Teaser
A limousine pulls up to an apartment building during the wee hours of the morning. A young woman (Elaine Joyce) smiles at Lester (Sam Peters) when he opens the door, "He's just coming up to fix the plumbing," referring to the older gentleman (John Randolph) with her. The couple make their way upstairs to her apartment. She slips into something more comfortable as he fixes them drinks. She comments about him being visibly nervous, "You don't get out much on your own, do you, Mr. Sloane?" Trying to get Sloane more relaxed, she jokes, "I was just lucky, I guess," referring to her job as a prostitute. A knock on the door interrupts them, she goes to answer the door assuring Sloane it isn't a shakedown.
A face takes up the entire peephole and she becomes nervous. She runs back to Sloane, giving him a key from under the table and ushering him out to the terrace where he hides. She returns to the door, to let Charley Bombay (Albert Paulsen) and his two men (Tom Castranova and Billy Whitewolf) in. After a few minutes looking, they find nothing. Charley asks several times where his merchandise is. The girl feigns ignorance, "You know I wouldn't try anything." Skeptical, Charley warns, "But it's dumb to try it with me, Angela." Fed up, Charley forces Angela to the terrace where he pushes her over. Sloane witnesses what happens on the terrace from his hiding spot.
Act One
McGarrett arrives on the scene, weaving through the crowd toward Angela's apartment. Surveying the ransacked place, he carefully steps through. He greets Bill (Mitch Mitchell) who is turning pages of a photo album. McGarrett moves out to the terrace where he discovers the drink glass behind the plant. He hands it off to Bill who will have it checked for fingerprints.
Sloane stands in his hotel room contemplating calling the police to the point of calling the operator and asking for HPD before hanging up. Upon a ringback, he cancels the call.
McGarrett holds a picture of Angela, "eighteen years old." Danno verifies, "Says so on her temporary driving permit." Danno briefs she had few records -- no employment history, arrests, hospital admissions or bank account. "Paid for everything by cash," including her expensive apartment. Chin says, "HPD figures she had thousands of dollars in clothing and jewelry." Danno also reveals a drug habit with multiple needle marks behind her knees. Angela was fairly new to the islands, originally from New Jersey. McGarrett lines it out, "Adds up to one thing: Prostitute. Only strictly high-class. Plenty of money behind this operation. Who does that sound like? ... Bombay all the way." Bombay has a string of young girls working Waikiki and has "a hand in everything else that's rotten."
McGarrett formulates a plan: he wants Angela Carlson checked with the New Jersey State Police and copies of her picture run off so that her movements the night before can be pinpointed. The glass comes into play, fingerprints were found and HPD is awaiting word from Washington about them. McGarrett leaves, off to talk to Charley Bombay.
Charley counts some cash at his desk when there is a knock on the door. McGarrett walks in as Charley puts the cash away. McGarrett has been after Charley Bombay "for years" with Bombay maintaining that he is "a respectable businessman." When McGarrett informs him that one of his girls fell to her death with some help, Bombay plays dumb. "Maybe she worked as a waitress for a couple of weeks." McGarrett also brings up the expensive apartment, unattainable on a waitress's salary. Having enough of Bombay, McGarrett outright asks, "Why did you kill her?" Bombay scoffs, telling McGarrett he's way off base. McGarrett asks for an alibi but Bombay never answers that, but he hypothesizes on the why -- why would he push her off the ninth floor for very little money.
Chin questions Lester at the apartment building threatening to take him downtown if he holds back. Lester relents, "he won't be in the mug shots." Chin's curious now -- turns out the guy is an out-of-towner "in the hardware line."
Sloane is in Honolulu for a Hardware Dealer's Convention being held at the Ilikai. A luncheon wraps up with the announcement Marty Sloane has been voted Man of the Year by his fellow hardware dealers. Sloane isn't sure how to take it because of the guilt he carries from the night before. As Sloane gives an impromptu speech, McGarrett and Danno slip in at the back wall. When he's done, Sloane approaches them, "You wanna see me?" They walk out together. As they make their way down the escalator, a waiter calls Bombay tipping him off to Sloane's identity and that he's left with Five-O.
Bombay lashes out to his thugs because they missed Sloane. Trying to recall any place Sloane could have been in the apartment, the only place available was the terrace. Agitated, Bombay orders his men to find and kill Sloane as well as get their stuff back.
Act Two
Sloane is brought to McGarrett's office where he denies leaving with Angela the night before. However, the bartender counters this claim. Sloane protests to being treated as "a criminal." McGarrett then runs down his background -- married 18 years, four kids, member of a church, Boy Scout leader, respected community leader and "vice president in charge of sales, Sacramento Hardware." Sloane is shocked. McGarrett tells him Five-O sees it all the time, men "living it up for a week" and when trouble strikes they fall back onto their good guy act. McGarrett isn't done shocking Sloane, especially when he reveals Angela's true age -- 18. This fact hits home for Sloane since his daughter Gladys is only 17.
McGarrett presses Sloane for information of what transpired in the apartment. Sloane runs through the story how they left the bar, went to her apartment and made drinks. He talks about a knock on the door but doesn't know who came in. He does verify he was on the terrace because Angela gave him a key and told him to hide. McGarrett nearly comes unglued -- "She gave you a what?"
Danno and Kono go to the airport to find the matching locker. Opening it, a bag inside contains a stuffed teddy bear but it isn't stuffing -- it's heroin! Taking it back to Five-O, Danno tosses it to McGarrett. "Cute, huh? It's warm, it's cuddly, it sleeps, it cries. And it's stuffed with more than two pounds of uncut heroin." McGarrett states, "A kilo of heroin, a quarter of a million at least, huh?" Pushing his theory, McGarrett wonders how Angela got a hold of the heroin -- did someone give it to her or did she steal it? "The fact is, she had it. Bombay knew she had it." Chin points out Bombay would want it back -- he wouldn't let a quarter of a million dollars slip away.
Flipping through her file, McGarrett notices Angela has an older sister. McGarrett has a brainstorm about the sister turning up to claim Angela's property. Because her actual sister is hospitalized in "an alcoholic ward," McGarrett proposes they manufacture one in order to get to Charley Bombay.
Later in his office, McGarrett plays the only record Angela's sister ever made. He drills and questions Joyce (Ann Helm) about various items in her background, she stumbles on the address in Hoboken. McGarrett yells at her, reminding her Angela was killed over the stuffed animal and Bombay will kill again if necessary. Deciding to press on memorizing the aspects of her life, McGarrett hands over an Insurance card, Social Security card, driver's license, keys to both home and the hotel, and her union card. They push on, talking about agents and who gets commissions off of her. When McGarrett offers her a drink, Joyce sighs, "What's the matter, mister? You wanna put me back in the psych ward?" McGarrett is pleased.
Willie (Herb Vigram) stops by Sloane's hotel room where they share a drink and a serious conversation about marriage and infidelity. Willie tells the story of when he lied to his wife because he spent the night with another woman. Sloane wonders what happened and asks Willie what would he do if there was "big trouble" and "everyone who matters in your life" knew about it. Willie can only offer the option of packing his bags "for Siberia." Sloane takes a drink, depressed about his prospects.
Downstairs, Bombay's men scope out the hotel, waiting for Sloane to be alone. Calling Bombay, they don't get much help, especially when someone knocks on Bombay's office door. Bombay makes it crystal clear, they eliminate Sloane or Bombay eliminates them! Bombay yells, "come in," with Joyce entering shortly after. Bombay moves toward the bar as Joyce sits down. Several tense moments pass as Charley plays with the ice in his drink in an attempt to shake up Joyce. "So you're Angela Carlson's sister."
Act Three
Still in Bombay's office, he asks Joyce if she has some thing to sell. "Something soft and white and pure as the driven snow. About two pounds of it," Joyce answers him. When she gives him the price of $200,000 Bombay nearly chokes on his drink. When he counter offers "for a friend," with $100,000 -- Joyce nearly walks out. She bluffs him with an offer of her own from Jersey City that is three hours old. Bombay asks why she came to him, "because I don't wanna get caught flying back with a suitcase full of talcum powder." Convinced, Bombay orders her to sit down, which she does. He asks where she's staying, she tells him, "Kaiolu Motel. Room 617. The same one your hoods searched about an hour ago." Bombay laughs, reaching for the phone to check out her mainland offer. Handing the phone to Joyce, "now, tell him who you are, and ask him to give you time and charges on your call to New Jersey." Joyce complies and hands the phone back to Bombay. The hotel operator gives the information with Kono looking on, "four minutes, $12.80 plus tax." Bombay is satisfied she made a call but remains unconvinced she has a mainland offer. He calls his buddy "Lou" to verify Joyce's story.
At the Ilikai, the hardware dealers are wrapping up their convention with lots of drinking, singing and merry-making. A group including Sloane stumble into the elevator lobby. Sloane breaks away, needing some fresh air. Once by himself, Bombay's goons make their move heading toward the parking garage. Sloane staggers out of the elevator toward his car! Walking in the garage, the goons start up their car intent on running down Sloane, who dives out of the way in the nick of time. They drive around again, forcing Sloane to run for his life. When they can't run him down, the first hood pulls out a sawed off shotgun, taking aim and missing. They take off from the garage. Sloane struggles to his feet waving down a second car, that was going to stop anyway -- it's Danno and Kono. Danno gets Sloane into the car and they leave the parking garage.
In McGarrett's office, the boss is unimpressed, "Why would anyone wanna kill you?" Sloane demands police protection which sends McGarrett into a tirade. "That's very funny, Mr. Sloane. We protect two million a year like you. You come and you go. You play games in that 100 square blocks called Waikiki. Pretty stupid games. Things you wouldn't be caught dead doing back home. But still we protect you. We bust our guts to protect you. But when we need your help, it's a different story, isn't it?" After he's through, McGarrett refocuses, asking again who was in the apartment, who was responsible for killing Angela. Sloane sticks by his story it was dark and he didn't see anything. McGarrett in desperation grabs Bombay's mug shot off his desk and shoves it in Sloane's face. McGarrett knows Bombay killed Angela, he only needs Sloane to cooperate. Sloane maintains he saw nothing but McGarrett isn't buying it -- he accuses Sloane of lying, twice. Fed up, McGarrett sends Sloane on his way.
Bombay nearly leaps over his desk at Joyce screaming his final offer, $100,000, at her. Joyce lights a cigarette with her bugged lighter -- Chin listens outside. She accepts Bombay's offer but wants to meet in a public place, "I meet you in private, I don't live long enough to sing four bars of "Yankee Doodle Dandy."" Bombay reluctantly agrees. Joyce lays out her terms -- Ala Moana Center, Bombay alone, "I bring the flour, you bring the bread." Bombay warns her of double-crossing him because if she does, she's dead. She leaves the office.
Sloane calls the front desk to check out. Ready to move out, Kono blocks the doorway, "Where you going, Mr. Sloane?" Kono then informs Sloane he is in protective custody. Dejected, he puts his suitcase on the bed, slumping on the other side sticking with his story that he saw nothing. Sloane knows McGarrett is playing heads games with him, hoping he'll crack. Shakily pulling out a cigarette, "I've been through a war, two operations, four years in Little League baseball. I got the shakes." When Kono asks if Sloane needs anything Sloane answers, "yeah. Some guts."
Act Four
Joyce flips through a book at Ala Moana Shopping Center, well covered from above: Kono, two HPD officers, and Chin. A man (Robert Costa) makes his way to the down escalator. Looking around nervously, he approaches Joyce, "How about a shine, lady?...Listen, Bombay says you'd better come with meÉ.And bring the doll." The shoe shine guy produces a gun, leaving Joyce no choice. Turns out the shoe shine guy is a junkie with Bombay as his "connection". She goes with him, carrying the bag. In a newspaper stand, McGarrett and Danno watch what happens and take off running, nearly mowing down about 10 people in doing so.
Joyce and the man walk toward the parking lot just as Bombay's car pulls up to the curb. Bombay jumps out, walking with Joyce along the curb. After a bit, Bombay grabs the bag and runs for his car which has been following along since he got out. The car screeches as they attempt an escape but McGarrett calls on the walkie-talkie, "all units. He's headed for the Piikoi exit. Stop him." HPD begins firing at the car to prevent its escape as McGarrett and Danno run to keep up. The car wrecks, running up on a concrete barrier -- injuring Bombay and his driver. Bombay, however, has the strength to crawl out and make a run for it (he tosses the bag from the overpass). McGarrett and Danno are hot on his tail -- jumping over the parking lot wall/overpass, crossing a busy multi-lane street, going through a park and running around a nearby marina. Before they can catch him, Bombay throws the teddy bear into the water. He even turns around with his hands up. McGarrett gets to him, "you're under arrest." Bombay smugly asks, "what's the charge?" no less than three times and never receives an answer.
At Five-O, Bombay is still smug, "Is there an ordinance about throwing dolls in the ocean, McGarrett?" McGarrett is still unimpressed, calling Jenny to "send him in". Danno leads Sloane into McGarrett's office who stops upon seeing Bombay. McGarrett reiterates, "take a good look at him, Mr. Sloane. He's a narcotics peddler and a murderer. And I'm gonna have to turn him loose in a few minutes unless you help us." Bombay begins throwing insults at Sloane, hoping to intimidate. Sloane still won't budge! Bombay tries to leave but McGarrett verbally stops him. Shifting his attention on Sloane, McGarrett goes into another tirade -- calling Bombay a "cancer" and asking Sloane if he really believes he can stay "uninvolved". Sloane finally breaks, saying he saw Bombay throw Angela off the terrace. Bombay stands up staring lasers at Sloane. McGarrett orders, "Danno, take him out of here, book him. Murder one." Bombay is forced out by Danno, shouting threats to Sloane the entire way. Sloane agrees to stay and testify. Pleased, McGarrett offers to drive Sloane back to his hotel.
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