Free Fire Prayer by Deborah Turrell Atkinson Page A

old.”
    â€œAt least.”
    They hadn’t said much on the hour drive to the drop-off point where the road ended. They were both trying to wake up.
    That was three hours ago, and the big stack of pancakes Skelly had eaten was making him so drowsy he could hardly keep his eyes open. Seeing Dave Niwa’s police car in the drive roused him, though.
    He braked to a halt and climbed stiffly from the truck. “What’s up?” Two hours on the road and less than four hours of sleep hadn’t left him in the mood to beat around the bush.
    â€œWhere’ve you been?” No joking around. In fact Skelly wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Dave so serious. And he’d known him for ages.
    â€œUh, what’s wrong?”
    â€œSkelly, I mean it. Where’ve you been?”
    â€œI took Tanner to Halawa to set up camp. We’ve got a group coming in tomorrow. What’s going on?”
    â€œYou were with Tanner?”
    â€œYeah, since about six last night.”
    â€œThat’s when I dropped him.” Niwa’s sternness ebbed a bit. “He spent the night with you and Helene?”
    â€œNo, we stayed here. Had to get up too early.” Skelly shut the truck’s door. “What’s up?”
    Niwa scuffed a size thirteen in the gravel walkway. “Jenny Williams died last night.”
    â€œOh shit.” Skelly fell back against the truck as if someone had pushed him. “Shit,” he repeated, much softer.
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œWhere’s Luke?”
    â€œHe found her.”
    â€œOh no, man.”
    â€œYeah. He called 911 for an ambulance this morning. They called me.” Niwa’s voice had a hitch in it. “I took him to my house.”
    â€œHe’s friends with your daughter, isn’t he?”
    â€œYeah. You got any way to get hold of Tanner?”
    Skelly pulled out a two-way radio. “Doubt if he’ll have his on yet. Doesn’t have a cell phone, either.” He turned it on and keyed the transmission switch. “Tanner? Tanner, you there? Over.”
    The radio crackled, but no one responded.
    â€œWe get decent reception in the storage cabin, but once you start around the point, it’s iffy. On the water, it’s hit and miss.”
    â€œAny idea when he’ll come back?”
    â€œDunno for sure. I’d say mid-afternoon.” Skelly frowned into the climbing sun. “He’ll need a few hours to set up. Say, until ten or eleven. Then it’ll depend if he goes to his cabin, or turns around and comes back to town.”
    â€œWhere’s his cabin?”
    â€œSomewhere near the north shore, back in Halawa Valley. He has a little research lab there.”
    â€œA lab?” It was Niwa’s turn to frown.
    â€œYeah, he’s working on seaweed extracts. Scientific stuff.” Skelly sounded proud.
    â€œReally?” This was news to Niwa. He didn’t know Tanner had been doing anything but helping Skelly out.
    â€œYeah, he might have a job again. I mean, other than a tour guide.”
    â€œSo he goes there when he’s not working for you?”
    â€œMostly.” Skelly shrugged. “I don’t keep track of him.”
    â€œDid he say anything about Luke’s game?”
    â€œYeah, he plans on being there.”
    â€œWas he going to contact you to pick him up in Halawa?”
    Skelly shook his head. “Can’t. I’ve gotta meet the tour group at the airport this afternoon, take them to the Lodge for the night, then stop in Kaunakakai for supplies.”
    â€œHow’s he planning to get back?”
    Skelly mimed thumbing a ride. “You gonna look for him, tell him about Jenny?” Skelly sounded glad he didn’t have to.
    â€œI guess so.” Niwa turned to go, but Skelly had another question.
    â€œWhat happened to her?” Skelly’s arms hung limply at his sides, the radio dangling from one wrist.
    â€œDon’t know