Cujo III – Reloaded – This Time It's Personal
Chapter 39
Try as I might, I'm afraid this is going to go one more chapter. There's a too long list of things to wrap-up. If all were included in this one, both writer and reader would have wandered off long before the end. Really and truly appreciated your comments on the last chapter. They kept this puppy going when it just wanted to whimper and slink away.
Note: Not to be a buzz-kill but references to dark subjects in this chapter. The Force made me do it.
Imaginary Beta didn't spend much time on this one. She just wants it over with and I can't blame her. If you see any error you can't live with let me know.
Disclaimer: It's gotten cold again and ninja cats apparently think I'm some sort of marsupial and don't realize they're too big to crawl into my pockets to keep warm. If I made any money from this, (I don't), I'd buy them a kangaroo.
*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*
Establishing the Price
The meeting with Denning had pretty much gone as expected. The case was going to be declared closed. Steve could see the smug look on Mickey's face as every one of Five-0's arguments was shot down and his hands longed to close around the detective's thick neck.
Five-0's leader and its second-in-command would occasionally glance toward one another seeking encouragement to keep themselves in check. Mickey had no idea how close he'd come to becoming a part of the 'great oneness'.
Governor Denning shook their hands and Dave Matsui ushered them out of the plush office, winking at both Danny and Steve as they passed him when he held the door. Denning was busy shaking the hands of the HPD detectives and didn't see the wink or the looks of amused consternation on the faces of two members of his task force.
Now that he'd officially declared the 'Macchiato Murder' case closed and congratulated his people on its solution and halt to any further slayings, Denning even spoke of a press conference tomorrow afternoon to announce it. He expected McGarrett, Williams, Kilkenny and Brotman to be there on display for the public.
Denning was aware McGarrett hated that sort of thing with a passion but if ordered to be there he would be. He knew the SEAL was a good choice for that sort of thing. The 'tall, dark and handsome' thing made for a great photo op and the man projected the right image for the Governor's Special Task Force. He'd discussed it with his aide, Dave, and had been assured both the Commander and Detective Williams, had many fans who'd appreciate the chance to view their heroes. Denning smiled to himself; he knew that it at least it made Dave happy. He hoped his aide would find someone soon and stop mooning over Five-0's leader. Wanting something you could never have was a distraction and a waste of time as far as he was concerned.
He adjusted his jacket and called for the next group waiting in his anteroom. It was going to be a full day. The coffee shop chain's board of directors would be ecstatic the murders were declared solved. He just had to worm his way back into their good graces before they would be willing to contribute to his re-election fund. It might take a bit of sucking up and lots of kowtowing but it could be done. He could be obsequious when he had to be.
…
Scheduled for today was the important interview with a news director from Los Angeles; luckily a male. Kiki hated that she had to wear slacks; even if they were custom tailored Armani's and cost five-hundred damned dollars a pair - she hated it! Her legs were another of her arsenal of weapons in her war on the world in general and men in particular. She'd learned how to walk, how to give long smoldering looks, how to tuck a tendril of hair behind her ear and make it look like she wanted to jump your bones. Getting out of Springdale had been easy. That trucker had been more than willing to give her a ride to Dallas in exchange for the usual. She hadn't even transformed herself into the complete package yet but she knew the power of sex and where it could take her.
Oddly, one of the hardest things to accomplish was losing the East Texas accent. She'd worked hard at it but, when angry or flustered, traces of it could still pop-up. She hated herself when she heard the twang in her own voice. It reminded her of what she'd tried so hard to obliterate.
Now, her long legs - her weapons - had to be hidden until the bites and scratches healed. She may have to consult a plastic surgeon about the scars that would surely mar the porcelain surface of her narrow ankles. Maybe she could see about a touch of botox at the same time. The guy she usually went to would give her a break on the price. Especially if his wife was out of town and he was free to make 'house calls'.
She mentally shook herself. It wasn't a good idea to be so distracted right now. Right now, besides trying to ace this interview, her job was to figure out how to find that shell casing. Why she'd left it in her bag when she'd been so careful about everything else she didn't know. She'd been careful her entire life - she had to be. After killing her repulsive father and then putting her pathetically weak and ineffective mother out of her misery, no charges were ever brought against her. Careful was her middle name.
Sometimes, just as she was about to drop off to sleep, she could still hear his voice in her head, Cecile, my special little flower, mon petite fleur spéciale. We won't tell ma'maan about this, n'est-ce pas? She was glad she'd blown the bastard away.
She'd gotten all the way here on her own. Fuck the past. Now she's on the cusp of something bigger and it's definitely not the time to screw it up. No one, especially not a fucking cat, was going to get in her way. Running her brush once again through her impossibly shiny hair, she applied another layer of lip gloss and picked up her purse and keys to leave for the station. Kiki Kenworthy's star was on the rise – and it wasn't the one in the Texas flag.
….
Danny ended his conversation with Springdale's chief of police and hung up the phone. After going through the usual hoops of explaining what the hell Five-0 is and having to once again threaten to get the governor in on it, the chief relented and instructed his clerk to pull the files. He apologetically explained Springfield P.D. was a bit behind the times and everything was still in actual file drawers.
While waiting several minutes for the paperwork to be retrieved and brought to the chief, he and Danny made small talk. Springdale was the kind of town where everyone pretty much knew everyone else's business. Danny learned the chief's son had gone to school with Clara Ann and that she'd not been a popular girl. Her parents were very strict and she wasn't allowed much leeway regarding social interaction with her classmates but there'd been rumors. She'd also been looked down upon for not having the popular-at-the-time fashion and paraphernalia that would cement her place in the social pecking order of her peers. The girl was extremely bright but had a mean streak in her that took no prisoners. Eventually, the other students left her alone. They were all afraid of her.
…
Steve opened his laptop to check if the report from Albany was in his in-box. Finding it waiting for him he clicked on it and began to peruse what had been sent. His mouth thinned to a grim line as he read that twenty-one years ago Cecile Marie Legere had been suspected of killing her parents, Emile and Lizette Legere, on their farm in Upstate New York just outside of Albany, but there'd been no forensic evidence to arrest her. Without any living relatives, she'd been remanded to C.P.S. where she'd had a minor bit of counseling. The court-appointed psychologist suspected Cecile had been molested by her father - probably for years - and if she did take a shotgun to the man and his wife it was probably her motive for doing so. In the shrink's handwriting was also the ominous note: 'Cecile is showing signs of being a sociopath'.
…
Mickey adjusted his shirt collar and checked his breath. He'd told Deirdre that he had a couple of last minute witnesses to interview this evening and wouldn't be home until eight. She was used to waiting for him. Cops sometimes worked brutally long hours and the lives of their families were adjusted accordingly. He really did love his wife. She'd put up with a lot of crap over the years but Kiki was like fucking heroin. She'd gotten into his blood and he had to have his fix. The woman was every man's wet dream; the creamiest of skin, turquoise eyes, full lips, and a body that should be illegal . . . and the things she could do to a guy . . . .
Walking up the stone clad steps to the wide landing, he rang the bell and waited. He could hear the boom of waves breaking on the beach and the air was damp and salty. Kiki lived in a nice place. It was right on the water and must have cost a pretty penny. Everything about her was expensive; from her lustrous hair to the painted tips of her toes.
As he waited hands in pockets; he shifted his weight from toe to heel and back again in a restless rocking motion. Soon, those hands would be gliding over silky skin. He could feel the anticipation thrumming through his body and settling in his groin.
He badly needed his fix and it was waiting for him on the other side of the door.
….
"Mickey, not now dammit!" said Kiki as she pushed away the detective's groping hand.
"But Kiki," whined Kilkenny, "I thought we were going to . . . you know."
"Well, the 'you know' is on hold until you get me what I want." she purred looking into his anxious eyes and running a finger suggestively down the side of his face and into his collar. She could feel him shiver.
Trying to keep his voice steady he said, "How the hell am I going to get you into Five-0's offices without them finding out? I mean, those guys are smart and have the Governor backing them up. If we get caught, that's the end of both of our careers."
"Don't be such a wuss dammit." she barked as now out of patience she withdrew her hand and turned to walk toward her dressing table. "You already got into HPD's data base and erased those files for me. That went well enough didn't it?" she asked over her shoulder as she began to primp.
"It did, but Kiki, if they ever find out you used that password I gave you to get into the State's DMV files, we're toast. And that woman you had me bribe to get it almost jumped me!"
Kiki laughed derisively before saying, "Mickey you've never been one to pass up an opportunity. Maybe you should be grateful."
"Kiki, she outweighed me by at least seventy pounds. She coulda killed me!"
"Don't be such a drama queen Mickey." she snapped; then turning back toward him and narrowing her eyes asked "You're sure she wasn't suspicious?" She scrutinized the face of her frustrated lover; looking for any waver in his answer.
"I told her I was trying to make the citation my kid got for drag-racing go away so our insurance wasn't so expensive. She believed me. And, who the hell is Clara Rucker anyway? I hope she's worth it."
"A very dear friend of mine and yes, she's very, very, much worth it. She's actually worth more than you'll ever know."
…
Kono had put together the last couple of pieces in their break-in suspect's puzzle. Hanging up with Jeannine Rucker she slumped back into her chair and rubbed her eyes in weariness.
Apparently, the suspicion the young girl from Albany was a killer didn't daunt the people who'd adopted her. She'd been given a stable home, (thank goodness), but it didn't keep her from leaving at the first opportunity. She hadn't yet been of legal age but she'd managed somehow to make her way to Dallas and had called her adoptive parents from there. That was the last time anyone had heard of her.
Mrs. Rucker was glad to know that Clara Ann was apparently alive and well. Her beloved husband Benjamin had died only a few years after their adopted daughter had split and she was alone now. If they succeeded in contacting Clara Ann; Jeannine said to give her the message that she loved her and she was still welcome to come home.
….
"Hey Detective Kalakaua," greeted Mickey, "Is it okay if I come by tomorrow to pick up another copy of those files from you guys? I know you've been busy with that new case but if you could just set it somewhere you don't even have to be there."
"I could just email you one." said Kono almost wrinkling her nose in distaste at having to converse with the jerk, even if only over the phone.
"Naw, I umm need a hard copy and the printer here is on the fritz. Won't be fixed until late tomorrow; you umm know how long it takes to get things done sometimes. I'd really appreciate it if you could do this for me."
Kono tried to get out of it saying, "Surely there's a printer in another department you could use or even just go to Kinko's or something."
"We uhh aren't really on good terms with the other departments. It would be kinda awkward. It's also a pain in the ass to get reimbursed for getting it printed on the outside. Could you just do this for me please? I'll have to pass by there anyway."
Though he couldn't see her, Kono rolled her eyes. She could well imagine that Mickey had managed to piss off nearly everyone at HPD. She was also well aware of the paperwork involved in getting one's money back for expenditures. Steve usually reimbursed his team out of his own pocket and then just waited for the State's paper-pushers to cut them a check so they could pay him back. Despite her boss' reputation for being 'thrifty', at times he was more than generous. So far he'd never even charged them interest though Danny said it was just because it hadn't yet occurred to him to do so.
"No one will be here. Steve and Danny are going to be out for the morning and Chin and I are scheduled to be in court early tomorrow to testify regarding that suspected drug trafficker we caught up with last month."
"That's okay, just print it out and leave it on that electronic table for me. I'd really appreciate it. I'll just be in and out. Won't take a minute." assured Mickey
"Yeah, I guess I could do that." grudgingly agreed Kono, just glad she wouldn't have to see the guy in person.
"Oh" said Mickey, "Is McGarrett's cat gonna be there? I don't wanna have to battle with him . . . again."
"He won't be around to kick your ass again if that's what you're asking." smugly assured Kono – she just couldn't resist.
There was a pause on the other end before Mickey answered tightly, "Yeah, thanks." and clicked off.
…..
The next morning 0800:
It was odd to be offered such a treat this early during the light but nevertheless Cujo pounced on the delicious chunk of meat his human offered him and began purring as he chewed enthusiastically. It isn't mouse but it's really good! He didn't even mind the little lump in the middle of it.
They'd taken off his collar and done something with it and then put it back on him. It felt a little bit different and it made a sound again. Now he'd have to learn how to walk without having it make that sound. He'd done it before. It made it really hard to sneak up on his prey with that annoying sound but he'd changed the way he walked and it had stopped making that noise.
He yawned and stretched. Suddenly he was so sleepy. Maybe he would take a nap.
…..
Steve rummaged around in the storeroom for the special cover for the cat carrier; the one they'd had made when Cujo was brought back from New Jersey last year. It had Five-0's official logo sewn in gold thread and a place where the badge would be pinned. Danny himself had polished the shield in readiness for his daughter's show-and-tell.
In a few more minutes, Cujo should be deeply asleep and he could be scooped up and put into the sturdy plastic carrier, (something that was nearly impossible to accomplish without the buzzsaw being unconscious). The kids wouldn't be able to see much of him through the slots in the sides and back so Gracie had suggested maybe a harness would keep him in check if he was still sedated enough and then they could take him out of the box.
It seemed reasonable to Steve but Danny wouldn't go for it. It would probably be a good idea to put it on him anyway along with a newer and larger jingle-bell. The cat had figured out how to walk without having the old one make any noise when he moved so they'd try this one until he figured it out as well. Now that Danny and the piranha had made peace maybe it wasn't even necessary to have one anyway. It had only been put on to warn their haoli detective of imminent attack.
Steve had bought a cat harness with matching leash; both in a camouflage pattern. He made sure they were sturdy and the harness was configured in a way that would prevent their slippery little land shark from squirming his way out of it.
Was it even a good idea for the kids to be looking at an unconscious cat? What kind of message would that send? wondered the SEAL.
Danny apparently had no problem with it. The detective figured it could be explained away by telling the kids that Cujo was so tired from his crime fighting duties he needed to rest. Steve didn't think the kids would buy it but his partner, despite his sometimes 'overly-spirited' way of stating things, was usually right about stuff like that. He'd just never hear the words that confirmed it from Steve.
…
He felt like he was preparing for a dangerous op . . . he probably was. He knew Danny was having second thoughts about it anyway. Picking up the carrier containing the peacefully slumbering Cujo, he walked to Danny's office.
"Come on, we're going to be late." he barked at the detective still engrossed in the paperwork on his desk.
"Keep your cargoes on Rambo. We've got a few more minutes."
"Do you really want to risk Cujo waking up when the sedative wears off? We only have a limited window of opportunity here." said Steve impatiently.
"I don't think your apprehension really has anything to do with our furry time bomb, does it?" smiled Danny knowingly . . . too knowingly for Steve's liking.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Steve setting the carrier down beside him and crossing his arms over his chest.
"I mean that for a guy who has no problem whatsoever facing down platoons, nay, armies of badguys, you seem pretty nervous about facing a class of fifth-graders." answered Danny as, eyes twinkling, he leaned back to cross his arms over his chest as well.
Steve snorted saying, "You're going with the 'nay' thing again? I thought we'd already settled that one."
Ignoring his partner's lame bid for distraction, Danny smiled then stood and picked up his keys, gun, badge and wallet. The amused detective led the way out of the office; Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett and Officer Cujo D. McGarrett of the Governor's Special Task Force in his wake.
On their way to the car, Danny kept up a running lecture on the do's and don'ts of show & tell. As usual, Steve only half listened; automatically filtering out whatever he felt didn't apply to him. Danny finally finished reciting what must have been a pages long list of instructions then said, "Relax big guy. You are going to be a huge hit at Punahou Elementary. Screw that Bieber kid; you'll probably be signing autographs till midnight."
"Signing autographs? Just what I wanted." said Steve sourly as he swung the cage carefully into the back seat of the Camaro before automatically taking the keys from Danny and slipping behind the wheel.
"As our Hawaiian contingent would say: Just chill, brah." smiled Danny
"Yeah I guess. We've got it pretty well covered. What could go wrong?" said Steve - sealing their fate.
…..
After calling Five-0's main number and having it roll over to the main switchboard where he spoke to an actual human being who'd confirmed the lot of them were all out for the morning, Kilkenny took a calming breath.
Turning to Kiki, he said, "Okay, coast is clear for now. They'll all be out of the office, even that fucking cat. We can get in there and you can do a quick search for your damned art-fucking-deco silver compact. Why the hell would anyone spend that much money on something to keep powder in?"
"It's a Guilloche." said Kiki as if that explained everything
"I don't care if it's a fuckin' Maserati, I don't know why you just can't ask them if they found it."
"Maserati's are Italian and they don't produce sterling silver and enamel accessories they make cars, you fucking barbarian." derisively responded Kiki
"It's just stupid." mumbled Mickey
"Oh, come on! You know McGarrett's a dick and you know he has no inclination to even speak with me let alone go looking for my powder case. The whole lot of them are just arrogant assholes with that means and immunity thing they have going for them. If any of them ran across it they've probably already thrown it out but I think it may still be on the floor under that electronic table . . . Five-0 has such expensive toys . . . and that evil animal they keep . . . anyway, I think I heard the compact clatter away when I dropped my bag."
Kiki knew her mention of Mickey's pet peeves would get him on board with the plan. Searching for her compact, even an incredibly expensive one, wasn't much of a story but Mickey was easily manipulated and he'd certainly complained often enough about the Governor's Task Force and he especially hated McGarrett.
Apparently, the tale was working. The casually mentioned 'means and immunity', 'expensive toys' and 'evil animal' were like waving a cape in front of a bull. Kiki smiled into the mirror as she applied just a smidge of lip gloss.
….
Steve nervously wiped his hands on the fronts of his thighs. He'd never had any trouble with this sort of thing in the Navy. He'd often have to give briefings in front of superiors and subordinates alike but this time was somehow different. For whatever reason, making a speech in front of a class of fifth-graders was a little nerve-wracking. Right now, he'd much rather be involved in a firefight than deal with this crap and to top it off; tomorrow, he and Danny had to make an appearance at Denning's press conference.
Thankfully, they wouldn't be asked to speak, only to pose for the news media. Dave had called to tell him Denning wanted him to wear something nice for the photo op. When he told Danny about it, the man actually suggested he wear a tie. Yeah, like that's gonna happen.
At the back of the room, scrunched into a seat woefully inadequate to be comfortable for anyone taller than five feet, Steve fidgeted nervously. There were four presentations ahead of Gracie's. The kid just in front of them had shown a dried rattlesnake skin his older brother had sent to him from Arizona. Surely their presentation could top that one smugly thought the SEAL.
After a bit of applause, he heard Gracie's name announced and picked up Cujo's carrier to follow Danny and his daughter to the front of the room. There was a table to set the carrier on and they stood behind it to give their spiel. It went well enough. He and Danny had always worked like a well-oiled machine; be it storming a warehouse full of drug smugglers or giving a talk to a bunch of gawking school kids but the SEAL thought warehouse storming much less stressful.
Mrs. Nakamura kept a careful watch to make sure her students were respectful and didn't crowd one another as they tried to get a glimpse of Officer Cujo McGarrett as he slumbered on in his carrier. It was placed facing outward toward the crowd so his admirers could get a glimpse through the little metal-grilled door. She didn't anticipate anything untoward but with Tommy Fletcher around she could never be sure.
At the conclusion of their talk Steve and Danny had seated themselves behind the table to answer questions as the children crowded around them and one after another raised their hands.
They asked anything from: 'Can Cujo actually arrest somebody?' to 'Have you ever shot anyone?'. Danny himself was keeping a watchful eye on his partner who had a penchant for answering direct questions rather directly; considering these questions were generated by ten-year old kids.
As the Q & A wore on, even Steve seemed surprised at some of the eager inquiries the kids came up with. His least favorite came from an annoying blonde kid, "If you shoot someone is there a lot of blood?" He turned to Danny for help and his partner mouthed the name, "Tommy." Steve nodded in understanding then looking out at those gathered around them loudly asked, "Who wants a chance to take a private tour of Five-0's Headquarters?"
Danny, very much aware of what the kid is capable of tried to keep tabs on the little putz who is pretty much the bane of his daughter's existence. Tommy was fond of frequently and gleefully imparting alarming and erroneous information about subjects ranging from 'The best way to get rid of a wart' to 'An asteroid is going to hit the earth on Tuesday and we're all gonna die!'
The little bastard would occasionally manage to panic his sometimes too trusting, (he refused to call Grace gullible because that would be something he'd call Steve), ten-year-old daughter.
Knowing he'd been dismissed, Tommy backed off and lurked at the edge of the crowd. After a few more minutes he realized the two cops were distracted by the others and came up to the table to gaze skeptically into the carrier. Cujo was visible as only a furry lump curled inside it.
Danny and Steve were now distributing a brief test designed to see how aware the students were of basic safety concerns like if it was okay to ride their bikes on the sidewalk or what to do if approached by a stranger, etc. Their intention was to give the kid who answered the most questions correctly and the one who answered the least number of questions correctly a tour of Five-0's H.Q. They figured the kid who wasn't all that sharp desperately needed it. Steve was betting the boy wearing a Denver Broncos T-shirt would be the one most in need of instruction. Not to be unkind but the kid appeared to have the I.Q. of a Chia-pet.
Noticing neither cop was paying attention to the cage at the moment, Tommy took opportunity to poke a pencil through its bars. "I bet that's not even a real cat." he mumbled as the sharp graphite point came in contact with the animal's flank.
Steve was engaged in conversation with a girl who'd announced herself as Emmalyn telling her: Yes, he was sure her mom was really pretty but, no, he couldn't come to their house to meet her because his umm girlfriend wouldn't like it.
Keeping an eye on both distracted cops, Tommy stealthily undid the latch and opened the door of the carrier to peer more closely at its occupant. Once again, he poked the animal with a pencil. This time it elicited a low, barely audible, growl in response.
Not hearing Cujo but feeling something was amiss; Danny turned toward Tommy to immediately realize what was happening. "Hey! Get away from the cat!" he yelled
The hooligan only looked back defiantly and sneered, "He's not even real." as he gave Cujo one last hard poke with his yellow Ticonderoga No. 2.
Then. All hell broke loose.
Cujo, with a demonic screech, exploded out of the carrier as Tommy gasped and fell backward. The cat paused unsteadily at the edge of the table. Due to effects of the sedative he actually appeared cross-eyed as he glared down at his prey.
Pandemonium reigned as shrieking children scattered in all directions. Danny had jumped up to stop the impending bloodshed which sent his chair crashing loudly against the wall behind him which added to the chaos.
Steve made a grab toward the cat but in his haste to prevent Cujo from committing wholesale slaughter hit his already damaged thigh against the under edge of the table and before he could catch himself, let loose a loud, "MOTHER FUCKER!" at the top of his lungs in reaction to the sudden and dizzying pain as the table crashed noisily to the floor along with cat and carrier.
Bouncing only once before landing in a very un-catlike heap; Cujo quickly found his footing. Reorienting to lock on target - one scared shitless Tommy Fletcher - he made a wobbly charge. The kid, who'd been rooted to his seat on the floor, suddenly unfroze and scrambled up to make a run for it as the animal bent on his annihilation staggered determinedly behind him.
Mrs. Nakamura yelled to her frantically fleeing students, "Nobody panic!" as at least thirty fifth-graders panicked and ran screaming toward the exit.
Steve hurled himself after the charging cat in an attempt to stop what was sure to be a bloodbath. Managing to latch onto the trailing leash, he jerked Five-0's furry weapon of mass destruction to an abrupt halt. Cujo immediately became a howling, hissing, snarling ball of fury as Steve held him dangling off the floor on the end of the leash.
Danny had protectively scooped up Tommy as the boy screamed loudly for his mother. "Not such a tough guy now huh?" said the detective as he carried him bawling toward the exit.
Through it all, Gracie had stood calmly out of the way in the corner, eyes wide while taking it all in. As things began to calm down she let out a shaky breath then smiled proudly. Cujo, Danno and Uncle Steve had made this a show & tell no one would ever forget. To put it into her Danno's words: It was just friggin' awesome.
…..
"Hey." greeted Chin as Danny strode into the office with Cujo's battered carrier, Gracie behind him.
"Boss! Why are you limping again?" asked Kono in alarm, completely forgetting about the thumb drive, as she watched Steve painfully hobble along behind them while carrying a subdued Cujo. The cat was still obviously under the influence as his eyes were glazed and alarmingly crossed.
"Why is Puss-in-Combat-Boots out of his carrier?" asked Chin wondering why they just didn't keep him in it until they returned to H.Q.
Danny with a grim smile replied, "Let's just say that we may have to pimp Steve out to Emmalyn Waller's mom to keep from being sued."
Coming to stand behind her father, Gracie asked, "Danno, what does pimp mean?" Kono's eyes had widened, first at Danny's statement then at Gracie's question.
Steve trying for a save asked, "Gracie, could you take Cujo and see if he wants some water? The medicine we gave him makes him really thirsty."
"Okay." said the girl as she reached toward the cat but repeated her question, "Danno, you didn't answer me. What's a pimp?"
Danny seemed frozen in place as he tried to come up with an answer; mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.
"Honey, a pimp is someone who . . . ", began Kono attempting to put Danny out of his misery.
All three men now looked at her expectantly as they waited along with Gracie for the explanation.
"A pimp is someone who arranges for one person to do a job for another person." triumphantly stated the Hawaiian detective.
"A job?" asked Gracie, her face screwing up as she tried to puzzle out the meaning.
"Yeah, a umm, service . . . you know." stammered Kono now wondering if she'd gotten in over her head.
As Gracie hugged Cujo tighter to keep him from limply sliding out of her arms, her face suddenly brightened. "Oh, you mean like mowing Mrs. Waller's lawn? Is that what Uncle Steve is going to do?" Turning to face her uncle she said, "Mrs. Waller has a really big lawn Uncle Steve. You're gonna get really tired before you're done."
Kono, at this point was barely managing to keep her face neutral. "We'll make sure he takes his vitamins first Gracie. Don't worry."
"Oh, okay." responded the girl who once again adjusted her hold on the groggy cat then said, "Come on Cujo, I guess I've been pimped to give you water." Humming to the cat, she walked off down the hallway toward the breakroom.
Momentarily frozen in place, the cousins first looked at a stunned Danny then at their red-faced boss standing next to him before dissolving into laughter.
"Just shut up." barked Steve as he limped toward his office to enter it and shut the door with more force than necessary as his team completely fell apart behind him.
…
Kono had tapped on the glass of his closed door and when he'd looked up to motion her in, he saw her straighten her shoulders and take a deep breath before entering; trying to appear confident but looking incredibly uneasy.
She asked, "Boss, you got a minute?"
"Of course." said McGarrett, his own gut tightening a bit as he could guess what this conversation might be about. "What's up?"
"I, umm, uhh, first I want to apologize for installing those cameras without letting you know about it. It was my idea, Chin told me not to do it but I umm sort of had a reason, I mean more of a reason that just trying to find out who was taking the stuff."
Trying not to smile, Steve replied, "Don't worry about the cameras. At least we caught klepto-kitty in the act but next time you want to do something of that sort run it through me first."
"Of course." replied Kono, still looking uneasy and like she wanted to bolt out of the room.
"As for the reason you were so motivated to catch our wolverine in the act, I think I can figure that one out."
Kono immediately blushed a bright red, knowing Steve had definitely seen what was on the drive.
Taking pity on his rookie and not feeling comfortable with the discussion himself he said, "I'll forget I saw anything . . . and I didn't look beyond that first image I assure you."
Kono, looking mortified, nodded numbly, "Thanks boss. I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens again." she vowed
"I'm sure you will." he said taking a deep and de-stressing breath before continuing, "Now, that we've got that settled, we should call the others to go over what we've come up with on the Rucker woman. We need to find out how she may be connected with Kiki Kenworthy. I'm waiting for Charlie Fong to call to confirm if the brass we found is from the gun that was sent to her at the station.
As if on cue, his phone rang and he could see from the I.D. on the screen it was the forensic lab's number. Motioning for Kono to go get Danny and Chin, he answered, "McGarrett."
….
Kiki slammed her bag onto her desk. After crawling around on the floor for several minutes while Mickey kept watch at the door, not having a clue as to what she was actually searching for, she'd come up with nothing. The fucking casing wasn't there. She'd even gone through McGarrett's desk to see if he had it. Time prevented her from doing a more thorough search. Now what?
She couldn't let this stop her. The interview had gone well and she was expecting a call from the network rep. Now was not the time to have a wrench thrown into the works.
If anyone fucked this up for her they'd pay . . . big time.
*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*
Title is part of a quote attributed to several: George Bernard Shaw, Mark Twain and W.C. Fields among others. Punch line goes: 'Now that we know what you are Madam, we only need to establish the price.'
Next chapter WILL be the last. Reviews on this one would be much appreciated.