Chapter 36
"Lili'uokalani was the last monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the only queen regnant in our history," Kono said. "At the time of her death on November eleventh, nineteen-seventeen, she had written several songs. Your assignment is to find one of those songs and write an essay on what you think the song means or pertains to. This is due on Wednesday. Tomorrow we'll be going to the library to allow for research and writing time."
The bell rang and twenty students filed out of the classroom, chattering and shuffling books and bags. Kono sighed heavily. Already she could see that none of the students they were targeting had handwriting that even came close to the writing of the mysterious Ash2.
Ash2 had been the author of a letter written in Tasha McConnor's notebook, written in the same code they were having trouble cracking.
The second girl in the photos on her cellphone had been her cousin, Henrietta Dawson, and they had brought her in.
"I know she was on to something big," Henrietta admitted, tearing the tissue Danny had given her. "I don't know what, thought, but she said it was important, really important. What could have been so important someone would kill her over?"
"I don't know, but we're going to find out," Steve promised.
"What was she like?" Danny asked.
"Curious. She was constantly asking questions, constantly digging, doing research on one thing or another," Henrietta admitted. "She said she wanted to be the next Barbara Walters, whom she idolized, or even Helen Thomas, that famous White House reporter. But she cared, too. She did a really nice story on the Adopt-a-Thon the HSPCA had, for the school newspaper. I think she sent them a copy and they framed it."
"Do you recognize this code?" Steve asked, showing her a sample of the writing.
"No, but I'm not surprised," Henrietta admitted. "I think she developed it with another girl, but I don't know who. She said she knew the value of keeping some things a secret, and I guess that's what this is."
They had gone to the school and explained the situation. Michael Roseberry had been upset about the murder and even more upset about the possibility that Tasha had uncovered something that may have gotten her killed.
"I didn't know her well, but from what little I did know, she seemed like a good kid," he said. "What do you need from me?"
"We need to find this Ash2," Chin said.
"Ash could be short for Tasha, Ashley, Sasha, any of those name variations," Roseberry admitted.
"And if we start bringing those girls in, we could scare off the one we're looking for, or even Tasha's killer," Lou said.
"And have a dozen or more parents screaming at me," Roseberry said. "Do any of your people know how to teach?"
Thanks to a bit of backstopping work, Millie had become Wilma Bryant, Steve was now James Houston, and Kono was Mae Li, teaching Hawaiian History. They had until the end of the week to try and locate Ash2, or the case would go cold and they would be forced to move on. Meanwhile, Danny, Lou, and Chin, would work with Tasha's family and known friends to try and figure out just what she had been up to.
Millie danced through the halls, dancing to Wake Up, by Hillary Duff, deliberately ignoring the other students. Then she "accidentally" bumped into Ashleigh Dowd, another girl on their list, causing her to spill her book bag.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, sweetie," Millie yelped, helping the girl get her stuff back, but deliberately flipping a notebook open. "Hello," she thought, glancing at the handwriting; it was very similar to Ash2's writing. She spotted a book called Five Days In November, by Clint Hill.
"That looks interesting," she said, handing the book back to the girl. "Is it a good read?"
Ashleigh nodded, accepting the book.
"What's it about?" Millie asked.
"The five days surrounding JFK's death, as seen by Clint Hill, the Secret Service agent who was assigned to protect Jackie Kennedy," Ashleigh admitted. "He wrote another one, called Mrs. Kennedy And Me, but I can't find it at the library."
"Does he interest you, or is it his profession or?" Millie asked.
"His profession," Ashleigh admitted. Seeming to sense that Millie was genuinely interested, she confessed, "My brothers say I'm too short to be a cop, but a girl can dream, right?"
"Your brothers say you're too short to be a cop?" Millie repeated, eyes wide. "Sistah, I know a girl who's a head taller than you and she's a great cop. If you want to be a cop, then be a cop. Heaven knows we don't have enough of them as it is." Then, acting casual, Millie said, "Did you hear about Tasha ? Poor girl was murdered, and the Five-0 Taskforce is investigating."
Ashleigh's face went pale. "Do you think they know anything?"
"Don't know; they're not saying," Millie said. "But I would hope that if someone did know something, they'd come forward and say something. That poor girl deserves justice." She clucked her tongue and made to move away. "Anyway, sorry about that, sweetie. Happy reading." Then she snapped her fingers. "Come to think of it, I have a book you might be interested in. It's by an FBI profiler by the name of David Rossi, called Evil Never Rests."
Ashleigh's face lit up. "Is it good?"
"I love his books," Millie said. "I even got a chance to meet him when he was in town for a lecture and he signed the book for me."
"Wow!"
"Stop by my classroom in the morning, and I'll lend it to you," Millie said.
"Thanks!" Ashleigh said, clearly excited at the prospect of getting her hands on the book. "See you tomorrow!"
Millie watched her walk away, noticing the Phineas and Ferb backpack with Perry the Platypus on the back. As she did, she remembered something.
Phineas and Ferb... Ferb... Agent Perry the Platypus... Perry... Agent... Cop... Hill was a Secret Service agent... brascohill1881
Millie yanked out her iPad and did some fast typing, using the keywords Brasco and law enforcement. She got a hit.
Donnie Brasco was the undercover name of Joseph Pistone, an FBI agent who brought down the New York Bonanno mafia family...
1881 and events in law enforcement also got a hit.
OK Corral Gunfight was in 1881, and so were the Earp brothers... Wyatt Earp...
And Ashleigh wants to be a cop, but her brothers say she's too short... Like Perry the Platypus...
Ferb... those words had 'erb' in them, backwards... brelrai became iarlerb became iar and lerb, which became liar and erb...
Ferb Latin...
"BANGARANG!" Millie suddenly yelled, startling some nearby students. "Thank you Disney!" She yanked out her cellphone and hit Steve's speed-dial number.
"I heard the yell," Steve said upon answering. "What did you find?"
"The piggin' code!" Millie hissed. "Grab Mae and the others. Meet me back at HQ."
"Hearing you loud and clear," Steve said. "Good work."
As she ended the call, Millie tore down the hall, searching frantically for Ashleigh Dowd; the girl was suddenly their chance to break the case.
She spotted the girl leaving the building and heading for the bus.
"Ashleigh!" Millie called, digging through her bag for one of her business cards, just in case.
The girl stopped and waited for her to catch up.
"I just got a call from that friend of mine, the short one who's a cop," Millie said. "Would you like to meet her? She's over at Five-0 Headquarters."
"Sure, but I have to let my mom know," Ashleigh said, curious.
"You can use my phone, if you want," Millie said, offering the girl her cellphone, but switching it straight to the dialing section so she didn't see the picture of her and Steve.
Ashleigh called her mom, who gave her permission, but reminded her to be home by supper time.
"Thanks Mom," Ashleigh said happily. She handed Millie her phone back and said, "I can go with you."
"Good. Blackbird's this way," Millie said.
When Ashleigh saw the Jeep, her eyes went wide. "That is so cool!"
As they drove through Honolulu, Millie instructed Ashleigh to look in the glove compartment. The teen's eyes went wide when she saw the gold badge and her gun.
"My name is Officer Millie Thompson, sweetie, and I'm part of the Five-0 Taskforce," Millie explained. "We're investigating Tasha McConnor's murder and we need your help."
Ashleigh stared at her, eyes wide, conflicting emotions crashing through her. "Why me?"
"Because the last message Tasha received was from someone named brascohill1881, and you mentioned wanting to be a cop," Millie explained.
"So?" Ashleigh asked, trying to appear brave, but looking more like a scared teenage girl.
"So, Donnie Brasco was the undercover name of Joseph Pistone, the FBI agent who brought down a New York mafia family. Clint Hill was a Secret Service agent assigned to protect Jackie Kennedy, and in 1881, the Earp brothers got into a fight at the OK Corral," Millie said. "All law enforcement. Plus, the code you and Ashleigh used, that's Ferb Latin, and you have Perry on your backpack, and he's one of the coolest agents around."
Millie pulled up to Headquarters, and spotted Steve and Kono doing the same.
"We need your help, Ashleigh, so we can get justice for your friend," Millie said. "Tasha didn't deserve to die like that, no matter what she may have done or heard or whatever. Help us help her."
Ashleigh stared at her, eyes filling with tears. Steve and Kono joined them.
"Are they also Five-0 too?" Ashleigh asked, taking a swipe at her eyes.
Everyone nodded.
"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Officer Kono Kalakaua. Kono's the one I told you about," Millie explained. "The others are probably inside. They're all a good bunch and two of them have kids of their own."
"Is it true that Governor Jameson was the one who originally helped you start up Five-0?" Ashleigh asked, finding it hard to believe she was actually talking to one of the best law enforcement teams on the island, and they weren't treating her like an idiot.
"Governor Jameson and me," Steve said, nodding. "At the time, it was her backing and my rules. I brought in Sergeant Detective Danny Williams, who was investigating my father's murder, and we brought in Lieutenant Detective Chin Ho Kelly, who had been trained by my father when he was still a cop."
"I'm Chin's cousin, and I was about to graduate from the academy and they needed a fresh face for some undercover work," Kono said. "We brought in Captain Lou Grover a while ago, after he retired from SWAT, and Millie was hired by Governor Denning a few months back."
"Her brothers think she's too short to be a cop, and it seems that's what she really wants to be," Millie said.
Kono and Steve grinned. "Let me tell you something. Kono, as you can see, is considerably shorter than I am, and she kicks ass like nobody's business," Steve said. "If you want to be a cop, then tell your brothers to go jump into a volcano. A lot of good cops aren't that tall. It's not about height; it's about heart."
Ashleigh worried her lip and fiddled with her backpack strap. "Why was Tash killed?"
"We don't know," Kono said. "All we do know is that she had found something big and important but she didn't tell anyone that we've spoken to and all we have is a notebook full of code."
"I know the code," Ashleigh admitted. "We kinda developed it together."
"Do you know what she was working on?" Steve asked.
"I'm not really sure, but she said it was big and it was going to ruin someone's life the same way he'd ruined a lot of other lives," Ashleigh admitted. "If I help you, can I see what you guys do?"
Millie glanced at Steve and Kono, who smiled.
"Oh, I think we can work something out," Steve said, already planning on sending the girl on a ride-along with Lou.
"In the mean time, onward and upward," Millie said, getting out of Blackbird.
They headed inside, with Ashleigh's mouth dropping and eyes going wide as she looked around. Upstairs, in Headquarters, she was introduced to Danny, Lou, and Chin, and watched as Millie gave someone named Jarod a hug.
Jarod was interesting, with his dark hair, laughing dark eyes, and quick smile that spread across his face.
"Hey," he said, laughing. "It's so good to see you again."
"Same here. How long are you here for?" Millie asked, checking him over. He seemed to be okay.
"Until Miss Parker shows up again," Jarod said, grinning. "What's up with Ferb's Latin?"
Millie stared at him. "How long did that take you to figure out?"
"Less than two minutes," Jarod said, shrugging. "It's easy once you figure out the encryption key."
"Of course. How much did you translate?" Millie asked, leading him to the computer table.
"Just the first page," Jarod said. "It was interesting reading. Took me a few seconds to realize that some of the words weren't Ferb Latin but Hawaiian words written backwards."
"Good. You get to translate the rest in a sec. Guys, this is Jarod, an old friend and an old hand with cases like these," Millie said. She did introductions and then explained the case. "What do you think?"
Jarod's eyes were darting across the screen. "May I?" he asked, indicating the table.
"Help yourself," Millie said. She moved to one side to speak quietly to Steve.
"He's CIA and the best of the best," she said quietly. "Met him about two years ago on my flight to Portland for Drew's wedding. While we were there, he took down a drug smuggling ring hidden inside an ice cream making company. Did in a week what the DEA had spent six months trying to do."
Steve's eyebrows went up. "Last name?" he asked.
"Don't know. He changes it every other week."
"Okay. Do you trust him?"
"I do. He's a genius with an IQ that's off the charts, and most of the time he's a sweet, kind man, with a love of life unlike anything I've ever seen. However, if he finds out people, especially kids, have been hurt because of someone's cruelty, then we've got a problem," Millie admitted.
"That could be a problem," Steve said.
"Only if you seriously piss him off," Millie said. "He's a good man with a heart of gold. Trust me on this one."
"Okay," he said after a moment. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to give Joe White a call.
They rejoined the team at the table and Millie quickly realized something was wrong with Jarod. There was a sadness and growing horror on his face she'd seen before.
"Hey," she said softly. "What's wrong, Jar-Jar?"
"Based on what I'm reading," Jarod said carefully, flipping through the screen images at a rapid pace, "Tasha found something big. Real big."
"What? What'd she find?" Danny asked.
"She found, what appears to be, based on her descriptions and the people she talked to, she found a child prostitution ring," Jarod said, starting to breath heavily.
"A child... a child pros... a child prostitution ring?" Lou repeated, staring at Jarod, before looking at the screen. "She found a child prostitution ring? How?"
Jarod started doing some fast typing. "This is a simple encryption program," he explained. "It'll translate the words for us faster than I can explain." In seconds, the computer was translating Tasha's notebook. "She didn't use complete sentences, more like shorthand notes. I'm seeing dates, locations, descriptions." His brow furrowed. "Did you find a flashdrive or a memory card anywhere with her or among her personal effects?"
"No, why?" Chin asked.
"Several times she references photos taken," Jarod said, indicating several phrases. Then he highlighted a name. "James Joseph Jackson, which later becomes T-J. Triple J. Makes sense."
"Why does that name sound familiar?" Steve mumbled.
Chin was already on it. "Because he's the major benefactor of the same school Tasha and Ashleigh go to," he said, pulling up a photo and series of internet articles.
"I've seen him around the school," Ashleigh admitted. "He seems okay, but he's kinda creepy. Can't really describe it, but he makes me nervous." She rubbed her arms.
"And he's involved in it up to his neck," Jarod growled. "Seems he's a regular." He suddenly smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "And Tasha had proof."
"We need to find those photos," Steve said. "And we need to find that ring, fast."
"Maybe that's what Tasha meant by ruining someone's life, someone who had already ruined a lot of other lives," Ashleigh said.
"You want in?" Millie asked.
Jarod smiled, and Steve tried not to shiver. Just how dangerous was this man?