A/N: This story is heading down a path I didn't really expect it to. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 6: McGarrett's Mind

Steve took one extra moment as he caught the glare that Danny had shot his way. From the corner of his eyes he could see Detective Austen pacing in his officer angrily and to give the woman a moment, he walked to the smart table instead.

"All right, our priority right now is finding Lydia alive." Steve said as he rested his hands on the smart table. "We can't assume that this case and Austen's profile are our only leads. We're not hunting down a serial killer just yet. Toast, I want you to run Lydia through every facial recognition database we have access to - see if you can't find her, or her car, on ATM cameras and campus surveillance - find her, follow her, do whatever you can until we lose her or you find her."

"I'm on it and I already have Catherine patched in from the ship she's on. She's looking too."

"Good. Danny, keep on the profile see if there are any holes in it or anything that your instincts are telling you isn't working. Maybe what we need is a fresh set of eyes, and partner, that's always you."

Danny rolled his eyes, "Steve what if she is right?" he asked. "The more time we waste chasing our tails, the less time Lydia has."

"I know."

"What are your instincts telling you?" Danny asked and there was knowledge and understanding in the way he looked into Steve's eyes.

"I think she's right on the money and that the Governor is more likely to break his promise rather than having us find Lydia alive."

"Then you had better get in there and get to the bottom of this, if we want a fighting chance."

"You feel it too, don't you?"

"Yes," Danny answered with a nod and then turned his attention back to the computer system.

5-0

Detective Violet Austen had blown off enough steam and was sitting quietly on the couch in the corner of Steve's office when Steve finally walked in. She was hunched over, with her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl painted across her face. In all honesty she pouted and her demeanor showed the youth in her face and experience.

"Are you read to cooperate?" Steve asked as he sat down at the other end of the couch.

"Do I have a choice?" Violet grumbled.

"You do. You don't have to stay here."

"And just hand over all my hard work? Fat Chance!"

"What if you're wrong?" Steve asked skeptically. "What if Lydia isn't one of your killer's girls and this is just another unfortunate series of events? We've dealt with similar cases before with varying results. What is so special about Lydia that has you completely and blindly convinced that this is the same guy?"

"If you really don't think my profile is correct then let me get back to work because I am certain. This feels exactly the same, and you can follow which ever other theories and leads that you may have, but this is me telling you that Lydia is one of this psychopath's girls."

"Unfortunately, the Governor has assigned us to Lydia's case and so we have to work every possible avenue of the case."

"By splitting up your team?" Austen questioned and there was something like disgust in her tone of voice.

"I've not split them up. The only division seems to be you. We are calling in all of our contacts on this one because the Governor promised his friend - the senator - that we'd find his daughter alive."

"That was his first mistake." Austen sighed as she opened up slightly, leaned back into the couch and her arms fell to her sides.

"I agree. It was a rookie move."

"So what do you want me to do Boss?" Violet asked and there was distain in her tone.

"I want you to be a good detective. Detective Williams and Lieutenant Detective Kelly are my standard of excellence. They are brilliant men and they have years of experience over you and I put together. You're going to have to work really hard to prove your brass to us because we've started off on the wrong foot and I believe that there is a reason that you were hired so there has to be something good about you. So if you were me, which base would you have you cover?" Steve asked.

Violet looked at Steve questioningly for a long moment.

"You're really hard to read, McGarrett, were you aware of that?" She asked.

"It's all part of the training," Steve answered with a partial smile.

"Why do you have officer Kalakaua covering the university?"

"Because Danny got a bad vibe from one of the professors and Danny's instincts are the best I've ever encountered. So we sent Kono in undercover. It's one thing to inundate a place with a police presence - it's completely different to have someone on the inside."

"She's not the perfect target. This killer has a style and a preference. If you are following my profile, you'll know that officer Kalakaua will not tempt him."

"I know, but that doesn't mean she can't observe."

"Observing is a waste of time - time which Lydia doesn't have."

"Everyone else is looking for Lydia in more conventional ways and we still don't have any leads expect for a vague description of a large potion of the population of the island based on your profile - which is a hunch at best. What else are we supposed to do? If you have a better idea, then I'm all ears."

"There just isn't anything is there?" Violet asked and sighed because she knew that there wouldn't be any evidence until they were too late - she knew where her profile ended and it didn't point in any solid directions.

Steve shook his head.

"What is it about the professor that got you spooked?"

"Danny's spidey senses were tingling. I don't think he was spooked. He just picked up on something."

"Which Professor was it?" Austen asked.

"Doctor Goldstein."

Violet nodded, "he's an odd duck. I've questioned him before so he knows who I am. I always got a feeling he wasn't telling me the whole truth, or that he managed to dance around and change the subject so that it suited him better."

"I noticed that as well." Steve said with a nod. "So you going undercover probably isn't a good idea."

"Neither was sending Officer Kalakaua."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's a historian. He'll know her ancestry right away."

"She's gone in with a cover." Steve stated.

"Yeah, that's fine, but if I show up to cover her he'll know she's a cop."

"Who said anything about covering Kono? You go in and act like you don't even know her because you are the proper victim. Kono would be covering you."

"Two problems - one he knows who I am and two he takes trophies."

"Antique jewelry has been reported missing in all cases - like your pearl earrings." Steve stated.

"How did you know they were antique?" Austen asked and there was shock where her distain once was.

"You can tell by the way they've been set. I've traveled all over the world and been to my fair share of historical locations and museums - I did learn a thing or two along the way. No modern machines worked those earrings, they were made by hand." Steve answered. "And would it be so implausible for you, Detective, to audit a class on historical jewelry to learn all there is to know as part of your case studies, or because you want to know more about the earrings that you have?"

"You want me to go in there and be completely honest as to why I am taking the class?"

"Yes. See if you can't spook the professor into action just by your presence in his classroom. Just don't tell him he's the one being investigated. If he's guilty he'll get that all on his own." Steve stated and gave the young detective - sitting beside him on the couch - a devilish smile. "If you can spook him, Kono can follow him and he may lead us to Lydia before it's too late."

"If he is our guy." Detective Austen stated.

"Exactly," Steve said with a nod, "if he's not our guy then Danny, Chin, Toast and I will be working Lydia's house and anything we might be able to dig up through our other contacts."

"Why didn't I think of this?" Austen asked with a shake of her head and the realization that Steve was right.

"This is why I'm the Boss." Steve stated as he stood. "Rookie, I'll teach you everything I know, if you'll let me, but first I need you to get to work."