Author's note: All the usual disclaimers apply – I don't own the show or the characters, only the words on this page. As always, I'd love to hear what you think.
This is set in Season 2, after episode 7 'The man in the secret room', but before episode 11 'Day I met the devil'. As usual with me, though, this story refers to things that happened in episode 7, along with some of the major events that happened in other episodes before this one, from both seasons. There are also references to some of my other stories – the ones set in Season 1 and Season 2, as well as the ones set between the two seasons.
Rebuilding
by BHP
"Maybe this was a mistake."
Lewis Harrison sounded as though he wished he were anywhere else. Which was a problem for him, Magnum thought, as Lewis was currently sitting in his own office, behind a very modern glass and steel desk that Magnum personally considered to be hideous. The sleek metal pen and paper holders, the silver storage box and brushed silver laptop added to the high-tech look.
Magnum decided he much preferred the solid wooden desk that graced Juliet's office at the estate. Wood always offered that sense of permanence, a stability and warmth lacking in most modern furniture. Metal just seemed cold and hard.
"Maybe." Higgins nodded slowly as she appeared to agree with Lewis. But her eyes met Magnum's, and he caught the look she sent him.
"But isn't it better to be sure?" He offered the statement half as a question, keeping his tone calm and thoughtful. "I know you don't like to think that your partner might be doing something – odd – but if we look into things for you …"
"We can put your mind at ease, one way or the other." Higgins finished the sentence, and Magnum nodded.
Lewis sighed heavily, tilting his office chair back on its spindly legs to balance at a dangerous angle and scrubbing his hands through his greying brown hair. He looked to be in his mid-forties, with the build of someone who did a lot of physical work. A conclusion borne out by the tan which suggested hours in the Hawaiian sun.
His green eyes met Magnum's and the investigator could see the sadness Lewis was trying to hide. Nick Stevens was obviously more than just a business partner to Lewis, and the man's next words confirmed Magnum's intuition.
"You're right. I know you are, but it just feels so wrong to be asking you to investigate my partner. My friend."
Lewis stared at the ceiling for moment, then dropped his chair back to the floor. He stared out the large window to his right, clearly not seeing the parking lot where Magnum had parked the Ferrari. The sun was bright this morning, which Magnum could only assume was a good thing for a landscaping company.
He flicked a glance at Higgins and saw the same empathy in her eyes that he felt. They both knew how it felt to have someone you trusted betray you. And even knowing as little as they currently did about Lewis Harrison's concerns, Magnum was sure this case was not going to work out well for the man.
"Okay." Lewis sighed again, then flipped open the storage box to pull out a small black flash drive and offered it to Higgins. She took it, and tipped her head to the side in a question.
"And this is?"
"Everything about the company. Our articles of incorporation, company documents, partnership agreements, current and past contracts, leases. Our accounts. Especially our accounts. I'm sure there's something odd there, but I just don't know what I'm looking for." Lewis looked out the window again, letting his gaze rest on the large sign at the edge of the property. "H&S Landscapers." He shook his head. "It was our dream for years. From when we were in high school together. We were going to be the best landscapers in Honolulu, design the sort of gardens that were featured in magazines."
"Well, you certainly achieved that aim." Higgins shifted in her chair, slipping the flash drive into the pocket of her pale green trousers. She pulled the hem of her peach and green patterned top down again as she settled back into her chair. "Ian and Judy Howard were thrilled with the work you did for them."
"That job was a pleasure." Lewis smiled broadly for a moment, happiness filling his words before his face fell again. "They actually suggested I call you two. They said you were responsible for finding the people who poisoned their dogs six months ago. And that you were … discreet."
"Yes, we did provide the police with some assistance in finding those men." Magnum kept his tone neutral, trying not to dwell on the details of that case. Or the weeks that had followed being shot by one of the men in question. His hand brushed across his left thigh, rubbing gently over the black jeans that covered the scar that day had left on his leg. For a moment, his red and white patterned shirt didn't seem warm enough, but the chill passed as he forced his mind back to Lewis Harrison's problem.
He shared a glance with Higgins, raising an eyebrow to ask the question and catching the slight dip of her head in response. They were in agreement.
He rose to his feet then, offering a hand to Higgins as she rose, and smiling at the very old-fashioned look she gave him. She was far too independent to need his help, but also far too polite to call him on offering her a hand. At least, far too polite in company other than their friends.
"We'll start looking into this for you today. And we'll be in touch as soon as we have anything to tell you."
"Thank you for the files." Higgins added quietly. "Rest assured that we will make sure that no-one else has access to them."
"Thanks. But I've got nothing to hide." Lewis shook their hands and walked with them to the office door. "I only hope that the same is true of Nick."
Magnum felt the man watching them as they walked back to the Ferrari, the desperate need in that gaze weighing on him. Higgins was silent too, suggesting that he wasn't the only one affected by the case they'd just taken on.
He let his mind wander freely while he guided the Ferrari back towards the estate. He and Higgins had been very busy for the last two weeks, ever since he'd filled in for his friend Russell as a hotel detective for a couple of days.
They'd had a run of small cases, with something new nearly every second day. A cheating husband, a missing watch, two runaways from high school, one case of identity fraud, and a stolen car. And every case had been in a different part of the island. Clearly, Higgins had been trying to keep him busy and on the move.
Not to mention, TC had asked Magnum to fly with him to test out a possible new helicopter tour route showcasing lookout points on hiking trails, and Rick had asked him to run background checks on two potential new waiters at La Mariana.
Two more people finding ways to keep him occupied.
Then Kumu had organised a weekend barbecue and invited all their 'ohana, including Shammy and Katsumoto. That had been a day to remember.
Even if he had felt them all watching him, all the time. He'd done his best to ignore the glances they shared with each other when they thought he wasn't looking, the worried looks and lingering concern in their eyes. He knew they were worried about him, and his state of mind since Abby had broken up with him and moved back to the mainland.
He wondered if they knew how obvious it was that they were watching him. They had to know that he'd realised what they were doing. But they were only worrying because they cared, so he could hardly be angry at them for that. Although the continual concern was wearing him down, almost as much as missing Abby was wearing on him.
Being without her was painful. He remembered telling Katsumoto, just two weeks earlier, that he and Abby had just been getting to know each other. That the relationship hadn't been that serious yet. Which was the truth, but also not the whole truth.
He'd thought, even hoped, somewhere deep inside, that there could have been a long-term future for them. But he should have known better. He'd had it all go wrong with Hannah, years ago, and he'd hoped that he'd learned enough from that monumental disaster to do better in his next serious relationship.
But he'd managed to screw things up with Abby, too. As he probably should have expected. The universe clearly had no plans to give him any sort of happy ending in his life. And he guessed that he could learn to make his peace with that, eventually. Just as long as he didn't drag any of his family down with him.
So no, he wasn't really as fine as he kept telling everyone he was, but he'd get there eventually. He hoped so, at least.
He rolled to a stop at the last traffic signal before the turn onto the coastal highway. The light turned green, and he checked in both directions before pulling onto the highway, using the movement to sneak a glance at Higgins. Her face was filled with concern again, and he watched her shutter the emotion as soon as she saw him looking at her.
He sighed quietly, but forced himself not to mention what he'd seen.
"Thoughts?" He tossed the question out casually, wondering if she'd follow his lead.
Long moments later, a small sigh echoed his before Higgins spoke.
"I believe that Lewis Harrison is telling us the truth. Insofar as that goes."
"Insofar?" Magnum couldn't help the chuckle that followed the word.
"Yes, indeed." Higgins matched his chuckle, patted her pocket and carried on speaking. "If he is willing to provide us with all the documentation on this drive, then I believe that he is telling us the truth."
"But if he has all that information at his fingertips, it's hard to believe that he doesn't know more than he's letting on." Magnum's concern over that bled into his words.
"That is my concern as well." Higgins agreed, reaching up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear as the car picked up speed on the coastal road. Her gaze turned wary as she carried on. "I know it's human nature to turn a blind eye to the things that make us uncomfortable …"
"It is." Magnum agreed, but let the deeper implications of that sentence slide right off him. There was a grain of truth in there for him as well, as much as there was for Lewis Harrison. He could avoid talking about Abby – and Hannah, and every other burden he carried over the pain he'd brought to his friends – all he liked, but the pain was still there inside him.
"I think we've both had our share of experience with that sort of intentional blindness." Juliet's words carried a hint of suppressed pain, and Magnum's mind went immediately to Ian Pryce. It was a good thing that Pryce was securely locked away on another continent. Anything less would have tempted Magnum to deliver justice for the suffering and all the lingering pain that traitor had caused Higgins. He was sure that Rick and TC would have helped him with a personal delivery of that justice too, no questions asked.
"I'll give you that." Magnum softened his tone for a moment, offering Higgins a touch of comfort and understanding. "But in this case, if Lewis is worried enough that he's hired us, that only leaves us two options. Either Nick Stevens is really good at hiding evidence of whatever he's doing and Lewis really can't find the proof …"
"And Lewis can't find that proof because he really doesn't want to see it." Higgins tossed the comment in and Magnum nodded his agreement.
"Or option number two is that …" Magnum left the words hanging, waiting to see if Higgins was thinking the same thing that he was.
"Lewis is involved in whatever is going on, and hired us to make himself look innocent." Higgins finished the sentence, her voice sombre.
Magnum considered that for a second, then answered her in a tone equally serious.
"In which case, we could be walking into something really bad."
MPI-MPI-MPI