Chapter 5

Riding the bike down the road from Hana back to Ohia, the evening grew dark as tangled tropical trees blocked what little sunlight remained of the day. I hurried, pedaling while visibility held, turning left into pastureland where the last rays of the sun caressed the lush grass where cattle grazed peacefully. And I was thankful when Koki Beach emerged ahead on the left of the turnoff, golden sand glowing softly in the sunset, the nearby atoll known as ‘ālau Island topped by coconut palms and ironwoods, providing a shadowy backdrop.

Keone's board-laden truck was parked at the far end of the beach, where a dirt path led down to surf crashing in the deepening colors of the sunset. I pulled up beside the truck as he emerged from the cab and picked up a board. He tucked it under a muscular arm in anticipation of our evening session before full night fell.

"Kitty Kat," he called with a smile. "Rough today, eh?"

I nodded wearily, dismounting and pushing the bike over to join him. "No leads at the crime scene except that I confirmed that Lady Sapphire could not have escaped Mrs. Scarborough's yard on her own."

"Well, let's hit the waves. Recharge our brain cells and compare notes after. The moon's rising as the sun sets, and once our eyes adjust, it should be enough." He had already taken the longboard I'd been learning on off the racks and set it against the truck for me. "Here's your stick."

"Night surfing. This is a first." I stripped off the helmet, vest, and clothing I'd worn over my bathing suit, draping them over the bike's rear rack. "As if I wasn't already a terrible surfer."

"No substitute for water time," Keone said, handing me a rash guard. "That ought to help keep you warm."

I slid the tight, stretchy shirt on and rolled it down over my bikini. "And keep my suit in place."

He leaned in to give me a quick kiss. "No one around tonight but us. We could skinny-dip."

"Read my lips: heck, no."

Keone laughed and turned toward the beach. "Last one in is a rotten noni fruit!"

Since I knew what those smelled like (carrion, no joke), I grabbed the longboard and chased him into the chilly, rolling waves.

An hour or so of badly lit ocean water whomping followed with Keone showing off his moves, per usual, and me wiping out.

I finally caught one wave and was able to ride it all the way in, though, and decided to call that good.

I sat on the beach and watched my boyfriend "rip" as they called good surfing here in Hawaii. Boy was he fun to watch, even backlit by a rising moon. He loved to do fin-first reversals and other tricks including off-the-lip and "getting air."

I clapped as Mr. K walked up out of the gleaming white foam facing me, his broad grin a gleam of white teeth in the dim light. "That was great, Keone!"

"I saw that wave you caught," he said. "You might not think so, but you're getting better."

Keone and I wrapped in warm towels, and he led the way to a lone food truck that had set up at the opposite end of the beach, ordering us each a healthy meal. Between bites of teriyaki steak stir-fry bowl at the picnic table in the beachfront hut, I recounted my fruitless visit to Mrs. Scarborough's home in detail. Maybe some new angle might emerge that Keone's keen pilot's eyes would see.

But his level brows only furrowed deeper, contemplating the mystery.

"Don't lose hope," he insisted when I'd finished my story. "I have an idea."

I perked up, snagging onto this thread. "Lay it on me, Mr. K!"

Keone smiled at my enthusiasm, shaking his head. "It's no big breakthrough, but when I stopped for gas, I ran into one of the bird biologists that monitors ‘ālau Island's bird population." He pointed to the outcrop of land off the point, crowned by a cluster of palm trees. "When I asked about missing cats, the scientist said he was glad there were fewer of them because they're a problem for the nesting birds. My thought was that we should talk more to the biologists at the Hana Bird Refuge. I've heard they trap cats that get inside the fenced sanctuary and move them outside of it."

I frowned, turning this nugget over. "You think it's worth checking out? How could Lady Sapphire be caught up in something like that? She's a totally domesticated pet."

"Maybe it's worth talking to some folks who aren't Cat People," Keone said. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting interested in why all these feral cats are disappearing."

"Yeah, that bothers me, too," I agreed, forking up a mouthful of savory stir-fry and chewing thoughtfully. "But I think it's more likely Lady Sapphire was stolen so her kittens could be sold for profit. They are due on Christmas, leaving her owner alone on the holiday. Talk about a Grinch move. But I guess it can't hurt to find out more."