ask him real soon. ’Cause you’re right, Nani. Makes no sense. If it was revenge, I’m the only one here with any connection to drug runners, and that’s a while ago. He was sucking at his mama’s tit when I retired.”
“Maybe they had another boat come in last night,” Joel thought aloud as he took another bite. “One of them did it just did it for spite.”
Frank nodded. “Could be. But there was only that one set of footprints.”
His plate empty, Joel looked at Bella, who was watching Li, her face troubled. “Finish your muffin,” he reminded her. She took a bite, and Joel rose to put his plate away and refill his coffee cup.
“Are we going to get out of here, Joel?” Tanah asked him, rising to join him. For once, her green eyes were free of artifice.
“We’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Bella’s cousins will be here by this evening, and we’ll all be back in Kona by sunset.”
She nodded, looking relieved. “God, I can’t wait.”
“I’m hot,” Cassie complained, lifting her T-shirt away from her body.
The cave was heating up as the morning sun streamed over the southern flank of the island and through the trees outside.
“Can we at least go swimming?” Matt asked, shoving back his tousled dark hair.
Joel looked at Frank, who shrugged. “Long as you stay near the caves, I don’t see the harm. Nobody wander off, though.”
“Oh, good.” Tanah, Cassie and Matt dug in their bags for swimsuits, and headed into the other cave to change. Joel caught Bella’s eye.
“You should go too,” he told her, moving to help her put the remains of the muffins back in their snug container and back in the cooler. He drained his coffee cup, looked around and set it on the table. They had no place to wash dishes in here.
She looked over at Frank, who still sat in his chair, staring at Li. “I don’t know. I don’t think we should leave Frank alone with him.”
The older man shook his head. “I’ll be fine, Nani.”
When Bella turned to her, Camille shook her head as well. “No, thank you. I just want to be still.”
“A swim will cool you off,” Bella urged. That was his princess, feeling responsible for everyone.
The older woman gave Bella a somber look. “No, I—I feel so culpable. I should have seen he was not a good person.”
Laying it on a little thick, Joel thought cynically. A guy who let a woman slap him around like that was maybe not the most stable character. She seemed like an intelligent woman, but maybe her kinks had led her to ignore the signs.
Whatever, Frank was in charge here, and he was the experienced cop. Joel was going to back him up while he tried to get some answers out of Li.
“You go ahead,” Joel told Bella. “I’ll stay here.”
She hesitated, and then nodded. She turned away to rummage in her bag for her swim things.
As soon as the others were gone, their voices fading into the sound of the surf, Frank stood and turned to Camille. “You wanna go outside for a while,” he suggested.
She looked at him, then at Li, who curled his lip at her, his dark eyes gleaming. “All right.”
She disappeared out into the sunshine, and Frank looked at Joel. “You got any objections to me getting rough, leave now.”
Joel snorted. “After what he did to your boat? Hell, no.”
Frank walked over to Li and looked down at him. “Why you wreck my boat?”
The Asian sneered up at him. “Because it’s ugly, old man. Like you.”
“Oh, smart boy, yeah?” Frank asked, unmoved by the insult. “Well, smart boy, I been a cop longer than you been alive. I know how to get the toughest little po’inos to talk.”
Joel moved to stand closer. “One thing you should know, Frank, this one’s into pain. He likes it.”
The Asian smiled, his gemmed front tooth glittering. “Yeah, I like it. And I like to be watched too, so if you think you’re gonna humiliate me, think again. I can outwait you both.”
Frank raised his eyebrows at Joel.
“Saw him with Camille the first night,” Joel told him. “She was slapping him around. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves.”
Frank nodded. “Well, damn, there goes my plan to beat the shit out of you,” he said to Li. “Have to go with da next plan. Joel, help me get him out to the shore.”
“Oh, are we going to drown him?” Joel asked. He winked at Li.
“Nah, just make