ANs in part 1 (At Risk)
'Twas the Day Before Christmas-part 4 of the 3rd Annual REAL World Marathon
Mary McGarrett's House
Saturday 12:11 A.M.
Aaron leaned carefully over the sleeping form of his girlfriend, and hopefully soon to be fiancée, and whispered, "Ma-ry."
No reaction.
He leaned a little closer. "Are you awake?"
Still nothing.
With a small sigh he leaned even closer and this time jostled her shoulder as he said, "Mary!"
"What?" She startled awake and looked around the bedroom. "Is everything ok? Is Joan ok?"
"Joan's fine," he reassured her with a wide smile as he rubbed her back softly. "She's sound asleep."
"Then what are you doing up at … " she squinted her eyes to see passed him to the alarm clock, "a little after midnight? Or more to the point, what are you doing waking me up at this hour?"
"It's Christmas Eve," he replied in a sing-song voice.
"Barely," she grumbled as she pulled the covers over her head.
He peeled back the top of the blanket gently. "We agreed to exchange our presents on Christmas Eve," he reminded her, his tone almost unbearably cheery for the hour.
"I remember," she acknowledged with a moan. "But I thought we meant we'd do it at a more normal hour."
He cocked his head. "What would you consider a more normal hour?"
She opened one eye and looked at him. She wanted to be annoyed but honestly, she couldn't help but smile at how eager he sounded to exchange gifts. Truth be told she was anxious as well. This was a big step for her … for them. She wanted him to see she was truly committed to the relationship and believed they would last forever.
She'd said the words many times, they both had of course, but now she wanted him to see it in her actions. She'd retrieved the papers from the attorney several days earlier and it was all she could do not to run right home and show him.
He moved slightly as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She took a minute to stretch then laid her head on his shoulder. "I don't know." She smiled. "When the sun's up maybe?"
"Well, that might be a little tricky." He took her hand. "Our schedule is pretty jam-packed today. We promised Joan she could help make french toast for breakfast then she has the Christmas Eve program at the library at 11:00. We told my folks we'd be at their house by 1:30 so they have plenty of time to show Joan off to out-of-town relatives before dinner."
Mary chuckled.
"Then we have to be at the community center by 7:00 to watch Santa's sleigh enter the northern hemisphere on radar. By the time we get home after that and Joan falls asleep and we get all the presents put under the tree we'll be lucky if we can keep our eyes open."
She raised her head and arched an eyebrow at him. "You don't think if we get up at midnight and face all that on no sleep will make it worse?"
She had a point but Aaron was not about to be deterred.
"We can go back to bed after." He stood up and tugged her to a standing position. "Let's go."
McGarrett Rollins Home
6:55 A.M.
Catherine's phone buzzed with an incoming call as she finished pouring herself a glass of juice. She glanced at the caller ID and smiled.
"Hey, Mary."
"Hi, Cath. Look I only have a second." Mary's tone was rushed but not distressed. "Can you just tell me … is Steve on the phone right now?"
"Yeah, he is. He just came in from an all-night stakeout. Do you need me to get him?"
"No." Mary's voice dropped to a whisper and Catherine had to strain to hear her. "I said that I wanted to skype with you and Steve before you left for work and Aaron freaked out and said he had to call his mom and check on what she needs us to bring for dinner tonight."
"I'm not sure I understand." Catherine brows knit in confusion. "You don't think he called his mom?" She wasn't sure exactly what was happening but she had a feeling they'd all laugh about it in the end.
"Of course not." Mary continued to whisper and Catherine could picture her eyes darting around furtively making sure no one overheard. "We're bringing the rolls. It's a joke in Aaron's family that he always gets assigned the rolls. I think he really called Steve."
For reasons she didn't understand Catherine's voice began to take on the same hushed tones as Mary's. "What makes you think he called Steve?"
"We exchanged gifts already. Aaron and I, I mean … exchanged gifts … not Steve. Obviously."
"Ohhh Mary … " Catherine began but her sister in law quickly cut her off.
"No, please don't mention anything yet about what you may or may not know Aaron got me for Christmas. Save that for the skype. If your reaction isn't genuine Aaron will know. He's very intuitive. I don't want him to know that you know I know."
Catherine chuckled. "Okay. If that's what you want. But you still haven't explained why you think he'd call Steve."
"After he got over the shock of the new deed with his name on it, and I mean shock in a good way, he freaked out and kept asking me if I talked to Steve about it before I did it. I think he's afraid Steve might disapprove."
Catherine leaned against the kitchen island. "Did you tell him you talked to Steve beforehand?"
"Yeah, but he's just … oh crap … here he comes. I'll talk to you in a couple minutes."
Before Catherine could say goodbye the call disconnected. She was still looking at her phone with a bemused expression when Steve entered the kitchen.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"That was Mary. She wanted to know if you were on the phone with Aaron."
"I was." He yawned as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "He was worried I'd be mad that Mary put his name on the deed to her house … their house."
Catherine smiled and nodded. "That's what Mary thought. Did you tell him you're fine with it?"
He leaned against the island beside her. "Yeah. I did my best to reassure him but he sounded unusually high strung this morning. It was hard to get him to focus. Did Mary say anything about the ring?"
"Just that she wanted to wait to talk about it until they skype us which is apparently going to be any minute."
"What's going on with that?" Steve yawned again. "Are we supposed to act surprised?"
"After that phone call with Mary I'm not exactly sure." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Let's play it by ear."
Five minutes later they were sitting side by side on the couch in the living room, waiting patiently, when the skype from Mary came in.
Catherine accepted the call and immediately Joan's face filled the screen. She was standing close to the camera, obscuring the view of Aaron and Mary.
"HO HO HO! Unca' Steve. HO HO HO! Ann Caf!"
"HO HO HO!" they responded in unison.
"Santa comin' t'mowwow!"
"That's because you've been a very good girl," Catherine smiled.
"Mama and Aawon got pwesents ea-wy"
"They did?" Steve mock gasped.
"Mama gonna be a pwincess like Ann Caf!"
"Ok, peanut," Mary laughed as she lifted Joan onto her lap. "Mama will take it from here."
She looked at the screen as Steve and Catherine both attempted to keep as straight a face as possible. "Don't you two even try to pretend you didn't know what Aaron had planned."
"Ok then, let me see the ring," Catherine squealed.
Mary held her hand up with a wide smile. "I thought you saw it at Thanksgiving."
"No, just Steve." Catherine leaned closer to get a better look. "He described it to me but he didn't do it justice. It's beautiful. Absolutely stunning. You made a great choice, Aaron," she said sincerely.
"Thanks." Aaron's smile was a mile wide.
"So how did he ask you?" Catherine bubbled excitedly. "I want to hear every detail."
Joan hopped off her mother's lap, plopped down on the floor and began playing with Aaron's shoelaces.
"If you could leave out the part with all the sweating and the stuttering I'd appreciate it," Aaron pleaded.
"Don't listen to him," Mary elbowed him in the ribs then kissed his cheek. "It was very romantic. He got me up at 12:11 because he couldn't wait any longer." She laced their fingers together as Aaron blushed.
Catherine's hand flew to her mouth. "That's sooooooooo sweet. Isn't that sweet, Steve?"
"It's not their special spot on the beach," he shrugged.
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Not everything is a competition."
He grinned. "So you keep telling me."
"It was the perfect spot for us," Mary beamed and began to rub Aaron's back softly. "He got down on one knee, the only light in the room was the twinkling light from the tree, he told me how much he loves me," Mary's voice started to crack, "and how much better his life is with me in it. And how he can't picture a day without me."
Both Steve and Aaron began to squirm.
Catherine patted Steve's knee but kept her attention on Mary. "It sounds very romantic."
"It was," Mary sighed dreamily. "I can't stop looking at this gorgeous ring." She held her hand out in front of her. "I assume that wears off at some point," she chuckled.
"It hasn't yet for me." Catherine squeezed Steve's bicep. "But I'll let you know if it ever does."
"And listen to this … the ring was only part of my present. He also started the paperwork to adopt Joan." Mary wiped happy tears from her cheeks. "We're gonna be an official family."
Aaron wrapped his arm around his newly minted fiancée and kissed her cheek. "I'm counting the minutes."
"I think that's great," Steve said sincerely. "I couldn't be happier for all three of you."
Tears began to spill down Catherine's cheeks. "I'm so happy for you too," she said with a watery voice.
"Uh-oh." Steve wrapped his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. "Here we go."
"Hormones," Catherine explained to Mary and Aaron. "Don't mind me."
"Hi Niblet," Mary giggled.
"Have you thought about a date?" Steve asked in an attempt to give Catherine time to compose herself.
Mary rolled her eyes. "You mean in the ten hours we've been engaged?"
Steve shrugged. "You never know."
"We haven't really discussed it yet but a lot is gonna depend on Niblet."
"I'm not sure he or she will be able to pick a good date for a few years yet," Steve smirked.
"Very funny smarta … " Mary looked at Joan, "smartalek. What I meant was there's no way I'd ever get married without the two of you there." Her voice softened and her eyes glistened with unshed happy tears. "Catherine, I'd be thrilled if you'd be my maid of honor."
Catherine's nearly dry eyes began to flow again. "Oh Mary, I'd love to."
Steve kissed her temple softly.
"And Steve …" she looked at him with love and admiration and years of pain seemed to melt away. "I was hoping you'd walk me down the aisle."
"Mary …" He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I … I'd be honored."
"Oh man, I am such a blubbering mess," Catherine chuckled as she wiped more tears from her eyes. "I'm gonna have to fix my makeup before work."
"Speaking of … I'm gonna let you guys go. We just wanted you to be the first to know. Well," Mary tilted her head, "you already knew I guess. We wanted to tell you in person … well not in person … you know what I mean."
"We do," Catherine laughed.
"And now that Aaron made his super-secret phone call to Steve to make sure he was ok with the deed stuff." Mary winked.
"How did you … were you … " Aaron exhaled heavily. "Stealth is not my strong suit."
"Not really, no," Catherine agreed.
"Your ninja skills need work," Mary teased.
"I just didn't want Steve to think I was after the house like some kind of dowry or something," Aaron explained earnestly.
Catherine collapsed against Steve's side laughing. "Oh no, not another one. Wait until my dad hears this."
After he grabbed a couple hours sleep Steve headed to HPD to check in with Duke before meeting the rest of the team at headquarters to continue the search for the Vanovers. As he opened the door he nearly ran into Carmen Clifton who was on her way out.
"Is everything ok" he asked. He wanted to make sure the hang ups calls hadn't escalated to something more serious.
"Yeah," she said though her voice held a touch of doubt. "I came by to sign my statement and thank Sergeant Lukela for having the officers keep an eye on my apartment. It makes my roommates and I feel safer."
"That's good," Steve smiled. "I'm sure this'll all pass soon but in the meantime, help is just a phone call away if you need it."
"Thanks," she nodded. "That makes me feel better."
She wore a tie-dyed shirt with no makeup and her hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. Steve couldn't help but think she looked too young to have to handle something like this alone. "Do you have any plans for the holiday?" he asked.
"I guess I need to find a new job," she replied with a wry smile.
He nodded. "If I can be of any help be sure to let me know."
"Thanks, I will."
She started to head towards the bus stop at the far end of the parking lot but something about her slumped shoulders made Steve call her back. When she turned he indicated the stone wall behind them and, after hesitating for a second, she took a seat.
"You did the right thing," he said as he settled beside her. "It's important you keep that in mind."
She smiled at him then focused her eyes off in the distance. Thanks. I just … " Her voice trailed off.
"Just what?"
"I came here for a fresh start, you know? Somewhere nobody knows me and I could reinvent myself. But here I am sitting outside a police station, no job, probably been blacklisted from every housekeeping position on the island for pissing off the Vanovers, not qualified for anything else. It all feels kinda familiar."
"I think you're selling yourself short," Steve said genuinely.
Carmen picked uncertainly at her cuticles. "What makes you think that?"
Steve's thoughts went immediately to Mary and he smiled. "Let's just say you remind me of someone I know."
"Really?"
"Really," he nodded. "Now tell me about your family."
The young woman sighed deeply. "My parents got divorced when I was eight. They fought all the time for as long as I could remember and then one day my dad was just gone. He moved out while I was at school. My mom told me he found a new family he liked better than us."
"Wow," Steve winced. "That's an awful thing to tell a kid."
"Tell me about it." Carmen frowned. "Even though she complained about everything he did when he was there she still didn't take it very well when he was gone. It was kinda like she saw an excuse to give up on everything in her old life as soon as he was gone. She lost her job. She didn't see her friends anymore. She started going out nights, bringing home strange men. Pretty soon I almost forgot what she looked like sober. I learned to make my own meals and get myself to the school bus. By the time I was twelve we lived under the same roof but barely talked."
"Did you ever see your dad?"
"Some. At first. But every time he came around she'd scream and throw things at him and after a while I guess seeing me wasn't worth it because he stopped coming. I always got a birthday card and a Christmas present but he was never … there, you know what I mean?"
Steve saw a very familiar pain in her eyes. "I'm sorry. That must have been awful for you."
She shrugged with a feigned ambivalence he feared she'd learned out of necessity at a very young age. "I got used to it. What choice did I have?"
"When we talked last time you said you've been in trouble before?"
Her tone became slightly defensive. "That's in the past. I don't do that stuff anymore."
"I'm sure you don't," Steve said.
"You've probably heard stories like mine a thousand times anyway. I started hanging out with a bad crowd in high school. I knew the stuff they were doing was wrong but I wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere and they accepted me without asking any questions."
Steve looked her in the eye. "I get it."
Carmen relaxed slightly. He wasn't like any of the cops she'd dealt with in the past. He really listened to what she said and didn't judge her based on a few stupid mistakes. "I got busted a couple of times for shoplifting and vandalism. Petty stuff. My mom decided I wasn't worth the trouble and kicked me out. I bummed around the streets for a few weeks then ended up moving in with some guy. He turned out to be a loser. Tried to get me to transport a couple thousand oxy pills across the country to New York for him."
"Sounds like a real prince," Steve said sarcastically and was rewarded with a small smile.
"The first in a long line of losers," she sighed.
"It's hard for a kid who doesn't have good role models."
"I guess. I mean … I wasn't happy with the way things were I just … didn't know how to change them. Until I met Tara that is. She's my roommate. She was dating the loser's best friend. One day she said to me … we need to get out of California and find someplace to start over. And next thing you know here we are. Not that either one of us really had a plan when we got here but … "
"You're trying," Steve said. "And that's all that matters."
"Thanks. And speaking of trying … I better get out there and try to scare up my next paycheck."
"Do you have a pen?" he asked.
"I think so," she answered, slightly confused. She dug around in her purse for a minute and finally found one.
Steve pulled his card from his pocket and scribbled Kamekona's name and address on the back. "Try here first. This guy should be able to help you out. Tell him I sent you."
Carmen took the card with an appreciative smile. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it. I hope you like shrimp."
Chin and Kono divided up a list and between them visited every resort on Oahu looking for the Vanovers. They showed pictures of the family and asked each desk clerk if they might be checked in under another name.
Steve and Danny, meanwhile, concentrated on any mode of transportation that could be used to spirit two adults and two children off the island. They checked every helicopter service that might have flown the family to one of the others islands and came up empty. They contacted every airline that flew commercial flights out of any airport in Hawaii. There was no record the Vanovers had traveled on any of them. They called or visited dozens of marinas. None had chartered a boat for the Vanovers or anyone who fit their description.
They were confident they could rule out commercial travel options. Private airstrips, however, were another matter. They spent a large chunk of the day butting heads with one small airport manager after another and each one insisted they had no obligation to turn over their records to anyone other than the FAA without a subpoena.
As frustrating as it was their resistance wasn't exactly unexpected. They made their living catering to the ultra-wealthy who valued their privacy above most things. If those people thought the managers of these small airports easily shared information about their comings and goings they'd take their business elsewhere.
Without more evidence there was no way to get a search warrant or compel the release of flight records.
They climbed back into the car after they hit another dead end at the last airfield on the list.
"Do you and Gracie have any plans for tonight?" Steve asked as he turned the key.
"Nothing big. She was gonna bake cookies with Gabby this afternoon then I thought maybe we'd order pizza and watch a few Christmas movies. Along with the traditional skype call to Nonna and my folks of course."
Steve checked his watch.
"It's almost 4:00. Why don't you text Chin and Kono to meet us back at the office. We'll regroup, then I'll chase down any new leads and you can head home. I'll call you if I need you."
"It's nice of you to offer," Danny replied sincerely. "But Grace understands. I haven't told her much about this case but … she picks things up, you know? She knows there are kids involved." He sighed. "It's Christmas Eve. Those kids should be at home waiting for Santa. Oooohing and aahhing at the lights on the tree. Shaking their presents trying to figure out what's in the box. Not hiding out with the people who've been mistreating them."
Steve's voice grew soft. "I know."
"It's just … these people have all the advantages. They're not struggling to keep a roof over their heads or wondering where their next meal is coming from. This isn't a case of people who neglected their kids because they have trouble keeping their own lives together. Not that that's any better but it's at least … I mean I can get my mind around that kind of thing."
Steve knew Danny needed to rant so he sat back and let him go.
"There are so many people out there busting their ass, especially at this time of year, doing their best, loving their kids and doing anything necessary to give them a nice holiday. And these people ... who have everything … I don't get it."
"We're gonna find them, Danny. And we're going to get to the bottom of what's going on and make sure those kids are safe."
"I know."
"In the meantime, until something breaks, go home and recharge your batteries by spending time with Grace."
"Thanks. I might take you up on that." He leaned his head back against the headrest. "She's fourteen. Before I know it, she'll be off at college. Then one day she'll call and say she wants to spend the holidays with some boy who isn't good enough for her's family. Then she'll have a family of her own and want to stay home for Christmas."
Steve chuckled. "Don't you think you might be getting a little ahead of yourself?"
"Life comes at you fast, my friend. You just wait. One minute they're a baby and a heartbeat later they roll their eyes when you tell a joke. Being a dad is not a job for the faint of heart."
Steve's voice grew quiet. "If I can be half the dad you are I'll be thrilled."
"Thanks." Danny could barely speak around the lump in his throat.
"I'm serious. You fought so hard to be with her, and whatever else goes on in your life you always put her first. She knows she can count on you no matter what and that your love for her is unconditional. You're a great dad."
"And you will be too," Danny said with absolute certainty.
As the team stood around the smart table reviewing the scant information they'd come up with so far Steve's phone buzzed with an incoming call from a number he didn't recognize.
"McGarrett."
"Commander McGarrett, this is Gwen Rinaldi. Meggie Vanover's sister. I met you yesterday at the police department."
"Of course. What can I do for you?"
"I called Sergeant Lukela and he gave me your number. The most amazing thing happened … " she stopped and took a breath. "I heard from the children. They called me."
"That's great." Steve was shocked by the turn of events. "Let me put you on speaker." He pressed the button and placed the phone in the middle of the table. "The rest of the team is here. Go ahead."
"It was about twenty minutes ago. The phone rang and I recognized Meggie's number. When I answered it wasn't her on the line though it was Roger Jr. He said they were all ok but they had to go to Wyoming because Grandpa Jim, that's Roger's father, is sick. I asked if I could talk to Gina and he let me. She said she was ok too. When I asked to talk to her mother she put RJ back on the phone."
"Did he say anything else?" Steve asked.
"He said they flew on mommy's friend Darrin's airplane and they'd be home in a few days and that his mother promised him they could come visit me when they get back. Then he said he had to go and I told him Merry Christmas then he hung up."
"Do you know who he means when he says mommy's friend Darrin?"
"The only Darrin I can think of is Darrin Staley. They're friends from college."
The team exchanged glances.
"It seems kind of suspicious to me that all of the sudden Meggie would allow them to visit," Gwen admitted, "but at least now I know the kids are ok. And maybe this CWS visit put a scare into them and she really will let me see them."
"I hope you're right," Steve said with a little more confidence than he felt. "If you hear from them again please call me right away."
"I will. Thanks. Merry Christmas."
Steve reached over and disconnected the call.
"I assume we're talking about Darrin Staley as in State Senator Darrin Staley," Chin guessed.
Steve exhaled sharply. "The man who ran against Denning in the last election." He slipped his phone back into his pocket. "At least we know the kids are ok for now. Chin, get me as much background as you can on Roger Vanover's father. Kono, call and see if you can get confirmation Staley's plane landed in Wyoming. I'm gonna see if I can reach Darrin Staley personally. Danny, why don't you go ahead and head home to Gracie. Assuming this info pans out we won't be far behind you. There's not much we can do until the Vanovers get back to Hawaii."
After a moment's hesitation Danny decided. "You'll call me if you need me, right?"
"Absolutely," Steve promised.
"Thanks." Danny turned and headed towards his office to grab his things.
Twenty minutes later Danny arrived home to the sound of laughter and the smell of cookies baking.
"The official taste tester has arrived," he laughed as he entered the kitchen.
"Danno!" Grace wrapped him in a tight hug. "Is the case over?"
"Not yet, but we're at a standstill and Uncle Steve volunteered to stay so I could come home and spend time with you guys."
"That's great!" Gabby kissed him. "We're about ready to order pizza."
"Then my timing is impeccable," he grinned.
"And we decided on A Christmas Story, Scrooged and Miracle on 34th Street."
Danny rubbed his hands together. "Sounds like the perfect Christmas Eve."
Grace beamed at him. "It is now that you're here."
Chin and Kono entered Steve's office just as he finished up a call.
"Jim Vanover, Roger's father, is 58 years old and is a lifelong resident of Alpine, Wyoming," Chin reported. "He's been married to Althea, Roger's mother, for 39 years. He ran tourist expeditions on the Snake River until a few years ago when a white water rafting accident left him with a broken back."
"So, it's possible his health is bad," Steve nodded. "Did you get a phone number?"
"I did and I tried to call but apparently they're having a blizzard in that part of the state and the phone lines to the more remote outlying communities are down."
Steve turned his attention to Kono. "Did you get anything on the flight?"
"Staley's private plane took from Wapaiei Airstrip Wednesday at 7:00 P.M. The flight master said she didn't personally see anyone board the plane but the Vanovers are listed on the passenger manifest and the flight plan did include a stop in Casper, Wyoming. I confirmed the flight landed there and managed to take off again right before the bad weather hit."
Steve leaned back in his chair.
"I reached Darrin Staley in New York. According to him Roger Vanover called last minute, said his father was sick and asked if they could hitch a ride to the mainland. He knew Staley was headed to New York for the holidays. He said the kids were quiet but appeared fine. He left the Vanovers off in Wyoming with plans to pick them up again on the way back to Hawaii next week."
"What now?" Chin asked.
Steve exhaled deeply. "I'm gonna call the authorities in Wyoming and ask them to do a wellness check on the kids."
"It might take a while considering they're in the middle of a blizzard," Chin reminded him.
"Maybe," Steve sighed. "But short of that our hands are tied until they get back here. Why don't you guys head home? I'll be right behind you. I'll let you know as soon as the Wyoming authorities make contact."
It took a few minutes after Chin and Kono left for Steve to reach with the Wyoming State Police. The officer in charge took down all the information then told Steve he might get a quicker result going through the Office of Emergency Management as his men were concentrating mostly on clearing the highways in the area and rescuing stranded motorists at the moment.
While Steve waited to hear from the director of emergency services he phoned Catherine, filled her in on the latest details of the case and promised to head home as soon as the call came in.
Forty minutes later he unlocked the door and found Catherine sitting on the couch watching A Few Good Men while Cammie dozed at her feet.
"Some Christmas movie," he teased.
She hit the mute button on the remote and silenced the tv as he leaned over and kissed her. "There's a lasagna in the oven. It'll be ready in an hour."
He hovered over her and smirked. "If there's a lasagna in the oven why do I taste pop tarts on your lips?"
"Those weren't for me," she said, her face a mask of innocence, "those were for Niblet."
"Is Niblet gonna have room for lasagna too?" he asked skeptically.
"No, the lasagna is all me," she grinned.
"Ok then, are you gonna have room for lasagna?"
She waggled her eyebrows as she laid down and pulled him with her. "Maybe you should help me build up an appetite just in case."
"What about the movie?" Steve teased.
"What movie?" she purred.
TBC tomorrow in part 5
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