Steven J. McGarrett ducked under the yellow police tape that surrounded his family home and made his way inside. He knew he shouldn't be there, it was a crime scene, but he needed to see it.
He'd only returned to the island to bury his father, but he found himself hanging around, despite refusing to lead the task force the Governor wanted to put together. The funeral had been hard, especially without his sister, and now he found himself at the house he'd grown up in until he was 16.
Walking inside and flicking on the lights, he saw the blood spatter over the hung pictures on the wall and it took him back to hearing the shot that killed his father. That sound had nearly destroyed him, and the helpless feeling that regurgitated in his gut was something he never wanted to live through again. The only thing driving him on was the determination to get Victor Hesse, the man that had taken his life.
He had spent five years as a S.E.A.L, tracking terrorists, Victor and his brother Anton but little did he know that when he finally had his hands on one of them that it would cost him his only living parent. But he'd been forced to shoot the man in his capture when he'd pulled a gun on him.
He took in his surroundings as he moved through the lounge to the study. There was a bloody footprint on the floor, it was his fathers' blood but not Victor's print. He knew that because he measured it against his own and it came up small. Victor wore the same size shoe as he did, but this print was smaller and didn't match the kind of footwear that Hesse had custom made. So there was a third person in the house that day.
He photographed the evidence and went through the room to the next. Sitting at the desk he detected a void, left by a laptop and his father didn't own a computer. So he searched for something he could use to dust for prints with, and found some wheel lube among his dad's models. He sprinkled the substance on the edge of the desk and came up with a palm print, which he also photographed. But it wasn't until he went to the garage that he understood something his dad had called him on the phone that day. He'd called him Champ, and his whole life he'd never called him that, so it was obvious it had been a clue, only it didn't make any sense until he saw the toolbox sitting on the bench.
Opening the red object, he searched inside to find a key and a Dictaphone. Hitting the play button, he heard his dad's voice filter through the air. "I can't continue this investigation on the police department from the inside; I don't trust the people I work with so I'm going to have to do this on my own. It's all about the key; I just don't know what it's for. I've only been able to find two sources…"
Before he could listen to anymore, he heard a noise from outside, forcing him to stop the tape and close it back up inside the box with the rest of the things his father had locked away. But he'd barely got the lid shut when the garage door opened behind him and someone entered.
"You, hands up, don't move." The intruder ordered training his gun on him.
Steve drew his own gun and pointed it back, "Who are you?"
"Who are you?" He asked moving around the parked car toward him. "I am Detective Danny Williams…"
"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, this is my fathers' house."
"Put your weapon down right now."
"No, you put your weapon down and show me your I.D."
"You show me your I.D. right now."
"I'm not putting my gun down." Steve refused.
"Neither am I."
"Use your free hand to get your I.D." He said calmly.
"Please, after you."
"At the same time?"
Danny raised his eyebrows, "At the same time?"
"Yeah, at the same time." He answered.
"What like on the count of three?"
"OK, three's good."
Both men removed one of their hands from the gun they had trained on the other and reached inside their pockets in perfect synchronicity. Removing their identification, they flipped it open and held it up in the others direction so each of them could see it.
"Great." Danny commented closing the wallet holding his badge and lowering his weapon, causing Steve to do the same. "Listen I'm really sorry about your father, but you can't be here right now. This is an active crime scene."
"Doesn't seem that active." He countered, with one hand on the toolbox.
"I can't share any information with you." Danny said compassionately stepping toward him.
"Hesse wasn't here alone when my father was murdered; someone was sitting at the desk in the study. There was a space cleared for a 13" laptop and my father hated computers."
"I'm going to ask you again, you gotta leave."
He lifted the toolbox off the bench, "You got it." He said starting past the officer.
"And you can leave the box, that's evidence, you know that." Danny stated losing his patience.
Steve turned back to him, "I came with this."
But he wasn't fooled, "No you didn't come with it, I see the dust void it left right here on the counter." He said turning toward him. "What's in the box? What are you hiding?"
"How long you been with the Honolulu P.D?" He asked with a slight smile.
"None of your business, what are you Barbara Walters?"
"No, it is my business if you're investigating my fathers' death."
"I am, and I'd like to get back to that. So the sooner you leave, the sooner I can."
"Anything you say." He said turning again to walk out of the door Danny had walked in through.
"Leave the box or get arrested, alright."
"You gonna call for back up?" Steve asked facing him again.
"An ambulance." He retorted.
The two stood staring each other down before Steve made the first move, placing the toolbox down on the trunk of the car his dad had kept for them to do up together.
"Thank you." Danny said, thinking he'd finally given up the fight.
But McGarrett hadn't given up anything, "Don't thank me yet." He said reaching inside his pocket for his phone and searching for the number he wanted.
"What are you doing?" The detective asked as he watched the commander placed the phone next to his ear.
He held up his hand in a silent request for him to be quiet as he waited for someone the other end to pick up. "Yeah, Governor Jameson please. Tell her it's Steve McGarrett."
"Oh please." Danny commented thinking it was a ruse.
Steve approached him as he switched his phone to speaker in time to hear the Governor's greeting and the detective was forced to admit defeat.
"Governor, I'll take the job." The naval man said. "Let's just say I found something that changed my mind." He paused. "No, no, immediately. I'll transfer to the reserves and I'll run your task force." Another pause. "What, right now? OK…" He said raising his right hand as he continued to speak on the phone. "I, Steven J McGarrett, do solemnly declare upon my own recognisance, that I will act at all times to the best of my ability and knowledge in a manor befitting an officer of the law." He repeated the pledge. "Thank you Governor." He finished hanging up, before addressing Danny as he lifted the toolbox again. "Now it's my crime scene."