Chapter Ten #2
“I just left him a voicemail. Other than that, not since this afternoon when we docked. He helped the customers clean their fish, did his part of the cleanup, and he left. He said he had somewhere to go, but didn’t say where.”
“What time was that?” Nicchi asked, desperation in his eyes.
Akiko glanced at Harlan. “Four o’clock?”
“That’s about right,” Harlan said. “Is Paolo missing?”
“I haven’t been able to get in touch with him.” Nicchi rubbed his face wearily. “I called everywhere that he hangs out. Called all his friends.”
“That’s where you were all this time?” Baz asked sharply.
“Yes.”
“But you weren’t making those calls from home,” Sam said. “We checked your house.”
“I know. I have cameras and they alerted me when you stepped onto my property—at home and the dojo.”
“Then where were you?” Kit asked, trying not to make it sound like a demand. Clearly she was unsuccessful, because Nicchi bristled.
“None of your business, Detective.”
Akiko raised a hand. “It is our business. You’re the guy with the size thirteen shoes. You were in Mary Sherman’s house—my aunt’s house—sometime before we found her body. Are you also the man who shot the shooter who tried to kill my sister?”
Nicchi scowled. “I’m not answering that.”
Akiko rolled her eyes. “You are, then. Did Hanshi know Mary Sherman?”
Nicchi hesitated, then exhaled. “Yes.”
Akiko nodded. “Thank you for that truth. How did he know her?”
“That’s not my story to tell. You’ll have to ask Hanshi.”
“He isn’t waking up,” Akiko said quietly.
“He will.” Nicchi was trying to sound sure, but he didn’t pull it off. “He has to. Right now, I’m more worried about Paolo.”
Kit frowned. “Does the shooter know who you are? Will he go after Paolo?”
“I don’t know,” Nicchi said. “I don’t know if he knows who I am.”
Lie, Kit thought. Although why he’d lie, she wasn’t quite sure. Yet.
“But you know who he is,” Akiko said quietly.
Nicchi shook his head. “I do not.”
Kit didn’t believe that, either. “How did you know to be in front of Ella Sherman’s house?”
“Because I was afraid he’d go after Mary’s daughters. Can you try Paolo again, Akiko? He’ll be more likely to pick up for you than me.”
Akiko regarded him soberly. “Is Paolo angry with you?”
“I don’t know,” Nicchi admitted. “We had words. He asked to borrow money and I said yes, until I heard how much. He wouldn’t tell me why he needed it.”
“How much?” Kit asked, not liking where this was going.
“Twenty grand.”
Akiko gasped. “Why would Paolo ask for that much money?”
Nicchi shrugged wearily. “Like I said, he wouldn’t say.”
“When was this?” Sam asked.
“October.”
“When Mary first started going to LA,” Sam said.
Nicchi sighed. “Yeah. But the two have nothing to do with each other. Of that I’m certain.”
Akiko brought up her phone’s contacts list. “I guess that explains why he wanted to do his own charter runs.”
“Wait,” Nicchi said sharply. “What do you mean, he’s doing his own charter runs?”
“He asked if he could rent my boat to take out his own charters. To build up the business with overnights. We do a few, but he wants to do more. We can charge more for them and he said he wanted to be the one to do them. I rent him the boat and I get both the rent money and a portion of his profits.”
“Now I’m more worried,” Nicchi said. “Why does he need more money? You’ve always paid him well.”
“I don’t know. Let me try the sat phone.
I didn’t think he was going out tonight, since we did a run earlier today, but I can try calling.
” Akiko tapped the contact and put her phone on speaker.
It rang and rang before going to voicemail.
“Paolo, it’s Akiko. You need to call me ASAP.
Hanshi’s hurt and it’s bad. Call me.” She ended the call.
“You didn’t tell him that I’m here, too,” Nicchi noted.
“No, I didn’t. If he’s mad at you, he won’t call me back if I said you were here with me.” She glanced at Kit. “Paolo can be a petulant little bitch when he’s angry.”
Nicchi sighed. “He really can be. He’s impulsive and too carefree. I keep bugging him to settle down, but he says he likes his life.”
“He is a bit of a bohemian,” Akiko agreed. “Do you know my half brother?”
Kit wanted to grin because Nicchi visibly startled. Akiko was good at this.
“No,” he said when he’d pulled his reaction back behind his mask of indifference.
Liar, Kit thought.
“Do you know my father?” Akiko asked.
“No.”
Liar.
Akiko studied him. “Do you at least know his name?”
Akiko really was good at this. That was a subtle nuance.
Nicchi shook his head. “You have to ask Hanshi.”
“And if he never wakes up?” Kit asked sharply, annoyed at the man all over again. “I’m sorry, Akiko.” Because her sister had whimpered. “I want him to wake up, both to get answers and because you love him. But if he does not, is Nicchi here going to man up and answer our fucking questions?”
“Yes,” Nicchi said grimly. “I will. But out of respect for Hanshi Ito, I need to wait.”
“Fucking respect,” Kit snapped. “I don’t share the respect. Because he hid secrets from my sister. Who I love. Who I will protect down to my last breath.”
“So will he,” Nicchi snapped back, then grimaced. “I can’t believe I fell for that. Kudos, Detective. You got me to tell you something.”
“Ito is protecting her?” Harlan asked. “Not hurting her?”
“He’d rather die than hurt her,” Nicchi said and Kit was surprised at the bitterness in his tone. “Trust me on that.”
“I do,” Kit said. “I probably shouldn’t, but I do. How long will you give Ito to wake up? A day? A week?”
Nicchi closed his eyes. “If he doesn’t wake up in the next twenty-four hours, I’ll tell you.”
And then a nurse knocked on the door and upended everything. “Mr. Ito is awake and asking for Akiko.”
Nicchi lurched to his feet. “I need to see him, too.”
“After he answers Akiko’s questions,” Kit said firmly. “Don’t push me, Mr. Nicchi. I’ll call LAPD so fast your head will spin, and I don’t care if I get fired for being involved.”
Nicchi glared at her. “I’m starting to believe that.”
“She’s as serious as a heart attack,” Baz said.
Kit snorted in surprise. “Shut up, old man. It’s still too soon for heart attack jokes. Akiko, you can take Pop if you want to, or I’ll go with you.”
“I’ll go with her,” Nicchi insisted, but Akiko merely shook her head.
“My sister goes with me,” Akiko said, taking Kit’s hand. “You’ll get your turn soon, Ricky. Come on, Kit. Let’s get some answers.”
Los Angeles, California
Tuesday, January 31, 3:05 a.m.
Edwin Ito’s gaze latched onto Akiko as soon as she and Kit entered his room. He was awake, but barely. His head was bandaged and his leg was in a cast, its outline clearly visible beneath the thin blanket that covered him.
Akiko sank into the chair, not taking her eyes off Ito’s face. “Hanshi?”
She sounded like a small child, and Kit’s heart squeezed. She couldn’t even imagine what was going through her sister’s mind, so she sat in the chair beside her and held her hand.
“Akiko,” said Ito quietly. “You came.”
“Of course I did.” Akiko gave Kit’s hand a grateful squeeze before letting go and covering Ito’s hand. “I have questions.”
“I imagine you do,” he said wearily. He glanced at Kit. “You were there. In my condo. How?”
“We tracked Ricky Nicchi to LA,” Kit said. “He shot the shooter who’d shot me and two of my colleagues. So we wanted to ask him a few questions. He didn’t answer anything, though.”
“I don’t suppose he did.”
“But we saw a photo on the wall of his office. It was the two of you. I recognized you from all the belt ceremonies I’ve attended for Akiko. We immediately went to your condo and…there you were.”
“There I was. Thank you for assisting me.”
“You’re welcome. You owe Akiko some answers.”
He closed his eyes. “What do you know?”
“Mary Sherman is dead. DNA shows that her killer is Akiko’s half brother on her father’s side.
Mary Sherman is her aunt on her mother’s side.
You knew this and you kept it from her. Ricky Nicchi shot Mary’s killer but didn’t kill him.
Just wounded him. Ricky had been visiting Mary in her San Diego home while her husband was at work.
The killer was stalking Dahlia Sherman at her university. ”
Ito’s eyes flew open. “What? Is Dahlia okay?”
Kit nodded. “Dahlia is okay. She’s in a safe house.”
Ito settled back into his pillow. “Good. You know a great deal, Detective.”
“I beg to differ, sir. We barely know anything. Who are you to Akiko? Who are you to Mary? Why didn’t you tell Akiko she had a family?”
“To protect her.”
“From?” Kit asked.
“Danger.”
Kit leaned forward in her chair. “And?”
Ito sighed. “It is a long story.”
“We have time,” Kit said flatly. “What kind of danger? How do I protect her?”
Ito’s lips curved slightly. “You are a good protector, Detective. I am confident you’ll take care of her when I am gone.”
“Well, don’t go yet,” Kit said tartly. “Answers first.”
Akiko gasped. “Kit!”
Ito chuckled, but it turned into a cough. Akiko gave him a sip of water and stroked his face tenderly. “Settle, Hanshi. It’ll be okay.”
He closed his eyes again, his breathing labored. “Mary Sherman’s real name was Himari.”
“Mari,” Kit murmured, remembering what Leo Sherman had told them. “You talked to her on the street once. She was coming out of a restaurant with her fiancé. You called her Mari and she was upset with you.”
“Oh right,” Akiko whispered. “I’d forgotten that Leo told us that.”
“She was right to be upset,” Ito said. “I was careless and could have jeopardized her life by using her given name.”
“I’m sorry,” Kit said. “I interrupted you. You were talking about Himari.”
“Himari had two siblings, twins who were three years older. Ichiro and his sister, Minako. We called her Minnie.”
“Minako,” Akiko breathed. “My mother.”
“Your mother.” He opened his eyes and smiled at Akiko. “You resemble her and Mari. The first time I met you, you were five years old. Such a sweet little face. I wanted to take you home with me. You looked just like Minnie at the same age.”
Oh no, Kit thought. She had a feeling she knew where this was going. Ito’s explanation better be very good. He’d kept more than one secret from Akiko. If he’d known Minnie when she was Akiko’s age…
“Did you know I was Minnie’s daughter?” Akiko demanded.
“Yes,” Ito said, so quietly that it was almost inaudible.
“Then why didn’t you take me home with you?” Akiko asked brokenly. “Why didn’t you adopt me? Why did you leave me in foster care all those years?”
“Too dangerous,” he said. “I’m sorry that you had to pay for my choices.”
“What does ‘too dangerous’ mean?” Akiko asked, then frowned. “Wait. You knew my mother when she was five years old? Who are you to her?”
Kit drew a breath, wondering how Ito would answer. If he would tell the truth.
“I was her father.”
Akiko gasped quietly. “What?” She released Ito’s hand when he said no more. “You’re my…my grandfather?” She whisper-shouted the final word and Ito winced.
“Yes.”
“You…left me there. In foster care.” Akiko drew a breath through her nose, her nostrils flaring. “I’m so angry right now.”
“I know,” he said. “And you’ve every right to be angry.” He sighed. “I’ve made too many mistakes in my life. And you’ve paid for them.”
Tears rolled down Akiko’s cheeks. “But…why?”
“What danger is my sister in?” Kit asked coldly. Because whatever Ito, Mary Sherman, and Nicchi had been up to, it had culminated in Mary’s murder.
Mary. Himari. His daughter.
“I’m sorry,” Kit added softly, not regretting her question, but she did regret the tone she’d used. “You’ve just lost your daughter. I’m sorry that I couldn’t get to her in time.”
“She died alone.” Ito began to breathe heavily. “Alone and frightened. And knowing—”
He gasped suddenly and all the machines started beeping.
“Hanshi!” Akiko cried.
Kit ran to the door, but a nurse pushed past her, running to Ito’s bedside.
“You two have to leave.”
“No,” Akiko begged. “Please. He’s my grandfather.”
The nurse was preparing a shot for his IV. “Go now.”
Kit grabbed Akiko’s arm and gently led her away as several more medical professionals rushed into the room. “Come on, honey. We’ll wait outside.”
Akiko tugged her arm free, turning back to look at him. “Hanshi,” she whispered.
“I know, honey. Come with me.” Kit put her arm around Akiko’s shoulders and steered them into the hall.
And they waited.
“Should we tell Ricky?” Akiko asked.
“Let’s see if we can get a status update before we do that.”
Akiko nodded and rested her head on Kit’s shoulder. Kit stroked her hair and said nothing, because what could she say?
Akiko had found her grandfather—who’d been there all along.
She’d found her aunt, but too late to have a relationship.
And Ito hadn’t told them who her father was. Who Mary’s killer was.
He hadn’t told them who’d attacked him.
I should have asked better questions. But she hadn’t been thinking like a cop. She’d been thinking like a sister.
After about ten minutes a doctor came out, looking harried. “We’ve stabilized him. No more conversations that upset him.”
“Okay,” Kit agreed. “Can she sit with him?”
“Not yet. He needs rest.”
Kit took one look at the tears on Akiko’s face and turned to the doctor. “She just found out that the man she’s believed to be her karate sensei for twenty-seven years is really her grandfather.”
“Oh. Wow.” The doctor blinked. “Well, that doesn’t change his condition, Miss…?”
“McKittrick,” Kit supplied. “We’re sisters.”
The doctor appeared to be digesting this. “Adoptive sisters, obviously.”
“Still sisters,” Kit said calmly, although she wanted to snark. “If she promises not to talk to him, can she sit with him?”
The doctor sighed. “Come back in a half hour, okay? If his condition changes, we’ll come to the waiting room and get you.”
“Okay,” Akiko whispered. “I’ll be back.”
Kit pulled her close. “Let’s give the others an update.”