(Author's note: This is a continuation of the story from the 11th season's episode "A Long Time Ago". I've taken some liberties with having some supporting characters in this story who weren't actually around for this season, so please overlook my indulgence.)
THE WRONG WOMAN
"Jenny, I need three copies of these," Steve instructed his efficient secretary as he handed her a handful of forms. "Send one to the Governor's office, one to the Mayor's office, and keep one for my files." As he stood by her desk and released the paperwork into her capable hands, he breathed a frustrated sigh and exclaimed, "Bureaucracy! I never get caught up. I thought I was a cop, not a paper-pusher."
"You can be both, Steve," Jenny said in a motherly manner. "Just let me handle the paperwork, and you handle the criminals. In fact, I could be your second-in-command just for paperwork, Steve—for a tidy raise?"
"I wish I could, Jenny. In fact, isn't your personnel review due soon? Ahhhhh! More paperwork!" Steve complained. Laughing, he continued, as he gently touched her shoulder, "Oh, well, it won't take long to do that one—check, check, check, 'excellent' all the way down the form. You deserve even more than that, dear lady…."
Jenny smiled at her boss and the compliment, but it didn't last long as a visitor came through the door to the office suite and interrupted them, causing them both to look up to see John Manicote arriving.
The District Attorney made frequent appearances at the Five-O offices. Usually always business-like and straight-to-the-point with not a lot of idle chit-chat on his agenda, John was nevertheless part of the extended ohana of Hawaii Five-O.
They were on the same side, after all, working together to get the bad guys not just arrested but convicted. That took cooperation and coordination between their two offices. Manicote was practiced and effective in his presentations in court, but he had to have the solid underpinning of legally-obtained evidence and effective testimony to get a conviction that would stand up on appeal. He knew he could count on McGarrett and his men to produce that to the best of their ability.
Manicote was not scheduled for an appointment today, but that didn't make his arrival unusual. What was unusual was that the unflappable district attorney, who had almost as effective a poker face as McGarrett, was clearly aggravated about something and didn't mind showing it today.
As he watched Manicote approach, Steve searched his memory for what involved Five-O that might have John in such a mood. Nothing came to mind, so he opened the conversation as neutrally as possible, "Good afternoon, John. What brings you by this late in the day? Court adjourn early?"
With his suit coat unbuttoned and casually dangling a manila file folder from one hand, Manicote stopped in his tracks about halfway to Jenny's desk and put his fists on his hips in impatience. It was not a familiar stance for the DA, who was usually quite cool-headed but in this moment was displaying an atypical hot-headed streak.
In a much more pointed fashion, John responded to Steve's conversational tone. "Yes, Steve, I'd say court adjourned early today. Very early indeed. Actually, court did not go as I had planned at all today. Have you had a quiet day, Steve?" The irritation that was so clear in John's face was also permeating his every word, but the question seemed sincere.
"Yes, fairly routine. Quiet." Steve answered in a low, slow, suspicious tone, narrowing his eyes to concentrate on the DA's response. "Why?"
Manicote unfisted his hands and removed them from his hips as he sauntered over to stare briefly into Dan Williams' empty office then turned around to walk toward Steve and Jenny. "Steve, can you please tell me where your trusted second-in-command is at this moment? I'd really like to know what was more important today than his showing up in court."
Bewildered, Steve questioned, "Danno? What do you mean he didn't show up in court? I didn't know he was scheduled for court today. Maybe he didn't realize…."
"Oh, he knew it, Steve. He knew it was today. At 2:00. Where is he?" As determined as the fierce attorney that he was, John Manicote was confident in his facts and wanted an answer to his question.
Steve's response was lame, and he knew it. "The usual. Out in the field, following up on some cases. He was here this morning." While defending Danno's whereabouts, Steve wavered in his mind between concern and confusion about Danno's actions. He never missed a court date, but neither had he even mentioned that he needed to be in court today. What if something has happened? "Jenny, when have you talked to Danno?" Steve asked anxiously.
"Not since around lunchtime, when he left. I told you that when you called earlier, Mr. Manicote." Jenny, feeling her motherly instincts rising up, wanted to defend Danny against Manicote's implications of negligence but had to be truthful.
As Steve's anxiety seemed to increase, John Manicote's anger seemed to subside and he, too, was becoming concerned.
Steve solemnly and urgently instructed Jenny, "Try to get him on his radio."
"I don't know if I'll be able to." At Steve's and John's puzzled expressions, Jenny went on to explain. "It was really weird what Danny said when he left. He said he didn't know if he'd be back in today, but not to worry if we could not get him on his radio." She hated to imply any wrong-doing on Danny's part but hoped this information would soothe the rising worries in the room, including her own.
"He said that?" Steve was confused about why Danno would intentionally not be in radio contact and not talk to him about it. Because I would have questioned him about why….
John muttered, "Sounds like a man who doesn't want to be found."
Looking over at John Manicote, whose concern was now dissipating and his anger returning, Steve told Jenny, "Try radio contact anyway. If he doesn't answer, radio Duke and find out if he's talked to him."
Turning fully to Manicote, Steve asked the obvious question, "What case were you trying today, John?"
The DA hesitated and said, "Steve, I think we should talk privately…," indicating toward Steve's office with his hand.
Leaving an irritated Jenny behind and nodding his head in compliance, Steve waved John toward his office. There, Steve closed the door behind Manicote and turned immediately to the DA and stood with his own hands on his hips, plainly showing his impatience and displeasure. "Well?"
Given the privacy of the big office, John Manicote became more even-toned, perhaps expecting that Steve's anger would exceed his, and he needed to offset that, not encourage it.
He took a deep breath, let it out, then said, "It was the Melissa Cole conspiracy case."
Steve's head dropped to his chest in relief and realization. Relief that Danno was probably all right, somewhere, even if not easily findable. Realization that it was this case, if any, that would cause Danno to act so uncharacteristically irresponsible.
"Melissa Cole," Steve breathed the words definitively, as if her name was the answer to all the questions currently running through his mind. Putting his hands up to his face, he seemingly tried to wipe away his own irritation—at this woman and at Danno.
Reading Steve's gut reaction, John asked to clarify, "What are you thinking, Steve?"
"I'm surprised, John," as he wandered pensively over toward one of the white chairs at his desk and landed heavily into it. "Even though I knew this was a difficult case for Danno, I never had one hint that he would refuse to testify against her. I couldn't imagine that he would consider endangering the case after you had decided to press charges."
"And I guess I misread Danny's concerns about this woman," John countered.
The look on Steve's face showed that he was baffled at John's comment, so John continued. "Danny came to see me about 10 days ago, asked me to reconsider pursuing the case against Ms. Cole. I told him I thought we had been fair—dropping all other charges against her in exchange for her testimony against Roy Crawford but pressing the 'conspiracy to commit murder' charge because she tried to trap Danny into killing Crawford for her. Danny's testimony was—is still—critical to a conviction. Without that, we don't have much."
Irritated and taken aback by this new information, Steve pressed on. "He came to see you? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought I had handled it. Like you, I never dreamed Dan Williams would let his personal feelings interfere with a case, not even this case."
Manicote sat down in the other white chair and let his thoughts waver. "Steve, are you sure he's OK? Maybe something has happened…."
Steve shot John a worried glance, as the intercom buzzed. "Yes, Jenny," Steve said as he pressed the intercom's button.
"Danny's not answering his radio, Steve. I talked to Duke, and he hasn't heard from Danny either. I tried Danny's home—no answer there. What should I do now, Boss?"
"Just try not to worry, Jenny. Based on what I know so far, I think he's OK, and we'll find him." Steve ended the call and leaned against his desk. "Was Melissa Cole in court today?"
John shrugged affirmatively. "Sure. She knew better than not to show up—unlike Danny! In fact, I asked her if she knew where Danny was, and she claimed she didn't. When I left, she was meeting with her attorney."
"Is she out on bail?" Steve asked in his usual pointed fashion.
"Yes." Pulling a page from the file folder he had been holding, he showed it to Steve. "This is the address where she's supposed to be staying. Mean anything to you?"
Taking the page and reading through it, Steve shook his head no and handed it back to the DA. At least it's not Danno's address, he thought.
Standing up and beginning to pace, Steve said, "You know, Danno has a long history with this lady—even predates his becoming a cop. I know he had a hard time with the fact that Crawford had killed Melissa's young daughter. That's why she wanted Crawford dead."
"Yes, Steve, and that's why I wouldn't bargain with her on the conspiracy charge. She could give us valuable testimony against Crawford and his murderous crime sprees, but her plan to get him killed was her downfall. Not to have pressed charges against her would have been like—like legalizing revenge. I can't do that. The precedent it would set would be disastrous." John's face was earnest with responsibility and conviction.
John stood and met Steve in his pacing. "You know, Steve, all of us at one time or another have been involved with—with the wrong woman. Even me, in my younger days. I wish—now—that I had had someone—a friend—who could have convinced me that I deserved better."
Steve had no trouble understanding John's implication. "And would you have listened? Sometimes, we don't want to hear the truth. And in this case, after all of Melissa's lies, I believe Danno already knows the truth."
"Probably, but it seems that he needs to hear it again, from someone he trusts more than her." Steve looked up to meet John's very direct gaze.
After a moment, John wandered toward the office door and paused, resting his hand on the doorknob and turning again toward Steve. His concern once again raising its visage, he said, "I really hope he's all right, and that it's something as simple as him not wanting to testify against her. You want me to have HPD find him?"
"No, no, John, let me handle it. He's done enough to damage his reputation today; I'd rather HPD not get involved." With an assurance he didn't really feel, Steve ended with, "I'll find him."
"I hope so," John said kindly. Then, suddenly assuming an irritated posture again, he stated, "And when you do, tell him he's got big trouble with me! I don't appreciate having my time wasted!"
"Oh, I think I'll remember to mention that to him," Steve reassured, as Manicote opened the office door and exited gruffly.
McGarrett closed the door behind him. With a worried countenance, he walked to his lanai and opened the door to ponder Danno's situation. "Where are you, my friend, and what in the world are you thinking?"