Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
A couple hours later, Kimo’s been stitched up and is resting comfortably in a hospital bed. He took a hard hit to the head when the kidnappers grabbed him, but the doctor reassures us that he’s probably fine; they just want to hold him overnight to make sure.
Stan stayed behind with Helen, Nina, and Grady to keep an eye on the kids. Aunty Kapono, Thad, and I are crowded into the room now with Kimo, listening as he reissues his statement one last time to the police.
The nurse pokes her head in as the officers leave. “He’s going to need to rest now. Five more minutes, and then any non-relatives will have to leave.”
Once she’s gone, Thad gives Kimo a grim look. “Sorry to make you keep repeating the same stuff over and over, but can you remember anything at all about the kidnappers that might be helpful? Any small detail?”
“They jumped me from behind and knocked me out. When I woke up, I could hear them talking in the other room, but I never saw anyone’s face. It was only pure luck that one of the windows wasn’t properly latched, so I was able to get away.”
Kimo squeezes my hand, and I squeeze it back fiercely. The thought that someone would do that to him, that someone intended him real harm, makes me feel sick to my stomach, weak and helpless in ways I didn’t know were possible.
“I’m pretty sure they weren’t the same guys as the last time.” Kimo winks at me. “I think the karate kid here must have scared them off.”
I know he’s just trying to get me to relax and stop worrying, but his jokey tone rubs me the wrong way. He just got kidnapped, again , and he’s treating it like it’s some kind of game. “The karate kid was a boy,” I snap irritably.
“Not in The Next Karate Kid ,” Kimo corrects me lightly, clearly trying to tease me out of my bad mood. “Classic. I had such a big crush on Hilary Swank after that movie.”
“Hilary Swank?” I feel like I heard her name somewhere recently. Then I sit up in my seat, eyes widening. “Hilary Swank!”
Mistaking my meaning, Kimo squeezes my hand again. “Relax, babe. That was a long time ago. Now I only have eyes for you.”
I ignore him, fixing my eyes on Thad. “The first time I met Pika, he was really weird and singled me out at the office for no reason. He called me Hilary Swank.”
Aunty Kapono scoffs. “You don’t look anything like Hilary Swank.”
“I know! That’s the point. I had no idea why he would call me that...except now I know she was the karate kid. And who else, besides Kimo and the kidnappers, knew I kicked that kidnapper guy in the butt?”
“You think Pika hired them?” Aunty Kapono sounds like she doesn’t quite know what to feel—torn between scoffing at the idea, because it comes from me, and hoping it could be true, since it would put an end to the custody case.
“It’s possible, isn’t it?” I look to Thad for confirmation.
Kimo clears his throat. “As much as I think that butthead’s capable of it, I did tell the kids about your awesome karate moves. Maybe they told Pika during one of their visits?”
I guess that makes sense. But something in my gut is telling me I’m not wrong. It was the way Pika said it to me, like I was some thorn in his side, not a random woman his children had mentioned in a passing, funny anecdote. “It’s worth looking into,” I insist stubbornly.
Thad pulls out his phone. “Let me see if Stan can meet me. I think it’s time we paid Pika a little visit...”
He ducks out into the hall, and I can hear him conversing with Stan on the phone—Stan’s distinctive Boston accent coming through loud and clear—before his voice fades away. Kimo sighs. “Well, I don’t wanna get my hopes up, but that would be convenient if it were true. Then we won’t have to go to trial, and I won’t get kidnapped anymore. I’m pretty sick of it, honestly.”
There’s that overly jokey tone again. It makes my stomach boil with rage. I snatch my hand out of his, rising to my feet. “It isn’t funny,” I bark at him. “Do you have any idea how worried we were?”
Kimo’s face softens. He reaches for me. “I’m okay, though. Just a little bump on the coconut.”
“ This time,” I remind him. “But one of these days you’re not going to be able to buddy up with your kidnappers, or find a random, open window. What happens if you get seriously hurt? Killed? Who takes care of the kids then?”
Kimo doesn’t have a glib answer for that. He looks to his mother appealingly, but she’s uncharacteristically silent, watching this all play out.
“From now on, you need to hire a security detail. You need to have people keeping an eye on the house and the kids and you . You need to get some kind of alarm device so you can alert people, quickly, if you’re in danger. I don’t know—maybe Stan will know more about what options there are. And you need to check in with us more regularly, at least until we know who kidnapped you. We need to know where you are throughout the day so if you go missing, we can pinpoint your location more quickly.”
“I...” Kimo takes in a deep breath through his nose, then sighs. “Okay. That all sounds reasonable. Anything you want to add, Māmā?”
Aunty Kapono shakes her head slowly. “No, I think Matilda’s plan is good.”
I blink at her in surprise. Did she just...agree with me? And call me by my name?
Before I can process it fully, the nurse sticks her head back in the room. “Time to rest, Mr. Kapono. You can have one person stay with you, but we don’t allow non-family members after visiting hours.”
I swallow, bracing myself to go. Leaving Kimo right now feels like I’m peeling off my fingernails one by one, but I know that Aunty Kapono will be all too happy to remind me that I’m not family. Not even “the girlfriend.”
“I’ll go,” Aunty Kapono surprises me by saying. “I need to get back to the kids. You stay with your husband, Matilda.” She gives me a pointed look, as if to say, Be cool and go with it so the nurse doesn’t call our bluff .
I watch her leave, dumbfounded. What just happened...? The nurse pops out again, after instructing us to get some rest, so I turn back to Kimo. It strikes me for the first time that he probably wanted his mother to stay here, that I’m just getting in the way. “Do you want me to ask your mom to come back?”
“Shut up and get over here.” Kimo shifts a bit, making space for me on the bed. “I need my girl.”
I comply all too eagerly, crawling into the comfort of his arms. The bed is too small for us to sleep comfortably together, but for at least a few minutes, I need to be near him, touching him, reassuring myself that he’s all right. Once I’m settled in, my head resting on Kimo’s chest, listening to his heart beat, I’m surprised by the sudden deluge of tears that overcomes me.
I weep in silence for a few moments, until Kimo notices and tilts my head up to face him. His face creases with concern. “Baby. What’s wrong?”
My whole body is shaking. I can’t catch the sob that escapes my throat. I don’t want to say it—I don’t want him to know how much it will hurt when he leaves—but I can’t help myself. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you,” I manage finally through my tears.
Kimo cradles my face, catching my tears with the pad of his thumb. “I’m here, honey. I got you.”
He cradles my head to his chest again, and I listen to his heart beat as he strokes my hair. It’s nice, and sweet, and thoughtful, just like Kimo.
But I can’t help but notice he doesn’t tell me I won’t lose him. I can’t help but hear how he doesn’t promise he’ll stay.