BooksBarbecue
Back The Preserve
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Half-Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. 13.
  19. 14.
  20. 15.
  21. 16.
  22. 17.
  23. 18.
  24. 19.
  25. 20.
  26. 21.
  27. 22.
  28. 23.
  29. 24.
  30. 25.
  31. 26.
  32. 27.
  33. 28.
  34. 29.
  35. 30.
  36. 31.
  37. 32.
  38. 33.
  39. 34.
  40. 35.
  41. 36.
  42. 37.
  43. 38.
  44. 39.
  45. 40.
  46. 41.
  47. 42.
  48. 43.
  49. 44.
  50. 45.
  51. 46.
  52. 47.
  53. 48.
  54. EPILOGUE
  55. AFTERWORD
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

She pushed back her khaki bucket hat. “Okay den,” she said.

“Okay what?”

“We’re gonna talk things over before dat rum goes for broke on you.”

Lett sat up. He had sunglasses on. He pulled them off.

“No. Keep them on. And keep the drink. Looks natural.”

“Okay. Wait, why? You think someone’s watching maybe?”

She shrugged. “I just like to be sure.” They were drinking from metal cups. She took a long sip of her drink. “I can tell something’s on your mind.”

“You can?”

“Hilo Side,” she said. “You were there. I heard you and a crew were there.”

“I was, yes.” Lett tightened up inside. Of course she could tell.

“So, is this why you’re avoiding me? You’re in on it?”

“Avoiding you? Hold on. In on what?” Lett set down his drink. He shifted in his seat, but an Adirondack chair only had one position—sunk down.

He sighed. He started to tell her. They were there to guard a shipment, from a boat—an unmarked trawler, with men disguised as stevedores. The heavy load busted a cart’s axle, so it took longer. A group got off the boat and were the kind that didn’t bother with stevedore denim.

She leaned forward, held up a hand. “Was Miss Mae there?”

“No. I’m sorry. I saw no women getting off.”

Kanani sighed. “Who was it?”

“Some men. Looked like important persons. Not all American though. Some Asian looking. Japanese, Filipino, maybe Chinese, not sure. They got in sedans. They drove with us, along with those other trucks carrying the load.”

Kanani’s chair jumped closer with a thump. “Who else was there? Tell me. I can see it on your face.”

Lett paused to look around. He didn’t know why he needed to, but his leg told him to. “Lansdale,” he said.

She stared, blank-faced.

“You don’t know him?”

She shook her head, her eyes darting.

That surprised Lett enough to make him take another drink. He told her about Lansdale, what he looked like. He didn’t have to tell her that she probably would know him in due time. He had been getting the feeling that Lansdale touched everything here eventually. “Well, he was on the boat, but I don’t know if it was just for a meeting or what. He might’ve been on board longer. He’d been gone at least a week.”

“Okay, okay,” Kanani said. She sipped the rum.

“I’m not in on anything,” Lett said. “Except getting cured.”

“I know. I just wanted to feel things out, keep you on your toes.”