Yesterday's Lament
by Peg Keeley

Pkeeley2@aol.com  

Part 2 


Sing, having just witnessed the car bomb explosion below, stared in shock at Lu.

"That could have been you," Lu said in awe. "Someone planted a bomb. Batona."

"He would never so foolishly anger McGarrett of Five-0 like this!" Sing demanded.

"It was done on your land, Sing," Watanabe commented. "McGarrett may think it was you. I should not think that your big worry though."

"And why not?" Sing nearly shouted with fear and rage.

"Because Batona is whom you should fear. And he missed; they did the wrong car. They were trying to kill you," Lu insisted. "You should reconsider, Old One. Let me call Watanabe."

-------------------------------------

Steve had been in a top secret meeting with military brass at the governor's office. It was nearly two hours before he was informed of the car bomb. He blew in through the emergency room, Gary at his heels, the picture of concern and controlled rage.

Kono looked up at Steve from where he was sitting on the side of a hospital gurney. His head ached, his ears were ringing. "I'm okay, just ruptured an ear drum," he said quietly before McGarrett could ask.

"Where's Duke? And what happened? What was he doing there?" Steve fired question after question.

Kono winced at the sound of McGarrett's voice. Boy, my head hurts. "Duke's been admitted to ICU. He hit his head pretty hard, but they say it's just a precaution. He's going to be all right. Mary is up there with him. Doc said something about a concussion."

"Are they releasing you?"

He nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just supposed to take it easy."

Steve was visibly relieved. Knowing Duke was stable, in good hands, and going to be all right helped him focus on the other issue. "What the hell happened? What was Duke doing there?" he asked again of Kono, his anger beginning to swell. "You and Danno were supposed to question Sing? Where is Danno?"

Kono gave a sigh. "Danno had some personal business he had to check out. Duke offered to fill in."

"I don't assign you to investigations to be carried out whenever you feel like it. You should not have gone along with this. Duke shouldn't have covered for him." Steve turned. "Gary, go find Danno. I want him here--now. I'll be with Mary Lukela."

Kono and Gary exchanged raised eyebrows and Gary hurried to obey.

---------------

Finding the house had not been easy. Located along one of the back dirt roads that seemed to be at war with the jungle and losing, it was a small, dirty affair. No heat, no air conditioning. There were large holes in the screens, two of them were missing completely. The house used to be white -- maybe. It hadn't been painted in years. The salty air had taken its toll on the wood siding. Weeds had grown up around the house; there were old discarded dishes and car parts scattered around the yard.

Danny sat in the car looking at the dwelling for several minutes. It was hard to believe the Mali he'd known, who'd sacrificed everyone she'd known in the name of money and power, would be reduced to a place like this.

He hadn't slept all night. His mind had created vision upon vision of what his child might look like. Most often it was a boy and he would see him playing baseball and swimming in the surf. He had never had much contact with little girls and he wondered how he could relate to a girl. They liked stuffed teddies and dolls, kittens and bows. He wondered if she would have ringlets of curly hair like he'd seen in his mother's baby pictures.

Slowly, reluctantly, he got out of the car and walked towards the door. He had to know the truth. He had steeled himself to accept the fact that Mali had given birth to his child. In the few steps it took to reach the sagging porch, he determined that no child of his would grow up in a place like this. I should be able to get joint custody -- maybe total custody. No child should be subjected to Mali for a mother. I can give the best schools, a stable home, a future. Even in the last moments as he prepared himself to knock on the door, his thoughts were running away with him. I am about to meet the only child I will probably ever father. Gritting his teeth, he knocked on the door loudly.

There was no response.

He knocked again.

"Hold on, I'm coming," called a sleepy, female voice.

He recognized it instantly. Mali: childhood playmate, high school lover, attempted murderer.

The weathered door opened.

He was not prepared for what he saw. His mouth dropped open. Mali had aged tragically. Her hair was uncombed and stringy around her twisted, squinting face. There were hard circles of yesterday's unwashed makeup under her eyes that now glared at him with total contempt.

He recovered. "Mali?"

She opened the door wider, eyeing him without pleasure. "So," she said coldly. "I knew you'd come someday. Took longer than I thought." She leaned against the door frame. "Don't like what you see? What did you expect?"

He wasn't sure, but asking her how she was doing didn't seem appropriate.

"Nothing to say, huh?" She shook her head. "You destroyed my future. Look at me. Who'd want to see me now? If I try to get a singing job in the night club, I violate parole."

"There are other kinds of work," he said quietly. He decided not to argue the point of who'd ruined her life. "You'll be off parole in another month."

She snorted. "Three weeks and counting. What did you really come for, Danny? It wasn't to stand around and stare at me."

"You spread some stories around while you were in prison."

"Stories?" She gave a smile. "Check the prison records, if you haven't already. You want to know about your baby?"

He stood rooted to the front porch. "Yes," he said through tight lips.

She burst into a full malevolent smile. "Did you think you'd come in here and become papa to a little bastard tot? Well, Danny, I've waited almost two years for this moment. Your baby is dead." Her smile widened as she anticipated, accurately, his shock. "I waited till I made parole, using your unborn child, then when I got tired of the whole pregnancy thing, I had it aborted. Seventh month."
         He floundered in his feelings. Never in his wildest thoughts would he have considered this. Until yesterday, there'd been just himself. In twenty-four brief hours he'd built an entire life for a child; fishing, birthdays, baseball, college. Now, just as fast as it had come, it was gone.

Mali stood in the doorway, relishing his pain with glee. She'd waited for this moment and it was the height of her vengeance.

Back on the road, the radio in Danny's car called his name. He turned away towards it, wordless.

"Danny, this is Gary," the voice called again.

Behind him, Mali cackled with laughter.

"Yes, Gary," he muttered into the speaker.

"You better get down here wiki-wiki. Big trouble, Bruddah."

Mali watched as his car hurried away down the dirt road. As the dust slowly settled again on the leaves of the underbrush, she turned back into her shack. She shook her head and giggled again.

Lewis Watanabe stepped into the front room from the back. "Was that all you'd hoped for?"

"Oh, yes," she said enthusiastically. "You cannot imagine."

He shrugged. "Well, he'll be back, Mali. Next time won't be so easy."

"Why? He's taken his licking."

"Let me take you away from here, Mali. He'll come back. When he does, you'd better not be here. I've got a nice place, I could buy you pretty things." He ran a hand gently through her soiled hair. "Remember how it used to be when everyone loved you?"

She closed her eyes recalling the adoring crowd.

"I can give you that again if you just trust me."

She opened her eyes and squinted at him. "Why should I trust you, Lewis?"

"Because I need you, right?" he answered. "If I need you, I will give you whatever I can. I want you to sing for me. The people of Hawaii want to hear you again. You can make my little radio station number one. All perfectly legal. It's all just waiting for you." The phone rang interrupting his argument.

Mali picked it up. "Aloha." She handed it to Lewis. "A Charlie Lu."

"Watanabe," he said into the receiver, then waited for a moment. "Very good. You have done good work convincing your old master. A better thank you is being wired to your bank. The Dragons will one day know you are their best hope." He hung up the phone and, smiling, rubbed his hands together. "What will it be, Mali? I can give you everything you ever wanted--or find someone else."

She bit her lip. "I have to think-"

"No thinking, girl. This is a simple task. Your life, or not."

"But---"

"Get your Aunt Sarah to help. You have a right to live again." He could tell from her face he had won. It is all coming together so nicely.

--------------------------------------------

Gary met Danny at the hospital and during the elevator ride up to the fourth floor quickly filled him in on the events of the morning.

"God, the one time I get Duke to fill in," Danny muttered. "You're sure he's okay?"

"Doc said so."

I may not be when Steve gets done. They rounded the corner to the waiting room where Steve sat with Mary Lukela.

Steve looked up as they entered and rose. "Mary, I'll be right back."

Gary sat down at Mary's side.

Steve made it to the empty snack area around the corner before his anger leaked out. "Where the hell have you been?" he demanded. "Since when do you just decide when you will and will not show up for work? You had no business asking Duke to handle your investigation."

"This couldn't wait. Duke knew that. He offered," Danny bit off his words. I know I deserve this, but right now, I cannot take much more.

"Duke offered!" The scowl lingered on Steve's face, but there was an element of injury. "You told Duke what was so important, but you didn't tell me?" It's been four months. Four short months and what is he hiding now. Has he been drinking?

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd think exactly what you are thinking right this minute," Danny replied defensively.

"I'm not-"

"You are. I can see it on your face."

Steve stopped speaking. He's right. I am judging him. "Okay. Sit down and tell me what this is all about."

There was a stonely silence as Danny stood there subbornly.

McGarrett sat down on the plastic couch. More quietly he said, "Sit down--please."

Danny sank tensely onto the edge of the couch.

When he did not speak, Steve said, "Talk to me, Danno. As a friend, talk to me."

He slowly looked at Steve. He has always been there for me, even when I did not deserve it. "Mali Kanea."

Steve nodded. "What about her?"

"Did you know she's been out on parole seventeen months?"

"No, but I'm not surprised."

"She was free before her two men even went to trial!"

Steve rested his chin in his hands, elbows on his knees. "The charges were decreased to drug trafficking and misuse of a controlled substance. You knew the DA was afraid she'd walk completely if he couldn't make the attempted murder charge stick."

He nodded. "She, um, made parole early because she was pregnant. She spread it around that it was mine. I guess she knew I'd come looking for her when I heard. Then she aborted it." His voice was choked with emotion.

"I'm sorry, Danno." I put him into that undercover over his objections and Duke's warning that the undercover was going stale. How do I tell him we really dropped the charges because the defense threatened entrapment because of Danny's sexual relationship with Mali?


"I thought I knew Mali as well as anyone could, but I never--I cannot imagining her killing her own unborn child," Danny whispered. "I've never cared too much about abortion and all. But now -- damn it, Steve, it was my baby that was killed. I never knew, I never had a voice in the fate of my own child." He struggled to keep his emotions in check. "How could anyone -- how could she? She killed her own child just to hurt me."

Steve put a gentle arm on Danny's shoulder.

----------------------------------------------------------------

With Duke on medical leave, Steve did not push Danny to take time off and he did not ask for it, but Steve did decide to keep him close in the office following up the paper trail in the SUBCOMPAC leak.

Kono and Gary were jubilant when they showed up with photos from their surveillance of Batona and Sing two days later.

"See here," Kono said slapping a 3x5 onto the board. "Sing and his advisor, Lu. Don't know who this other dude is in the background, but look here." He put up a photo of Batona at lunch on the wharf. "Batona ate two lunches with the same guy in the last couple of days and Batona picked up the check both times."

Steve squinted at the stranger in both photos. "Who is he?"

"Don't know yet. Working on it," Gary supplied. "I followed him from the second lunch yesterday." He offered a photo of Watanabe going up the church steps. "Went to confession. Then..." he put up another shot, "...to this apartment building."

Steve lifted an eyebrow. "Expensive place. Check his name on the lease?"

"Yeah, it was just leased out two days ago--the same day as Duke's bombing--to a Malama Kanae. This chick." He popped up another shot of Watanabe and Mali outside of a departmtent store.

Steve was surprised. He punched the button on his intercom. "Danno, get in here."

"Really knows how to spend dough," Kono supplied. "She bought close to $2000 of clothes and stuff."

Danny entered and Steve motioned him to the photos on the board.

"What kind of stuff?" Steve asked.

"You know, chick stuff. Perfumes, make up, bath stuff." Kono shrugged.

Steve turned to Danny. "Thought you said Mali was broke."

He made a wry expression. "Well, that's what she told me."

"I want a name, gentlemen," Steve announced. "What does our mystery man have in common with Sing, Batona, and Miss Kanae."

As the three detectives cleared Steve's office, Gary motioned to Danny and they walked over to Gary's small cubicle. "You know how you're always tellin' me to look for the stuff that doesn't seem important."

"Yeah," Danny replied, but his mind was not on Gary's words, but the photo of Gary's three week old daughter framed on the desk. He noticed the little puffy newborn cheeks, the tuft of black hair that someone hard lovingly fixed into a curl at the top of her head and tied with a tiny pink bow.

"Danny," Gary said to get his attention.

He looked back at him. "Sorry." Would my child have looked like that? Would she have looked Hawaiian or white? Would his hair have been jet black like hers?

"Well, I got a copy of the sales slip from the store Miss Kanae visited. Thought you might want to see it." He handed Danny the receipt.

Puzzled, Danny read down the list. Half way down, hidden amongst slacks, blouses, and lingerie was an entry for a teddy bear and a child's outfit in size toddler 2.

"Why you think she'd be buying little kid clothes?" Gary asked already suspecting the answer.

Danny looked up hoping his conclusion was not going to lead to another disappointment.

"Would it help if I told you that I have a cousin who works in Vital Statistics," Gary whispered. "She could probably be convinced to let you take a look at the records for a nice dinner."

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"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."

This time Lewis' unseen listener sounded mildly impatient. "Time is short. My superiors expect us to keep our word."

Lewis noted the unhappy tone. "I will be ready," he promised. "When will I receive the message?"

"It will be delivered to a post office box in three days." A key slid through the curtain towards Lewis who accepted it and put it into his pocket. "You will have four days more."

"Very well," Lewis acknowledged, then hesitated. "What will this message be?"

"My friend, you have done well. Do not concern yourself with unnecessary details. Just be certain the girl will cooperate."

"She will. That you can be sure of. Advise those who need to know that they should listen at 7:00 one week from tonight."

After he left the confessional booth, Lewis heaved a sigh of relief. This was a tremendous risk but the money had been irriesistable. It was that money he had used to buy the bomber who'd launched his campaign to take over the Islands. Batona is too stupid to get out of his own way. I can easily control him; it's the Chinaman I have to be concerned about. I've bought Lu and as long as the money flows, he is mine. After this business of the message transfer is concluded I'll see to it Sing joins his ancestors.

------------------------------------------------------------

Che handed Steve a small plastic zip-bag with the fried remains of melted metal and a glimmer of copper wire. "That's all that was left, Steve. The bomb in Duke's car was real hot -- C4 again. My guess would be the same bomber that did Alika. There wasn't enough left to determine much, but I think it had been set right there at Sing's triggered by closing the door. And that wire is the same type used on Alika's car."

"How did someone place a bomb in the car in front of Sing's with his security?" Steve asked.

Che gave a gentle smile. "That's your area, Steve."

He gave a nod. Someone in Sing's organization is on the take. But that person would have known the correct car to bomb. So it was intentional that it was Duke's car. Why? A scare tactic against Sing. Alika and Joey were removed because they were too smart. Batona is not going to be a problem because he is pretty dumb. Sing, on the other hand, is a wise old man. But he is old. Why not kill him, too? He paced the office. He gazed at the picture of the young Asian in the three photos. Who are you and whom to do you work for?

The door opened and Kono entered. "Word on the street is there is peace between the Dragons and Kumu."

Steve nodded. "Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why? The Kumu lost their king pin and his second in command leaving an idiot in charge. Sing had what he thinks is an attempt on his life in front of his own office. Two days ago they were terrified of each other and building up their defenses. What stopped it?"

He shrugged. "Just peace, Boss. Nobody saying why."

He gave a thoughtful look. "What do you think?"

Kono paused. "Batona's not smart enough to come to a reasonable peace -- and he's racist; hates the Chinese. Somebody else is calling the Kumu's shots."

"Yeah, my thought as well." Steve tapped the photo of Lewis. "Find this guy. Tail him. Get some prints and let's see who he is. I'll get the photo sent to the FBI and see what we can shake up." He gazed at the picture of Lewis and Mali. "I wonder what his interest is in her."

Kono gave a smile. "Pretty lady. He's spending a lot of money on her."

Steve's face set in thought. "No question that she's a pretty lady -- and talented. I can't see our friend here falling for skirts. To him, everything has a purpose, and so has she. Have Gary tail her."

"Right, Steve."

-------------------------------------------------------

Three hours later, Steve pulled the fax report off the machine and scanned it. Rising from his desk, he turned out the light. The clock said it was just past 8:30 in the evening and the falling darkness outside confirmed it. He left the office, knowing where he would find Danny.

He descended two flights of stairs in the state house to the basement. He rapped on the glass door of the Bureau of Vital Statistics. A moment later, Danny came, unlocked the door and admitted Steve.

"How'd you know I was here?" Danny asked.

"I'm a good cop," Steve kidded. "Gary told me about the sales slip."

He nodded. "Well, at least there is a hope. I'd rather believe Mali is a liar than a child killer."

"How did you ever get them to let you go through these files? They are confidential."

He grinned. "I took the clerk out to dinner."

Steve shook his head and handed Danny the fax. "Wanted to show you this."

Danny let out a deep breath. "So, we have a name. Lewis Watanabe. No criminal history."

McGarrett nodded. "Once we had a name, I put a trace on records here. He owns a small radio station, KHON. Station made a change in format over the last month or so. Went from rock to Hawaiian folk music. Features local Hawaiian talent mostly."

Danny frowned. "So where's all his money coming from?"

"You're going to find that out tomorrow."

"It could explain his interest in Mali. Maybe he sees a potential investment in helping her come back," Danny guessed.

Steve did not reply right away. It would be nice if that was the limit, but something told him that Lewis Watanabe was only interested in what profited himself. A long range investment in Mali's comback trail didn't fit that image. He gestured to the stack of blue 4x6 cards on the table. "Got a stack for me?"

He grinned and shoved over a pile. "Guessing February or March of last year. We had a heck of a lot of kids born at that time."

Steve issued a small chuckle and prayed they'd find this needle in the haystack.

------------------------------------------------

KHON was located just west of Pearl City. A modest little white stucco building with a cleache parking, it consisted of a sound room, a small sound proof studio, a snack room and an office. The second day of operations, Mac had shown up on Lewis' step. He was a qualified sound man, but there was no doubt in Lewis' mind that he was the link to his unseen superior. Mac always appeared very casual, he played tapes and records, ran a request hour on Friday nights and never once had displayed muscle, but Lewis was aware that his progress was reported regularly by Mac. At first Lewis had been surprised by what he'd found in the post office box, then realized that it made perfect sense. The sheet music was original composition of several Hawaiian tunes. Such things were becoming common place around KHON. No one would know they were any different. How better to pass information than over the open airwaves by musical notes. No doubt the listening ear would interpret the code right away.

He took the pages of sheet music to Mali who was practicing in the studio.

"What's this?" she muttered scowling at the material.

"I told you we do original stuff."

"Yeah, but whose? I don't know this composer," she complained.

"You don't have to. You just have to sing." He left it with her and returned to his officer.

In less than fifteen minutes, she was a the door. "This sucks," she complained. "It's not good music or lyrics."

"Sorry. That's what it is."

"I'll rearrange it."

"No," he declared. "It goes just the way it is."

"It's terrible." She put her hands on her hips. "I won't do it."

Until now, it had never occurred to him she might refuse. To Lewis all music was the same. "Mali, this is from the guy who's underwriting us, okay? We got to make him happy."

"He'll be happier if we make it sound like something."

He rose from his chair and put an arm around Mali's shoulder. "Hey, girl, I know you. You can make anything sound good. Try it just the way it is and we'll see, okay?"

Pacified for the moment, she turned back to the sound room.

Mac frowned. "She's gonna be trouble?"

Lewis shook his head. "She just wants to be appeased. It'll be okay." He watched through the glass as she picked her way through the piece one more time. Satisfied, he returned to the office.

Mac sat quietly watching Mali, then picked up the phone and dialed number. "It's me. We need a little of the insurance we discussed."

------------------------------------

Steve met his team over pizza that had been delivered to the office. Note pads, photos, and other scraps of paper were pushed around as they compared notes. They were also grateful for the return of Duke to their midst. On his first full day back, Steve hoped the seasoned officer's insight would offer a new angle of this case.

"Watanabe graduated from UCLA two years ago, a degree in political science. Fair to middling grades," Danny reported. "No big money in his past. Still owes on college loans. No bank account here in the Islands. There is an account with Citibank in Los Angeles--no activity in or out in about three months. Has a little over two thousand in savings. No checking account."

"So where is his money coming from?" Steve asked.

"I don't know. Nobody is wiring him money, he isn't using an ATM. Someone is giving him cash." Danny scooped up another slice of pizza.

"Someone. Who?"

"I don't know."

"Kono?" Steve turned to him.

"Batona is making a lot of noise on the docks about how everything is cool. Wire tap got a brief conversation between him and Watanabe today. Watanabe told him to agree to Sing's terms."

"That's interested," McGarrett commented. "We knew someone was advising Batona. Now we know who. The next question is: Why?"

"Batona paying him for his services?" Kono guessed.

"Does Batona have that kind of ready cash?"

I don't think so."

"Gary, what about Miss Kanae?" interjected Duke.

"She's hanging with Watanabe for sure. She's either in his apartment or at the radio station. Never goes anywhere without him. They're eatin' good." Gary tossed out a photo of Mali and Lewis at the Pearl Club. "Hard to say if they're romantic. He comes on to her just a little--maybe more for show. She keeps bouncing around in her attitude. During that lunch she was sweet as a kitten, then without warning was screaming at him." He shook his head. "Weird chick."

Danny did not comment. He remembered all too well Mali's maniacal mood swings.

Gary was passing around several other photos he had of Watanabe with Mali. "No other trips, just the restaurant, store and the station. I asked around a bit, showed Watanabe's picture. Got a lead that he goes to church a lot."

"Goes where?" Steve asked, lifting an eyebrow.

He checked his pad. "St. Paul's. Been there six times in two weeks."

"Maybe he's got a lot to confess," Kono kidded.

"Always in the same confessional booth," Gary added.

"Not bad, Gary," Steve praised him.

"Well, the church won't let us bug the confessional, so we won't be able to catch him there," Gary reported.

"We may not have to." Steve punched the button on his intercom. "Jenny, get me Father Riley on the phone." He then dialed another number. "Che, get your fingerprint kit, I'm about to convert you to Catholicism."

------------------------------------------

Lewis watched Mali as she paced the floor of the studio, furious. "We have only one more day. Are you ready?" he asked.

"No, and I won't ever be. This stuff is awful! You've got four of these songs. Each one's worse than the one before it. They don't even make sense. I'll be the laughing stock of the Island. I have my career to think of!" She shouted and threw the sheet music across the room.

He turned and closed the door between them and Mac. "You see Mac out there?" he asked quietly.

"So?"

"If you don't stop this nonsense we are both cooked, you got that?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"You talk about your career; you wouldn't have a career if I hadn't poured a lot of money into you and you know it. You went bankrupt, honey, remember that? You've got no credit that isn't bad, no job except mine, and no future without me. You understand that now?" His voice was deadly.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" She snapped. "I can do just fine without you."

"You think so, huh?" he muttered. He pulled a polariod snapshot from his jacket pocket and showed it to her.

She gasped in fright.

"Insurance, Mali. As long as you are a good girl everything will be just fine. You screw up and I can't promise much of a future for any of us. You got me now?" He turned his back on her. "I tried to do this nice, girl, now we just do it."

She stared after him, her mouth still hanging open and for once, she was speechless.

-------------------------------------

Che smiled as he handed over the fingerprint report in Steve's office. "We have a real winner here. Pat Ginko, a known Chinese agent."

Steve glanced at the report and handed it off to Danny who stood by him. "Watanabe has been meeting a Chinese agent?"

"It would seem so," Che nodded.

"We may have found his money source," Danny suggested.

McGarrett nodded and looked over at the board. "Watanabe wants to run the docks. He isn't satisfied with just the Kumu, he wants the Dragons as well. But to accomplish that he needs money and lots of it. He needs a firebug, he probably has paid off a few members of each organization. But at the same time he probably convinced both Sing and Batona to pay him a retainer. Cute, huh? He bought KHON. That was a nice piece of change as well, not to mention the spending habits of Mali. And how is she tied up in this?"

"The station advertised her singing in a special appearance at 7:00 tomorrow night," Danny commented.

"SUBCOMPAC confirmed a compromise of the missile call back codes a week ago. Sounds like a job tailor made for Pat Ginko. But he is well known by us and the feds, so he needs to keep a low profile. How is he going to get the stolen codes out of here?"

Danny thought about it. "Watanabe somehow."

"Yeah, and his little radio station."

"But how?"

There was a knock and Jenny stuck her head in the door. "Excuse me, Steve. I have a Sarah Lulia here."

"Sarah?" Danny turned, recognizing the name.

The large middle-aged Hawaiian woman stood behind Jenny. "I need to talk to you," she said around Jenny. "It is about Mali."

Steve motioned to her. "By all means, Mrs. Lulia," he said politely. "What do you know about Mali?"

Danny hastened with the quick introduction. "Sarah Lulia, Steve McGarrett. She is auntie to Mali Kanae," he added for Steve's benefit.

Sarah was staring at the bulletin board with the fuzzy pictures of Lewis. "He's the man!" she announced pointing to the photo.

"Do you know this man?" Steve asked, his interest captured.

"He been trying to make time with Mali. I told her he was bad stuff. No good. Then he came and took Lonnie. He said Mali wanted him, but I know she did not know. She called me secret-like today. She said not to come to police, but I had to."

"Mrs. Lulia, have a seat," Steve motioned. "I think you'd better start at the beginning. Who is Lonnie?"

Sarah looked from Steve to Danny. "I tell her she was bad from the beginning," she started. "Danno, I'm sorry, she hurt you so bad. Maybe I should have come to you before now, but I was a coward. She would not tell the truth. Lonnie is her son, your baby."

Danny felt floods of relief, joy, anger, fear all at once. He struggled to absorb it all. Remarkably, in spite of the intense internal roar of feeling, externally nothing showed. Quietly he asked, "Do you have his picture?"

She fumbled through her large purse. "Of course." She handed him the snapshot. "Mali left Lonnie with me when she went off with that big shot. That Lewis guy was bad, I told her anyone who would make a mother leave her child is no good. But she could only think of singing again."

Danny was still staring at the picture of the year old toddler who smiled a toothless grin at the camera. He looked totally Hawaiian. Any Caucasian blood in him would be hard to detect. Danny tried to follow Sarah's story, but his focus was on the small boy in the photo.

She continued. "Mali asked me to keep Lonnie. I love Lonnie so it was fine by me. He's a good boy, no trouble. But I know she loves him so. Yesterday that Lewis man came and said he was taking Lonnie to Mali, she missed him too much. So, I pack his things." Her face was deepening in sadness and fear. "And he take him." The last statement was almost a whisper. "Mali call me today real quiet like on the phone, like she was afraid somebody overhear. She asked if Lonnie was with me. I get scared and told her that Lewis had him. I know that she was afraid. She said not to do anything, she would see to it. But I had to. Mali makes bad guesses sometimes, you know?"

Boy, do I know, Danny thought.

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end part 2
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