Authors:
Steve McGarrett stood alone in his office as he watched the sun begin to set. Today, to say the least, had been long and tiring and it wasn’t over yet. Even as Steve stole a rare moment of solitude, he couldn’t stop his mind from racing.

The Carver case weighed heavily on his mind.

A young woman murdered in the prime of her life. In spite of all the troubles with the Mint family it all came back to the fact that a young woman and her unborn child were killed four days ago and that Steve had a duty to untangle the mystery that surrounded this case so that justice could be carried out.

The problem was Steve wasn’t sure of what the facts where anymore.

“Truth! What is the truth in this case?”

“I will find out. I promise you that.”

“You can’t solve every mystery!”

Steve had made a promise and it was a promise he intended to keep. He hoped that some of his words had gotten through to the young officer but Danno had appeared resigned to his fate. While Steve never enjoyed getting yelled at, Danno’s anger was easier to deal with than his feelings of utter despair.

Steve had wanted to reach over and shake Danno out of it but he couldn’t force the younger man to have hope, to trust, to see that this wasn’t the end.

Steve wanted Danno to know that he meant every word he said.

And if Steve didn’t have enough problems on his hands, he had to decide what he was going to do about Kono.

“Where are you going?”

“To prove a man innocent.”

Steve was still upset with his youngest detective after he stormed off earlier. Steve had no idea where Kono had gone went until he had heard Kono’s request for the lab over the radio. Steve had sent Ralph to find out what was going on because he wasn’t sure if he trusted himself to respond at the moment. For Steve was torn; he was pleased with the work that Kono was doing but his earlier outburst in the lab was unacceptable behavior for a member of Five-O.

Deeply loyal and aware of injustice, Kono was prepared to go to any length to right a wrong. While Steve knew that Kono’s intentions were pure, the detective needed to learn to control his strong emotions and harness them. Steve understood Kono’s indignation but as state police they were required to follow the law, they weren’t free to abandon the rules in order to save a colleague. Kono would have to understand this.

Steve shook his head in frustration, Kono and Danny were both young, only a few months apart in age, and both had yelled at him today. Two talented young men; one too sure that he was right, the other too sure that he had messed up.

What was Steve to do?

Steve hadn’t lied when he told Danno that he would respond the same to any other officer whose career was in trouble but he couldn’t deny that fact that he owed the young man one; he couldn’t forget that Dan Williams as a wide eye-rookie had saved the life of someone in the Five-O office and risked his own life to do it. That was the type of officer HPD needed, that was the type of officer that Steve wanted protecting the people of Hawaii.

So as Steve watched as the last rays of the sun disappear beyond the horizon, Steve felt the burden of responsibility weighing heavily upon his shoulders: responsibility to Hawaii, to Williams, to the late Carver, and to even the Mint family.

Too many people were depending on Steve to be calm, rational presence in the midst of all the chaos. Too many people were depending on Steve to sort out this mess. He just hoped that he was good as what people said he was.

Because Steve McGarrett didn’t believe in backing down from his promises.

The sound of the outer office door opening and closing brought Steve back to reality. Steve moved to stand next to his desk as his office door opened and Ralph led Kono inside before moving to stand in his usual spot by the wall.

Steve gestured toward a chair. “Sit down.” As Kono obeyed Steve leaned back against the front of his desk and studied the young Hawaiian.

Every pore of Kono’s being spoke of defiance as he stated, “I’m not sorry, Boss.”

“You’re not sorry,” Steve repeated, inviting an explanation.

“Danny’s innocent. I found evidence that someone else was at da scene of da wreck.”

“And was it necessary for you to storm out of the lab to do that?”

Kono’s voice rose. “You were investigating Danny!”

“I was checking out a story, which if proved false could help Danny. You’ve been a cop long to realize we have to investigate every angle.”

“It’s not right.”

“I don’t care if you disagree but, if you have an issue with me, take it up with me in private.”

When Kono didn’t reply, Steve kept pressing, “Think, Kono. I just spent my afternoon trying to convince Williams not to give up. How much faith do you think he’d have in us if he finds out that we’re fighting over how to handle this case?”

For the first time, Kono began to look guilty as Steve continued on. “We need Danno. If he gives in to the pressure it makes our job that much harder if not impossible. You want Danno’s name cleared? Give him reason to work with us and we might just get to the bottom of this.”

Kono shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Steve knew that his words were having an effect.
Steve finished his argument by stating firmly, “We’re a team in this office, which doesn’t mean we won’t have our disagreements but we will settle them as a team. Understand?”

Kono nodded.

Satisfied, Steve ended the conservation. “Go see if Chin’s back yet.”

When Kono left, Steve looked over at his second-in-command who said, “I think he got the message.”

“Good,” Steve said changing the topic. “Now, tell me what I’m supposed to do with our other young officer?”

“I don’t know Steve. Not many veteran officers would be able to take what’s been heaped on Williams. You talked to him, how is he taking it?”

Steve was about to answer not well when the door opened again and Kono and Chin walked in. Once the whole team was settled, he asked, “Alright, gentlemen, what’ve we got?”

Chin pulled out a notebook. “Goulart’s witness is student at the university, Larry Bollard. He claims he saw Williams met Mint around eleven but he doesn’t remember the exact time nor did he overhear what they were talking about. I checked Danny’s logs. He checked in fairly regularly but there are a couple of time frames it would have been possible but it would have had to been a quick chat, Boss.”

“Dig into his background. See if there’s any previous connections between him and the Mints. Kono?”

“Found tire tracks hidden behind a bush at da scene of da wreck and a piece of a blue shirt dat Che’s checking against the material we found in da car.”

Steve thought aloud, “We have a starting point but it still doesn’t add up to a plausible story to counter Goulart’s.”

“Goulart’s story will never held up in court,” Chin said.

“It doesn’t have to,” Ralph stated. “Williams may never be charged in court but his reputation is ruined unless we can clear his name.”

“We need to figure out how Mint got that drug in his system,” Chin argued.

Steve agreed. “Gentlemen, we have a problem to solve and we’re not leaving this room until we come up with an answer.”

Steve stood up and walked over toward the chalkboard. He was about to write down a few notes when he heard a quit knock and turned to see Danny Williams standing in the doorway.

“Can I come in?” the young cop asked tentatively.

“Sure, Danno,” Steve replied.

As Danny stepped into the room he didn’t waste time. “Goulart is right.”

Steve was stunned, Danno may be depressed but he never imagined that he would cave into the pressure. Steve couldn’t help but let anger creep into his voice as he declared. “If you’re here to confess you better walk right back out that door.”

Danny looked taken aback at Steve’s words. “No, not that,” he said hastily. “I’m not giving up.” Danny paused and looked as if he was summoning up courage. “Goulart’s right about this whole case being suspicious. I mean Mint managed to get arrested on DUI charges the exact same night he girlfriend is murdered. That’s really incriminating behavior; it’s almost like it’s too good be true.”

“Explain.”

“I think someone wanted us to blame Mint for Carver’s murder. We figured out that Mint paid Brian way too easily. Any other killer would have insisted on being paid in cash. And he wiped his prints on the bat but he left some in a room he never visits. It’s like the wanted it to look like he had something to hide while not really hiding. Look, I guessing you’ve been trying to figure out how Mint managed to introduce evidence to prove his innocence but what if Mint is innocent and someone else set him up?”

Ralph whistled as the implications of Danno’s theory sunk in. Steve leaned forward in his chair and said, “You’re saying that we were supposed to figure out the connection between Mint and Cain?”

Danny looked Steve straight in the eye as he stated confidently, “That’s what my gut is telling me.”

What happened? This was not the despairing soul that Steve talked with only a few hours ago. Danno looked determined and he had gained confidence with every word he spoke. Something must have happened after Steve left. Danno was down but he was not out.

The room was silent as they considered Danno’s theory. After a few minutes, Chin spoke first. “Mint’s arrest did make him our number one suspect.”

“It is unusual that someone with so much money wouldn’t use cash. He had the means to,” Ralph said.

“Dat drug got in da drink someway,” Kono added

Steve glanced around the room as he asked, “And who is the major player in this whole affair that we haven’t been able to find?”

Chin, Kono and Ralph all answered at the same time. “Brian Cain.”

This whole thing was a set-up and Steve had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. “Someone played us for fools, gentlemen, and I want to know who.”

Chin looked thoughtful. “An enemy of the father? A business rival?”

“It makes the most sense,” Steve agreed. “If it was announced today that the son of Charles Mint had committed murder how would the family business suffer?” Steve looked over at Ralph who had been investigating the whole Mint Empire

“They’d lose the bid on that new multi-million dollar resort over on Maui.”

It all came down to the family name. The Mint name commanded power and influence and now someone was looking to change all that.

“Who else is in the bidding?”

Ralph checked his notes. “Two others: the Carbell Company and Rogers Incorporated.”

Steve quickly processed the facts as he planned the next step. “Kono dig deeper into Cain’s background there has to be something there. Ralph, take the Carbell Company. Chin, Rogers Incorporated. I want reports on my desk first thing tomorrow morning.”

The orders given the Five-O detectives moved to carry them out by taking care of their more immediate needs first. “I’ll make more coffee,” Ralph announced.

“I can go grab some saimin,” Chin offered.

As Kono starting joking with Chin about buying enough, Danny could only watch in amazement. They had listened to him and clearly thought he wasn’t crazy. Not only that, Steve’s orders would require a late night for all of them but none of detectives looked fazed.

When the other detectives moved to fulfill their tasks, Danny was left alone in the office with Steve. Feeling guilty that his idea could mean a lot of work for little gain, Danny asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You already have,” Steve said with a smile.

Danny’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. Several moments passed in silence as Danny struggled to put into words his gratefulness toward Steve. Finally, he managed to say, “Thank you for pulling me back.”

“You’re welcome.” Steve walked over and slapped Danny on the back and then used that hand to guide him toward the door. “Go home and get some sleep; that’s an order.”

Danny grinned. “Yes, sir.”

As Danny walked out of the palace he was tempted to whistle. For the first time since the Mint’s arrest, Danny began to feel hopeful about his future. Here was a group of dedicated men willing to lose a night of sleep and time with their families to save him. Here was a group of people willing to take a risk on him, not because he was special or had done anything to deserve Five-O’s help, but because it was the right thing to do.

Danny no longer cared what the rest of HPD thought, from that moment on Danny was honored to have Steve McGarrett on his side.