The meeting of the Hawai‘i Four-9 squad convened in the back room of the Blue Light Bar and Grill. To give the illusion that Agent Daniel was still recuperating at Queens, Captain Kauhane had stationed a dozen uniformed officers both outside the designated room where officers took turns lying in bed to further enhance to ruse.
This also meant that now Hank Lee was in Queen’s, out of an abundance of caution, officers were stationed outside his room. The coroner had survived the shooting at the morgue and was now in stable condition in the room next to the prop Sean Daniel room.
“I don’t think Hank’s in any imminent danger,” said Kauhane. “My guess is that he was shot not because he was a target, but because of his being there to prevent the taking of the corpse.”
Chan sipped his Primo draft meditatively. “That’s, of course, if we think there was that third body and someone wanted it for whatever reason.”
“Yeah,” said Kelso. “The so-called odd body.”
“We need Hank to come to,” said Kalahiki. “He’s gotta tell us what’s so strange about the missing corpse.”
“Or,” said Chan, “he can tell us if it’s one of those two bodies still there. Something we missed. Something that doesn’t appear odd to Kathy, but did to him.”
Kauhane said, “But if it is one of the two bodies still there, why shoot Hank?”
The four nursed their beers and pondered this.
“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” said Chan. “If it is one of those two that caught Hank’s interest, and if the person who shot Hank knew that Hank had discovered something so he had to be killed, then I think the shooter would have made very sure that Hank was dead. He – ”
“Or she,” interjected Kalahiki.
“Or she,” continued Chan, “would have checked him, seen he was still alive, and finished him off.”
“And if he had found something weird about one of those two bodies,” said Kauhane, “then it would seem odds on that someone else, say, Kathy, the other coroner, would find the weird thing as well.”
“Yeah,” said Kelso. “No make sense that way. Gotta be it was the third body.”
“The next question we need to be answered,” said Chan, “is whether whatever body is odd has anything to do with Sean Daniel, MI6, and or the drug operation Daniel was working on.”
Kauhane said, “Definitely. If it isn’t related, then I’m in a fog about what on earth would be odd, what would be of interest, about any body that is or was in the morgue.”
“The mind boggles,” said Kelso. “So many things could be strange for all kine-a reasons.”
“We need Hank to wake up,” said Kalahiki.
“And we need more beer,” said Kelso.
Another round came to the table. Rick Yamanaha, the owner of the Blue Light, delivered the round personally.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “this round’s on the house. The men of Four-9 look like they’ve been put through the grinder today. What’s up? Anything you can share without having to shoot me?”
The men laughed.
“Lemme get my gun ready,” said Kelso.
The Captain chimed in. “Sorry, Rick, this case is too intense to share anything about at the moment.”
While it was against policy to discuss ongoing cases with people outside the department, Rick Yamanaha was someone well-connected with many diverse factions of the community. Sometimes he was taken into confidence about aspects of a case because he might be able to help. And the wrestlers who congregated at the Blue Light almost nightly allowed Yamanaha’s network to extend even further into the deeper and darker recesses of Honolulu’s underbelly. One of the wrestlers in particular, Han Lee, often shared valuable information with Chan. In effect, he was one of Chan’s most valuable CIs.
One of the waitresses, Nicole, popped her head in. “Captain, there’s a phone call for you.”
“This could be it,” said Kauhane.
The others waited for the news, sipping silently.
Kauhane came rushing back. “Let’s go, guys. Hank Lee is awake.”
Lanning Lee 