Dangerous Minds (Knight and Moon 2)

Riley thought she heard some hesitation in Vernon’s voice. “What’s wrong with the ranch?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Vernon said. “You’re going to love it. It’s real pretty. It’s only that some of the people in the community are a mite eccentric. By the way, you like cows, don’t you?”

“Let me get this straight,” Riley said. “Where we’re heading, you and Emerson are the normal ones?”

Wayan Bagus took a deep breath and smiled. “I am happy to be back in the Pacific. It has been my experience that the only normal people are those you don’t know very well. In any event, I am quite fond of cows. The ranch sounds very nice.”

A car was waiting for them on the tarmac. The keys were in the car, and four flower leis were on the dash.

It was an hour’s drive to the sleepy little town of Hawi in North Kohala. Riley headed out of the airport, turning left onto Route 19, the belt road that hugged the coastline and encircled the island. Twenty minutes of lava fields later, they passed the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, a man-made green oasis of golf courses, luxury homes, and bungalow-style thousand-dollar-per-night hotel rooms.

Vernon groaned as they passed. “I don’t suppose the ranch has a hot tub, all-day room service, and somebody to bring you ice cream sundaes while you sit by the pool?”

“I don’t suppose so, unless there have been some upgrades since we were there last. It does, however, have a tidal pool and a fruit orchard that’s open twenty-four hours a day,” Emerson said. “Riley will probably be particularly interested in the tidal pool. She’s a swimming enthusiast.”

Riley cut her eyes to Emerson. “Your time will come.”

“Are we almost there?” Wayan Bagus asked. “I would like to have some fruit and swim in the tidal pool and see the cows.”

“Not far now,” Emerson said.

Riley continued north on Route 19, passing a number of other four- and five-star resorts. As she drove, the lava fields were slowly replaced with scrubby brown grass, arid patches of dirt, and the occasional tree. She turned onto Akoni Pule Highway and passed through Kawaihae Harbor into North Kohala. As she rounded the northern tip of the island, the scrubby brown grass became progressively greener and more lush. Tall guinea grasses swayed in the trade winds.

“This is absolutely beautiful,” Riley said as she drove through the little town of Hawi, with its art galleries, restaurants, and little shops.

Emerson pointed at an unmarked dirt road to their left. “It’s about half a mile down this road.”

Riley bumped down the road, avoiding potholes as best she could. After a couple minutes, the woods and brush opened up into open pastureland. A herd of Black Angus cows looked up in a lazy greeting as their car passed under a sign reading MYSTERIOSO RANCH.

“Oh man,” Vernon said, “I hope we don’t run into Alani.”

“Alani was Vernon’s first girlfriend,” Emerson said to Riley. “She still lives in Hawi and works as an astronomer at the Keck Observatory. She and Vernon had a small difference of opinion, and Vernon hasn’t been back here since.”

“She ran me over with an ATV,” Vernon said. “She’s got anger issues.”

“Is she one of the eccentrics?” Riley asked.

“She’s the eccentric,” Vernon said.

Emerson looked at Vernon. “In fairness to her, that was preceded by the Unspeakable Incident.”

Vernon leaned over the front seat and clapped his hand over Emerson’s mouth. “Hello. It’s called ‘the Unspeakable Incident’ for a reason. Anyway, I’m sure she’s forgotten all about it by now. It’s been years, right?”

Wayan Bagus rolled down his window to get a better look at the cows. “It is written by the Sage that never by hatred is hatred conquered, but by readiness to love. That is the eternal law.”

“I reckon the Sage might feel differently if he had a girlfriend who ran him over with an ATV,” Vernon said.

Riley parked the car in front of a small one-story Bali-style house. It sat at the edge of a one-hundred-

foot sea cliff with the island of Maui in the distance, separated by the thirty-mile-wide Alenuihaha Channel.

Everyone got out of the car and stood in awe at the sight and sound of the ten-foot swells crashing into the cliffs below.

“It’s almost sunset,” Emerson said to Vernon. “Why don’t you and Wayan Bagus walk into town and buy us some food for dinner. I’ll show Riley around the ranch.”

—

Riley watched Vernon and Wayan Bagus disappear down the driveway.