The Bone Field by Debra Bokur (top e book reader txt) 📕

and over the tops of his ears. His grin grew wider, crinkling the corners of his eyes.

Kali assessed him dispassionately. In her opinion, he was more pretty than handsome. His face was perfectly symmetrical, the features almost too well proportioned. It lacked what she privately termed “an element of interest.” It wasn’t, she believed, a face that she’d enjoy looking at for any length of time. Her thoughts flashed briefly to Mike: his crooked smile, the way the hair in his dark eyebrows had a tendency to spike in wild directions, the small scar on one cheek from crashing his bicycle into a fence when he was ten, how his ears were slightly uneven. It had been a face with character and grace, one that told stories.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Chad turned his charm dial to its fullest setting. “Why, if it isn’t my favorite lady detective! Fancy meeting you here. I mean, what are the odds?”

She snorted derisively. “What are the odds, indeed? Let’s factor in your illegal police scanner and see what kind of numbers we come up with.”

He made a pretense of surprise. His eyes widened as he regarded her solemnly. “I have absolutely zero idea what you’re talking about.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, Chad, you just aren’t a good enough actor to be convincing.”

Ignoring the slight, he looked at her more closely, then drew back with a wrinkled nose. “I have to say, Detective—your perfume choice is a little . . . pungent this morning, not that you asked.” He was staring at her jeans. “Is that . . . blood?” His eyes grew even wider in mock fear. “Oh hell, are you trying to make a getaway? Did you kill someone this morning?”

Her eyes narrowed. She leaned toward him. “Not yet.”

He smiled. “Then maybe you’ve just found another body abandoned somewhere?”

She straightened, staring directly into his eyes. “Just so there’s no misunderstanding here, Chad, you will not be getting off the ferry when it docks. In fact, I encourage you to keep the same seat you’re in now so you have a different view on your way back to Maui.”

“But Detective,” he said, pretending to be offended, “I have a whole day of hiking and snorkeling and cocktails already planned. My readers and viewers can’t wait to hear about it.”

She looked critically at the small knapsack on the seat beside him. “Got all your gear stashed in that?”

He smiled broadly. “Yes, ma’am.” He lifted one foot into view. “Hiking boots, check.” Reaching for his knapsack, he loosened the drawstring top and pulled out a water bottle. “Hydration, check.” He held the pack open so she could see inside. “Plus an apple and a protein bar to stave off starvation, and my ID in case anyone needs to see it before accepting my martini order. So unless you plan to arrest me for wanting to take a day off, I have every intention of having a relaxing time on Lna‘i.”

“Where’s your snorkeling gear?”

“Ahhh. I’m trained to hold my breath for very long periods of time. I learned how to do that while free diving for pearls in the Maldives.”

He winked at her, but she stared at him, unsmiling. “Free diving? I have half a mind to toss you overboard right now to see if you can dog paddle to shore.”

He chuckled. “Let me prove it to you. Come spend the day with me. I don’t mind if you forgot to pack your swimsuit. Or—maybe you already have plans? Something keeping you busy today?”

Taking a deep breath, Kali forced herself to turn away, silently cursing Brad and Jan and their big mouths. She moved a few steps back from him, into the space between the rows of seats. With an effort, she kept her voice calm as she looked over her shoulder. “Do not let me catch you anywhere within my sight today, Chad.”

She grabbed her overnight duffel from where she’d left it, then made her way out onto the deck. Lna‘i was already in view, its towering cliffs clad in thick, emerald-hued vegetation. The waters of this channel were warm and relatively shallow, compared to the deeper seas beyond the islands. The channel was a primary migration route for humpback whales that returned each year to give birth and nurture their young. On many past occasions, she’d watched the huge animals frolic and breach in the channel during the crossing between the islands. Today, the sea appeared to be empty. She stood at the rail, enjoying the sensation of the moving air as it cooled her face and lifted her hair, trying to release the irritation Chad’s presence had awakened in her.

She stayed on deck until the boat eventually slowed, and the ferry pilot maneuvered skillfully into a slip and cut the engines. The few onboard passengers made their way to the area on the deck across from the dock as the gangplank was locked into place. Kali was the first person off. She waited briefly on the dock, watching as Chad made his way behind the other passengers and across the gangplank. The three women in the long, blue skirts were just ahead of him, and passed her on the pier. The woman closest to her was the elder of the three. She slowed, staring openly at the tattoo on Kali’s upper arm, shaking her head. She muttered something, but Kali couldn’t make out the words.

“Excuse me?” she said. “Were you speaking to me?”

“That mark on your arm,” the woman said with disdain. “You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28.”

Kali watched in bewilderment as the woman walked away, and turned just as Chad stepped past her. She was about to warn him again, but he spoke before she had the chance.

“Five o’clock, Detective? Shall we say the lobby bar at the Four Seasons? The property by the water, not the up-country hotel. Drinks