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She pushed against his shoulder with her own. Her sassy grin warned him she’d have a comeback. “Then where will you sleep? Don’t forget, Kean thinks you’re his uncle and so does everyone else. Didn’t you notice the looks we got when you held out your hand to me in the room earlier?”
“Shit! You’re right.” He came to a sudden stop and she stood next to him. “I forgot all about the undercover roles we were playing. So much has happened.” He tucked his long hair behind his ears and continued to run his fingers through to link at the back of his neck. Then he looked down at her teasing playfulness. “So what are you going to tell them?”
“Not me, my friend. They’re your family. Until we get this case solved though, we’ll have to keep up the pretense. So no more of this affectionate stuff.”
A little hurt at her words, he couldn’t help his comeback. “You don’t like it?”
She pushed him again, a little harder this time. “I love it, you big baby. Now call Sam and let’s see if they’ve collected any data yet. I suppose the idea was for Sam to come over and listen to the tapes and translate?”
Sloan nodded, happy again after her teasing comeback. “What he doesn’t know is that you’ll be translating them also. We’ll see for once and for all if he is to be trusted.” Just thinking that his friend could be a liar, Sloan felt his stomach react and a headache form.
“Don’t worry, Sloan. He’s a good man. I’d bet money on it.”
“But would you bet the safety of your family? Because that’s what I’ve done and I’m beginning to wonder if it was the right thing to do.”
She stared at him and he saw the reaction his words had evoked.
By the time they returned to the room with everyone’s orders, root beer replacing the actual request Les had given, Ryan came to inform them that Roy was good to go. He transferred Roy’s clothes to the bathroom so the old man could get dressed in private, and then left them with a last reminder about his love of hamburgers cooked on the grill.
Sloan went over to where Les and Kean still hovered around Roy’s bed, and noticed that Libby took the moment to sidle over to Alia.
***
“I want to tell you how sorry I am about Paul taking Kean last night. He’s an asshole. I’m sorry I ever took his money or that my firm did any work for the prick.”
Alia read the truth in Libby’s expression, her gray eyes wide and this time hiding nothing. She spoke low, so only they could hear. “You helped us find Kean. Without your information, he’d most likely be in Chicago with Paul by now and I’d be the one up against the courts trying to win him back. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for your help.”
Libby looked uncomfortable but earnest. “Just so we’re straight. I would have taken him away from you myself at the beginning. Paul had described you in a very unflattering light and I have a soft spot for kids in trouble. If I hadn’t done my homework and seen what you did for that street kid, things could have turned out a lot different.”
Alia stiffened, thought over Libby’s words and made a decision. “Those street kids need us. I only do what I know best. Protect them. But there’s a hell of a lot more that’s needed after I get them to safety. And they’re looking for people willing to help.”
“What are you saying? That I could pitch in. Honey-girl, I’d love to but I have a business to run back home, a life, even if it’s a shitty one.”
“You can bring the business here, to Hawaii. There’s always room for a good PI firm. And… truthfully, I doubt if Les is going to let you go. He seems to me like a man who keeps what belongs to him.”
Libby reacted. She stiffened. “I don’t belong to anyone. I’m my own girl, always have been and always will be.” Her voice had roughened but there was a false bravado as well.
“And how’s that worked for you so far?” Alia couldn’t help her response. It seemed appropriate and she knew the truth when Libby deflated and shrugged.
“Okay. You might have something. I’ll see what the big guy thinks. If he wants me to stick around, I could do it for a while I guess, see how the wind blows.”
“As a good friend said to me while I was still making up my mind whether to take the job or not –Aloha!Welcome to Hawaii.”
