Cujo III – Reloaded – This Time It's Personal
Chapter 37
Here's another longish one. Thank you for continuing to read and for your ideas and input. Am going to try to wrap this up in two more chapters. Didn't intend it to be this long but the damned thing took the bit in its teeth and made a run for it. Sorry I never quite got it under control but I hope there were moments you enjoyed.
Disclaimer: Not mine and never were but I have dreams you can't kill with a stick.
*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*
Scents and Insensibilities
So far, they'd come up with nothing. Even though they'd baited the trap the investigation was getting nowhere.
Upon viewing last night's surveillance tapes, their suspect only seemed to be amusing himself by goalessly wandering around in the dark. The two detectives sat glued to the screen, eyes taking in the image shown in the eerie green glow of the night vision cameras.
They had to be patient. It wasn't yet time to move in for the bust.
…
He just couldn't remember and it was bothering him. The pain-killers, perhaps combined with the residual effects of the concussion, had made his memory not the most reliable the last few days. He hadn't wanted to admit it to his team because they would make sure he stayed home until he was ready to return to work. If there was anything else to indicate he wasn't, Danny had threatened to cuff him to his bed 'til he was fully recovered. As if.
He could hear Cath breathing softly beside him. It wouldn't be right to wake her just for this. She had to be tired.
He smiled in the pre-dawn darkness. Actually, she should be exhausted. Together, they'd taken way more than a three-minute shower last night.
Thankfully, Doris had decided to go back to her own place. Even though she was apparently oblivious about other things; upon learning her son and his paramour had only the few nights to spend with one another before Cath was due to ship out, she graciously left them to themselves. Of course she may have left when it had finally dawned on her that her son was about to strangle her with his bare hands. The woman couldn't have been totally unheedful of 'Stevie's' murderous looks in her direction last night during story-telling time.
As everyone lied through their teeth about what a lovely meal she'd cooked Doris said her goodbyes after serving everyone desert. Thankfully, it wasn't something she'd concocted herself. Chin had wisely shown up with a half-gallon of ice-cream. He was very well aware of Doris McGarrett's cooking prowess – or lack thereof. Steve was surprised the man had even agreed to come for dinner.
Slipping soundlessly out of bed he hobbled across the bedroom floor and took his clothes into the bathroom to get dressed. If he was lucky, Cath wouldn't wake and he'd be back in just a few minutes. She'd never know he'd been gone.
A few minutes later he pulled into the Palace's parking lot. Having again left his crutches behind he hobbled up the steps and across the lobby to the elevator, nearly growling in frustration as he pushed the button for the upper floor. It bothered him immensely his leg still wouldn't let him climb the stairs as he was used to. The elevator dinged when it reached Five-0's floor and he limped out of it. A few more steps took him to their door and he punched the code into the keypad beside it and let himself in.
He knew the team wouldn't intentionally leave their rodent control officer high and dry but it was nagging him that he couldn't remember if he'd given the cat food and water yesterday before leaving. The only thing on his mind by the time he'd left for the day was that his leg was killing him but maybe Danny was right; he had turned into a cat lady after all. That he was here in the office in the wee hours of the morning to make sure the feline had what he needed gave his partner's theory some credence.
He knew Chin and Kono had rushed off to a new crime scene right before it was time to shut down for the day. Now that the coffee shop murders had ceased, the Governor felt they could resume their usual case load while they tied up loose ends. The call late yesterday had turned out to be something HPD was more than capable of handling without Five-0's assistance and the cousins had come straight to the McGarrett house without first returning to the office.
Right now he was wondering why Cujo hadn't immediately appeared as he usually did when sensing someone had entered the office. As he walked across the main room he heard a strange sound from down the hallway. It sounded as though it came from the break-room. On alert, McGarrett crept silently across the granite tiles. He wished he had armed himself as he usually did when leaving the house but he was going to be back in only a few minutes and it would surely have awakened Catherine if he pulled open the drawer of the nightstand where he kept his SIG. It didn't seem worth the effort to open the gun safe for something else to take with him. Bum leg and all he was confident in his ability to handle pretty much anything that came up.
Peering around the corner there was enough light to tell the room was empty.
There it was again; a rattling coming from the vicinity of the water cooler in the far corner.
"What the hell?" he muttered as he switched on the lights and caught Cujo emerging from behind the cooler. The little cat chirped and blinked up at him; eyes adjusting to the glare of the overhead illumination.
"Hey buddy; I just came to check up on you. I don't know if anyone had time to make sure you were squared away last night. I didn't want you to spend the whole weekend without food and water."
The cat meowed softly in response but didn't move from his post in front of the water dispenser. Cobwebs hung off the tips of his whiskers like Spanish moss.
"That's disgusting." observed his human with a shake of his head. "Were you behind this thing?" he said referring to the water cooler.
Of course the cat only looked innocently back at him unaware he was festooned with the debris of his recent whereabouts.
"I wonder how long it's been since anyone's cleaned back there." Steve muttered eyeing the cooler as though it was guilty of some vile crime. Trying to ignore his OCD need to go get the broom and cleaning supplies, he shook his head and went about refilling Cujo's water and food dishes. Strangely, the cat wasn't at his heels as he went about doing so. The little animal had stayed sitting in front of the cooler.
Noticing the normally anxious-to-be-fed cat hadn't budged from his post, he frowned down at him. "What's going on with you?" he asked, "Is something back there?" He wasn't really expecting an answer no matter what Danny thought about his one-sided conversations with the feline.
"Come on Cujo," he coaxed, "Aren't you hungry?"
The cat only sat staring calmly back at him without moving.
Okay, now he has to move the cooler to find out what's under there. The thought of dust, dirt and maybe a critter or two lurking in the break room would bother him no end until he took care of it.
"Out of the way cat." he ordered.
Cujo didn't budge. He only sat staring up at him; an anxious expression now on his furry face.
"Move it!" the tall man barked, astonished the animal hadn't gotten out of the way.
This time, his answer was a low growl.
Eyebrows rising in surprise, Steve said, "What the hell cat? Are you gonna get out of the way or do I have to move you out of the way?"
Many times larger than the creature he was addressing, he was still very well aware any contest could get bloody. The tough little buzz-saw was obviously intending to stand his ground.
"Ookaay" said his human, "Let's just see how strong your resolve really is to protect whatever you're guarding."
Turning to go back into the hallway he went toward his office leaving the stubborn animal alone for the moment.
…..
Uh Oh!. This is not good! Why is his human even here right now? No one from his band of humans ever comes to the place with the shiny ground when it's so long before the light comes back. The only time that happens is when they stay here from light to dark to light again.
He didn't want to hurt anyone, especially the tall man, but if it became necessary to protect what was his he'd have to get tough. Muscles bunching, he readied himself as he heard his human approaching once again.
Wait? What is that wonderful smell?
….
It was time to get ready for work but it was trash collection day and she had to deposit something in the dumpster behind the condos. She should have gotten rid of it weeks ago but in all the excitement had forgotten to do so.
Having finished touching up the last layer of her make-up Kiki was now frantically searched through the Prada. It had to be in there! How could she have been so stupid as to not take it out and get rid of it!
Maybe it was in a different bag? Flinging open the door of her shoe and accessory closet she tore through her handbag collection, turning each and everyone one of the at least twenty very expensive designer pocketbooks upside down and searching through every one of their compartments.
It had to have been in the Prada. It was the one she had with her at that first scene. She remembered reaching into the attached change purse for the tip she left right before shooting the little bitch between the eyes.
Her stomach sank when she remembered dropping the bag onto the floor at Five-0's headquarters. What if it fell out then? Maybe it was still there on the floor?
Shit!
….
Danny's mood had begun to sour early knowing he had the uncomfortable feeling of cloth sticking to sweaty skin to look forward to. The day was predicted to be another unusually warm one even for this time of year. It wasn't even yet eight A.M. or as Steve would annoyingly call it, oh-eight-hundred, and the dew had already evaporated from the lawn in front of the building as his shirt was beginning to feel damp. It was also too friggin' early to be holding class as far as he was concerned. Perhaps part of the punishment was that it started at six-thirty in the morning. Only Steve would be content to do anything significant at that hour.
"Ladies first." said Danny using a sweeping gesture toward the door as he held it open.
Frowning at his mockingly solicitous partner Steve maneuvered through it and into the entryway. His team was on to him trying to hide the discomfort of his still healing leg so he'd given up the pretense of not needing the crutches. His leg at least felt better than it had when he'd left work yesterday. He'd gotten that massage from Cath last night right after everyone had gone home though he was pretty sure it was only out of pity.
They were immediately assaulted by the old building's slightly musty odor and the scent of the product used to clean floors in almost every school across the country over countless years past. It was apparently still in use. They looked at one another in startled acknowledgement of its recognition without actually having to voice their thoughts. The unmistakable smell of a classroom triggered immediate flashbacks to childhood for both men.
Finding the directory posted at the right of the door, it pointed them down the hallway that led to the back of the building. At the end of it they found the meeting room where the anger management classes convene.
Five-0's leader and his second in command had come to the old building housing Honolulu County's court-mandated training because there'd been a request to switch assignments. It was highly unusual for Chin Ho Kelly to ask such a thing. He'd not given a reason and Steve didn't push it. It was no big deal to make the change and he assumed they'd eventually find out why their usually unflappable Detective Kelly was reluctant to return to the anger management class.
They'd earlier concluded the only image of Clara Ann Rucker available was the copy of her booking photo in the class records. Chin and Kono felt it unnecessary to take possession of the photo when they'd been here a few days ago; assuming they could pull it up from the HPD data base when needed.
But upon returning to H.Q. they found the image existed nowhere but in the memories of her classmates and the one, lone, mugshot in the manila folder they'd been shown. There didn't seem to be record of a passport or even a driver's license, (though one had to exist considering the incident that had landed the woman in an anger management class in the first place). Steve and Danny were here to get their hands on the hard copy and its accompanying information.
The two arrived just as the class was being dismissed for the day. Its diminutive instructor was standing with her back to the door as she appeared to be scolding a guy covered in tattoos and almost as large as Kamekona. The big man on the receiving end of the lecture looked sufficiently chastised as, head bowed, he stared at the floor while the instructor's words poured over him.
As they'd entered, students quickly spotted the badges clipped to their belts and gave them wide berth as they rushed out the door; parting around them like a stream flowing past a rock in the middle of its course. They couldn't hear what she was saying but as soon as they came close enough to catch the sound of her voice both men froze in their tracks. The helium fueled squeak was immediately recognizable.
Shit! It's Missus Ratliff!
Danny paled and looked as though he wanted to bolt out the door with the rest. He'd rather be almost anywhere but here. Now he knew why Chin had begged off this assignment – the bastard! His felt his right eye beginning to twitch.
He looked over at Steve and even the man who struck fear into the hearts of evildoers the world over looked apprehensive upon recognizing the woman. The SEAL vividly remembered his sudden early morning introduction to her several months ago.
In the parking lot of Danny's apartment complex, she'd caught the two of them arguing over possession of the keys to the Camaro . . . well, okay, more like wresting over them. She'd reported a brawl in progress and HPD had rolled on it. They'd then suffered the humiliation of her reprimand given in front of the dispatched patrolman, Miko Kiliona. Luckily he knew the old woman's reputation so they'd gotten off with only a smirk and a promise to never reveal what had happened. Both Five-0's knew they owed him big time.
The old bat was scary.
…..
The cousins sat drinking early morning coffee as the building began to come alive with its usual daytime activity. They'd actually been discussing how Timmons could've gotten hold of the information that allowed him to disarm the security systems at the murder scenes. After a few minutes, the conversation had taken a slight detour to discuss another troubling case.
"How do you know he's not gonna just lead us on a wild mouse chase? We've spent a fortune on cat toys and, so far, we've only been feeding his habit."
"Brah, you've been hanging out with Steve too long." said Kono as she stretched and yawned before saying with an impish smile, "The Boss's thrifty ways are wearing off on you. Maybe I should worry that you're gonna start misplacing your wallet?"
Chin snorted at his cousin before going on with his mini-rant, (mild by Danny's standards), "He's managed to hide all that stuff and we still haven't a clue as to where."
"He'll slip-up eventually. Maybe we'll find something on the videos tonight. You saw his expression when he saw that last toy we left. We just have to be patient." Everyone on the team had gotten good at reading Cujo's face and body language. It was a survival skill.
"Cuz, that look could've just meant he had a hairball."
Blowing out a breath of impatience, Kono turned toward Chin, "Look, this is the only way we're going to find that stash. We can't just ask him to show us where it is, he's not friggin' Lassie."
Chin frowned at his younger cousin's language. He knows she's a grown woman and kick-ass cop and all but maybe she'd been around Danny too long and had picked up his speech habits.
Kono continued, "Cats aren't like dogs, they don't care if you're happy with them or not. They're like the ultimate 'what's in it for me' kinda people'."
"You mean like that guy you used to date?"
Kono just gave her cousin a look that would have actually intimidated him were he a lesser man.
…..
Cujo yawned and stretched. The life of a rodent control officer was sometimes stressful - but mostly not. He would to have to find a place where he could nap in the warm spots that came through the big openings covered in the clear stuff. If the spots stayed still for a while he could take a nice long nap; maybe in the metal box on the corner of the loud man's table? It was the perfect size and always had nice clean paper in it to curl up on.
He would dream of little fishes. His memory of them made his mouth water. They were almost as good as mouse and way better than lizard. Maybe the loud man would give him some if he asked nicely for them. He hadn't attacked him since their battle against the man with the big metal stick.
Anyway, right now there was no one to play with. His human and the loud man had left and then the man in cloth like flowers and the female who smelled like water had gone away. He had the place to himself. Yawning one last time, he went to go check on his toys.
He padded lazily across the shiny ground to the middle of the room; the one with the big talking box that seemed to float above it. In the middle was the table with the top that sometimes had pictures on it like the talking box. Right now it was silent and dark.
He intended to jump up onto it to survey his surroundings one more time from the higher vantage point. His mother had taught him it was always smart to do that. Sometimes he thought of his mother but he didn't know where she is. He missed her.
He knew no one could sneak up on him. He is too smart for that and most of the humans he knew were pretty noisy even when they weren't talking. The only one who sometimes didn't make much sound when he moved was his own human but he still wasn't as quiet as he knew he himself was. Still, every once in a while, the tall man managed to sneak up on him and put him in a sack.
He hated that!
It meant he was going to the place that smelled like dogs and where it felt like fleas were biting him – among other indignities. Last time he thought he was never coming home again! They'd kept him in a metal box for too many times of dark and light.
He was so happy when the loud man came to get him. That was when he'd decided to stop trying to make him go away. Maybe the loud man isn't as annoying as he'd first thought. He was finally getting used to all that noise and paw waving. Still, it was a strange thing to do.
Twitching his tail one last time at the unpleasant memory of having been abandoned at the place of barking dogs he leapt almost weightlessly onto the surface of the table . . . and froze.
Nose to the shiny surface he cautiously approached the thing that lay in the middle of it. It smelled vaguely like the female from the big water. He cautiously reached a paw out to touch it. It makes a noise! He liked the noise.
He pushed the thing and it made the noise again and rolled a little way toward the edge of the table. Enchanted, he followed it.
He quickly batted it off the table onto the shiny ground and then jumped down to bat it some more until it rolled away and he chased it.
This thing is fun!
….
"Of course I remember you two." snapped the blue-haired woman as she pinned the men with her faded yet fierce eyes.
"You're the man who moved into my apartment complex who plays his television all night long." she said pointing a gnarled but manicured finger at Danny; Steve beside him with a smirk on his lean face.
"And you're the one who decided it was a good idea to get into a completely idiotic and juvenile wrestling match in the parking lot at seven in the morning!" she said accusingly as she switched targets now pointing the painted digit toward Steve whose smirk so very quickly disappeared.
Not wanting to acknowledge the old woman's accusation, he said rather stiffly, "Ma'am, we're here to get some information on Clara Ann Rucker, one of your former students."
"I thought I'd given all that to the other two officers who were here a couple of days ago." she snapped turning her 'teacher's glare of death and dismemberment' onto Danny once more. To his credit he didn't actually flinch – at least not outwardly.
"We need that photo of Ms. Rucker that's in your possession." said Steve in his official cop voice, the low growl he used on reluctant witnesses. Most would immediately recognize the tall, inked, physically imposing man would brook no opposition to his demand for information but the growl, height, muscles and tattoos seemed to have no effect whatsoever on Mrs. Ratliff.
Replying crossly in her munchkin voice she said, "One of your detectives already took it."
Steve knew no one at Five-0 had the booking photo. "What was this detective's name?" he asked in a more normal tone, abandoning the technique he realized the old woman was apparently immune to.
"It was Michael Kilkenny. I remember him as one of my students many years ago before he moved away to the mainland. Actually two of your detectives were once my students. Chin Ho Kelly was a model student; very bright and hardworking but that Michael was such a little shithead, I would never have thought he'd become a member of law enforcement."
"I'm sure you're not the only one." supplied Danny not surprised at the woman's descriptions of either man or her use of the term 'shithead'. He'd actually heard it muttered in his direction at least a couple of times during the last few months when they'd had their go-rounds with each other at the apartment complex.
Steve wasn't sure if he should be concerned that Mickey had been here to question the woman. It could just be part of HPD's agreed to independent investigation. In the meeting, both groups of investigators had shared whatever information they'd managed to glean but Mickey had never mentioned being here. Somehow it was a little concerning that Kilkenny was now in possession of the only remaining image of the Rucker woman. He hadn't given them a copy in the files they'd exchanged.
Mrs. Ratliff had given Danny a dismissive look before once again turning to Steve. "If you really require one, I can get another."
"That would be most helpful ma'am." said Steve on his best behavior for a reason even he couldn't understand. The 'teacher vibe' rolled off the woman like a chilling vapor. Too bad she hadn't been around last month when they'd interrogated that arms dealer. She might have come in handy.
"Last year when the maintenance men broke a water pipe and flooded the storeroom it destroyed most of our records. I requested that we have digital back-up just in case the idiots did it again." then she added crankily, "They're imbeciles, I wouldn't put it past them."
Not to be ageist but Steve was impressed the old woman was tech-savvy enough to make such a provision.
Danny was also surprised by the woman's employment of technology. He knew that pretty much any kid knew more about that kind of stuff than most adults – particularly the older ones. The tech stuff was like breathing to the little punks. He knew Gracie could run rings around him when it came to all that digital crap. It was embarrassing.
"Excellent planning ma'am." responded Steve to the old woman causing Danny to immediately think 'Suck-up!' He didn't dare say it out loud and not because of Steve.
"Follow me." she ordered. They obediently did so.
Her helium pitched voice trailed over her shoulder as she led them out the classroom's door and down the hallway to another part of the building, "It's actually independent of the Honolulu Police Department's data base. It's only for our own peace of mind here at Honolulu Adult Education."
Even with his crutches, Steve could easily keep up with her tottering gait. They stopped before a door stenciled 'Records' and she reached into the pocket of her frog emblazoned sweater for a key. Frowning when her hand came up empty, she searched further then exclaimed "Ahah!" as she produced a similarly amphibian tagged key chain from a pocket in her polyester double-knits.
"I had my granddaughter's husband set it up." she said then muttered half aloud, "At least he's good for something other than smoking pot and producing offspring."
She unlocked the door and the three entered the even mustier smelling room. They followed her toward the back wall to a laptop set on a small desk in the corner. Opening a drawer she reached inside it to rummage around before coming up with a thumb drive. She quickly plugged it into the port on the side of the computer then fired it up and tapped away for a few moments before exclaiming "Done!".
She pulled the small device from the port and turned to hand the drive to Steve then, as he reached toward it, she hesitated before letting it go. Unblinking eyes switching from one man to the other she said, "I trust you boys have settled your differences and no longer feel the necessity to brawl in public places?"
"Yes ma'am" replied both men as they looked downward.
*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0* Hawaii 5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*5-0*
Questions to ponder: Is Kiki finally on her way to Halawa? Did Cujo surrender his stash? Have we seen the last of Mrs. Ratliff? Will Doris ever learn to cook?
Next chapter already in the works. Will try my best to hide from husband and ninja cats to crank it out within the next few days. May have to take a sleeping bag to Starbuck's.