“Why did you wait so long to alert anyone about your missing partner?”
“Are you kidding me? Someone was shooting at me,” Kimo exclaimed. “Then they took the dive boat with the radio. I had to hide in the reef until they left or risk being target practice. Then I swam a long way to shore. Trust me, I wanted to get back as soon as possible. That’s my friend out there going through God knows what kind of hell.”
The detective seemed unfazed by her story. “Could you be suffering from exposure, maybe enough that you could have hallucinated this entire scenario?”
Rex took a step forward.
Kimo held up a hand to stop him. “We were photographing the bioluminescence. It was a routine effort until we found a shipping container on the ocean floor. When we looked inside, there were decomposing bodies shackled to the walls. Maybe the men who attacked us had something to do with the dead people in the container. I don’t know. All I do know is that they took Alana, my friend.”
“You say you photographed the alleged shipping container.” Detective Sykes lifted his chin. “Where are the photographs? Where’s the proof?”
Kimo sighed. “I downloaded some of them to my laptop and the cloud. If I can borrow a laptop, I’ll show you.”
“What about the camera you were using?” Sykes asked. “Was it on the boat as well?”
Kimo shook her head. “Sadly, I lost it while fleeing the gunmen on the attacking boat. I must have dropped it when I released the BCD with the tank.” Her brow dipped lower. “Are you going to do anything to find Alana?”
“We have people out there as we speak, looking for your dive partner.” The detective squared his shoulders. “In the meantime, I suggest you don’t leave the island. We might have more questions. Your dive partner, Alana Neal, might turn up. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours—hardly soon enough to file a missing person report.”
“She’s not just missing,” Kimo’s voice rose. “Alana was abducted. You can’t wait twenty-four hours to search for her.”
“We’re handling it and looking for that missing dive boat as well. It’s easier to hide a body than a boat.”
Kimo’s brow descended. “I don’t give a damn about the boat. I want my friend back.”
“That boat might have all the answers about your missing friend.”
Rex didn’t like the way the detective spoke to Kimo. It was as if he was implying Kimo was as responsible for the disappearance of the dive boat as she was for the disappearance of her friend.
“Are you accusing me of something, Detective Sykes?” Kimo asked, her voice rising.
The man held up his hands. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m just trying to get to the truth.”
“I told you the truth,” Kimo said.
“Well, then, you have nothing to worry about.” He dipped his head. “Until we find Ms. Neal, don’t leave the island.” The man left the examination room.
Kimo stared after him, her brow furrowed. “He thinks I had something to do with Alana’s disappearance and that I did something with the dive boat.” She lay back against the pillow as the doctor and the nurse continued to work on the gunshot wound on her calf. “Has the whole world gone batshit crazy? Or have I?”
Rex’s lips twitched. “Maybe a little of both…?”
Kimo snorted. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. Now, leave.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Like I told the security guard, I’m here until whoever is after you is caught.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard. I need to find my friend.” She jerked her legs.
“You need to remain still until we complete our wound care,” Nurse Bowman said.
“Sorry,” Kimo said. “Trust me. I want you to finish so I can get out of here and start looking for Alana.”
“Fortunately, the bullet missed any major arteries.” The doctor straightened. “But infection is a possibility. I’ll call in a prescription for antibiotics. Keep the wound clean and dry, take the medication, and it should heal within a couple of weeks. See your primary care physician for follow-up and stay away from men with guns.”
Kimo’s laugh choked on a sob. “That might not be an option, especially if they come after me again.”
“That’s why you have a bodyguard,” the doctor said. “Hang onto him until you’re in the clear.”
The doctor lifted his chin toward Rex.
