Page 36 of Wired Fear

“I need to get those crutches the doc prescribed,” Jake murmured. He was so sleepy from the medication he could hardly keep his eyes open. “But first, I’ve gotta walk the dogs. They need to go out.”

“Oh, now I know why you were so hell-bent on getting back to the apartment,” Felicia panted, propping Jake against the wall of the rickety elevator and punching his floor’s button. “Don’t worry. I’ll take the dogs out and run by the pharmacy and get your meds and the crutches, too.” The elevator creaked as it slowly rose.

“Don’t know what I’d do without you, babe.” Jake’s arm was still over Felicia’s shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head. “My girl Friday.”

“Don’t call me babe, Jake.” Felicia stiffened and pulled away to stand across the doorway from him. “You’re with Sophie.”

“I thought you liked being called ‘babe,’ sweetheart.” Jake tried to enunciate.

“That was…before I knew you guys were together.” Felicia’s face was turned away. “I didn’t mind then. I mind, now.”

“I don’t know if we’re together. I don’t know what’s going on with Sophie. As usual. She’s pregnant. It might be mine, it might be someone else’s.” Jake clapped a hand over his mouth. “Oops. Pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to tell you. Meds talking.”

“Oh my God!” Felicia’s eyes were a very bright blue. “That’s…wow. Tough stuff, Jake. I’m sorry you guys are going through that. Did she say what she’s doing about the baby?”

“Yeah. She’s keeping it. She’s on Kaua`i telling the other guy to get a paternity test. I’m doing one too. Obviously.”

“Obviously,” Felicia echoed, her voice hollow. The elevator dinged as it reached Jake’s floor, and Felicia hefted him out. She puffed as they staggered down the hall. Jake pointed to his door, and she used his key to open it.

The dogs, waiting on the other side, swarmed them. Jake batted at them with a hand, shooing them away. Felicia maneuvered him to the open, unmade futon bed parked in front of the sliders. A breeze blew in and cooled his hot face as he sat down. The room whirled around him, and spots danced in the corners of his vision. “Wow. I’m tripping on these meds.”

“We should get those pants off you. They’re cut to bits and covered with blood,” Felicia said.

“Yeah. Don’t worry, I don’t go commando,” Jake murmured. “Thanks, Felicia. You rock.” Jake shut his eyes as she removed his wallet and weapon, unbuckled his belt, and helped him slide the pants, cut off above the knees, all the way off of him. The hospital had allowed him to wear the gown covering his upper torso out of the building, and Felicia removed that, too. She lifted his foot, encased in a structured boot, up onto the bed and tilted him back until his head hit the pillow.

“You going to be okay? I’m going to take the dogs out for a walk and then go get that stuff you need.” Felicia’s voice came from far above Jake, but he didn’t open his eyes. He was just too tired to speak, and then he was gone.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Day Five

Kaua`i had such a different feeling about it from the Big Island.

Sophie gazed out at the ocean from her little fourth-floor deck at the Hanalei Bay Resort. Surfers were clearly visible. A fresh wind stirred the palms and a nearby banyan tree; mynahs hopped on the mowed grass below the unit.

But there the resemblance to her ocean vista in Hilo ended. The view this resort faced was breathtaking, a triptych of rugged mountains and iconic headland. Active with wind and waves, Hanalei Bay was completely different from Hilo’s sheltered calm. The ocean was bright blue and turquoise, dappled with greenish-brown reef, and surfers worked the right-hand break across from the river mouth.

Sophie closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, then went into her morning routine of sun salutations. Nausea plucked at the back of her throat, but she breathed through it, trying not to think of the upcoming meeting at Alika’s house in Princeville, an exclusive ridge community above Hanalei Valley.

Showered, dressed, even wearing a little makeup, Sophie was soon on the road in a yellow Chevrolet rental to Alika’s address. Her Mary Watson identity had felt like the right look to wear. She liked the swishy skirt and cream silk blouse that left her arms bare—cool and comfortable. Sophie felt pretty.

And after a brief, violent vomiting episode following her yoga practice, Sophie badly needed to feel pretty.

She battled a sense of déjà vu as she drove down a winding avenue to park in front of a mansion built of sienna-colored stonework, with a cobalt-blue ceramic tile roof that gleamed in the sun. This was the house and grounds she’d seen in a dream, flying over it in Alika’s helicopter!

But she could swear she’d never seen even a photograph of it before.How very strange.

The hairs on Sophie’s arms rose as she looked around at gracious, full-sized palm plantings that were still finding their roots with the aid of bamboo trellising. Beyond the house’s bluff view, the swooping patchwork of taro fields and a sinuous green river down in the valley was set off by three peaked mountains.

A closed four-car garage gave no indication whether or not Alika was home, and Sophie wiped sweaty hands on her skirt as she got out of the car. She approached teak double doors with huge brass scrollwork handles and stood for a long moment on the flagstone step, her finger poised above the doorbell’s button as she dug deep for the courage to ring it.

Before she could do so, the door swung open.

Esther Ka`awai gazed up into Sophie’s surprised face. Alika’s grandmother wore a casual house muumuu in floral fabric. Her long hair was down, a curtain of black and silver hanging to her hips. Her weathered brown face broke into a bright smile. “Sophie! I thought you might be visiting. It is so good to see you again.”

Surprise and deep humiliation locked up Sophie’s muscles, but her frozen posture didn’t stop Esther from embracing her stiff body. “I am glad you finally came to see Alika. He is healing well but seeing you will no doubt speed things further.”

Sophie ducked her head. “I am so ashamed that I never visited him in the hospital. I felt so guilty.”

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