I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: and here we go. The action begins!

Chapter 4

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Sitting behind his office desk, Steve was deep in thought after listening to Ponch's detailed story about the possible happenings at the small clinic. It would be easy enough to investigate the Parker family without their knowledge and after all the Ramirez's had done for them, Steve had zero issue with the request. Time and resources to actually kick the request off properly would be the current stumbling block. Even though he was anxious for his own reasons, Ponch understood that fact, too.

'Hey, boss!" Bouncing in, Steve smiled instantly because he could sense that Kono had gone out for an early morning run at the waves. Arriving right on time, her good mood was catchy and she'd generously brought a coffee for each of them. He sighed happily when she chose and then pushed a large cup across the desk.

"How was it?" He asked. At least one of them had time for short but refreshing diversion. They were each catching their bits of reprieve here and there, around an odd schedule and the concern that another victim would show up at the most unexpected of places. Evidently Kono had her chance early that morning. But Steve had been up half the night reviewing documents from Max and trying to find new relationships all the way back to their first Jane Doe.

"Perfectly perfect. Couldn't ask for a better sunrise or way to start the day!" She could see by his expression that he was distracted though. Sobering immediately, Kono groaned. "Does Max have more on our Dread Case? There's not been another body, right? It's bad enough Doc had that guy stroll in to the clinic yesterday."

Steve rolled his eyes as if asking for patience. Danny had christened the organ thefts and victim murders the 'Doctor Dread Case' and it had stuck. Even after Steve had questioned the reference since the only 'Doctor Dread' that he had a hint of being aware of was the reggae music producer.

"That makes no sense, Danno. The real Doctor Dread is an artist - practically a musician!"

Danny's snarky retort about Sylvester Stallone and Dredd, the movie, sent them all laughing. It was closer, but still not quite right as Chin reminded him since the Dredd character wasn't a doctor plus, the character had actually been framed. Regardless in this case, the inappropriate moniker had stuck like glue amongst the four of them. Thankfully only within the walls of their offices, but Steve didn't find it amusing. Though honestly at the end of the day and with no viable leads, none of them was really laughing.

"Not exactly. I need a favor, but only when you have time. Actually, it's an honest inquiry." Steve breathed in the hot steam appreciatively before continuing.

"Doctor Ramirez has possibly uncovered suspicious drug activity at the clinic. He's concerned about some possible dealings and asked if we could do a background check on Doctor Alan Parker. Records are oddly shoddy and he has a feeling that their stores of drugs have been tampered with or even stolen."

Kono at first smiled and grinned at the challenge. "So, he actually thinks the owner is involved? That's a fairly steep allegation to make against that wealthy family."

"I know, but Doc thinks there's something to it and he can prove at least some of the missing drugs. This Alan Parker is the son. He's running the show for the old man. The senior is in his nineties and no one has seen him in years." Steve confirmed. But the more Kono thought about it, her smile faded. The old clinic seemed the perfect place to provide a cover for a few types of rather illegal activities.

"I'll check into the family and see what I can dig up. It would help to get list of clinic employees and volunteers too, just to be thorough. I'll also check with HPD to see if there's been reports or rumors on the street." Kono suggested. This was easily something she could do around their first and higher priority case work. "It's just going to take some time with all we have on our plates."

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What no one knew though, was that Doctor Ramirez's influence had already begun to extend to Doctor Jasper 'Jazz' Mitchell. That morning's latest rumblings had finally broken through his preset and naïve habits.

He had let the ideas perk around in his brain after Ponch left for the day and then he had dwelled a bit longer on things he hadn't originally questioned. During a lull in caring for his patients one late afternoon, Jazz spent more time in the large supply closet puttering around the shelves and comparing them to bills of lading and other musty documents. He did the same during an ad hoc coffee break and then locked himself in one night after hours with the lights purposefully dimmed. The more Jasper quietly questioned and investigated, the more he learned that Doctor Ramirez was fairly correct in raising his concerns.

In the wee morning hours, Jazz woke abruptly, surrounded by papers and his notes which were draped across the old desk of his tiny office. His head was pillowed on his arm and he'd been sleeping quite soundly. As he moved, some of the papers fell lazily to the floor. It took him a minute to realize that he was still at the clinic and he chastised himself for having fallen asleep over such a mundane task.

Stretching large, he yawned and then froze with his hands held high over his head when he heard the male voices. Those out-of-place sounds in the middle of the night had woken him and he'd not even thought about it. Without knowing why, Jazz felt fearful as he turned off his small desk lamp and quickly piled up the papers. He had nowhere to go, so folded himself tightly under the cramped center of the desk where his feet had just been. He then pulled the chair close and hoped that it looked as if no one had been there.

Until he remembered his dark green Jeep Cherokee was still parked outside.

Sweat broke out on his forehead as he almost stopped breathing. Jazz heard the voices more clearly now and recognized Alan's whining tone immediately. But there was something more now, too. There was a change, a shift in the tenor and Jazz felt an unexpected spark of apprehension when he heard the hot-blooded anger in the man's voice. "He's here. Find him."

Jazz wasn't necessarily a coward but he knew this new trouble was out of his league and he suddenly sensed that he had no idea who Alan Parker really was. There was no valid reason that Jazz could think of for the other doctor to be visiting the clinic at that hour of the night, either. He could explain himself; he could explain falling asleep at his desk while doing paperwork.

But Alan Parker? No. There was no reason for the man to be there regardless of the fact that he owned the clinic. No reason because he lacked dedication, and especially with what sounded like at least two or three additional men. It made more sense for Jazz to be there, than for the incompetent, disliked owner.

Quaking under his desk, Jazz pulled out his cell phone and fumbled through a text message which he sent hastily to Doctor Ramirez. It was all he could think to do because he knew the big doctor would understand; even if he were too late.

"need help at clinic. J."

He had barely hit the send button and tossed the device into the small metal waste bin where it fell to lay under a pile of old, discarded papers when footsteps approached his office. Hiding under his desk Jazz tried to will them away, but they were on him before he could react.

~ to be continued ~