“But they were there,” she insisted.
“If they really are, the Coast Guard should find them. If not... I’m sorry. With no bodies, no photos and no other witnesses, it’s hard to dedicate resources to investigate it.”
Kimo frowned at the detective. “And Alana? A live woman I witnessed being abducted. Are you going to shelve that investigation as well?”
“We’re looking into it.” The detective reached for the laptop. “Again, until we know more, don’t leave Maui.”
“And where would I go?” She raised her hands, palms up. “This is my home.”
“We’ll be in touch,” the detective said and left the house.
Kimo shook her head from side to side, trying and failing to absorb it all. “My life’s work has been wiped clean, along with the digital proof that there were dead people chained to a shipping container at the bottom of Maalaea Bay. The equipment I used in my business is gone. I’ll have to postpone the work I had scheduled, lose contracts and disappoint customers. Worst of all, my friend is missing. What now?”
“I don’t know, but that detective doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to find your friend or that shipping container.” Rex ran his hand over the stubble on his chin, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Then he nodded as if agreeing with himself. “I have an idea.”
“Good,” Kimo said, “because all I’m coming up with is doing the job ourselves. If we can’t get the Maui PD working on finding Alana, we can’t just sit around and wait.”
Rex nodded. “That was where my idea was heading.” He paced across the floor. “We have access to a computer guru who makes hackers look like amateurs. I’ll contact him and see if he can find backups of your online storage, including the images you uploaded before the attackers stole the boat.”
Kimo’s eyes widened. “He can do that?”
Rex shrugged. “I can’t guarantee anything, but if it can be done, he’s our man.”
“If he can get the images I took of the shipping container, there might be some form of identification on it.”
Rex nodded. “We might be able to track its origin.” Rex’s brow wrinkled. “You say you rented the boat?”
“I did, from Jako’s Diving Adventures. I need to contact Jako and let him know about the boat.”
“Let’s check with him and see if the boat has turned up or if he had a tracker on it,” Rex suggested. “Do you have his number?”
“I’d rather give him the news in person,” Kimo said.
“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Rex asked.
Kimo drew in a deep breath and let it out. “I have to be.”
“And I’ll check with my boss. He sent some of the team we have on Maui to search the waters around Maalaea Bay. I’d like to know if they found anything.”
Kimo glanced out the front window as a Maui PD cruiser rolled into her driveway. “Did the detective forget something?”
Rex came to stand beside her as a uniformed policeman stepped out of the vehicle.
Kimo’s lips pressed together. “Maybe Sykes sent him to actually investigate the break-in.”
“Let’s hope he knows what he’s doing,” Rex said. “I’m not convinced Sykes does.”
“I hope he makes it fast. I feel like the longer we wait to search for Alana,” Kimo swallowed hard before continuing, “the less chance we have of finding her.”
Chapter 5
The Maui PD officer got started dusting a million surfaces in the cottage for prints.
Rex hooked Kimo’s arm and guided her out onto the front porch. He sat on the porch steps and motioned for Kimo to join him.
She sank beside him and stared out at the police vehicle while Rex pulled out his cell phone.
The first call was to his boss. He clicked on the number and put it on speaker so that Kimo could hear the conversation.
