PROLOGUE Plummeting
through time like a runaway express train, Sam felt a sudden lurch
as he stopped off at the next stop on his one-way ticket along the
infinite corridors of time. “Really,
old boy if you that my advice, I think that Lord Tennyson said it
best: Cossack
and Russian In
front of Sam was a shorter man with a small-distinguished mustache
of breeding in a tan jumpsuit who continued quoting Tennyson
oblivious of Sam’s presence. “Cannon
to right of them, Sam
scratched his head, “Did I miss something?” The
man stopped and looked up. “That is not the response I was
expecting!” he said looking a bit annoyed. “Uh,
bravo?” asked Sam sheepishly as he often sounded at the beginning
of a leap. “Cut!”
someone yelled behind them. Sam looked around into the face of a
television camera and the accompanying production crew. One man Sam
assumed to be the director waked over to him looking both dismayed
and worried. “You
okay, Tom? YOU haven’t forgotten your lines, have you? You’re
always prepared and ready. An inspiration to the whole crew, Tom!”
the director said trying to cheer Sam up. Sam
turned away from his director and thought, ‘MY lines? As in
acting? I’m an actor! Oh, boy!’ PART ONE One
would think of all the people and professions I had had been over my
multitude of leaps that becoming an actor would be the most natural
of jobs for a role-leaping adventurer. Unfortunately turning on my
emotions like a light switch was not been one of my strong points
especially in front of a group of strangers that were hanging on my
every word for their bread and butter. Honolulu,
Hawaii December
11, 1981 “Five
minutes, boys. Here Tom, glance at the script for a minute. You’re
supposed to KNOW your lines! I need to take a pill,” the director
said pushing a script into Sam’s hand and walking off massaging
the back of his neck. Sam
turned the blue bound script over. Looking at the front cover it
read “Magnum, P.I, One More Summer, 11 February 1982.”
Opening to the page that had been marked by the director Sam perused
the script as a familiar vertical sounding noise announced the
arrival the project observer, Admiral Albert “Don Ho” Calavicci
dressed in the wildest fluorescent colored Hawaiian shirt that had
ever blinded a hula dancer. “Morning
Sam. Aloha or as we used to say on the Hornet,
‘mani-muku-wanna-tuka-sunna-bola-gina-wanna’ which roughly
translates from Hawaiian to Navy-ese: ‘I’ll take the redhead
with the large casaba melons.’ God, it feels good to be in the
Pacific. New Mexico is too dry and everywhere else is too cold. This
is where a Navy man really belongs. In port, in Honolulu where the
duty hours are short and the liberty is oh so good!” Al said
sighing heavily. A
panicked Sam motioned Al over to behind the bushes away from the
prying eyes of the score plus television crewmembers.
”Al. These people are with some kind of a television show.
What’s going on here?” asked a very frustrated Sam. He looked
once more to the script and then tossed it on the ground not at all
sure he could do the job he had randomly leaped into. Al
went back to his cigar, pulled out his trusty little information
machine and started pinging at it loudly. ”Take
it easy Sam. Acting is easy, comedy is hard. O.K. Today is December
11th, 1981. You are in Honolulu on the estate of William
Albertson. The name of your host is the noted actor Thomas Selleck,
who is currently starring in Magnum, P.I a show about
a playboy private investigator. Your co-star there is John Hillerman
portraying Sergeant Major Jonathan Quayle Higgins the III.
Hmm. Nothing seems to befall him or anyone in the cast or
crew in the next few days that would provide us with a reason for
you dropping into this Hawaiian paradise. But then Ziggy is data
crunching those predictions as we speak,” said Al as he took
another puff and pocketed his handlink. “That’s
it?” asked Sam. “Sam,
Ziggy’s only had a few minutes to start her computations. Sammy Jo
was just finishing up Ziggy’s 100 quadrillion-calculation checkups
when you leaped into here. Hey, it’s no so bad. Lot’s of
skimpily clad girls and …” said Al a bit lecherously as he was
suddenly interrupted. “Mr.
Selleck. Mr. Selleck!” said some assistant to the assistant to the
assistant to the chief studio go-fer. “Mr. Slomeck is ready for
you,” he said evoking the name of the director. Sam
smiled and waved. “Just a sec. Al, I need a little help here. I
can’t be this guy without doing his job! What happens next?” “No
problemo. Always have a solution. MOST of the time,” Al said as
Sam very slowly walked toward his original spot as all two-dozen
sets of eyes followed him. “Blink!
Blank! Blunk!” rang out the handlink, as ‘poof’ in front of
Sam appeared in two-inch high purple letters the scene Sam had
jumped so abruptly into. “Presto. And no one will be the wiser.
Just don’t read it too much. I’ll help you out. I always thought
I’d might have been on the stage if it weren’t for Sally Bandit.
She owned this little Chevy Bel Air the you could.. Wait you’d
better listen to your director. Ziggy says that you start right
here,” said Al pointing to his lines in the floating playlet. Sam
just smiled as he tried to give a good performance to the credit of
this make-believe private dick. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Late
at night when many television shows’ production days normally
wrapped-up, Sam crawled into the company limousine and headed toward
his temporary home. Exhausted Sam fell fast asleep. “Ring!”
went an incredibly obnoxious sounding phone bell. “Who?
What? How?” cried out Sam as he was pulled from a wonderful dream
being back home. Unfortunately even though he knew that it was home,
nothing looked even vaguely familiar as his Swiss cheese memory
problem even invaded the deepest recesses of his dreams. “Ring!”
the phone again sounded.
“Sam. Pick it up! You know talk into it,” said Al looking
a bit melancholy in his even relentless quest assisting his
time-traveling friend. Sam
shook the tiredness from his eyes and pounced on the phone to
prevent another obnoxious ring. ”Ah,
hello?” asked Sam feeling like this leap had began all over again
not knowing what to expect. “Hey
there, Tommy baby. Saw the rough cut of last week’s episode.
Numero uno work. Spoke
with Grainer at the network. LOVED YOUR RUSHES. You’re certain for
being picked up for another season. Love it. Love it! I love you. We
all love you, Tommy baby!” cried out the young voice with the
forced west coast accent. Sam
thought that he must be the most irritating of human beings, the
theatrical agent. Sam
lifted one side of his mouth in an obviously annoyed expression.
“Thanks!” “Tommy
baby? What’s wrong? You don’t sound happy. That’s not like
you,” the agent said leaning into the phone. “I
get that a lot,” replied Sam. “Um, what’s new?’ “Well.
Great news, Warner Brothers is boffo for your new movie. It’ll be
the greatest thing since Ford cracked his first whip. Real old
fashioned high adventure. High excitement. High Road to China
is the title. Isn’t that a gasser?” he boffo’d to Sam. “Larry
Weinstein, Tom Selleck’s major pitch man,” whispered Al as Sam
responded. “Wild.
Really cool, MAN!” replied Sam hoping not having to make that
movie, too. “That’s
what I said to Warner himself, my little star. Don’t forget the
hand pumping session at the Hilton,” the agent said lowering his
voice. Sam
shook his head. “What?” “Yea,
right. Whatever. I’m on my way,” said Sam. “Great,
Tommy baby. When you get back to Tinsel Town next Friday we’ll
have lunch. Chow!” Weinstein said hanging up with a long-distance
click. Sam
knocked on the glass. “We have an appointment at the Hilton,”
said a tired Sam. “Heading
there now, Mr. Selleck,” the driver replied nodding as Sam slumped
back into his seat. PART TWO Forty
minutes into meeting “his” fans, Sam found himself signing
everything from photographs to belly buttons and answering the same
questions over and over again. With the help of the real Thomas back
in the Waiting Room through his own fog of Swiss cheesery, Sam was
given appropriate responses as he kept counting the minutes. “Thanks,
Mr. Selleck. I will treasure this always,” said a high school age
girl in a Magnum T-shirt. “Oh, my God!” she said turning and
leaving. “My friends are going to DIE when they see it!” “Not
bad for fourteen. Give her another couple of years and that will be
one numero uno high-class looker. Hm. She goes on to become a rep
for Avon and then marries a schoolteacher,” said Al looking into
his handlink. “Two small children and a large mortgage in Corona,
California!” Sam
scribbled another “Best Regards, Tom Selleck,” as Al looked on. “Another
fifteen minutes, kiddo. Though you should be happy with all these
young pieces of feminine pulchritude swooning over you. If it were
I, we’d all head for the bar and have a party. You should see
what’s happening back at the project. As soon as the staff heard
that Tom Selleck was in the Waiting Room every woman over forty was
down there in a flash. And our “guest star” loves it. Tina has
already swooned twice. Beth was never taken into any of those phony
television stars, but who would have thought the Verbena would have
been his greatest fan. Why she can stop talking and analyzing
his...” “MR.
MAGNUM! MR. MAGNUM!” cried out a desperate voice. “YOU HAVE GOT
TO HELP ME!” Sam
looked up as a small girl dodged through the crowd, around the
bouncers and made it clear up to Sam’s table. Very disheveled and
dressed in adult cast-offs the girl looked and acted much younger
than the teen she obviously was. Blond and blue-eyed, she would be
stunning if she took better care of herself. “Here,
now little Missy,” said the hotel security guard. “Let’s get
back in line!” “Mr.
Magnum! I need your help!” she desperately cried out waving her
arms at Sam. “Sam,
you better listened to her,” Al said quietly while reading off his
handlink. “It’s
all right,” said Sam. “Let her go!”
“Thank you, Mr.
Magnum. I knew you were kind!” she said. “I am in so much
trouble! YOU are only one who can help me! Please! No one else will
listen to me.” “And
you can call me Tom. What’s the problem?” asked Sam smiling to
her while handing out another autographed picture. “But
everyone calls you Magnum?” she asked looking rather confused
cocking her head to one side. “That’s
just the character I play,” smiled Sam giving her his full
attention. Then
she whispered. “I got you, Mr. Magnum. You’re undercover! I
won’t blow it for you. I’m Amy Mason,” she said throwing her
hand at Sam. “Hi,
Amy!” said Sam smiling and shaking her hand. Her small hand
shivered a bit in Sam’s light grip. “I
really need a detective. A good one! My mother disappeared last week
and the police don’t know where she is,” Amy said nearly in
tears. “Sam
this could be it. Amy’s mother did vanish. That is not an illusion
or some teleplay. No trace was ever found of her. Amy is not
retarded, just a little slow. No other living relatives. She gets
shuttled from foster home to foster home and then goes into a young
adult house getting worse each year. Finally in 1992 in an adult
care home she dies when she gets strangled in a clothesline while no
one was watching her. Ziggy gives you a 84% probability that she is
your or rather Tom Selleck’s ‘client’ this leap,” said Al
quietly reading off the poor girl’s fate. “Listen to her
carefully.” “UM,
look Amy. I have to finish this here. You sit down over there and
then we can talk in just a few minutes,” Sam said quietly pointing
to the bench next to the wall. For
a moment she looked disappointed and then a light went off in her
head. “You got it, ‘TOM’,” she said winking at him. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sam’s
hand ached after finishing the hundred millionth signature as he
wandered over to see young Amy Mason. “Amy, tell me more about
your mother. When was the last time you remember seeing her?”
asked Magnum cum Sam. Amy
fidgeted for a moment and then leaned toward Sam very eagerly to
tell her story to someone who was ready to listen. “Friday. I got
back from school and my Mom wasn’t there. She is always there when
I get home. She is never away. I always find her there. It makes me
so scared when she isn’t there. She is always there to take off my
coat and give me a snack. And then there’s my HOMEWORK. God that
can be so hard! But she always knows how to get me through it. She
always knows what to say or what to do. She can really get the
answer out of me. She is so amazing. I love her so and I feel so
lost. I just don’t know what to do. My mom would know what to do.
She is so smart. I’m kinda dumb, though my Mother is always
telling me that I’m not. It just takes me a lot longer to figure
things out. You know like you pull up to the traffic light and sit
and sit and sit. It only feels long just cause you want it so much
to change. That’s what my Momma says. It only seems like it takes
me so long. That why it feels like my Mother has been gone for so
very long. I just wish that she was here and…” “Whoa,
just a moment,” said Sam trying to slow her down. He raised his
hands like trying to stop a brakeless locomotive. A smile came to
his lips. “Sorry.
I just say whatever I’m thinking about. My Mother usually pulls my
reins in. Whenever I get started I can’t…” she said
apologizing over and over. Sam
put up one finger, “Let me get in for a second.” “Sorry
again,” she said looking up through the tops of her bangs while
her nose pointed toward her shoes. “That’s
better. You express yourself quite well. Just need to redirect your
thoughts,” said Sam still smiling. “Now did you go to the
police?” “Yes,
sir!” she replied trying to be as brief as possible. “And
what did they tell you?” asked Sam. “That
she must have run away with some guy!” Amy said sounding
thoroughly disgusted. “They found nothing that showed them that
something bad had happened to my mother.” “Ziggy
says that her mother, Shirley Mason, was something of a flaked-out
hippie in the late sixties and seventies. Nothing major on her rap
sheet, but she had the worst reputation with social services.
Never held a job for very long. Recently it appears that she
was getting her life together! Thirty-two years old. Born here on
the island. No post-high school education. No record on whom Amy’s
father is. Just a product of that summer of love. 1967,”
interjected the Admiral. Sam
asked, “What about her work and her friends?” “Oh,
my Mom’s boss fired her the first morning she didn’t show up to
work. She was looking for another job. She doesn’t have a whole
lot of friends, except for Stanley and Lila. They haven’t heard a
thing,” said Amy sadly wiping away a tear. “Um,
did she have a serious relationship with anyone? Did your Mother
have a boyfriend?” asked Sam cautiously not wanting to upset Amy
any further. “Nooo!
Stanley was not really a BOY-friend. They just hung out sometimes.
He liked to drink a lot and Mom didn’t like to do that kina thing
anymore. I haven’t seen him in weeks, “ she said sniffing a bit. “Hey,
Mr. Selleck. Your car is waiting for you,” exclaimed the promoter
of the event. ”Just
a second,” Sam called out turning back to Amy. “Maybe you better
get back to your home. You’re safer there. I’ll give you my
phone number and look into things first thing tomorrow,” said Sam
quite confidently while reaching for a pen and paper. “Really
Mr. Magnum! You’ll take my case?” she asked gleefully through
tear-swollen eyes. “No
promises though I will look into it. OK?” asked Sam cocking up one
eyebrow. ”Gee
that’s great! Thanks! You are a lifesaver,” she said jumping up
and giving Sam a big hug. “Sometimes
I am. Though sometimes I can sink, too. You get on back home. Take
care,” said Sam as he waved and Amy ran off with youthful
enthusiasm way beyond her years. Al
looked up from his handlink. “One happy kid. Trudy had a positive
personality like that. Despite her problems she was always upbeat.
As to her Mother, not much to go on. Just one quick police report
filed three days ago. And as to the male companion. Stanley
Goodnight, no current address, no regular jobs. Her best friend is
Lila Francis Washington, who lives two doors down from Shirley and
Amy’s apartment.” “Have
Ziggy run a broadband search. Check all the way back to Shirley’s
birth. She can’t have given up on her daughter. Amy needs her so
much,” lamented Sam. “Roger
that. Now go get in your limo while I drive myself back home Later,
Sam,” said Al as he smiled, gave him a half-wave and promptly
exited. “Goodnight,
Al!” Sam called out to his friend and project observer vanished
through the bright white Imaging Chamber door. “Gregory.
My name is Gregory, Mr. Selleck,” the driver said with a slight
bow. “Fine,
Gregory,” said Sam smiling and looking up to the sky. Finding
places to talk to Al when his host was so well known was going to be
a hassle. PART THREE Knocking
on door of apartment 3B of the Aloha Terrace Apartments at nine
o’clock the next morning a woman looking like a young Victoria
Principal opened up the door wearing a striped leotard and wiping
her forehead with a towel while Jane Fonda was leading her on in
back kicks from the television in the next room. Al dropped not only
his cigar, but his handlink as well. “Yeah,
what do you…? Oh my God, you’re that actor. Tom Salad, no
Selleck. You can’t be him. Are you him?” she said going from
slightly annoyed to positively giddy. “Yes
ma’am,” said Sam with all his false modesty. “Here
at my house? My own personnel appearance? OH my God? This is
unbelievable. Ahh!” she screamed dropping her towel and hopping up
and down. “Did I win something?” ”Um..
no ma’am. Are you Lila Francis Washington?” asked Sam. “Why
yes!” she exclaimed smilingly broadly. “I
am just looking for Shirley Mason,” he said quietly looking at his
feet. Pure
shock appeared on her face. “Do you know, my friend Moonstone?” “Ah,
who?” asked Sam. Al
piped in. “Her hippie name from way back, Sam.” “No,
I guess you don’t. She hated being named after Shirley Temple.
That’s why she never uses it. Moonstone was a name that turned her
on. Though you could really turn me on, Mr. Selleck,” she said
winking at Sam. Sam
looked down at his shoes embarrassed while Al’s blood pressure
shot up ten points. “I know her daughter.” “Amy?
Little Amy?” she said looking shocked. “How? Where? When?” “Well,
I ran into her. She asked me to help find her mother,” explained
Sam shrugging his shoulders. “Um?
Not that I don’t want her to find help, but isn’t that out of
your line, Mr. Selleck?” she asked looking intrigued. “You’re
an actor!” “Well,
she had this thing that I was really a detective,” sighed Sam
looking down. “MAGNUM,
P.I.! Of course. The poor dear. She does have this reality
problem. Why just last month she was so upset because that on
General Hospital, there was this …Anyway, I don’t know what I
can tell you. HPD was here a few of days ago asking about her,”
explained Lila wiping the sweat from her brow. “Any
chance you might know where she is?” Sam asked desperately hoping
for a lead. “I’m
clueless. Moonstone has no family. Most of her time is spent hanging
around the apartments here. Hard to say about her work
acquaintances. She was
between jobs and had bounced around with several of them over the
last few years,” said Lila. “What I do know about her is that
she dearly loves Amy and would not abandon her.
That I truly believe.” “Amy
mentioned a guy named Stanley,” asked Sam. “Stanley
Goodnight? Haven’t seen him around here in months! He seemed
harmless enough, though he can’t even hold a job as long as
Moonstone. The two of them were just a little this side shy of
friends,” she said shaking her head. “Nothing serious between
the two of them.” “Any
idea where I can find him?” asked Sam. Shaking
her head yes, “Last time I heard he was hanging out in the
Morehead trailer park on the Southside. Though knowing him he could
be back on the Mainland by now!” “Bingo
Sam! 423 West Hilo,” Al said after a successful set of “pings”
and “pongs!” “Thanks
you, Miss Washington,” said Sam. “I’ll let you get back to
your exercise.” “Um,
Mr. Selleck. Could I bother you with a …?” she said looking down
a little embarrassed. “An
autograph?” replied Sam reaching for his pen. Looking
up through her tussled hair she smiled sheepishly. “Actually I was
hoping for a kiss.” “Sure,”
Sam said looking up. He leaned over and gave her a peck on the
cheek, which resulted in a quiet sigh followed by several heavy
breaths. “AH,
Sam! Can’t you fulfill at least one of my fantasies?” said Al
shaking his head. “Thanks,”
she said giggling just a bit. “I’ll have something to remember
you by. So long, Mr. Selleck,” she giggled again closing the door
quickly and leaning against it once back inside her apartment. She
had something major to tell the girls at the office on Monday
morning. “Whoa!
My afterburners are still going after thinking about her and Jane
Fonda doing the aerobic tango together. She could exercise my buns
anytime,” said Al as they drove to the other side of town. “Easy
Al. She seemed like a nice woman. What do you have on this other
guy? Stanley is it?” asked Sam as he turned the corner. “Well,
let’s see,” said Al as he pinged away. “Hmm. Lives at the
trailer park for another four months. Bounces around Oahu for the
next three years. Eventually ends up in L.A. working in a grocery
store where he still is. No family. No trouble with the law. Like
Lila Fonda said he seems harmless,” replied Al. Sam
punched the steering wheel, “That’s not enough! There has to be
a logical explanation! But he’s the only lead we have,” said Sam
cooling off a bit. Pulling
up into the parking lot of an ancient trailer park that was
depressing by most everyone standards, Sam stopped the car as the
tires screeched on the gravel. “Not
even as good as the housing we had at Great Lakes. Beth hated it
there,” sighed Al as they walked up to a well-worn trailer with
the remains of a picket fence surrounding it. Sam knocked on the
front door. “Yea?”
asked an average-looking guy in his late twenties sporting a
mustache and needing a shave. “Hi,”
said Sam. “Mr. Goodnight?” “Maybe?”
he replied looking suspiciously up and down at Sam Beckett. Sam
looked over at Al with a twisted expression and continued. “My
name is Thomas Selleck and I’m trying to find um.. Miss Shirley
Mason.” “Moonie?
Haven’t seen the bitch! Can’t help you, buddy!” he said
starting to close the door. “Hold
it Sam!” said Al as Sam jammed his arm into the path of the screen
door. “Please,
I need to know what you know,” said Sam. "This is very
important!” “Like
I said, I haven’t seen the bitch in weeks. What’s it to you
anyway, pretty boy?” he sneered. Sam
leaned into the screen door. “She’s disappeared and Amy was
worried.” “That
little retard? How’d she con you into helping her? Not interested!
Moonie dropped me like yesterday’s newspapers. We were getting
along just fine and then nothing!” he said showing Sam a big zero
with two fingers. “Zippo!” “Watch
it, Sam. Methinks he felt there was more between them. And that
could be trouble,” said Al cautiously. “That
dumb bitch didn’t want the likes of me! Well good riddance to her.
Hope she never comes back!” he yelled disappearing into the
trailer. “There’s
a lot of pent up frustration there,” said Sam quietly. “I hope
he didn’t do anything to her.” The worn screen door swung open again. “And
take her junk back to her.” he yelled throwing out an old
cardboard box filled with several small items that became scattered
across the ground. “Now get out of here, pretty boy, before I do
call the cops!” he yelled slamming the door. Sam
reached for the box and picked up the items that had fallen out.
Something caught his eye. Knick-knacks. Mementoes. An old
photograph. A photograph of Moonstone and another guy standing in
front of a cabin smiling. The picture was several years old since
Shirley Mason looked to be in her early twenties. “Looks
like she has at least one other friend, Al,” said Sam starring at
the photo. “Nice
cozy little retreat, too. Could be used for a little romantic
rendezvous. In fact those two look more than cozy to me, Sam,”
said Al thinking about a place in the mountains he used to visit
quite regularly. “Have
Ziggy run this place through her data base and correlate it with
local aerial maps. It can’t be far from here. Doesn’t sound like
she’s ever left the islands,” postulated Sam. “Consider
it done, Sam,” said Al as Sam picked up Moonie’s belongings and
headed to the car. PART
FOUR
Late
in the afternoon, Sam walked from a small commuter plane on the
island of Kaloolawe. Sam shook his head as he could still hear the
constant whirring noise out of the prop engine in his ears. He
preferred the constant leaping about the cosmos to a three-hour
inter-island propeller-driven plane ride. The sun brutally beat down
on him mercilessly while standing on the hot macadam airstrip.
Sam
looked over toward Al. “Not a whole lot of people around here,
Al?” “Yea
well, this island hasn’t been developed too much yet. Lots of
local regulations keeping down the condos. You can rent a car in the
terminal. The cabin in question is in Baaloona State Park on the
north end of the island,” said Al getting the latest update from
his trusty multi-purpose calculator. “But
when was she..” asked Sam as someone bumped him from behind. “Excuse,
me?” said Sam smiling down at a wide-brim floppy hat and a young
girl wearing dark sunglasses hiding behind a magazine and purposely
looking away from Sam. “Ah,
sure,” she said quite embarrassed and started to run away from
Sam. “Amy!”
cried out Sam reaching out for her. ”Darn.
You spotted me!” she said snapping her fingers putting down the
magazine. Sam
picked off the big hat as she removed her sunglasses looking up
sheepishly. “Sam,
she’s tailing you!” said Al as her strange actions became clear
to him. “You
weren’t supposed to see me. I’m traveling incognito! Hush-hush,
you know, “ she said sadly looking at her feet. “Amy,
I told you to go home. I’m looking into this for you. It could be
dangerous!” Sam said leaning down and looking directly into her
eyes. “I
just wanted to help. You know, look after your back!” she said now
looking up and smiling with youthful enthusiasm. “Excuse
me, but his back is quite well watched, Amy my dear,” exclaimed Al
with a twinkle in his eye. Amy
looked up at Sam. “I mean this is real important to me. And I
don’t want anything to happen to you. Like the time those bad guys
jumped you in Little Saigon or when the spy caught you from behind.
Not that I’m smarter than you, but you don’t have eyes in the
back of your head. Of course you don’t. No one does. Unless
you’re physic. I’m not physic, but that guy Keskin is physic. He
sees things and moves things with his mind and…” Sam
waved Amy off and then looked down fatherly at the child. “Hold
it, Amy!” “Sorry,
Mr. Magnum. Darn, I just did it again,” she said sounding very
disappointed in herself. Sam
took her chin. “Amy. I don’t know what to do with you. You’re
here now. We might as well check out our hunch. Your mother used to
use a cabin around here. We’ll look into it. And then we’re
taking you home!” Amy
pouted. “Come on, Mr. Magnum. I can be your sidekick. You know
like Hutch.” “That’s
Starsky and Hutch, Sam. She never seems to get far from her
television fantasy life,” said Al looking over his handlink. ”OK,
you can be my sidekick. But only this once,” Sam said putting his
arm around her moving her along. “Neato!”
she exclaimed with a grin that approached that of Sam Beckett
himself. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ At
Baaloona State Park the “Q” team talked to the park ranger in
charge of renting cabins. An old timer in a Smokey-The–Bear hat
looked closely at the picture while scratching his chin.
“Yep, that’s one of
ours. Number seventeen over on the lake. Must have been taken back
in seventy-one or seventy-two. See? It’s got the old siding on it.
Seem to remember a couple like that. Young people. Kept to
themselves. One of those young radical types. Long hair, wild
clothes, beads,” he said handing the picture back to Sam.
“She’s my Mom! Have
seen her?” asked Amy anxiously almost hopping up on the counter.
“Easy Amy,”
cautioned Sam. “Have you seen either of them very recently?”
“Oh, no. They were
here regularly for a couple of years. Must have been ten years ago.
Back during the Nixon administration, I reckon,” he replied.
Al quickly interjected,
“Ask them for a..”
“Do you have a name
for the man? “ asked Sam interrupting his friend.
“I was going to say
get an address for our mystery man,” said Al faintly. “But what
do you need me for?”
“Yep and by Jiminy.
Always have information on them in case there’s trouble. You never
know what people think they can get away with. No, sir. Let me see
here. 1971. Here she is. Cabin seventeen. They were here real often.
Borden. Harold and Grace Borden. Sounds married, but you never knew
with those damn hippies!” he sighed shaking his head. “Fourteen
Twenty-three Cook Street, Hilo. Does that help you out, young
fellow?”
“Sure, thanks,”
exclaimed Sam writing down the address.
“Thanks, Mister.
You’re a life-saver!” cried out Amy jumping up and down again.
“Sam, not his current
address, but we can trace his whereabouts. Ziggy, double-time on
this one!” Al called out to the PQL hybrid computer.
“Affirmative, Admiral
Patton!” cried back Ziggy. “I will never get my finish my
check-up out at this rate!”
Looking more determined
that ever, Sam announced, “ Now we head back to the big island!” “And
to find my mother!” smiled Amy joyfully. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Picking
up Tom Selleck’s car at Honolulu Airport Al had some good news for
Sam and Amy.
“OK, Sam. Harold
Borden. He was using his real name and did live at that address
though not with Amy’s mother. Some small misdemeanors when he was
young. No other major problems ever with the law. In fact, no
reports on him at all after 1993. He just disappears. Grew up in
Alameda, California. Few small jobs. No great genius. Current
address in an old industrial area near here,” explained Al.
“Amy, we have one
quick stop before we take you home, sweetheart,” said Sam.
“All right, Mr.
Magnum. I wanta be a detective like you,” she said kicking at he
dirt. “You’re so good at it.” ”Guess
I’ve had quite a bit of practice,” said Sam thinking about the
times he was a detective or all the detective-like work he had to do
through his many leaps. He had to be part Sam Spade and part Perry
Mason to make it through his leaps.
“Now where to?” she
asked excitedly.
“4156 Airport
Drive,” Sam said starting up his car.
“And how do you know
this?” inquired Amy to her actor-turned-partner.
“I guess just a little
instinct and a prayer to an angel named Albert,” said Sam smiling
a bit while Al winced at the allusion. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Pulling
up in front of 4156 Airport Drive, Sam saw a sixty-year-old
warehouse with broken windows and no observable locks on the doors.
The bricks were worn and there was no sign of human habitation.
“Creepy if you ask me.
Though it’s listed as his address, the city really owns this old
tax-delinquent building. Used to be an old pineapple shipping
company,” read Al from his handlink. “Doesn’t look good,
Sam!”
Sam told Amy to stay in
the car, but she still followed him into the old dark building.
“It’s creepy in
here, Mr. Magnum. Must be lots of ghosts. Or bad guys,” she said
staying close to Sam. Inside
the building it looked even worse due to the damage from the
elements. The odor of moss and mold was everywhere. And the late
afternoon sun barely showed through the dark dirty windows keeping
the interior of the building in a smoky colored twilight.
“Something is not
right here. No one lives in a dump like this. Not any of my
acquaintances. God, what is that?” asked Al turning toward a
unknown sound.
“Ahhh!” screamed
Amy, as she looked down at something that was once alive.
“Don’t look. Just an
animal that came in here to die. I don’t think…” Sam started
to say as something hit him from behind. The last thing Sam heard
was Amy screaming. PART
FIVE Damp
and musty was Sam’s first thought as he found his nose shoved into
the concrete floor. His next thought was the pounding in his head.
His hands and feet that were securely tied with the same type of rag
that was stuffed in his mouth. Sam pulled at his bonds, but he was
very securely tied.
“Sam? You awake?”
asked Al standing over him wishing there was something he could do
for his old friend other than offer advice.
Several muffled words
could be barely heard behind Sam’s moldy tasting gag.
Al took out his cigar
and said a bit too flippantly. “I’ll take that for a yes. Things
have gone really ca-ca during your little nap. You’ve been out for
quite awhile, but the biggest news is that you succeeded. Look over
there. See? Amy is in the arms of her mother! Well, at least
they’re lying next to each other bound and gagged. Cheesh! And now
according to Ziggy all three of you disappear! How? Where? She
doesn’t know. Ziggy is so frustrated that she is sulking! Verbena
is going to have a talk with her. Can you imagine a computer with
her own shrink? All that time that we..”
Sam made several muffled
annoyed noises from beneath his gag.
Al looked up startled.
“Sorry Sam. You’re in a bit more trouble than we are back here.
All right. That creep Borden snuck up behind you and clobbered you.
He dragged Amy in here kicking and screaming until she saw her
mother. She calmed down as Borden tied her up. Shirley seems to be
fine for the moment. Amy has been very quiet. You don’t look so
good yourself. I’ll try and keep watch on all three of you.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hours later after
starring at the ceiling counting the cracks in it, Sam saw the
bolted metal door open. A rusty metal hinge creaked as all three
captives turned toward the sound. In walked a thirtyish but much
older looking man with thinning brown air and dressed in Army
fatigues. His lip turned up as he shook his head. First looking at
Amy who crawled up against her mother and then toward Sam. He looked
very pleased at himself, then came over to Sam and gave him a good
swift kick. Sam rolled over in pain.
“Damn you! If I was there you wouldn’t be standing you
cowardly NOZZLE!” screamed Al as he took a holographic swing at
him passing through his head.
“Now ain’t this a pretty picture. He-he-he-he,” he
chuckled a bit too eerily for Al. “How in name of Abby Hoffman did
you find me? Nobody knows about this place. No one!”
Sam just looked up at
him squinting with contempt in his face.
“He-he-he-he! Just who
are you? And who knows about me? Huh?” he asked Sam kicking him
once again. Then he ripped off the gag slapping Sam once. “You
can’t be who you look like? He-he-he-he!” he asked twirling his
bushy eyebrow. Looking down Sam saw the same face that was in the
photograph.
“Give me a chance,”
moaned Sam from a painful doubled-over position.
“He-he-he-he. All
right. Talk, whoever you are,” he chuckled scowling at Sam.
“I am just someone who
was helping this little girl try to find her Mother,” explained
Sam followed by a coughing fit.
“He-he-he-he. You were
helping that little dummy? Then how come you look like somebody
I’ve seen somewhere?” he asked.
“He is Thomas Magnum,
the world’s greatest detective!” yelled out Amy still cowering
next to her mother. Moonstone looked shocked at the daughter.
”Amy?
What have you done, sweetie?” she asked. “That can’t really
be… Can it?”
“This is a detective?
He-he-he-he! Oh, he did real great. Caught by the same guy that
rescued my little Moonstone!” he chuckled. “He must be trying to
cash in on looking like that TV cop. You a celebrity look-alike?
Right? Who are you, you little sheep-dip?” he asked kicking Sam
again.
“OOF! No, I’m the
genuine article. Tom Selleck,” Sam said wincing from what was
probably a broken rib. ”He
really is Magnum. HE told me so. He’s just working undercover!”
insisted Amy.
“What is it with the
little dummy?” cracked Borden. “Dummy, this guy doesn’t exist.
He couldn’t detective his way from Hilo to Diamondhead with a road
map. He-he-he-he!”
“Harold! Stop talking
to her like that!” screamed Moonstone.
Harold Borden threw his
hands up. “Flash! My name is Flash. Don’t forget that
Moonstone?” Borden said as he walked back toward her raising his
hand.
“Sam! Do something!”
yelled Al. “You guys still have no future. Whatever he’s going
to do to you!”
“What are you going to
do to us?” asked Sam calling hoarsely across the old storage room.
“Do? He-he-he-he! Do?
The city has a job for each of you. You’re all going to end up
part of a municipal breakwater project near the Hilton.
He-he-he-he!” he chuckled.
“But why did you
kidnap Miss Mason in the first place?” asked Sam as he pulled
himself up to a sitting position.
“Because he wanted me
back in his life. Seems this piece of goose dung thought I wanted to
take three steps backwards to what I used to be after all these
years. When I was a lot more stupid I used to pal around with him.
Of course then I was drugged up a lot of the time. Hereon, cocaine.
So when I wouldn’t submit to his advances I got kidnapped,”
Moonstone said looking thoroughly disgusted. “I only wish my baby
Amy would not be a part of this!”
“Oh, Mommy!” Amy
said cuddling next to her. “I’m so sorry about EVERYTHING!!”
Sam turned to Harold
Borden and asked as calmly as possible, “So why not let us go?”
“He-he-he-he! You
think I’m stupid? My little operation here is taking off. I’m
going to be a big man someday!
He-he-he-he!” he said trying to sound important.
“That’s what he
thinks. Though there are enough drugs in the next room to start a
chain of pharmacies. And he never seems to be caught before he
disappears in 1993. Probably at someone else’s hands. Peter Lore
here doesn’t have the smarts to keep it up!” sneered Al.
“You’re going to
have yours. Crime never pays, you mean old man!” screamed Amy.
“Oh, my poor one-sided
baby,” she said leaning against her. “Can’t you let her go?
I’ll even go with you, Flash,” she pleaded. “We could still be
together.”
“You had your chance,
Moonstone. Everyone is going to end up as fish food in the big pond.
As soon as I work out the details. I will be back soon,
Moonstone,” he cried going out and locking the door.
“Miss Mason, no one
knew where you were. Not the police. Not your friends,” said Sam.
“And Amy loves you so. That’s why I thought I could help.”
“That’s the problem
with my life. No real direction. I knew that Amy needed help and
that is why I was going to go back to school. Why just last
week…” explained Moonstone.
“I can take care of
myself, Mommy!” cried out Amy.
Moonstone looked over at
Amy with love. “I know you think you can, darling. You need just a
wee bit of help. I just don’t think that Mr. Selleck, was the
right person to help you out.”
Amy looked hurt at her. “I mean Mr. Magnum! Amy, you needed
some special schooling to help bring out your talents.”
“The show is still
canceled at by end of the season, since you disappear completely,”
said Al checking on Tom Selleck’s uncertain future.
“I haven’t seen this
nutcase in a long time. He must have had an obsession with me. How
in the world did you find me?“ asked Moonstone.
“Through an old
photograph and the cabin you used to rent in Baaloona State Park,”
explained Sam.
“You are a pretty good
detective. Pretty good. I thank you for the rescue attempt!” she
said graciously. “I just regret that we may all have the same fate
together. You are a good man, Mr. Thomas Selleck!” PART
SIX Day
went to night and night went to the next day while Al was still
watching over Sam and the other kidnapped victims.
The door creaked open.
In walked the Harold Borden again looking quite pleased with
himself.
“He-he-he-he! Sorry
for the delay. Just transacting a bit of business. Now for my
pleasure! He-he-he-he! Time to go, sheep dips. I’ve got to depose
of my few loose ends. Can’t have the best supplier on the island
with too many witnesses that could rat on him. OK, you first
bitches,” he said sneering at them.
Borden untied them, held
a gun on them and had them move to the far corner of the storage
room. Then he began to untie a struggling Sam.
“Easy does it or you
get it here and now, Mr. Big TV Star,” said Borden roughly as he
reached over to untie Sam feet.
Sam’s eyes opened
wide.
“Crack” went the
skull of their kidnapper as he fell to the hard concrete floor.
Above him stood John Hillerman with a large piece of metal pipe in
one hand.
“Really Thomas. How
did you get into these situations? Playing the part a bit too deeply
I’m afraid,” he said with some reassurance. He leaned over and
finished untying Sam.
“Boy, are we glad to
see you,” exclaimed Sam.
Amy jumped up and down.
“It’s Higgins to the rescue!”
“I beg your pardon.
What is the child talking about?” he asked looking strangely at
Sam.
“Hey guys. I heard
someone coming,” exclaimed Robert Moseley who played T.C. in the
series. “We better vacant these premises pronto!”
“Right! Ladies,
let’s exit directly,” John Hillerman said pointing to the door.
“Thomas, do you need any help?”
“Nope? Let’s
roll!” cried out Sam limping a bit toward the open door.
“There’s something
vaguely familiar in all of this, Sam!” exclaimed a puzzled Al.
All five of the “good
guys” made their way toward the awaiting car. The bright sun hurt
Sam’s eyes as they left the moldy old warehouse. A large black car
swung around the corner with wheels screeching. Two men jumped out
with guns pointing directly at Sam and company.
“STOP!” yelled the
first man.
“Freeze! McGarrett
FIVE-OH!” the second man yelled at the top of his voice.
Sam just stopped, put
his hands in the air and wondered where he would end up next. San
Quentin? ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Rotating
red lights blanketed the surrounding area as Sam and company waited
around for HPD and Five-Oh to finish their investigation. Several
fans crowded around Sam asking Sam questions and requesting the same
souvenirs as earlier.
“Thank you,” cried
one young girl.
An older gentleman
agreed, “Yes, thank you.”
“You’re very kind. Thank you! You’re welcome. Thanks
for asking,” Sam said to his happy fans before he rejoined his
rescuers and fellow former kidnapped friends.
“Man, I wish I had
that kind of attention,” exclaimed Robert E. Mosley.
“It’s not its all
cracked up to be. I got tired of it after the first day,” said Sam
quite honestly. “And
how did you find us, John?”
John Hillerman replied,
“It is not hard to track down a well-known television personality.
And I am not without my contacts here in the islands.”
“Thank heavens for
that!” exclaimed Shirley Mason.
“Ah, Mr. Magnum could
have freed us in no time!” piped in little Amy.
“And you got into this
mess just trying to help out this little girl?” asked John
Hillerman with a tone of disbelief.
“Yep. That is how it
got started!” said Sam nodding in the affirmative.
John Hillerman cocked
his head to one side. “Extraordinary. You have taken a star’s
duty to his fans to new heights here, Thomas old boy!”
“Just doing my job,”
said Sam quite humbly.
“That’s my boy!”
replied Al. “By the way. Amy and her mother turn out fine.
Moonstone.. Oh boy!.. finishes going back to school and ends up
helping other mentally challenged people at a home in Honolulu. Amy
does OK. She ends up using her imagination and actually begins
writing for a television series in the nineties. Good work! And she
still lives with her mother here in Hawaii.”
“Oh, Mr. Magnum. Thank
you so much. You found her! I really do need my mother,” exclaimed
Amy holding Sam tight enough to cut off his circulation.
“My pleasure. Just
grow up and be happy,” said Sam smiling down at her.
“Yes, who would have
thought that someone of your stature would help a little girl? My
opinion of those in rather stellar circles has improved greatly
thanks to you!” said Shirley Mason. “You will always have my
thanks and admiration.”
The noise and commotion
from the warehouse caught the attention of the merry band of
adventurers as Harold Borden was dragged out kicking and screaming
from the warehouse by HPD.
“You jerks! You
two-timers! I’ve been framed. It’s not my doing! You are all
just making a BIG mistake! I’m going to have your badges! Moonie,
help me out please! We mean too much to each other!
HELP!!!” he yelled to Amy’s mother. Amy cowered next to
her. Moonstone just looked on in disgust hoping it was all over now
as Borden was shoved into a waiting black and white patrol car.
“Nope! FLASH, there
made the mistake. And he’s still serving a life sentence for
kidnapping and other miscellaneous drug charges,” said Al looking
over his handlink. “You know, you actually SAVED his life?
Straight into prison, that is! One less nozzle on the old garden
hose to make trouble for us!”
“Well, Mr. Selleck!”
exclaimed Steve McGarrett who came over to the merry band. “We are
glad that you’re safe. Just remember in the future to not take
things in your own hands, Mr. Hillerman. That is the job of HPD!”
“Quite right. I will
remember that in the future,” he said winking to Sam. “But how
did you manage to find this awful place?”
“One of HFD’s
officers saw Mr. Borden snooping around the Hilton breakwater
project. He is on our long list of drug dealers. What we really were
looking for was to find his supplier,” replied Mr. McGarrett.
“Ah, Sam. Try Frank
Garcia on the west end of the island. He was arrested in 1994 and
had contacts with ‘Flash’ here,” said Al pointing rather
suspiciously at him.
Sam chuckled. “You
might want to try a guy named Garcia, Frank Garcia. He had mentioned
him earlier while we were listening to him rant.”
“Thanks, we’ll look
into it shortly,” replied Steve Caret as Don Bellasario stepped up
behind him.
“Hey, Thomas. We
wondered where you had been. You’re never late for rehearsal.
Sixty-three people are dependent upon you buddy–boy,” exclaimed
Don. “And you decide to take your character a bit too seriously.
Though I’m glad to find you in good health, do you know what could
happen to our insurance rates if you do that again?”
“Don Bellasario. Head
of your production company,” whispered Al though not needing to
use a whisper. “Your biggest of all big bosses.”
“Hey, I was a bit…
tied up. I think this will be my last time trying the detective game
for real,” said Sam a bit embarrassed.
“I’d say so. And all
three of you are involved here in something that we really don’t
want the publicity on,” Don Bellasario said shaking his head.
“I think the Hawaiian
Film Board would also appreciate it if you stayed out of our
official reports. You have done quite a bit of service to the state
of Hawaii, Mr. Selleck. And the filming of a series here in my
native Hawaii is good business,” said Steve McGarrett. “And
it’s good for the tourism. We can work something out. Keep up the
good work!” Steve McGarrett said patting Sam on the side.
“And it never does
show up in any of the official reports,” marveled Al. “This guy
really does get things done!”
“Thank you so much,”
replied Don Bellarisco. “If we can ever do anything for you, just
call. You are one lucky son-of-a-bitch, Thomas!”
Steve McGarrett turned
back to the merry adventurers. “And thanks to good honest citizens
like you. OK Five-oh, let’s wrap this up and get him in the
lockup. Three counts of kidnapping. Book’em Danno!”
And with that Sam turned
into hundred ka-jillion bits of blue electric stardust and headed to
his next assignment somewhere along the space-time continuum. EPILOGUE “Pablo!” Sam
looked around and saw only tall grass, the trunks of tree, bushes
and dirt. He was belly
down on the ground crawling, the weight of a forty-plus pound pack
pressing against his back and a rifle in his hands in front of him.
Sam didn’t recognize the make of the rifle, but it was an
older model and not in the best of shape. “Pablo!”
The disembodied voice yelled again. Sam
looked around him in vain; he couldn’t see much past the tall
grass, just more grass and trees. He saw no one in the direction the
yell had come from. He
didn’t want to stand up or even get on his knees; Sam had learned
long ago that it was always best, in that first minute after
leaping, to play along cautiously. Stretching
his head off the ground as far as he could, Sam looked around him.
He clearly was in some sparse forest, and to his left he saw a hand
shoot up from behind a bush about twenty yards away from him. The
hand rapidly pointed forward but at a different angle than the angle
Sam was currently crawling. Sam
adjusted his crawl appropriately. Suddenly
from behind him came the crashing, stomping sound of boots crushing
bushes. Sam felt
himself yanked up on his feet by some strong force pulling on his
pack, so unexpected it was that Sam dropped his rifle to the ground.
Spinning around Sam came face to face with two men that looked
Mexican or Latin American and whom pointed at his chest and head
respectively two weapons Sam did recognize:
Uzi submachine guns. “Oh
Boy,” Sam uttered
nervously.
|
Shatter'd
and sunder'd.