FIVE TIMES PLUS ONE 4

Five times the past came back to bother them, and once it gave them happiness

Part 3 of The Lies We Told Each Other

Tom, Pete, and Sarah have complex personal histories. Here are five times her past landed the Kazansky-Mitchell family on other people's radar. Some mistakes, some pain, a lot of courage to move on.

Fandoms:
Top Gun (Movies), Hawaii Five-0 (2010)

Relationships:
Tom "Iceman" Kazansky/Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams

Characters:
Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, Steve McGarrett, Danny "Danno" Williams, Chin Ho Kelly, Lori Weston

Additional Tags:
Crossover, 5+1 Things


INDEX: https://palabraspulsares.blogspot.com/p/the-lies-we-told-each-other-3-five.html

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Chapter 4: When Steve McGarrett saw an old photo of Pete Mitchell 

Summary:
October 2011. While investigating the murder of Koi Kahale, the Hawaii Five-0 team discovers files from Pete Mitchell's first trip to Honolulu in 1976.

"He exudes an innocence that's part of his charm.
Maybe part of his success is that when people see him on the screen,
they would, in a fantasy, like to corrupt that innocence."
Martin Scorsese on Tom Cruise

 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 2 am, "The Moan" Bar, Honolulu, O'ahu Island

He got out of the truck and approached the bar with a determined step. He waved to a pair of police guarding the perimeter and walked under the yellow tape. As soon as they recognized him, the reporters began shouting questions. He did not turn his head in their direction. He had learned early that they could take even his facial expressions as "revelations," right now, his face only reflected anger at the interrupted sleep.

Entering through the wide-open door, he noted with satisfaction that the police had already cleared the area and only bar staff remained, judging by their neon pink t-shirts with "Moan" printed in black and super tight pants. Seven of them had been seated at tables and had bored faces while a couple of officers, with a look of interrupted sleep, did their first interview. On top of the bar was an evidence collection case, and Charlie Fong was dusting the surface to recover prints. At the back of the room, he saw Sergeant Lukela talking in a low voice with another police officer in uniform. He headed there.

"Ah! McGarrett," Duke greeted, "I was surprised the governor left us this."

Steve raised his hands in a gesture of peace. Things were starting off badly if even Lukela believed that Five-0's intervention was a bad idea.

“I don't know anything, Duke. Denning's secretary woke me half an hour ago and said to bring the team here. Chin and Officer Weston are on their way. Can you tell me what happened here?”

Sergeant Lukela exchanged a worried look with the officer -Mako, her badge said-. She snorted and said, "Fucking haoles" under her breath. McGarrett wasn't supposed to hear it, so he was polite and didn't notice.

“This bar belonged to Koi Kahale.”

Oh! That set off his alarms right away.

“Okay. From what I remember about that guy, he doesn't usually let anything go.”

Luke nodded. His eyes showed evident satisfaction at the commander's quick response.

"I said it belonged because he's dead," he pointed his thumb to the gallery behind him. “They executed him in his office. We think around midnight. His manager went to bring him a bill and found him shot three times. He called the police. We call organized crime. His boss decided to call the governor. Denning called you.”

Steve nods. He can see how taking the case away from organized crime and handing it over to the special force -the attack dogs, they call them- could make the department uncomfortable. At the same time, after the corruption cases that have rocked Hawaii with the murders of Meka Hanamoa and Governor Jameson, he understands why Denning wants detectives with no ties to Hawaii's underworld for this high-profile case.

Hawaii Five-0 is the only part of the state's police force that can guarantee this.

He sighs.

“This it's not my fault, Duke.”

“I know, kid. Do you want to see the scene?”

Steve opens his mouth to respond but hears familiar footsteps behind him and turns. Chin and Lori just entered the bar. He carries a tray with four cups of coffee in his hands. She only brings her coffee, which she drinks as she follows him with clumsy steps.

"Good morning," says Chin, affably.

He moves the coffee tray forward.

“Your latte, Duke, your mocha, Officer Mako.” -he turns towards the bar- “Charlie! I brought you a latte, too.”

Steve reaches for the fourth cup, but Chin pushes the tray away.

“What do you think you're doing?”

“It's not for me?”

Chin looks at him, surprised.

“Of course not! It's to make peace with Detective Gleason, who was taken off the case by the governor. Is he in there?” -he asks Duke.

“Yeah.”

Chin goes to enter the gallery, but Steve stops him.

“One moment! You bring coffee for the entire police team, but not for me?”

"You earn more than me, McGarrett," Chin responds impatiently. “I'm trying to improve interdepartmental relations, and do you get jealous?”

“I'm just saying. I also woke up at 1:30 am, and I'm part of the team.”

"I can't believe this," Chin growls. “Where is Danny?”

Steve raises his eyebrows, amazed at the change.

“He's at home.”

Duke, Chin, Lori, and Mako stare at him. Even Charlie stops his work at the bar and turns to him. He realizes what he said and rectifies it.

“In his house, I mean. Grace is with him because her mom had a party or something like that, and I thought he could at least wake his daughter up and take her to school. What does it have to do?”

Mako looks at Duke in disbelief. The old sergeant looks at the sky.

“Danny is the one who buys your coffee, McGarrett.”

The commander looks at them, surprised.

“Really?”

"Some attack dogs," Mako murmurs, again not quietly enough.

Steve opens his mouth. He can't ignore the comment this time, but Chin grabs him by the arm.

“Let's look at the scene and ask Detective Gleason what he knows. Stay here with Charlie Lori.”

The blonde just grunts and takes another sip of coffee.

 

Tuesday, October 3, 8:30 am, Hawaii 5-O Headquarters, Honolulu, O'ahu Island

"Well," Lori comments as Chin prepares his presentation of the case, "from what I learned last night, this is like the end of an era."

"That's right," Chin confirms.

Danny looks at them in disbelief from across the conference table.

“What is this? Another Hawaiian tradition no one told me about? Do we mourn the pimps who launder money in bars?”

“Danny!” -Chin looks at him, surprised.

"Koi Kahale was much more than that," Steve says as he approaches.

He puts a cup of coffee in front of Danny, looks meaningfully at his colleagues, and sticks out his chest proudly.

“Oh! I'm going to die? Is that what it's about?”

“What? Why do you say that?”

“You brought me coffee. You never bring me coffee, McGarrett! This is the kind of gesture you consider too compassionate and kind for your tough military identity. Now tell me, what's wrong?”

Steve looks desperately at Lori and Chin. She can't hide her amusement. He has something like pity in his eyes.

“McGarrett knows that what's coming will bother you, Danny.”

The blonde turns to Ho Kelly. His scandalous and false astonishment changed for concern.

“I'm listening.”

The detective nods and begins his presentation.

“Koi Kahale, born on Molokai in 1942, has been known in the criminal world of Hawaii since the late 1950s. He began by providing stationed soldiers with everything that the Army or Navy did not want to give them: drugs, sex, or French movies. Then, he spread to tourism. He had a network of bars, cabarets, and, more recently, discos, which he used to launder his money. He always maintained a tense coexistence with local gangs and the yakuza. Several generations of Hawaii police officers, the DEA, the FAA, and the FBI repeatedly tried to arrest him but could never prove the charges.”

"He was well connected," Williams agrees. "That explains why Denning wants us on the case. I still don't see anything special on his profile." -he sips the coffee- "Oh! This is really good, Steve. Exactly how I like it! Thanks, babe."

Steve nods but doesn't smile at him.

Lori makes a face and continues with the presentation.

“From what I learned this morning, the most accepted theory to explain why no one wanted to take over Kahale's business is that he exploited a very niche market: underage prostitution. Few people like the idea, but it makes a lot, a lot of money. So, he simply paid the crime families to ensure they did not intervene. It is also ideal blackmail material, which guarantees protection from law enforcement.”

Danny feels the trace of coffee in his mouth turn to ash. He swallows dry.

“Oh!” -is all he says.

His eyes pass, nervous and disgusted, over the face on the screen. It reveals nothing of his inner depravity. Fifty years destroying childhoods and no one... Has Nabokov visited any of the Koi Kahale properties? The idea is ridiculous, but he is oscillating between panic and rage. Of course, ridiculous ideas strike him.

"Danny," Steve puts a hand on his shoulder, the texture of his calloused fingers through the thin fabric of his shirt calming him a little, "do you need a moment?"

"No," he shakes his head and looks at Chin. “Go on.”

“Last night's execution was a professional job. the two guards Kahale had at the office door were sedated with darts, and the victim was shot three times, two in the chest, the third in the forehead with a short weapon, with a silencer. The estimated time of death is between midnight and one.”

“Do we already have the files from the security cameras in "The Moan"? -Danny asks.

"They just arrived," Steve reports, "but they only cover the public areas and the outer perimeter. The office corridor is the same as the bathroom; there is only one camera at the entrance, but from the angle, you cannot tell who entered the bathroom and who continued towards the office.”

"That gigantic blind spot can't be a coincidence," says Danny.

“Of course,” -Chin agrees- “privacy had to be guaranteed to those who came for the "other" business.”

“Okay, okay.” -the blonde takes a deep breath. “So, who do we suspect right now?”

Steve shrugs.

“After almost half a century of operations in a business like that, the question is who didn't want him dead, except some of his employees and clients,” -the commander muses. “It could be that the families decided to clean the house out of fear of Denning's aggressive policy of moralization. It could be someone from his blackmail network who decided to end the arrangement. Damm! It could even be one of his former victims.”

Danny turns to Lori.

“Can you do some of your criminal profiling magic to point us in a specific direction?”

She shakes her head, still looking at the crime scene photos on the screen.

“There's not enough, Danny. It was a meticulous and clean job, with no collateral damage, but that fits the profile of a hitman and a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder.”

"In the field of material evidence," Chin intervenes, "Charlie's team collected many sets of prints at the bar and are cross-referencing them with those from Kahale's office, but that would be circumstantial at best. Plus, with work of this quality, it's unlikely that whoever executed it left any traces last night."

They look to McGarrett for guidance. The commander sighs.

“I have a fun little job for each of you: review surveillance videos.” -he gives each person a USB memory. “These are the files from the bar's security cameras on the night of the murder. We will try to identify all the people who enter and exit the hallway leading to Kahale's office during the window we were given. We'll meet again when someone finds something interesting in the images or until Charlie and Max send an update.”

 

10:30 am, Hawaii 5-O Headquarters

“What's new?” -Danny asks while rubbing his eyes.

"Charlie sent an update on the fingerprints at the bar, and we have a suspect," Chin reports as he manipulates the digital table. “This is Peter Mitchell” -and with a gesture, he passes the military registration photo of a man with a wide jaw, black hair, and green eyes to the screen.

McGarrett makes a surprised noise. This is a Navy officer captain, as detailed in the basic profile accompanying the photo.

“And why is Captain Mitchell our suspect?”

As soon as he asks the question, Danny looks at him, curious. There is something in Steve's tone as if he fears the answer Chin will give.

“Mitchell's prints were already in the Hawaii Police database. He has been fined for speeding and reckless driving the four times he has visited the island in the last ten years.”

"Well, he's a Navy pilot. I can't imagine going less than 100 an hour would satisfy him, even to go for groceries," Danny comments.

Beside him, McGarrett nods silently, but his posture is tense.

“That is not important in this case. His fingerprints were in a much older record: Mitchell was one of the hundred people captured in a raid on the "The Moan" in 1976. It was one of the many and fruitless attempts to accuse Koi Kahale of something solid.”

MacGarrett massages his brow and bites his lip. It's clear he doesn't like where this is going.

"Wait, wait," Lori interrupts. “His file says that Mitchell was born in 1962. He was fourteen years old at the time. What was he doing…?” -and she stops because she has connected the dots. “Oh!”

"Yes," Chin sighs with a bitter smile and puts a new image on the screen. “This is probably Pete Mitchell's first mugshot.”

The photo is black and white, and the face has not yet lost the roundness characteristic of childhood, but his chin and nose are identical to his adult photo. The eyes are confrontational as if daring the police officer who took the picture to tell him something about the situation he finds himself in.

“But those records should be sealed.” -Danny can't contain the feeling that they are complicit in some kind of archival voyeurism. “He was a minor, a victim. Why are we seeing this?”

"Because of the Kato leak," McGarrett whispers.

“Oh!” -Danny feels that his nightmares have just acquired another element. He looks at Chin -It happened to Hawaii too?”

The Hawaiian nods. Now, it is Lori who looks at them disoriented.

“What is Kato leak?”

Danny and Chin exchange awkward glances. It is never pleasant to acknowledge the failures of the police system. Although Lori is his colleague now, she is ultimately a Department of Homeland Security agent. If she didn't know about the Kato scandal at the time, it's because she didn't need to. McGarrett puts them out of their misery by speaking up.

“In 2001, the federal government finally gave money to all the country's police departments to digitize their sealed files related to juvenile crimes in paper format. The goal was to build a database to better recognize child trafficking and exploitation patterns at the local, state, and national levels. The problem is that, as usual, they could have invested more in security. Five years later, when a lot of material had already been uploaded, a hacker, or group of hackers, entered the intranets of several police departments to specifically steal that data. All the FBI managed to determine was the digital signature: Kato. I found out from my father. He complained that he had warned about the lack of security of the department's intranet. From Danny's reaction, I assume that the city of New Jersey was another victim.”

"Yes," the blonde agrees. “But that doesn't explain why Mitchell's prints connect us to a case from 1976. If it's sealed, it should stay sealed for the police, even if it was stolen.”

Chin spreads his arms in defeat.

“Because the state of Hawaii, in its infinite wisdom, believed that the best way to deal with the feared wave of blackmail was to incorporate those files into the police database with a unique marker: they only appear when directly related to the case in question. Mitchell has been finned four times before by the traffic police, and this never came to light.”

Danny doesn't hide his mistrust. He can see from Lori's expression that she doesn't like the solution either.

"That's re-victimizing," she says. “It cannot be assumed that, because a person was the victim of a sexual crime before turning eighteen, they are automatically suspicious of whatever happens to their perpetrator thirty or forty years later.”

"No," Chin admits uncomfortably, "but in this case it has been useful."

“How?” -she snaps without hiding her skepticism.

“Because, according to his credit card records, Mitchell had never been to that bar in his four previous visits. Why did he return to "The Moan" now?”

"That might have nothing to do with Kahale," McGarrett interjects.

The rest of the team looks at him strangely. He returns a surprised expression.

“Mitchell is a Navy officer, "The Moan" is a gay bar.” -he extends his arms. “Should I say more?”

“Oh!” -Lori remembers. “The repeal of DADT last month.”

“Exactly.”

"Anyway, I think it would be good to check Mitchell's alibi," says Chin.

“Okay. Send me his hotel information to the phone.” -the commander agrees. “Come on, Danny.”

 

Tuesday, October 3, 11:30 am, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, O'ahu Island

They knock on the door of Mitchell's suite.

“Who is it?” -asks a male voice.

“Hawaii Five-0, police.”

A smiling blond man opens it. He has a similar height to McGarrett, a retro-wave mustache, and two small scars on his left cheek. He wears a horrible Hawaiian shirt and beige cotton pants. He looks them up and down, and the smile fades from his face. He turns towards the interior of the suite.

“Dad! The pair of strippers you ordered me are not my type.”

Steve and Danny look at each other in shock. Before they can intervene, Mitchell appears, dressed in a white T-shirt, tight jeans, and a long-sleeved plaid shirt.

"I didn't order any strippers, Brad," he says with a revolted expression. “I love you, but I'm not interested in helping you empty the pipes. You are an adult.”

"We're real police officers," Danny intervenes, definitely not wanting to see how this little family misunderstanding ends. He shows his badge. “We are Detectives Williams and McGarrett. We want to speak with you, Mr. Mitchell.”

Brad makes an exasperated face.

“Again?” -He turns to his father. “I would like us to finish our vacation in Hawaii once, just once, without the police coming to complain about how you drive.”

Mitchell smiles at his son.

“I wouldn't be your father, then. You know I feel the need...”

"Yes, of course, the need for speed," the young man interrupts in a tired tone.

“And since you're not interested in knowing which speed sensor I threw to the ground this time, I'll go with the detectives to their office.” -he looks at them with sudden authority- “Right?”

Danny blinks, a little disoriented. They have lost control of this conversation if they ever had it. Was Mitchell waiting for them?

"Yes, exactly," McGarrett supports, smiling. “It's nothing serious, just a formality.”

But now, the young man looks at them with suspicion.

“What department did you say you were from?”

The commander's smile tightens a little.

“Hawaii Five-0.”

"Don't worry, Brad," Mitchell says. “I'll be back in a while. You entertain yourself with one of the cucumbers in the suite's kitchen.”

“Dad!”

The captain takes advantage of the fact that his son is all red and looks at the two detectives with embarrassment to go out into the hallway and close the door behind him.

"I just want to make it clear that these things only happen with you," Danny says as soon as they sit in the car.

“With me?” -Steve asks, amazed, as he maneuvers to leave the hotel parking lot.

“When I go to interview people with Chin or Lori, no one ever believes that we are strippers, or sex workers of any kind, McGarrett.”

“Hey Danny, it's not my fault that people project strange things when they see me, okay?”

“No, it's not my fault, he says. But he doesn't stop swimming every day in the early morning to stay like a damn underwear model.”

“Are you saying I'm pretty, Danny?”

"I must admit, retirement life suits you, McGarrett," Mitchell says from the back seat in an amused tone. “Less than two years, and you're already married.”

“Do you know each other!?”

The commander looks at the captain angrily through the rearview mirror.

“I am not retired, but in the reserves.”

Mitchell waves his hand as if downplaying the distinction.

“Steve! I asked you a question. Where do you know him from?”

"From San Diego," he admits with a guilty tone. “I was stationed at the San Diego Naval Base, and we met there.”

"It's a small community, the Navy," Mitchell explains and turns to look by the window.

Danny feels betrayed. At the same time, he's not sure why, but Steve not denying that they're “married” makes him feel something funny in his stomach. It's the first time he's just let it go.

They don't speak for the rest of the trip.

 

Noon, Hawaii 5-O Headquarters, Honolulu, O'ahu Island

Before arriving, Steve sends Lori and Chin on various missions outside the headquarters.

He takes Mitchell to his office, closes the door, and closes the blinds. Williams is surprised by the attention he pays to the suspect's privacy, but he doesn't say anything, just sits beside him behind the bureau. His colleague gives him an uncomfortable look, clears his throat, and begins the interview in an unusually formal tone.

“Captain Mitchell, we want to interview you regarding the death of Koi Kahale. Mr. Kahale was murdered today in his office inside the "The Moan" bar between midnight and one in the morning.”

"Uh-huh," says Mitchell, looking at his hands.

“Do you know anything about that bar or that man?”

“The margaritas are delicious. I hope that does not change with the new management.”

Danny snorts, realizing that the relationship between McGarrett and Mitchell prevents his colleague from being as aggressive as usual. Is the captain a rank higher than a commander in the Navy? He doesn't know it, but it's clear that Steve doesn't feel up to harassing this man until he confesses. He decides to intervene.

“You were waiting for us, Mitchell. Can you explain why?”

“I learned about Kahale's death on the local news this morning. I was in that bar last night," he shrugs, "I'm always on the list of usual suspects," he concludes bitterly.

“But did you know the bar before? Did you know it was Kahale's property?” -he insists.

Mitchell narrows his eyes at Williams as if trying to understand him.

“Of course, I knew the place. One doesn't forget the counter where they took your virginity," he says without intonation.

McGarrett makes a strangled sound, half surprised snort and half outraged growl. Williams feels his eyes prickle and, disturbed by the calmness with which Mitchell talks about his rape, looks away at the wall.

“Although the smell is different now since you can no longer smoke inside the bar. And I didn't know it still belonged to old Koi, no.”

“What time did you leave the bar?” -Williams asks when he manages to regain his composure.

“Shortly after eleven, I think. I'm not sure about that because, like I told you, the margaritas are excellent.”

“Did you return to the Hilton Hawaiian Village with your son?”

“No!” -The captain seems almost disgusted by the idea. “Bradley had found company for the night. We separated.”

“So you went to…?” -Danny makes a rotating movement with his hand, like pulling a fishing line.

"I went to the sea," Mitchell concludes as he plays with a steel-gray ring on his right hand. “The memories made me feel bad, so I walked to the coast. I was meditating there with the help of a bottle of vodka. I woke up at dawn and went back to the hotel.”

The detectives exchange worried glances.

“Are you saying that you have no alibi for the time of the murder?”

Mitchell looks at McGarrett as if he were a not very smart person.

“I don't need an alibi because I didn't kill him, commander. Look for a gunpowder test or DNA or something like that.”

“We don't have...” -the ringing of his cell phone interrupts Steve.

Catherine's photograph appears on the screen. Puzzled, he motions to apologize to the other two men, turns to the wall, and responds.

“What did you do?” -the scream is so loud that he has to move the device away from his ear.

“Cate, what's wrong?”

“Why is Maverick at the Hawaii Five-0 Headquarters, Steve?”

“How…?” -but he thinks better of it, gets up, and leaves the office. “How do you know that?”

“Because they ordered me to triangulate his phone.”

“That makes no sense. He's just here to answer some questions. He will leave at any moment” - although, as he says it, he realizes it won't be that way.

Maverick has no alibi, but he does have a motive and the training to carry out an operation like the one that cost Koi Kahale his life. He's a viable suspect with the resources to leave Hawaii. They have to hold him.

“Look, I don't know what made you think taking Maverick Mitchell from his hotel was a good idea, but the order to locate him came fifteen minutes ago. I finally escaped from the analyst room and locked myself in the bathroom to tell you.”

He checks his watch.

“Fifteen minutes? It's been forty since we went to pick him up. That means the alarms went off twenty minutes after he left with us. Voluntarily, I might add. Who…?”

“Who ordered to locate Maverick with all the capacity of the Navy as soon as he disappeared?” -she interrupts him sarcastically. “Do you really have to ask me that?”

“Ups!”

“Yes, very eloquent sailor. I hope you have something better to say to Kazansky.”

Now, he's starting to panic.

“Is he in Hawaii?”

“Of course, he's in Hawaii. Kazansky is the Central Command commander, and Mitchell is in San Diego after the deactivation of the Second Fleet. Why else would Mitchell be here if not to meet him?”

“Well…”

"I have to go," she interrupts him again. “I've been in the bathroom for too long already.”

And hangs up.

McGarrett returns to his office, where Danny laughs at what Maverick tells him. He raises his eyes to him with an amused expression.

“So "Smooth Dog"? I never imagined you could have such a cute nickname, Steve.”

“Come on, doesn't it make you want to pet him every time you see him? What did you call him?” -Mitchell puts his index finger against his lips while pretending to try to remember- “Ah! Yes, underwear model. Let me tell you, I agree.”

“Very funny, Maverick. Using military information to get Danny on your side. And you shouldn't talk like that.”

“Why not? President Obama has freed me,” -he raises his arms above his head. “I'm so happy I could almost vote Democrat.”

Steve grimaces in discomfort and returns to his seat.

“The repeal of DADT does not mean the end of homophobia in the armed forces.”

“No, but for the first time in my life I can sleep without fearing losing my job for being who I am.”

“Talking about being who you are. That bottle of vodka that you say accompanied you last night. Maybe it is on the beach? We can locate it and prove that…”

The captain shakes his head.

“I threw it into the water.”

“Mav, you have to help me out here! Without an alibi or evidence that you were somewhere else, I am obliged to arrest you.”

The green eyes reflect sadness, and the lips twist into a tired smile. He doesn't stop playing with the ring.

“I was alone on the beach all night, sorry.”

It occurs to Danny that this whole discussion is ridiculous. This man spent thirty years in the closet in the Navy, but one night in the wrong bar will destroy his career. He opens his mouth to say that they could invent something, maybe let him sleep in one of the offices until they solve the case, but the sound of footsteps outside makes him change his focus.

“What's going on out there?”

Before he reaches the office door, it opens. A tall, blonde man enters, a turbulent expression in his broad face. He wears the white uniform of the Navy and three silver stars on his epaulets.

McGarrett and Mitchell get up right away.

“Vice Admiral Kazansky!”

“Ice! What are you doing here?”

Kazansky looks Mitchell up and down.

“Bradley called me, of course.”

Then he turns to McGarrett. His eyes harden.

“You have courage, Smooth Dog, but little judgment.”

Only the awareness that that is Steve's nickname in the Navy keeps Danny from jumping at the moniker. He intervenes anyway.

“Excuse me. Not that seeing you both in this macho versus macho staring contest isn't fun and all, but the civilian here would like to know what gives you the right to barge into our office, mister...”

"Vice Admiral," Steve rectifies.

“If so, what brings you here, Vice Admiral Kazansky?”

“Looking for my partner.”

There's something about the way he says "partner" that confuses Williams. The intonation is deeper than the rest of the phrase. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices that Steve tenses even more. He assumes that it is a Navy code, like nicknames, but this indicates danger.

“Yes, that is understandable, but mister, sorry! Captain Mitchell has not been able to give us an alibi for the period between eleven thirty at night and one in the morning. Without that, we can't let him go. He's a person of interest in a murder case, you know?”

Kazansky looks at Mitchell curiously.

“What did you tell them?”

"That I went to the beach with a bottle of vodka," the brunette answers while playing with his ring and looking at the ground.

“Really?” -Kazansky shakes his head and puts a hand on the captain's shoulder. Mitchell raises his eyes with a challenging expression.

“Really.”

Kazansky smiles at him, but it is a sad gesture. He takes a deep breath and turns to McGarrett and Williams.

“You must excuse Pete. The repeated ejections have caused problems with his memory. Obviously, he told you about some other night many years ago. Yesterday, when we left "The Moan," -Mitchell groaned when he heard "we"- “Bradley went to the hotel with a companion, and we…”

"Ice, no." Maverick's tone is a prayer. Kazansky ignores him.

“... we went to the house that the Navy assigned me during my visit. We drank some more and went to sleep.”

Danny blinks, unsure of what he can make from that statement. A man can go sleep at his friend's house, of course. But the way Kazansky said "partner" and Mitchell's insistence on excluding the vice admiral from his testimony suggests otherwise.

“That's very good. However…”

“Danny” -now it is McGarrett who tries to stop him, but Williams ignores him. He has to get to the bottom of this.

"However," he repeats, "Mitchell may have left after you fell asleep."

Something violent shakes Kazansky. His pupils contract, and the blue of his irises almost makes the black of his eyes disappear. It's so brief that Danny wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been paying close attention to the officer's every reaction. The vice admiral blinks, and his eyes are calm again. He smiles, but it is like a predator that shows its teeth.

“I'll be more explicit, Detective Daniel Williams,” -the use of his full name makes McGarrett react, and he stands next to his partner with a defensive attitude. “Pete Mitchell and I slept together last night. In addition, the house has a Navy security team assigned to it. You can interview them. They will testify that we entered at eleven forty-five at night, and no one left until this morning.”

“Oh!”

“Now, if you'll excuse us. I only have three more days of leave.”

Kazansky puts his arm around Mitchell's shoulders and spins him around to leave the office. Steve reacts when he already grabs the door handle.

"Sir," they both look at him over their shoulders. “Congratulations.”

Kazansky sums up pride. Mitchell smiles shyly.

"Thank you," says the captain.

A week later, there is no progress with the case, and Five-0 has to dedicate his efforts to the sad story of Blake Spencer. After that, they finally get Kono back, but even with one more person on the team, they don't make any progress on the case. The work was excellent, and no one mourns Koi Kahale's death enough to provide clues.

Meanwhile, the Noshimuri family takes over the Kahale business in a way that surprises many - not Kono -. Adam, whom old Hiro Noshimuri is grooming as his heir, sets up a small rehabilitation program for the victims, with psychological help and resources to relocate outside of Hawaii if they wish. Kahale's lieutenants appear dead throughout the archipelago in particularly gruesome styles throughout October. Even those who flee Hawaii when they realize they are being hunted. The police try to prove that the executions are the work of Michael Noshimuri, Hiro's brutal youngest son, but there is not enough evidence, and, for once, the boy seems to be doing a genuine social service.

 

Monday, October 31, 4:30 pm, Hawaii 5-O Headquarters, Honolulu, Oahu Island

Danny finishes organizing the Kahale case materials. The governor has ordered to close the investigation and declare it a "cold case." They must complete the file and send it to archives. He reread the documents carefully because the way in which they found their only suspect still seems highly questionable to Williams. The least he can do is ensure that Mitchell's privacy is protected in the files Five-0 controls.

When he goes back over his notes, he remembers a detail that seemed strange to him at the time, but never confirmed. Determined, he goes to McGarrett's office.

“Hey, Steve, about the Kahale case.”

“Yeah?” -answers the commander without looking away from his computer screen.

“Kazansky never asked us why we had gone looking for Mitchell. I told him his partner was a person of interest in a murder investigation, and he didn't even ask who had died. Doesn't that seem strange to you?”

McGarrett stops typing, steps away from the table, and looks at Danny intently. The blonde knows that look. Steve is deciding how much of his life in the Navy he can reveal to him.

“Did Mitchell tell you why they call him Maverick?”

“Yes, because it flies like crazy.”

“They called me Smooth Dog because I could sneak into any place with my charms, I am faithful and bite hard.”

“I don't doubt it, baby.”

“They call Kazansky Iceman because he plans everything perfectly and doesn't make mistakes. He is one of the greatest strategic minds of the second half of the 20th century. He and Maverick have been inseparable since 1986 when they saved each other's lives in the Indian Ocean. They are a legend in the Navy. Remember Cate called me halfway through the interview?” -Danny nods– “It was to tell me that Kazansky had ordered Mitchell's cell phone signal to be triangulated. So, when he entered this building, he had already read our files and knew perfectly well what we were investigating.”

“Wait, our files aren't classified? We are the governor's task force!”

McGarrett raises his eyebrows.

“Kazansky was director of Naval Intelligence and is the Naval Forces Central Command commander. Very few databases are closed to that man.”

“Okay” -other things continue to bother him, but he knows it's better not to talk about it in this place. “I'll finish in five minutes, and we'll leave, okay? We have to pick up Grace for the Halloween stroll.”

Already in the car, Danny tries to yank the final thorn.

“Steve, don't you think it's strange that Kazansky took Mitchell to that particular bar?”

“Yes, I thought about that too. It didn't fit with what I know about Iceman. But then I started thinking about the time of the crime. Iceman and Maverick were drinking, probably toasting, to the freedom that the repeal of DADT gives them, just as Koi Kahale was executed. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced it was not a chance visit. Kazansky wanted Mitchell to know that he knew about his visit to Hawaii in 1976. Plus, there are the rings.”

“The rings?”

“Maverick had a ring that he played with constantly.”

“Yeah.”

“What do you remember about the ring?”

“Well... it was steel gray, had texture, like a very fine printed filigree, and was new. The finger had no discoloration around it.”

“Very good. Now, try to remember Kazansky's hands.”

Detective Williams closes his eyes to focus on the memory. To be honest, he didn't pay much attention to the vice admiral's hands. Only when he put his hand on Mitchell's shoulder could he see that... He turns to Steve, surprised.

“His ring was identical. Oh!” -he suddenly understands- “That's why you congratulated them.”

“Yeah. I think they got engaged that night.”

Danny can't help but feel skepticism toward the strange alignment of events.

“The person primarily responsible for Mitchell's sexual abuse dies coincidentally on the night his twenty-five-year-old partner proposes to him?”

Steve glances at him out of the corner of his eye, still paying attention to the helm because it's Halloween afternoon, and many people like to start to celebrate early. Neither believe in coincidences, which is impossible when you work as an investigator, whether in counterterrorism or robbery.

They're turning down the street from the Edwards mansion when Danny decides to close the issue.

“It was a hell of a personalized engagement gift.”

 

INDEX: https://palabraspulsares.blogspot.com/p/the-lies-we-told-each-other-3-five.html