A/N: Thanks to everyone for all the input in the last chapter. I still haven't decided if Eric will make an appearance or not –if he does I know how and why I would work him in and it would be in the next chapter. So stay tuned to see if he comes in to help out. On the other side of things, I pretty much have this story plotted to the end so it should be smooth sailing from here on out – not so much for the characters but for me.
So thank you once again for reading and all the lovely comments. They were wonderful.
Happy reading!
Chapter 6: A Story To Tell.
"How many media vans followed you?" Danny asked frantically as Duke and his men made their way into the building.
"None that I noticed," Duke answered honestly and a little shocked by the scene before him. "We responded to the silent alarm. We didn't think it had anything to do with your case."
"Good, lock this location down and be quiet about it." Steve ordered as he came to his partner's side. "I want to give the crime lab a chance to breathe and catch up. It's been a busy day already."
"Right," Duke stated and the calls were made to get the crime lab technicians out to the scene.
"I don't know what's more unnerving - the way this man was murdered or the fact that our faces are plastered everywhere." Steve whispered to Danny as Duke moved away.
"With all these photos I feel like I'm being judged - by me." Danny said to commiserate with his partner as he moved back into the room and right up to the victim.
"What did you do to deserve this?" Danny asked as he tried to take a closer look at the negatives that were spewing out of the victim's mouth. "He may have finally left us a clue, or maybe this was supposed to be the first and only clue." Danny added as he waved Steve over. "I think all of these negatives are from the same shoot."
"That's one way to tell a story," Steve said, sighed, and leaned in to get a better look.
5-0
Kono and Chin walked into the Television station and were greeted by the angry stares and accusations of the people that worked there.
"I need to talk to your director of operations." Chin said as he approached an angry looking, older, woman who sat at the reception desk in the lobby.
"Why, so you can have him murdered as well?" The woman asked sharply.
"If I'm a bad omen wouldn't you want to get me out of your hair as quickly as possible?" Chin asked just as sharply. "Or I could have you arrested for obstruction of justice." He added impatiently.
"Are you implying that its Mr. Douglass's fault Johnny Tao is dead?" The woman snapped louder than before, "Because I'm pretty sure it's Five-Os fault."
"We're just trying to find answers," Kono said as she put herself between her cousin and the angry little woman. "Like why was Johnny Tao left alone in his van in the first place?"
"You didn't find his driver?" The little woman gasped as fear crept into her eyes and colour faded from her face.
"No, there wasn't anyone else with the van - no one that was going to admit to it. No driver, no keys, no camera man." Kono answered.
"My son drives and films for Johnny. Do you think he's been hurt?" the woman asked - her voice more hushed than either Kono or Chin had ever heard it as people moved in around them to hear better.
"We don't know, ma'am. Do you know of a way that you might be able to reach your son?" Kono asked pleasantly.
"Here, this is his cell number and my address. He still lives at home with me." The lady stated as she frantically wrote down the information.
"And his name?" Kono asked.
"Wallace Jerome."
"Thank you for your cooperation Mrs. Jerome." Kono said as she took the paper from the woman and led her cousin out of the lobby before anyone else from the station could confront them.
5-0
Kono and Chin pulled up to the receptionist's house to find the blinds drawn but there was a car in the driveway. As they exited Kono's Cruze, Chin saw one of the blinds move - it was just the sign of life they'd been hoping for, but at the same time the suspicious nature of the movement made them uneasy.
"How do you want to take this?" Kono asked with one hand already on her service weapon as she moved toward the house.
"Benefit of the doubt," was Chin's answer as he stepped up to the door and knocked. "Mr. Jerome, I'm Detective Kelly. Your mother said you'd cooperate with us." Chin added out loud so that the man would come to the door.
The door opened a crack and a frightened looking man - almost a teenager - peeked out at them.
"Did anyone follow you?" Wallace asked and his paranoia was visible in his movements.
"Not that we are aware of," Kono answered.
"Good, come in, quick." Wallace stated, stepped aside and then slammed the door and locked it again. "I know what they can be like. I'd have no peace and then he'd come after me too when my face was plastered all over the news."
"Did you see Johnny's killer?" Chin asked.
"I can't be sure. I was just doing my job. The job Johnny told me to do. He was a bit eccentric." Wallace explained as he paced nervously. "After the broadcast from Ala Moana, Johnny got word of the breaking case out of the news paper office. It spread really quickly that Lauren LaBelle was the dead woman and Johnny and Lauren had a bit of an understanding when it came to their stories. Her aids would call him with the scoop and I'd call her if Johnny got a big break. We knew right away that Five-O would be on this kind of case, so instead of heading there we went right to the palace to stakeout the perfect spot and wait for a shot at Five-O. If there was one thing Johnny knew for sure, it was that Five-O was always the people to track, good or bad, he knew how to break the news when you guys were around." Wallace explained as he checked out his blinds again at any sign of movement on the street.
"So you never went to the news paper office?" Kono asked.
"No, and we never saw Steve and Danny arrive but we knew you were in the office because we saw the Cruze in the parking lot." Wallace admitted. "So that was when Johnny started to prep. He'd turn the van into his office. He'd make calls, grab a hold of the top story slot and prep and preen. I was the one to shoot and that's all. So I would drive the van, park it and start filming - even if there wasn't anything to film. Johnny wanted the first shots. He was known to stalk the Camaro to be in the right place at exactly the right time, or watch the Cruze – we know all of the Five-O vehicles right on down to your Harley. After that he would obsessively watch the screens from the back of the van. My camera was always rolling and I had one job to do - keep people away from his shot. I was with the camera the whole time and it wasn't long before other reporters got the same idea. They started to arrive and settle in, but stayed away from me and the spot and shot they knew Johnny had already laid claim to. Most of them know better than to deal with me because then they'd have to deal with an angry Johnny Tao, and I've seen people lose their jobs because they pissed him off."
"You never checked on him - never talked to him while you waited?" Kono asked skeptically.
"No, I wear a head set. If he needs me he calls out to me. Otherwise you don't disturb Johnny Tao when he's in the zone."
"So who found the body?" Chin asked.
"I did," Wallace admitted sadly, "and I was the first to scream. I was suspicious when the Camaro pulled up and Johnny didn't emerge from the van to try and ambush Steve and Danny. That was his method, everyone knows it, but he didn't come out and no one else had the balls to move in on Johnny's story. It was the most awkward I'd ever seen it on the front lines of the news media. I knew my camera feed was fine or Johnny would have been on that in the beginning but with no contact from the back of the van, I assumed everything was fine. I stayed with the camera and waited as the crowd grew - then one of the other camera men asked me who the man was with Johnny and I spun around to check because no one bothers Johnny - no one. I caught a glimpse of a man moving away from the crowd. He looked over his shoulder and I'm sure he saw me, but he kept moving and that's when I threw caution to the wind and I risked Johnny's wrath to check on him. I didn't mean to scream like a girl when I saw what I saw when I opened those doors but it was so gruesome and horrific that I couldn't help it. I called for help, yelled for Five-O in the hopes that someone would call for back-up and then pandemonium ensued."
"Why did you leave?" Chin asked.
"Because I knew that I'd be blamed even though other people had seen me outside of the van - even the man I believe killed Johnny saw me and I saw him. For the first little while it was only me outside that van and I can't prove aside for the running tape that I wasn't in the van with Johnny. And I knew that man saw me - he'll come for me next so I panicked and tried to get to safety. I knew he saw me. I saw him. I had to run away." Wallace explained and as he did so he became more and more agitated and frantic.
"Would you recognize the man in the crowd if you saw him again?" Kono asked as she tried to stop Wallace in his tracks.
"I think so," Wallis said with a nod of his head and a swerve so that he might continue his pacing.
"Then we can likely prove that you are telling the truth if you will come back to the palace with us." Kono said.
"But I don't want to be seen." Wallace almost screamed again.
"We have ways to get you in without being seen." Chin stated. "But if this guy is after you, being at home alone is the perfect way for him to nab you. He knew that Johnny liked to be alone in the back of that van. He knew that you wouldn't be a problem for him while he was committing his murdered, but he knew who you were and what your routine would be. If he wants to get you Wallace, he knows where you live."
Wallace's eyes grew wide as he listened to Chin and made all the mental connections - and more - that Chin had wanted him to make so that he would cooperate with the investigation.
"Yes, I'll go with you." Wallace stated after a long moment of panic filled silence. "No, I can't stay here. I have to leave. You have to protect me."
"We will." Kono said with a sideways glance at her cousin.
"That's what we're here for." Chin added and after a moment of Wallace gathering a few essentials, he left the house with Kono and Chin.