Minnow set her hands on her hips. “But I’m part of the shark task force. I’mthewhite shark researcher on the case. I need to look at any imprints on the bone.”
“I’m sorry. You’ll have to wait for Dr. Tenby’s report. Strict orders.”
“Orders from who?”
“Direct from Mayor Lum.”
Nalu shook his head. “Now he’s playing dirty. What a kook.”
Minnow stepped toward the desk. “Thank you, Renee. And actually, I will take one of those malasadas.”
Nalu followed suit, and by the time they reached the truck both of them had sugar lips and beards and Minnow was wishing she’d grabbed two more. They were hot and doughy and oh so delicious.
“Lum is so typically passive-aggressive, it’s almost a joke. Don’tplay his way and you get slowly iced out. Whatever,” she said, feeling worn out.
Nalu opened her door for her. “It’s not like the results will change anything, though, will they?”
“No, but I want to know if our shark is still around. Bite marks could tell us that, if they’re clear enough.”
“And if she is?”
“Even more reason to shut them down tomorrow.”
A beautiful shark—maybe even a Sister—taken by some dumb fisherman who couldn’t think for himself would slay her.
They regrouped at the house, and then Nalu left to pick up the other scientist. Minnow felt a sense of impending doom. The gray skies didn’t help her shadowy mood. Woody was on the beach scrubbing off the barnacles from the glass balls they’d found yesterday. When she came to the wall, he was so engrossed in his work, he didn’t look up.
“Hey,” Minnow said.
“How’d it go?”
She told him.
Finished with the glass balls, he walked over and handed her one. “A souvenir. Oh, and I called a few of my die-hard fishing buddies and heard something interesting.”
“Yeah, what?”
He hopped up onto the wall and started walking back toward the house, cradling the two other now shiny green orbs against this body. “Joe Apuakehau said there have been a couple boats anchored up the way in Papapa Bay. Couple old fishing shacks down there, only accessed by a rough jeep road or by sea. If someone has the gate codes, they could be running a dive operation out of there.”
“Do you know the families?”
“Yeah, but one of them sold to a guy from O?ahu a few years back.No idea about him. Keep in mind, taking people out to swim with sharks isn’t illegal.”
“I know. But chumming is.”
“So, how you gonna prove that?”
She wasn’t sure exactly. “Like you said, catch them in the act and take photos. Ask for witnesses to step forward.”
“You mess with someone’s livelihood, it could get ugly.”
“Maybe we go out with a bunch of other boats as backup. You must know people,” she said, unable to keep the desperation from her voice.
“If I trusted DLWA, I would report it, but I don’t.”
It was feeling more and more like the Wild West out here. Vast and lawless and full of shady characters. The only thing missing was cactus, but the thorny kiawe trees were good stand-ins.
“Is Cliff going to come back? Did he tell you what he’s doing?” she asked.
