Hostile Desires by Melissa Schroeder Page A

I told Del you should take this job.”
    Adam shook his head. “I think it might be better to have someone from the outside. No connections makes it easier for you to work the case, look from the outside.”
    “Yeah, sure. It also makes it hard to get a feel for what was going on at the time.”
    “Listen, you can ask me, and I can line up some of my aunties. They can tell you all the tales of Honolulu of the late eighties.”
    Graeme smiled. “That might work.”
    “They’ll love talking to a haole like you. Blonde and with an accent...you’ll be a hit. Just remember to be careful with the older cops, if you talk to any more of them.”
    Graeme nodded. His mind went back to the conversation with the Kalanis. “I will do that as a last resort. You know how they will react if I walk in there asking questions right off. They’re already out of sorts because we have this case.”
    “You’re probably right on that front.”
    Drew came walking in, a pensive expression at odds with his shirt that featured the weather forecast for Alderaan.
    “What’s up?” Adam said.
    “I had a call in the lab for the doc, but I can’t seem to get hold of her. Del said the two of you were at lunch?”
    Graeme nodded. “She had already had lunch. We were talking to McPherson about the case. Who called?”
    Drew shrugged. “Someone with an English voice.”
    “Her family.”
    “No. I know her parents’ voices. I’ve talked to them before. Plus, this guy said his name was Gerald.”
    There it was, another ping of irritation. The fact that Drew seemed to know more about Elle’s family than he knew was irritating.
    “He wanted to know her mobile...I mean her cell number.”
    “You didn’t give it to him, did you?”
    He shook his head. “But I tried calling her and she didn’t answer.”
    “She was on her way home when we got back. She said she was going to do some research.”
    Drew’s phone rang and his features eased. “That’s the doc.”
    “Hey, Elle. Yeah, did you get my message?” He was quiet for a moment. “No, I didn’t give him your number. He said he would call back tomorrow. Okay. No problem. Bye.”
    He hung up and looked at Graeme and Adam. He said nothing, but smiled.
    Adam glanced at Graeme, then looked at Drew. “What was that about?” Adam asked.
    “Apparently, the doc’s ex was trying to get hold of her for some reason. No idea why.”
    “She knew it was the ex?” Graeme asked.
    “Yes, I left his name on her voicemail. I will say, she doesn’t sound very happy to have heard from him.”
    Adam let an eyebrow rise. “Yeah. That probably goes with the territory, since they are divorced.”
    “She never talks about him. Like ever. I have an aunt who got divorced twenty years ago, and they were only married a year, and she goes on and on and on about him all the time.”
    “Elle’s break up was not easy from what I understand, but it almost ruined her career.”
    “Did she sound okay to you?” Graeme asked.
    Drew shrugged. “She sounded irritated, but not any more than she would be normally.”
    “Normally?”
    “When she’s irritated. She gets this tone in her voice. It’s when I know to stop asking questions.”
    Adam coughed, and Graeme was sure he did it to cover a laugh. Working with Drew on a daily basis was bad enough, but being his immediate supervisor and trainer could not be an easy task. Elle always seemed to have an infinite supply of patience with the over eager assistant.
    “She said she was going over old newspaper articles having to do with the old case.”
    “I was going to do that.”
    Drew shrugged. “Unless we catch a case, she really has nothing to do. And, she does have some payback from HPD on her covering for the last couple weeks. It’s been kind of insane with the stomach flu going around.”
    “Ah, that might be what’s wrong with Emma,” Adam said.
    “She’s sick?” Drew said.
    Adam nodded. “Del went home because she was under the weather, and