See AN's in Chapter 1
Also don't forget you can find Mari on Twitter asking your opinions about all things McRoll in the REAL World! Mari21763 Always add I'm a #REALMcRoller
An Earlier Heaven (4/8)
"A happy family is but an earlier heaven." George Bernard Shaw
State Capital Grounds
Wednesday 4:15 A.M.
Steve maneuvered his truck through the maze of squad cars, SWAT vans and ambulances crowding the paved parking lot directly adjacent to the Capital Building. Every agency on the island from HPD to the sheriff's office to the medical examiner's office was out in full force. The red and blue lights atop the vehicles were all strobing at a different rate creating an almost unbearable assault on the eyes. Combined with the unrelenting crackle of a dozen different radio frequencies it was enough to make an already high-tension environment even worse.
Catherine's hand rested softly on Steve's knee, exactly as it had for most of the almost silent drive from the beach house to the crime scene. The trip was a deviation from their usual routine. They normally went to work in separate cars but this morning they both felt the need to grab a few precious minutes together before what would undoubtedly be a hectic day. As Steve gripped the steering wheel and concentrated on getting to the scene as quickly as possible Catherine called Chin, Danny and Kono then sent a quick text to Esther letting her know they left the house in a hurry and asking if she could please make an extra early morning visit to let Cammie out and feed her her morning meal.
When Steve realized he couldn't get any closer he pulled the truck to a stop, threw it in park, and released his seatbelt. He placed his hand over Catherine's, took a few seconds to collect his thoughts, then gave her a soft smile and squeezed her hand. They both knew this scene was going to be extremely difficult but with a small nod and matching determined looks they exited the truck. They walked a short distance then ducked under the yellow police tape and headed towards the area where they could see the technicians from the medical examiner's office gathered which indicated the location of the body.
The first officers on the scene had already sealed the building, cordoned off the area and called for portable lighting to illuminate the grounds and aid in both the search for evidence and examination of the body. Dr. Max Bergman was already on scene with his team as was Sergeant Duke Lukela who was alerted the minute the 911 call came in.
"Steve," Duke intercepted him before he could reach the body, "you need to prepare yourself for this."
"I look at dead bodies all the time, Duke. It's part of the job," Steve said brusquely, his jaw tight and the muscles in his upper body coiled as if ready to strike.
"This one is a little different," Duke said, not flinching in the face of Steve's obvious displeasure.
"How so?" Catherine asked as she took a step closer to Steve offering her silent support.
She knew he and Eddie weren't what you would call friends, they weren't actually much more than acquaintances at best, but she also knew Steve and she knew he was going to blame himself for allowing Eddie to get deeply enough involved in the Fogelsong case that it possibly cost him his life.
"I thought you said on the phone we're looking at the same pattern of injuries as Arthur Fogelsong?" Steve said with an annoyed tone.
He stepped forward in an attempt to get past Duke but the older man held his ground.
"We are," Duke said. "You just need to be prepared, ok. It's a real mess over there. And this isn't just some random victim."
"Fine," Steve exhaled heavily and after a few seconds Duke stepped aside and along with Steve and Catherine moved towards the body of Eddie Garza. As they approached one of the portable lighting units sputtered to life, focused directly on the remains, and Steve and Catherine couldn't help but flinch.
Eddie Garza's body lay on a small cement slab at the base of the Capital flag pole. The slab itself, as well as the nearby plaque commemorating the dedication of the flagpole which had been removed from Pearl Harbor after the attack and relocated to the grounds of the Capital, were covered in blood and small chunks of tissue. To the left of the body a small patch of white Gardenias stood covered in blood. As they surveyed the area Steve and Catherine saw traces of blood splatter as far as ten feet away on a bench along the main walk to the front door of the building.
The smell of blood was almost overwhelming.
They were still working to get their minds around exactly what they were looking at when Max stood up from his position crouching next to the body and addressed them. "As you can the killer had a slight change of M.O. this time, Commander, Lt. Rollins," he said grimly. "It's clear the injuries were inflicted here as opposed to the previous case where the body was moved after mutilation."
Steve turned to Duke. "Any witnesses?"
"None that we've found so far," Duke replied.
"How …" Steve asked heatedly. "How does someone cut up a body on the lawn of the Capital Building and no one sees a thing?"
"By this point," Max interjected, "it's likely that the killer has become quite adroit at this specific pattern of mutilation. Depending on the implement he chose he could probably complete the task in under five minutes."
Steve looked at the blood soaked remains of the governor's top advisor and his stomach churned. "So you're sure it's the exact same injury pattern?" he asked.
"I am," Max confirmed.
"So why the change with this murder?" Steve questioned. "Arthur Fogelsong was killed at a different location and transported to the park after he was cut up. There was very little blood at that scene. Why leave the body in the same place it was mutilated this time?"
Max shrugged. "It's possible the killer was interrupted and as such had no opportunity to move the body to a different location to dump it. Or perhaps the extreme bloodiness of this scene is part of the killer's evolving message."
"Yeah, maybe," Steve said.
"Do we have an approximate time of death?" Catherine asked.
"I won't know for sure until I have a chance to conduct a full examination." Max issued his standard reply. "But my best guess would be sometime before midnight. Possibly even before 11:00 P.M."
Danny and Chin joined the group just as Max excused himself to instruct his technicians on exactly how he wanted the body handled so as to preserve as much evidence as possible.
"Jesus," Danny exhaled as he caught his first look at the mutilated remains.
Steve glanced at the cameras mounted on the front of the building. "Duke, we need to get the surveillance tapes right away. I want to know everyone who entered and exited this building in the last twenty-four hours."
"There's a problem with that," Duke said warily, bracing himself for Steve's reaction.
"What kind of problem," Steve demanded irritably.
Duke pointed across the lawn to a man in a blue shirt and jeans talking to several unformed officers. His name tag identified him as Ron Reynolds from Airtight Security. "The company that handles all the electronic security for the building was installing a software update last night. The cameras were turned off at 5:00 P.M. and hadn't come back on yet at 3:30 A.M. when someone from the maintenance staff found the body on his way outside for a cigarette break."
"You've got to be kidding me?" Danny said. "Seriously … the one night the cameras are out in one of the most secure buildings on the island somebody gets murdered on the front lawn?"
"Was it a planned update?" Chin asked.
"According to both the head of maintenance and the head of security the outage has been planned for at least two weeks," Duke nodded.
"We just cannot catch a break," Steve growled. "Has anyone seen Kono yet?"
"She was at Adam's and somehow her phone got turned off, Chin said. "She's on her way."
"As soon as she gets here I want the two of you to go upstairs and search Garza's office," Steve said. "I talked to him last night and he said the lawyer for the Currys sent over a batch of records dealing with their charity work that might help us find a connection between the first eight victims."
"You talked to Eddie last night?" Danny asked.
"Yeah," Steve rubbed his forehead. "He called to tell me the records had arrived from the Curry's lawyer. But then an old friend stopped by to see him and he hung up."
"Did he say who the old friend was," Chin asked.
"Just someone named Patsy," Steve responded.
"What time was that call?" Duke asked.
Steve pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the call log. "Nine fifteen. And Max set the preliminary time of death somewhere between eleven and midnight."
"Did it sound like he was uncomfortable with the old friend stopping by in any way," Catherine asked.
"Not at all. He sounded completely relaxed. I got the impression the visit was unexpected but he didn't seem edgey or concerned." Steve wracked his brain for any other fact, no matter how minor, surrounding the mysterious 'Patsy' but there was nothing there.
"It's strange," Catherine said, almost as if she was thinking aloud. "Didn't the witness who talked to Arthur Fogelsong the night he was murdered say he was leaning against his car talking to another man and they seemed like friends?"
"Yeah, he did," Steve responded. "But I would think if Eddie had any mutual friends with Arthur Fogelsong he would have mentioned it to us."
"Unless he didn't know," Catherine offered.
Steve turned to the Medical Examiner, "Is his phone anywhere on his body?"
"No," Max answered. It was one of the first things he searched for on every body since he knew a victim's phone could be a treasure trove of information for law enforcement after a murder. Garza's phone was neither on the body nor anywhere on the ground surrounding it.
"Did any of your officers pick up a phone?" Steve asked Duke.
"No," the sergeant shook his head.
"Can we work on at least getting his phone records then? As soon as possible," Steve requested.
"I'll get right on it," Duke said.
"Thanks," Steve nodded. "If anybody stonewalls you let me know and I'll have the governor call them himself."
"Will do." Duke started towards the far side of the building hoping to find a quiet spot to make a call. His contact at the phone company wasn't going to be happy to be rousted out of bed at this hour but in this instance it couldn't be avoided.
"Cath, start tearing apart Eddie Garza's life looking for anyone he ever knew named Patsy. He referred to her as an 'old friend' so go as far back as you need to."
"I'm on it," Catherine said as she gave his forearm a quick squeeze before heading towards the parking lot.
Steve and the others looked up and saw Kono coming across the lawn towards them.
"We'll let you know what we find," Chin said as he headed off to intercept her, eager to get to work searching Eddie Garza's fifth-floor office.
"Do you really think Eddie was killed because he was helping us look into this case?" Danny asked incredulously.
"I don't know but it sure seems like it," Steve replied morosely.
Danny thought for a few seconds then nodded his head as if he'd made a decision. "I'm gonna send Grace to stay with Rachel and Stan for a few days. Just until we get this case wrapped up and get … the other thing … under control."
Steve started to protest but then realized it might be for the best. Garza's death hit a little too close to home and they could never be too careful with Grace's safety. "That might not be a bad idea," he agreed.
"Commander McGarrett?" a member of the governor's personal security staff approached apprehensively. He knew the head of Five-0 was not going to want to hear what he was about to say.
"Yes," Steve turned to face him.
"I'm Jonas Deloach. I'm the head of the governor's security detail," the man said as he reached out to shake Steve's hand.
"Right. What can I do for you," Steve asked as he returned the gesture.
"Governor Denning is demanding he be allowed to come to the scene," Deloach said.
"Absolutely not," Steve's tone made it clear he was not open to negotiation on the subject. "Tell him Detective Williams and I will be over to brief him soon but under no circumstances should he be brought here. If he has a problem with that he can call me directly."
"And if he insists," the security officer asked. "I mean he is the governor."
"That may be," Steve said, "but this is my crime scene and I'll have him removed if he shows up. I'll do it myself if I have to."
Jonas Deloach looked very much like a man caught between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.
Steve understood his predicament and softened his tone slightly. "Listen, he doesn't need to see his friend like this. If he does he'll never be able to unsee it. And he'll never get over it. So if you need a good excuse tell him I'm concerned about his safety and it's too big a risk for him to come here."
"And I can assure him you'll be over to talk to him personally very soon?" Deloach asked.
"As soon as the body is removed," Steve said.
Deloach took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. "I'll do my best, Commander, but he's gonna be chomping at the bit so the sooner you get over to the mansion to see him the better."
Governor's Mansion
Wednesday 6:10 A.M.
Steve and Danny were escorted into the governor's private office immediately upon their arrival at the official state residence. They were greeted by a grim-faced and angry Sam Denning sitting behind his desk, lost in thought, staring out the room's large window which provided a view of the Capital in the distance.
"Governor," they said as they entered the office and crossed the highly polished floor to stand in front of his desk.
"Gentlemen," Denning replied and indicated they should have a seat in the well-appointed visitors' chairs. "Would you like to explain to me why I was banned from coming to the crime scene this morning, Commander," he said testily. "Last I checked I still outrank you on this island."
"Yes you do," Steve said in as conciliatory a tone as he could manage. "But trust me, Sir, I did you a favor. You did not want to see that crime scene. Remember your friend like he was last time you saw him, not the way he looked after the killer was done with him."
Deep down Denning knew Steve was probably right but he still bristled at being told what he could and couldn't do by the Five-0 Commander. However focusing on that problem wasn't really productive at the moment so he changed the subject. But he was certain they'd be re-visiting the topic soon.
"Tell me what we know," he said as he turned his stare on Steve and Danny, both of whom had seen the look before and were not as intimidated by it as the governor would probably like them to be.
"Eddie Garza was definitely killed by the same man who killed Arthur Fogelsong," Steve said.
"That much I already knew," Denning snapped.
"He was looking into the Fogelsong case immediately before his death and we think that may have played a role in his murder," Steve added stoically.
"And would you care to explain to me, Commander, why you enlisted the help of my top advisor with your investigation. I assigned him to acquire some records for you. Nothing more." Denning made no effort to hide his anger.
"Just to be clear, Sir," Steve's voice started to rise and Danny prepared himself in case he had to jump in and calm things down, "I didn't ask for Eddie Garza's help. He volunteered. For one thing I know he really wanted to get a serial killer off the streets. But he was also hoping he might be able to spin this as a PR advantage that would help with your reelection."
With those words Denning deflated.
They confirmed his worst fear.
When he talked to Eddie about the Fogelsong case on the way back from the Town Hall meeting the previous day his aide was eager to envision what it would do for their chances to win reelection if he had the opportunity to hold a press conference where he, flanked by law enforcement and framed in front of both the Hawaiian and American flags, announced the capture of a serial killer on the island.
Denning had worked with Eddie Garza for close to a decade and knew his friend and colleague was focused on one thing; helping achieve their shared economic, cultural, educational and environmental goals for the state of Hawaii. But in order to fulfill their mission they would need to stay in office. And if spinning the capture of a serial killer in their favor helped achieve that goal then so be it.
Sam Denning was self-aware enough to know that he was misdirecting his anger at himself towards Steve.
"Do we know exactly what he was looking into," Denning asked in a much softer tone.
"Yes," Steve lowered his voice as well. "He'd just received some papers from the estate of Clark and Amber Curry. He had an idea that all the victims may have been somehow connected through their charitable foundations."
"Was he right?" Denning asked.
"When I talked to him last night he said he'd found connections between a few of the victims but nothing yet that connected them all," Steve said.
Denning nodded.
"Can I ask you, Sir, respectfully," Danny joined the conversation, "when was the last time you talked to Garza? His phone is missing as of now and we're trying to establish a timeline of his movements last night."
"I got an email at about 10:00 P.M. which was our usual routine," Denning responded. "It confirmed today's schedule and had briefing notes attached on a few issues he thought might come up today."
"And there was nothing unusual about the email when it arrived?" Danny followed up.
"Nothing." Denning shook his head. "I can forward you a copy if you'd like."
"That probably won't be necessary," Steve said. "We'd like to take his computer and all the files out of his office back with us to Five-0 if that would be possible, Sir."
"McGarrett, I want this murder solved worse than anyone but there are security issues," Denning said.
"We're very aware of that fact, Governor," Steve assured him. "We're only looking for anything that might relate to how he ended up dead at the hands of a serial killer."
"Alright but please … use the utmost discretion." Denning said.
"You have my word," Steve guaranteed him. "One more thing, Governor. Do you know of anyone in Eddie's life named Patsy?"
"Not off the top of my head why?" Denning asked.
"When I talked to him on the phone last night he told me an old friend named Patsy had stopped by for an unexpected visit," Steve said.
"I have no idea," Denning replied. "I can't remember him ever mentioning anyone by that name. But as soon as we're done here I'm going to make a condolence call to his parents in Kansas. I'll ask them if they know of anyone."
"If you come up with anything, Sir, please let us know." Steve stood and reached out to shake the governor's hand.
"I will. And it goes without saying if there is anything at all I can do to help the investigation you let me know. Anything," Denning stressed. "I'll be available to you day and night."
"We appreciate that, Sir," Steve said sincerely. "We'll do our best to find the killer. I promise."
Danny Williams' Camaro
Wednesday 6:40 A.M.
Since Steve and Catherine drove to the early morning crime scene together she took the truck when she headed back to the Five-0 offices to begin searching for anyone named Patsy in Eddie Garza's life and Steve took his usual seat behind the wheel of Danny's Camaro.
"This is … wow … a lot to process," Danny sighed as Steve maneuvered through early morning traffic. "I mean less than forty-eight hours ago we were sitting in this guy's office and he was telling us how he had plenty of time to enjoy life later and then just like that … he's dead. It's hard to wrap your mind around."
"Yeah," Steve practically grunted. He had been especially monosyllabic since they left the crime scene and Danny knew he was affected deeply by Eddie Garza's death.
"It isn't your fault you know," he said.
Steve turned and looked at his partner as if wondering how Danny read his mind. He knew intellectually that he had done nothing to cause Eddie's death and could have done nothing to prevent it, but he still couldn't shake the growing feeling of guilt. "In my head I know that," Steve conceded. "But it's hard not to feel like if we hadn't gotten him involved … "
"We didn't get him involved," Danny corrected. "The governor did by sending us to him in the first place. And the only reason … well maybe you're right and he really did genuinely want to get a killer off the streets but still … the biggest reason he was so eager to lend a hand on this case was to get a feather for the governor's hat on the eve of re-election."
"I know that but still," Steve sighed, "I'm in charge of the investigation. I could have told him to step back."
"Bullshit," Danny said. "I'm not saying it makes him a bad person, it doesn't, we all make choices about what matters most in our lives, but he told you himself that the only thing that mattered to him at this point was the governor's agenda. His heart was in the right place but it wasn't you he was trying to impress. It was Denning."
Steve looked at Danny and grinned. "You can be amazingly perceptive sometimes you know that?"
"In fact I do," Danny smirked. "Which is why you should listen to more often. You won't … but you should."
"Hey doesn't Gabby have her big interview today?" Steve asked, looking for a break, no matter how short, from talking about or thinking about the death of Eddie Garza.
"Yeah. Nine o'clock." Danny checked his watch. "She's really nervous. This is like … her dream job but she doesn't want to get her hopes up … in case it doesn't work out and they give the job to someone else."
"But if they offer it to her and she takes it she'd be back on the island full-time." Steve said. "Are you ready for that?"
Danny stared out the windshield with a heavy sigh. "If you would have asked me a week ago … no question … I would have said it would be the best thing ever."
"But now?" Steve asked.
"But now … " Danny shook his head. "Now I hate the thought of getting her involved in … whatever this is that's going on in my life with the tuition problems and the foreclosure and … well you know … the fact that the State of Hawaii considers me dead."
"Catherine and I told you last night we're gonna help you get that straightened out," Steve said. "First we'll deal with the foreclosure since that's the most pressing matter and then we'll figure out everything else. Did you find an attorney?"
"Yeah, I think so. He's supposed to be the best on the island. He costs a fortune but if he can fix this mess he's worth it I guess. Jack Morrison from the bank recommended him. I'm waiting to see when I can get an appointment."
"Ok. Then we'll go to the bank and see what we have to do to stop the foreclosure."
"Steve, with everything you and Catherine have on your plates right now …" Danny trailed off.
"Look, I know Eddie's murder throws a wrench into things schedule-wise but it doesn't change anything we decided last night. Catherine and I are not gonna let you lose your house or your daughter."
"I was thinking about you guys' offer and I decided I can't … "
"I'm gonna stop you right there," Steve said with a wry smile. "Catherine and I had a talk last night after you left and, well let's just say she set me straight on a couple of things. We want you to accept our offer. We feel grateful we're able to help and we can't think of a better use for the money than keeping Grace right where she belongs, with you."
Your offer is extremely generous," Danny reiterated, "and very much appreciated but … what if I never get this straightened out? What is this situation drags on and I can't pay you back?"
"I'm your boss," Steve teased, trying to lighten the mood, "I'll take it out of your paycheck."
"I'm not getting a paycheck, remember?" Danny huffed. "On account of I'm dead."
Steve nodded. "I'll admit that complicates things a little. But that won't last forever. Celia and Catherine are on it. It'll be straightened out in no time."
"But then … " Danny couldn't finish his thought. It was something he didn't even want to consider.
"What?" Steve pressed
"Where is the next attack coming from?" Danny fretted. "Am I gonna have to worry every day … for who knows how long … that something new is gonna pop up?"
"No," Steve said, turning more serious, "because we're gonna find out who's doing this, and why, and put a stop to it once and for all."
"I still don't feel right about it," Danny exhaled heavily.
"Well, all I'm telling you is that Catherine has made up her mind about this and once that happens it's usually best not to fight it."
"She laid down the law after I left, huh?" Danny chuckled.
"Yeah, but then she kissed the sore spots and made it better," Steve smirked.
"Lord help me your TMI may not be even close to the worst thing I've heard over the last couple of days." Danny slammed his head back against the headrest.
"Does that mean you want details?" Steve teased.
"I hate you." Danny muttered as he closed his eyes.
Office of Kapua Noelani
Director of the Thaddeus & Omega Clifford Trust
Honolulu
Wednesday 8:30 A.M.
"Dr. Asano, thanks for coming in this morning. Sorry it had to be so early," Kapua Noelani greeted her as she was ushered into his posh well-appointed office on the top floor of a Honolulu office building. She'd been aware of the Clifford Trust for many years, everyone in the field was, and the rumors of their hidden collection had been around for as long as she could remember.
Looking around the office Gabby became convinced that the rumors were true.
The shelves on the far side of the room were filled with beautiful pieces of art dating back to the earliest days of the islands themselves. There were beautiful stone poi pounders, the biggest collection of nearly pristine mortar and pestles she'd ever seen, fishing stones, ancient game tiles, gourds of every shape and size, water jugs carved from coconuts, and some positively stunning examples of flawless painted and non-painted native pottery.
Noelani followed her eyes and remarked, "You have good taste, Doctor."
"The pieces are beautiful," Gabby smiled.
"And they're just the tip of the iceberg," the director said.
"It would be a true honor to curate such a magnificent collection," Gabby said candidly.
As she was about to be seated a door at the back of the room opened and a distinguished looking gentleman of about fifty-five entered and smiled brightly at her. He was impeccably groomed and dressed in an immaculately tailored suit. His watch was Rolex, his cufflinks were Cartier, and the pen in his breast pocket was Montblanc.
"Dr. Asano," Noelani said. "I'd like you to meet Patricio Albanese. He's the attorney for the Clifford Trust as well as one of our board members."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Albanese," Gabby said as she shook his hand.
"Pleased to meet you as well, Dr. Asano," Albanese nodded. "Your previous boss and co-workers speak very highly of you."
"Well that's always nice to hear," Gabby blushed slightly.
"In fact Richard Catalano called me the minute he heard this position might be available and told me you would be the best person for the job hands down."
Gabby smiled. She'd have to remember to thank her mentor next time she talked to him.
"Now," Noelani said, "Let's all take a seat and talk about a few things."
Five-O Headquarters
Wednesday 11:45 A.M.
With the help of a half dozen uniformed officers and one borrowed SWAT van Chin and Kono managed to relocate most of the contents of Eddie Garza's office, file cabinets and all, to the Five-0 conference room. Duke assigned several HPD officers, specially trained in evidence assessment and handling, to work with Five-0 for the duration of the investigation. With the extra hands and eyes on board they were making tremendous progress separating the mountain of paper into more manageable subgroups that could be quickly searched for anything that might help lead to the killer.
Chin was concentrating on Garza's computer and the records that had been sent over by the Curry estate detailing Clark and Amber Curry's many charitable endeavors and containing guest lists to hundreds of events they'd sponsored over the course of the last five years while Kono concentrated on searching Eddie Garza's life before he came to the island for any connections with the other victims.
Meanwhile Catherine called Celia James and asked for all Garza's employment records, reviews, human resource contacts, and whatever else the governor's office might have in their possession pertaining to their now deceased employee. Celia confirmed that she had been directed by the governor to provide Five-0 with anything they needed and as such she would gather together every piece of information they had on Garza, including his resume and employment records from his time on the mainland, and email everything over within thirty minutes.
While she was waiting for the records to arrive Catherine called Kalani Inoke at the bank to explain what was going on and ask for his best advice as to the most efficient way she and Steve could help Danny take care of the foreclosure issue. By the time she was done talking to him Celia had come through with the promised records.
Catherine spent the next several hours making calls to all of Garza's previous employers, every person who ever provided a personal recommendation for him and every school he ever attended. Each time, in addition to requesting they send whatever records they had on Garza to Five-0, she also asked if they were aware of any connection he might have to anyone named Patsy. So far the name didn't ring a bell with anyone.
Danny received a call from the office of Greg Howell, the financial attorney who'd been recommended by Jack Morrison, the CEO of Hawaiian Pacific Bank. They were the mortgage holders on Danny's house and as such were obligated to proceed with the foreclosure even though they felt awful about the position he found himself in.
They couldn't stop the process since it was being pursued by another financial entity that had what appeared to be a legitimate collateral agreement that it was choosing to execute, but that didn't mean Jack Morrison couldn't try to help Danny in any way possible.
By a stroke of luck Greg Howell's morning meeting with opposing counsel in one of his cases had been pushed back slightly and he could squeeze Danny in at 11:30 A.M. At first Danny was unsure about leaving the office so soon after a new murder but after discussing it with Steve he agreed he couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet with someone who might be able to help him sort out exactly what was going on and, if he was lucky, might even be able to help him reverse the damage that had already been done.
At noon Steve was sitting in his office looking at some information Duke had emailed over on the progress of the search for the second rental car. The going was slow but Duke hoped to have the list narrowed down to no more than a few dozen names by the end of the day.
Steve picked up his phone, called Duke directly, and asked the police sergeant to check the lists carefully for anyone named Pat, Patrick, Patsy or Patricia. Unfortunately there was no one with that first name on the lists. There were three people with the last name Patrick but according to notes made by the officers working on the lists one was a 28 year old African American man who was visiting the island with an eye towards relocating there, one was a 62 year old grandmother from Iowa who was on the island to visit her grandchildren, and the third was the 32 year old female chaperone of a youth group trip from Oregon.
While he had Duke on the line Steve asked about any luck getting Garza's phone records and was told they would be on his desk by first thing tomorrow morning. As he hung up the phone he looked up and saw Grace walking across the bullpen. He jumped up and went out to greet her, glancing at the overhead screens on the way hoping they weren't displaying pictures from the Garza crime scene.
They weren't.
Steve breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry to bother you at work, Uncle Steve," Grace said softly as she twisted her fingers together, "but I need to talk to you. Are you busy?"
She looked at him with pleading eyes. Something was obviously worrying her, or upsetting her, or both and Steve slipped immediately into protective mode.
Or as Catherine liked to call it Uncle Steve mode.
He took a deep breath and reminded himself that twelve year old girls sometimes get very upset about things that he personally wouldn't consider an emergency. Catherine often teased him about attacking any problem Grace had with the zeal of a SEAL mission. Using a chainsaw to kill a housefly she called it. She always reminded him to find out what was bothering Grace without going immediately to DEFCON 1.
Steve started with the obvious.
She was standing in front of him.
She appeared unharmed.
Those were the two most important things.
He took a deep breath and proceeded.
"I'm never too busy for you, Gracie," he said sincerely. "You know that. You can come to me anytime."
"Thanks," she said and managed the first small smile since she'd walked in the door.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you, because I am," Steve continued, "but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"
Steve sent up a quick prayer this didn't have anything to do with the allegedly unpaid tuition because if it did he wasn't sure who would be more likely to head down to the school, him or Danny.
Whichever one it was, it wouldn't be pretty.
"We had a half day," Grace said. "Mrs. Thomas, you know the lady who watches me when I'm at Mommy and Stan's, she picked me up. She's taking me to their house because Danno said I was gonna go stay with them for a few days but I asked her to bring me here so I could talk to you first. She said she was gonna run some errands to give me time to talk to you and she'll be back in about half an hour."
"Ok," Steve said. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I want to talk to you privately," she said, stressing the word 'privately'.
"Let's go in my office," Steve said.
"Thanks," she answered.
They made their way across the bullpen and Steve held the door open for Grace who entered and took a seat in one of the visitors' chairs, as opposed to her normal choice of the couch, with a grim look firmly in place.
"Would you like a bottle of water?" Steve offered.
"No thanks," she sighed. "But you go ahead."
Steve couldn't help but be impressed that even though she clearly had a lot on her mind her manners were still firmly in place.
"No, I'm fine," Steve said as he leaned against the desk directly in front of her. "Now what's on your mind?"
"Uncle Steve," she turned her suddenly damp eyes on him, "is Danno okay? Is something bad happening?"
She blinked back tears and Steve felt a swell of his own emotions. He chastised himself for thinking this might have been a little girl's silly problem.
"Of course he's okay, Gracie," he said with complete assurance. "Why do you ask?"
"I know something bad is going on." She shook her head and returned to twisting her hands in her lap. "Last night he kept going into his room but I could hear him talking on the phone and I know he's upset. We were supposed to go out to dinner with Gabby but he said we needed to cancel. And I saw Grandma and Grandpa's number on the caller ID on the phone a couple of times but they never asked to talk to me. They just talked to Danno." Grace regarded him seriously. "They always ask to talk to me, Uncle Steve."
Steve could feel the fear and uncertainty rolling off Grace in waves and he wanted nothing more than to find the perfect words to calm and reassure her. She was a perceptive child, more so than most, and very in-tune with Danny's emotions. Steve knew his partner would do everything possible to shield Grace from whatever it was that was going on but she was too observant for them to believe everything would just go over her head.
She was growing up. She wasn't a child anymore.
He decided that honesty was the way to go.
"There is something going on right now that's bothering Danno but it's nothing you did and it's not for you to worry about." Steve didn't speak down to her or minimize her feelings.
He told her the simple truth.
And she responded.
She studied his face closely searching for any sign of deception and saw none.
"I know there are some things you can't tell me because I'm only twelve and I wouldn't understand," she said solemnly, "but I know you'd never lie to me, Uncle Steve."
"Never," he vowed. "If there was something you needed to know I would make sure Danno told you."
"So he's really going to be ok?" she asked once more looking for the comfort that a little extra confirmation from Uncle Steve would bring.
"He's really going to be ok," Steve said confidently.
"Because you and Auntie Cath and Auntie Kono and Uncle Chin are gonna help him fix whatever's wrong?" Grace guessed.
She loved her New Jersey family but she had come to think of her Hawaii Ohana in much the same way. She knew she and Danno could always count on them and she hoped they knew they could count on her too.
"Exactly," Steve smiled.
"But if things get worse, or something else happens, you'll tell me?" Grace crossed her legs at the ankles, folded her hands in her lap and waited for an answer.
"It's up to your dad to decide what you need to know, Gracie, but if there's something I think he should tell you I will do my best to get him to talk to you. I promise."
"Is he sending me to Mommy and Stan's because he's in danger?" The fear crept back into her voice. "And he's afraid I'd be in danger?"
"He's sending you to stay with you Mommy and Stan because we have a big case going on right now, and we're looking for a very bad man, and he wants to make sure he can concentrate all his time on that so that we can get this man off the streets so everyone on the island is safe."
"That's the only reason he's sending me to Mommy's?"
"That's it," Steve smiled.
Grace smiled a small half-smile but her hands returned to twisting in her lap.
"Is there something else on your mind?" Steve asked.
"I'm glad Gabby came back," she said and Steve struggled to keep up with the quick change of topic.
"Me too," he said honestly.
"Danno says we shouldn't get too excited yet because we don't know if she's staying."
"That's probably a good idea," Steve nodded. "I know she wants to stay and she misses you and Danno a lot but …"
"This is another one of those grown up things, right?" Grace rolled her eyes.
Steve could see a small smile forming on her face and he knew she was feeling better now that she'd gotten some of her worries off her mind.
"Pretty much," Steve nodded.
"Uncle Steve?" She turned to face him.
"Hmmm?"
"Auntie Catherine isn't going to go away like Gabby is she?"
Steve was startled by the question.
"No, sweetheart. Absolutely not. Auntie Catherine isn't going anywhere. Where would you get an idea like that?"
"My friend Katie's big brother said that people in the reserves sometimes have to go back overseas and now I'm afraid Auntie Catherine is going to leave … "
Out of the corner of his eye Steve saw Catherine standing in the doorway with her hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes.
Steve smiled at her, indicating he wanted a minute to try to get this straight with Grace, then put his finger under Grace's chin and raised her eyes to his.
"Your friend Katie's brother is wrong. Auntie Catherine is not going back on active duty. You have my word."
"But what about … " Grace hesitated.
"What?" Steve asked softly.
"I remember asking Danno once why he and mommy aren't together anymore—didn't they love each other—and he said sometimes love isn't enough."
"Sweetheart, Auntie Cath and I aren't the same as your Mom and Dad." Steve said. "It's another one of those complicated grown up things."
"I know you love Auntie Cath and I know she loves you and Danno said it was about time the two of you started saying it out loud but I just wanted to make sure… you know … that it's enough this time."
"In the case of your Auntie Cath and me it's more than enough. It's everything." Steve stole a quick look at Catherine. "She's not going anywhere."
"Promise?" Grace asked.
"I promise," Steve smiled. "But if you don't believe me you can ask her yourself." Steve pointed over Grace's shoulder to Catherine.
Grace shot from her chair and jumped into Catherine's embrace. "Do you promise you're not going to leave, Auntie Cath?"
"I promise," Catherine said as she returned Graces exuberant hug. "I promise."
Five-0 Headquarters
Wednesday 9:45 P.M.
The team gathered around the smart table to assess where they stood and assign priorities going forward. It had been an incredibly long day and they were all practically dead on their feet but they were also determined to push ahead and get this case solved before another body turned up.
The sight of Eddie Garza laying at the base of the flagpole was one none of them would soon forget.
"I know it doesn't seem like it considering the pile of paperwork that still needs gone through but we really are making progress, Steve," Chin said. "The extra bodies Duke sent over are helping tremendously."
"That's good," Steve said. "Where exactly do we stand?"
"The six of us, Kono and I and the four HPD officers, have developed a system for assessing whether a piece of paperwork or a folder has any real chance of being part of the connection and if not we move on quickly."
"It's really pretty cool," Kono said, "we each have a tablet with all the personal details of two of the victims loaded in. We take each file and … " Kono saw eight exhausted eyes staring back at her, "I guess it doesn't matter exactly how we're doing it, but it's definitely helping whittle things down into a yes and no pile really quickly."
"I'll take your word for it," Steve smiled.
"I have every job he ever had sending me their employment rosters for the whole time he was there. Ditto every school. I'm contacting any Pat, Patrick, Patsy or Patricia who appears on any of the lists. So far I've called over a dozen people who can all prove they weren't on the island last night. But I'll keep going," Catherine said.
"Charlie said he's almost finished processing all the evidence from the crime scene and amazingly enough there is nothing that points to the murderer. No blood, no fingerprints, no shoe prints, no DNA. It's almost hard to believe," Danny said.
"Duke said they're working their way through the names on the rental car list," Steve added. "So far no luck. They're down to thirty corporate rentals and they're going to call each company individually and find out who might have been driving the car Wednesday night. He also promised we'll have Garza's phone records by morning."
"So far no hits on the sketch in any of the other jurisdictions we sent it to," Chin said, "but I'll keep on them."
"I was thinking I might go back to the Hilton first thing in the morning and see if anyone has anything new to say now that they've seen the sketch," Danny offered.
They all turned as they heard the door to the offices open and saw Gabby walk in.
"Oh sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"That's ok," Steve smiled. "We've put in eighteen hours today. I think it's time for us to go home and get back at it fresh in the morning."
"Sounds good," Chin and Kono said as they headed back towards their own offices to grab their things.
"How'd the interview go?" Danny asked. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to call earlier. This day has been insane."
"Oh no, please. I understand," Gabby said. "I saw the news. It's scary."
"Yeah," Danny agreed.
"I got a text from Grace saying she was going to stay with her Mom for a few days," Gabby said questioningly.
"Yeah," Danny looked at Steve and Catherine. "Just till we get this case solved. But there's something else I have to talk to you about. Something crazy that's going on. Can we go somewhere?"
"My room at the Hilton has a Jacuzzi tub," Gabby smiled softly, "and if you don't have to be home for Grace tonight … "
"Oh geez. Now who's doing the TMI thing," Steve teased. "Get out of here. We'll see you tomorrow."
"Oh Danny, before I forget," Catherine said, "We all have an appointment with Kalani Inoke first thing Monday morning. He even offered to come in before bank hours if we need him to."
"Catherine I … " Danny started.
"No!" Catherine said as she held up her hand, palm towards him. "I don't want to hear it."
Steve warned her that Danny was having second thoughts about accepting their offer.
"But I think …" Danny tried again.
"Excuse me," Catherine said. "Did you not see my hand up in what I thought everyone knows is the universal sign for STOP?"
Steve grinned.
"It's just that … " Danny took one more stab at it.
"STOP Danny. It means STOP. IT means we're not debating this anymore. It's happening." Catherine stated with finality.
"You weren't kidding were you?" Danny smirked at Steve.
"Kidding about what?" Catherine asked.
"I told him you were feisty on the topic and he shouldn't mess with you," Steve said.
"Aww thank you, that was a very sweet thing to say." Catherine leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
"Ok let's get out of here before this gets disgusting," Danny said.
They said their goodbyes and Danny and Gabby headed out. Catherine went to her office and grabbed her things then met Steve back in the bullpen.
"Ready to go, Commander," she smiled tiredly.
"I'll follow you anywhere, Lieutenant," he grinned.
"Every time I saw you today you had a cup of coffee in your hand," Catherine said. "If I tested your blood right now the blood type would probably be caffeine."
Steve chuckled.
"You need a warm meal and a hot shower." Catherine slipped her arm around his waist.
"Those might be things I want but there's only one thing I need." Steve stopped and pulled her into a hug.
"What's that?" she asked against his shoulder.
Steve placed a kiss on her temple. "You."
END CHAPTER 4
If you are not on the REALMcRoll email list and would like to be, drop us an email at realmcroll at yahoo dot com with "Add me, please!" in the subject line. You'll get updates, contests, and fun McRoller games.
Looking for links to all the REAL World McRoll stories in one place? Check out our Tumblr page mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com.