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Meredith Barnes was an angelic soul sent to save us from ourselves, and billionaire oilman Robert Huntington had murdered her.
    The reality was that he’d been deeply in love with Meredith, and there wasn’t a day that went by Donovan didn’t miss her. His guilt and sense of failed responsibility was with him always. That was the core reason Lauren had left him. She’d felt second best and decided she wasn’t going to compete with a dead woman for the love of her husband. Lauren was right, but she was also wrong, and Donovan wasn’t sure where the lines actually were anymore. The bottom line was he didn’t know what to do to fix his marriage. Lauren deserved better than she got, and the end result of any contemplation on the matter always ended with the same stalemate. Through the tempest of this undercurrent of self-recrimination, Donovan heard the tail end of an Air Traffic Control clearance meant for them.
    â€œI missed that.” Donovan said to Michael as he reached for the microphone. “What was the clearance?”
    â€œThey cleared us down to flight level two four zero,” Michael said as he tightened his harness and adjusted the autopilot to begin their descent.
    Donovan read back the clearance and spun 24,000 feet into the altitude alerter.
    â€œYou sure you’re okay?” Michael asked. “You looked a million miles away for a moment.”
    â€œNot a million,” Donovan lied and pointed to their mileage to the Kauai airport. “One hundred and twenty.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    Michael lined up the
da Vinci
for final approach to runway three-five at the Lihue Airport. Below and to the east was only ocean; to the north and west, mountains. It was a spectacular approach, and Michael flew the Gulfstream perfectly until the wheels gently kissed the pavement. Once they’d slowed, Michael swung off the runway, and ground control directed them toward the executive terminal. The airport wasn’t large, two commercial jets were huddled close to the terminal, and a smattering of smaller airplanes dotted the ramp. Up ahead, a lineman with red batons directed them to their stand on the ramp. Donovan could see the helicopter Buck had arranged parked off to the side. There were three official-looking vehicles, a fuel truck, and two police cars with lights flashing; the gathering created a sense of urgency.
    Not far away, behind a chain-link fence, was a cluster of media vehicles, cameras no doubt rolling, shooting the arrival of Eco-Watch. Farther away, a crowd of people was cordoned off by barricades and uniformed officials. Donovan was too far away to make out the signs they held.
    â€œI’m sure those signs are all about how much they love us,” Michael said as he swung the Gulfstream in a wide arc and eased forward until the lineman crossed his batons as a signal to stop.
    â€œYeah, and the armed guards are all about containing the love.” Donovan threw off his harness and went back to the cabin door only to find Buck already standing there, a handheld radio to his mouth as he put out his hand to keep Donovan from opening the door.
    â€œWhat’s the hold up?” Donovan asked.
    â€œOne final sweep of the area, and we’ll be clear.”
    A voice crackled from the radio, and Buck nodded they were good. As the air-stair unfolded and stretched to the tarmac, Buck placed himself in front of Donovan and descended to the ramp. With William behind him, Donovan joined the group awaiting their arrival. He, William, and Buck met a Mr. Erickson, the governor’s envoy, and the local chief of police who pledged his department’s full cooperation and protection. Donovan shook everyone’s hand, thanked them, then turned and found himself face-to-face with a man who radiated quiet authority. Despite the heat, he wore a black suit with a dark tie. The crew cut head hinted at his being former military, and steel-gray eyes gave the impression he