"TAKE MY BREATH AWAY"

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Title: "Take My Breath Away"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult situations and language

Summary: Continuation of the "Salvation" series by popular demand

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!

Date Written: April 8, 2011

"Just got this in from the Cambridge P.D. They've coordinated with the Harvard University campus police and they've been showing pictures of Callie Newton, Charlie Chapman, and Jake Anderson all over both the city and the campus. You were right, Steve, they've gotten several hits. Apparently, Callie spent a good bit of time in Cambridge on several occasions after her parents were killed, but she wasn't the only one. Jake Anderson was there, too, and his visits coincided with Callie's."

"What about Charlie Chapman?"

"As far as they can tell, Charlie was never in Cambridge or on campus. David Maxwell had an apartment off campus and that's where Callie stayed when she was in town, and here's something interesting. One of Maxwell's neighbors identified Jake Anderson as someone she saw leaving David Maxwell's apartment the night he died."

(Chin lets out a low whistle at this information, and Steve's expression changes to a frown.)

"Do we have the autopsy report on David Maxwell?"

"No, but I've already requested a copy from the Cambridge P.D. as well as the case file on the investigation into his death."

"Good girl."

"You're thinking maybe David Maxwell's suicide wasn't a suicide after all?"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking, Chin. Question is, why would Jake Anderson want to kill David Maxwell?"

(Sam walks into the Officers' Mess on board the U.S.S. Forrestal, grabs a salad and a bottle of water, and heads to the table where her RIO is sitting having his lunch.)

"Mind if I join you, Ensign?"

"Um, no, Ma'am."

"You did well this morning, Ens. Todd. I know you were uncomfortable, but you kept your wits about you and did your job."

"Thank you, Commander, but 'uncomfortable' is a very mild description of what I was feeling. "

"I took a look at your record yesterday, Ensign, and I found something very interesting. I have an idea I'd like to run by you, but I don't want you to feel obligated to act on my proposal."

"Kind of hard to act on it until I know what it is, Ma'am. What did you have in mind?"

"I reviewed the engine design you submitted to the D.O.D. when you were at the Naval Academy. It was quite good. In fact, other than a couple of minor things that could be easily fixed, it was outstanding. Have you ever thought about designing new planes for the Navy?"

"You mean, designing them and not actually flying?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"Actually, Cmdr. McGarrett, I'd rather be sitting in front of a computer designing aircraft, but. . . "

"But your family expects you to be sitting in a cockpit."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"What if I told you that I may have a way of getting you in front of that computer and your family off your back?"

"Commander, if you could accomplish that miracle, . . Well, Ma'am, it would make my life a whole lot easier."

"Okay, then, here's what I have in mind."

(And Sam proceeds to explain her idea to the young man in great deal. By the time they make their way back up to the flight deck, Ens. Todd looks a great deal more relaxed and actually has a small smile on his face. . .

Steve and Chin are in Chin's office when Kono sticks her head in the door to tell them the reports are in from the Cambridge P.D. on David Maxwell's death. They walk out to the smart table as she is "sliding" crime scene photos onto the monitor.)

"The Cambridge P.D. got a call around eleven a.m. from a Dr. William Theodore, one of David's professors. Seems that David was an excellent student, never missed class, was usually early, but didn't show up that morning for a mid-term exam. Dr. Theodore got worried about him and called his home and cellular numbers, didn't get an answer, so he called 911 and asked the police to send a unit by to check on David. When the unit got to his apartment, they got his landlady to let them in and found his body lying on the floor by his computer desk in the living room. The only prints found in the apartment belonged to David, and there was an open bottle of seconal sitting next to the computer. The prescription was in David's name, and, according to the label, had been filled the day before; there were only three pills left in the bottle and the prescription had been written for thirty. There was also a quart sized bottle of Vodka sitting on the table which was nearly empty and a glass with David's prints on it lying on the floor next to his body. The coroner ruled his death as a suicide as there were no obvious signs of a struggle, no defensive wounds on the body, and the drugs and alcohol were in plain sight."

"Why would David Maxwell commit suicide? He was about to graduate from a prestigious medical school with a nearly perfect GPA, he'd already been accepted at four different well-respected hospitals, including Johns Hopkins, for his internship. . . Why would he kill himself?"

(Steve's question gets Kono's and Chin's attention and they all realize that this case goes much deeper than they had first thought. Frowning darkly, Steve crosses his arms over his chest and stares at the numerous crime scene photos on the monitor.)

"Kono, pull up the close ups of Maxwell's body. . . The coroner's report stated there were no obvious signs of a struggle, right?"

"Yeah."

"What does it say about that bruise on his forehead?"

"Hang on . . . 'contusion on the forehead was, in all probability, sustained when the victim fell after lapsing into a seconal-induced coma and struck his head on the corner of the computer table.'"

"Or when someone held his head his head back in order to pour seconal-laced Vodka down his throat."