The third document was a request filed by the beneficiary, Stan Moffit, for a payout. Ben’s eyes went back to the news article. He noted the date and time. A mirthless chuckle escaped.
“You only waited eight hours after you told police your wife was missing to apply for a payout. That is not suspicious at all.”
Another e-mail came in. Ben opened it. It was a ticket for a plane ride to Hawaii and a request for local cooperation in a federal investigation.
Ben downed his coffee and got up to pack. He had to hurry and catch a plane.
The wind blew strong and hard all day Sunday. There could be no official search until the wind calmed down. The inaction made Lainie feel as if there were columns of ants marching all over her body, just under her skin. She couldn’t stay inside.
She found a trail that ran along the shore, a crushed coral trail that took her back to A-Bay. In spite of the wind, she walked by herself to the beach. There were still tourists here and there. She didn’t think the wind was as strong as the day before, and she hoped that meant it was decreasing.
All Lainie could do was walk along the beach. She did that until the wind really began to get to her, and she went back to the hotel. Her father and Stan were watching golf on TV. They’d gotten some food, and since she couldn’t remember when she’d eaten last, she made herself a sandwich, then went out on the lanai to sit and eat. Shebarely tasted the food and only ate about half of what she’d made. The wind whistled around, but the lanai was protected.
When night fell, she went to bed early.
“I’d try to pray,” she whispered in the dark. “But I still can’t say that I believe it works. I did at one time—but right now I’m so rusty. And this is the most desperate prayer of my life. I don’t want my sister to be gone. Please help us find her.”
She was completely unconvinced that her prayer was heard. The only thing she was 100 percent sure of was that if they couldn’t search the next day, she would lose her mind.
When dawn broke, the palm trees were calm, the slight breeze barely detectable.
Detective Yamada called Lainie back that morning. She was out by herself again, walking back toward the beach on the same shoreline trail. Her father had still been asleep when she left the room. She didn’t know about Stan and didn’t care.
“I’m Detective Jensen. Evie Moffit is my sister.” She explained that she was a detective in Long Beach, California.
“Detective Jensen, how can I help you?”
At a loss for a second, Lainie mouthed a silentO. She wanted her sister back. Yamada couldn’t help her there.
“I, uh, want to know where my sister is. How is it possible she disappeared completely?”
The line went silent for a moment. “I’m sorry, Detective Jensen. Sharks are mobile and quite destructive. I’m sorry, but remains can be difficult to recover. I assure you, we’ve searched the area completely for your sister. We did not find her.”
“Are you sure my brother-in-law is telling the truth?”
Lainie blurted the question out without thinking. It was not something she would have asked if her father were standing next to her.
“There were at least two, maybe three, other people on the beach that day who thought they saw a shark. Several more helped yourbrother-in-law search. And we recovered a portion of your sister’s mask and snorkel. Is there some reason we should doubt your brother-in-law’s story?”
Lainie closed her eyes and tears leaked from the corners. “No, ah, no, I’m sorry. This is so hard to understand.”
“I realize it’s difficult. Many visitors underestimate the ocean and the dangers within. Detective Jensen, as a professional courtesy, I’ll send you what we have on this case as soon as I am able. Can you give me your e-mail address?”
Lainie complied.
“I will be back at the beach in about an hour. We’ll continue the search today.”
“Okay, thank you. I’m at the beach now. I’d like to help in any way I can.” Lainie disconnected and continued walking. The wind had calmed down to nothing, and Lainie planned to take a kayak out into the bay, to where Stan had said he’d last seen Evie.
She was early. The kiosk was not yet open. Frustrated, Lainie walked down to the water’s edge. A few people were enjoying the now calm and gentle surf and even more were on the sand, chatting and laughing.
She wanted to scream. How could life go on so normally?
To ease her frustration, she walked along the water. A rock structure jutted out into the bay a bit, and she walked out on it as far as she could go. It was a warm morning, a gentle breeze waffling through her hair now and again, but nothing like the day before. Small swells lapped against the rocky shore. The two catamarans anchored in the bay were stable, only rolling gently.
Lainie studied the water, hating to think of her sister’s remains being consumed by marine life. Tears fell and she wiped her face with her palms.
She stayed there until she began to feel too warm, then returned to the kiosk, which now showed signs of opening. An older Asian man strode along the water. He was not in uniform, but it had to beYamada. He looked like a cop. Someone once told her that cops tended to walk alike because of the weight of the gun belt on their hips, and the weight of the memories of tragic scenes in their hearts. Lainie could always tell a fellow officer by their situational awareness. The man strode with a purpose, he was taking everything in, he was not a tourist.
