with exhaustion.
A shadow fell over her and she glanced up to see a man looking at her in surprise. He was wearing khaki shorts and a salmon colored polo shirt and looked to be in his forties. He was star ing at her with open curiosity.
“Where did you come from?” he asked.
“Please help me,” she sobbed. “I’ve been kidnapped. And now they’re trying to kill me! It’s that boat over there,” she said, pointing. “They were shooting at me.”
“That’s one of the worst things I’ve ever heard,” he said, shaking his head.
“Please, can you call the police?” she begged. “And get down. They might shoot you, too.”
“If they couldn’t hit you when you were ten feet away I’m sure they won’t be able to hit me now,” he said, smiling.
He doesn’t believe me , she realized in despair. How had he missed hearing the gunshots?
“Please, you don’t understand. We’re in terrible danger,” she sobbed. “Call Kapono. He’s a detective with the Honolulu police. He’ll be able to help.”
“Not in time, my dear,” the man said, crouching down beside her. “I’m afraid you’re a long way from Honolulu.”
She heard shouting and she twisted her head around so she could finally see the dock. The guy she recognized as her kidnapper was running down it.
“Please we have no time!” she insisted, struggling to get up. “That man on the dock is the one who kidnapped me.”
“But what does he want with you?” the man asked.
“I don’t know! He thinks I have something.”
“Maybe you should just give it to him.”
“I would, but he won’t even tell me what it is. How can I give him something when I have no idea what it is he wants?”
The man shook his head. “That is a conundrum. Well, you know what they say?”
“What?” she asked as she made it to her feet.
“You just can’t get good help these days.”
7
Tuesday morning Jeremiah was waiting in his office when Mark arrived for his first official counseling appointment. He had spent the last couple of hours prepping himself mentally for the challenge ahead. When the detective entered his office Jeremiah was able to greet him with a smile that was relaxed and confident.
“Good morning,” he said.
Mark grunted. “Not from where I’m sitting.”
Jeremiah clasped his hands together. “You know when it comes to these sorts of things a lot is dependent on your attitude.”
“Then we’re in for a world of hurt,” Mark admitted.
“So, I noticed.”
Jeremiah leaned back in his chair. “Let’s get started.”
“Okay, what do you want me to do?”
“For now, I’d just like you to talk about whatever’s on your mind.”
“Well, baseball season is upon us.”
Jeremiah recognized a stalling tactic when he heard one. It was no matter. If Mark didn’t want to jump right in he had ways of getting him to open up.
“Yeah, what team do you cheer for?
“Dodgers.”
Jeremiah nodded. “I find it fascinating that baseball is America’s past time when it seems like
A shadow fell over her and she glanced up to see a man looking at her in surprise. He was wearing khaki shorts and a salmon colored polo shirt and looked to be in his forties. He was star ing at her with open curiosity.
“Where did you come from?” he asked.
“Please help me,” she sobbed. “I’ve been kidnapped. And now they’re trying to kill me! It’s that boat over there,” she said, pointing. “They were shooting at me.”
“That’s one of the worst things I’ve ever heard,” he said, shaking his head.
“Please, can you call the police?” she begged. “And get down. They might shoot you, too.”
“If they couldn’t hit you when you were ten feet away I’m sure they won’t be able to hit me now,” he said, smiling.
He doesn’t believe me , she realized in despair. How had he missed hearing the gunshots?
“Please, you don’t understand. We’re in terrible danger,” she sobbed. “Call Kapono. He’s a detective with the Honolulu police. He’ll be able to help.”
“Not in time, my dear,” the man said, crouching down beside her. “I’m afraid you’re a long way from Honolulu.”
She heard shouting and she twisted her head around so she could finally see the dock. The guy she recognized as her kidnapper was running down it.
“Please we have no time!” she insisted, struggling to get up. “That man on the dock is the one who kidnapped me.”
“But what does he want with you?” the man asked.
“I don’t know! He thinks I have something.”
“Maybe you should just give it to him.”
“I would, but he won’t even tell me what it is. How can I give him something when I have no idea what it is he wants?”
The man shook his head. “That is a conundrum. Well, you know what they say?”
“What?” she asked as she made it to her feet.
“You just can’t get good help these days.”
7
Tuesday morning Jeremiah was waiting in his office when Mark arrived for his first official counseling appointment. He had spent the last couple of hours prepping himself mentally for the challenge ahead. When the detective entered his office Jeremiah was able to greet him with a smile that was relaxed and confident.
“Good morning,” he said.
Mark grunted. “Not from where I’m sitting.”
Jeremiah clasped his hands together. “You know when it comes to these sorts of things a lot is dependent on your attitude.”
“Then we’re in for a world of hurt,” Mark admitted.
“So, I noticed.”
Jeremiah leaned back in his chair. “Let’s get started.”
“Okay, what do you want me to do?”
“For now, I’d just like you to talk about whatever’s on your mind.”
“Well, baseball season is upon us.”
Jeremiah recognized a stalling tactic when he heard one. It was no matter. If Mark didn’t want to jump right in he had ways of getting him to open up.
“Yeah, what team do you cheer for?
“Dodgers.”
Jeremiah nodded. “I find it fascinating that baseball is America’s past time when it seems like
Similar Books
