A/N: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for all the kind comments and excitement that has arisen around this story. It's been a fun plotting this murder mystery for you. I hope you like chapter 2. Keep the awesome comments coming!

Chapter 2: The Second

Back at the office photos had already stated to arrive and flashed to life all over the Five-O bullpen. Steve and Danny walked in to find the computer screen saver message already up on the monitors, with the odd crime scene photo and the busily searching data bases running triage.

Outside Five-O HQ more media personnel had started to assemble, and Danny and Steve had only narrowly escaped the masses at the news paper office. They were certain many of them had caught a glimpse of the fleeing Camaro, and were now on their way to join the crowd outside the building.

"So where do we start?" Steve asked as he stepped up to the smart table where Kono and Chin were waiting.

"Evidence is pouring in from the crime scene and Duke and his men are questioning and cataloguing all of the workers to try and narrow things down for us. Once all of the employees have checked in and all questioning has occurred, and they have been cross referenced with time cards and employee records, we may have something to go on." Chin explained. "For now, whatever we might find, will be grasping at straws."

"We've pulled up everything we have, and know, about Lauren LaBelle – we needed a place to start," Kono jumped in as Chin finished. "I'm combing through her articles to see if there was anything out of the ordinary - anything that stands out as something interesting from one or any other of our cases since the beginning of the task-force. I'll cross-reference cases with articles if I have to and dig a little deeper into suspects or witnesses from those case. If anyone stands out, I'll run facial recognition against the surveillance cameras at the news paper and see if anyone comes up."

"See, grasping at straws," Chin stated again.

"All right, Danny and I will head over to the coroners office to see if Max has anything to tell us about the way she died." Steve stated but suddenly there was a scream and the sound of panic from outside.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Danny asked as he and Steve rushed to the open window in Steve's office.

From the window they could see the growing crowd of reporters, the news vans and the satellite hook ups, but all the commotion seemed to come from the back of one of the TV station vans.

Cameras flashed as people scrambled around the van. Some were trying to get closer, while other - more responsible people - were trying to push them back.

As they watched the calls for help continued, until calls of a desperate nature for Five-O to come out and the cries for people to back away from the van got louder and more forceful.

"We'd better check it out." Steve said as he turned away from the window.

"They probably just want you out there to bombard you with questions. It's probably all a false alarm." Danny huffed when another scream was heard and general panic ensued. "Okay that sounds like real panic."

"Let's go!"

5-0

Steve and Danny rushed out to the news commune as the HPD officers were arriving from down the street - Kono and Chin followed.

"What's going on?" Steve yelled as he held out his badge and parted the crowd.

"Johnny Tao is dead!" Someone stated right next to Danny.

"Everyone get back!" Kono yelled as Steve's worried look caught her.

"Step away from the Van!" Chin added and as more members of HPD moved in, the crowd was pushed back and separated from the scene and all of their equipment by yellow police tape.

Steve and Danny rushed toward the Hawaii Chanel 7 news van cautiously. Inside they spotted the cause of all the hysterics.

Hanging from a support bar, welded to the ceiling of the van was the robust figure of Johnny Tao - with his feet barely touching the floor. The man who had reported his discontent for Five-O, just hours before, was now dead. His neck was cut. His eyes were wide open and the look of fear on his face was enough to make anyone skin crawl. His mouth was open in a soundless scream and his microphone was jammed down his throat. He was wrapped from his neck to his feet in power cables of all kinds and all of the monitors in the van hummed with snow and lost connections.

On the inside of the van door - taped to Johnny's make up mirror was a note and it was clearly for Five-O to find.

Five-O will be the ones to avenge you, although you are undeserving of their help.

You are completely to blame.