Chapter 7

Got that, little lady! A dazed and fuming Janet had half a mind to push "star 69" and find out who had been so rude to her, but the other half of her mind, the logical half she had to admit, told her she needed to leave this alone. She replaced the receiver and sank down on the sofa, reaching for a pillow and clutching it to her chest. Who could have made such a threatening phone call? And why? Surely, this was someone's idea of a sick and cruel joke. Wasn't it?

Thomas had just hung up with an insurance company who wanted him to get a signature on a release form from a patient at the hospital when Rick entered the guest house and ambled down the staircase.

"Hey, Thomas, where's Janet? I thought she'd be here. Wait, don't tell me. She found out you can't pay her, came to her senses, and quit."

Rick chuckled at his own joke.

"Ha, ha," Thomas said. "For your information, I am doing very well financially since my last case."

"Good. You can pay your tab in full the next time you're at the Club."

"I'll be glad to."

He put on a blue print Aloha shirt over his Army green tank top and left the buttons undone.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to the hospital."

"Hospital? Why?"

"Nothing important," he hedged. "I just have to visit someone. That's all."

"Oh, I see," Rick said, leaning against the mantel of the fireplace and crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You're going to see Terri, aren't you?"

"Terri? You mean, Janet's friend. No, I'm not going to see her."

"C'mon, TM, you don't have to lie to me. I know what's going on."

"Rick, what are you talking about?"

"I saw you two dancing at your party. You like her, don't you?"

"Yes, I danced with her, but that doesn't mean..."

Rick pushed himself away from the fireplace and pointed a finger at Magnum.

"You'd better treat her right, Thomas. Terri is a very special lady."

Thomas held up his hands. "Rick, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't hurt her. I can tell she likes you. A lot."

"Rick, you of all people know I'm not looking to get involved with anyone right now. My number one priority, besides keeping my business going, is trying to find my daughter Lily. I have no interest in romance whatsoever."

"You can say that, TM, but it doesn't mean love won't find you."

Jack used the key Janet and Terri had given him to enter the apartment. He found Janet curled up on the sofa, staring into space, still clutching the pillow to her chest.

"Rough day?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the coffee table.

Janet sat up when she heard Jack's voice and tossed the pillow aside.

"Kinda. I guess. How was your conference?"

"It was fantastic. I think I'm really going to enjoy the next few days. I'm glad Angelino sent me."

"That's good," Janet said.

She tried to smile, but Jack saw the concern in her dark eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked again.

"Sure," she said, a little too brightly, rising and heading for the kitchen to get them something to drink. "Why wouldn't I be all right?"

Terri emerged from a patient's room and almost ran smack into Thomas.

"Hello!" she said, after regaining her balance. "This is the last place I'd expect to run into you. I hope everything's okay."

"It is. I'm here to see a patient for an insurance company I occasionally do some work for."

"Oh. Well, don't let me keep you."

"It's fine. I'm not in any hurry."

"Did you and Janet talk about what night would be good for you to have dinner with us?"

"No, I forgot. Janet was at my place, but she was distracted by her flower shop job, so I told her to go on home and rest. I guess she forgot, too. Sorry about that."

"No problem."

But Thomas saw the flash of disappointment cross her face. Rick's words came back to him. He didn't know how Terri felt about him, but he did not want to lead her on.

"I'll talk to Janet," Terri said. "Is there any night that's not good for you?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay, then. We'll be in touch."

Reluctantly, Terri knew she had to say good-bye because she had to continue with her rounds, but when Janet's boss, Mr. Pineda, stepped off the elevator, her departure was delayed.

"That's Janet's boss," Terri said. "I wonder what he's doing here."

Thomas followed Terri's gaze and thought the medium-built man with black wavy hair looked vaguely familiar to him.

"Mr. Pineda," Terri called out, when she realized the man, who looked distraught, was lost.

He recognized Terri and quickly made his way to her.

"Terri, right?"

"Yes, that's right. And this is Thomas. Thomas Magnum."

Mr. Pineda's small dark eyes met Thomas', and recognition dawned. They both knew their paths had crossed somewhere along the way.

"You seem upset," Terri said. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm here to see someone, but I'm all turned around. Can you tell me where Room 612 is?"

"It's down this hallway, last room on your right. But, Mr. Pineda, I should tell you that the patient in that room isn't allowed any visitors."

"I know," he said, his voice sad. "But I have special clearance. The guard will let me in."

At the word "guard", Thomas' interest became keener.

"Okay. But we have strict rules for that patient. No more than ten minutes. That's it."

"I understand, Senorita," he said, and slightly bowed his head. "Mr. Magnum, would it be okay if I called you later? I need someone, and I don't think our meeting like this is a coincidence."

"Sure. Call me anytime."

He pulled a business card from his shirt pocket and handed it to the tired-looking, middle-aged man.

"I need to talk to you in more detail, but I feel I should give you a warning, too."

"A warning? About what?"

"Do you remember a man you helped the police arrest a couple of years ago, Ernesto Carlita?"

"The name sounds familiar. He was part of a gang, wasn't he, from the Big Island?"

"Si. They made their way to Oahu and were causing havoc here, too."

"Are they back? Has Ernesto been released from prison?"

Mr. Pineda shook his head, looking downcast. "Mr. Carlita was killed in prison, Mr. Magnum. And now the rest of the gang wants revenge for his death. They've started with my son, Rafael, but it won't be long until they find their way to you."

Thomas held up his hand. "Wait. Rafael? Are you talking about Rafael Kentara?"

"Yes."

"That's the name of the employee Janet said never showed up for work," Thomas said.

"That's right," Mr. Pineda said. "He didn't. He was attacked. He was found in a pool of blood in Duke's Alley, across from the International Marketplace."

"And he's your son?" Thomas questioned, wondering about the difference in their last names.

"Yes."

"But the patient in that room does not have that name," Terri said, still trying to absorb everything she had been hearing.

"The police have given him a different identity," Mr. Pineda explained, "but the young man lying in that bed, barely alive, is my son."

"How is he involved?" Magnum couldn't help but to ask.

"Before their leader got arrested, my son, who was living with my brother at the time, overheard something he shouldn't have. They threatened him, but they never got a chance to carry out their threat thanks to your hard work to help the police catch Ernesto. Once he was behind bars, the gang wasn't very strong, and they left my son alone. Now that Carlita has been killed, his brother wants revenge on everyone, and he's rounded up the gang. He's making them strong again. Stronger than they were with Ernesto from what I understand."

"How did they get Rafael?"

"They attacked him on his way to work on Saturday. He never saw it coming."

Terri's stomach muscles tightened. Saturday. Janet. She had been waiting for Rafael. What if they went after her? What if they went after everybody who knows Rafael or Mr. Pineda? Or Magnum? Terri looked at Thomas as she tried to calm her mounting fear.

"You see why we need to talk, Senor?" Mr. Pineda asked.

"Yes. You go see your son. I'll wait in the hospital lobby. We should talk in a neutral area that will still allow for privacy."

"Gracias. As the lovely nurse here says, I can't stay too long with my son, but I am on my way to see him."

Once he was out of hearing range, Terri pounced on Thomas.

"What does this mean? Is Janet in danger? Are we all in danger? You are definitely in danger if what Mr. Pineda said is true. Thomas, what are you going to do to keep yourself, and possibly the rest of us, safe?"

It was a question Magnum had been asked more times than he cared to admit, and to this day, it had never been an easy one for him to answer. What would his next move be? And would it be the right one for everyone involved?

Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder why he had ever decided to become a private investigator. As he gazed at the worried look on Terri's face and tried to think of some way to reassure her, he realized this was definitely one of those times.