There was some sort of conference going on around Jenny's desk. He paused long enough to grab a cup of coffee.
"Everyone, my office, now," he ordered.
He booted up his computer and searched for the video file sent over by the warden. He cued it up to play.
"Before anyone says anything, this is how I spent my morning. And welcome back, Danno." He clicked on the play button. The interview with Big Chicken replayed on the screen.
"Whoa, Boss," said Chin Ho. "That sounds like a threat to me."
"To me, too, and for once I'm grateful that Beverly is five thousand miles away," said Danny. "How'd he know about Maggie? And Sgt Yablanski. That's getting to close to home. "
"That's what I want to know." McGarett said. He went to the chalkboard he refused to part with on the grounds he could think better when he saw things diagrammed out. "Here's what we've got so far. Thanks to the latest from the Supreme Court, Big Chicken has a parole hearing coming up Wednesday. He asked me for a meeting. You saw what happened."
"That speech sounded a little too well rehearsed," said Chin Ho. "I notice he had his lawyer there with him. You think they went over it like a script before you got there."
"Spoken like a true paranoid, Chin, and damned good cop instincts. I was thinking the same thing. It's all a little too convenient."
"How he know 'bout the Little Menehune and Sgt Y?" Kono asked. "That just creepy. Like she got a stalker. 'Dat scary."
McGarrett took a drink of the black Kona coffee, waiting for the caffeine buzz. "Somehow this is all tied in with the United Church of the Living Truth. Danno, the minister of that church is one Reverend Simon Leeds. There's no record of him anywhere until he showed up at the Honolulu airport about three years ago. Find out who he really is. Hit every computer database you can find, including Interpol. He didn't just drop in from outer space."
"That all we got, just a name?" Danny asked.
"Compton got some very low resolution pictures from his cell phone that Che's trying to enhance. Check the newspaper archives just in case there's a photo of the good reverend in there. Also, see if Che was able to lift fingerprints off that flier Compton brought in, other than Compton's, that is. Throw Roxanne Harris into the mix and see what you come up with. Chin, go down to city hall. Get copies of every license, lease, deed, and tax record for that church. See how deep into their financials you can get before they start complaining."
"You got it, Boss," Chin said. "I'll check with utilities, too. See who's paying the electric bill."
"Don't forget about the mission on Hotel Street. See who's name is on the lease. Kono, find anything new about the mission?"
"Yeah. They got a whole lot of what 'dey callin' special services for the GI's around paydays and when the Navy ships are in port. So far ain't no one volunteered to go in. Sometin' 'bout 'dat place scarin' folks. Even the working girls avoid 'dat end of the strip."
"Duke's trying to get vice in there to see what's going on. I'll put in a call to the Navy and see if I can get NCIS interested."
"I watched the place a couple of hours Sunday. Them girls they got going in 'dere look way too young to be hanging out on Hotel Street."
"So far," McGarrett said, writing on the chalkboard, "we've got Big Chicken, a reverend who just appeared one day, a church with none other than Sheriff Murphy as a political sponsor, a mission on Hotel Street that's looking more like a front for prostitution than a church, a known associate of Big Chicken's who's involved with both the church and the mission, and a whole lot of cash going though a church in a bad part of town. Gentlemen, this whole thing reeks."
"Yeah," said Kono. "Like a chicken house on a hot day."
They all looked at Kono. "What 'da matter? Ain't none of you ever raised chickens?"
"This is one chicken we want to keep in the cage." McGarrett said.
"I can't get no one to go in 'dat mission," Kono said. "You 'tink we ought to let Compton's girlfriend go in like she want to? She our best bet findin' out what goin' on."
"Only as a very last resort if we can't get in any other way. Its too dangerous. That's it for now. Hit the streets. I have a feeling when this one hits, its going to be big. Danno, a minute please."
"What's up, Steve?" Danny asked.
"You know more about these computers than I ever will. Could it be possible that Chicken somehow found out about Maggie using a computer?"
"Anything's possible. Borrow your machine a minute?"
"Be my guest." Steve said, pointing Danny to his chair as he went to get another cup of coffee.
A minute later they had their answer from a digital copy of the Honolulu Courier's society pages.
"Good picture there, Steve," Danny said. "Maggie looks great in that uniform."
"She does, doesn't she? She was a little overwhelmed by the cameras. Why this picture? It doesn't give her name. Just a caption."
"I kind of like the 'one of Hawaii's most eligible bachelors' thing." Danny said.
"Not anymore." Steve said. "I'm relinquishing that title to you as soon as she makes up her mind on a date."
"Beat you to it." Danny said.
"What?"
"Not eligible for that title anymore." Danny held up his left hand, showing a plain gold band. "We got married Friday night. Drove over to West Virginia and did the deed. Guess we'll have a reception when she's here for the holidays."
McGarrett looked at his second in command, incredulous. "I had no idea it was that serious. Congratulations. I wish you every happiness there is. Maggie and the rest of the girls are going to have a Southern style conniption fit when they find out."
"I think I can handle that," Danny said. "It's Tilda who's going to be the problem. She was all set on being a flower girl."
"Good luck with that one, Little Brudah. She doesn't look like the forgiving type."
Danny called up the lexus/nexus search engine and typed in Maggie's name. A list soon appeared, most of it links to articles from the Stars and Stripes. Nowhere was her name linked with McGarrett's except in the article about Waldrop's capture, and only then as the writer. There was also a picture from the press conference. She was standing at the left of the podium with the staff from the Stars and Stripes, almost lost in the crowd of taller people. McGarrett and the rest of the Five-O team were standing to the right.
"That's the whole gang, including Beverly. Maybe Chicken saw both the pictures and put two and two together," Danny said. "Plus that snide remark by the Courier about he Stars and Stripes getting an exclusive. That got Meyers and a few of his cronies riled."
"Meyers didn't help us catch a killer, those women did." McGarrett stated. That was the only time he'd ever given Maggie inside information, and even then it hadn't been that much, and he'd only done it because one of her soldiers had been one of Waldrop's victim's. "You think Chicken's got computer access at the prison?"
"I doubt it. What little computer access inmates have is closely monitored. I'll check anyway, just to be safe."
There was one more article at the bottom of the list, dated over five years earlier. It was an article from the New Orleans Times-Picayune with a black and white picture that must have been gleaned from her high school yearbook. The headline read "Grande Isle Soldier Injured in Desert Storm". He had Danny print the article, wondering if she'd even seen it, and if that was how Chicken knew she had been injured in the War.
"I suppose he could have seen the newspapers. They're easy enough to come by at the prison library." Danny said.
"It's just a picture in the paper. She's not the first woman I've been photographed with over the years. Why this one particular picture?"
"That's because you don't see it." Danny said. "Look again. Look at how you're looking at her. Anyone with eyes can tell you've got it bad for her. Hell, I knew it that day she dropped in here with that little throw away camera the Thompson's had. Brudah, it was love at first sight."
"That apparent?" McGarrett asked. "Was that how it was for you and Beverly?"
"No, she just kinda grew on me. Now I don't even want to think about living without her. By the way, you'll never guess who one of her classmates is. The one she keeps trading first and second place in class ranking with."
"Who's that?"
"One Ensign John Cooper McGarrett."
Steve nearly dropped his coffee cup. "He's doing NCIS training?"
"Yes. He asked about you. Said to give you his regards."
"I'll bet his mother is having a fit. The one she had when he went Annapolis was epic."
"Wouldn't know about all that. He's a nice kid. Looks just like you."
"Another thing Margo refuses to forgive me for."
"Steve, you did your best. You could only do what she let you do. He turned out fine."
Steve shook his head sadly. He didn't like to admit defeat and where Margo Cooper was concerned the battle had been swift, painful, and one sided. He'd lost, but at least he had Cooper, as the boy insisted on being called.
"Enough. Danno, get me the book on Reverend Leeds. See if he's hired any PI's lately and find out if anyone in that blasted church knows how to operate a computer. Compton mentioned that flier had a website listed. When you check with Che about fingerprints and pictures, get contact information off the flier. Find out just how much computer snooping he's been doing and if any of it is considered an invasion of privacy. Also, check Murphy's campaign contributors. See if the Reverend's name shows up on the list."
"You got it. I'll get back with you this evening."
"I'm out of here no later than five-thirty. I don't know what Chicken's up to, but until I do I don't want Maggie alone after it gets dark."
"Can't say that I blame you in the least." Danny said as he left.
Ten minutes later Duke came in, looking uncharacteristically harried.
"What's up, Brudah?" Steve asked.
"Your boy Murphy called the mayor because someone from the Church of the Living Truth has complained that uniformed HPD presence on Hotel Street is making it hard for them to operate in a community outreach capacity. Murphy yelled at the mayor, who yelled at the chief, who yelled at the captain, who yelled at me and every other sergeant on the street, and expects me to yell at my officers for doing their job. I may need some of your blood pressure medicine before today is over."
"You may want to take some now. Have a look at this." Steve re-played the interview with Big Chicken.
"Congratulations," Duke said. "You didn't strangle him. How'd he find out about Maggie, Susan, and Beverly?"
"Don't know yet but I'm going to find out. Can I get a couple of extra patrols by the house. Make it random patrols and I want them visible."
"Not a problem. I'll get the Harbor patrol and the Beach patrol to do random checks beachside. Does she know about the threat?"
"Not yet. I don't want to tell her either. She'll think I'm worrying over nothing."
"She got a gun? I know you've got an arsenal. Does she know how to use them? Wait, she's army, of course she does."
"Yes, but the one thing I don't have is a sixteen with a grenade launcher, which seems to be her weapon of choice."
"That'd put a damper on anyone's parade. Should I tell Susan about this? If they're not with us, or at work, usually they're together."
"I didn't think about that. Co-ordinate with the MP's about some extra security around the Stars and Stripes building and the BEQ. There are a lot of GI's in and out of that mission. It would only take one disgruntled soldier to do something really stupid."
"Hanging out at that mission is already evidence of stupid. Maybe I can talk Susan into staying with me for a while." Like forever, he added to himself.
"Good idea if you can get her to go along with it. Those are two very stubborn women. Find anything else on our girl Roxie?"
"Only that she practically lives at the mission and she travels frequently on church business. I'm trying to get a warrant for her travel records. So far no luck and Manicote says we need more evidence before he can ask for one. The captain was so busy yelling about patrol officers impeding the missions business that he completely ignored my request to send in vice."
"Try again tomorrow after he's cooled down." McGarrett loaded a CD into the drive and burned a copy of interview. "I'm off to see Manicote. If there's anything on that CD that resembles a threat, Chicken's parole hearing is canceled."
"You know it's a threat, I know it's a threat, only the lawyers aren't going to see it that way. That's why he had his standing by." Duke said, getting up to leave. "Be careful, Steve. Chicken want's something. I think he's going after Maggie and Susan to get us to back off. From what, I can't tell you. At least not yet."
"I think you're right. It seems that we're annoying the right people." He finished his coffee, thought about grabbing another cup and decided against it. He took the CD from the burner, dropped it into his jacket pocket, and headed for the DA's office.