me this person was most likely hit while still alive.”
What kind of faulty logic is that?Minnow felt like shouting.
“Were there any signs of clothing or goggles or fins, anything like that?” Keone asked.
“Nope, but based on the size of the bones and the foot, the deceased appears to be male. We should have our answer soon. And in the meantime, if you do swim, stay close to shore.”
Keone nodded and stared back into the camera. “Thank you so much, Cyril. Now back to you, Joe.”
Nalu shot her a look. “What the hell was that?”
Minnow had no answer. When she was halfway back to the table, she caught a glimpse of a man sitting on the beach staring out at the squall now just offshore. Wide shoulders and wet, scruffy hair.
Luke.
But where was his boat?Her first instinct was to go out there and sit down next to him, lean in and wait for the rain to come, tell him she wasn’t leaving after all. Then she remembered his words.
I’m not the man you think I am.
“Who are you, Luke Greenwood?” she whispered.
Minnow picked at her salad, borrowed a few french fries from Nalu, and drank four glasses of water. Her mind was whirling with so many thoughts in so many directions, it was hard to concentrate on anything anyone was saying. Also, she could hear the approaching raindrops falling hard on the ocean surface, a loud rush of freshwater into salt. So loud she covered her ears with her hands.
“You okay, Doc?” Nalu asked.
She attempted a smile. “Fine, it’s just so loud.”
“The music?”
Two musicians had started up in the corner, but they were pure background.
“The rain.”
