Hello, guys, sorry for the wait - been slammed with work, shows, training and competitions. Thought I would give you this third chapter, although it feels a bit slow to me. Let me know what you think - much appreciated.
MAGNUM
Magnum didn't realize how much time had passed before hearing the soft voices of his friends as they came closer. He didn't react when Rick called his name and he could almost hear them tense up as they whispered to each other. A third voice joined the discussion, one Magnum didn't know. While sitting in the recliner with his feet buried in the sand and looking out into the vast blue water the sun had taken up position high on the sky.
"Magnum?" This time it was TC and Magnum mentally shook the cobwebs of his mind before looking over his shoulder.
"Yeah, sorry," he said as mustered the strength to get to his feet. The pain relievers had worn off and the twinge in his side had begun to nag him. "I'm fine," he said, because he knew the next question.
"Hey, buddy, I want you to meet Harry Langford, the guy I told you about earlier," Rick reminded him, as if he had forgotten. The gangly man offered the investigator a hand in greeting with the near perfect smile.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Magnum," he said with the same received pronunciation as Higgins. Magnum nodded and then went straight to business.
"How much do you know?" he asked and gestured to the chairs as he sat down in the one, he had just vacated.
"You had some undesirable houseguests last night, and though at least one is local, you need to find out if there could be a connection from across the pond, given your friend's former occupation," Langford confirmed as he sat down next to Magnum. Rick and TC occupied the last two chairs and fell into silence. Magnum nodded at the short, but precise explanation.
"So, you think you can find something actionable? We don't have HPD backing on this, and for my friend's safety I would like to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible," Magnum said and unconsciously wrapped his arm around his middle.
"Oh, most definitely. But I'll have to talk with your friend to shorten the list of targets. It would also help, if you would allow me to bring in a couple of my own friends from Five-0. McGarrett and Williams are solid lads, who I trust with my life," the Englishman said and Magnum looked at him, sardonically.
"Alright, but this stays on the DL, it's 'need-to-know'-basis," Magnum agreed quietly and offered his own hand to seal the deal.
"What's going on here?" Higgins asked as she approached the men from behind. Magnum was about to reply, when Langford stood with a smile of recognition on his face.
"You could have told me your friend was Juliet Higgins," he exclaimed as the others got to their feet.
"I didn't know you knew each other," Rick sort of apologized with a shrug.
"This ought to be good," TC mumbled with a smile.
"We… don't..?" Higgins said with a giant frown on her face at the recognition.
"My apologies, miss Higgins. I've heard a lot about you. Harry Langford," he introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you," she replied, the name not ringing any bells.
"I didn't know the British Military was such a small world," Magnum said and was almost grinning at the expression on Higgins's face.
"Oh, it's not. Quite extensive, actually. No, we had a mutual friend. Just wouldn't shut up about her," Langford pondered. Higgins's face changed to one of surprise.
"You knew Richard," she determined and Langford nodded.
"I was actually working with him in Istanbul before he was killed. He was a good bloke, I'm sorry for your loss," he said sincerely.
"Thank you," replied Higgins before looking around as if remembering why she had come down here and backtracked to her first question. "Now, what's going on here?"
MAGNUM
It was some time after and they had all moved back to the shade of the guesthouse, when Magnum, Rick and TC left the brits to catch up.
"We mean it, Thomas. You have to stay out of this, that's why we brought help," TC said with a stern hand on Magnums shoulder.
"Come on, guys, I can't just sit back and do nothing. It's not in my DNA," Magnum tried. It was tiring to be told to back off all the time.
"Which brings me to why I spoke with Ellie Clayton. She can sort out temporary relocation to a secure facility with armed guards for both you and Higgins," Rick said, much to Magnum's dismay.
"That sounds a lot like prison," he commented drily, another hint, that it was definitely last option.
"It's not a prison. You'll just have the full force of a highly skilled and decorated team of agents to keep you safe," Rick explained.
"Correction, that sounds like WITSEC," came the gruff reply and Rick almost threw his hands in the air in clear exasperation. "That's not happening, and you know that, Rick."
"Thomas, listen, I know it is not ideal, but you have to think of your safety," TC said, his tone that of placating a ferocious animal.
"Go pitch that idea to Higgins. If she's in, go for it, but I'm not taking a single step in that direction. You might as well throw me in solitary confinement, for three days, yourself," Magnum said, his eyes and voice livid. "Forget it, guys. Not happening," he finished and walked away from his two friends.
MAGNUM
The ring of his phone was echoed in the dusty wine cellar on Robin Master's property. Higgins would have told him to stay out of it, but it seemed like the only place he could find some solitude at the moment. However, he wasn't quite sure why it was needed. He had never been one to shy away from his closest friends. At least not voluntary.
The police had almost cleared out of the main house upstairs, only the cleaners and vigilant sentries were left. He had heard the stern voice of Kumu some time ago, as she had bullied the remaining people about the state of the place, which had resulted in the current cleaners. Undoubtedly, she had checked up on Higgins and possibly made arrangement for the Dobermans. He didn't know who had called the cultural curator back to the property.
No one had yet to find him down here, with his feet up on the opposite upholstery of the old leather chairs with a glass of red in his hand. The phone buzzed again.
"Magnum," he said after accepting the call.
"It's Kawika, listen, about that van, we haven't found it yet, but I have a strong candidate right here. I'll send you a pic," the man said and Magnum heard the zing of a received message. He opened it and scrunched up his nose.
"This is blue, Kawika. I'm pretty sure, I told Rick it was white," Magnum said and bit back the groan.
"I know, but this one was painted recently… and take a look at the back bumper." Magnum zoomed in on the picture and studied it carefully.
"You have found it, Kawika, that's the one. Where was it?" Magnum said as he sat up straight.
"Alleyway in Moanalua, paint was barely dry, window open, keys on the seat," Kawika replied and Magnum was already on his feet.
"Thanks, man. Text me the address," Magnum said as he was heading for the stairs, the glass of wine left forgotten on the small table next to the chair. Gut instinct told him to bring Rick and TC, but he pushed it aside. He didn't run in to Kumu on his way to the Ferrari, but when going through the gate, he was approached by an officer from the car right outside.
"Mr. Magnum, where're you headed?" Katsumoto really hadn't been lying about the amount of police presence on the block.
"Turns out, my fridge is empty. I'm going to find something for dinner. I can bring you and your friends something, if you want. Already got orders from Higgins and Kumu. They want Chinese," Magnum served the officer with the not so terrible lie. The best lies come from the truths and what he had just said, had been true last week. Higgins would have probably spotted it, but Magnum actually could be a really good liar.
"No, thank you, Mr. Magnum. Drive safe and be careful," the officer replied with a nod and smile before walking back to the car. Magnum drove off, taking care to drive slowly until out of sight.
MAGNUM
It didn't take long for him to weave though traffic and find the alleyway Kawika had mentioned. He walked through it a couple of times, looking for anything out of the ordinary, before stopping at the street. It wasn't busy, but it would have been earlier in the day. His eyes caught a surveillance camera across the street and he returned to the car to find his detective's shield. It did wonders for the regulations and red tape he normally had to clear.
As he walked to the shop under the camera, he looked inside to find the cashier reading a book behind the counter. He pushed the door open and walked inside, looking confident and with an air of authority. There was no one else in the shop.
"Hello," he said as the cashier looked up, smiling and hiding the book under the table. Magnum held up the shield, as he came closer, just long enough for the cashier to catch a glimpse of the gold piece. Usually, that would be enough.
"What can I do for you, Detective?" the cashier asked, wanting to help. Magnum caught a glimpse of the title on the book. 'Masters', 'Knight' and 'Gambit' was visible, so the private investigator assumed the cashier was willing to do anything in order for some adventure.
"I need your footage from the camera pointing towards the alley. Everything you've got since this morning, please," Magnum replied as he made a show of putting the shield back on his waistband.
"Sure thing. What are you looking for? I've been here all day," the cashier offered while typing on the keyboard.
"A blue Ford Econoline, I need to know when it arrived and who drove it," Magnum said, hiding the small hope from his eyes. The cashier's eyes shot back to him.
"I remember that one. Some guy left it around lunch. I remember because I had just finished eating. Islander, for sure. Average height, bit wiry, but fit. He jumped into another car. A dark green Chevy Cobalt, at least fifteen years old. I know, cause my brother got the exact same model as his first car," the cashier said confidently.
"Did you get a plate, too?" Magnum asked. His heart had just skipped a beat at the new lead. Surely, he should tell Katsumoto about the van, the cashier and the car… but then he would undoubtedly be even more benched than he already was.
"No, I'm sorry, I got a costumer before he drove off. Here you go," the cashier said, and handed Magnum a CD in a case. "The one in the Chevy kept glancing into the backseat. I did hear squealing tires, though, but I'm can't be sure they came from the Chevy," the cashier said.
"Thank you, very much, you've been a great help. Do you think, you could describe these men to a sketch artist?" Magnum asked. He had decided to bring in the HPD for this. He needed the great force of the police for this. The cashier nodded eagerly and Magnum nodded to the book. "What do you think about it?" he asked, honestly curious.
"It's great fiction. Heavy on the action, but the main character softens it up a bit. Really good balance between him and the sidekicks. Needs a touch of romance for the hero, though. He deserves it," the cashier said and gleamed at Magnum for showing his interest. With that in mind and the surveillance in hand, he walked back to the Ferrari as he found Katsumoto's number. Pausing, he looked up for a moment and then scrolled a bit further down in his contacts.
"Mac, hey, I need a favor," he said when Josie MacReynolds answered the call.
MAGNUM
During his meet-up with Josie, his phone had buzzed in his pocket several times. It might be related to the call from Katsumoto he hadn't answered. He found his phone and looked at the ID. Higgins would want to know where he was and if he didn't tell her, she would find out by herself. He had been gone for a couple of hours and the sun was beginning to set, already.
"Higgy, everything alright?" he asked, doing his best to not sound suspicious.
"I was gonna ask you the same thing, Magnum. Katsumoto's here with an update, says he couldn't get a hold of you. Where are you?" Higgins asked with a little concern in her voice.
"I'm just out for a drive to clear my head. What's happened?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.
"A body with a GSW to the shoulder was just pulled out of the Kalihi Channel. Matches your visitor from last night. Noelani thinks he died of blood loss around noon," Katsumoto said with just a pinch of anger in his voice. "You were supposed to stay on the grounds, Magnum," he continued in the same breath.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Listen, I gotta go, I'll call you later," Magnum said and ended the call, no doubt leaving both Higgins and Katsumoto with unanswered questions. He put the Ferrari in drive and aimed at the nearest waterfront where dumping a body was possible. It was possible, that the driver of the Chevy was driving around with his dead friend in the backseat, therefore the nervous glances. His decision about telling the detective about his new escapades had been altered with the update. While driving, he called the police dispatch and asked for Officer Pua Kai. A minute later, said officer was patched through to him.
"Pua, it's Magnum. Detective Katsumoto just told me about the body dump in the Kalihi and then he had to go. I was hoping, maybe you could tell me more about it," Magnum asked, hoping the little lies sounded truthful enough.
"There isn't much to tell. Body could have been dumped somewhere between Ke'ehi Boat Harbor and Kapãlama Basin, but no one knows for sure, yet. We're canvassing the area for any footage or witnesses," Pua said dutifully.
"Sounds good, let me know if you find anything," Magnum said and ended the call. It wasn't much but to go on and from end to end it could very easily be two miles. At least it wasn't desolated island cost, but heavily populated cityscape. He slowed down and pulled over into an empty parking space to think. He sent a message to Kawika to keep an eye out for the Cobalt and another to Josie, asking for an update. A minute later she replied; Enhancing, might take some time. I'll call with an update, /J. Magnum smothered a yawn and then clamped a hand over his stitches when they pulled. Thinking HPD had it covered for tonight, he headed home, so he could actually get some sleep.
MAGNUM
"Magnum, what on Earth have you been doing all day?" Higgins asked when he cut the engine and leaned his head back against the headrest with a sigh. Luckily, the officers posted outside hadn't approached him about his late return just after sunset.
"Out and about, nowhere particular," he replied when he dragged himself out of the car and headed for the guesthouse. Higgins's bruises looked even more colorful than this morning. "What's that," he asked with a smile on his lips. "Is that actually lines of concern for me?" he asked and Higgins quickly pursed her lips.
"Don't be daft, Magnum, I just couldn't take it if the car needed even more repairs," she replied, the usual endless sarcasm biting back at him. Magnum paused for a moment and actually looked at the woman before him. Tense shoulders, wringed hands covered by her crossed arms, bottom lip chaffed and shadows under the eyes. Clearly toned down, but not enough to hide all of it, especially not for the private investigator with a keen eye for details.
"How are you?" Magnum asked and looked at her face, as she briefly looked down and then back up to meet his eyes. She released her shoulders and smiled warmly.
"Better… but not quite the same just yet. What about you?"
"Getting there," he simply replied with a shrug. "Where are the hounds?" he asked, when he realized he hadn't heard any growling.
"Under supervision in their cages until the drugs are completely out of their systems," she replied and Magnum nodded.
"I heard Kumu earlier. Who called her back?" he asked, thinking it was Higgins.
"Rick told her about last night, and she insisted on coming back. By the way, he and TC came by earlier, looking for you. Something about an apology," she remembered and Magnum nodded. He hadn't left them with the best words. You might as well throw me in solitary confinement, for three days, yourself. Magnum almost visibly shuddered at the memory. Back to the more serious matter.
"I'll walk the perimeter a few times tonight. Keep your phone on. Anything suspicious, you call me, alright?" Magnum asked and Higgins nodded, a little baffled by his newly found sense of security. "Goodnight, Higgy," he said and started towards the guesthouse again.
"Night, Magnum," she called after him, before he heard her walk back into the main house.
MAGNUM
So, what do you think? Look forward to next chapter, I promise, it'll keep your heart pumping, so don't read it before night time. Enjoy the rest of your Monday.
/kwueenie.