Chapter 9
"I don't get it. Why would Chin want us to keep watch on Max of all people?" Steve pondered.
"It doesn't track, he's harmless and squeaky. He would never be involved in something like this." Kono agreed.
"Well it means something. Chin was adamant." Danny argued over the video link.
"We have to take into consideration Chin's condition. High prolonged fever, severely beaten with numerous broken bones and burns and they literally took a power drill to him. We have to consider he was delirious and it doesn't mean anything." Steve countered.
"No, I don't think so Steve, he was determined to tell us Watch Max, verbatim." McGarret chewed his lip wheels turning.
"Okay, Kono go through his records, phone, bank, let's just see what we find. I'll go through his home, quietly. I still can't fit Max into this but we'll go with it for now." He shook his head frustrated.
"Fine but I don't like it." Kono consented with protest.
"Toast!"
"What?! I wasn't smoking grass!" The hacker pleaded. Steve chose to ignore it for now.
"You get whoever was watching that feed yet?"
"Ummmm..." They could hear rapid typing.
"Hurry up!" Steve started to storm over.
"Yeah here it is! Local coffee shop with free wi-fi."
"Great, couldn't have been a nice easy private address. Had to make us work for it."Alright keep working on that, I'm going to the coffee shop, see if we can get lucky with security cameras."
"Good luck!" It was a short drive to the coffee shop. Steve wasn't happy to see it though. The shop was unusually large and very busy. He flashed a badge at one of the managers and got easy access to the cameras he gratefully saw up in the corners. He pulled Kono up on the video chat hoping to keep things moving fast.
"Hey how's it going at the shop?"
"Not great. It would be real easy to get lost in the crowd here. I doubt our guy would have drawn any attention if he took a corner both and there are plenty of them. How goes it with Max's records?"
"Nothing stands out to me. It's all normal," she chuckled, "well not normal but nothing suspicious and pretty much all of his calls were to us, a few booked appointments, absolutely nothing worth watching."
"You are watching me?"
"Max." Kono gasped. Steve cringed.
"Why would you be looking into my records?" The hurt in his voice made Kono feel sick.
"Max we had to. Chin regained consciousness and the only thing he said was watch Max." Steve interjected.
"You think I have something to do with this?"
"No Max, we don't but we think that there's a clue to Grace's location related to you."
"Hey Kono take a look at this footage. See someone you recognize?" She turned back to the screen frowning deeply.
"That's Sam White isn't it?"
"Yes it is. His face is the only one that pops up as an interest and from what I'm seeing, he was at this shop the same three days Chin was interrogated."
"That can't be coincidence."
"No it can't, especially when he only leaves at the same times the interrogator took a break because Chin was unconscious."
"I've got his address I can be there with you in fifteen minutes." Kono suggested.
"No, you keep working Chin's clue. I can handle White."
"Fine, make sure to get a few right crosses in for me."
"Will do Kono. Will do." He didn't take the time for courtesies as he left the coffee shop, jumping into Danny's camero, tires screeching as he pulled out towards White's home. It was nice, too nice. He was pissed as soon as he pulled up the driveway seeing the large sprawling home and the six figure sports car. This was his guy. No doubt. He didn't bother ringing the bell, he just kicked it in and savored the heavy damage the fancy door took.
"Hey! What do you think you're..." Sam White stormed toward him only to get an fierce right cross owed by Kono followed by an uppercut from Danny and a kick to the gut for himself. Sam wheezed and rolled as Steve lifted him up and sprawled him across the nearest table.
"We know you were the one watching the video feed. You sat back and sipped coffee while Chin Ho Kelly, my family, my brother was tortured and all for what? Money!" Steve spat emphasising his point by slamming him against the table with each word.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Sam hissed.
"Don't lie to me! I know you were at the coffee shop the feed was being fed to and you were present for every hour, every day that Chin was assaulted. You only left when he was given a break. I'm bringing you down." The look of fear sparked in Sam White's eyes was imensely satisfying to Steve as he dragged him in cuffs to the car.
