Shimura Trouble

26

I WAS SORTING through the few remaining clean dresses in my closet, wondering what I should wear to confront my own past and future, when my cell phone rang. It was Michael on the other end.

“Brooks,” I said, relief flooding through me like a gentle anesthetic. As awkward as things might be in a few hours time with Hugh, I would step into the Sebring at seven o’clock for my long-anticipated dinner date with Michael. I’d tell him everything, and he’d help me get over it. And then we’d have fun.

“I’m glad you answered-I was having trouble with reception earlier, because I’m on the North Shore. Are they going to let you out of Queen’s today?”

“You must not have heard that they let me go. I’m home, and you caught me in my room, figuring out what to wear tonight, if you’re still interested in dinner.”

“Of course. The reservation is on the late side, though. Do you think you can stay up till nine? Are you truly feeling fine?”

“Yes and no. My body’s more or less back to normal, but I’m a bit anxious about something.”

“And why’s that, honey?”

He used the endearment without any strategic reason-just affection, which made my revelation all the harder. “A visitor I never expected is coming to see me today. I’m not really in the mood to face him.”

“Kainoa?” Michael’s voice darkened.

“Actually, it’s someone flying in from Tokyo. Hugh.”

“Who?”

“Hugh! Hugh Glendenning, my ex. Edwin conned him into flying over here from Japan, saying I was deathly ill. I think it was all a way to get another person working on Braden’s legal defense.”

“If you didn’t invite him, then why would you see him?” Michael’s voice was tight.

I was speechless for a moment, then said, “Of course I’ll see him. I must explain about what Edwin did and make some apologies, at least.”

Michael was silent for a while, causing me to think our connection had broken. At last he spoke. “If you see Hugh, it’s over.”

“What’s over?” I asked.

Michael paused, then said, “This thing we have.”

Now I was mad. “Michael, you and I have never gotten past first base, so you’re a fine one to talk about having any kind of relationship, and I’m not hoping to rekindle anything with Hugh. He’s happily married to a beautiful actress and flew here intending to absolve me of all my past sins, or something like that, at my bedside as I lie dying-”

“He flew out here because he’s still in love with you, Rei.” Michael’s voice was somber. “When he finds out you’re OK, he’s not going to be content at the side of your bed, either.”

“I’m not going to be in bed, OK? I’m up and well and walking around,” I protested. “Come on, Michael. I didn’t have to tell you this at all, but I did it because-”

“Because why?” Michael interrupted. “Because it’s a handy way to cement the running-away-from-me scenario you started, just before you became ill?”

“You’re over-reacting, Michael. Just stop.”

“You have to decide what matters, Rei. Who you really want.” And with that, Michael Hendricks hung up on me.

I stood still, absorbing the shock. After a while, I clicked off the phone-after all, Michael wasn’t going to be able to phone back and apologize if the line was busy. And he would apologize; it was out of character for him to give me an ultimatum. Sure, he was jealous, but he’d calm down after a while. All men did.

I put off my thoughts about glamour gear for the evening and slipped into a clean T-shirt and shorts. I had to sit down on the edge of the bed to put on my socks, because I didn’t trust my balance.

The doorbell rang, and I started. It was too far from Waikiki to be Michael already, and I doubted it was Hugh, either. I waited for my father or somebody to open the door, but nothing happened, so I went myself.

“Rei!” Calvin Morita moved as if he intended to embrace me, so I stepped back, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Please don’t. I just woke up and was sick again,” I lied.

“Let’s sit down, then.” Calvin urged me over to the couch. “I’ll get you a glass of water, Rei. Ice?”

The last thing I wanted was Calvin Morita to hand me anything to eat or drink.

“Nothing right now, thanks,” I said, but he didn’t close the fridge door until he’d pulled out a bottle of mineral water for himself. Cracking off its top, he sat down across from me.

“Where’s Jiro?” I asked.

“Ah, the question you always ask me! He’s taking an afternoon nap. I took advantage of the lull to come over and welcome you home from the hospital. I saw your father, uncle and Tom at the pool.”

“I wonder why they didn’t tell me they saw you,” I said.

“Well, you were sleeping, weren’t you? I did have a chance to chat with them, and your father said you were the victim of food poisoning. If it turns out that it was the sushi, I’ll feel awful.”

“Why? I mean, why would you think it was the sushi?”

“You vomited, right? Did they talk to you about salmonella?”

“I’m sure the restaurant sushi was safe. Everyone else who ate it that night was fine.” I wanted Calvin out of the house; my gut was clenching and wrenching overtime, just being alone with him.

“Yes, and I was fine, too. I don’t understand. Your cousin told me that you actually ate at the home of Josiah Pierce earlier on the same day.” Calvin gave me a tell-me-more look.

“Yes, Michael and I were there. Mr. Pierce is cooperating with the health department, too.”

“How did you get invited over there?” Calvin blurted, as if no longer able to contain himself.

“He’s the uncle of one of Michael’s former classmates.”

“Oh, right. The Punahou connection!” Calvin seemed to relax slightly. “Well, I wouldn’t think you’d get sick at a place like a multi-millionaire’s Tantalus estate. That house is really nice, for an old place.”

“Have you been there?” I asked.

“Sure. I’ve dropped off Jiro’s father there a few times. They have a business relationship, as you might have guessed.”

“Really.” I stood up. “Calvin, it was very nice of you to stop in. I appreciate you keeping the heat on the health department, as well.”

Calvin stood up too, as if understanding his time was over. “I was wondering-did your doctor at Queen’s give you any medicines to take home?”

“No. The prescription was just rest and relaxation.”

“I hope that’s enough. Let me know if you have any symptoms like nausea that continue to trouble you.”

“My medical care’s all taken care of by Otoosan and Tom,” I said dismissively. “I couldn’t be more fortunate to have them in-house.”

“But they can’t write prescriptions in Hawaii, and you’re clearly under a lot of stress,” Calvin said. “I can see from your slight pallor, and the darkness under your eyes, that you aren’t sleeping well. You might benefit from a temporary course of Valium.”

“Valium?” I asked incredulously. Hadn’t I just told him I’d thrown up? And I’d been poisoned by a mixture of benzodiazepines and SSRI drugs.

“If you tried Valium once and didn’t react well, perhaps the dosage was wrong. It’s a matter of weight. What are you, about one hundred ten?”

Struggling to keep control, I answered him. “Calvin, thanks for your concern, but my weight is none of your business. I’d prefer not to be your patient, period.”

“That’s OK.” Calvin gave me a wave and headed for the door. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”

I LOCATED MY relatives shortly after Calvin left; all three of them were at the swimming pool, having just eaten plate lunches purchased at its concessions stand. They hadn’t seen Calvin knock at the door, and agreed that I’d done well to reject a Valium prescription. I went back to the house to put on a bathing suit while the concessions stand prepared a special mini-meal for me, at Tom’s insistence. It was a two-scoop lunch, just fruit salad and rice.

After the meal, I submerged my body in the shallow end, while my father swam laps, if you could call the short distance from one side of the pool to the other that. I wondered how things had gone so crazy, so fast.

The sun moved and suddenly the pool was cold. I got out and lay on a chaise with the last Juanita Sheridan novel, and the last Harry Potter. My father had brought them out along with a water bottle and the cell phone, which he pointed out was showing an icon signifying that a message was waiting. Michael, I thought with relief, pushing buttons until I could find the number of the person who’d just called. I recognized it as that of Uncle Edwin’s household. Reluctantly, I dialed back.

“You feel better now?” Yosh asked in his rough voice.

“Yes. It’s just…everything was a bit overwhelming. I hope my outburst didn’t upset you.”

“I seen a lot worse yelling in our house. Hey, I want to tell you, I think it’s a nice idea you had, to visit the cottage.”

“Now that I have the maps, it will be easy to find our way via Barbers Point,” I said, glad I had something positive to think about. “When would you like to go?”

“Tomorrow. I’ll take Braden along, because Edwin’s got a sales conference. The boy say he don’t want to go, but he should see the place. It’s part of who he is, yah?”

“And what about Courtney?” I asked, mindful of the one who always was ignored.

“Well, she got school tomorrow, but she can go if we wait till two-thirty.”

“Fine. I’ll bring the minivan.” I wasn’t going to ask Michael to come with us after all.

EVENING WAS APPROACHING; the sun had moved around the pool, and the little children and their parents were dragging their water toys behind them on the way home, while the young officers were arriving, hefting coolers and staking out grills. It was time for all of us to leave too-my father for tai-chi practice, and Tom and Hiroshi to pick up pizza in Kapolei.

I showered and pulled out the dress I’d selected earlier, a rose silk charmeuse dress that skimmed my body like a wave. Somewhere in me, I harbored the hope that Michael would drive over with roses and an apology. In the meantime, I might as well look nice for my meeting with Hugh, who’d last seen me looking very depressed in dirty gym clothes.

As I dried off and rubbed a plumeria-scented cream on my arms and legs, I slipped into matching lace underwear, also pink. I leaned before the bathroom mirror to apply my usual evening make-up: a tinted moisturizer, plum color for the lids, and a smoky gray liner. It was a kind of meditation, the strokes of the mascara wand, the etching of the lip liner. Here were the outlines: crisp edges distracting from the inward mess.

My face finished, I sat on the lanai, watching the sun slip farther down, and feeling the air cool against my skin. The sound of a car slowing down cut into my thoughts. I looked up and saw a long black Lincoln town car stop at the driveway.

It would be impolite not to meet him. As he emerged from the car, I started toward him, my bare foot squashing something soft. The lithe green lizard scuttled away, but not before I’d screamed.

“Darling, are you all right?” Hugh steadied me. I shook off his hands and took him in, handsome as ever in slim-cut khaki trousers and a white linen shirt that was only slightly wrinkled.

“I just stepped on a lizard.” I made a face.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a snake?” Hugh looked warily at the clipped lawn around us.

“There are no snakes in these islands. It’s one of the fun facts about Hawaii.”

Hugh turned back toward his limousine, carefully shielding his eyes from the sun. “May the driver stay where he’s parked? I don’t intend to keep you long, since you’ve just gotten out of hospital, but I did hope for a real visit.”

“It’s no problem. Uncle Hiroshi and Tom took our minivan to Kapolei to get some extra provisions. They won’t be back for a while, I’m sure.”

“I would have liked to see them. And where’s your father?” He gazed toward the house.

“He’s at tai-chi.”

“You must have made a miraculous recovery for them to leave you on your own, the first day out of hospital?” Hugh’s green eyes were looking at me with the skepticism I’d anticipated.

“I wouldn’t call it miraculous. In fact, I have some explaining to do. Tea?”

“Never thought I’d ask for this, but do you have any iced?” He pushed back a lock of damp blond hair from his brow.

I smiled my answer, and he followed me into the kitchen, where I took out the chilled ginger rooibos tea my father had made a few hours earlier. I chopped some mint and squeezed a quarter of a lemon between his glass and mine.

“Delicious,” Hugh said after a sip. “Thank you.”

“I’m just happy that you didn’t ask me for one of your favorite whiskies,” I said as we walked back outside.

“Oh, my drinking days are over.”

“Marriage will do that to you, I guess,” I said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, I gather that you’re married.” He looked at me blankly, so I confessed. “I Googled you a while back. I saw pictures of you at an engagement party with a beautiful Hong Kong ingénue.”

Hugh winced. “Ming prefers to be called an actor, thank you very much, and she actually broke off the engagement a while back, so I’m once again the extra man.”

My face flushed, and I stilled the urge to put my hands to my cheeks. Hugh must not think I was excited about this turn of events. I was flustered, though. Hugh was the one who’d dumped me; I had not been able to bear the thought of not having him. Now he was a free agent, and I was not. For Michael had become much more than a mentor and friend; he had become the one I could not imagine losing.

“But tell me, Rei,” Hugh said. “I thought you were at death’s door, from what your uncle told me, but you look…” He paused. “You look a bit thin, but rather spectacularly alive.”

“I wish I could have talked to you before you decided to fly here. I was very ill for a short while, but never in critical condition. My fourth cousin Edwin used a ruse to get you to come here. He did a similar maneuver to get my family to Hawaii, you know.”

“Hold on. Weren’t you in the hospital? And wasn’t it your last wish to speak to me?”

“I was in the hospital, yes. But I never said anything about last wishes because I was unconscious for a while, and when I woke up, everyone told me I was going to recover. Hugh, I feel wretched about this imposition on you,” I said, watching his expression darken. “I would offer to reimburse the cost of your flight, but I suspect you flew first class.”

Hugh laughed. “Don’t worry about it for a minute, Rei. I used my frequent flyer miles, as usual.”

“But the hotel-you’re surely staying overnight in a hotel?”

“Actually, I booked the Royal Hawaiian for three nights. I could use the R &R, to be frank. But I won’t quite relax until I understand what led your fourth cousin to his rather bizarre interest in me.”

I explained about the fire, and about Braden’s arrest. As I’d expected, Hugh wanted to know what Braden had been doing in the mountains, the day after the fire.

“He was collecting large, loose rocks; the kind that formed when volcanoes erupted here millions of years ago. Lava rock can be gorgeous, so it’s sought after for landscaping and building stone walls. The rocks are much easier to find and remove in areas where fire has burned away the brush.”

“Is it OK to do that here-just pick up lava rock where you find it?”

“It’s legal if the rocks are on your property. Braden was trespassing on land owned by one of the wealthiest landowners in Leeward Oahu, Josiah Pierce the Second. Mr. Pierce is planning to sell a portion of land to a Japanese developer, and now the developer doesn’t want to pay as much for it, because of the fire damage.”

“Who’s the developer?” Hugh eased a legal pad and pen out of his briefcase.

“Mitsuo Kikuchi. Maybe you’ve heard of him? He’s based in Tokyo.”

Hugh looked startled. “I know him very slightly, but what you’re saying about his bargaining strategy doesn’t surprise me. Kikuchi’s as tough as they come.”

“This isn’t even the worst of it,” I said glumly. “After the fire was extinguished, the police discovered the body of a young woman who worked at a coffee shop that was destroyed in the fire-”

“Hang on.” Hugh pointed at me with his fountain pen. “Are you saying the Starbucks or whatever didn’t evacuate its employees even when threatened by fire? That would be negligence on the part of management-”

“It wasn’t a Starbucks. It was a little place called Aloha Morning that’s owned by a local man, Kainoa Stevens. Kainoa was there the afternoon of the fire, trying to create a firebreak.”

“I should jump in now, I think,” Hugh said. “Here’s the main problem. I’m not qualified to argue cases in the courts here.”

“I expected that. It’s what I’ve been telling Edwin constantly.”

Taking in Hugh’s puzzled expression, I gave him the short version of Uncle Yosh and Edwin’s dreams of regaining Harue’s cottage and land. “Edwin had the mistaken impression, before he invited my father and me to come here, that you and I were still an item, which to him meant you’d be happy to help him win his battle for the land. His hope is to get hold of it before the Pierces sell their land to Mitsuo Kikuchi, and thereby be able to exact a high price. The reality is the military has owned the land since the war.”

“I see. Now another red flag is waving itself at me. I can’t do anything that might possibly work against Mitsuo Kikuchi’s interests, even to the point of giving your uncle advice. My hands are tied because Kikuchi was involved in some real-estate work for Sendai, where you know I once worked.” Hugh looked around, as if suddenly paranoid. “He’s not on the island now, is he?”

“Actually, he is, but I doubt he’ll be walking by this house. His own is in a remote section by itself, right on the water. Anyway, as I said before, I really never expected you to help. These are my problems, and I’ll face them as best I can.”

“No, it’s not your problem; it is Edwin’s problem, or his son’s problem, but certainly not yours.” Hugh sounded almost angry.

“But…they’re family. Like them or not, they’re family.”

“Asian family obligation syndrome,” Hugh said. “The only Asian I’ve met who doesn’t constantly worry about her family is Ming. She didn’t even care that her mother went to the cardiologist for her broken-heart syndrome after the cancelled wedding.”

I smiled at Hugh and said, “It’s very hard to believe that Ming broke your engagement.”

“Oh, I knew she’d had an affair in the past with another actor, and as the wedding approached, he began to remind her of the good old days.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. It hurts to be left.” I spoke slowly, thinking that Hugh was still charming and sexy, and I was touched that he’d still cared enough to fly from Japan to be with me. But that was it; I could hardly believe that this was the man who’d broken my heart three times running. Perhaps, finally, my heart had healed.

“Well, it’s all water under the bridge. Or how do the Japanese put it?” Hugh broke into my thoughts.

“Water washes everything away.”

“Yes, I think that Mitsuo Kikuchi is reputed to have said that about his son’s dealings.”

“Oh, are you talking about Jiro?”

“I don’t know his name, but he would be in his late twenties, I think, and bit off, mentally?”

“That’s the one! What do you know about him?”

“Jiro was in the news-or rather, was deliberately kept out of the news-about five years ago, when he was in his early twenties. Jiro became too aggressive with a hotel waitress or maid. Because she was a foreign worker, she was convinced not to press rape charges in exchange for a cash settlement and help securing a permanent visa.”

“Mitsuo Kikuchi arranged all this?”

“That’s the rumor, and it’s an old one, which is why I’m unfortunately fuzzy on the details. And keep quiet about it, please. If it ever gets out that I slandered him or his son, Kikuchi would probably send goons after me.”

“I won’t talk about it. But God, my instincts were right! I knew there was something creepy about Jiro when he came up to me in the swimming pool. And Kainoa Stevens thought Jiro was trying to date Charisse. I wonder…”

“You went swimming with Jiro?” Hugh sounded aghast. “How close to these people are you?”

“Don’t worry so much! The house is about a half-mile away, and Jiro lives with a round-the-clock psychiatrist. They have a private pool, but the two of them occasionally visit our community’s pool for some reason.”

“I can imagine the reason.” Hugh shook his head. “Damn it, Rei, you’ve landed in about the most unsafe location in all of Hawaii, walking distance from a suspected rapist. Please tell me that you’ll move into my suite at the Royal Hawaiian!”

I laughed shakily. “You’ve got to be joking. At the moment I’m living with three valiant family defenders.”

“None of whom is home.” Hugh frowned at me. “Please come with me to Waikiki, just for the evening. We can eat something, and then I’ll have the driver bring you back here, once you’re certain that somebody’s home.”

“Come on, Hugh. I’m not your girlfriend anymore! There’s no need to be so protective.” But all the while I was thinking that it would be nice to have a ride into town. After Hugh and I had finished our meal, I could track down Michael at the Hale Koa and try to make amends.

“I know that. We’re friends now, Rei, which is the way it always should have been. And your keeping me company over supper would give me a chance to…well, apologize for the way I ran off to South America, and my other misdeeds.”

I looked at him, thinking that what Michael had predicted would happen, was starting to happen. The ending would be different, though; I’d make sure of that.