Sammy's ANs:

Mari & Ilna-you're the best.

McRollers-thanks for reading.

Mari's ANs

Sammy - I love a co write like Angie loves cookies! Ilna - you rock and McRoll. McRollers and readers - giant hugs.

In Plain Sight (1/?)

{Prelude}

A gala masked ball was in full swing at the Halekulani Hotel. The guest list read like a veritable who's who of Hawaiian society. Old money mingled with new. Octogenarians with Gen Z up and comers. Politicians representing every viewpoint. People entrenched in the old economy and tech gurus determined to drag Hawaii towards a new cyber-economy. All of their differences temporarily hidden under brightly colored masks.

Crystal chandeliers cast mood lighting over the guests. The hum of excited conversations mixed with whispered discussions created a sort of white noise that filled the room. The host, Richard Easton, stood just inside the main entrance, greeting guests. Beside him stood an immaculately outfitted maitre d', clipboard in hand, assuring that every person through the door was in fact an invited guest.

Mamo Alohilani was a veritable institution at the hotel. He'd been working the yearly gala ball, along many other events, for Mr. Easton for well over a decade. When it came to high-profile events, the wealthy businessman had extremely high expectations. Mamo met, and often exceeded, those expectations with a casual precision that made him an in-demand maitre d' for all sorts of hotel events. But tonight was different. Something was off.

Richard Easton had been on edge from the moment he arrived. He seemed quiet. Distracted. He'd even snapped at several members of staff which was very unlike him. Mamo couldn't help but notice Mr. Easton's smile was anything but sincere as he greeted his guests. He tugged nervously at his shirt sleeves and continually adjusted his cuff links. Mamo was tempted to chalk it up to the nerves that accompanied hosting a party for 500 people but he couldn't shake the feeling it was more than that.

As the evening wore on, the music played and the guests danced, drank and socialized. The latest gossip spread through the room like wildfire. Seven figure business deals were closed over a plate of hors devours. All of the guests, many notoriously difficult to impress, commented on the delicious food and elaborate surroundings. Richard Easton had managed to top himself yet again. This was his most memorable party yet.

Suddenly, a scream shattered the party atmosphere.

Then another.

The sound reverberated off the walls of the expansive ballroom making it difficult to tell where the noise was coming from at first.

The guests looked around the room frantically and within seconds discovered the origin of the screams. In a quiet corner, to the left of the main entrance, they saw Richard Easton slumped to the floor in a pool of blood.

His distraught mother and wife were staring, horrified, while his frantic father and sister attempted to staunch the blood that was pouring from his chest.

"Someone call 911," his wife yelled desperately. "We need an ambulance."

For a second, time seemed to stand still.

Then the room exploded in chaos.

Bibas Restaurant & Bar
2055 Kaila Rd, Honolulu

It had been a long week and the team was more than ready for an evening of fun and relaxation with their loved ones. A chance to kick back and talk about anything but the local criminal element. To catch up on what was going on in each other's lives. Adam's newest project which promised to bring dozens of jobs to the island and Gabby's latest acquisitions. Leilani's tales from the hospital were always good for a laugh. Grace and Kendra had even promised to stop by for dessert if they possibly could. The evening was going well until the one thing they had all been hoping wouldn't happen, did.

Steve's cell rang just as he was about to take a bite of the burger the server had just placed in front of him.

His expression after he answered, "McGarrett", had Catherine, Danny, Kono and Chin placing their napkins on the table in preparation to leave.

Adam kissed Kono's cheek. "I'll drive Gabby and Leilani home," he said before the others could speak. They'd arrived in multiple cars but he'd come directly from work on his own and he knew the team members would likely need their vehicles for whatever case they'd caught.

Steve ended the call with, "We'll keep you posted. Thanks, Lea," and stood. "We've got a body at the Halekulani. Looks like the host was murdered during the masked ball."

"Richard Easton?" Catherine's face registered her shock. "What happened?"

"All I have is that he's dead and there was definitely foul play," Steve replied. "We'll know more when we get there."

"Weren't the two of you invited to that shindig?" Danny asked.

Steve and Catherine nodded.

"Lea and I have worked with the Eastons on quite a few projects," Catherine said as she grabbed her purse. "They're very nice people. They've been lobbying for more funding for arts education in public schools. She's been very excited about this party for weeks. I said a masked ball sounded like fun during one of our meetings and the next day she sent an invitation."

"But we decided to come here and spend time with you instead," Steve teased as they signaled the waitress for their check.

Danny smirked. "You see where that got you."

"The gala ball is an annual thing for the Easton's," Catherine said. "They use it to recruit investors. There are going to be a lot of prominent people in attendance."

"Lovely." Kono rolled her eyes. "What's the over/under on how many times we get asked 'do you know who I am?' before this is done?"

"Dibs on interviewing the staff," Chin said. "You can start with the guests."

"We'll see once we get there," Kono teased. "Those rich old women always loooooove you."

"The Eastons obviously feel comfortable with you," Steve told Catherine. "Any chance I could convince you to come along and help talk to them?"

She nodded. "Not a problem. I'll text mom that I'll be late. She'll be happy to handle bedtime."

Danny grumbled as they headed for their cars. "Perfect. No dinner in my stomach and a room full of masks at a crime scene. Right up there with clowns."

When they arrived on site, the first thing they noticed was the metallic smell of blood hanging in the air. The body of Richard Easton lay off to the left, surrounded by clear signs that the paramedics had done their best to save him.

Discarded rubber gloves. Bloody gauze. Empty syringes.

The sound of the anguished cries of his family came from a table nearby.

The guests had been corralled at the far end of the enormous room, shielded from the sight of Richard Easton's body by several large screens borrowed from the hotel and hastily moved into place by the first officers on the scene.

Steve and Danny exchanged a glance before starting towards Max, who was kneeling near the body. Chin and Kono approached Mamo Alohilani who was standing next to the harried looking hotel manager holding a copy of the guest list, and Catherine immediately went to where the parents, sister and wife of Richard Easton were huddled together. She spoke to them quietly for a few seconds then guided them out of the ballroom and away from where the man they all loved was sprawled lifelessly on the ornate marble floor.

The arrival of the very recognizable members of Five-0 caused a renewed stir in the room. Several of the guests, who had had dealings with the task force over the years, including a group of politicians who had a large amount of input on the team's yearly budget, began demanding to know when they would be able to leave.

Danny, with an exasperated expression, raised his voice and said, "Everyone please remove your masks and stay put," as several of the guests continued to grumble about being detained. "We'll do everything we can to make this process as painless as possible."

He turned to Steve. "What do I always say? Bad things happen in a room full of masks."

"You literally never said that," Steve responded.

"I'm going on record and saying it now."

Before he could go any further Chin approached, guest list in hand.

"Kono and I will start interviewing witnesses. There are 500 people here, not including staff. Someone had to have seen something."

"I'll guess I'll start talking to the guests," Kono said, not forgetting their conversation from earlier. "Though you're gonna owe me for that. You'll take the staff?"

"I've got it." Chin gestured towards where a group of bartenders and waitstaff were seated around one of the far tables under the watchful eye of several HPD officers, Including Duke and Jadon.

Steve nodded. "Sounds good." He turned to the medical examiner. "Max, what have we got?"

"C.O.D. is exsanguination," Max replied as he stood and stripped off his gloves for a clean pair. "Stab wounds to the chest from close proximity. Approximate width of the blade is 50 millimeters. Early indications are that there are three chest wounds. One was likely to the aortic arch. I'll know more when I get him back for autopsy." He instructed the techs they were clear to transport the body.

"Thanks, Max. Let us know when you have all the details," Steve said.

He turned to Danny. "What do you suppose the odds are that the hotel has security cameras that caught what happened?"

Danny looked around and didn't see any cameras in the ballroom. "Pretty remote but worth a try." He shook his head. "Who stabs a guy in front of 500 potential witnesses?"

"I don't know," Steve said. "But we're gonna find out."

TBC on Monday

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