and briefly consider knocking Cash upside the head.
“Tell me again,” I say. “Everything that happened yesterday. Don’t leave anything out.”
He hands me the bacon package he’d taken out of the fridge. “I was on that little uninhabited island southwest of the point. You know the one I mean. Looking for nests.”
Yeah, that island. His latest obsession. He can’t shut up about it.
As ridiculous as it sounds, Cash is an avid bird watcher. He’s been known to travel hundreds of miles in his private cabin cruiser to record obscure species of birds on deserted islands, plus all the populated ones.
I think he’s at least laid eyes on damn near every one of the hundred and thirty-seven islands in the Hawaiian chain, plus all the tiny atolls not included in the official count. I’ve gone with him on several of his bird excursions, and have to admit, it’s interesting sometimes.
Not the bird watching, so much, but the exploring. The scenery. The trade winds, which do a mighty fine job of sweeping away a man’s woes out on the open sea.
“Go on.” I toss the bacon in the pan.
“It was late, not long after sunset. I was watching a moli, a Laysan albatross, plucking a squid out of the water when a good-sized boat came into view through my binoculars. The reefs out there make it an odd place for a private yacht. You typically have to sail around the south side of the island, not the north. I watched as they unloaded a small skiff, and thought they were in trouble. Maybe the bigger boat was caught on the reef or something. Then I saw it: commotion on the deck. Two men throwing her in the dingy, and her cat—” He pauses and looks around. “Where is that little beast, anyway?”
“Laundry room,” I say, flipping the bacon. “It kept trying to jump on the bed with her.”
“How’s its leg?” Cash asks.
“No clue. You’re the doctor.”
A twinge of guilt strikes. I’d put a box of sand and some water in there along with a couple slabs of fish. Since then, I’d forgotten all about the animal while racing around after Valerie. Although Oahu has thousands of feral cats, the breeds actually allowed here are limited. I’m sure they don’t include an exotic, spindly thing that looks like a mad scientist used a shrink ray on a cheetah.
“It’s weird. Cats like hers are illegal in Hawaii,” I say, stroking my chin.
“Yeah, I know. It’s a Savannah breed, almost full serval, another reason I couldn’t take her to my house. I’m allergic to cats,” Cash says.
I point the spatula at him. “Bullshit. You’re not allergic to cats.”
He shrugs with a smirk. “I might be. We’ll know after I check on it. I’m no vet, but I’m sure I can assess the leg.”
“Yeah, after you finish telling me exactly what happened,” I say, ignoring his smart-ass excuse.
He’s no more allergic than I am.
He plants both hands on the center island. “Right. So, she landed in the boat, but didn’t look hurt because she jumped into the driver’s seat and took off like a bat out of hell, too fast with the reef right there. She’s lucky she didn’t plow straight into it. Then she must’ve heard something, seen something, because she grabbed her cat and dove off the side a few seconds before the whole boat exploded. Went up in a nasty ball of flames.”
“Fuck,” I snarl, letting out a whistle. “I don’t get it. What were they trying to do? Besides fry them both up.”
Cash shrugs. “Who knows. They had it rigged or something. A grenade, perhaps, or another explosive set to a timer or remote control. Either way, the skiff blew to smithereens. I scanned the water but didn’t see her surface at first. The cat did, paddling its little paws. I was able to get over and haul it up. I don’t think they noticed she’d jumped in the water because the yacht was already heading in the other direction.”
I take the egg carton he’d picked up to hand to me. I know he saw everything he’s describing.
His bird binoculars are the best of the best. They give him eagle eyes, even in the dark. With those things, he can read a newspaper taped to a post a hundred yards away.
“I swam out as fast as I could, of course, looking for her. Found her facedown. Didn’t know if she was dead or alive until I got her to shore.”
“Damn. Why didn’t you