Danny in the Big
Apple, Part 2: So Much To Live For
(Cagney & Lacey crossover)
By Sylvia
(Background notes: The
episode “A Long Time Ago” had Danny and Melissa Cole going to school in
I’ve written a
different story about the deaths of Danny’s parents because in watching the episode
“To Hell With Babe Ruth,” I believe Danny was puzzled
about the origin of the phrase. That suggested (to me, at least) an
unfamiliarity with some of the background of World War II, and a less intimate
connection with the attack on
***
Late October, 1979
“Attention all units. We have a
hostage situation at
Danny Williams and Christine Cagney, driving back from
questioning a witness in a
She picked up the microphone. “Dispatch, this is car 84. We’re on our way.”
Christine turned on the siren in the unmarked police car and stepped on the gas. She then turned to Danny. “Detective, there are 40 teachers in that school,” she said.
Danny finally found his voice. “I’m aware of that, Officer,” he said. “And one was hurt, and another is threatened. Let’s get over there.”
As they raced to the scene, Danny remembered another day, nearly 10 years ago, when he arrived at a crime scene to find out the woman he loved, Jane Michaels, had been murdered.
Dear God, not again, he
prayed. Not again.
***
August 2, 1979
It was hot.
Danny sat at a back table at Wang’s Restaurant in
The week had started with two deaths related to the
But Danny wasn’t completely itching
to leave. The café had been an oasis for him since he’d discovered it three
weeks earlier. He had smelled the lomi-lomi and thought,
I must be hallucinating. Hawaiian food in
He’d walked into the restaurant and spied it on the menu. As the young man was taking his order, he said, “Danny!”
Danny had looked at the other man. “Tommy?” he’d asked.
Tommy Wang was a distant cousin of Chin Ho Kelly; Danny had
sometimes gone with Chin to the Wang family restaurant in
“So, McGarrett finally got sick of you, eh, Danny?” Tommy had teased. But he and his father had welcomed Danny with open arms. Danny went there when he could.
As Tommy brought Danny his food, the television above cut into a special report. Both men looked up.
“We have tragic news about the world champion New York
Yankees,” the anchor read. “This morning, their star catcher, Thurman Munson,
was killed in his hometown of
“Oh my God,” Danny said.
“Munson was spending the Yankees’ off day with his family before joining the team for tomorrow night’s game,” the anchor said. “He leaves behind his wife, Diane, and three small children.”
“Geez,” Tommy said. “So much to live for….” Danny nodded and sighed.
As he watched the television coverage, Danny thought about his own life, having cheated death a number of times and accomplished much professionally. Personally, though….
Steve McGarrett had joked with him about the social scene in
Maybe I’m just getting
old, he thought.
He knew the pitfalls of being a police officer and having a family. He kept in close contact with Chin’s family; most of the younger children still struggled to adjust to life without a father or mother.
He looked again at the television. Munson wasn’t a cop, and he still managed to leave a young family without him, Danny thought.
But Danny had also seen the joy his friends Kono Kalakaua, Duke Lukela and Ben Kokua took in their families. Ben had left police work to teach criminal justice to college students, but Kono was the Big Island police chief and was married, with two young daughters and a son. Duke and his wife had raised two sons, who were now in college.
In
Danny was distracted from the television and his thoughts by a female voice saying, “Oh!”
He turned in time to save the tray of a woman from falling.
He looked up into eyes as grey as rain on the
“Thank you,” the woman said. She looked about Danny’s age. She had medium blonde hair, in a page-boy style, off the face. It was a gentle face. A friendly face.
“Are you all right?” Danny asked.
“Fine,” the woman said. She turned to try to locate a seat, but a group of tourists had seemingly taken over the entire restaurant.
“Would you like to sit here? Looks like they’ll be there a while,” Danny said.
“Are you sure?” the woman asked. Danny nodded.
She sat down opposite him. “Thank you,” she said again.
“You’re welcome,” Danny answered. He looked at her tray and noticed she also had lomi-lomi.
She glanced up at the television and listened to the news of
Munson. “Oh, no,” she said. “He was from the Akron-Canton area in
“Are you from
“My parents were born and raised there,” the woman said.
“And you?” Danny asked.
“I come from a place a bit to the south – actually, southwest,” the woman said. “People don’t usually believe me when I tell them where I come from.”
It couldn’t be, could
it? Danny glanced down at the food on her tray.
“You’re from
The woman looked at him in shock. “How did you figure that out?” she asked.
“Your lunch gave you away,” he said with a grin.
She smiled and noticed the same food on his plate. “You, too?” she asked. Danny nodded.
She looked at him a moment, studying him. Then, recognition came into her face. “Wait a minute…..Danny Williams?” she asked.
“Yeah!” he said, shocked. “Do we know each other?”
“Yes,” she said, smiling and nodding. “It’s been a while.”
Danny looked at her. There was something familiar, but he wasn’t sure what.
“Did we ever date?” he asked.
The woman chuckled. “No,” she said.
Danny continued to look, but he couldn’t quite place her.
Still smiling, she said, “Try picturing me with the ugliest horn-rimmed glasses you can imagine.”
Now, it was Danny’s turn to chuckle. “All right,” he said. Then, it came to him.
In 10th grade, Danny had struggled in his Spanish class. Señora Galiano, his teacher, had suggested he pair up with another student.
That student, Elizabeth Phillips, had helped him greatly. He
remembered her as friendly, smart and a natural teacher. In fact, she did become a teacher; he had briefly
seen her in subsequent years while he was on Five-O business in various schools.
“
“That’s right,” she said. “Most people call me Beth.”
“Well, I knew I couldn’t completely forget the girl who helped me earn a ‘B’ in Spanish,” Danny said, smiling.
“Do you remember your Spanish?” Beth asked.
“Si,” Danny said. On a raised eyebrow from Beth, Danny said, “and that’s about it – the word ‘si.’” They both laughed.
“It’s very useful in
“Do you remember it?” Danny asked.
“I hope so,” Beth said. “I’m a language teacher.”
“Really?” Danny asked. “I knew you were a teacher, but I didn’t know the subject. What languages?”
“Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Hawaiian-“
“Wait a minute,” Danny threw up his hands. “How many languages do you know?”
“Those six,” Beth said. She grinned. “And a few others.”
“Fluently?” Danny asked, amazed. Beth nodded.
“Actually, I don’t just teach the languages, but a class about
the cultures of the countries whose people speak those languages,” she said.
“My students learn about the food, the currency, you name it. I’ve come to
“That’s great,” Danny said. He motioned towards the group of tourists. “Do you know what language they’re speaking?”
Beth listened. “Dutch,” she said. “I think they went to the Statue of Liberty this morning.”
Danny chuckled. “Have you ever thought of becoming a police officer?” he asked jokingly.
“I think I’ll leave that to the professionals like you,” Beth said. She smiled frequently when she talked, which Danny liked.
“Do you remember a man named Ted Phillips?” Beth asked.
“Of course,” Danny said. “He was your father…and my first mentor at HPD.”
Edward “Ted” Phillips had been a
Ted Phillips had died in 1974, while Danny was held hostage by the People’s Attack Group. Given the circumstances, none of the Five-O men had been able to attend the funeral. Kono Kalakaua, two years removed from Five-O, had represented them.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to go to his funeral, Beth,” Danny said.
“I know Steve McGarrett went through a lot to rescue you,” Beth said. “We knew what was going on. I think Dad would have been proud of you all.”
Both of them sat in silence for a moment. “Do you know Steve?” Danny asked.
“Yes,” Beth said. “Of course, he speaks a few languages, so he comes every year to Honolulu High to speak to the students during Career Week. Sarah Palahana, the principal, is a good friend of his. She’s my best friend.”
“Sure, I know Sarah,” Danny said. “They’re both good role models for those students.”
They were interrupted by a commotion at the cash register. Danny and Beth turned to look.
One of the tourists was gesturing wildly with the older Mr. Wang, who was chattering angrily in Chinese. She was looking in her purse in frustration.
“Either she doesn’t have any money at all, or she doesn’t have the proper currency,” Beth said. She got up, as did Danny.
Beth walked over to the woman and started to converse with her in Dutch. The woman spoke a different language, looking puzzled. Beth easily switched to the woman’s language. The woman showed her the money she had, which was not American currency.
“She is a tourist, but she’s not with the others; she’s from
How does that happen? Danny
wondered. He tried to remember something about
He looked up to see Beth talking to Mr. Wang, this time in Chinese. Beth walked back to the table she had shared with Danny and picked up her purse. She opened it and got out American money. She walked over to the woman and showed it to her. The woman started to shake her head, but Beth handed her the money and took her currency in exchange. She motioned to Mr. Wang. The woman handed him her money. Mr. Wang bowed his head. The woman did the same. Beth spoke again to the woman, motioning down the street, where there was a bank.
As Danny watched her, he remembered her father, who had
easily negotiated traffic, pedestrians and more on
“Miss Phillips is a pretty good diplomat, isn’t she?” Tommy asked, chuckling.
“Apparently so,” Danny said, shaking his head in amazement. “Do you know her?”
“I was one of her students in
The woman said good-bye to Beth and Mr. Wang, and left. Beth walked back to Danny and Tommy. “The bank will be able to help her with the exchange,” Beth said.
“But you got some worthless currency,” Danny said.
“Not worthless at all,” Beth said. “I can show it to my students.”
Tommy grinned. “Like you did with us, Miss Phillips. We got to see money from all over.” He paused. “But we still can’t take it here.”
“Well, so much for changing policy,” Beth said with a smile. “I guess I’d better ask you to wrap up my lunch, Tommy.”
“Mine, too,” Danny chimed in.
“You got it,” Tommy said.
As Tommy went to get some cartons, Mr. Wang motioned to Beth, who walked to the front counter. He gave her a carton. Beth started to shake her head; Mr. Wang smiled and held out his hands, which Beth grasped. “Xie xie,” she said. Danny knew that was “Thank you” in Chinese.
“Tommy’s right; you are a good diplomat,” Danny said.
Beth shook her head and smiled.
Danny looked at her closely. He wanted to get to know this woman better.
“Beth, will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
The next day
I hate the mayor, Danny thought to himself.
Actually, Danny had nothing personal against the mayor of
Danny had reservations for 7 p.m. at a small Mexican
restaurant near
Gerry noticed Danny glancing at his watch. “Excuse me sir?” Gerry broke in.
“Yes?” the mayor asked, puzzled.
“It is approaching 6 p.m. And of course it’s Friday night, so Jewish Sabbath preparations must be taken into account,” Gerry said.
The mayor glanced at his watch. “You are absolutely right,” he said. “I am so sorry for having kept all of you so long. In fact, I’m supposed to head uptown to a synagogue.”
He rose, and everyone else followed. He shook hands with everyone and left.
“Gerry, you heading to the synagogue?” Danny asked.
“No, but I saw you glancing at your watch, so I took a chance,” Gerry said. “I’m not as religious as I should be.”
Danny shook his head and chuckled. “Well, thanks. I think.”
Gerry laughed. “Hot date?” he asked.
Danny smiled. “She’s from the
“
“
“You managed to meet a woman from
“Thanks,” Danny said. With a grin, he added, “Have a good Sabbath.”
Danny walked back to his office and opened the Rolodex where he’d carefully put Beth’s address and phone number. He picked up the phone and dialed, feeling like a schoolboy.
Beth picked up on the second ring. “Hello?” she said.
“Hi Beth, it’s Danny.” He felt tongue-tied. “I’m sorry to say I’m running late.”
“Would you like me to meet you?” Beth asked.
Danny smiled. “I’d actually like to pick you up and take you to the restaurant, but we’d never make it in time for the reservation.”
“I can take the subway to wherever the restaurant is,” Beth said.
“Well, the restaurant is near
Beth thought a moment. “How about meeting in front of the statue of Prometheus?”
“The what?” Danny asked, puzzled.
“The golden statue, the one in the middle
of
“OK. I’ll see you there,” he said.
They hung up, and Danny marveled at how Beth didn’t seem to mind at all. Everything in this city is an adventure for her, he thought.
He walked out to his issued police car. He thought longingly of his beloved Mustang – which, no doubt, Ben Kokua was using to take his wife out once a week.
He got in and looked at his watch. It was 6 p.m. Danny started the car and headed out – into a traffic jam.
After 10 minutes, he’d gone one block. After 20 minutes, he’d gone two.
Then, the radio crackled.
“Attention all units,” came the voice. “Robbery in progress at Gill’s Jewelry Store.”
Well, it’s an excuse to get out of this jam. “Unit 3 responding,” Danny called on his radio. He made a right at the next intersection and got the emergency lights and siren going.
By the time he pulled up to the store, Officers Sam Grogan and Harry Foster already had things well in hand. Two suspects were cuffed and seated in back of the police car.
“Everything OK here?” Danny asked, getting out of his car.
“Yes, Detective,” Grogan said. “We’ve got it. Nothing more needed.”
“Good, Officer,” Danny said, getting back into the car. “Good night.”
He started the car again and began to move.
Pfffft!!!
Frustrated, Danny got out of the car and looked at the left rear tire, quickly losing air.
“Need any help, Detective?” Grogan asked.
“No, I’ve got it,” Danny said. He looked at his watch and sighed. It was 6:45.
It took him 10 minutes to change the tire. But he realized his best efforts at a detour had gotten him
– well, back to where he was when the police call had come in, with the traffic
jam still intact. Get in line, Buster.
Danny took a deep breath and inched along. In
But this was different. Danny felt
more urgency to get to
Please let her be there, even if she’s mad, Danny thought for the umpteenth time.
He finally was liberated from the traffic jam and, somehow,
got to a parking garage a couple of blocks from
He started to jog, then stopped when he heard a woman’s cry: “Samantha!”
He looked around and saw a couple looking up and down the street and calling the name again and again. He went up to them and showed them his badge.
“My daughter, she’s 7……She decided to play Hide-and-Seek….and now we can’t find her!” The woman dissolved into sobs, as her husband consoled her.
“I’ll look with you,” Danny said. “Your names?”
“Booker,” the husband said. “Alan and Evelyn Booker.”
“I’ll help you look, Mr. and Mrs. Booker,” Danny said reassuringly.
He was about a block from the garage and the car….the car where he could call for backup. As he helped search for the girl, he also kept an eye out for any NYPD cars going past.
At one point, he walked in front of a plant and saw part of the outline of a person. He stepped around the other side. A little girl looked up at him, shyly.
Danny bent down. “Your name wouldn’t happen to be Samantha, would it?” he asked gently. The girl nodded.
“Your parents are looking for you,” he said.
“I know,” she said, her voice quavering. “I thought they’d think I’m smart ‘cause I hid well. But now I think they’re mad.”
“They’re just worried about you….They’re good parents, right?” Danny asked.
“The best,” she said.
“Well, I’m a policeman,” Danny said, showing Samantha his badge. “Come with me, and they’ll see how smart you are.”
Samantha stood up and put her hand in Danny’s.
“Mr. and Mrs. Booker?” he called.
They looked toward him. “Samantha!” they called. The little girl ran towards her parents, who hugged her tightly.
“Thank you, Officer,” Mr. Booker said. Danny walked toward the family and shook Mr. Booker’s hand.
“My pleasure,” he said. He looked at Samantha.
“When you play hide-and-seek, Samantha, do it at home,” he said. “This is kind of a dangerous place to play.”
“I will, I promise,” she said. Danny smiled.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go meet someone,” he said.
I hope.
As he approached
He approached the famous gold statue of Prometheus. Danny’s heart was pounding.
Please be there, Beth.
Please, be there.
There stood Beth, in a dark blue dress. Danny thought he had never seen a happier sight in his whole life.
“You’re still here,” Danny said, amazed.
“I thought you might be late. Are you all right?” Beth asked.
“Yeah,” Danny said. “I’m sorry. How long have you - ”
“I got here pretty early,” Beth said. “I walked around and saw some of the shops. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah. Sorry about the dinner reservations,” Danny said, still surprised that she wasn’t angry or even slightly annoyed, though she looked concerned. “They have a restaurant here, right?”
Beth nodded. Danny walked over to look at the menu of the outdoor restaurant below the statue. As he saw the prices, his heart fell.
Beth looked with him. That’s
definitely beyond a cop’s budget, she thought, stealing a glance at him. I wonder if he’d mind if I suggested a
place.
She plunged ahead. “Have you ever been to Lindy’s?” she asked.
Lindy’s was a nearby restaurant that catered to show business people and tourists. The prices were reasonable.
“I’ve taken my Aunt Clara there a couple of times,” Danny said. “Want to go there?”
“Sure,” Beth said. “I walked by it when I got here from the subway. I kind of liked the jokes on display in their windows.”
“That’s a preview of the jokes they have on their menus,” Danny said, with a grin.
“I hope that doesn’t describe the food,” Beth said.
“No, they’re pretty good,” Danny said. “Let’s go.”
Lindy’s was crowded, but they were able to get a table and order relatively quickly. They chuckled over the jokes on the menu.
While they waited for their food, Beth asked, “Does your
aunt live in
“
“A character actress?” Beth asked.
“And a character,” Danny said, with a smile. “Once you meet Aunt Clara, you never forget her.”
On the walk to the restaurant, he’d given her a brief summary of what had happened.
“I’m sorry again for being late,” Danny said. “I’m afraid this has been a frequent occurrence on dates in my life.”
“Well, you’re a police officer,” Beth said. “And I know there were plenty of times in my house when Dad was late to dinner.”
Danny shook his head. “I forgot,” he said. “You’re part of the ‘brotherhood in blue.’ You’re very proud of him, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I miss Dad terribly, every day,” Beth said. “He loved being a cop.”
“I know he did,” Danny said. “I think he only loved your mother and you more. My first year as an HPD cop, I was sometimes walking the beat with him…..I don’t think a sentence went by that didn’t have your names in it.”
Beth nodded. “It was hard for Mom after he died. She was gone within a year…..Didn’t really have the will without him. I miss her, too.”
They were silent for a moment, until the waiter came with their food.
“He never wanted to stop walking the beat,” Danny remembered, between bites. “I think Chief Dann always wanted your dad to go on to higher things…..Steve wouldn’t have minded having him at Five-O. But he loved his beat.”
Beth agreed. “He said it was the best way in the world to get to know people,” she said. “Actually, after I started teaching, he said I had ‘the other best way’ to get to know people.”
Danny chuckled. “So you inherited it from him.”
Beth smiled in recollection. “Actually, he never learned much in the way of languages,” she said. “But he encouraged me to go ahead with my education. He said it’s always better if we understand each other.”
“I agree,” Danny said.
They continued their meal, but were interrupted by the Booker family.
“Officer….we’re sorry to interrupt,” Mrs. Booker said. “We just wanted to thank you again for your help in finding Samantha earlier.”
“Glad to do it,” Danny said.
“What happened?” Beth asked, curious. Danny had said only
that he’d spotted a little girl playing Hide-and-Seek.
“This man was coming from a parking garage earlier when our daughter decided to play a little Hide-and-Seek,” Mr. Booker said. Samantha looked, down, embarrassed. Beth smiled at her; the girl shyly smiled back.
“Anyway, he helped us find her,” Mr. Booker continued.
“Good for him,” Beth said, looking at Danny, who blushed.
Beth looked back at the family. “Where are you from?” she asked.
“
Beth and the Bookers continued back and forth for a bit, until Mrs. Booker looked at her watch. “It’s almost Samantha’s bedtime,” she said.
She looked at Danny again. “I never got your full name,” she said.
“Dan Williams,” he said.
“Detective Dan Williams,” Beth added, making Danny blush again.
“Thank you again, Detective,” Mr. Booker said. With final handshakes and a friendly wave from Samantha, the family departed.
Danny looked at Beth. “Trying to be my agent?” he asked.
Beth flashed that smile. “You don’t need one,” she said. “You do a fine job on your own.”
Danny walked Beth to her apartment door.
“I had a good time, Detective,” she said.
“Even though I was an hour late,” Danny said.
“Helping people who needed it,” Beth said. “Danny, don’t ever feel guilty about doing your job.”
He smiled.
“You, Teacher, are very sweet,” he said, triggering a blush from Beth. “And I had a good time, too.”
They were silent for a moment.
“Would you like to go to the Yankees-Orioles game on Sunday?” Danny asked.
Beth nodded.
He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.
“I promise, I’ll be on time.”
Sunday
“Have you ever been
back to
“I went to college there, and I visited my grandparents
there,” Beth said. “I like it, but there’s nothing quite like
“So naturally, you came to
“For the opportunity,” Beth said. “Just like you.”
As they munched on hot dogs and watched the Yankees win,
Danny and Beth conversed about many things. Danny didn’t think he’d ever talked
so much with any other woman he had dated. Even
Jane, he thought briefly.
“Well, maybe sometime this week, I can finally take you to dinner at that restaurant – without interference from mayors or traffic jams or flat tires,” Danny said as he walked her to her apartment after the game.
Beth chuckled and thought a moment. “Do you remember the Apollo-Soyuz space mission a few years ago, when the astronauts and cosmonauts got together in space?”
“Sure,” said Danny, puzzled by the reference.
“They had a press conference….the astronauts and cosmonauts up there, answering questions from the reporters on Earth,” Beth recalled. “Someone asked Alexi Leonov, the Soyuz commander, about the astronaut food they were eating, and he said, ‘The best part of a good dinner isn’t what you eat, but with whom you eat.’”
Danny smiled. “And your point is?”
“It’s not the location or the food; it’s the company,” Beth said.
Danny’s breath caught.
“May I kiss you, Beth?” he asked, his voice low.
Beth nodded, slowly.
Danny took her face in his hands and gently kissed her.
The police car arrived at the school; Danny and Christine
got out. Danny looked around, trying to assess the situation, but also looking
for Beth.
Where is she? he wondered. Is she
the teacher who was hurt?
He walked with Christine to Officer Steve Lopez. “What’s the story, Officer?” Danny asked.
“I don’t have much more for you other than what was reported on the police radio,” Lopez said.
“The injured teacher?” Danny asked.
“A woman. On her
way to the hospital. That’s all I know.”
August/September
Through much of August, Danny and Beth set out to discover
School started in late August and the couple had less time together, between Beth’s preparation for classes and Danny’s investigations. But they still managed, at least, to call each other every day. They would make time on the weekends for a picnic, ballgame or quiet lunch or dinner. Sometimes when he did get a night off, Danny would surprise Beth in the middle of the week, coming to her apartment to help her with dinner while she prepared a lesson plan for the next day.
On his first visit, he discovered her small window garden.
“I left an orchid plant in
“Who did you leave it with?” Beth asked.
“Ben Kokua,” Danny said.
Was it his imagination, or had he just seen a shadow of sadness pass over Beth’s eyes? If so, it was gone in an instant.
“Well, if Ben’s reliable, then your orchid is in good hands,” she said.
“I left him my Mustang convertible, too,” Danny said, shaking his head.
“I wouldn’t worry,” Beth said. “Who did you inherit the orchid from?”
“Mike Finney,” Danny said slowly, waiting for her reaction.
“Judith Finney’s dad,” Beth said. As Danny blushed, Beth grinned.
“You know about his background, right?” Danny asked.
Mike Finney had been a mobster on the mainland, but had gone straight and been befriended by Steve. Danny had met Finney when Five-O was trying to protect him during a crime commission hearing. Finney was shot and killed after his testimony.
“Yes, and that he came to a very
bad end,” Beth said. “I know he tried to turn his life around in
Beth chuckled at Danny’s reaction.
“So did you, evidently,” she added.
“You are a cop. You just don’t know it,” Danny said, in mock exasperation, yet amused and impressed at Beth’s perceptiveness. “Actually, we only got to know each other well enough to trade sandwiches one day. That’s about as serious as we got. ”
“She’s married now, with kids,” Beth said. “Sarah still keeps in touch with her, although I think she was in some sort of protection program for a while.”
Danny was silent. Five-O had worked with the federal government to put Judith into the Witness Protection Program after her father’s death.
“But you already knew that,” Beth said with a smile.
Danny sat down next to her and chuckled.
“Don’t you have a lesson to prepare?” he asked, again using the tone of mock annoyance.
Beth chuckled with him.
Back in his own apartment later that evening, Danny pulled out a book he’d thumbed through from time to time – his high school yearbook.
He sat down and leafed through the pages. He smiled at some photos of tomfoolery, and at the pictures of some of his teachers.
His expression sobered when he reached the photo of Melissa Cole. Oh, Melissa, he thought to himself. He realized now that what had happened the year before had been a way on his part to pick up an illusion created in high school. She’d used him last year, to try to kill an ex-boyfriend who had abused and murdered her child. Danny had fallen for it, until Steve had wisely guided him out. Melissa now sat in jail.
Danny was equally subdued when he saw the pictures of his one-time best friend, Lew Morgan, and Marjorie, the girl who became Lew’s wife – whom Lew had killed in a jealous rage nine years earlier.
Before Danny left
Danny searched for Beth’s picture. As he looked for it, a picture of Peter Olena caught his eye. Danny hadn’t known Peter well, but knew that he was one of the brains of the class. Peter was a distant cousin of Chinough Olena, a murdered HPD officer who had been friends with Danny.
Peter was going to be a doctor and was starting his
residency when he went to
Danny had learned that from another of Peter’s cousins – Ben Kokua.
Now, Danny also remembered prom night. Melissa was his date. As they had waited in line at the punchbowl, there was another couple in front of them. It was Peter Olena and his date – Beth.
What did she go through when he was killed? Danny wondered.
Perhaps it was a little like what happened to him after Jane was murdered.
He didn’t want to dwell on the thought. Instead, he continued through the yearbook until he found Beth’s picture.
He smiled. Beth’s horn-rimmed glasses were off in the photo,
and her face was covered with freckles. But the smile was the same one that could light up a room.
With interest, he read the information next to her photo.
“Elizabeth Phillips – Language Club, Future Teachers, Swim
Team.”
“Song-Simple Gifts.”
“Quote-‘A thing of beauty is a joy
forever.’”
“Birthday-September 23.”
Wow, Danny
thought. That’s just two weeks away.
When was the last time Beth had gone through her high school yearbook? She couldn’t remember.
But she was opening it now, trying to find Danny’s picture. She happened upon Peter Olena’s first.
Oh, my dearest Peter, she thought. With tears coming to her eyes, she touched the picture of the Hawaiian boy with whom she had shared so much. She’d thought of him fleetingly tonight, when Danny had mentioned Ben Kokua, Peter’s cousin.
She hadn’t even hinted to Danny about that part of her past. They hadn’t discussed school days much. How he must wonder about that, Beth thought.
With a final touch to Peter’s picture, she flipped through the yearbook pages until she found Danny. She smiled. He still looked about the same, just some grey creeping into the curly, sandy hair. His eyes bore a mischievous look, which she’d seen him flash at times.
She read the information next to his photo. “Daniel Williams
– Baseball, basketball, football, tennis.”
“Song – Unforgettable.”
“Quote: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you.’”
“Birthday –December 8.”
Good to know, Beth thought.
September 23
Danny took Beth to see the Broadway musical “Annie.” He was still thinking about the story of the little orphan girl while he and Beth were having coffee in her apartment.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Beth asked.
“What would a penny have been worth in the Depression?” Danny asked.
“You liked the play,” Beth said, smiling.
“There’s a song in there….’Maybe he reads, maybe she sews….’”
Beth looked through her program. “It’s called ‘Maybe.’ It’s what she sings about the parents she wants.”
“It reminds me of my own experience.”
Danny sat, deep in thought again. Beth waited.
“My parents were born in
“My dad was one of three brothers. The oldest, Charles, was married to my Aunt Clara; he died about 10 years after they were married. Aunt Clara has always lived in this section of the country.
“My dad was Daniel, Sr…..I’m a junior. He was the middle boy. My Uncle Jim was the youngest. He was a lifelong bachelor.
“My mother, Rachel, was an only child. She met my father one day while she was riding on the cable car….He was the conductor,” Danny went on. “They were married shortly afterward. They tried several times to have children, but lost them.”
Again, Danny saw the shadow pass over Beth’s eyes, as he had when he’d mentioned Ben Kokua. Again, it was momentary. Tentatively, he continued.
“Well, aside from that, their fortunes were pretty bad. My
father didn’t make much money; my mother was a seamstress,” Danny said. “By
then, my Uncle Jim had moved to
“I was born healthy, but it took a lot out of my mother,” he continued. “She was never really healthy again. She died about eight months later.”
“Oh, Danny,” Beth said sadly, shaking her head.
“And then, about a year after that, my father was walking
down
Beth took his hands in hers. They stayed that way, quietly, for a few moments.
“Your uncle raised you,” Beth said. “I knew him. He and Dad were friends.”
“Yeah, Uncle Jim had started out walking the beat, then graduated to patrols, then detective with HPD,” Danny said. “Chin Ho Kelly said Uncle Jim was such a good cop that Steve might have picked him for Five-O. Talk about your ironies.”
Danny looked off into space again, and continued.
“You know what happened, right?” he asked. Beth nodded.
“Simple robbery case – only it wasn’t so simple,” Danny said. “Uncle Jim told them to drop their weapons, but one of the robbers had a hidden gun. That’s what he used to shoot Uncle Jim with.
“I had just finished my second year at the
“You mean you didn’t start out wanting to be a police officer?” Beth was surprised.
“Actually, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be,” Danny said. “I wouldn’t have minded playing baseball or basketball, but I was too short for a scholarship. I think psychology was a popular major at the time for kids who weren’t sure what to do with their lives. It didn’t take me long to find I wasn’t cut out for it. And I got more interested in police work – especially when Hawaii Five-O was created, during my second year in school.” He smiled. “I heard Steve McGarrett making his first speech, and I knew I wanted to work there someday.
“Then Uncle Jim died, and I knew I had to carry on his
legacy,” he continued. “But seeing everything in
“When I got to the last semester, there were several police
departments in the Bay Area that were taking a look at me. But I was longing
for home, and I applied to HPD’s police academy and came back to
He smiled again.
“This is no way to spend your birthday,” he said.
Beth’s expression turned to shock. She hadn’t said anything, and though Danny had taken her to the play, he hadn’t mentioned the occasion. “How did you know?” she asked.
“A good cop has his sources – and his high school yearbook,” Danny said. From his jacket pocket, he took out a medium-sized, gift-wrapped box.
“Hauoli la hanau, Beth,” he said softly, holding the box out to her. She smiled to hear him say “Happy Birthday” in Hawaiian.
“What in the world is this?” she asked, carefully unwrapping the brightly colored paper.
“You’re a girl after my own heart – saving the wrapping,” Danny kidded.
Beth got the wrapping off to reveal a velvet burgundy box. She opened it. Inside was a round opal necklace.
“I know it’s not your birthstone, but I kind of liked it,” Danny said.
“It’s beautiful, Danny. Thank you,” Beth said softly. “And I like opal, regardless of the month.”
“May I put it on you?” Danny asked.
He moved to sit behind Beth, undid the clasp and put the necklace around her. She moved so they faced each other. To Danny, the opal necklace brought out her eyes even more.
He took her hands in his. “Do you know your eyes look like the
“Really?” she asked. “Is that a good thing?”
He chuckled. “Very good. Well, except for surfers.”
“That’s right….You like to surf, too.”
“Not you?”
“My specialty has always been watching it,” Beth said.
Danny laughed. “Probably the safest way,” he said. “Actually, these days I don’t surf very much.”
“Kind of hard in
“Actually, it’s age more than anything,” Danny said. “I’m not 25 anymore, so I think the Banzai Pipeline can be saved for the kids.”
“I’m not 25 anymore, either,” Beth said. She grinned. “But take it from an old woman, there’s a lot of richness to aging.”
“I agree, Birthday Girl,” Danny said, as he leaned in to kiss her. “But you’re nowhere near old.”
Westerfield High
“All the other teachers, students and staff members are out, and they’re beyond the perimeter,” Christine told Danny.
“Do we have an ID on who’s holed up in that classroom?” Danny asked.
“Not yet. Still a teacher, and the two students,” Christine said.
“Well, let’s get them,” Danny snapped, more harshly than he’d intended.
“Yes, sir,” Christine said.
Danny looked down. “I’m sorry, Officer,” he said.
“Don’t worry, sir….We’ll find her,” Christine said.
“Yeah,” Danny nodded.
As Danny and Christine took stock of the situation, Lopez brought over a short, red-faced, heavyset man.
“This is Richard Nye, the principal,” Lopez said.
“What happened, sir?” Danny asked.
“One of the students started going berserk…..I don’t know what set him off,” Nye said. “He’s crazy!”
“We’ve interviewed students,” said Officer Tim Shellander, walking up to the group. “The student with the knife is Jose De Lido. He has two hostages.” He hesitated.
“Detective, one of them is Beth Phillips.”
Early October
“What do you mean, Steve’s kapu?”
Danny could scarcely believe his ears as Duke Lukela told him, across 5,000 miles of telephone lines, that talking or working with Steve was now off limits for him, Truck Kealoha and all Hawaiians during the latest investigation of the Kumu.
“Duke, don’t you see this is being done to try to railroad Steve and Five-O?” Danny asked.
“From a kahuna?” Duke asked.
“Corruption can be anywhere, Duke, even among spiritual leaders,” Danny said. “Or if not corruption, at least complicity.”
“That’s what Carew said,” Duke said, sighing.
“Who?”
“James Carew. He’s this detective who was thrown off the
“Wow,” Danny said.
“But he said it differently,” Duke continued. “In a cynical way, as if he doesn’t believe that anyone’s capable of doing good.”
Both men were quiet for a while. Danny wondered how Steve
was reacting to this apparently maverick detective from
“He’s giving Steve some grey hairs,” Duke said.
“I’ll bet,” Danny said. “So this goes for everyone? Kono, Ben, everyone? No one will talk to Steve?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, put me on record as opposing it,” Danny said. “I may not have hundreds of years of Hawaiian tradition, but I was still born there. And he’s my friend.”
“Your protest is noted,” Duke said. “And he’s my friend, too.”
“Prove it,” Danny said.
Beth opened the door, ready for their dinner date, but somewhat distracted, even as Danny kissed her.
Maybe it was the nature of the date. Danny was taking her to
his Aunt Clara’s house in
“Are you ready?” Danny asked Beth.
“Yes….Do you know what Sarah just told me over the telephone?!” Beth asked, indignant. “She said Steve McGarrett is kapu!”
“Yeah,” Danny said. “Duke Lukela told me.”
Beth scoffed. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life!” she said. “Now Sarah’s saying that some of the school administrators are reconsidering inviting him for his annual visit.”
Danny was stunned. “Is Sarah one of them?”
“Of course not. You know Sarah - always
fighting City Hall and everyone else,” Beth said, now pacing back and forth. “I
told her that if he’s uninvited from the school, I’m not going back to
Both Danny and Beth were scheduled
to go to
“Are you sure?” Danny asked gently. “I mean, we still have friends to visit.”
“Like who?” Beth asked, annoyed.
“Like Steve…and Sarah,” Danny said.
Beth looked at Danny and relented. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, as Danny walked over and put his arms around her. “You’re right.”
“And you’re passionate,” he said, kissing her.
“Yes I am,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I hate it – HATE IT – when someone is excluded from something. Anything.”
“Something tells me this involves more than Steve,” Danny said.
“I heard from a young age about the struggle of the Hawaiian
people, but also about the civil rights movement on the mainland,” Beth said.
“I was working on both fronts. I went to Freedom Summer in
“Freedom Summer?” Danny asked, stunned. “Several volunteers got killed.”
Beth nodded. “Dad came with Sarah and me, making sure we were safe. He said he wanted some of those “supposed lawmen,” as he called them, to see what a real cop was. I don’t suppose he put the fear of God into them, though.”
Danny smiled, thinking of Ted Phillips, about the same height as him and skinnier, going up against some of the police officers who had enforced the racist policies on the mainland.
“For how long did you go?” Danny asked.
“For about a week in July, 1964,” Beth said. “That was after the killings. My mother – and others – wouldn’t tolerate much beyond that.”
Beth went to get her purse. Danny wondered if “others” included Peter Olena. But now was not the time to bring it up.
“Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Mrs. Williams,” Beth said, smiling.
“The pleasure was all mine, dear,” Clara Williams said. “I’m just glad Danny brought you over,” she added, with a meaningful glance at her nephew.
For years, Danny had tried to keep his girlfriends away from his often-nosy aunt. But Clara had known from the start of the evening that this was no ordinary woman.
“Danny, may I speak to you a moment?” Clara asked.
He followed her into the kitchen, knowing a moment of truth was at hand.
“So, what do you think of her?” he asked his aunt.
Clara smiled. “I love her,” she said, putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “And so do you, or else you wouldn’t have brought her here.”
Mid-October
“Lori Wilson in her husband’s place?” a puzzled Danny asked Steve on their telephone call. To Danny, Lori Wilson was a mediocre police officer, without the qualifications needed for Five-O.
He suspected political heat was part of this. There had been pressure for a long time for Steve to name a woman to the team, and those who were qualified either didn’t want to give the commitment the job required or had extenuating circumstances. For now, at least, Lori Wilson, mourning husband Kevin’s death, was it. Kevin Wilson had been in line to become Five-O’s second-in-command when he was murdered.
“Yeah, Danno,” a weary Steve said. “We’ll figure things out.”
Danny was equally mystified at his friend’s attitude, hiring
Lori after hiring James Carew – who, in Duke’s estimation, was alienating much
of
“By the way,” Steve said, “I’m no longer kapu.”
“I heard. I’m glad,” Danny said. Duke had already told him.
“Incidentally, pass along my thanks to Beth Phillips the
next time you see her,” Steve said with a mischievous tone, surprising Danny.
“I understand from Sarah Palahana that Beth threatened a one-person economic
boycott of
Danny smiled. “Yeah, she did,” he said.
Steve, hearing the happiness in his friend’s voice, also smiled. “How long, Danno?” he asked.
“Since August,” Danny said, knowing that Sarah must have told Steve about the relationship. Beth was Sarah’s best friend, after all.
Both men were private about personal relationships. Danny had not mentioned Beth once during their telephone calls. But Steve sensed that there was something deeper in this relationship that hadn’t happened since Jane Michaels. He prayed for a happy ending this time.
“From what I know, she’s a special lady. Good luck to both of you, Danno,” Steve said.
“Mahalo, Steve. And yes, she is special.”
He hadn’t looked at her picture in a long time. But Danny pulled it out again – the large black-and-white photo of the woman with long, dark hair, a stylish hat and a smile.
Jane.
Often, when Danny had a steady girlfriend, he had asked for that woman’s picture, which he displayed in his apartment. He’d kept Jane’s picture up for a long time after her murder. Even after he had begun dating again, he’d kept it, tucked away in a scrapbook.
From time to time, Danny wondered what would have happened
if she’d lived – whether they would have gotten married and started a family. In
those final hours, when he was investigating the murder of Jane’s friend Linda
Marsh, there had been hints of obstacles they might have had to overcome. He
still remembered Jane asking him, How can you be so
detached?
She’d said quickly she understood when he explained it was
part of his job. But would Jane have ultimately come
to understand? How would she have reacted the day Thad
Vaughn’s brother held him, Chin, Jenny and Minnie Moroney hostage at the
He also still felt waves of guilt about whether he could have prevented her murder if he’d gone to lunch with her that day. From time to time, it still haunted him. When it did, it made him work twice as hard to prevent harm from coming to others.
He touched Jane’s photo and put it away again. He looked up and smiled at two newer, smaller color photos on the table.
Beth had given him the first one when he’d asked for a photo
of her. It was a picture she and some students had taken last year, in front of
the
Jane and Beth. Two very different women. One with seemingly every material good, yet from a broken home. The other from a loving, working-class family.
Yet, they had similarities: Compassion and an affinity for helping others.
Danny now looked at the second photo on the table – one a
tourist had taken of Beth and him when they were sailing to
Danny picked up that photo. It occurred to him that it was the first time he’d put a photo of him and any girlfriend on display. Even with Jane he’d never done so.
But there was a lot that was different with Beth.
He was still private about the relationship. But Ben Kokua had solved a couple of mysteries for Danny about Beth’s relationship with Peter Olena. And Danny’s current co-workers all knew.
“You make a nice couple,” Mary Beth Lacey had told them at a function once.
A couple.
There was a strength, a quiet understanding Beth seemed to have about his job, and not just because her father had been a cop. He remembered the many dates to whom he’d tried to describe his job, and they’d tuned out. Beth seemed genuinely interested in his world. Danny knew he was interested in hers, as well – in the love she had for her students and teaching, in her compassion for others, in the happy memories she had of her parents. And in the mysteries Ben had solved for him, things he hoped Beth would soon confide in him about.
As he looked at the photo of the two of them, he realized something else.
I love her.
He planned to tell her the next evening at dinner, after he
picked her up from
At the school
Danny swallowed hard. “Go on, Officer,” he said.
“The other hostage is De Lido’s girlfriend, Marisol Gonzalez. Students who escaped say she’s pregnant with his child.
“The name of the injured teacher is Lee Reston. Kid stabbed her just below the ribs, but they don’t think her injuries are life-threatening.”
“Thank God,” Christine said. “The hostages are in the cafeteria?”
“Yeah,” Shellander said. “De Lido and Marisol Gonzalez were outside when they started arguing in Spanish about something; Miss Phillips tried to referee the argument and got them into the cafeteria, where students were starting to enter for study hall. But when he pulled out the knife, Miss Phillips got the other students out of there as quickly as possible. Miss Reston tried to get the knife away from him; that’s how she was stabbed. The rest of the school has been evacuated, and a couple of boys pulled Miss Reston out of there.”
“OK, let’s discuss the plan of action,” Danny said. “Has a SWAT team been called?”
“Some of them are on their way,” Shellander said, after hesitating.
Danny was stunned. “What do you mean, ‘Some of them?’”
“There’s a man holed up in an apartment in Bayside….domestic dispute that went sour,” Lopez said.
“When the hell did that happen?!” Christine snapped. “And why haven’t we heard anything on the police radio?!”
Shellander and Lopez looked at each other, hesitating. Finally, Lopez spoke.
“Guy’s a former cop,” he said. “Detective, the SWAT chief says it’s your call what happens here.”
“Gee, thanks for telling me,” Danny said sarcastically. This was not the first time there had been miscommunication on such a grave matter. A month before, Officers Petrie and Victor Isbecki had almost been killed during a sting when no one notified Danny or Detective Bert Samuels of a change in orders from the top. Both Danny and Samuels vented their anger on Gerry Meyers – and Danny and Gerry went even higher in venting their anger.
But there was no going back. Danny motioned over Nye, who came over with a woman. “This is Anita Wallace, the assistant principal,” Nye said. “She can help with logistics.”
Danny turned to her. “We need a staging area, as far from the cafeteria as possible, but with a way to communicate if we need to.”
Wallace turned to Nye. “Your office is the best one for that,” she said.
Reluctantly, Nye agreed. “Follow me,” he said.
The officers followed the administrators into Nye’s office and set up. Wallace brought a blueprint of the school. Danny, Christine, Lopez and Shellander looked at the layout. Not for the first time, Danny wished he had Steve’s transparent map.
“Is there a telephone in the cafeteria?” Danny asked Wallace.
“Yes,” Wallace said. “It’s there…well…in case of emergencies. There are two; one in the main area, and one in the kitchen. One button gets each one.”
“OK,” Danny said, picking up the phone.
Jose De Lido stalked the cafeteria, waving his knife, cursing in Spanish, cursing the fates – and Marisol.
Marisol shook and cried, while Beth, with her arm around
her, consoled her, also in Spanish. During all her trips to Westerfield
throughout the term, Beth had concentrated on trying to integrate the school’s students,
who were mostly from the
“I didn’t mean it,” a weeping Marisol told Beth in Spanish.
“Yo se,” Beth
said. I know.
“You….you do not deserve to live!” Jose yelled in Spanish, stalking toward them, fire in his eyes.
Beth stood in front of Marisol, trying to protect her.
“Jose Emilio De Lido,” she said curtly, continuing in Spanish. “You have every right to be angry at her for her words, which were said casually….But she has every right to be angry at you for your actions and your disrespect. You will not continue that disrespect by harming her or your child.”
Her icy expression stunned him momentarily.
Suddenly, the three of them heard the wall telephone ring. “Answer it,” Jose told Beth in Spanish, while waving the knife in her direction.
“Calmate, Marisol,” Beth whispered to the girl, her tone softening. She walked over and picked up the phone. “Hello?”
On the other end of the line, Danny took a deep breath. “Beth?”
“Danny?” she whispered.
“Are you OK?” he asked.
“We’re all OK,” Beth said.
“What’s going on?” Danny said.
“The explanation is kind of complicated,” Beth said.
“Try me,” Danny said.
“She is pregnant,” Beth said, trying not to use either name. “He is the father, but he’s been unfaithful to her. She got so frustrated with him that she told him she would abort the child, even though she won’t, really. But he, well, reacted……” She hesitated.
“My God,” Danny said. “How is De Lido to deal with?”
“Very angry,” Beth said.
Danny was amazed that Beth kept calm throughout, but he could hear the worry in her voice.
“Any word on Lee?” Beth asked.
“She’s in good condition,” Danny said. In the background, he could hear De Lido getting agitated.
Quickly, Danny remembered the Five-O hostage situation nine years before, and something Chin had done. “Beth, he may get you off the phone,” Danny said. “See if you can leave it off the hook somehow.”
“I’ll try,” Beth whispered.
“OK, make like you’re hanging up,” Danny said. “We’re going to leave the line open here.”
He looked at Wallace. “We’re going to have a maintenance man rig up something so we can hear you outside.” Wallace nodded, and went outside to get one of the maintenance personnel, who were now with the students, faculty and staff, beyond the police lines.
“What are you going to do?” Beth asked.
“Our best,” Danny said, unconsciously quoting one of McGarrett’s Principles.
Danny paused a moment. She’s got to know….just in case. “I love you, Beth.”
Beth’s heartbeat quickened. “I love you, too, Danny,” she whispered. “Be careful.”
She placed the phone carefully, to keep the line open while it looked like she’d hung up.
“¿Que pasa?” De Lido harshly asked Beth.
“La policia,
preguntando
De Lido angrily waved the knife at Beth and Marisol. “¡No pueden venir aqui!” he yelled, angrily indicating they wouldn’t come in.
Marisol began to cry again. Beth put her arms around her and snapped at De Lido. “Callate,” she hissed, telling him to be quiet. Her grey eyes were harsh, momentarily throwing off the boy. He was amazed that she didn’t seem afraid of him.
In Ney’s office, so were the officers who had heard this exchange.
“Detective, she’s got a lot of guts,” Lopez said to Danny.
“Yes, she does.” Danny took a deep breath and went back to the blueprint of the school.
“Lopez, you and Cagney are coming with me,” he said. “We’ll have Foster, McGuire and Patrick ring the outside.”
“How are we going to get in there?” Christine asked.
Danny looked at Wallace, who had come back with a maintenance man. “What’s the access like to the kitchen?”
Wallace nodded. “You can go in through there. The entrance is in the back.”
“What’s the view like to the cafeteria?” Danny asked.
“You can see everything,” Wallace said.
“Good,” Danny said. “I take it the cafeteria has no outer windows?”
“No,” Wallace said.
“Then the kitchen it is,” Danny said. He was grateful, because it meant they wouldn’t have to rely on the telephone relay to tell them where De Lido, Beth and Marisol were located within the cafeteria. He suspected they’d stay there…for now.
By the time Danny and the other officers were set, three SWAT team members – Mike Herbert, Clyde Daniels and Jerry Gilfrey - had joined them.
All were listening in on the telephone relay from the cafeteria. Not much had happened, but De Lido had quieted down for now, and Beth and Marisol had said enough to reassure the officers they were, for the time being, unharmed.
“Herbert, you’re coming with the three of us,” Danny said. “Daniels, you’ll join these two officers outside the cafeteria doors. Gilfrey, you’ll head for the kitchen roof with Patrick. Everyone move quietly; don’t give anything that tips De Lido to your presence. We’ll communicate by walkie-talkie.”
All the officers nodded.
“I want it understood….There is to be absolutely no shooting unless I give the direct order to fire. I will say ‘Fire,’ if that is the case. Understood?” Danny asked all the officers, who nodded.
“OK. Let’s go,” he said.
Seated on a cafeteria bench, Marisol silently prayed. Beth sat next to her. Across from them sat De Lido, still holding the knife.
She hadn’t said much, trying to keep from inflaming the situation. But Beth thought about something that might calm De Lido down – and help Danny and the other officers in their attempts at a peaceful rescue.
“Now, what is your abuela going to do about this when she hears?” she asked De Lido in Spanish.
Outside, Danny heard through the relay. Abuela means….“Grandmother?” he asked.
“I’m on it, Detective,” Shellander said through the walkie-talkie.
As he and his colleagues moved carefully toward the kitchen,
he listened to the conversation between Beth and De Lido – all in Spanish. What
was it Beth had said that first day? You
might find you remember more than you realized.
As he listened, he understood that Beth was trying to draw the boy out, calm him down. You are a cop. You just don’t know it, Danny had teased her that night a month and a half ago. Certainly, she seemed to have picked up some lessons from her father. Ed Phillips would have been proud of her.
“Your grandmother has worked hard for you, while your father has been in jail and your mother sick,” Beth continued in Spanish.
“Shellander, better get on another phone to Officer Lacey,” Danny said through the walkie-talkie. “Have her dig up Jose De Lido’s entire family history – and Marisol Gonzalez’, too.”
As he, Christine and Lopez inched along, Danny had another request for Shellander. “Officer, ask the maintenance people whether we’re going to have noise issues – squeaking doors or anything like that – when we go into the kitchen.”
Shellander got his answer, and got back on the radio. “They say the door makes a noise – like a honking noise – when it opens,” he said.
“Grand,” Christine said.
“OK, we’ll get back to you,” Danny said. He motioned the other officers over.
“Change of plans,” he whispered. “Officer Cagney, you’re going to go in through the back.”
“Through the noisy door?” she asked. Danny nodded.
“Lopez, you’re going to back her up,” Danny continued. “Daniels, you stay outside.”
“Right,” Lopez said. Daniels nodded.
“And you?” Christine asked.
“I’m going to enter through the main cafeteria door,” Danny said.
“But do you know how risky that is?!” Christine asked.
“Maybe less risky if De Lido’s attention is diverted by something….say a noisy door opening in the back?” Danny asked.
“That’s a big chance, Detective,” Lopez said.
“If we can save their lives, it’ll be worth it,” Danny said. “Go. I’ll give you the signal on the walkie-talkie. Let me know when you’ve reached the kitchen door.”
Daniels went first. With a glance at each other, Lopez and Christine continued to the back. Danny went back toward the cafeteria doors. There were two.
For a moment, he recalled a movie in which Cary Grant rescued his damsel in distress on a theater stage by determining which trap door the bad guy was stepping on. Guess I’m doing the same thing, he thought wryly.
But Beth wasn’t the typical damsel in distress. Through the relay, she was giving hints as to the room position of De Lido, Marisol and herself. From that, Danny picked a door.
“Detective, we’re here,” Christine’s voice came over the walkie-talkie.
“Get into position,” Danny said.
About 10 seconds later, he heard “In position and ready,” from Christine, from Lopez and from Daniels.
“GO!” Danny called.
Christine opened the back kitchen door. The loud noise momentarily distracted De Lido, who began to walk back toward the kitchen. Marisol and Beth stood up.
Danny opened the door and yelled, “POLICE! FREEZE!!!”
At the same time, Christine and Lopez came through the back, yelling the same thing.
Panicked, De Lido looked back and forth. He made a lunge for Danny, who sidestepped it and continued to move backwards, trying to get De Lido away from Beth and Marisol.
Christine came out of the kitchen into the cafeteria.
“Miss Phillips,” she said to Beth