CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Thankfully I hadn't killed her. I'd just knocked her out. I took the gun from her, pushed it into the waistband of my shorts, and found some baling twine to tie her up with.

I then pulled my phone from my pocket. My call to Casey had somewhere along the way disconnected, so I quickly redialed him.

He answered on the first ring.

"Sam?" Urgency and fear shook his voice.

"I'm okay." I had a hell of a headache, had cow dung smeared over my bare legs, and my ear was still ringing from the bullet whizzing past it, but I was alive, so who was complaining?

I heard his suppressed sob as he whispered, "Thank God. The call disconnected just after I heard a gunshot. I thought you were dead." It must have happened when I'd thrown myself behind the drinking trough.

"Where are you?" I asked, my heart palpitating with the emotion I heard in his voice. "Please tell me help is on the way."

"We're not far."

Casey stayed in my ear until the sounds of sirens could be heard crossing the paddock.

Hayley had regained consciousness and was complaining loudly, but I ignored her and stepped into the morning sunlight just in time to see a blue sedan, police lights flashing from the dash, skid to a halt. The passenger door opened before the car had even stopped, and Casey beat Olympic speeds covering the ground between us.

As he slammed into my body, his arms surrounded me, and he held me tighter than I had ever been held.

"Casey, I can't breathe," I gasped, tapping him on the shoulder.

He relaxed his hold, moving to look down at me.

Tears were spilling across his cheeks as the anguish in his gorgeous eyes sucked all the air from my lungs. His hands shook as they cupped my face, and his lips crashed against mine with a need that undid me. I'd been scared, but Casey had been terrified.

"I'm sorry," I spluttered once he allowed me to come up for air. "I'm s-sorry." It seemed with his strength I was able to relax, and that meant that I dissolved into a blubbering mess.

Detective Ray stepped up to me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe as four other police officers moved in behind him. I managed to nod towards the barn.

"Take a seat in my car, Samantha," he commanded. "Casey, you'll find a blanket in the trunk. Wrap it around her. Shock will be setting in."

I allowed Casey to lead the way as the detective and his officers moved inside.

By the time I was wrapped in the blanket, snuggled under Casey's arm, Hayley was being led out in handcuffs. I heard over the police radio that one of the officers had called for a couple of ambulances, as it appeared I'd given her quite the beating.

To be fair, it had been a good whack. I'd found a strength in that moment I didn't know that I had.

Detective Ray stepped up towards me as one of the officers sat Hayley in his car and found a blanket for her. She glared at me, disgust etched into her demeanor. She was muttering something about karma, but I figured hers had just found her.

"Well, Samantha," said Detective Ray. "You sure you tied her up well enough?" The corners of his lips tipped up ever so slightly.

"Yes, well, I didn't want her to do a Houdini on me and get out of her binds," I explained, my cheeks only slightly heating up.

"I don't think there was any chance of that. Officer Johnstone had to cut her free so he could handcuff her. Nice job."

I took the compliment in the spirit it was intended.

"Now," he continued, "I need you to fill me in on the details."

* * *

I didn't think the nurses at the hospital were any happier about me being back in the ER than I was being there. But that seemed to have more to do with the fact that once again my cubicle was overcrowded.

Casey almost sat on me, seemingly wanting to be as close as humanly possible. Mum stood beside him, occasionally dabbing her nose, torn between annoyance that I kept getting myself into situations I shouldn't be in and emotion that I was okay.

Alani had made it here faster than anyone else on account of the fact that her family was already here for Tutu (who I will report came through her hernia repair with flying colors). Luke held on to Alani almost as tight as Casey held on to me, and Dad was standing at the end of my bed.

"I can't believe that the charges have been dropped," Alani almost sang. Detective Ray had called to give her the good news.

"Thanks to Sam," Luke added, his eyes connecting with mine and a silent thank you passing between us. He'd been upset that I'd been hurt but had promised me a lifetime supply of sushi as a way to make me feel better. None of what happened was his fault, but I wasn't saying no to his cooking.

"It didn't really have a lot to do with me," I explained.

"No way!" snapped Alani. "It was all because of you. You took down the real killer. Detective Ray knows the truth because of you."

Well, since she put it that way…

I bathed in their compliments as they all sat chatting and laughing. After a few minutes, Dad looked like he couldn't sit still any longer and reached towards Mum's arm.

"Rita, do you mind if I have a chat with you outside?" Dad asked.

Mum raised her eyebrows questioningly. "What on earth for?"

Dad sighed. "I just wanted to chat with you."

Mum shook her head but excused herself, exiting the curtain with Dad.

Luke and I gave each other a shrug.

"What's that about?" he asked me.

"I don't know. But listen at the curtain." I knew Luke was good at eavesdropping, as he'd done it on me many a time.

We gave him a minute of silence. "He's asking her on a date!" Luke spat incredulously. "Something about not wasting any more time, as we never know what the future holds." He grimaced. It was weird to think of our parents being together.

"She'll never agree to it," I added.

Luke shook his head, his ear pressed to the curtain. "She just did."

Whoa!

"That's so cute," trilled Alani. Freedom from murder charges had brought back her positive outlook. "If they get together, you may get another brother or sister. They're not too old."

We all sat stunned for a beat, processing Alani's thoughts. As Luke and I both considered what Mum and Dad could be getting up to in the near future, the air prickled as it turned uncomfortable. Thankfully Luke changed the subject.

"I still can't believe that you thought Kalei was up to something," said Luke, his gratitude now hidden behind his brotherly love.

"Thanks for reminding everyone," I muttered, wishing he'd changed it to anything but that.

He grinned.

"Kalei would never hurt anyone," stated Alani. "Really, Sam, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that he was acting weird. Sneaking around and being dishonest," I claimed, defending my stupidity.

"Yeah, what was he up to?" Casey asked Alani.

She gave us her megawatt smile. "Well, he confessed to Tutu that he and Abigail are a thing."

"A thing?"

"Yeah. How cool is that? Apparently they've been messaging each other for months online. She came back to Aloha Lagoon to see if they could make it as a couple, but they didn't want to tell anyone before they'd worked a few things out."

Huh. "So she was with Kalei at the time of the murder."

"Uh-huh."

"What about the woman from the tennis club?" asked Casey.

"Kensie had been chasing Nathan for some time before he left Aloha Lagoon. She wanted revenge for the death of her friend. When he came back to town, she wanted evidence so that she could incriminate him."

"But she hung around after he was found dead," added Alani.

"Yeah. Apparently she has a list of charges against her for stalking Nathan. Detective Ray told me that he had investigated her too, so I was right in considering her," I added, feeling quite smug.

"She was stalking him?"

"Uh-huh. It seemed that when her friend was having the affair with Nathan, Kensie fell for his charms, only he wasn't interested in her. Probably because she didn't have enough money. Anyway, she stalked him, hence the clothing and photos. When he came back to town and was found murdered, she needed to remove any evidence that she had been following him again. That's what she was doing in his apartment that day."

"Detective Ray told you all of this?"

"Yeah. He was quite chatty once I gave him my statement." I smiled.

"So who was it who told Detective Ray they'd seen Alani arguing with Nathan before he died?" asked Luke.

"Hayley. She did it to throw Alani under the proverbial bus. She'd been following Nathan that night and saw them. When she later killed him, she thought it was a great way throw suspicion elsewhere."

"What happens to Matthew Nash now?" Alani asked.

I shrugged. "He'll get arrested for ivory trading. As far as Nathan's death goes, Nash is innocent."

"All that really matters now is that you've been cleared, Alani," said Luke, kissing her just above her ear.

"Oh, the resort called. Juls was wondering why you didn't turn up for your shift today," Casey explained.

Oops.

"Don't worry. I filled her in on what happened, and she's just relieved that you're okay. You still have a job when you're ready to go back to it."

I smiled. "I love my job, but I did think that if I ever wanted to, I could become a detective. It seems I'm quite good at it."

Luke almost choked he laughed so hard. "You're a terrible detective," he exclaimed. "Not once did you consider Hayley."

Humph.

"When you get released from the hospital," interjected Alani, "I think we should celebrate Ohana." She gave Luke a squeeze as her eyes fell softly on me.

"Yeah. It's good that Tutu is okay," I said. "Hawaiians are right when it comes to Ohana. Family is everything." I smiled at Luke before turning my gaze to Casey. I'd told him that I would marry him one day, and I really hoped he felt the same.

"Family is everything, Sam," said Alani, stepping close to my bed and placing her hand on mine. "And not all family is blood."

* * * * *