Chapter 17
Hello guys! Here's another chapter for you. enjoy and review. Mahalo.
Rachel woke up with a start. She knew instantly that Danny wasn't in bed with her. Laying there
listening to the quiet house she couldn't hear his whereabouts. Getting up, she grabbed her robe and
went searching. Finding him in his recliner, she was surprised to see he was wide wake just staring out
the window at their darkened neighborhood. Not wanting to intrude on his thoughts but concerned he
wasn't sleeping, she decided to make sure he was ok.
"Daniel, are you OK love?" She said as gentle as she could.
"Just thinking." Danny said.
"About what love?"
"Just finality of it all. I wonder if you die in your sleep if you wake up for just a moment from the pain or
do you just keep on dreaming? Or just slip into nothingness?" Danny shared quietly.
Rachel had no answers; quite honestly she didn't know if he was asking rhetorically or he was waiting
for answer. She approached his chair and started massaging his shoulders.
Danny leaned forward to give his wife easier access. "You know, Steve annoyed the hell out of me when
l met him. I didn't even consider how the guy was feeling seeing his friend dead. All l saw was a stiff
back and an attitude. My hackles went up which triggered his hackles. Now that we're 'friends' I find I
like the guy, even though he IS an annoyingly arrogant son of a bitch." Danny chuckled. "I swear he
does things just to get a rise out of me."
"And you oblige him no doubt."
Danny grinned at how well his wife knew him. "Do you know how much I want to figure this one out?
At first, it was to shut him up and get him out of my life. Now, I want to give the guy some peace. What
is wrong with me?''
Rachel sighed and came around the chair to sit on the armrest. "Your better nature won out. He
probably uses his 'arrogance' to protect himself. He is far from home, family and friends, probably a
habit. Seeing his friend murdered must have really shaken him up. There must be a chink in his armor if
you made friends with him. You're a good man Daniel Williams."
Danny pulled Rachel into his lap in one swift move. "Too early to get ready for work and too late to go
back to sleep. What shall we do? Any ideas Mrs. Williams?
Rachel smiled. "Possibly."
waking up. Almost every window had lights on now.
Junior came out of the small apartment. "Good morning sir. Coffee?" He offered Steve one of the
coffee mugs he was holding.
Steve accepted the mug with a smile. ''Thanks, Junior." He leaned on railing. "I like this time of day.
Everyone waking up to a new day, new possibilities. Today's Friday. Big date day. What have you got
planned?"
"Haven't decided yet. I really don't care as long as we're together." Junior admitted. "I honestly don't
care if we sit and drink coffee all evening.''
Steve nodded as he drank. "I understand that. You know it's a good connection when simple things are
exciting or even silence is comfortable. But you two have already lingered over coffee. Find something
else to linger over. Hey, did you like that restaurant we took Lynn to?"
"Oh yeah."
"Get a reservation for you guys. You can linger there. Between appetizers, dinner and dessert, you
could linger until closing time."
"Great idea. But a little pricey."
Steve shrugged. "My treat."
"Ah sir, l appreciate…"
"And I appreciate you covering my six, the coffee, and the reminders to eat, everything you do for me."
Steve smiled. "Please.''
Junior smiled back. "Okay. May l have your permission to check out a car from the motor pool?"
"Get the paperwork and I'll sign it."
"Thank you sir."
"I hate McGarrett." The exhausted cadet griped. "How many times is he going to make us do this? The
water is freaking cold."
His friend only nodded because he was too busy gulping air to verbally respond.
Junior overheard and knelt down to the side of the pool. "He's making sure if you guys end up in the
drink, you'll survive. The Coast Guard may be the Navy's little sister but he's giving you a grade A
survival education. Hopefully, you'll never need it. But his job is to make sure if you need it, you've
learned it. Carry on Cadet."
The cadet mumbled an apology and dove under water while his friend nodded then did the same.
Junior continued his check around the pool and then returned to the commander's side. "They are
grumbling sir."
"T.G.I.F. team." Danny greeted his task force. "I don't know about you guys, but I am so ready for this
week to be over."
"Me too." Lou agreed. "I am so sick of the characters at that old hotel. My money's on that shifty
bartender."
Chin nodded in agreement.
Both Jerry and Kono exchanged smiles.
"Let's make a murder board. Post all our evidence and see where we are. I feel so close to solving this.
So close, just out of reach. I feel like we're doing a jigsaw puzzle without the benefit of the box top."
Danny sighed in frustration. "Chin, Kono: I want you two to head to supply and get poster board, tape
anything to get our murder board up and put it together. Jerry: coordinate all your cyber info and get it
ready for a team rendering. And don't forget to make a packet for McGarrett and Reigns."
"What do you want in the packets?"
"Copies of everything. Bank statements, personnel list, crime scene photos, autopsy results. If we got it,
copy it. Put in chronological order. Put a notebook in every packet so we can all make our own notes.
Unless we break this case today, we're having a working cook out tomorrow."
Steve was waiting for Junior after class. He stood by their car, eating a protein bar and chiding himself
for grabbing the peanut butter variety. It tasted like compressed cardboard: gooey compressed
cardboard. Leave it to the Navy to worry about protein content and disregard flavor. He reminded
himself only vanilla, strawberry or caramel in the future. No chocolate either; it tasted like cocoa
covered roast beef. Finished, he downed a small bottle of water. He then crushed the thin plastic bottle
and tossed it into a trash can.
Junior came out of the locker room in civvies and wet hair. He approached the car with a big smile.
"Boy, those cadets are pissed with you, sir. Are your ears burning? Any unexplained headaches? They
hate your guts. Ah, sir."
Steve shrugged. "I don't care as long as they learn. I had an instructor at Coronado that never smiled,
never talked above a growl, cussed us out in Italian, and basically made us miserable. I remember
everything the man taught me because I hated him so. But he saved my life in wilds of Afghanistan,
because his lessons were seared into my brain. I hope if any of these cadets end up in the soup,
especially in the North Sea, they remember how much they hated me for making survival tactics second
nature."
"Carrying on the tradition?"
"Adopting the teaching style. The man saved my life more times than l care to admit. How you ask?
Because I hated his guts so much and didn't want his undivided attention, l memorized the academics
and pushed myself physically to master his lessons; because I hated him so. These cadets, I know they
hate my guts and l don't care. I plan they will all have a long, healthy hatred and tell their grandkids
about that naval prick that made their lives a living hell for a few weeks."
Junior had to smile. "You are thinking the realization will hit them, some day."
"Some day. But you can't tell them or they tune out; defeats the purpose. They will come to the
realization themselves, hopefully not when they are in mortal danger like l did.''
''But you survived." Junior said.
"Right. If I hadn't been so stubborn and blinded by my intense dislike of the man, I would have seen it
sooner instead of the middle of the enemy territory with a dozen unfriendlies chasing my injured ass.''
Steve chuckled. "Now he hears from me every Christmas with a bottled of his favorite booze. No note
needed."
Junior nodded. "I get it, sir.''
George drained his coffee cup and held it up, signaling for a refill.
Tani hurried over with a decanter of fresh coffee, she filled his cup and left the coffee decanter. She
smiled at Lynn, who was sitting opposite the pervy bartender. She moved on to other customers.
"Good breakfast crowd." George watched Tani walk away.
Lynn looked around the hotel's coffee shop. "Yes, the coupon is bringing in some new business." She
tapped the table with her pencil. "Can we get back to your invoices?"
"Yeah, yeah. That waitress is beautiful. I could use another cocktail waitress."
"You aren't getting anymore wait staff so forget that." Lynn said coldly.
"Jealous?"
Lynn snorted. "Yeah, right. Your inventory is coming up short. Again."
"As the bar manager, I comp patrons for good will."
"Cool it. You are cutting into your working budget. You keep up the freebies, it's going to cost you an
employee. And l'll move Jen."
"She's the most versatile! She can wait tables, restock the hot bar and tend bar! Get rid of Eric. I didn't
want or hire him anyway."
"No. l have plans for him."
"Oh, I bet you do." George leered. "So, what's the plan?"
"Never you mind. Like the garden, it's my project."
George made a sour face. "I haven't seen the police or your navy boy toy today. Are they done?"
Lynn didn't react to the Russian's veiled taunt. "I don't know. Maybe they are taking a long weekend."
"McGarrett." Steve answered his cell.
"Hey, Steve. You free today and tomorrow?" Danny asked his smile evident in his voice.
"Yes." Then, the sailor's tone turned cagey. "Why?"
"I'm having a casual get together at my house tomorrow afternoon for my team. We're going to eat,
drink and kick around the evidence on this case, formula outrageous theories, maybe throw a football
around. You know, think outside the box. You and your assistant are part of the team. Can you two
come or do you have some navy shit to do?" Danny teased good naturedly.
Steve stalled while he processed the invitation. He spoke in a mock indignant tone. "Navy shit?"
"Loosen up, Commander." Danny was grinning.
"So what about this afternoon?" Steve asked with a chuckle, still trying to stall his decision regarding
tomorrow.
"Well, we're putting together a murder board. I'm sure you have input. I'd like to have your
contributions."
"Really? Well, Danny, thanks." McGarrett was genuinely touched that the detective included him. "I
can come but Ensign Reigns has a previous engagement. When and where?"
"My office. I'll have Chin Ho Kelly come get you. We'll have access to everything we might need,
including a work room. I'm ordering pizzas. What's your pleasure?"
"Double Hawaiian, add green peppers and mushrooms please." Steve ordered his favorite without
thinking.
"Double Hawaiian? What the hell is that?" The detective demanded peevishly.
"Double Hawaiian. It's double ham, double pineapple."
"Pineapple? On pizza? That, sir, is an abomination! What is WRONG with you?"
"It's actually quite good. An island favorite, the green peppers set the pineapple off nicely."
Danny swallowed the rant that was bubbling up to his lips. However, he couldn't keep his voice neutral.
"I'll ask Chin to call in order. He's Hawaiian. Let HIM commit this, this, this abhorrence. He can pick up
your stupid pineapple eating ass AND lunch. Be ready by 2pm."
"1400?"
"Whatever. Putting FRUIT on PIZZA? Unbelievable. Un –Fu…" Danny hung up mid-sentence.
Steve smiled. Getting under the irascible detective's skin was quickly becoming his favorite pastime.
"Aloha Commander, it's good to see you again." Chin Ho Kelly was all smiles.
"Aloha Chin. Mahalo." Steve said, getting in the unmarked police car. "Pizza smells great."
"Detective Williams is related to the owners. He is always ranting about quitting the department and
going into the restaurant business." Chin laughed. "Like he'd be happy tossing pizza dough 24/7.''
Both men laughed.
Chin pulled into traffic. "Hold on. If the cheese isn't warm and gooey, I'll catch a never ending rant
about the perfect serving temperature of pizza. I'll get indigestion."
Steve smiled in spite of Kelly's earnest explanation.
Both men carried the pizzas into the conference room where the rest of the team was busy sorting
evidence.
"About bloody time." Danny opened a pizza box. "This is your monster mash, Steve." He closed the
box with a grimace and passed it over to him. He watched Chin and Steve attack it with happy gusto.
Shaking his head, he dug into his pepperoni and sausage classic.
Steve looked at Danny and decided to probe at bit. "Bloody?"
Danny swallowed. "Sorry. My wife is British. She prefers I use British idioms. To her ear, they sound, I
don't know, 'classier, more refined' than Jersey slang." He shrugged.
"Oh. Like 'Lady and the Tramp'." Jerry interjected in an innocent tone.
Lou and Kono exchanged amused looks with Steve and Chin as Danny's face reddened.
The head detective took command back. "Ever see a murder board, Stevo?"
Steve looked the board while wiping his mouth with a paper towel. "Steve." He knew he gave up a little
more than he wanted to about his own personality but nobody called him Stevo or Stevie other his
parents. Not even his Cat. "Looks like our mission boards. Same principle: track the progression of
events, except we do our in 'real time'."
"OK. Lt. Wyler checked in here. He ordered room service here and the maid found him here. We
have about what, 6-7 hours to fill.'' Danny continued.
"I'm no detective, but didn't he eat his dinner and go to bed?" Jerry asked.
"He didn't order a movie or other incidentals according to his computerized bill. Which reminds me: his
credit card has requested a copy of his death certificate. Should l take care of that? Or is it something
the medical examiner does?" Kono asked.
"His executor would take care of that. Forward it to the Department of the Navy." Danny directed, as a
thought hit him. Before he could speak, Steve jumped into the conversation.
"I doubt Lt. Wyler has, ah had, an executor. Give it to me; I'll take care of it." Steve said robotically.
"What's the credit card company worried about?" Danny asked, carefully choosing his words.
Kono found the faxed request. "They will not pay for any charges entered as his time of death. Guess
the hotel tried padding his bill."
"For what?" Steve asked in an annoyed tone.
"Laundry service, movie rentals, breakfast and damage to the room.'' Kono read off. "Movie rentals are
time/date stamped but his charges were manually entered after the police took over the crime scene.
Laundry service and breakfast were done the same way."
"He wouldn't pay for laundry service. That's a service provided on ship." Steve added. "As far as room
damages, the hotel has the nerve!"
"Dead men don't order breakfast either." Lou added.
"The coroner's report places TOD between 10 to midnight." Chin consulted his pile of papers. "So he
couldn't order movies after midnight."
"Gordy, I mean Lt. Wyler had a particular type of favorite movie: animated." Steve again added a
helpful detail. "He was a frustrated graphic artist."
"So he wouldn't have ordered, ah, 3 porno movies?" Kono asked as gently as she could.
"I guess the hotel figured they could away with it. After all, a sailor coming ashore after being out to sea
for weeks, that behavior would be stereotypical." Danny said absent mindedly. He suddenly felt
McGarrett's harsh glare on him and he realized what he said. "Ah. Sorry, Steve."
McGarrett nodded his head and resumed eating. "Just curious; how much are they charging for room
damages?"
Kono searched the line by line charges to Wyler's account. "$8,550."
"Really? For both rooms? Even then, it's way overpriced. He wasn't the one who caused the majority of
the damage." Steve said in an annoyed tone.
"Well, since the adjoining room was empty, who do they charge I guess is how they see it." Lou
growled. He hated opportunists, especially the schemers. "Majority of the damage?"
"Well, he did bleed on their sheets, pillows and mattress." The Commander said, his voice dripping with
dark humor.
"Yeah. How dare he?" Lou matched Steve's tone.
Both men shared a silent look of agreement: the hotel had some nerve indeed.
"Interesting. Did that charge appear before we discovered the shot came from adjoining room?" Danny
asked urgently.
Kono checked her printouts. "Ah, the manual entry was entered in the system at 7:45a.m. from
terminal 01."
"The 911 call came into Dispatch at 8:11a m." Chin added when Danny checked his cell phone.
"I got the call at 8:23a.m." Danny confirmed. "So, who is terminal 01?"
Jerry didn't need to check his printouts. "Terminal 01 is in Lynn Downing's office.''