Chapter 2
I
The head of the parole board was Leon J. Takashiro, a lawyer who took the direct approach when answering questions. Before Jayna could finish speaking, Takashiro answered in the negative about Frank Mays and Rudy Chang.
"Neither of them is eligible for parole now, and both are safely locked away in Oahu State Prison," he answered. "But Robles is coming up for parole in a few weeks …"
"What has his behavior been like the past few months? Any outbursts, visitors …? Has he made any threats to anyone like he did when he was found guilty?" Jayna asked.
"If he has, it wasn't within earshot of anyone, otherwise, we would have heard," Takashiro replied. "We have our own snitches in the prison system. Robles has been a model prisoner for the past five years, and he'll certainly try to charm his way around this parole board. There were no visitors except his lawyer and some of his old gang from his mobster days. I can get a list of them to you from Security Operations."
"That would be great," Jayna replied.
"Is there a chance of him getting parole?" Jayna asked.
Takashiro shook his head. "Personally, no, but we can't go by personal feelings. The determination will come from his conduct during incarceration, his remorse for his crimes, efforts at rehabilitation, mental state, education level, criminal history, and a bunch of other criteria. …" Takashiro waved his hand upwards in a dismissive gesture. "His criminal history alone should get him a 'no' vote, but if he puts on enough of an act to make the board members believe he's gone clean, they'll release him."
"Would it be possible for me to speak to him?" Jayna asked.
Takashiro made an incredulous glance at her. "You think he had McGarrett shot?" he asked.
"I don't know. All I know is he threatened me five years ago and now, those five years are almost up." Jayna tugged at her necklace, twirling the heart-shaped pendant around.
"The man who shot him said that five years were up – as though they were already over," Takashiro pointed out. "Robles is still in jail and it's not certain if his five years are up or not."
"What about Hugh Markatos?" Jayna asked.
Takashiro exhaled with a sigh and looked very wearily at her. "Markatos was serving five-to-twenty for drug trafficking …"
Takashiro hesitated before speaking, then opened his mouth. "He made parole last month. We don't know his whereabouts as of now. He's moved around a lot and we don't have updated information from his parole officer. He's looking for that information and will send it over. Markatos was living with a former girlfriend at first, then he left that place and went somewhere else. He had to report change of addresses to his parole officer each time, but no sooner was that information updated then he moved again."
"What was the girlfriend's name?" Jayna asked.
"Susan Corvis," Takashiro answered. "She's a hat check girl at the Polynesian Room."
Jayna wrote the name down. "Can you get me a list of Markatos' visitors as well?"
"Consider it done," Takashiro noted. "There's something else, though I don't know if it's of any importance …"
Jayna was all ears. "Spill it, Leon," she urged.
"Charles Tavitian's wife visited him a few times, and when she left, one of the guards saw her get into a limo, and there was another man sitting in the backseat. The guard said the man's face was covered in bandages."
It did sound strange, and there were any number of possibilities, but there was only one that came to the forefront of Jayna's mind, though she would much more proof than just a hunch that it was true.
II
Nick Robles still maintained a youthful face, despite five years in prison. It was proof that the prison system favored some criminals over others, and any amount of palm-greasing will get them special privileges not shared by those inmates with empty pockets. Robles spent a lot of time on his tan and very little in the prison laundry or making license plates. His nails were neatly groomed and he was still able to flash perfect white teeth at Jayna when he saw her. The phoniness was not fooling anyone. Danno was angry, maintaining a steady sneer of contempt.
"Hello, there, Berringer," he said. "How's the girl?"
"About to charge you with conspiracy to commit murder if I get the evidence I need …" was Jayna's blunt reply.
It erased the smiling veneer. "Just what is this all about?" he asked.
"You know full-well what it's all about." Jayna leaned in, looking him in the eye.
"It's about Steve McGarrett," Danno retorted.
Robles didn't react. He kept his poker face, glaring back at the two detectives as though he didn't know what happened. Knowing how the prison grapevine operated, Danno and Jayna knew better.
"You heard us, Robles, and we know how news from the outside world makes it into prison," Jayna challenged. "I bet you were jumping up and down with joy when you heard Steve McGarrett got shot, only to be disappointed when you found out he was still alive."
Robles shrugged. "If he got shot, good for him. It's the best news I heard all day." His indifference didn't hide the fact that he knew more than he let on.
"Cut the act, Robles," Danno ordered. "You know all about McGarrett being shot because you ordered it. Anticipating an early release in a few weeks? What a stupid move to make, just before your parole hearing …"
"Why would I order McGarrett to be shot and ruin my chances of parole?" Robles asked, apathetically.
"Stranger things have happened." Danno leaned back, folding his arms. "You tell us. You're the one who threatened Det. Berringer and fifteen other people five years ago."
"That was then. I was angry. None of those people died, did they?" Robles pointed to Jayna.
"No, but that doesn't mean they won't start dying," Jayna said. "We're going to dig deep, and if we find you ordered the hit on McGarrett, I will personally see to it that you never get parole – now or ever!" Her voice rose where it reverberated around the room, and was enough to make Robles cower.
"You don't know what you're up against," he said, trying to regain control of the conversation.
"I know full-well what I'm up against," Jayna countered. "You picked the wrong woman to mess with, Robles." Her eyes turned fiery, and Danno could see Robles tremble a little, a glimmer of fear invading his face.
"You do that, and watch what you come up with …" he made a zero sign with his fingers. "Zilch. Because I'm innocent – this time."
"You have lied before," Danno said.
"Not this time," Robles insisted. "I'm going before the parole board in three weeks. I'm not going to ruin things by organizing a hit that can be traced back to me. Find another donkey to pin this tail on …" He got up. "I'm done." He waved to the guard who escorted him out.
Danno turned to Jayna, looking as calm as he was when they entered. Apparently, arguing with criminals like Robles didn't faze him, even when they were suspected of injuring his closest friend.
"You think he's telling the truth?" Danno asked.
"If he isn't, then he's never leaving this prison," Jayna replied. "It would be suicide for him to try a stunt like ordering a hit."
"Then we'll have to look for another donkey," Danno replied.
III
Steve was able to sit up now, and the antibiotics kept coming. After the nurse made sure he had taken his latest round of medications, she fluffed up his pillows and adjusted the reading lamp. He had been sleeping all day and was wide awake now. He would fall asleep again, before dawn, but he was in for a few hours untouched by drowsiness. The view outside his window was changing from sky blue to bright orange and then shocking pink. Soon, the vivid colors would change to midnight blue and it would officially be nighttime. He wasn't expecting any visitors. Chin and Kono had already dropped by to update him on the investigation, including Jayna and Danno's meeting with Nick Robles. He expected his second-in-command and fifth-in-command to visit him tomorrow and tell him what they saw and heard.
Danno insisted on a twenty-four-hour guard for Steve. There were two officers stationed outside the room, changing places with another team of two every eight hours. Anyone and everything that entered had to get past them, a job the officers didn't mind, even when Chin brought Steve his favorite dinner – medium rare steak, baked potato, and sautéed carrots and broccoli from Chuck's Steakhouse. It was a better change from the hospital food he had been subjected to the past twenty-four hours. There were only so much creamed chicken and soggy string beans he could take.
Steve tried to read a chapter from a spy novel Jayna gave him, but the fantasy of fancy, hi-tech cars, beautiful girls in slinky dresses, and criminal masterminds out to rule the world did little to affect his imagination, with all the cloak-and-dagger intrigue he dealt with in real life. He put the book down and picked up a men's magazine. He was skimming his way through an article on men's fashions when the phone rang, and he picked up the receiver casually.
"Hello?" Steve asked.
"Mr. McGarrett," the hospital switchboard operator began, "an Officer Lukela would like to speak to you."
"Put him on, thank you." Steve waited to hear the voice of Sgt. Duke Lukela, the liaison officer with HPD.
"McGarrett?" the male voice asked. He spoke in a whisper. He still spoke audibly enough for Steve to discern that it was not Duke.
"Yes?" Steve asked, remembering the last time someone asked him about his name.
"Five years are up, McGarrett," the male voice responded. "Tell Jayna Berringer, we're going to finish the job."
Steve's adrenaline rose and his heart started to pound like a jackhammer. "Who are you? … What do you want?"
"Berringer should hope they're guarding you good, McGarrett. It's time to settle the score. Tell her: five years are up." There was the sharp click to indicate he had disconnected. Steve held the receiver loosely, letting it dangle as he dropped it and the cord fell between his fingers.