Double Take Chapter 2

"And why would you say that?"

"Shit. Look at me." The lieutenant studied his fingers. "Look at me, goddammit! I'm a fucking monster because of that asshole. Am I glad he's dead? Your goddam right!"

"Did you have anything to do with his death?"

"No way."

The lieutenant paused for a few seconds. Then he took a small notebook out of his breast pocket and flipped through it before he spoke. "Mr. Lane, when is the last time you were in Hawaii?"

Now Sandy looked down at his fingers, which had been stripped of their usual coat of polish. His hands were remarkably calm. "Thanksgiving."

"Where did you stay?"

"The Royal Hawaiian."

"Pretty fancy digs for a surfer."

"I find that a place like that doesn't make a big deal about my face," Sandy shot back. "When you're paying that kind of money, they don't care what you look like."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lane. It's just that, I didn't know surfers made that kind of money."

"I was the Vans Triple Crown champion two years ago, and I was ranked sixth in the world before I got knocked out of the Masters World last year. It takes a while to blow through all that prize money."

"Is that what you've been doing? None of your old friends or sponsors have heard from you since your accident."

"It wasn't an accident. That son of a bitch attacked me."

"Did you kill him?"

"I told you already, no."

"Where have you been for the past year?"

"Traveling around the USA. I've been driving up and down the coast, and I went to North Carolina and Florida for the hurricane season."

The lieutenant had to smile. "People go there for the hurricane season?'

"Surfers do."

"What were you doing in Hawaii?"

"I went up to Makaha, but it was blown out."

"Did you go up to the north shore?"