Jersey 5-0 chapter 1.
Hey Five 0 fans! Here's an alternate world with 5-0 in Jersey. What if the circumstances were reversed? How would Steve handle New Jersey? What if Danny was the Boss? Everybody here but different. Or are they?
Hope you like and enjoy and of course let me know what you think.
Cheers.
The Atlantic Coast, he hated it. How he longed for the calmer waters of beautiful Pacific Ocean. Specifically, Hawaii. His home, lush, green, laid back. That's where his Cat was, stationed at Oahu, where he should be. Sighing heavily, he rubbed his eyes. He hated New Jersey already and he didn't even go ashore yet.
''It's 0830 and you're rubbing eyes?'' Lt. Gordon Wyler teased. ''No matter how hard you rub your eyes, this ain't Honolulu. Wrong side of the world.''
Commander Steve McGarrett stopped rubbing his eyes just long enough to throw Wyler a hateful look. He resumed tending to his stinging eyes, now squeezing the bridge of his nose, anything to motivate tear production. "The air is … horrible here.'' He was in a bad mood. A six month 'teaching gig' for Coast Guard ruined his wedding plans – again. But as a Commander in the U.S. Navy, an Operator, a pilot, you go where ordered. Structure. He liked structure but to feed his rebellious spirit, he went through bud/s so he could make a difference in the world. Truth be told, he loved the Navy. Gave him a first rate education at Annapolis, he had been to every continent in the world. He even met Cat through the Navy. If they could ever get leave or even better yet assigned near each other, they could finally get married, start a family.
Getting married was just a formality. They had been together for years, but she wanted his name before having kids and it seemed a fair deal since he stole her heart. But the last couple years have been tough on them: his father had passed on then Cat's father died suddenly a month later. Again they tried to get married since he inherited the house on Oahu, now they had a home base and both managed to get assignments the stationed them in or around Hawaii, so the preparations were made. Cat found her dress; Steve arranged a honeymoon, Tahiti. They set a date. They bought wedding rings, Cat had her engagement ring but they needed matching bands. They arranged shore leave. Then, two weeks before the nuptials, Steve was activated and deployed to Afghanistan. Six months later, recovered from his injuries, the Navy – in their infinite wisdom – sent him to train Coast Guardsmen in the finer points of water rescue and survival. He didn't mind helping the Navy's sister agency, but he so wanted to get home to his home, his Cat.
''Are you going to blow some steam off ashore? We can hit a couple of bars.'' Wyler asked hopefully; he had been using the handsome sailor as chick bait for years. Just because the Commander was happy in his committed relationship didn't mean he couldn't help his buddy get laid.
''No, thanks. I got to disembark, check in at Cape May and then Skype with Catherine. Besides, I'm in a bad mood. No woman is going to want to be around me. Bait your own snares tonight, Gordo''
''Like I need you, poster boy.''
''Get out of my sight, Gordo.''
''I will check in with you before I go ashore, Steve.'' Wyler didn't see some other crew members were nearby, walking the deck.
''Dismissed, Lieutenant Wyler'' Steve said with a wink. They may be friends but rank has to be acknowledged.
Steve followed through on his plans for the day. He was packing his sea bag when Gordon came by as promised.
"Are you sure you don't want to tag along?"
"Sure." He checked his watch. "I report in at Camp May in an hour. Then I'll be calling Catherine. Don't call me for bail.'' Steve joked.
"Well, l'm not due to check in until day after tomorrow. Liberty awaits. See you in 48 hour, Sir.''
"See you on time and ready to work. Not hung over." Steve cautioned, half serious.
Gordon made a face. "As if l'd do THAT again, Sir.''
Steve stopped packing and gave him a look a father would give a ten year old making an impossible promise. "I'll see you at 0645 Monday. "
"Class starts at 0800. You mean 0745, right?"
"No. l'm here for one – one – class cycle. I want this to go smooth and by the book so l can get home. I don't want to be here beyond this rotation. 0645." Steve stared at Gordon, hard.
"Yes, sir." Gordo saluted, turned smartly and left.
Steve shook his head and resumed his tasks.
Sgt. Detective Daniel Williams was running late. another maniac Monday. He loved driving Gracie, his 11 year old daughter, to school. Like her mother, five more minutes was never five minutes. And like her mother, blonde and beautiful and able to twist Danny to her will with her smile. Danny sighed and drank his coffee. Tipping the travel cup all the way back, he realized he needed a refill.
He went back in the house. He could hear his wife, Rachel, telling Gracie to 'get a move on.' He smiled, who would have thought a guy from Hackensack would catch a proper British girl for a wife. He snagged a cold pancake left over from breakfast.
Grace appeared in the kitchen doorway. In a pink dress, her hair a mass of soft curls, she had her mother's smile. "Good morning, Dann. Do l look ok? It's picture day."
Danny knew he was grinning, bursting with pride. "You look beautiful, Monkey." He finished filling his travel cup. "Let's go before Danno's late, again."
"Okay, Danno." Grace took her father's hand. "Stop lollygagging."
Danny glanced at Rachel and smiled. "Sorry, Monkey.'' And they were off.
"Bye, Danno. See you at dinner." Grace was getting out of the car.
"Have a good day, Monkey. Love you. Learn things. "
"Love you, Danno." And she was gone, running off to class.
Danny pulled back into traffic. As he reached for his coffee, his cell rang. "Williams."
"Good morning, Williams. Got a fresh one for ya. See the manager of the Travelers' Oasis. Day maid found a stiff in a room."
"Yes, sir." Danny knew the hotel. Higher end call girls, businessmen and budget conscious tourists frequented the old hotel.
He arrived in record time and double parked. Screw it, he WAS the police. It might mess up deliveries but that wasn't HIS problem. He locked the car and headed into the hotel. Walking across the once inviting now faded lobby depicting a desert oasis, he heard someone guy call his name.
"You Williams?" A big, bald man approached him and extended his big hand. "I'm Lou Grover." His voice was like distant thunder.
"I am." Danny stood a little straighter. "You the guy from Chicago? How are you?"
"The L.T. sent me down here. I'm your new partner." Lou ignored the polite conversation starter.
"You are?" He had been without a partner a long time. "Great, pleased to meet you.''
"Yeah, same here. "
"Ok, let's go."
They crossed the lobby to the manager's office. Danny knocked.
"Come in."
Danny and Lou exchanged a look before they entered, silently acknowledging Danny would take the lead. Entering, the detectives found tired looking blonde woman processing time cards. "Good morning. I'm Sgt. Williams and this is Detective Grover. We got a report of a dead body. ''
The overwhelmed manager blew an errant hair out of her eyes and stood up with her hand extended. "Lynn Downey. So, you two here about the dead guy? I locked out the room and as people checked out, I directed to front desk not to put guests on that floor so you guys could do your job without people getting in your way and guests wouldn't be freaking out."
Danny was impressed with the consideration she demonstrated for both the guests and police. "Thanks. We'll try to get this handled as quickly and quietly as we can. Know anything about the decedent? Do you know his name, where's his from, anything?"
She turned back to her desk and started searching the mess on her desk. "I had that info right here. Found it!" She handled the registration info to Danny.
"A Navy man. Jurisdiction is going to be a fricking nightmare!" He handed the papers to his partner, sighing hard. He felt a headache coming on.
"Happy Monday morning to me." Lou growled, taking the pages and perusing them. ''I'll run his financials; he paid with a credit card. We got a place to start."
Danny sighed, again. "Contact the Navy, too. Find out where he came from.'' He smiled inwardly; it was nice being the senior partner passing out the grunt work.
They left the manager's office, crossed the lobby to the elevators. Danny, hands in his pockets, started to rock on his heels. The old hotel had a new elevator system but it was taking forever, he was seriously considering the stairs when the elevator car finally arrived. They entered.
Lynn used the elevator key override the lock out on the seventh floor. "If you're on the seventh floor, you can use the elevator but you can't return. Stairwell is locked. You can go in the stairwell, but you can't return. Used to date a cop so l know you guys don't need lookyloos.''
"Thanks for that, makes our jobs a little easier." Danny was genuinely appreciative.
Room 713 was a standard hotel room. Much like the rest of the faded hotel, the once an impressive room, was out of dated and lackluster. The body was in the bed, looking asleep, if you failed notice the blood splatter on the headboard.
"Guy got it in his sleep. Never knew what hit him. Was the door secured or did the maid just use a pass key?" Lou looked around, "His stuff is seems here.''
Lynn shrugged, "I don't know. Had to send her home she was so upset. But that's standard, knock and if there's no answer, enter and clean.'' She handed Danny the key. "l'll be in my office. Please return the key to me and call me to escort the body people in here."
Danny took the key, "I'll let you know when the coroner and lab people are on their way. I'll direct them to your office. Once we remove the body and stuff, I'll discretely as we can seal the room. It'll be at least a couple of weeks before this room will be available, sorry for the trouble''
Lynn sighed and nodded. "I understand. It would happen in the nicest view room.'' With that said, she left and left the detectives to their work.
""I don't see any evidence of a Lady of the Evening; bed shows evidence of him only, no used rubbers or the wrappers. The guy has his clothes hung, bathroom's in order. Room service for one leftovers. He was in bed, sleeping. What the hell?" Grover wondered out loud.
Danny was carefully checking the entry wound. "I know why. C'mere. See the entry wound? Top of the head. Now, look at the wall: fatal shot came through the wall."
"A bystander, so to speak. I'll check out next door.'' Lou was in motion.
Danny nodded. "I'll call Ms. Downey; get the skinny on the room next door."
''I'll go next door, see if someone's there.'' Lou was used to taking charge. In Chicago, he was a captain but here, he was just a 'junior' detective. ''With your permission, Sarge."
"Ms. Downey, who is registered in room 715?" Danny held up his index finger to have Lou pause. "NO ONE? You sure? Why? Because the sailor was shot through the wall. From room 715, yes. The room hasn't been used in over a week? Does the electronic key only work for … ? And it has to be reprogrammed? Will the key you …? Ok, thanks.'' He hung up. ''Well, the last key issued for 715 was issued over a week ago and programmed for two nights only. Let's go check it out. According to Ms. Downey, that room was cleaned last week and no one has 'freshened' it since according to her printouts. No key can override the system, except hers and she doesn't check rooms. Not her job."
Both detectives left 713 as the coroner and the evidence team arrived, escorted by hotel security. They entered 715. The room was smaller than 713, same layout and color scheme but it smelled stale, the air needed to be recirculated.
"The shot lines up about here.'' Lou estimated. ''Rooms are opposite of each other. This bed is lining up with 713. But there's nothing here.''
Danny was puzzled; a knock at the door broke into his thoughts. He gave his partner a 'what the hell?' look. He answered the door. ''Hey Jerry, any discoveries?" He asked the young coroner.
"Strange head wound. But my new toy brought up some information. According to his thumbprint, he's a U.S. Naval officer, a lieutenant. His assignment is classified but he was supposed to start an assignment at Camp May this morning. 'l'm sure someone noticed he's AWOL by now.''