Birds in Paradise

Part 2

Taking a gamble that Daisy did know Tina, I grabbed her arm. "I'll give you $50 to stay and talk with me for a half-hour."

I had to pay up front. And the two men were greeted by a couple of other girls. Daisy shrugged and turned her gaze back to the photo.

"I told her to go work in Waikiki. But she said she'd heard about the police and didn't want to risk getting caught. Most of the business has gone inside nowadays, anyhow. It's slow out here."

"So she stayed?"

Daisy grimaced. "We didn't make her welcome."

"I gave her a brochure. She needed guidance," Brandi said, her voice rising. "You all need guidance." She raced over to where the two men were talking with the girls. "Repent. Turn away from your evil ways."

The men took off running. Alone.

I bit back a cheer. Good for Brandi and her new goal in life! The girls who'd just lost business didn't share my enthusiasm. They started cursing up a blue streak.

Daisy laughed. "Between Brandi, the police, and the indoor establishments with their influx of young Vietnamese imports, I'm wasting my time out here. We all are."

"So why don't you look for something better?"

Daisy shrugged. "I suppose I will sooner or later."

"Do you remember if Tina had any luck finding a man to...um...hook up with the other night?"

Daisy closed her eyes. After a long silence she said, "I don't know. I want to say no. I don't remember seeing her walk off with any of the guys. It would have caused an outburst, you know, with the other girls. But I don't remember her hanging around all night, either. Perhaps she found somewhere else to work?"

Before leaving, I questioned the other girls. None of them were as helpful as Daisy. With nothing better to work with, I visited a few other spots in the downtown that night, talking with the women, trying to find out if Daisy was right. Did Tina try and find another place to work?

By sunrise, I felt as if I'd been down every street in Honolulu, and no one other than Daisy and her friends had recognized Tina's photo.

Exhausted and feeling more than a little discouraged, I went home and collapsed in my bed. Less than a half-hour passed before the sound of someone trying to break down my door woke me up with a jolt.

As soon as I unlatched the lock, the door swung open and bounced violently off the wall. A wild-eyed Aloha Pete thundered into the room. He grabbed my arm with bruising strength.

"I thought we were friends," he shouted as he took in every scanty inch of the street-wear I hadn't bothered to remove. "More than friends."

My heart stuttered. Had he come to the same conclusion I had ages ago? And had he found being apart from me for even a moment longer unbearable? Was he truly expressing an interest in making our relationship more personal? More intimate?

"Y-yes?" I said, my mouth going dry as my hopes soared.

His voice deepened. "You're my 'ohana. My family."

"Oh," I said and rubbed my blurry and, suddenly, teary eyes. "Family. Like a sister."

He nodded.

I huffed and tried to pull out of his bruising hold.

"For God's sake," he said, and tightened his grip on me. "Put on some decent clothes so I can take you out to breakfast." Very brotherly sounding, I was forced to admit to my breaking heart.

"Let go of me, then." I batted at his muscular arm. "I can't get dressed with you swinging me about like a broom."

"No, I suppose you can't," he conceded, and backed himself into the hallway. "I'll be waiting for you."

A little less than an hour later, I'd changed into a pair of worn jeans shorts and a faded gray T-shirt. With my hair in a simple ponytail, I found myself sitting across from Pete at his favorite 24-hour diner in Waikiki.

Even after downing two mugs of coffee and a healthy serving of eggs, he was still scowling.

"I wish you had come to me first." He pushed a wad of cash over toward me.

I stared at the money, not sure what to say.

"Go on, take it." He sighed. "It's not going to bite you, and it doesn't come with any expectations."

By now I was thoroughly confused. "I don't want your money." Okay, that was a lie. I desperately needed to pay some bills, and that wad of cash would make my life a helluva lot easier, especially considering I was spending the bulk of my time on a non-paying client.

But why was Pete so angry with me? And why was he showering me with money? When I continued to stare at the pile of bills on the table, Pete growled at me and shoved the cash into my hand, forcibly curling my fingers around it.

"I know what you did last night." His voice tightened. "I heard it from a beat cop who picked up several so-called ladies."

I stiffened. I had to be cautious. I remembered only too clearly his promise to lock me away if he discovered I was still private detecting without a license.

"What exactly did you hear I was doing?"

His tan cheeks turned a funny shade of pink and he whispered, "Don't make me say it."

"If you want me to accept this money, you're going to have to tell me what you heard about me." I wasn't worried only about my detective business. I was genuinely curious what people out on the street were saying about me. And I suppose I was too tired to figure it out for myself.

He swallowed hard. "I heard you sold your body."

I started to deny it—

"If you're in trouble, come to me. I want to help you." His hand closed over mine. "Let me help you."

All I could do was nod. A lump had landed in my throat. I was touched, truly touched by the thought that Pete cared. God, I had to tell him the truth. He was worried about me. Me! I couldn't let him think that I had...

"You saved my life. Took a bullet for me. I owe you, Kyra."

"Right. You owed me a debt." I pushed away from the table and stuffed the money into my pocket. "Consider it paid."