I'm No Angel
Chapter 10
Here' a late Christmas/early New Year's present. I hope you enjoy it and that you all had a lovely holiday of your choice. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment.
Not betaed. Let's just hope for the best.
*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*
Wind
"Steve!" exclaimed Chin into the device he held tightly to his ear. He'd excused himself from the Lozano's living room and was now standing under the awning attached to the rear of their home. He'd needed privacy to give his boss an update but it was perhaps a mistake to come out here to do it. The covered patio was crowded with enough foliage to make him feel as though he was standing in the middle of a rainforest. The greenery that stirred with each new push of damp wind made quite a racket.
"We have some additional information on the Lozano kid. Actually, lots of information."said the Hawaiian cop, raising his voice to hear his own words over the clatter of broad leaves.
"We're in the car, you're on speaker, what did you find out?" asked Steve as he made the turn onto North King Street where Capwell's offices are located.
Chin's voice filled the Camaro. He seemed to be yelling. "The kid's old man finally fessed up to exactly who'd made the threats. As you suspected it's drug related. Actually, one of the biggest cartels in Honduras is behind it. They want to stop the construction of a bridge and the road that leads to it. Something about infringing on the fields where they grow crops . . . and I don't think they mean corn."
"I'll be damned. SuperSEAL was right about the drug connection." muttered Danny as he thumbed off his own phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He'd just checked the latest weather report and informed Steve that the storm is now headed directly for Oahu.
"Another thing is that the kid was going to meet with a girl the night he was killed. She wasn't his girlfriend."
"Who is she?" asked Steve.
"We don't know yet. We have to get back to the school. Surely someone else must have known about her. Teenage boys are not the most discreet about their love lives."
"You and Kono had better get to that high school and ask questions then get on the road before the storm hits. They're predicting flooded roadways and power outages. Actually, drop Kono off at the school and just bring the whole damned family with you." ordered Steve. "Danny and I will meet you back at the palace. I'll get someone from HPD to go pick up Kono. We've got a lot of questions to ask."
...
"I'm Commander McGarrett of Five-0 and this is my colleague, Detective Williams." announced Steve. His tone made it obvious he was in no mood to be dicked around.
Close-up, the smiling blonde behind the desk resembled a heavily made-up strip of rawhide. She may have been pretty at one time but now there's no padding beneath skin that looks dry and brittle enough to be shed like a snake's. The thick application of cosmetics seemed only to accentuate her haggard appearance.
"I'm sorry but Mr. Donaldson is overbooked today. He's preparing for a big meeting with the architects and won't be available until sometime next week." Her words were accompanied by an almost comically insincere facial expression meant to convey apology.
"He agreed to be questioned for this investigation." reminded Steve, voice still calm but with a clenched jaw.
"Well, he's a very busy man. I'm sure he didn't realize how full his schedule was." The admin assistant smiled again which only further infuriated Five-0's commander.
She was lying. What doesn't help her credibility is that she's attired in a blue and white jacket with a red collar and shiny metal buttons. It made her look like a Christmas nutcracker.
"But you did. You were the one I spoke with." bit out Five-0's commander.
"That may be but Mr. Donaldson sometimes makes appointments of which I'm not aware and . . ."
"Look, Ms. . . ."
"Just call me Maryanne." she replied with a smile that pulled the tendons of her neck like overstretched rubberbands that might snap at any moment and make her head fly off. It was distracting.
"Look, . . . Maryanne, . . . either your boss speaks with us now or he and you are going for a ride." Steve's voice had dropped to a low, dangerous, growl.
Pale mascaraed eyes flickered. She reached for her phone.
...
As soon as the late Bernard Sanderson had breathed his last, Trumble J. Donaldson had immediately taken over the helm of Capwell Construction Corporation.
And after less than five minutes of conversation with him, Five-0's leader concluded it had to be happenstance that got him here because it certainly wasn't brains.
Donaldson, his blow-dried pompadour even more elaborately arranged than the Jersey detective's do, pontificated from behind a huge desk. Judging by still visible indentations in the carpeting it had just recently replaced the one that had been there previously. The thing was massive; embellished with gilded details, and incredibly pretentious.
"You don't think that the murder of your predecessor is anything to be worried about? His death is suspected to be at the behest of the biggest drug cartel in Colombia." said Steve.
"I'm not worried." said the new Chief Executive Officer dismissively. "Besides, he didn't have the cajones that I have. Bernie - ineffective. He didn't even demand that our steel guy complete his contract. I told the guy that if he didn't deliver, I'd get someone else who could and his company would never see a dime for what they've already shipped. Let him sue me for it.
"Did you know that Mr. Lozano had been contacted by someone who told him to stop the steel for your project? They threatened his family." said Steve, patience nearing an end.
"That's why he stopped deliveries? What a pussy." snorted Donaldson.
Danny, finding it increasingly difficult to control the desire to throttle the arrogant clown, said, "Mr. Lozano didn't take the threat seriously. Next thing he knows, he gets a call telling him that his son is dead and that his other son is next if he doesn't back out of the contract."
"I don't think I'd call him a pussy. I think I'd call him a bereaved father concerned for the safety of his remaining family." said Five-0's leader much too calmly.
Danny glanced uneasily at his partner. Steve was making him nervous.
"Yeah, well, I'm only interested in people who can deliver." said Donaldson with a dismissive wave of a hand small in comparison to his out of shape bulk which wasn't hidden by the expensive suit.
"Aren't you worried about your own safety?" asked Danny. "The guy ahead of you was assassinated. What makes you think that you're safe?"
"Me?" snorted Donaldson, "I've got better security than that loser Sanderson. The best. They'll never get to me."
"So you're not worried and now you've ordered construction to resume?" asked Steve as though to confirm his opinion that the man is indeed an idiot.
"Not worried in the least. The project will only be delayed a month at most." boasted Donaldson. "I only surround myself with winners. No losers allowed."
At this point, Danny is almost hoping the CEO's security detail isn't as good as he says it is. This cheeseball has to be the most arrogant jerk he's ever met and he'd met a few.
"So, who do you think you're going to get your steel from?" asked Steve, whose partner is now actually admiring his control, (eerie as it is).
"I've got my people on it. Whoever it is won't be a deadbeat like that other guy. He was already behind on his deliveries before this even happened." snorted Donaldson who'd probably already forgotten Lozano's name. "I mean, how hard is it to get steel to South America? My new supplier won't have a problem. He'll be great because I pick only the best."
Dollars to donuts he doesn't even know where Honduras is. thought Danny fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
The meeting ended and, without the customary handshake, they left Donaldson's office. On the way out they nearly stumbled over Maryanne who'd probably been lurking right outside the door. Making sure the door to her boss's office was tightly closed she gestured to the foyer.
Reaching it, once again she checked behind them to make sure the office door was closed then turned and said apologetically, "You have no idea what it's like to work for someone like that. He's such as ass."
They nodded to acknowledge both the difficulty of being employed by such a dick and to agree with her assessment. But Steve wasn't willing to give her a pass. Under orders or not, she'd been complicit in attempting to obstruct the investigation.
"Look, our late CEO's wife is a friend of mine." she said in a voice barely above a whisper though they were standing in a deserted lobby. "Sophia suspected Bernie of cheating on her. On the night he'd been killed, he received a text. He told Sophie that it was someone from the office and that he had to go there for an emergency meeting of some sort. While he was in the shower getting ready to leave she checked his phone and saw that the message was from a woman named Collette."
"Why didn't you tell us all this before?" asked Steve in exasperation.
"Someone didn't want me to say anything. Said that it could complicate the investigation and delay the project."
"Someone?" snorted Danny.
"I think you know who I mean."
"But you're not going to say directly?" asked Steve.
"I need this job. It pays good money."
"You're willing to risk being arrested for obstruction of justice even though you supposedly despise the guy you work for?" summarized the detective.
She looked downward, unwilling to meet steely glares from two sets of eyes.
Taking a breath she raised her eyes to Danny. She wouldn't look at Steve. "Anyway, when he walked out the door Sophie said that's the last she saw of him."
She actually smiled at Danny, though not tightly enough to make those tendons an issue, "Maybe you guys should look into where Sophie was that night." she said, (perhaps only jokingly), "She was pretty pissed and it doesn't sound like she misses him all that much."
"So you suspect Mrs. Sanderson?" asked Steve.
Maryanne looked startled, "No, not really. It's just that a lot of women fantasize about doing away with their husbands. If they actually followed through on it, you'd have to arrest half the female population on the planet."
Danny only nodded knowingly while his partner frowned and asked, "Do you think your boss could have anything to do with Sanderson's murder?" Steve wouldn't put it above the asshole to off someone to gain position.
The woman suddenly looked like a deer in the headlights and bit her lips as though in effort to remain silent.
"In for a penny, in for a pound, Maryanne . . ." prompted Danny.
"I, I don't know. I guess he's slimy enough but he's just a big bag of wind. I don't think he could pull it off. Besides being a total sleaze, the man's not all that bright." said the obviously stressed admin assistant with total conviction. Steve's opinion of her softened slightly.
They thanked her for the information and left for the palace. Hopefully Chin and Kono would be able to meet them there soon.
"So," summed up Danny, his hands waving about, as they walked quickly through an increasing dizzle toward the Camaro. "First we had no suspect, now we've got too many: drug dealers, a sleazeball executive, and now a pissed-off wife. This is conspiracy theory territory. Where's Jerry when we need him?"
Five-0's leader was right about something else, though not in the intended way. This was getting messy. But little did anyone know that the biggest mess would be Steve's.
...
Chin arrived at the palace with the Lozanos just before Steve and Danny got there and did his best to make the weary family comfortable.
Max had called to give a heads-up on the final report he'd be sending. Sanderson had died between 10 pm and 1 am. Because of the weather the day he'd been found, even in the underground parking facility, it had been warm enough to throw off the liver temp readings. The newly determined TOD confirmed their suspicion that Capwell's chief executive officer had been up to something that most likely contributed to his doom. Maryanne may have been right about her friend's husband catting around on the sly.
The late afternoon light that had been filtering through the increasing drizzle had become almost non-existent. Though it would still be a couple hours before the full force of the storm hit, the sky had become clogged with charcoal colored clouds. The lights in Five-0's headquarters cast shadows as though it was night.
"I didn't find out anything else!" insisted the eighteen year-old to whom the victim had an eerie resemblance. If his bereaved parents were ever to wonder what their late son would have looked like as he grew older, they'd only have to look at their first born.
"No place she might live? Nothing about her family?" asked Danny.
"Nope, nothing." answered Austin Lozano. "I gave you guys all the information I have and I'm pretty sure there isn't even anything more on his laptop. Ethan isn't . . . wasn't all that great with computers, he was more into sports . . . and girls. He didn't know that I had all his passwords and stuff." The kid sounded maybe a bit conscience stricken about his actions but proud at the same time. Either way, it was his snooping that may help them finally find a killer.
Danny inwardly smiled at the brotherly encroachment. He and his own brother had gone to great lengths to circumvent one another's privacy when they were kids but it was his sisters who'd given him the most crap. They'd been fucking relentless.
"Look, we've already lost a son!" snapped Dennis Lozano; voice tight as his wife rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "They've threatened to kill my entire family! You people need to leave us alone!"
"We need to find out who caused Ethan's death, Mr. Lozano." replied Danny, trying mightily to keep frustration out of his tone. He knew that he himself would be barely able to function if anything happened to Grace or Charlie. At the very least he'd be in jail because he'd gone after whoever was responsible.
"I caused Ethan's death! I didn't believe they'd harm a child. What kind of monsters would kill a fifteen year-old boy?!" said the distraught father again on the verge of tears.
"The people who did this are merciless and without conscience. They have absolutely no remorse for what they've done." said Steve, stating a fact.
Danny, heart aching but pursuing the truth nonetheless, said, "I'm very sorry your son died as a result of others actions but we have to find these people before anyone else is harmed."
Lozano, lowered his head and closed his eyes, trying to regain control. After a moment he raised his head; refocusing on the people surrounding him. "You need to make sure that Levon Sturgis gets the message then."
"Who's Levon Sturgis?" asked Steve.
"He owns Sturgis Steel, one of my competitors. Donaldson, that asshole who took over for Bernie Sanderson, called me to say that if I wasn't going to supply steel that he'd find someone else. He said he'd go to my chief competitor . . . as if it were a threat at this point." snorted Lozano. "I told him to fuck-off. Can you imagine that bastard calling me to conduct business at a time like this?"
Every member of Five-0 in the room shook their heads at the callousness of Capwell Construction's replacement CEO. It only confirmed Steve's and Danny's opinions of his supreme douchery.
"After talking to him I actually called Levon to warn him but he told me that he'd be crazy to pass up a multi-million dollar deal like this." Added Lozano, "At least he doesn't have a family. Any woman who'd marry the guy would need to have her head examined."
Then, face threatening to crumble, the bereaved father choked out, "Look, we can't answer anymore questions. It's too dangerous."
Their surviving son looked on in distress as his father and mother clung to one another.
"Mr. Lozano, I know you're concerned for the safety of your family." said Steve. "But we can protect you and them from further harm. To do that we need to get all the information we can so that these people can be stopped. Is there anything else you can add?"
Taking a shaky breath, Lozano released his hold on his wife to sit up straighter but kept his arm around her. "Well, right before Sanderson had been killed, I got another phone call. The person on the other end had a Spanish accent. He told me that if I didn't keep my mouth shut he'd send someone to shut it for me. That she would make sure of it."
"She?" asked Danny, sounding surprised. Steve had remained silent but if anyone had been looking at him, they'd have seen that the blood had suddenly drained from his face.
Then as if speaking to himself, Lozano said bitterly, "I should have listened.
...
"So, you say that you did see someone the night Ethan was killed?" asked Kono.
"Yeah, well, no. I mean, I saw a girl – a tall girl – dressed all in black. Ethan told me to beat it when we saw her on the other side of the field. I didn't see her face or nuthin'. I didn't want to cramp his style so I left."
"And you thought this wasn't important enough information to tell the police?" asked Kono shaking her head at the boy sitting on the other side of the desk. She'd had it with these stupid kids. This was the last of the students she'd get to question for today. School was closing down early to let the kids get home before the storm hit.
"I, umm, I didn't want Dana to hear about it and get upset. She really loves . . . loved Ethan. She didn't know he was gonna cheat on her."
Kono sighed; glad she's no longer a teenager. Their lives are always a mess. "So, what did Ethan say about this mystery girl?"
"He said that she sounded really sexy . . . and really smart. And that she, umm . . ."
"Spit it out!" said Kono who'd lost patience with this kid long ago.
"He said that she'd umm . . . you know."
"You mean he said that she'd have sex with him?" asked Kono for confirmation of the obvious.
"Yeah, I mean, yes ma'am. He said she was really asking for it. Honest. He showed me what she'd texted him. It was pretty hot. She really did want to hook-up . . . you know, I mean . . ."
"Yeah, I got it." sighed Kono as she took the phone out of her pocket to call Steve.
...
The blue and white patrol car was making decent time back to the palace though Officer Ito drove too slowly for her taste. Kono stared out through intermittent rainfall splatting on the windshield as her mind wandered back to her boss. She'd gotten over her annoyance with him but it had been replaced with worry. Her mentor and friend had been 'off' for a while now. She'd sometimes catch him staring into space or at the screen of his laptop when there was obviously nothing on it. Then there were the mysterious deployments they weren't supposed to ask about. When he returned he'd seem a little more like his old self – at least for a while.
The firefight at the jewelry store was the first time she'd ever had doubts about Steve doing his job. He'd always protected his team, herself included, from any harm. She'd seen their leader take hits himself, both figuratively and literally, in order to do so. The man is Five-0's rock.
But lately, he'd been showing up in the mornings appearing exhausted; the shadows under his eyes darker than ever. The change didn't seem just physical though. They'd all noticed it. Something was wrong.
...
"Danny!" said Steve as he jogged toward the door. "Make sure the family gets home and put a detail on them. I don't want anyone near them until we get this settled. I might be out of cell range so, if you need me, just leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Considering his recent behavior, his partner wasn't all that surprised Steve would just abruptly split without more detail as to where he'd be or what he was doing.
"Hey!" said Danny as Steve was almost out the door. "Where you going?"
"I've gotta go see someone."
"Who?"
"None of your business, that's who."
"Very adult response, Steven." The detective called after him as the heavy glass door cut off his words. "Asshole." he muttered to no one in particular.
The wind that had buffeted the patrol car nearly all the way back to HQ had shifted direction. What had been begun as vertically falling rain was turning into slanted squalls that splashed across the asphalt. As Officer Ito pulled the patrol car into the palace's parking lot, Kono could see Steve sprinting towards his truck, paying no mind to the driving rain flattening his hair to his skull.
The storm is finally here and it's going to get worse.
*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*
You guys think Steve should confess to the team about his dalliance with Marie? Haven't written that far yet so I'd be curious to hear your opinions on the matter if you'd care to give them.