"And you think Kamea can identify the maker of this quilt just by this scrap?" McGarrett asked sceptically. He looked up from the piece of fabric in his hand to eye his second meaningfully. He quite understood that Danny was enamoured of the girl, but this seemed to be taking the initial glow of a new relationship a bit far.
"I'm not certain," Danny replied, "but I know that she told me something about different patterns and styles and techniques. I didn't quite grasp it all, but if she might know, then we'd be a step further along the road. It's also possible that she saw the quilt that this fragment came from."
Frowning, Steve looked back at the fabric. He wondered if Danny was looking for excuses to spend time with his new girlfriend, but that wasn't really his style. While he would squeeze in dates at all sorts of extraordinary times, he was not in the habit of shirking his duties to run off and meet someone. He was too like Steve in that respect. "I think it's a long shot," he finally said, handing the bag back to the younger man. "But you're right; we have to take the chance."
"Thanks," Danny replied, heading to the door.
"Just don't be all day," Steve called after him. He got a wave in reply. It was only after Danny was long gone that Steve remembered about the file on Kekipi.
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It was only after he was on the road that it occurred to Danny to wonder if Kamea would be at home. He should have phoned before he left the office so that he didn't make an unnecessary journey. He consoled himself that it wasn't that long a drive if she wasn't at home.
He drove past the University of Hawaii campus and wondered if Akamu was teaching at the moment. The traffic was thinning out slightly as he reached the residential area and he vaguely noticed a pick-up following him. His attention sharped for a moment, then the vehicle indicated and turned off on a side street. Danny shook his head, wondering if he was paranoid. The hit-and-run along with the idea that someone had followed him home made him jumpy. He sighed and concentrated on looking at the street signs, as he wasn't entirely sure which turning to take. This was not an area he was terribly familiar with.
Another turn appeared ahead, but farther on, he could see a large house on the corner of a road that was familiar and he remembered seeing it when Akamu had driven him back to his car that first day. Content that he knew where he was going, he speeded up slightly.
He was abreast of the first turn-off when he became aware that the pick-up he had seen earlier was bearing down on him from the side street. Mashing the pedal to the metal and yanking the wheel round, his only hope was that he could swerve and accelerate out of trouble.
It was too late. The pick-up smashed into the side of the LTD, just behind the driver's side door. Danny gasped as the big car was knocked sideways across the road. For an instant, it teetered on two wheels, then crashed into a parked car, which knocked it back upright, but sent it skidding back into the path of the pick-up, which hit it again. The impacts jolted Danny's hands off the wheel and he was dizzy from the sudden changes of direction. His car slammed back across the road and came to a sudden stop as the engine cut out.
Dazed, head ringing, vision darkening, Danny became aware of someone grabbing at his clothes, yanking him from the car. Good idea, he thought fuzzily. There might be a danger of fire. He tried to get his feet under him, but his legs weren't taking many instructions from his brain. His knees buckled.
"I warned you," hissed a voice. Danny thought it ought to be familiar, but his brain was too muddled to remember who it was. "You are not wanted." A fist crashed into his unprotected midriff and as he doubled over in pain, another blow caught him between the shoulders. Dimly, Danny was aware that he was falling, but there was nothing he could do about it. All the breath had gone from his body and the crash landing face down on the ground tipped him straight into darkness.
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"Isn't Danno back yet?" Steve asked as he got himself a fresh cup of coffee.
"Haven't seen him," Chin replied. "Where was he going?" He hadn't been in the office when Danny left.
"He was going to follow up on a wild goose chase that involved his new girlfriend," Steve retorted sharply. He had the sudden feeling that Danny had been playing him for a fool earlier. He should have been back from Monoa ages ago, even allowing for a little billing and cooing while he conducted police business. He glanced at May, who had her head down, expecting an explosion. "Has there been anything from him on the radio?"
"Nothing," May replied.
"See if you can raise him," Steve requested, "and tell him to get back here wiki-wiki." He turned on his heel and went into his office, slamming the door behind him. May and Chin exchanged glances before Chin reached for the mic.
"Three… two… one," May counted and the door of the big office opened once more and Steve grabbed the mug of coffee he had left sitting there. His expression dared the staff to say anything.
The office door shut with a resounding bang as Chin put out a call for Danny.
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"I can't raise him at all," Chin reported sombrely. "There's no answer at the Kekoa home either."
"Where the hell is he?" Steve demanded. To the uninitiated, he sounded angry, but to Chin, who knew him so well, there was an undercurrent of worry there. This was not like Danny. He wouldn't go off with his new girl and ignore his job.
"I've put out a BOLO," Chin offered. "Kono is out there looking for him right now. Do you want me to go out there, too?"
Before McGarrett could answer, May popped her head round the door. "Boss, Kono is on the radio."
"Thanks, love," Steve replied, jumping to his feet and hurrying into the outer office. "Yes, Kono?"
"Boss, I found Danny's car," Kono reported, sounding anxious. "It's out in Monoa and its been involved in an accident."
"Is Danno hurt?" Steve demanded.
"Boss…" Kono was not sure how to say this. "There's no sign of da kaikaina."