Authors:
Running off of no sleep and about four cups of coffee, Steve McGarrett bounded into the morgue. Not waiting for the man hunched over Susan Carver’s body to acknowledge him, Steve called out, “What’ve ya got, Doc?”

Doc Bergman looked up from his work. “Steve, not all of us can work straight through the night. I’ve only finished the preliminary work. Come back in a couple hours and I will be able to tell you more.”

“It can’t wait. I’m leaving to interview a suspect and I need everything you can tell me.” Steve was telling the truth. He had just heard from HPD that Richard Mint was waking up and Steve was hoping to talk to him before he called for his lawyer.

Doc Bergman sighed and conceded the fight. “The victim was definitely killed by the blow to the head. Time of death of was between eleven and midnight.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Steve turned to hurry out the door.

When Steve was half-way out the door, Doc calmly added, “There’s one more thing that you might find interesting.”

Steve stopped in his tracks as he tried to not let the exasperating coroner get to him. “What?”

“She was pregnant.”

Steve mulled on that information as he travelled over to the HPD lockup. He was greeted by Chief Mike Dann and an exhausted looking George Kealoha. “Morning, Mike. George, don’t they have coffee in this joint?”

“Very funny, Steve. You know I don’t touch the stuff.”

Steve smirked; George’s dislike for coffee was well known and something the head of Five-O would never understand.

Mike ended the small talk by stating, “George briefed me. We got Mint in room three. His lawyer is already on the way.”

Knowing that time was short, Steve became serious and said, “Let’s go.”

Steve slowed down as he entered the interrogation room. Steve walked confidently across the concrete floor, his eyes studying the young man seated behind the table. The suspect was doing his best to look bored with his arms crossed and his sandy blond hair falling across green eyes. His whole bearing spoke of an arrogance and of one accustomed to having his every order obeyed. Even slept in, Mint’s clothes spoke of a privileged life.

Steve heard Mike and George take up places behind him on the wall as he sat down. Before Steve could begin, Mint spoke first. “You’re not my lawyer.”

Steve quickly added smug to his list of observations. “My name Steve McGarrett and I’m with Hawaii Five-O.”

“Am I supposed to be impressed?”

Steve ignored the jab and asked, “Do know a woman by the name of Susan Carver.”

“I don’t have to speak to you.”

“No you don’t. But you might find it in your best interest. Susan Carver was found murdered last night.”

Mint shrugged but remained silent.

“She was killed a couple of hours before you were arrested. Inquiring minds might find that suspicious. You could help me clear things up by telling me where you were last night.”

“I not talking to you until my lawyer gets here.”

Steve leaned forward. “Did you know Susan was pregnant?”

Before Mint could respond, the door to the room banged open and as Steve rose he recognized one the priciest, sleaziest lawyers he had ever had the “pleasure” of going against in court waltz into the room: Ron Goulart.

The slim, tall, and impeccably dressed man walked straight up to Steve and demanded, “What is the meaning of this? I came here to post bail and I find my client being interrogated by the head of Five-O.”

“Easy, Ron, you’re not in a courtroom.”

“I don’t like your tone, McGarrett. You have no right to treat my client in the manner.”

“I have every right. Your client is a suspect in a murder case.”

Steve had to hand to the man; Goulart didn’t lose a beat at the news of the more serious charge. “That is outrageous. You just can’t just fling around accusations like that.”

“Your client knew the victim; I have every right to question him.”

“And he has the right to remain silent. Besides, I just posted bail. So you can charge my client or will we be going now?”

“You can leave after I ask one more question,” Steve stated as he turned back toward the table. “Mr. Mint, was that your child that died last night?”

Goulart was practically raging. “McGarrett! That’s over the line. You have no right to make such unsubstantiated allegations!”

Mint slowly rose as he said, “Nice try, pig, but I told you I wasn’t talking.”

Steve stared the young man down. “Your choice but let me warn you. If you won’t tell me what I need to know, I’ll find it out on my own; I promise you that.”

Intimidated, Mint took one step back. “Alright Fuzz, I give you one freebie. I was at the Last Call Bar til real late last night. Ask anyone who was there.”

“Oh, I will. I guarantee it.”

Goulart grabbed Mint and steered his client out of the room while the three cops just shook their heads at the farce they had just witnessed.

“Did you notice, Steve?” Mike asked.

“I did.”

“What?” George asked.

“Mint wasn’t shocked by any of the questions.”

“So either he’s an unfeeling ass who doesn’t care or he already knew that Susan was dead,” George mused.

Steve didn’t reply but, whether or not Mint was involved in Carver’s death, he didn’t need any further investigation to know that Richard Mint was an ass.

*~*~*


Danny rubbed the sleep from his eyes and he rolled over in bed and checked the time: 2:03 pm. Danny groaned, that meant that he had only gotten about six hours of sleep but he knew that there would be no point in trying to catch another hour or two; his body was awake. He’d be much happier next week when he would be off nights and back on days.

As Danny walked toward the shower he thought over his strange night. He had never imagined that a DUI arrest would lead to encounter with McGarrett. However, that case was over for him as he’d already filled out the paperwork and his sergeant would let him known when he due in court. If Mint was connected to that murder case McGarrett would figure it out. Tonight, he could look forward to another eight hours in a squad car spent patrolling Oahu’s highways.

Once Danny was cleaned up and dressed, his stomach let him know that he had slept through the times most people ate breakfast and lunch. A quick glance in the refrigerator reminded him that he needed to go grocery shopping but in the short term he knew of a good sandwich shop within walking distance.

As Danny jogged down the street he enjoyed the warm air and the smell of the ocean made him wonder what the surfing looked like today. He should call up some of his surfing buddies and see what they were doing on his next day off.

When Danny reached the restaurant he walked straight in and ordered one of his favorites. He had only gotten the opportunity to take a single bite when a short Chinese man sat down at his table.

Before Danny could protest the man began talking. “Mr. Williams, I’m here to offer you a job.”

“Excuse me? Do I know you?”

“No, but I represent someone who needs a security consultant to work with some of his hotels. It pays five-hundred dollars a week.”

Danny’s jaw dropped at the large sum of money. This was insane; no one he knew made that kind of money! “This has got to be some kind of a joke.”

“No joke. Five-hundred dollars a week if you accept, plus a thousand dollar bonus if you’ll do a little favor for my employer.” As the man spoke he set down a wad of fifty dollar bills on the table.

Alarm bells went off in Danny’s head as he started to realize what was going on. “I don’t think I in any position to help, Mr.…?”

“I didn’t say. And I think you are, Mr. Williams. I understand you arrested Richard Mint last night.”

Danny stood up. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

The man grabbed Danny’s arm. “I think you should reconsider. All you have to do is when you are called to the stand is say that in reflection you realized that Richard Mint was acting more like a man in shock from the accident rather than someone who was drunk.”

Danny roughly pulled his arm back and said, “I won’t lie for you or for your employee. Mint broke the law and deserves whatever the courts decide.”

The man’s oily voice was beginning to grate on Danny’s nerves as he kept pushing, “I hope you understand that you are making a big mistake.”

Shaking his head, Danny stated firmly, “I told you I don’t want your money.”

Danny was beginning to be afraid that the man wouldn’t back down when he heard a voice call out from beside him. “You heard da man. Pick up your money and leave.”

Turning his head, Danny recognized Kono Kalakaua. Before Danny could begin to wonder why the Five-O detective was in this restaurant, the man held up his hands and backed away from the big Hawaiian. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything.”

Kalakaua moved to block the man’s path. “You listening or do ya have pineapples for brains? I told you to pick up da money. You’re not gonna leave it so it can disappear later and you can claim dat Danny took it.”

The man scowled, scooped up his money, and quickly left the restaurant.

As soon as he was gone, Danny turned and asked Kalakaua, “What was that all about? And what are you doing here?”

“Easy, Bruddah. I’m watching your back.”

“Why?”

“Steve’s orders.”

“What? McGarrett knew that this was going happen?”

Kalakaua gave a noncommittal shrug.

Danny took a deep breath to clear his head; this whole situation was bordering on the edge of insanity. He couldn’t believe that someone would actually try to bribe him. “Sorry, Detective Kalakaua. I guess I got carried away. Mahalo for saving my butt.”

“’A’ole pilikia. And it’s Kono.”