Chapter 38

As I was leavingthe pool area, I heard Lei call out to the girls, "Five more minutes, and then we need to go back to the room."

They groaned, but it didn't sound heartfelt. Even Marco Polo had its limits.

The reception was well underway when I returned. The brides were seated at a head table receiving guests as the crowd passed by on their way to the buffet. I took a spot at the rear of the line and was relieved when no one followed after me.

"Edith, I'm so happy for you and Josie," I told my friend. "You both look beautiful."

"And so do you, dear. That dress is a little short, though." She put her glasses on and chuckled. "You're pulling it off just fine!"

I snorted. "I was wondering what got into you, ordering it for me!"

"Speed, my dear. We ripped through the catalog picking items and told Elle to grab them at the store. Anyway, it was our trip to Honolulu last year that started this whole thing. You saved my life, and I started thinking about my future. I had that little heart event, and you saved me again. If there's anything I can ever do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Funny you should say that." I filled her in on the Maile Ortiz situation. "Would it be too pushy to ask for your help on your wedding day?"

Josie had overheard this. She piped up, "Absolutely not. Edith will help. Right, dear?"

"Of course. What a blessing on our special day!"

"That would be the best wedding gift of all," Josie chimed in.

Shortly thereafter, Edith and I made our way to the bungalow. The three girls were sitting on the bed, each wrapped in a huge striped beach towel. Sandy and Windy had taken up a spot on either side of a stricken-faced Maile, who was refusing to answer any of Lei's questions.

Edith removed her veiled hat and bustled forward; she was the white-haired grandma anyone might wish for—twinkly-eyed and kind. "Hello, Maile. My name is Edith Pepperwhite. I'm not a foster parent; I'm an attorney. It's my job to help you answer the questions Lei asks you. So, if you get worried, or confused, or you just don't know what to say, look over at me and we'll work it out together. Does that sound good?"

Maile's knitted eyebrows broadcast her doubts about whether Edith was friend or foe. However, when Lei announced that Sandy and Windy would have to leave, the tiny lawyer piped up, "I think that's something we should ask Maile. Do you want your friends to stay or go?"

Maile reached out and grasped the two girls' hands. "We're staying," said Windy. "And that's final."

Lei brought out her phone and turned on the audio app. She announced the date, time, and people present.

Over the next half hour Maile added to the information she'd offered earlier. She said her "dad" had become agitated after someone had come to their house the day he'd butchered a wild pig. That afternoon he drove her out to Wai?ānapanapa Park.

"He gave me some cooked meat and bread in a backpack. He told me that he loved me and wanted me to be happy, but I couldn't stay with him anymore. Then he drove away. I was real sad when he left."

"What did you do that night?" Lei asked.

"I hid. I thought I might be in trouble from Mrs. Long. It started to get dark. I found a place to sleep inside a cave. There was a pretty beach and it stayed warm in there all night. Dad had given me a sleeping bag so I was okay."

"How about the days after that?"

"Every day tourists came and I'd hide. When they'd leave, I'd go through their garbage. They always threw away lots of good food and stuff. I even found a blow-up beach floatie that I could use for a bed."

I shuddered at the thought of this sweet girl dumpster diving, but she was resourceful and resilient. She'd done what she had to do to survive.

"Your ‘dad' never came back?"

"No. I think he knew I wasn't really his daughter and that he'd get in trouble for having me at his house and pretending I was his kid."

"How did you get to where we are now, the Hotel Hana?"

"After some good days at the park, it started raining. A lot. People stopped coming. There was no food and it got really cold and wet at night. When I got really hungry, I went out to the road and asked a man working there if he'd give me a ride home."

"Where is home?" Lei asked in a low voice.

Maile teared up and hung her head. "I don't know. I wanted to go to Dad's house, but I didn't know where it was. And I didn't want to get him in trouble. I couldn't tell the man where to take me."

"So, he brought you here?"

"Yes." By now Maile was crying. Her thin body shook with emotion. The girls scooted closer to their new friend and Sandy put her arm around Maile's shoulders.

Edith said, "I think that's enough for now."

Lei picked up her phone and tapped it, shutting off the recording and ending the interview. "Thank you, Maile," she said. "You've been very helpful, and I appreciate you answering my questions. I'll be in touch if I need to talk with you more."

"Can I go back to Dad's house now? Please don't make me go back to Mrs. Long's place."

The adults in the room shared a glance. No one wanted to disclose that both of her former guardians were dead or nearly so at this particular moment; the girl had been through so much.

"Tell you what," I said. "Why don't you three go with Ms. Pepperwhite and get some wedding cake? Would you mind taking them with you to the reception, Ms. Pepperwhite?"

"It would be my pleasure. We have cake and haupia pudding and all kinds of other yummy things. Do you girls have something to wear besides your bathing suits?"

The Nakasone girls bounced off the bed. "Yes! We have party dresses."

Maile stayed on the bed. Once again, she crossed her arms as if trying to make herself as small as possible. "I don't have a party dress," she murmured. "Or any dress."

I stood. "Yes, you do. You can wear mine. See how short it is? It'll be a little long on you, but it will still look great. Give me a minute to make a phone call." I phoned Elle. "How's the reception going?"

"Like clockwork, except a bride is missing."

"She's with me. Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure."

I asked her to grab one of the colorful pareos, or tropical shawls, they sold in the gift shop. I'd pay for it before I left. I inquired if the hotel had any sewing kits.

"You mean like to fix a button or something?"

"Yes."

"I have a ‘bridal emergency basket.' It's got everything. I'll bring it along. What's this for, Kat?"

I explained we were improvising the lack of a party dress for Maile.

"Got it. I'll be there in a flash. Oh, and the pareo is on the house. Your money's no good at the Hotel Hana."

Elle soon brought a cerulean blue pareo decorated with batik white seashells and swirls of fuchsia. She helped wrap it around me and tied it behind my neck so that it resembled a dress.

"Ta-da!" said Elle. "You look like you just stepped out of a Paul Gauguin painting."

Maile slipped into my silk gown. It hung too low on her chest, so Elle folded the shoulders over and used safety pins from the sewing kit to secure them.

"You're very handy with those pins," I said. "I can't see them at all."

She laughed. "Working with brides requires a plethora of unique skills."

"Check the mirror, Maile. You look very pretty," I told the girl.

The dress came nearly to her calves and was too generous around the middle, but the gorgeous fabric more than made up for the plain style. Windy took a couple of hair bows and offered them to Maile to complete her look.

After hugs of encouragement, the girls took off with Edith and Elle to find cake. Lei told me she had to go to the station to file her report and paperwork. "I'm calling Candace at CWS about Maile," Lei told me. "She will be so glad to hear the girl's okay."

"Perfect," I said. "I'm sure she'll take good care of Maile. As to where she should go tonight—maybe she can spend the night with the Nakasones. I can call their father and ask."

"Make it so," Lei said, and I laughed at the Star Trek quote.

I sat on the front porch chair. First, I called Joe, and he was fine with an extra kid for the night. Then I made a call to Doug Beachum, the UPS driver who'd first spotted the girl in the window.

"Hey, Doug," I said when his voicemail picked up. "Kat Smith here. I have some good news about the girl you saw in the hermit's window. She's been found alive and well. Thought you'd want to know."

Then I called Keone.

His phone also went to voicemail.

Our relationship had hit a rough patch, but I hoped it wasn't over yet. Was I wrong? Only one way to find out.

I left him a one-word message. "Banana?"