Kathy’s Home Page

LUCKY LADY

The Hawaiian night sky twinkled with stars under a full moon. The moonlight gave a yellow hue to the white yacht as it bobbed up and down with the ocean tide. The cabin lights added to the moonlight as a woman opened the cabin door and stepped out onto the deck.

The sequins on her evening dress glistened in the available light. The remains of a martini were in the small glass she held in her hand. Slowly she made her way to the bow of the vessel and sipped the drink as she gazed out at the night. The night air was cool and refreshing and she breathed in deeply the salt air. It was a nice change from the smoke filled cabin where the meeting was taking place.

Moments later the cabin door opened. A stocky man in his fifties stepped out and approached her. "Kay, come back inside. Quan Lee wants to see you."

She glanced over at Julian then back at the star filled sky. She detested the man that walked toward her. "I know what he wants and I'm not going to do it." She replied cynically taking a sip of the martini.

"Quan Lee is a very important man and I want to make a good impression tonight. Please, come back inside."

"No." She bluntly responded. "I will not stand by and be subjected to his or anyone's lewd behavior. And you can go back in there and tell him I said so."

"Kay," Julian said in a curt tone as he grabbed her arm to lead her back inside. "I insist."

"Let go!" Wrestling her arm from his grip she threw the remains of her drink in his face. "I came along this evening because you wanted a hostess, but that's all!"

Enraged as the liquid dripped from his face onto his expensive suit Julian slapped her face with the back of his hand. The empty glass hit the deck and broke as her head jerked from the impact.

Holding her hand to her cheek she turned and looked indignantly at Julian. "You won't change my mind."

"Very well Kay," He growled glaring at her, "I won't forget this," he mumbled, as he returned to the cabin.

Watching as Julian closed the door she sighed in relief. He had asked her to accompany him to this meeting as hostess to his guests. He also told her that her presence could ease the tension of the negations. She had returned to the islands two weeks earlier because she was suspicious of the circumstances in which her fiancé was killed.

Turning her face to the night sky her thoughts were of Michael. It's been three long months since his death and she missed him dreadfully. They were to be married a few weeks earlier, but then he was dead. Maybe she should have first gone to the police with her suspicions, she thought to herself, instead of striking out on her own. It was hard for her to believe that he died in a car accident. On weekends he raced cars on the local track. There was no way he would lose control, on any road.

She began now wished she had gone to the police with her suspicions about Julian Brazzo. Julian Brazzo owned a warehouse in Honolulu along with a small staff of workers that he used for various moneymaking schemes, was leading this meeting on his latest venture on the rented yacht that night. From what she had overheard he was finalizing agreements with three other men to start importing and distributing heroin from China. The comments they made regarding a car accident three months earlier was enough and she left the cabin and went out on deck. But what would they think of her motives if she went to them now? Probably put her in jail for acting stupidly and putting her life in danger she thought. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off a chill as she pondered her predicament. If the time she spent with a certain cop that she still had fond memories of, taught her anything, it was not to purposely endanger one's life needlessly. What would he think if he knew what she was doing? Tears welled in her eyes. Perhaps it was too late to go to him and seek his help.

As she gazed out into the darkness not another light could be seen, not even another boat out this time of night. Suddenly she felt quite alone.

The last clear memory the woman had was a loud boom. She had vague images of covering her face with her arms and ducking as fragments of wood and glass that were propelled in all directions. But not before she was knocked her off her feet and hitting her head as she tumbled over the rail into the ocean.

Shuddering, the vessel lurched upward from the force of the explosion as a larger explosion immediately followed as the fuel in the tanks blew the sides out of the hull. A voluminous fireball rose high lighting up the night sky.

Debris rained down as the woman broke the surface of the water gasping for air. She struggled to keep her head above the water as blood from the cut on her forehead blurred her vision drifting her closer to unconsciousness. With the extra light provided by the fire from what was left of the hull of the yacht she could make out a life ring floating nearby. With all her remaining strength she wildly reached for it. Her fingers just brushed it and it floated out of reach.

She tried to swim closer to the ring, but she wasn't a good swimmer and didn't close the distance much. She thought about yelling for help but the yacht was so far from shore, she was sure no one would hear. She tried again to grab the ring. As her strength grew weaker she knew if she didn't pass out first she couldn't stay afloat much longer. Saying a short prayer, she tried again. This time she grabbed the nylon rope on the ring. With both hands she pulled it toward her and locked her arms around the life-giving support. And then her world slowly faded to grey and then black. The light slowly dimmed as the burning hull slowly slipped below the waters of the Pacific Ocean leaving behind only the moonlight and scattered burning debris on the water surface.

A long figure stood at the water's edge and gazed toward the western horizon through a pair of binoculars. When he saw the explosion in the distance he lowered the field glasses and a sinister smile grew on his face. A deep satisfaction filled the man as he watched the light fade in the distance before returning to his car and drove back to Honolulu.

***

The next morning two joggers were out for their morning run along a stretch of Wiamanalo Beach. As they made their way along their shore they began to see pieces debris in various sizes and remnants of burnt fabric. Some of the debris showed signs of being burned and others just scorched. Further down the beach they saw what looked to be a larger piece of debris lying at the waters edge. The closer they got they saw that it was the body of a woman. Her sequined dress was torn and burned. Her black hair was filled with sand obscuring her face and burns were evident on her upper body and arms.

The first jogger gasped at the sight, his first thoughts were that she was dead.

The second jogger stood in shock and swallowed hard at the sight. "Is she dead?" He finally said as he looked at his companion.

"I don't know." The first jogger replied as he cautiously bent down for a closer look. His curiosity got the best of him and he slowly he reached out and placed his fingers on her wrist. He felt a pulse, but it was weak. He turned to his companion and said. "Better call for an ambulance."

***

Danny Williams, Hawaii Five-O's second-in-command, exited his car and strode over the sand to where a doctor tended to the woman on the beach. Danny wasn't a tall man, more on the stocky side with wavy light brown hair sighed to himself as each step sifted sand into his shoes. He saw that a small crowd had assembled on the beach and watched like groupies as the ambulance attendants went about their work.

The attending physician pushed the woman's hair away from her face exposing a large bruise and cut on her forehead and her arms and face showed signs of burns. He winced at the sight of the extent of the injuries and watched as the attendants lifted the gurney and loaded it into the back of the waiting ambulance.

"Will she make it?" Danny asked the doctor as he walked past him on his way to the ambulance.

"I don't know yet." The doctor curtly said as he followed the gurney inside the ambulance. "Excuse me I need to get this woman to the hospital." One of the officers at the scene closed the back door of the vehicle and the siren announced its departure as it left for Queens Hospital.

A KGMB TV van drove up and parked just down the road. A man with a microphone followed by a second man with a shoulder-mounted camera exited the vehicle and approached one of the officers. They had been covering a race that was taking place not far away when the police call went out.

Everyone's troubles on the evening news Danny mused as he watched them approach.

Sergeant Duke Lukela, the liaison officer for Five-O was the officer in charge of the scene when Danny arrived. "Hi Danny," He said as he walked up. "Where's Steve?"

"He's in Hilo testifying at a trial." Danny replied. "He'll be back tonight. What do we have?"

"Those two joggers over there," Duke said as he pointed across the scene to two young men who stood there nervously, "found the victim."

"Any ID on the victim?" Danny asked as they walked over to the young witnesses.

"No." Duke replied shaking his head. "I have someone going to the hospital to take a set of fingerprints. We'll run them through the computer and see what we come up with."

"Good." Danny replied.

"I'm Danny Williams, Hawaii Five-O." Danny said as he displayed his badge by way of introduction as he approached the men. "Which one of you found the victim?" He asked as he put the badge away and brought out his notebook from his inside jacket pocket.

"I did." The first man, the taller of the two, replied nervously. "We were jogging along the beach and found her just lying there. At first I thought she was dead."

"Do you usually jog on this beach?" Danny asked.

"No," The first jogger replied, "the one we usually use was crowded due to the race today. Lucky for her we did, huh?"

"Yeah, very lucky." Danny replied solemnly. "Do you live near here?"

"Yeah," The second jogger replied, "about two miles up the beach."

"Did you hear anything last night or see anyone else on or near the beach this morning?" Danny continued.

"No, didn't hear anything," the second jogger answered, "didn't see anyone either. The beach was deserted this morning. I hope that lady's going to be all right." He added softly.

"So do we." Danny replied. "Is there anything else you can remember that will help?"

Both men shook their heads.

Returning his notebook to his jacket pocket, Danny said, "Thank you. That will be all for now."

Danny went back to the place where the victim had been found. A life ring lay on the sand near where the woman was found. He knelt down to examine it. His first impression was that it looked as if it had been exposed to some kind of heat. Besides the dark burn marks on the ring the attached nylon rope was melted in places, reinforcing his suspicion that it had been near some kind of intense source of heat. Taking out his pen he carefully lifted the ring and turned it over. The name Lucky Lady was printed in blue lettering on the styrofoam. It wasn't lucky for this lady he thought.

"What do you think, Danny?" Duke asked as he saw that Danny showed great interest in the life ring.

Lifting the ring with his pen so he could examine both sides, Danny asked. "What does this look like to you?"

"Looks like its been burned." Duke guessed as he knelt down next to Danny. "By a fire maybe?"

"That's what I was thinking, or maybe an explosion." Danny answered as he sniffed one of the burn marks. His forehead furrowed at the slight detection of an odor. "Check the marina's and see where this boat came from. And see that Che gets this along with the rest of this debris for examination." Danny said as he handed the life ring to Duke and gestured to the bits and pieces of debris that lined the water's edge. "Check the neighborhood to see if anyone saw or heard anything last night."

As he stood he scanned the beach in both directions and gazed out over the ocean. His initial thoughts were that this could be just the result of a simple boating accident.

"I'll let you know what I find out." The veteran officer said as he took the ring from Danny.

Danny returned to his car and left the scene. As he drove into town he didn't dwell on the evidence at the beach. It was HPD's jurisdiction he thought, and nothing about it would prompt Five-O's involvement.
                                                                    ***

Duke started his investigation by visiting the marinas in the area to find out where the Lucky Lady had been moored. He began at the Wiamanalo Bay Marina, since the debris had washed up just a few miles away. His conversation with the harbormaster revealed that the boat was not from there.

Thanking the man Duke returned to his car. Once seated, he took out his notebook and with a pencil drew a line through that marina on his list. Starting the car, he drove to the next location on his list and proceeded to work his way around the island.

After crossing five marinas off his list he began to wonder if the Lucky Lady was even moored on Oahu. The likelihood that it was moored at one of the neighbor islands was becoming a better possibility. It was late afternoon when he reached the Ilikai Boat Marina at Waikiki, the last name on his list. Emitting a deep sigh Duke got out of the squad car and approached the harbormaster's office and walked up to the receptionist.

She looked up from her work when she saw the uniformed salt and pepper-haired Hawaiian officer step up to her desk.

"I'm Sergeant Lukela, may I see to the harbormaster please."

"Just a moment officer," she replied politely as she picked up the phone punching the intercom for the office behind her. "A Sergeant Lukela of the Police to see you."

It didn't take long before the office door opened and the harbormaster stepped out and approached Duke. "Hello Sergeant, I'm Douglas Kalama, the harbormaster." He said cheerfully. "How can I help you?"

"Mr. Kalama, I'm looking for a boat by the name of Lucky Lady, was it moored here at your marina?"

"Just a moment Sergeant let me check my records." The Harbormaster said as he turned and asked the receptionist for list of vessels in the marina. She handed him a clipboard and he flipped through the pages until he stopped and his eyes scanned down the page as he read the names. "Sergeant," he said. "Lucky Lady is moored here. It was taken out late yesterday afternoon and was supposed to return this morning. But it's not logged that the vessel ever returned."

"Could you give me a description of the vessel and who owns it?" Duke asked as he prepared his pencil to write the information down.

"The marina owns it, Sergeant," Kalama replied as he closed the papers on the clipboard. "It's strictly a rental. It's a white fifty-five foot cabin cruiser."

"Can you tell me who rented it then?" Duke asked.

"That I can do." The harbormaster replied assuredly as he walked over the file cabinet pulled open the top drawer and retrieved the file that contained the rental agreement. He opened the folder and read from the contract. "It was rented by a Mr. Julian Brazzo. His address is forty-five-ten Ahakea, Kahala."

"Did he have any passengers with him?" Duke continued.

"He did, matter of fact." Kalama replied.

"Do you have their names?"

"We require the names of any and all passengers with our rentals," the harbormaster said as he returned his attention to the contract, "only as a precaution."

Finally a break Duke thought to himself as the harbormaster thumbed through the agreement file. It had been a long day driving all over the island looking for this marina. Logically he should've started here first being that it was the closest to the accident site.

"He had four passengers." Kalama stated. "Besides himself there was Quan Lee, Jackson Alapaki, Joe Colby and a woman by the name of Kay Kingston."

"Did they also hire a driver for the yacht?" Duke asked.

"Yes, Mr. Brazzo requested a captain." The harbormaster continued to read from his file. "Skip Tyler. He's one of our more popular captains to pilot our larger yachts."

"One more question Mr. Kalama, do you have the addresses for the passengers?"

"I'm sorry Sergeant," Kalama regretfully replied, "I don't."

"Thank you Mr. Kalama, you've been a big help." Duke replied as he closed his notebook. "Could I have a copy of the rental contract?"

"Sure." The harbormaster replied and stepped over to the copy machine and activated it. "Have you found the yacht? He asked as he handed the officer the copy, "I'd hate to think that our most popular rental is lost."

"No Mr. Kalama, we haven't found it yet," Duke replied as he took the paper, "but we think what's left of it washed up on Wiamanalo Beach early this morning."

The harbormaster stood speechless as he watched Duke close the office door behind himself.

As Duke walked back to his car, he looked at the names on the passenger list. He began to think that they seemed familiar, but he needed to consult the computer to be sure.

When Duke returned to HPD he went directly to his desk where he found a file neatly centered on his blotter. Flipping it open, he discovered it contained the fingerprints taken from the woman who was found on the beach. He picked up the file and with the passenger list in hand he headed for the computer room.

After several hours he had the retrieved as much information from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database as he could get on the names from the passenger list. It was almost ten that night when he submitted the last inquiry, a request for identification on the fingerprints from the woman from the beach.

What he got was not what he expected. Leaning back in his chair he read the screen. The reply stated that the information requested was not found. He checked the Bureau of Drivers Licenses and the utility companies. There was nothing to be found under the name Kay Kingston. It was like she didn't exist or didn't live on the island.
                                                                                ***
After picking Steve up that evening at the airport Danny drove back to town. "What's been happening since I left?" Steve asked.

"Not much Steve." He replied. "Except that a woman was found this morning on Wiamanalo Beach barely alive. Looked like she was hurt in some kind of boating accident. But there was one odd thing about it though."

"Like what?" Steve asked as he looked at the young detective.

"There was an strange odor on the life ring." Danny replied. "So I had Duke take the debris to Che to run some tests on. She had some burns on her face and arms and the debris that washed up with her showed signs of some kind of fire." He added as he made a left turn onto Steve's street.

"And the victim?" Steve prompted.

"In Queens Hospital," Danny answered as he slowed the vehicle, searching for a space between the parked cars. "She was still unconscious when the ambulance drove away."

A moment later he eased the car to a stop at the curb in front of Steve's condo.

Steve opened the door and then stopped. Turning back to look at his second-in-command he commented. "You have quite a bit of information for something that isn't a Five-O case."

"Well, I was in the area when the call went out." Danny said with a smile, "So I thought I would at least check it out."

Steve opened the door and then turned back to look at his second-in-command and said, "Thanks for the lift, Danno." Opening the rear door, he grabbed his briefcase. "See you in the morning." And shut the door.

Danny waved goodnight to his boss as he pulled out of the parking space. He was finally headed for home.

Entering his apartment he tossed his car keys on the end table and switched on the television to catch the evening news. The anchors had just begun to report on a woman that was found on the beach that morning. As he listened he mused, they'd cover anything, and tried to dismiss the whole thing as just a simple boating accident. HPD could handle it and went into the kitchen to start his dinner.
                                                                           ***

The next morning Duke rechecked the fingerprints for identification and got the same result, no information found. He felt Danny should know about this as soon as possible so he got up from the computer. It had been nearly forty-eight hours since the last time any of these men had been seen. And the yacht Lucky Lady was definitely overdue back at the marina. With the possible disappearance of the yacht and burnt debris on the beach, the evidence began to point to the fact that the yacht was indeed sunk and all those on board just might be dead.

Duke Lukela had been the HPD liaison for Five-O for several years, with complete access to the agency detectives, he considered them friends. He went directly to Danny's cubicle with four file folders. "Danny, you need to see this." He said. "Remember the debris that washed up with the woman over on Wiamanalo yesterday?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Danny still had thoughts that it was just an accident. But Duke's demeanor led him to more seriously consider that possibly it wasn't.

"I found out the boat was a yacht called the Lucky Lady." Duke began. "It was a rental out of the Ilikai marina. I got the passenger list from the harbormaster." And handed him the file. "It's required for all rentals. And look whose name is on the rental contract."

"Julian Brazzo." Danny said aloud as he read the name.

"Look who was with him." Duke added indicating the additional names on the contract.

Danny flipped one of the pages of the contract and read over the names listed. His eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. "Are you sure about this?"

"A passenger list is required when yachts are rented." Duke replied and saw Danny's reaction to the list.

"You know them?"

"Yeah." Danny replied. "I've heard of these guys. They all have arrest records for drug trafficking, but no convictions."

"Here's what I got from NCIC computer." Duke said handing Danny the folders that contained the information from the NCIC computer database on the names from the passenger list. "The harbormaster vouched for the captain but I couldn't find anything on the woman Kay Kingston."

"Nothing at all Duke?" Danny asked surprised that one didn't have a record. "You check for a drivers license or a local address?"

"Danny, I double checked, nothing." He said as he shook his head. "Do you think these guys were competition for the local crime syndicate?"

"Most likely unwanted competition." Danny replied as closed the folders and stepped away from his desk. "Steve needs to see this." He knocked on the big mahogany doorframe before walking into McGarrett's office.

Steve was reading over the previous day's blotter from HPD but looked up as his subordinate walked in. "What is it Danno?"

"Steve, remember what I was telling you about that girl that was found on Wiamanalo Beach?

"I remember Danno, what about it?"

"The life ring that was on the beach next to the her had the name Lucky Lady on it. Duke did some checking and the Lucky Lady is a rental yacht from the Ilikai Boat Harbor, and guess whose name is on the rental contract."

"Tell me." Steve replied, intrigued.

As Danny handed the folders to the Five-O chief he replied. "Julian Brazzo."

Steve took the folders, his face showed little surprise with the discovery. "So our friend Brazzo came up for air huh?" Flipping open the file containing the rental contract he began to read through the pages.

"He had four passengers with him." Danny continued.

"Joe Colby, Quan Lee, Jackson Alapaki and a Kay Kingston." Steve read aloud. "That's a fine lot." Then opened the other files Danny handed him. He felt that it was odd that all these men were in the same place at the same time. "What happened to the yacht?"

"The yacht was supposed to have returned to the marina yesterday morning." Danny answered. "And I detected a strange odor when I inspected the life ring."

Steve took a few moments to digest Danny's explanation before he glanced up from the file, "You think this wasn't an accident?"

"At first I didn't, Steve, on the outside chance it could've been an accident." Danny replied shrugging his shoulders. "But then to have all these characters on the same boat and have it sink from some suspicious cause?"

"Too much of a coincidence. Is that what you're saying Danno?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, it is."

Steve thoughtfully looked at Duke for a moment then at the young detective. He didn't discount Danno's hunches very often because most of the time they were right on.

"Steve," Duke put in, "I ran the woman's fingerprints for identification twice, she has no local address or driver's license, at least not in the State of Hawaii."

Steve grew more and more interested as Duke continued. "When I checked with NCIC the reply I got was that nothing was not available."

"Not available?" Steve replied curiously.

Just that moment the phone rang and Steve grabbed up the receiver and spoke his name into the receiver.

The voice of their forensics man Che Fong came over the phone. "Steve," Che said, "I've just finished my preliminary examination that debris Danny had HPD bring in yesterday. I found residue of an explosive on several of the objects."

"Explosive?" Steve answered as his interest in the case just tripled in size. "Can you tell what kind of explosive?"

"My best guess right now would be dynamite." The lab man said. "The debris has an odor that smells like toluene, which is a residue of dynamite, and sulfur. But I won't know for sure until I do more tests."

"Thanks Che. Let me know what you find out." Steve said and hung up the phone. "Danno, your hunch was right. Che found dynamite residue on the debris you had him examine."

"That would explain the odor." Danny thought out loud. "So it wasn't an accident."

"Apparently not," Steve answered in agreement setting his jaw. Rapping his knuckles on his desk as he stood. "Julian Brazzo was a banker, and a shady one at that. So what was he doing on same boat with Joe Colby," He referred back to the file, "and Jackson Alapaki and Quan Lee. All these men have rap sheets for trafficking drugs. What do we have in common here?"

"Well…," Danny began as his brow knitted in thought, "there's Colby's flight charter service…, Alapaki's import company… and a known Chinese heroin supplier, they all could be combined to create a new drug pipeline into the islands."

"Right Danno." Steve agreed, and went on to theorize. "Try this on for size, Quan Lee would ship the stuff, which most likely would be heroin, from China. Alapaki would import it into the islands under the ruse of a legitimate shipment of goods, and Colby would distribute using his charter service. And with Julian Brazzo and his money at the helm of this little operation, that makes it very likely." Steve looked at Danny. "And I bet you, that's why all four of those weasels were on that yacht."

"That sounds pretty wild Steve." Danny commented.

"Yeah it does sound wild. But what if it's true Danno?" Steve asked as he moved from behind the desk sat on its corner. "They could've flooded the island with heroin from a source we hadn't counted on. That bomb may have saved us and the courts a lot of work." He looked at Danny and Duke. "But that still leaves us with five murders to solve and one attempted murder, if your lady from the beach is the same one on the passenger list.

"Okay gentlemen, this opens up some big questions," Steve continued as he counted off on his fingers. "One, why were these men together on the same boat? Second, who would benefit by removing these key players? And third, who knew about this trip enough in advance to plant an bomb on board the yacht?"

"Duke, talk to your informants," Steve requested, "Somebody has to know something about what those men were up to."

"Will do, Steve," Duke replied and promptly left.

"Danno," Steve continued, "check who on the island has access to dynamite. Start with the construction sites. There's a lot of building going on right now. Have them check their inventories and see if they're missing anything."

"Right, Steve." Danny replied.

"What about this Kay Kingston." Steve asked. " Do you have anything on her?"

"Nothing, Steve." Danny answered. "Duke wasn't able to find anything on her at all, not even a local address."

"Danno, is she the woman who was found at Wiamanalo?"

"She could be Steve." Danny replied.

"Where's she now?" Steve asked.

"Queens Hospital."

"What's her condition?"

"She was unconscious when the ambulance drove away." Danny replied. "She was hurt pretty bad Steve."

"I'll go to the hospital and look in on the lady." Steve said as he closed the files and buttoned his jacket closed. "Danno, talk to the dock workers at the marina, other boat owners and fishermen. Somebody had to have seen somebody get on that boat two days ago with a package and leave empty handed sometime before it sailed."

"Will do, Steve." Danny replied as he followed his boss out of the office.

***

Steve maneuvered his big Mercury through the early afternoon traffic and turned onto the driveway of Queens Hospital bringing the car to a stop at the front door. He exited the vehicle and strode into the building, walking up to the patient information desk he presented his badge to the nurse seated behind the desk. "McGarrett, Five-O. I would like to speak to the doctor in charge of the patient that was brought in from Wiamanalo Beach yesterday morning."

"Do you have a name?" The nurse asked as she picked up her patient list.

"She may have been brought in as a Jane Doe." He answered returning his ID to the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Mr. McGarrett," She replied as she scanned the list, "we do have a Jane Doe, and she was brought in around the time you mention. She sustained a head wound and some second degree burns. Is she who you are looking for?"

"Could be." Steve replied.

"I can page the attending doctor if you like Mr. McGarrett." She offered.

"Please." Steve answered. "Thank you."

The nurse picked up her phone and dialed a number and requested that Dr. Ashford come to the information desk. Returning the receiver to its cradle she said. "The doctor will be here in just a moment Mr. McGarrett."

"Thank you." Steve replied and stepped away from the desk to wait. While he waited he casually watched the activity of the hospital staff.

"Mr. McGarrett," Said a middle-aged man with graying hair wearing a white lab coat as he walked up and extended his hand to the Five-O chief. "I'm Doctor Ashford."

"Doctor." Steve said as he acknowledged the physician and shook his hand.

"I understand you're interested in one of my patients."

"Yes, I am." Steve answered. "A woman, probably brought in as a Jane Doe yesterday morning from the windward side of the island."

The physician dropped his hands into the deep pockets of his coat. "I do have a patient that was brought in by ambulance from that side of the island." He replied. "She was unconscious when she was arrived."

"She could be the one I'm interested in Doctor." Steve said. "I'd like to know her condition."

"The woman has a deep laceration and a contusion on her forehead and has sustained numerous cuts and second degree burns on her face and arms. And from the severity of the head wound I suspect she suffered a concussion. Not to mention the amount of seawater she swallowed." Ashford added as he shook his head slowly. "I won't know for sure until she wakes up Mr. McGarrett."

"Why's that Doctor?" Steve asked curiously.

"With a concussion as severe as I suspect she has, there is the possibility of some type of memory loss." Ashford answered. "The proper name for it is retrograde amnesia. It develops in people who have sustained brain injuries."

"Retrograde amnesia?" Steve asked as his brow furrowed. "So what you are you telling me Doctor, is that she may not remember what happened to her?"

"That's exactly what I am saying." The physician replied. "She might not be of any help to you when she does wake up."

"Doctor," Steve said, "I need to ask her some questions. I suspect that what happed to her may not have been an accident."

"Not an accident…hmmm." The physician replied as he rubbed his chin. "Now that you mentioned it Mr. McGarrett, that could explain the bruises I found on the woman's upper arm and left cheek."

"Bruises?" Steve asked intrigued, "What kind of bruises?"

"Well, Ashford replied, "they're not in pattern with the rest of her injuries. There's one on her upper arm resembles something like hand print."

"And her cheek?"

"Your guess is as good as mine Mr. McGarrett, I'm just a doctor," The physician concluded, "solving puzzles is your department. I can call you when she wakes up, if you like."

"I would appreciate that Doctor, thank you." Steve answered bringing his badge wallet out and removing a business card and handed it to the physician. Returning the wallet to his jacket pocket he said goodbye and drove back to the Palace.

***

The next morning Joey Aresco walked up to a newspaper vending machine taking a coin from his pocket he dropped it into the slot and removed a copy of the Honolulu Advertiser, tucked it under his arm and continued down the sidewalk. His black hair wafted in the breeze as he walked along. He felt pretty good, a slight smile was on his acne-scarred face and his stride had a different beat to it.

Removing a pack of cigarettes from his pocket he took one out, stuck it between his lips then returned the package to his pocket. Stopping long enough to cup his hands around the flame, once it was lit he took a deep drag and continued to his car. The outlook for his new venture looked bright.

As Joey drove to his bungalow in the Pacific Heights district of Honolulu he hummed along with the music playing on the radio and tapped his hands to the beat on the steering wheel. Parking his car in the driveway, he went inside. It was a less than stellar place with old wood paneling that was beginning to warp from the constant humidity. Green carpeting that was worn thin in the high traffic areas, a sofa and chair occupied the small living room. On his way to the refrigerator to get a beer he dropped the paper on the kitchen table. He pulled the tab off and took a long drink as he walked back to the table and sat down to read the paper. Some of the news items he read others just the headlines until a small article on the third page caught his eye.

The article said that a woman barely alive had been found the previous morning on Waimanalo Beach. It went on to say that she had been taken to a local hospital, still unconscious. Also that debris found on the beach showed signs of a possible fire at sea.

Quickly he put the beer can down, snatched up the phone and dialed a number. Extreme anxiety showed on his face, he tapped his fingers nervously on the table as he waited for the connection.

"Manny!" He almost shouted into the phone when the line was picked up. "Have you seen the morning paper?"

Manny Rizzo was a recent arrival to the islands, a man with high ambitions of heading his own drug importing business. With his head for business and Joey Aresco to back him up he knew his plan would work. Joey had opened some doors for him and with the destruction of the yacht with his competition on board… the results exceeded his expectations.

Leaning back in his desk chair, he replied unconcerned. "No, why?"

Joey nervously said. "I think we may have a problem with that job two days ago."

"What do you mean?" Manny replied somewhat puzzled as to what he was referring.

"It's in the paper, man." Joey replied tapping the article with his finger. "It says that a woman barely alive was found on Waimanalo Beach yesterday morning."

"Joey," Manny said reassuringly, finally realizing what Joey was talking about, "this woman could be totally unrelated. Have you thought about that? She could have been out for an early morning swim and got into trouble. So don't get yourself all worked up, it could be nothing."

"How can you be so sure, Manny?" Joey replied not entirely convinced.

"Calm down will you?" Manny told him. "They're all dead. I watched from the beach through binoculars. No one could have lived through that. You did a good job."

"That boat was over a mile off shore man," Joey replied, "how could you tell if anyone got off before it blew?"

"Joey," Manny said trying to convince his friend otherwise, "that woman in the paper wasn't from the yacht. Okay?"

Joey wasn't as sure about the success of the bomb as Manny was, but one thing did occur to him. "Manny, didn't Julian have a girlfriend? As I remember, she went everywhere with him. Now that he's dead, has she been seen around town?"

"No," Manny replied nonchalantly. "I haven't noticed, maybe she's in mourning. You have got to get a hold of yourself. This is going to work."

"Okay," Joey replied hesitantly, still reluctant to accept Manny's assurances at this point, "but I want to look into this just to make sure that we're in the clear."

Joey replaced the receiver and rubbed his unshaven chin nervously as he read the article again. Manny is taking this way too lightly he thought. This whole thing could crumble around their ears if this wasn't looked into. He tried to remember if he saw anyone around the marina that day he planted the bomb aboard the fifty-five foot cruiser. He shook his head after a few moments, he was sure no one saw him.

But Joey felt he needed to find out for himself if this woman was indeed Julian's girlfriend, even if Manny didn't think so. He felt it would be in their best interests to check this out. It was too much of a coincidence that this woman was found on that particular beach on that particular morning.

Manny's man inside Brazzo's organization had told him about this meeting and that it would take place on that yacht. His plan was to assume control of the new heroin pipeline that was being established among those men. It was a bold stroke to eliminate the all the organizers at one time would leave a power vacuum where he would then step in and take control of the new drug importing operation.

The plan sounded great to Joey and most of all, it seemed fairly easy to carry out. He had wanted to be a big shot in his own right, and this was his chance to do that in the role of Manny's right-hand man. Now the whole plan may be in jeopardy because of the possibility of a survivor from the yacht.
                                                                     ***

Manny's brow furrowed as he as he hung up the phone. Leaning back in his chair he thought for a moment. Could Joey be right?

Recent experience told him Joey wasn't one to jump to conclusions besides; their plan wouldn't be this far along if wasn't for him.

After a few more moments Manny reached for the phone and dialed a number. As he waited for the connection he continued to consider Joey's suspicions until the line was picked up. "Coco, its Manny."

"Hey man, you can't call me here." The nervous voice of Coco Peralta said. Manny had bought Coco's cooperation with a lot of money three months earlier to provide him with information on Julian Brazzo's upcoming business venture. "Things are really uptight here now."

"I well aware of how things are right now, but I need to ask you a question." Manny said. "Do you know if that girlfriend of Julian's went with him on the yacht the other night?"

Coco's eyes went wide in shock. "You got to be kidding!" He replied as he looked around the room to he see if anyone might be near enough to overhear him. "Man, she went every where with him. It was like they were attached at the hip or something. Why you asking?"

"Just curious," Manny answered. "Something's come up that may need dealing with, that's all."

"Whatever it is, count me out." Coco sternly said as he tried to keep his voice down. "Accusations are being thrown around at just about everything that moves around here and I don't want to be in the line of fire." Not ready for problems he slammed the receiver down, disconnecting the call.

***

Also that morning Steve McGarrett walked into his office as he always does and set his briefcase down on his desk just as his phone rang. "McGarrett," he said into the receiver. The caller identified himself as Doctor Ashford. "Yes, Doctor, what can I do for you?"

"Mr. McGarrett," Ashford said, "you wanted to be informed when your Jane Doe woke up. She is still groggy but you can try to talk to her."

"Thank you Doctor," Steve replied, "I'll be there as soon as I can." And hung up the phone.

His morning calendar full, Steve did not arrive at the hospital until the afternoon. He introduced himself to the nurse on duty, and asked her to page Doctor Ashford. As he waited he studied the faded pictures on the wall of the lobby. Tired after a morning in court followed by a somewhat shorter meeting with the Governor, he was weighing his priorities when his thoughts were interrupted by Doctor Ashford’s arrival.

As they walked toward Kiana's room, the doctor reported on her condition.

"She had sustained some memory loss." He told the Five-O Chief. "As I suspected."

Stopping at the woman's room. Ashford went on to describe that Kiana's head injury was like whiplash. "The initial impact was on her forehead and the brain was thrown forward then back very quickly. As to her memory loss," he went on to say, "it could last a few days, a week or maybe longer, or it could be permanent. It's hard to say." With that said he pushed the door open.

Steve nodded that he understood the information and followed the doctor into the room. The bed was slightly raised with two pillows supporting Kiana's head and shoulders. A large bandage was on her forehead with gauze wrapped around her head. An IV bottle hung at her bedside with its end inserted into her forearm. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be dozing. The closer he got to the bed the more visible were the extent of the burns.

The left side of her face was swollen distorting her features and the burns had reddened her light brown skin.

Ashford touched the woman on her shoulder and said pleasantly. "You have a visitor."

The woman slowly began to stir as he increased his gentle pressure on her shoulder. Slowly her eyes fluttered open and looked up at the doctor.

"You have a visitor." he repeated with a smile.

The physician moved aside and Steve stepped into her view. "I'm Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O."

As Kiana slowly blinked her eyes, it was apparent to Steve and the doctor she was having difficulty focusing her eyes.

"Are you a doctor too?" She said in a weak voice.

"No," Steve replied in a soft voice, "I'm a policeman."

"Policeman?" She replied as she squinted her eyes at the Five-O chief.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Steve asked as he continued to observe her appearance.

The woman looked blankly at the blue blur as a confused look grew on her face. Her mind was still too groggy for any clear thought. "No." she slowly replied.

"Do you remember your name?" Ashford asked trying to see if there had been any improvement since earlier that morning when she had first woke up.

"Name?" She replied.

"Yes, " the physician asked again, "can you tell us your name?"

"My name?" she mumbled softly.

"You don't remember your name?" Steve's voice was soft with concern as he leaned closer to the bed.

She slowly shook her head. It seemed to be a simple enough question, she thought. Why couldn't she remember her name? Maybe it was because of the tremendous headache, with just the slightest movement the pain surged in intensity.

Doctor Ashford, seeing the look of concern in the eyes of the Five-O chief, stepped back from the bed. "Mr. McGarrett," he said softly as he touched Steve's arm, urging him to step back too. Speaking in a near whisper, the doctor said, "I told you that amnesia was a possibility with the degree of concussion she has."

Steve looked empathetically at the woman for a moment. Her face reflected the confusion that must be going on in her mind. If this woman had indeed been on the yacht that night he thought, she would be the only one that could tell him what happened. "Is there anything I can do Doctor?" He asked.

"Well…" Ashford murmured as he thought for a moment, "it would be good for her to see things that are familiar to her, something with her name on it for instance. Something she could associate with, stimulate her memory."

"Doctor, we may have a possible name." Steve replied. "If she is who we think she is, her name is Kay Kingston."

"Kay Kingston." The doctor repeated and looked back at his patient. "Well, that's better than Jane Doe."

Steve silently agreed with the doctor's comment. It's a beginning; they had a name for the woman. He looked back over at the bed and saw that the woman had gone back to sleep. "How soon do you think she will be coherent enough to question?"

"Give her a couple days Mr. McGarrett." He replied. "Concussion patients need at least that long to regain some ground."

"Thank you Doctor, please keep me informed on her progress." Steve said as he turned to leave but stopped. "Oh and Doctor, I would like to place a guard on this room while Miss Kingston recovers, just in case this wasn't an accident."

"Sure Mr. McGarrett," Ashford replied, "I have no problem with that."

"Good. Thank you." Steve answered as the men left the room. Using the phone at the nurse's station he requested an outside line from the hospital operator then dialed Central Dispatch and requested an officer to be stationed outside room three-eleven at Queens Hospital as soon as possible. With rotating shifts every four hours. "Doctor," he said after he finished the call, "for the time being this woman is to officially remain a Jane Doe, for her own safety, so please inform you staff."

"Of course Mr. McGarrett." Ashford replied.

"Thanks again Doctor, I'll be in touch." Steve said as he extended his hand to the physician and the two men shook hands.
                                                                          ***

It was late in the afternoon when Danny returned from the field. He had removed his jacket and slumped into a chair facing Steve's desk draping it over his leg and asked Steve about the woman's condition. Steve repeated what the doctor had said. Their investigation would have to continue without her. At least, until she recovered enough to be of help.

"Did you find the source of the dynamite?" Steve asked as Danny retrieved his notebook from the jacket pocket.

"I talked to the foremen at several of the construction sites in town. So far all explosives are accounted for. I still have some to cover tomorrow. Went to the marina looking for any witnesses and no one I found saw anything. Most weren't even in the immediate area where the yacht was tied up at the time in question. With the exception of one worker, a part timer who's scheduled to be on the job in the morning. I'll go back and talk to him then."

Steve felt a little encouraged by the report. Their case so far has had nothing but dead bodies and dead ends. They needed a break and soon.
                                                                           ***

Joey wandered about the corridors at the hospital and listened to the staff as they casually chatted about the patients in their wing. He strained to hear anything that might help in determining if the woman from the beach was there on that floor.

He paced back and forth until a nurse stopped him. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for somebody…" he stammered, "she's sort of a friend of a friend, I think she was hurt in a boating accident."

"What's your friend's name?" She asked as she walked back to the nurse's station and picked up a clipboard.

"Her name is Kay Kingston." Joey replied following the nurse.

"Okay, let me see…" The nurse said as she scanned over the list for the time frame. "No, there isn't anyone here by that name. I'm sorry sir."

Joey said in his sincerest manner said before he turned to leave. "Oh, thanks anyway, sorry to have bothered you."

The nurse continued to scan the list for the time frame he had asked about. "Wait!" She called out.

Joey turned around quickly anticipating an answer.

"You said your friend was hurt in a boating accident?" She asked.

Working hard to contain his excitement, Joey returned to the desk. "Yes."

"There was a Jane Doe brought in that morning from the windward side."

"She could be the one." He nodded. "How is she?"

"Well sir," the nurse said with a smile, "you'll be glad to hear that she woke up this morning. She has a concussion and some memory loss, but her prognosis looks good."

"She can't remember anything?" Joey replied, surprised. This he didn't expect, but it could work to their advantage. Manny would be interested, he thought. "Nurse, do you know how long is this is going to last? The amnesia I mean."

"That's hard to say sir." She replied.

"Thanks Nurse, you've helped a lot." Joey said and quickly left for Manny's office just as the nurse was about to ask him something.

Joey burst through the front door of the business front building and rushed to the inner office that led to Manny's office. He opened the door without knocking and quickly strode in. Manny was seated behind a desk but didn't notice the two men seated opposite him.

"It's her Manny! It's her." Joey blurted. "In the hospital, it's Julian's girlfriend."

Manny looked up at Joey, rage showed in his eyes at the interruption and said in a cold tone. "Joey, what the hell are you doing here! Can't you see I'm in a meeting?"

Joey stopped. He had not noticed the two men seated in the room with their backs to him. He caught his breath as a cold shiver went through his body. Manny usually was alone in his office, he thought. He quickly apologized, turned and left closing the door behind him. He could feel Manny glaring at him all during his retreat. He felt he had screwed up big time by barging into the room, sighing deeply he looked back into the room. He hoped he hadn't ruined the meeting as he closed the door.

This must be the next step in Manny's plan Joey thought as he returned to his car.

Manny can't be bothered with stuff like this Joey thought as he started the engine, he's got bigger things to worry about. If Joey was to be a right-hand man he will have to do things on his own initiative. And now is a good a time as any to begin. At that thought he put the car in gear and gunned the engine. The tires squealed in protest as he sped out of the parking lot.

As Joey drove away from the office he went over in his mind what he was going to do about Julian's girlfriend. It was unfortunate she survived he thought but curious on how she managed that. One question did bother him though, what about this amnesia, was it temporary or could it be permanent? Would Manny still see her as a threat if it were permanent? But what if she did remember something about being on the yacht.
                                                                             ***

Steve and Danny were involved in conversation when Che knocked lightly on the doorframe to Steve's office. "Steve, here's my report on the debris from the beach." He said as he entered the office and handed the file to the Five-O chief. "My tests confirm the residue on the debris is dynamite. There were traces of diesel fuel, as well."

"How can that be when all the dynamite on the island is accounted for?" Steve wondered out loud as he read over the pages in the file. "You would think that construction sites would top the list where someone could obtain explosives."

Danny had been deep in thought as he listened to the conversation. How could this be done? He thought. Then it occurred to him and added. "The Black Market."

"That could be Danny." Che commented.

"That could explain why the construction site inventories checked out Steve." Danny said. "You can get just about anything on the Black Market."

Steve looked at his subordinates and tossed the open file onto his desk, leaned back in his chair and frowned, silently displeased by the plausible source for the explosive.

***

That evening Joey was home watching a baseball game on television. He still couldn't understand why Manny didn't seem to believe him about Julian's girlfriend. Somehow she survived the bomb he had placed on the yacht. There was a knock on the door just as his favored team scored a home run.

When he opened the door Manny walked right past him and into the middle of the room. The scowl on his face showed that he wasn't happy. He suspected why his friend was here but he hoped it was for something else. "Manny, what's up?" He cautiously asked.

"Joey," Manny's voice filled with anger as he turned and glared at his friend, "you nearly cost me big today with your bungling, barging into my office like that with that ridiculous news. If I'm going to fill the void left by Julian, I need to impress, not distress. I had to calm those men down by apologizing for you. Joey, Julian's girlfriend is dead."

"I didn't know you had someone in your office Manny, I'm sorry." Joey said in a sincere tone knowing now why Manny was there, he had never seen him this angry before.

"No one could've survived that blast." Manny said as he stepped closer to him and placed his hands on Joey's shoulders. "Believe me Joey, she's dead."

Joey noticed that Manny seemed to calm down as he continued. "This will work Joey." he said assuredly. "And it will be the best thing we've ever done." Looking for agreement in Joey's eyes. "Stick with me and we can do this. Okay?" But before he turned to leave he moved his hand to the back of his friends' neck and started to squeeze as he said with almost a murderous tone. "And if you ever do that again, I will kill you. You got that?"

The look in Manny's eyes had become cold and frightening. Joey gave him his best look of agreement through the pain from his grip, nodded his head in such a way that Manny smiled and believed him and left.

As Joey watched the door close he slowly rubbed his neck. He shuddered at the thought that Manny would kill him if he screwed up that bad again. At that moment he decided what it was he had to do. Although he didn't like the prospect of killing someone outright, but Manny believed she was dead. It would be a big chance he thought, but this was something he felt he had to do.

***

Late the next morning DEA Agent Russell Sandberg walked into the Five-O offices, a middle-aged man with severely short graying hair, who wore interesting gray suits. His face was a roadmap reflecting all of the twenty years he had worked for the agency.

After nearly three months of surveillance his investigation stalled out two days ago, and to make matters worse, he hadn't heard from his undercover man in over thirty-six hours. And now NCIC notified him that the Honolulu Police Department's computer had accessed his man's planted criminal record. HPD had referred him to the State Police Agency Hawaii Five-O as the entity responsible for the inquiry.

Agent Sandberg was curious as to why the State Police had an interest in his man. There had to be a good reason for Five-O's interest he thought to himself. He had heard about Steve McGarrett's reputation since his arrival on the island. He was a no nonsense cop who could stare down an active volcano if he had to. Just the kind man he thought he could work with. He removed his ID wallet from his jacket pocket as he stepped up the secretary's desk and displayed it so she could see it and said in a gruff voice. "I want to see Steve McGarrett."

Jenny Sherman, Steve's secretary, looked at the picture ID and then at the man holding it. When she was satisfied the man was who he said he was she picked up her phone and buzzed the intercom for the Five-O chief.

"McGarrett" Steve said into his phone.

"Steve," She said, "Agent Sandberg from the Drug Enforcement Agency is here to see you."

Curious as to the reason for the unexpected visit Steve told her to send him in. He closed the file he had been reading and didn't have long to wait before the door opened and Agent Sandberg entered.

"Mr. McGarrett, Russell Sandberg." The man said as he introduced himself swapping the envelope he carried to his other hand extending the empty one to the Five-O chief. "DEA."

Steve stood and took the offered hand and shook it and gestured to one of the chairs that faced his desk, inviting his guest to have a seat. "What can I do for you?" He asked as he settled back down into his own chair.

As Sandberg took his seat he quickly surveyed the office. An office can tell a lot the person who occupied it he was told once. This one said its occupant was efficient and orderly. A bulletin board was set up in the corner by a window and had five photos pinned to it. The longer he gazed at it the more he recognized the faces it displayed. The far right one was Julian Brazzo, one of the men they had under surveillance and three others, and the one in the center was his undercover man.

"Mr. McGarrett," he began, hiding his surprise at the amount of information on the board. "I'm here because NCIC notified me this morning about recent inquiries made on behalf of your department."

"Oh?" Steve commented as he leaned back in his chair and eyed his guest attentively. "Five-O uses that information base frequently. You need to be more specific Mr. Sandberg."

"Julian Brazzo." Sandberg said bluntly as he thumbed over his shoulder in the direction of the bulletin board. "I see you have an interest in him too. This is a Federal case Mr. McGarrett. And as such, it is my case." Sandberg said as he unbuttoned his suit jacket. Crossing his legs he dropped the large envelope that he had with him on his lap, "I want to know what your interest is in him and the other men."

"Mr. Sandberg," Steve began, "my interest in Mr. Brazzo and his friends are not part of any ongoing Federal investigation, I assure you. It also might help," Steve suggested, "if you tell me what it is you're investigating then perhaps Five-O can be of assistance. Since it appears we have a mutual interest in the same men."

Sandberg mulled over McGarrett's offer. He was accustomed to working with local authorities who gave him automatic deference. It was apparent he was not going to be so lucky with the head of Five-O. The man was waiting for an answer. An answer the DEA agent was unwilling to give at the moment. Instead, he gave the truth a 'harmless' spin. "Joe Colby is who we are mostly interested in. With his flight charter service makes him the most mobile in the island for transporting drugs to the neighboring islands."

"I've read his rap sheet," Steve commented as he nodded his head. Something didn't feel right. The DEA agent looked restless. True, he had read Colby's entire file and there was nothing there to grab the interest of the DEA. Either the file has been 'cleaned' or his visitor was being less than forthright. "He's been a busy boy, he's been charged numerous times for transporting drugs on the mainland but convicted only on two occasions. Interestingly enough, he's done very little time."

"That's why we were watching him, Mr. McGarrett," Sandberg said, "especially when he hooked up with Julian Brazzo and Quan Lee a few months ago. Since we were aware of Brazzo's plans to establish a new pipeline for heroin, we increased surveillance him and Brazzo."

"I've heard rumblings about what Brazzo was concocting." Stated Steve sitting up he folded his hands on his desk. "But not one street informant is willing to testify to it."

"Joe Colby is of special interest to me," Sandberg stated. "My information is that he's expecting a major shipment of drugs, soon. He will distribute it throughout these islands using his charter service. I'm sure of it. This could be the first shipment from this new pipeline. He'd been seen meeting with Jackson Alapaki of Hawaiian Imports."

Steve leaned forward and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Sandberg. "Why is this the first I've heard of this?" he asked. "When is this shipment expected?"

"That's just it, I don't know yet." Sandberg remarked. "I had Colby under surveillance and had his phone tapped so I could find out. But there has been no sign of him for the last three days. He was last seen boarding a yacht at the Ilikai Boat Harbor with Julian Brazzo. We've gotten no hits on any of the phones listed on our warrant." Adjusting his shirt sleeve he added, "Without him using his phone to arrange his meetings I won't know when that shipment is coming."

Steve began to get the impression that this man didn't know what happened to the yacht that Colby was seen boarding. "The importing of drugs into this state is very much my problem as it is yours." Steve stated rapping his finger on his desk for emphasis." Mine more so because the O.D's and murders that result occur right here on my doorstep."

"Mr. McGarrett, I understand your position," Sandberg stated, "However, I'm primary on this case, and I don't have time enough to be concerned about hurt feelings. I have a job to do."

"And so do I." Steve replied. "This rock is my jurisdiction, and anything that goes on here is very much of interest to me. And I'm not above sticking my nose into Federal matters, if I have to. Besides, I don't have to look for him or his friends, I have a very strong suspicion on their whereabouts right now."

Sandberg's jaw tightened when he heard Steve's last statement. Contact was lost with his undercover man ever since the yacht sailed from the marina. He desperately wanted to know where his man was. "Mr. McGarrett," His voice fell short of sounding demanding," would you care to share that piece of information?"

Steve paused for a moment when he realized that the DEA man definitely didn't know what happened to the yacht. Putting him in the position of relaying the bad news. "Mr. Sandberg," he began slowly as he stood and moved to the front of his desk and perched himself on its corner, "the yacht that Julian Brazzo and his friends rented… we suspect was destroyed by a bomb that had been placed aboard sometime before they sailed."

Sandberg's expression went blank as he banked his surprise. He had assumed it was still afloat somewhere since it hadn't returned to the marina.

"…And what was left of it washed up on Waimanalo Beach three days ago along with a possible survivor." Steve finished.

Sandberg, stunned by the news was slow regaining his composure. 'Oh my God' he mouthed without any volume. "Who's the survivor?" He finally asked in hopes it was his undercover man.

"We have possible ID from the passenger list." Steve answered. "Her name is Kay Kingston and neither Brazzo or his friends have been seen in their usual hangouts since that night." He added. "So we're going on the assumption that they' are all dead, lying somewhere on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. That's mass murder Mr. Sandberg, and it happened in Hawaiian waters which makes it my jurisdiction."

Sandberg heard Steve's words, but he was seeing his investigation slipping away. He had invested to much in this case, to much time, effort, money and his partner, and he wasn't about to let it be taken away from him… by anybody. "How soon till I can question this woman?"

Steve looked at the impatient DEA man and replied sternly. "Miss Kingston is in no condition to be questioned by you or anyone. What's her involvement with Brazzo anyway?"

"She's his broad." Sandberg fired back. "She started hanging out with him a few weeks ago, she went everywhere with him. But I have a newsflash for you," he added with a crooked smile. "I had her checked out. And if she's the same woman that was with Brazzo, her name isn't Kingston, it's Van Zandt, Kiana Van Zandt."

Steve stiffened and his brow furrowed as he stared back at the DEA Agent. The name Van Zandt was familiar to him. But how odd, if she was Kiana, why use an assumed name for the passenger list. What did she have to hide?

Steve's silence was warming to the DEA agent. Obviously he had stumbled on something before Five-O. "I've had a man following Brazzo." Sandberg replied. "He reports to me everyday on the man's every move, where he goes and who he sees. I have pictures that were taken of the two of them together all over town." Then cynically added. "Real cozy those two."

"I'd like to see those photos." Steve stated.

"I thought you would so I brought them along." Sandberg said as he handed the envelope over to the Five-O chief. "Take a look. I wonder what she knows of his operation."

Steve opened the envelope and removed the black and white eight by tens as he returned to his chair. He looked at each photo with interest, there were about eight of them. It was then he was able to put the name and the face together. He had dated Kiana Van Zandt a few years ago and had a fond regard for her. The hair of the woman in the photos had a white streak running through it, just as Kiana had. But what was she doing in Hawaii when she swore never to return after her fathers' funeral?

The pictures had been taken at several spots around town. The last ones were at taken at the Ilikai Boat Harbor where she, Brazzo, Joe Colby, Quan Lee and Jackson Alapaki were boarding the yacht Lucky Lady. He laid the photos down on the desk with the last one he looked at he left on top. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he studied the photo then looked at the DEA man. "Did your man happen to get any photos of any activity around this vessel before Brazzo and his friends arrived? Perhaps someone with a box or a case of some kind that left empty handed?"

"No." Sandberg replied after he thought for a moment. "I don't think so. Why?"

"If your man had," Steve stated, "we might be able to find the individual responsible for planting the bomb on the yacht for starters. In the meantime Mr. Sandberg, this is more than your surveillance operation now, it's a murder investigation. So any information you get from now on will be greatly appreciated."

"Wait a minute McGarrett," Sandberg exclaimed springing from his chair. "I started this investigation four months ago, and I will continue with or without your cooperation! This is my case. And if that survivor of yours is the same woman that's in those photos, I would really like to know why she's still alive when everyone else who was on that yacht is dead."

"Mr. Sandberg," Steve stated bluntly, his resentment for this man had taken root. Quickly stood with a sense of the man's growing bad attitude. "Miss Van Zandt is a material witness to a multiple murder and can be considered in my protective custody. And you will not speak to her without my authorization."

Sandberg said dryly as he stood and started to leave. "Your lack of cooperation will be highlighted in my report."

"You do that." Steve replied flatly as he glared at the agency man.

"Thank you for your time Mr. McGarrett." Sandberg stated unemotionally and strode out of the office.

Steve followed the agent to the door and opened it for him. "Goodbye Mr. Sandberg."

As the DEA agent stepped through the doorway Danny Williams walked up to Steve. He looked after the man with a puzzled look on his face. "Who was that?"

"Russell Sandberg, DEA." Steve replied in a monotone as he pushed the door closed hard enough that it slammed shut. He moved over to the lanai doors and pushed them open, leaned against the doorframe and gazed out over the palace grounds. His thoughts were on the photos that he had just seen, as reminisces of the woman entered his thoughts. Breathing in the sweet island air he couldn't chase from his mind what Sandberg had said, and the woman in the photos that he knew a few years earlier. He found it hard to believe that she was involved as much as he said she was.

"What is it Steve, you look like you've seen a ghost." Danny said as he noticed the man's somber demeanor as he followed him to the lanai doors.

"I just might have Danno." Steve finally replied, his voice distant.

"Huh?" Danny replied curiously. "Do you want to run that past me one more time."

"Your lady from the beach," Steve said quietly, "her name isn't Kingston, it's Van Zandt."

"Van Zandt?" Danny replied surprised. "Wow. That's a name out of the past."

"Yeah." Steve remarked in agreement as he to face the young detective. Tucking his hands behind his back he leaned back against the wall. "Remember that case about four years ago? The theft of that million dollar donation to the university?"

"Yeah, I remember. Old man Van Zandt had donated the money, and the next day it was stolen." Danny recalled. "It was an inside job as I remember."

"Stedman Van Zandt." Steve stated as he recalled the case.

"He had a daughter didn't he?" Danny asked then remembered that Steve had dated her for a short time. His mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide when he realized what Steve was getting at. "She's old man Van Zandt's daughter?"

"That's right Danno. The DEA's surveillance photos are on my desk. Take a look." Steve said as he thumbed over at his desk.

Danny stepped over to the desk and picked up the photos and looked at them. Steve was right about the woman in the photo, it was Kiana Van Zandt and she was with Julian Brazzo and three other men that he recognized as well. "That's her all right. What is she doing here? Doesn't she live on the mainland now?"

"She does." Steve replied. "And vowed she would never return to the islands. Said the they were too confining."

"Then why is she here, and why the assumed name on the passenger list?" Danny asked.

"I'm wondering that too Danno." Steve said introspectively. "But she's here. And according to Agent Sandberg, she's been in the islands for at least two weeks." Returning to his chair, he sat. Danny placed the photos in his outstretched hand. After a moment of studying the images, Steve said. "And now she's lying in Queens Hospital and she can't even remember her name."

"So what do we do?" Danny asked, as he saw the expression on his boss's face. He knew Steve would need his help on this one.

Steve saw the look on Danny's face and he knew he could count on his young aid. "We keep up our investigation into Julian Brazzo's activities." He said. "Up to and including the time he boarded that yacht."

Danny, taking notes, missed the look that crossed Steve's face. The Five-O chief found himself in an unexpected dilemma. Any personal feelings he might have for this woman had no place in this investigation. He had to remain objective even after he talked with her. Steve paused for a moment as he considered their next step.

"Did you get to talk to that part time worker at the marina?" Steve asked to change the subject.

"Yes I did." Danny replied. "Name's Ernie Salvo. Said he saw a guy named Joey Aresco hanging around the marina that day. Seems they were friends up until four months ago. Seems Joey started associating with a guy named Manny Rizzo. Salvo said he wanted nothing to do with him. When he saw Joey that day he didn't see anything in his hands but acting real uptight."

"Uptight… huh…?" That could mean something Steve thought. "Who's this Manny Rizzo?"

"According to Salvo, real bad news." Danny answered. "Says he's heard a plenty about him. Rizzo's been working to start a drug importing business without much luck. The local syndicate doesn't want the competition I guess."

"What do we have on this Joey Aresco?"

"What I have right now Steve is that he's small time." Danny answered. "Been in and out of jail over the years, minor stuff mostly."

"I want the book on these two characters Aresco and Rizzo," Steve stated, "Run those two through the HPD computer and see what comes out. Then I want Aresco picked up. I want to talk to him and see if he can tell us something that HPD doesn't know about."

"Will do Steve." Danny answered.

"Is Chin and Duke in?"

"They came in just after I did."

"Send them in when you leave will you?"

"Sure." Danny answered. Standing, he glanced at the head of Five-O as he reached for his jacket. Steve was slowly flipping through the photos again. Danny could see that Steve was affected by this latest development. "You going to be all right with this?"

His eyes still on the photographs, Steve's voice was distant when he replied. "Yeah Danno, I'll be all right." Looking up at the young detective he smiled faintly. "Thanks."

"Okay." Danny answered and quietly left.

As Steve flipped through the photos for the third time, he couldn't help but focus on the woman's face. He first met Kiana Van Zandt four years before when he investigated the theft of the million-dollar donation her father made to the university. The old man was philanthropist and wanted to leave a legacy he supposed. As Steve was interviewing the gray-haired patriarch she walked into the room. The expression on the old man's face showed that he was proud of his daughter as he made the introductions.

Steve half smiled when he visualized the spirited woman. The silver streak at her forehead hairline of her dark hair framed her face accenting her soft Hawaiian features. Her dark eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at him, eyes a man could get lost in if he wanted to. He found her manner quite intriguing and had asked her out for dinner and dancing a couple nights later. He continued to see her for several weeks until she finished her visit and returned to Los Angeles, where she had been working as a fashion model. He was sad to see her leave as he drove her to the airport.

Steve's reminiscence was interrupted when Chin lightly knocked on the door and walked up to his desk.

"Yeah, Chin," Steve said as he put the photos down. "Check with the airlines and see if Kiana Van Zandt arrived by any regular flight from the mainland in the last few weeks. Also check with the FAA and see if she has a pilot's license and maybe own her own plane. And call the airports on the island and see if there is an airplane parked somewhere with her name on it."

"Right Steve. Anything else?" Chin replied before he left.

"Yeah." Steve answered. "Also check under the name Kingston. If she used an alias for the passenger list, she may have used it to park an airplane."

"On it," the veteran detective said as he turned and left.

"Duke," Steve continued to give orders, "talk to your street sources and find out what Kay Kingston was doing with the likes of Julian Brazzo and his friends.

"I'll get right on it Steve." He answered and followed Chin out of the office.

***

Two days passed before Doctor Ashford phoned to let Steve know that his patient was awake and finally coherent. The doctor approved his visit.

Hoping to get some answers about what happened that night on the yacht, Steve was moving toward the door when Chin, with his ever-present notebook entered the office.

"Steve, I checked with all of the airlines for Miss Van Zandt's name, it wasn't on any of their passenger lists."

"How far did you back did you check." Steve asked.

"I had them check back four weeks." The veteran detective replied. "Found nothing under the name Kingston either."

"What about the local airports?"

"Nothing yet, but I'm still checking." The Chinese detective replied.

"Keep on it Chin, she arrived on the island somehow." Steve replied.

"Right." He replied as he left the office.

Steve had signed off on a recently completed case was taking it to Jenny for filing on his way out. His eye caught the photos Agent Sandberg had left with him. He frowned as he looked at them again wondering what was Kiana doing with Julian Brazzo. But then only she could answer that question he mused. He slid the photos back into the envelope and set it at the corner of his desk and started to walk out of his office when he saw John Manicote, the State's District Attorney enter the outer office with Agent Sandberg right behind him.

Manicote extended his hand to the Five-O chief and greeted him warmly. "Hi Steve."

"Hello John." Steve replied surprised to see the District Attorney in his office as he shook hands. And scowled when he saw Sandberg with him.

Noting the expression on McGarrett's face, Manicote said. "I see introductions won't be necessary."

"Yes, I've already had the pleasure John." Steve stated.

The District Attorney arched a brow as he observed. "Then I don't need to go into the details of why I'm here."

"No, John, you don't." Steve answered as he placed the file in Jenny's in-tray and motioned for the men to follow him into his office. "I'm very much aware of Mr. Sandberg's position and his request." Steve said as he closed the door, crossed the room and circled his desk. Facing his visitors, he eyes steeled themselves. Sandberg was playing a dangerous card. Five-O was his organization, given to him with extraordinary freedom. Neither the DA nor the DEA agent were going to interfere in a Five-O investigation. The expression on his face spoke volumes of what was on his mind.

Manicote rested his hands casually on the back of one of the chairs in front of the desk as Steve spoke. The DA had known McGarrett for many years. While one couldn't have a better ally, in the end, McGarrett was his own man. Manicote felt himself drawn into taking a bad position. He was about to see that steel will once again. Steve was not going to like the conversation that was about to come.

Sandberg stood near the DA with his arms crossed in a defiant manner, because he knew that his authority would take precedence and he would get his way. He felt that this meeting would seal who would have jurisdiction in this case. He liked the idea that the mighty McGarrett would have to report to him as long as he was on this case.

"Steve," Manicote began, "Before you say anything, I know what you're going to say."

"Do you?" Quipped Steve his anger sizzling just under the surface. "Then you would have known what my reaction would be. John, this is my jurisdiction and my murder investigation." Shifting his gaze between both men. "Five-O should have been notified that the DEA was conducting a surveillance of Julian Brazzo's activities. If Agent Sandberg had informed Five-O on their investigation, and maybe prevented five murders and Miss Van Zandt wouldn't be lying in the hospital."

"I agree Steve," Manicote replied, "as head of Five-O you should have been involved from the beginning. I only was informed of Agent Sandberg's investigation just yesterday afternoon when he came to my office to file a complaint against you for interfering in a Federal investigation."

"Interfering?" Steve vehemently replied. "John, Five-O has been aware of Julian Brazzo and his friends for some time now and the fact that he was looking to establish a new heroin pipeline into the islands. But what we lacked was solid evidence for a conviction. Plus, no one was willing to testify against him. Now Mr. Brazzo apparently gets himself blown up along with four other men on a yacht a few nights ago."

"It's very apparent to me that both of you are working on the same case," Commented Manicote, "but from different ends. Why don't you work together on this? That way the case could be solved that much sooner." Their expressions didn't change as the DA's suggestion was considered. McGarrett showed signs of not budging from his position. Neither did Sandberg for that fact. The DA smiled to himself because he saw that both men were equally stubborn.

Assured he would get his way Sandberg stood smugly as he waited for McGarrett's decision. The expression on the DEA agent's face slowly slipped from smug to stunned when he heard McGarrett's answer.
                                                                  ***

As Steve drove to the hospital he tried to keep his mind on the case at hand but he found himself reminiscing about the time he spent with Kiana. The day he took her sailing on his boat on a rare occasion he was able to take a day off was especially memorable. She had packed a picnic lunch with gourmet goodies that she admitted she had made herself. Which he found hard to believe, but she had assured him that she had prepared the lunch herself. Smiling he could still remember the look on her face when, later she confessed that she wanted to try out a new recipe. It was not recommended, of course. All recipes should be tested before serving to guests. She couldn't resist. She admitted there were two or three things she could have made better.

As she chatted, he found himself increasingly fascinated.

They had laid anchor off Makapu'u Point and watched as the waves crashed against the rocky shore. They talked for several hours, and with the sounds of Hawaiian music from the radio danced in the small space that was the foredeck of his modest sailboat. Her laughter and smile made him feel that this was a very desirable woman, and later they watched the sunset that Hawaii w

*** The medication in the IV made Kiana sleep through most of the day. During the times she was awake she felt like she was in a fog and the headache she had felt strange. Although she lay in a bed, she felt dizzy, like she had gone a dozen trips on a merry-go-round at high speed. She hardly noticed the comings and goings of the nurses who tended to her. With her vision blurred, much of her surroundings were unidentifiable and everything she tried to look at looked like a big fuzzy blob. Even when she squinted the light hurt her eyes and the blob was no clearer. Much of the time she lay still with her eyes closed. After Steve and Agent Sandberg entered the hospital, Doctor Ashford was paged to the hospital lobby to meet Steve and Agent Sandberg. After introductions were made, with Steve emphasizing the word 'observer', the doctor led the men to his patient's room. While on route to the woman's room Steve informed the doctor that he now had a positive ID on his patient. Kiana Van Zandt was her name he told him but advised that she remain a Jane Doe officially for the time being. He had reluctantly let Sandberg come along, with one condition, that the agent not interfere with his questioning of Miss Van Zandt. He felt the woman didn't need any additional emotional distress than she already had. From what he ascertained from his first meeting with the DEA Agent, he felt sure that the man would be on the offensive if he were allowed to freely ask questions. The HPD officer stationed outside the room saluted as the Five-O chief, the doctor and Sandberg entered the semi private room. Doctor Ashford took the lead once inside the room and approached the woman's bed. Her bed had been elevated to a forty-five degree angle for additional comfort. She looked to be dozing so the doctor gently spoke to her. "You have visitors." The woman muttered some indiscernible words as she slowly roused from her nap. Turning her head toward the doctor she opened her eyes. "You have visitors." The physician repeated softly. "Oh." She uttered weakly as she became more alert. "Do you remember Mr. McGarrett?" Ashford asked. "He came to visit you the other day." Steve observed her as she looked up at him. He suspected she was still having difficulty focusing because she was still squinting. "Miss Van Zandt." Steve said as he saw that her face was still swollen and her skin still showed the burns. The gauze wrapping had been removed from around her head leaving only a bandage on the wound. He could now see the streak of silver in her hair. This confirmed the identification of the woman. It was Kiana. "Do you remember me?" He asked. "No." She replied weakly as she shifted her gaze to the other blurred figure in the room. Steve slid over a chair so he could sit. "I'd like to ask you some questions, if you feel up to it." "Yeah, sure." She replied unconsciously adjusting the sheets about her. "But I can't guarantee the answers." "Let me be the judge of that all right?" Steve replied. "I'll start with something simple. Do you know where you are?" Kiana managed a grin at what seemed to her to be a very obvious question. "Mr. McGarrett, I'm in a hospital." A small smile slowly made its way onto Steve's face. She had a quick wit when he had dated her and was pleased to see that it was still there. Even under current circumstances, the thought. "Of course. Let me try again. Do you remember what happened to you? How you got hurt?" Kiana reached up and touched her forehead, fingered the bandage for a moment as she stared past the Five-O chief as she thought. The fog that had impaired any recollections was still too thick to breach. After several moments she replied. "No -- I can't." Steve tried not to show how badly he felt seeing this woman this way. "Let's try a different approach." He suggested. "What is the last thing you do remember, before you woke up here in the hospital?" "The last thing I remember…" Said Kiana her voice trailing off as she tried to think. Slowly a faint picture began to form in her mind. "It… it was a dinner party, I think." "Do you remember when it was or perhaps where?" Steve prompted. "When?" Kiana answered biting her lip as she struggled to remember. As if something was a little clearer, she began to smile. "It was the Fourth of July. I remember there were lots of red, white and blue… streamers I think." Encouraged by her response, McGarrett glanced at Dr. Ashford. When the physician nodded, Steve returned his attention to the woman in the bed. "You're doing just fine," he assured her. "July fourth was only three weeks ago. Just the last three weeks are missing." "Three weeks?" Kiana replied in disbelief and slumped into the pillow as she looked at the fuzzy figure that was the Five-O chief. "So you mean to tell me that I've lost three weeks of my life?" "Looks that way." Replied Steve as he watched her expression grow grim. "Give it time, your memory will return. Let's try something a little harder." he suggested. "Do you remember how you traveled to Hawaii? There's no reservation under your name on any regular airline. We check