Jersey 5-0 Chpt 58
Hey guys, thanks for the love. Here's another one, i hope you like.
After Danny finished the story of 'Hanzel Gretel', Steve told a somewhat altered story of 'The Little
Mermaid'.
"Uncle Steve, are mermads real?" Charlie asked the tall man.
"Charlie, don't be stupid." Gracie scolded her little brother. "'Mermaids' not 'mermads' and they aren't
real."
"Gracie, don't call your little brother 'stupid'. If your mother heard you…little lady, you know better!"
Danny frowned at his daughter.
"Gracie." Steve started gently. "Have you sailed the world's oceans?"
"No." She answered quietly.
"I have: the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian, the Artic and the Southern Oceans. I have sailed the
Mediterranean, the Adriatic, the Baltic, the Caribbean Seas and even the Sea of Japan. All the oceans
and most seas of the earth, I have sailed. I've seen mermaids." He leaned in towards the children. "I'll
tell you a secret: Mermaids love sailors. Miss Catherine was a mermaid, but she gave up her tail for me.
We met on the Pacific Ocean, the world's calmest body of water, mermaids like the Pacific Ocean."
"Why?" Both children asked with big eyes, spellbound.
Steve smiled at their innocence. "The Pacific Ocean is the world's deepest ocean … do you know about
Mount Everest, Gracie?"
"It's the highest point on earth." She said proudly.
"Yes, it is." Steve smiled at the clever girl. "Well, the Marianna Trench is in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean, and it is so deep that Mount Everest could fit in that trench, with room to spare. That is where
the mermaids live with their families. They go into all the bodies of the waters of the world. Some fall
in love with fishermen, others find travelers interesting, but the loveliest mermaid sailors."
"Like Cathwen." Charlie interjected.
"I don't believe you." Gracie said flatly and looked at her father. "He really is a dumb ass, Danno." She
folded her arms across her chest and pouted.
"Gracie!" Danno said indignantly as his face flushed. He was both embarrassed and proud of his little
girl's ability to hear bits of overheard conversations and repeat it in the correct context.
"I can prove it." Steve said with a straight back. He stood and faced the door. "Catherine, can you
come upstairs, please." He made sure he stayed in the little girl's eyeline as he called out.
"Coming."
Both women came upstairs.
Steve winked at Catherine with a mischievous twinkle in his bright eyes. "Catherine, the children
wrestled your secret out of me. But they are policemen's children so I am sure they will keep your
secret. Will you please tell these kids where you were born?"
"Guam."
"And where is Guam?"
"I can look that up!" Gracie kicked out of her blankets and was out of bed before her father could stop
her. She ran to her room and came back with the 'G' volume of her encyclopedia set. She settled back
in bed and looked up 'Guam'. After a moment, her eyes grew wide.
"What is it, Sissy?" Charlie asked excitedly.
"Guam is an unincorporated but organized area of the U.S. in the Micronesia subregion of the western
Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the U.S. as reckoned from the geographic
center of the U.S.; in Oceania, it is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands and the largest
island of Micronesia." Gracie read slowly, incredulously. "Danno, Miss Catherine is a (she suddenly
whispered) D!"
Rachel covered her smile with her hand while Catherine, flabbergasted, just stood with a frozen
smile.
Charlie clapped and grinned at Catherine with happy eyes.
Danny face planted into his palm and shook his head while Steve grinned triumphantly.
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"And for the three day, two night get-a-way right here at the Traveler's Oasis: What are New
Jersey's big six cities of the Industrial Revolution?" Eric asked with gusto and flair.
Bar patrons whispered among themselves. Junior read the room and after a suitable amount of
time, raised his hand confidently.
Eric pointed at him. "The young man in the front row enjoying a Longboard beer."
"Camden, Elizabeth, Paterson, Treton, Jersey City and Newark." Junior answered with a smile.
Eric read along with Junior's recital on his index cards. "He's absolutely correct!" The room
exploded in applause and disappointed groans.
Tani bounced excitedly in her seat. "How did you know that?"
"The Naval Academy, I loved American history!" Junior whispered in her ear before kissing her.
Then he stood up and joined Eric at the podium.
The crowd gave the quiz master and the winner thunderous applause. Jen brought Junior a fresh
slider as Eric handed him the voucher for the hotel get-a-way.
Junior high-fived other patrons on the way back to his seat. After he settled back next to Tani, he
took a big bite of his slider then opened the prize envelope.
"Certificate for a deluxe room, three days, two nights. Three breakfasts and lunches in the coffee shop,
two steak and lobster dinners and free drinks in the lounge both evenings. Wow, it's worth some
serious coin." Junior was clearly happy with his prize. "Now, to find a girlfriend to share it with." He
teased.
Tani gave him hurt filled eyes.
"Just teasing." Junior took her hand and kissed her. "Bumper sticker for your scooter."
She smiled her forgiveness as she plucked the coveted item and squirreled it away in her purse. They
held hands as they watched the patrons file out of the lounge. "If Rick does what he usually does, he'll
punch out in about seven minutes." Tani shared.
Junior finished his slider. "Let's get to the car."
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"He lives here?" Tani said incredulously. "What a dump! It doesn't even look fit for human habitation!"
Junior and Tani were parked across the street in a well-maintained unmarked Navy car that had seen
better days … twenty years ago.
"Looks like an old warehouse, maybe a factory." Junior said quietly. "He's probably holed up in the
office area. It would be insulated, running water and power. He probably has all the comforts of home.
A hot plate or microwave for hot food. The way this place is set up, I'll bet … lock the doors. I'm going
to do a little recon."
"I would rather come with you." Tani said beseechingly. "What if he sees the car and comes to
investigate? Junes, I'm scared. Please."
Junior weighed his options. He felt confident he could defend himself but if anything happened to Tani,
he'd hate himself for the rest of his life. The commander would throw the book at him if he found out a
civilian went on recon with him. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. "Leave your bag."
She kissed his face. "Thank you, Junes."
"You do everything I say, hold my belt and not a word." Junior instructed.
Tani pantomimed locking her mouth and crossed her heart.
"Push the car door closed. Let's go." He turned off the interior light so it wouldn't come on as they
exited and they were off.
8-8-8-8
Rich put a pizza in the microwave. He turned on the t.v. His DVR had five episodes of that firemen
show. Hot damn! Fire and pizza was just great. He went into the bathroom to 'shower.'
Outside, Tani held tight to Junior's belt as they moved stealthily against the wall of the warehouse. He
stopped by the window. The naval instructor motioned for Tani to stay down as he looked in the
window cautiously.
He was right, an inner office within an old warehouse. Totally sealed and self-contained. Junior
watched as Rich Greenley exited an interior room he guessed was the bathroom since Rich emerged
naked with a towel around his waist, barefooted and wet headed. He watched as Rich retrieved his
pizza and crashed in front of the t.v.
Once Greenley was safely engrossed in his t.v. show, Junior cased the building, mentally noting all
entrances and exits. "Back to the car." He whispered in Tani's ear.
They quietly entered the car, closing the doors as quietly as possible. Without starting the car, Junior
shifted the old car into neutral and pushed the car about a hundred feet from the warehouse. Once on
the other side of the trees, junior started the car and headed back to Tani's apartment.
Even though Tani invited him to spend the night, Junior headed home. It was after two in the morning
when Junior got back to his quarters on the base.
He was sleepy but he managed to set the coffeemaker and both the tabletop and his watch alarms
before he collapsed on the bed. After taking off his shoes, he decided he'd just undress in the morning.
He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
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The children finally settled in for the night.
Rachel and Catherine finished the kitchen work and returned to the upstairs to get ready for bed.
Meanwhile, the lads went out to the patio and settled down with coffee and cigars.
"You realize I hate you. Why would you tell my kids that cock-and-bull story?" Danny ranted at the
Navy man. "You knew Gracie would check your story so you weaved it in such a way that you have them
believing in mermaids. Mermaids of all things! You irresponsible giant pain in my ass! And you made
Catherine a liar to boot. Jerk."
"I told you I didn't know any kids' stories. What's wrong with the kids believing in a little mystery in the
world? There are far worse things to believe in than mermaids. They are beautiful and magical. Just
like finding true love, you have to be open to the possibilities. Danny, have a little imagination. Do your
kids still believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy? Mermaids are at least a real
possibility. Granted, the likelihood is against it, but we haven't fully explored the oceans." Steve
defended.
Danny stared at the sailor. "You ARE a Hawaiian yo-yo, you know that, don't you?"
Steve grinned and puffed on his cigar. He looked out to the beach and the ocean. "Your point being?"
Danny chuckled in frustration. He decided to drop it and enjoy his cigar. "New subject: I hope you don't
mind but I drafted Junior to help in our investigation."
The Commander took his cigar out of his mouth. "As long as it doesn't interfere with his teaching duties
and he is willing. What do you have him doing?"
"Attending the show at the Traveler's Oasis." Danny stopped talking just to annoy the sailor.
"What for?" McGarrett demanded when no further information was forthcoming.
Danny smiled. "We identified the 'lawyer.' He's Rich Greenley, hotel gofer. Chin went to the hotel to
warn Lynn Downing not to trust him. Adam Noshimuri came up with the idea to have him work in the
lounge. Problem is he's seen everyone on my team, either at the hotel or in court. I needed someone
smart, a trained observer AND someone this creep hasn't seen. Luckily, Junior was going to the show
with Tani anyways." Danny explained.
Steve digested the information silently, puffing. "He's a good man and he'll get you what you need."
"Rich Greenley is a frustrated citizen who would like to be a firefighter. He can't pass the physical let
alone the mental screening. He has worked on three of Federchuk's properties where there was a death
in a fire. He changes his middle name so the computer didn't pick up on it. We didn't know his
whereabouts, so I asked Junior to tail him home and give us the info." Danny explained. "So, he has a
thing for the waitress, huh?"
"Mutual attraction at first sight." Steve recalled with a smile.
"They make a cute couple. She has an attractive smile."
Steve tilted his head back and smiled as he blew circles.
"What are you grinning at?"
Steve shrugged but kept smiling.
"Stop smiling." Danny demanded.
"Why?" Steve grinned wider.
Danny ignored him. "Jerk." He said under his breath.
"I heard that."
"Shut up!"
"How will we discuss the case if I shut up?"
"I hate you."
"I hate you more."
Danny chewed his cigar. "Moving on. The conclusion of our theorizing: in the three incidences of fire
killing Federchuk's partners, Rich Greenley was on the payroll of said partner. Sadly, the partner ended
up dead, with the fire destroying a lot of forensic evidence. Greenley is a useless, diverting 'witness'. He
uses his 'anonymity' to his advantage well.''
Steve sat thoughtfully.
"Hey! I don't share my cigars just to watch you hold it while it burns, sailor boy."
"Sorry." He dutifully smoked his cigar, ruminating.
"I can hear the rusty gears a-turning. Don't hurt yourself."
Steve ignored him. "You're thinking this Greenley character set those fires?"
Disappointed he didn't get a rise out of his house guest, Danny continued. "Lou found he has a juvenile
record for arson. Kid stuff."
"Kid stuff that started a fascination with fire. No wonder the firemen don't want him."
"Get with the century you old sea dog, "firefighters" is the proper terminology, like 'police personnel,'
ya goof."
Steve rolled his eyes. "I've been through 'gender sensitivity' training, detective. Gimme a break! Any
evidence he started the fires or George Federchuk paid him?"
Danny smiled at the idea of a new investigative avenue AND that he managed to irritate the seemingly
unflappable naval officer. "I'm sure Kono is working on that. She is very capable and thorough."
"She is, indeed."
It was Danny's turn to smile.
McGarrett did a double take. "What are you smiling at?" He demanded.
"Not a thing."
"You already have a mermaid, you shouldn't be looking around, sailor boy."
Steve took the cigar out of his mouth. "I agreed Kono is very good at her job. You noticed another
woman's smile."
"Oh, just shut up!"
"Copy that."