Part Three
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As it turned out, it was closer to five hours later that the Five-O detectives were able to reconvene. A late-morning summons from Steve brought them together in his office, where May cheerfully doled out fresh coffee to each man before retreating and closing the door behind her.
“Gentlemen.” The lead detective was seated at his desk, notepad at the ready, as his slightly tired looking team entered the room. “I have a meeting with the Governor in less than an hour, so I hope you have some information for me.”
Chin and Kono exchanged glances, and it was the Oriental detective who spoke up to report the results of their investigation. “We went outside to the area around the window,” he began. “Sure, we found footprints, lots of them, under the window and across the grounds. Couldn't tell how many people there were, though.”
“Oh?” Steve raised an eyebrow. “Why was that, Chin?”
“They was all smudged together, odd sizes and distances apart, boss.” Kono broke in before Chin had a chance to reply. “Looked like some of them had been dragging their feet, leaving a trail of flattened grass behind them.”
Chin looked exasperated, but he nodded in agreement at the Hawaiian's unusual description. “That's how it looked to me too, Steve,” he admitted. “No clear prints. Che Fong took photos and some plaster impressions, anyway, just to check. We also found what looked like a sleeve from a jacket or heavy shirt...”
“All torn up, ragged, just like the Governor said!” Again Kono pushed forward with the explanation, interrupting Chin with his enthusiasm. “The lab has that too, looking for fingerprints from whoever,” he paused dramatically. “... or whatever dropped it.”
The Five-O chief looked nonplussed for a moment, seemingly at a loss for what to say to his detective. Finally, shaking his head, he turned his attention to the third officer in the room, who was perched in his usual spot on the corner of the desk. “Please tell me you have something a bit more concrete than smudged footprints and a sleeve,” he said, a hint of exasperation showing in his tone.
“I think I might.” Danny already had his notebook open and was flipping through the pages. “I was speaking to all the staff who were at the Mansion last night. The couple who are responsible for maintenance and housekeeping heard nothing, they were asleep until the police showed up and started looking around.” He smirked slightly, adding “Obviously they're heavy sleepers; apparently an officer woke them up by walking into their suite and turning on the light!”
“Go on, please,” Steve prompted, as Chin and Kono smiled in amusement.
“The house security detail was out on a foot patrol, which explains why they didn't answer the Governor's call.” Danny paused. “Unfortunately, they were patrolling at the front of the house and up the driveway, so they too didn't see or hear anything. But, one of the officers did have something interesting to report.” He turned a page in his book and quickly reviewed the information before continuing. “This isn't the first break-in to match this description. There was a similar one three days ago, at the office of city Councillor Benjamin Carlton. His brother Michael is the head of the security detail for the Governor's home, and he just happened to be with Benjamin when the call came in about his office.”
“Oh?” Steve leaned forward, suddenly very interested. “Another break-in? Exactly like this one?”
“Apparently so,” Danny confirmed, tapping the notebook. “Middle of the night, lots of damage but nothing stolen, nobody injured. And one eyewitness, a night cleaner who was in the office two doors away. He reported hearing the Councillor's door being broken down, and when he went to check, he saw a rough-looking group of people breaking things up.” The detective shook his head. “They ran, or shuffled away, according to the witness.”
“Not you too, Danno,” Steve said in dismay. “The vandals shuffled away?! You're starting to sound like Kono, with his tales of the supernatural!”
“Hey!” Kono protested faintly, looking mildly outraged, while Danny shifted self-consciously and tried to quell a return of the unsettled feeling that had been lurking at the edge of his consciousness since his abrupt awakening from the nightmare not even twelve hours ago.
“I'm just reporting what the witness said,” Dan said defensively. “But really, Steve, it's a bit too much of a coincidence, wouldn't you say?”
“Yes, I would tend to agree.” Steve was already jotting notes on the pad in front of him. The Five-O chief frowned as he contemplated the information. “Coincidences and politicians do not sit well together, gentlemen. We need to get to the bottom of this, and fast.” He stood and began to pace behind the desk, snapping his fingers in the familiar ritual of deep thought. “Chin, Kono, follow up with Che and the lab on the evidence you collected from the Governor's residence,” he instructed. “There must be something they left behind that we can use to identify them.”
“Sure thing, Steve,” Chin replied for both of them, as he and Kono stood in preparation to leave.
“What about me, Steve?” Danny inquired.
“Danno, I want you to start by following up on that break-in at Councillor Carleton's office. Speak to that witness again, and get the cold hard facts, not a ghost story!” The lead detective fixed a stern gaze on his second-in-command. “I want this gang of vandals tracked down quickly!”
“I'll get right on it.” The young detective slid off the desk, stretching slightly and taking a last gulp of his cooling coffee. “I may even do some calling around, to see if there's been trouble like this in any other public official's home or office.”
“That's a good idea, Danno.” Steve's scowl eased slightly, and he looked thoughtful as he too rose and reached for his jacket. “I'll be briefing the Governor shortly. Perhaps he can give me some more information now, in the clear light of day.” He picked up a file and tucked his notepad inside. “We'll meet back here later and put our notes together then.”
“Right.” Dan headed out the door and into his cubicle. Setting his notepad and pencil on the desk, he reached for both his phone and a thick directory of government listings, and before long he was dialling a series of numbers. So intent on his conversation was he that he didn't notice when Kono stuck his head in to say goodbye, or even when Steve breezed past the door on his way out of the office. It was almost an hour later when Danny finally headed down the Palace stairs and out into the bright afternoon sunshine.
“Gentlemen.” The lead detective was seated at his desk, notepad at the ready, as his slightly tired looking team entered the room. “I have a meeting with the Governor in less than an hour, so I hope you have some information for me.”
Chin and Kono exchanged glances, and it was the Oriental detective who spoke up to report the results of their investigation. “We went outside to the area around the window,” he began. “Sure, we found footprints, lots of them, under the window and across the grounds. Couldn't tell how many people there were, though.”
“Oh?” Steve raised an eyebrow. “Why was that, Chin?”
“They was all smudged together, odd sizes and distances apart, boss.” Kono broke in before Chin had a chance to reply. “Looked like some of them had been dragging their feet, leaving a trail of flattened grass behind them.”
Chin looked exasperated, but he nodded in agreement at the Hawaiian's unusual description. “That's how it looked to me too, Steve,” he admitted. “No clear prints. Che Fong took photos and some plaster impressions, anyway, just to check. We also found what looked like a sleeve from a jacket or heavy shirt...”
“All torn up, ragged, just like the Governor said!” Again Kono pushed forward with the explanation, interrupting Chin with his enthusiasm. “The lab has that too, looking for fingerprints from whoever,” he paused dramatically. “... or whatever dropped it.”
The Five-O chief looked nonplussed for a moment, seemingly at a loss for what to say to his detective. Finally, shaking his head, he turned his attention to the third officer in the room, who was perched in his usual spot on the corner of the desk. “Please tell me you have something a bit more concrete than smudged footprints and a sleeve,” he said, a hint of exasperation showing in his tone.
“I think I might.” Danny already had his notebook open and was flipping through the pages. “I was speaking to all the staff who were at the Mansion last night. The couple who are responsible for maintenance and housekeeping heard nothing, they were asleep until the police showed up and started looking around.” He smirked slightly, adding “Obviously they're heavy sleepers; apparently an officer woke them up by walking into their suite and turning on the light!”
“Go on, please,” Steve prompted, as Chin and Kono smiled in amusement.
“The house security detail was out on a foot patrol, which explains why they didn't answer the Governor's call.” Danny paused. “Unfortunately, they were patrolling at the front of the house and up the driveway, so they too didn't see or hear anything. But, one of the officers did have something interesting to report.” He turned a page in his book and quickly reviewed the information before continuing. “This isn't the first break-in to match this description. There was a similar one three days ago, at the office of city Councillor Benjamin Carlton. His brother Michael is the head of the security detail for the Governor's home, and he just happened to be with Benjamin when the call came in about his office.”
“Oh?” Steve leaned forward, suddenly very interested. “Another break-in? Exactly like this one?”
“Apparently so,” Danny confirmed, tapping the notebook. “Middle of the night, lots of damage but nothing stolen, nobody injured. And one eyewitness, a night cleaner who was in the office two doors away. He reported hearing the Councillor's door being broken down, and when he went to check, he saw a rough-looking group of people breaking things up.” The detective shook his head. “They ran, or shuffled away, according to the witness.”
“Not you too, Danno,” Steve said in dismay. “The vandals shuffled away?! You're starting to sound like Kono, with his tales of the supernatural!”
“Hey!” Kono protested faintly, looking mildly outraged, while Danny shifted self-consciously and tried to quell a return of the unsettled feeling that had been lurking at the edge of his consciousness since his abrupt awakening from the nightmare not even twelve hours ago.
“I'm just reporting what the witness said,” Dan said defensively. “But really, Steve, it's a bit too much of a coincidence, wouldn't you say?”
“Yes, I would tend to agree.” Steve was already jotting notes on the pad in front of him. The Five-O chief frowned as he contemplated the information. “Coincidences and politicians do not sit well together, gentlemen. We need to get to the bottom of this, and fast.” He stood and began to pace behind the desk, snapping his fingers in the familiar ritual of deep thought. “Chin, Kono, follow up with Che and the lab on the evidence you collected from the Governor's residence,” he instructed. “There must be something they left behind that we can use to identify them.”
“Sure thing, Steve,” Chin replied for both of them, as he and Kono stood in preparation to leave.
“What about me, Steve?” Danny inquired.
“Danno, I want you to start by following up on that break-in at Councillor Carleton's office. Speak to that witness again, and get the cold hard facts, not a ghost story!” The lead detective fixed a stern gaze on his second-in-command. “I want this gang of vandals tracked down quickly!”
“I'll get right on it.” The young detective slid off the desk, stretching slightly and taking a last gulp of his cooling coffee. “I may even do some calling around, to see if there's been trouble like this in any other public official's home or office.”
“That's a good idea, Danno.” Steve's scowl eased slightly, and he looked thoughtful as he too rose and reached for his jacket. “I'll be briefing the Governor shortly. Perhaps he can give me some more information now, in the clear light of day.” He picked up a file and tucked his notepad inside. “We'll meet back here later and put our notes together then.”
“Right.” Dan headed out the door and into his cubicle. Setting his notepad and pencil on the desk, he reached for both his phone and a thick directory of government listings, and before long he was dialling a series of numbers. So intent on his conversation was he that he didn't notice when Kono stuck his head in to say goodbye, or even when Steve breezed past the door on his way out of the office. It was almost an hour later when Danny finally headed down the Palace stairs and out into the bright afternoon sunshine.