House of the Hanging Jade (24 page)

I ran straight up the hill, panting with exertion and fear, until I reached the road. I could hear Geoffrey, his feet pounding on the ground behind me. He was yelling my name. I ran along the side of the road until a car appeared in the distance. I only had to wait a minute or two until it would be at my location on the road. I stopped running and jumped up and down, waving my arms in the desperate hope that the car would see me and get to me faster.

I'll never know if the driver of the car saw me. I started running again, but stopping had cost me. Geoffrey came up behind me, breathing hard, and grabbed my arm, yanking me around to face him. He looked furious. “You'll be sorry you did that,” he growled. “Come with me.” He led me back to his car, threw me into the backseat, and pulled onto the highway in a plume of gravel. I banged my head when he jerked the car onto the road. I became more alert by the time his car came to a stop again down a deserted road high above Hawi Town. I sat up higher in the seat to have a look around—we must have arrived at one of the places where he sometimes slept in his car at night. There was a folding lawn chair under a tree and several cardboard coffee cups littering the ground nearby. I wondered how he had ever found this place.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the car.

“Stop pulling on me,” I told him.

“You obviously intend to try getting away from me, so I have to hold onto you.”

“I won't try to get away. I promise,” I lied.

He made a scoffing sound. “Sit down, then,” he ordered, pushing me toward the lawn chair. I sat down facing him. “I don't know what I'm going to do with you,” he began. I decided to try again to appeal to reason.

“Geoffrey, you know people are going to be looking for me. Why don't you just let me go? Just drive me into Hawi and let me off on the main road. I'll tell the police I have no idea where you are. They'll believe me.”

He cocked his head and looked hard at me, as if he might actually be considering my words.

“You're becoming a lot of trouble,” he said, running a hand through his greasy, disheveled hair.

Sensing that he might be weakening, I pushed my advantage. “It won't be long now before someone finds my car at that farm stand and starts to wonder where I am. When they run the plates, they'll know the car belongs to me and you'll be the first person they suspect.”

“Shut up, will you?” he screamed.

I shrugged. “I'm just telling you what's going to happen,” I said quietly. He advanced toward me one step. I reflexively turned my face away from him, wondering at the same time how bruised and swollen I looked.

“What I need right now is time to think.”

“Take all the time you need,” I said unhelpfully. He sneered at me.

He paced around in the tall grass for several minutes before seeming to make up his mind. Geoffrey opened the trunk of his car and rummaged around, then turned to me, holding a length of rope. I watched him warily as he walked toward me, slapping the end of the rope against the palm of his hand.

I made the decision to run when he was about ten feet away. It was my only choice. I leaped from the lawn chair and took off in the direction of the main road. My arms pumping, I fairly flew up the dirt road, straining my ears for the sound of his footsteps behind me.

But what I heard instead were the sounds of squealing tires, of pebbles scattering, as he gunned his car. It would only be a matter of seconds before he caught me, before I became his prisoner again. I chanced a frantic look over my shoulder and saw him bearing down on me, pure fury in his eyes.

I veered off into the woods alongside the dirt track, hoping he wouldn't follow in the car. He didn't. He slammed the car to a stop and I heard him crashing after me through the trees. I didn't take the time to look behind me as I ran. I knew he wasn't far behind. I tried zigzagging around the trees, hoping it would slow him down, but it didn't. I felt something brush across my back and knew he was reaching for me. I ran faster, wondering how long I could keep going.

I hurtled out of the trees and onto the lonely road. I looked both ways in a panic, hoping a car would appear to rescue me. But there was no car in sight. I turned to my left, headed in the direction of Hawi, as Geoffrey erupted from the trees, cursing and yelling my name. I kept running, trying to focus on getting away and not think about what might happen if he caught me again.

Then he fell. Hard. I heard his body hit the pavement, but I didn't turn around. I just kept running. Another hundred feet down the road, I turned off the road, back into the trees. I finally stopped long enough to take stock of the area around me, noticing a small depression on the ground. I lay down in the tiny hollow, covering my clothes and visible skin with large leaves and fronds that had fallen from nearby trees. I lay perfectly still after that, wondering if Geoffrey would be able to hear the pounding of my heart if he came near. That is, if he didn't see me after the clumsy attempt I had made to hide myself. I held my breath and listened for his footsteps.

I heard him approaching. The sound was uneven, almost as if he was dragging his foot. Then I realized he might have hurt one of his legs or feet when he fell back on the road. Good—I hoped he was hurt.

I lay perfectly still until the steps slowed, then stopped within a few feet of my hiding place. I held my breath again. I knew he was listening.
Does he know I'm here?
He stood in place for what seemed like hours, then finally the sound of his feet began to recede. I didn't risk breathing in case he was watching and waiting. But a few moments later, I heard him calling my name softly. The sound of his voice came from the direction of the road, and I knew he had walked far enough away that I could dare to take a slow breath and release it.

I was determined to wait until it got dark to emerge from my spot. And I succeeded, though my legs began to cramp and I became panicky and claustrophobic as the hours dragged by. Dire thoughts filled my mind while I waited. What if Geoffrey came back and found me? What if I couldn't run fast enough and he caught me? What if he was waiting for me on the main road? Eventually the light filtering through the leaves covering my head began to fade. I became more and more anxious to leave my tiny space and make my way to Hawi.

Once the darkness was complete I tried moving my legs just a little bit. The noise they made under the leaves and fronds sounded deafening to my ears, but I soon realized it wasn't any louder than the fronds and leaves swaying above me in the breeze. I ventured to raise my head just above the level of the ground and scanned the area around me. It was too dark to see anything. Moving quietly on my deadened legs, I crouched awkwardly into a stooped position, hoping I would be able to bolt if I saw him. But no human sound reached my ears, no sense of him watching.

Scrambling as quickly and quietly as I could, I headed for the road. I knew I was getting closer as the trees thinned. Suddenly, I burst out of the protection of the woods and onto the road. Glancing in both directions, I hobbled across the road and stayed close to the tree line. Every few seconds I stopped moving and listened for the sound of Geoffrey's footsteps, but I didn't hear them. As my legs became used to running again, I gained confidence and speed. I hurried in the direction of Hawi, hoping the main road through town wasn't too far away.

Finally, I saw the lights of the restaurants and shops in Hawi. I ran toward them full-tilt, hope rising in my chest. I was finally going to get help.

I didn't see Geoffrey as I ran past him, hiding in the trees near Hawi's main road. I screamed when he grabbed my arm, yanking me around to look into his eyes. Even in the darkness, I could see his face was twisted with rage. It even looked like he might be missing a couple teeth.

“I knew you'd show up if I waited long enough,” he growled, limping and dragging me behind him, back up the road toward the place we had been hours earlier. His voice sounded strange, like he was having trouble talking.

Then I did the only thing that my mind could register. I had to hurt him; I had to strike him where he was most vulnerable. I knew he had hurt one of his feet or legs when he fell earlier, so I started kicking him.

I kicked wildly at both legs and tried stomping on his feet. I prayed the pain would temporarily stop him from dragging me, at least long enough for me to run away from him again.

It worked. Howling with anger, he dropped my arm in shock, then flailed back toward me, trying to grasp me again.

I ran. I could hear him behind me, but he was at a disadvantage, limping from the injuries to his legs.

“I'll be watching you, Kailani! And I'll kill you!”

He continued to bellow at me, demanding that I stop, but I kept running until I reached the main road. I rushed into the first shop I came to, its welcoming lights twinkling in the large front window.

People turned and stared as I came to an abrupt stop inside the door. I hadn't thought about how terrifying I must look, but I was suddenly self-conscious.

“Can I help you?” a woman asked.

“Please, I need a phone,” I gasped.

She motioned me toward the counter where two or three people waited in line to pay for their souvenirs. All the quiet chatter in the shop had come to a halt as everyone listened to my phone call.

I
called Liko first.

“Where have you been, K?” he demanded. “Everyone has been looking for you! The police, me, Lars, everyone! Are you all right?”

“I'll tell you everything when I see you. Can you come pick me up in Hawi?”

“I'll be there in just a few minutes. Hang tight.” I told him where to find me and hung up.

I hung up the phone and turned to the woman who had let me use it. “Thank you.”

“Can I call the police for you, honey?” she asked, her voice filled with concern. “Are you all right?”

“I am now, thanks. And yes, I'd like you to call the police.”

It wasn't long before I heard a car speeding through Hawi and I knew Liko had come. He leaped out of the driver's side of the car and ran around to where I stood; Lars just as quickly got out of the passenger side.

Suddenly the day's pain and fear caught up with me and I stood on the sidewalk sobbing until I couldn't catch my breath, letting them take turns holding me in their arms, caressing my hair, telling me everything was okay. I had never been so happy to see anyone.

As they helped me gently into the front seat of the car, two police cars with flashing lights pulled up. I recounted for the officers the events since arriving at the farm stand in Waimea. Though they tried their best to convince me to go to a hospital to be checked out, all I wanted was to go home. They left in search of Geoffrey, though I was sure he would have found another place to hide by the time they discovered the dirt road where we had parked so many hours ago.

Finally, it was time to go home. Liko drove and Lars sat behind me, his hands on my shoulders.

Lars explained what had been happening in my absence. “There have been people out looking for you all afternoon. We got a call from the state police that your car had been found at the farm stand in Waimea, but you were nowhere to be seen. They talked to the police in Hawi and there's been a search for you since then. Everyone figured Geoffrey had something to do with your disappearance, but no one knew where he's been staying, so they didn't have any specific places to look. I'll bet they drove right past the place where you were hiding.”

Liko nodded his agreement. “If I find Geoffrey, I'm going to kill him,” he said between gritted teeth.

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to discourage him, but part of me found the idea appealing. We swung into the driveway and Liko parked the car. “Tomorrow we'll go up to Waimea and get your car. That is, if you're up to it,” he said.

“Let's wait and see what tomorrow brings,” I answered with a wan smile. I turned to face Lars. “I'm sorry I've brought all this chaos to your house. Maybe it would be better if I just went home and stayed with my parents.”

“Of course you can leave if you want to, but I hope you'll stay,” he said gently. “As I've told you before, none of this is your fault.”

“What are we going to tell the kids when they see me?” I thought for a moment. “
I
haven't even seen me. How bad do I look?”

Lars and Liko exchanged glances. “Never mind,” I said with a sigh. “You just told me everything I needed to know.”

Lars started to say something, then stopped.

“What are we going to tell the kids?” I repeated.

“Marcus can handle the truth,” Lars said. “And I think we can simply tell Justine that you were in an accident and you were injured. Period. Marcus won't tell her what really happened. Don't you agree, Liko?” Liko nodded.

We had reached the front door, which was yanked open by Barbie, dressed only in a nightie.

“Kailani!” she squealed. “What happened?” She peppered me with questions as she drew me into the house, then looked over my head at Lars and Liko. “I've got this. I'll get her cleaned up.” She put her arm around my shoulders and walked slowly with me to my room, where she insisted on waiting while I quickly showered. When I went into my bathroom I saw my face in the mirror for the first time all day. I gasped. One eye was swollen partially shut, part of my face was purple, and dried blood crusted on my forehead and chin and pooled below my nose. I hadn't even realized my nose was bleeding. I looked away with a shudder and stepped gingerly into the shower. The water felt good on my body, but when I tried to wash my face the pain was just too much to bear. When I was done, Barbie and I went upstairs to her bathroom. I sat on a tufted stool while she dabbed at my cuts and scrapes with cotton and sterile water and ointment.

“I appreciate this, Barbie. Thanks,” I told her gratefully.

“What on earth happened?”

I told her the story I had told Lars and Liko. She was horrified. “What are the children going to say when they see you?” she fretted.

“Lars already decided to tell Marcus the truth, but he thought it would be best to tell Justine that I was in an accident and not give her any more details. He thought she could handle that.”

She nodded. “I suppose that's right. She's too young to hear it. It would scare her to death.”

Barbie finished her ministrations to my face and stood back. “A little worse for wear, but you'll be okay. Tomorrow we can apply some makeup that will help hide the bruises. They're pretty angry-looking.” I nodded ruefully.

“Now you go get some sleep,” she instructed me. “I'm sure Liko will sleep near you tonight to make sure you're all right.”

I hadn't thought of that, but the idea gave me some comfort. I returned downstairs, where Lars and Liko were waiting for me on the lanai. They both stood up when I appeared.

“How are you feeling?” Lars asked, concern obvious in his eyes.

“Better than I was.”

“We've been talking and Liko wants to sleep in your den tonight. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. In fact, I think that would help me sleep better.”

“Just let me go get my stuff,” Liko said, and walked quickly down the lanai toward the guesthouse.

Lars and I were left alone on the dark and quiet lanai. He stepped forward and took me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks.

“I can't tell you how relieved and happy I was to see you tonight in Hawi,” he said. “I have never been so worried about anything in my life.” He tilted my chin up toward him. “Are you sure you're going to be all right?”

“I am now that I'm here.”

He held me for a few moments, gently wiping away my tears, until we heard Liko approaching. I wished Lars and I could tell everyone how we felt about each other, but it wasn't time yet. He held me away from him. “Liko, take good care of her tonight,” he said with a smile. “And Kailani, I want you to sleep all day tomorrow.”

I looked at him gratefully. That sounded so tempting. I wondered if I would be able to, though. In my thoughts, I could picture Geoffrey's face looming large.

Liko led the way to my rooms and helped me into bed, pulling the sheets up to my chin. I thanked him and fell asleep almost immediately. It was very comforting to have him nearby during the night, and I'm sure that was part of the reason I slept so well.

I woke up late the next morning to the sound of a very noisy bird outside my closed bedroom window. For one brief, carefree moment I forgot the horror of the previous day, then it came back to me in a rush of dread. Lying in bed would only increase the apprehension I already felt, so I stepped out of bed cautiously, wondering whether my muscles would protest.

They did. My legs and back ached, my arms were leaden, and my shoulders were knotted and tense, as if all the stress of the last twenty-four hours had spread overnight and seeped into every corner of my body. I reached up and touched my face, wincing as my finger brushed against one of the lacerations that Barbie had treated. I looked into the bathroom mirror. The swelling had gone down a bit, but the bruises had purpled overnight.

I ventured into the den, where Liko was sitting in my armchair with the newspaper.

“K!” he greeted me. “How are you feeling?” He put the paper aside and stood up. “Can I get you coffee?”

“I've been better, thanks, but at least I'm here. I'll go out and get some coffee. I need to move around a bit. Thanks for staying with me last night. I hope you weren't too uncomfortable.”

“You kidding? I can sleep anywhere,” he replied with a wide smile. We went out to the kitchen together, where the coffeemaker was on. It smelled wonderful.

“Did someone take the kids to the bus stop this morning?” I fretted.

“Lars did. Stop worrying.”

“I can't help it,” I replied, pouring each of us a large mug of steaming coffee. “Every time I think of how terrible yesterday was, I—”

“K, don't think about it. The kids are fine. Lars will pick them up at the bus stop this afternoon and we'll do it every single day until Geoffrey is behind bars. Or dead, which would be even better.”

I shook my head, as if trying to rid myself of the memories. Liko meant well, but he didn't seem to truly understand how terrified I still felt and how edgy I would feel until Geoffrey no longer occupied a large space in my mind. I wondered if that time would ever come, even if he was caught.

“I called your parents and told them that you were in an accident. I hope that's okay,” he said.

“Thanks. I don't want them to know what really happened. They'll just worry.”

“They wanted to come and see you right away, but I convinced them to wait a few days.”

“Thanks, Liko. I want to give the police a chance to clear this up before my parents visit.”

We took our coffee out to the lanai and sat watching the Pacific change color from dark, dusky blue to a brilliant, sparkling aquamarine. A whale played lazily offshore, slapping the surface of the water with its fin and tail. It felt surreal, like there were no cares outside the walls of this house, but the nagging fear in my mind prevented me from enjoying the whale's antics, which I normally would have loved.

“I feel like I'm a prisoner here,” I finally said.

“You won't feel like that once the cops catch him, K. It won't be like this forever.”

Just then Lars walked onto the lanai. He saw Liko and me and his eyes lit up. “How's the patient this morning?” he asked.

“Sore, but much happier today,” I answered. “I slept in and it felt so good.”

“I'm glad. Do you feel like going back to sleep?”

“No—actually, I feel like getting back to work. Do you think that would be okay?”

He smiled. “I should have known that would be what you wanted to do today. If you think you're up to it—then sure. Go ahead and cook to your heart's content.” Liko turned to pick up his coffee mug and Lars winked at me. I smiled at him, loving the warm feeling I got when he looked at me.

“Where's Barbie?” I asked.

Lars shrugged. “I haven't seen her.”

Liko chimed in. “I saw her go upstairs earlier. She must still be up there.”

“Did she have breakfast?” I asked Liko.

“I don't know. You want me to find out?”

Lars put up his hand. “Wait. If Barbie wants breakfast, let her come down and get it. You are not her servant, Liko. And as for you, Kailani, don't be going upstairs to give her food. You are supposed to be healing, not overdoing it.”

“I won't overdo it, I promise.”

I walked slowly to the kitchen, where the kids and Liko had already put their dishes in the dishwasher for me and where the counters sparkled. Liko followed me. “Did you do this?” I asked, waving my hand to indicate the clean counters.

He grinned. “I'm not just a great tutor, you know. Just don't ask me to make anything but coffee.”

“I won't.”

“You must be feeling a little better,” Liko remarked. “I think I just saw a smile.”

“It feels good just to be here,” I answered. There was a rapping on the front door. Liko went to answer it and came back a moment later with two police officers in tow. A digital camera hung from the neck of one of the officers.

I led them out to the long dining table on the lanai, where I sat across from them.

The older-looking officer began talking. “Detective Alana filled us in on what's been going on between you and this Geoffrey Corcoran. Can you tell us what happened yesterday?”

Once again I related the events of the previous day, beginning with my trip to Waimea and ending with Liko and Lars coming to pick me up in Hawi. The officers didn't interrupt while I told my story. When I was finished, they began asking questions.

“So you think he followed you to Waimea, or did he just happen to see you up there?”

“I don't know. I didn't notice him following me, but he could have been behind me and I just wasn't paying attention.”

They asked me to tell them again about being taken from the abandoned ranch on the Kohala Mountain Road to the property where Geoffrey kept me during the afternoon. I complied, shuddering at the memory.

Liko held up his hand. “Can I say something?” he asked.

The officers looked at him expectantly, saying nothing.

“Geoffrey has threatened to kill Kailani. Can you guys keep her safe?”

The older officer nodded. “We are planning on posting an officer at the end of the Jorgensens' driveway. There's not much reason to come down this road unless a person is coming to this house, so any car that comes down here will be visible to the officers and won't see the police car until it's too late to turn around and go back to the main road.”