Thursday
The morning dawned bright and clear, as if it knew that it had to be perfect. Dan Williams arose early; he had the whole day off and he intended to take advantage of every beautiful moment of it. After a quick breakfast on his lanai, he picked up his beach bag and his surfboard, and headed down to the parking garage where his Mustang waited. Danny had plans which included his favourite stretch of beach and waves, followed by a late lunch at his equally-favourite waterfront cafe, with the day to wind up with a quiet sunset view from his favourite rocky point. It was just the kind of day that Dan needed, a recharging of his spirit which would allow him to return to the demands and stresses of his job as Steve McGarrett's second-in-command.
As it turned out, only a portion of Danny's day matched his plans. He had arrived at the beach, and as was his routine he had claimed his spot on the sand, and headed out into the surf without further delay. After a morning spent riding the waves, he had returned to the beach. Quickly drying off, he had grabbed his wallet and made his way to the little cafe where he had eaten many times before. During lunch he had laughed and flirted with his favourite waitress; relaxed and filled with good food Danny had returned to his place on the beach and settled in for a quiet snooze before resuming his activities in the surf. Then all hell had broken loose...
Danny jolted awake to the sound of panicked shouting. Scrambling to his feet, he saw a crowd gathering at the water's edge, not far from where he was. “Police officer! Five-O!” he called as he quickly approached the group. He pushed past the cluster of people, and immediately saw what they were looking at. Lying on the sand, where the waves gently met the beach, was the crumpled body of a girl which he recognized all too well. For not fifteen minutes earlier, she had served him his fruit salad and refilled his soda , all the while blushing at his outrageous, laughter-filled teasing.
“Danno.” The familiar voice was quiet, but firm, steadying the young detective. “Can you tell me what happened here?”
“Steve.” Danny subconsciously straightened his back as his boss approached. He mentally shook himself; he'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't even heard Steve approach, and now he knew he'd be expected to give a report. “She, uh, the victim is, I mean was, a waitress at the cafe.” He pointed across the beach; then, noticing his hand was trembling slightly, lowered it again, hoping Steve hadn't noticed. “Half an hour ago she served me dessert. Now she's dead.” He kicked at the sand with his bare feet, turning away and closing his eyes in an attempt to calm down.
“Take it easy, Danno.” Again came the quiet, anchoring tones from Steve.
Danny took a deep breath, forcing himself to exhale away the tension he felt building in his shoulders. When he turned back to face Steve, his professional mask was almost in place. “I'm okay, Steve,” Danny said. “I don't know what happened. I had lunch in the cafe, and came back to the beach to relax for a while before going back out into the waves. I guess I'd been dozing for a few minutes when I heard shouting, and then I saw...” He hesitated slightly. “And then I saw Kathy's body in the water, and I knew she was dead.”
Steve's jaw tightened at Danny's bare recitation of the facts, but he remained silent, looking thoughtfully down the beach. Kono and Chin approached the duo, the Chinese detective slipping slightly in the sand while his big Hawaiian companion moved with the sure-footedness of someone completely at home on the beach. “Gentlemen,” Steve greeted them. “What do you have for me?”
“HPD haven't found any witnesses yet, Steve,” Kono began. “A couple of surfers saw the girl go out the door and walk down the beach, but nobody actually saw anything happen to her. Doc's with the body now.”
Chin opened his notebook. “Just spoke with the owner of the cafe, boss. The girl's name was Kathy Johnson, age 22. She worked part time at the cafe, spent the rest of her time as a student at the university. Today she was on shift for the lunch crowd. Took her break around two o'clock. He says she picked up her own lunch from the back room and took it outside.” He looked up at Steve, continuing, “He doesn't know which way she went, or whether she had plans to meet anybody.”
“She didn't,” stated Dan. “Kathy was telling me she was looking forward to a little peace and quiet after a busy morning.” He gave Steve a fleeting, ironic smile. “Just like me, Steve, just like me.”
The morning dawned bright and clear, as if it knew that it had to be perfect. Dan Williams arose early; he had the whole day off and he intended to take advantage of every beautiful moment of it. After a quick breakfast on his lanai, he picked up his beach bag and his surfboard, and headed down to the parking garage where his Mustang waited. Danny had plans which included his favourite stretch of beach and waves, followed by a late lunch at his equally-favourite waterfront cafe, with the day to wind up with a quiet sunset view from his favourite rocky point. It was just the kind of day that Dan needed, a recharging of his spirit which would allow him to return to the demands and stresses of his job as Steve McGarrett's second-in-command.
As it turned out, only a portion of Danny's day matched his plans. He had arrived at the beach, and as was his routine he had claimed his spot on the sand, and headed out into the surf without further delay. After a morning spent riding the waves, he had returned to the beach. Quickly drying off, he had grabbed his wallet and made his way to the little cafe where he had eaten many times before. During lunch he had laughed and flirted with his favourite waitress; relaxed and filled with good food Danny had returned to his place on the beach and settled in for a quiet snooze before resuming his activities in the surf. Then all hell had broken loose...
Danny jolted awake to the sound of panicked shouting. Scrambling to his feet, he saw a crowd gathering at the water's edge, not far from where he was. “Police officer! Five-O!” he called as he quickly approached the group. He pushed past the cluster of people, and immediately saw what they were looking at. Lying on the sand, where the waves gently met the beach, was the crumpled body of a girl which he recognized all too well. For not fifteen minutes earlier, she had served him his fruit salad and refilled his soda , all the while blushing at his outrageous, laughter-filled teasing.
“Danno.” The familiar voice was quiet, but firm, steadying the young detective. “Can you tell me what happened here?”
“Steve.” Danny subconsciously straightened his back as his boss approached. He mentally shook himself; he'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't even heard Steve approach, and now he knew he'd be expected to give a report. “She, uh, the victim is, I mean was, a waitress at the cafe.” He pointed across the beach; then, noticing his hand was trembling slightly, lowered it again, hoping Steve hadn't noticed. “Half an hour ago she served me dessert. Now she's dead.” He kicked at the sand with his bare feet, turning away and closing his eyes in an attempt to calm down.
“Take it easy, Danno.” Again came the quiet, anchoring tones from Steve.
Danny took a deep breath, forcing himself to exhale away the tension he felt building in his shoulders. When he turned back to face Steve, his professional mask was almost in place. “I'm okay, Steve,” Danny said. “I don't know what happened. I had lunch in the cafe, and came back to the beach to relax for a while before going back out into the waves. I guess I'd been dozing for a few minutes when I heard shouting, and then I saw...” He hesitated slightly. “And then I saw Kathy's body in the water, and I knew she was dead.”
Steve's jaw tightened at Danny's bare recitation of the facts, but he remained silent, looking thoughtfully down the beach. Kono and Chin approached the duo, the Chinese detective slipping slightly in the sand while his big Hawaiian companion moved with the sure-footedness of someone completely at home on the beach. “Gentlemen,” Steve greeted them. “What do you have for me?”
“HPD haven't found any witnesses yet, Steve,” Kono began. “A couple of surfers saw the girl go out the door and walk down the beach, but nobody actually saw anything happen to her. Doc's with the body now.”
Chin opened his notebook. “Just spoke with the owner of the cafe, boss. The girl's name was Kathy Johnson, age 22. She worked part time at the cafe, spent the rest of her time as a student at the university. Today she was on shift for the lunch crowd. Took her break around two o'clock. He says she picked up her own lunch from the back room and took it outside.” He looked up at Steve, continuing, “He doesn't know which way she went, or whether she had plans to meet anybody.”
“She didn't,” stated Dan. “Kathy was telling me she was looking forward to a little peace and quiet after a busy morning.” He gave Steve a fleeting, ironic smile. “Just like me, Steve, just like me.”