S08E08 - “Sing A Song of Suspense” - Plot

Act One

A singer (Lois Nettleton) performs during a private party in a hotel penthouse. As she sings, a woman (Karen Ericson) puts her hand on her date's (Tommy Atkins) knee but he moves it more interested in the singer. The date is one of the first to applaud her after the performance and holds her afterward. She asks Koko if that was a great trip down memory lane. Another man (Jimmy Borges) hands the singer a drink as they reminisce about her first audience of six people but the man tells her she had about 8000 more the night before. She thanks Walter when he says, "sweet lady, you had them hanging from the palm trees". The woman, who is feeling neglected, stands up taking a drink and asking the singer how she got Koko to book her a date in Las Vegas while saying no one wants to hear her sing. Julene makes a scene saying Aleno (Jerry Waialae) thinks she can sing. The singer becomes nervous, excusing herself to go to another room where she calls for a cab.

The couple walks out to the nearby balcony with him grabbing her by the arm and shoving her out the door as the singer watches. Koko is sure Aleno wants his business and would only offer Julene a deal to get to him. She threatens to tell Aleno the real reason his brother didn't return from Macau and this only enrages Koko. Koko says the reason the brother didn't come back is over a shipment of guns and he was in over his head but Julene knows this is only story Koko and Walter created. Julene knows Koko sent Jamocha and Dewey (Ward Benson) to meet him, only the brother didn't survive. Julene is determined to go to Las Vegas but Koko says she's too drunk to go anywhere and stops her, slapping her in the process. Julene then scratches his face and he punches her causing her to go over the railing. Julene screams as her grip slips but Koko lets her fall! The singer takes off leaving her purse behind.

Duke (Herman Wedemeyer) is already on scene as McGarrett arrives. Duke briefs, "her name's Julene Balli, a singer. Worked in a club owned by Koko Apaleka. She fell, or was dropped, from his penthouse". McGarrett wonders why Duke would know why she didn't jump, which Duke says jumpers tend to push off a bit. McGarrett leaves to go to the penthouse.

In the penthouse, Chin has to stop the busboy from touching the glasses again. He goes back questioning the guests on what they know as Danno keeps questioning as well. Danno reports to McGarrett there were at least 30-40 people in attendance but most took off. He also says Julene "was spouting off about Aleno Kimura, then her boyfriend showed up, and she shut up". McGarrett wants Che (Harry Endo) to pull as many prints as possible including all the glasses left sitting around. He takes notice of the guitar wondering who Chelsea is: Chelsea Merriman, the singer and according to Danno, the party was in her honor. Danno says Koko is going to turn over a list of all the guests and he's currently on the balcony.

McGarrett speaks to Koko who says it's his fault because Julene was taking uppers "like vitamins" and mixing alcohol on top of them. He goes on saying Julene wanted to be like Chelsea but Julene didn't have the talent. McGarrett asks what happened to his face with Koko claiming he was trimming roses that morning. McGarrett doesn't buy it telling Koko not to leave the island.

Downstairs, Chin and Duke speak to the front desk clerk (Lou Richards) who tells them a lot of people passed by but he only recognized a few of them. He also says one woman left by cab although he didn't see her leave, but he called it for her: Moana Cab Company at 1:55 p.m. As Chin and Duke leave, the clerk calls Koko to let him know Five-O is asking questions.

Many of the party guests are pulled into Five-O to try to nail down what happened with Julene. One man (Fred Ball) tells an HPD officer (Shelly Novack) Julene was stoned out of her mind. Another woman changes her story on Danno who lets her go out of frustration. McGarrett steps out of his office to see how things are going, but Danno says it's the same thing: Julene was high on "reds and booze". McGarrett tries to be encouraging hoping someone will let something slip if they talk enough. The HPD officer introduces himself to McGarrett as Oliver MacDougall. Danno asked him to help out questioning the guests since he used to be with LAPD in their Narcotics unit. Officer MacDougall says he hasn't come up with much but knows people left in a hurry carrying "hash or pot" as MacDougall recognizes some of the signs. Meantime, Chin is checking out the cab angle.

At Moana Cab, Chin talks to the driver (Chuck Chuck Akamine) about where he dropped his fare: the Elton Palms. The driver knows he picked up Chelsea because he recognized her and she seemed worried about something. Turns out, she forgot her purse but didn't want to go back for it. Chin thanks him and moves on.

In McGarrett's office, he admires Chelsea's guitar and wondering why she hasn't asked for it. McGarrett sends out Danno to deliver the guitar and tells him to go easy on the questioning because she may know something then get scared.

Koko paces his office as Walter tells him Five-O has questioned everybody at the party including a few he didn't know about. Koko asks about Chelsea with Walter saying they're interested in her. He asks Koko if she saw something: Koko produces her purse dropping it on his desk telling Walter he found it in the dressing room.

Chelsea is nervously walking around her suite as a man reads giving her a message about Koko calling her: he'll send a driver for the dinner she owes him and that he forgot her purse at his place. Danno shows up with her guitar wanting to ask some questions but doesn't get the chance between her and her manager. She sends them both out the door then panics, making a run for it taking a cab to the airport. However, on the way a big limousine stops the cab and two men force Chelsea to go with them, scaring her out of her mind.

In McGarrett's office, he talks to Danno who reports Chelsea skipped the concert! McGarrett tells him to contact the airport detail to keep an eye out for her. He then buzzes Jenny (Peggy Ryan) to contact HPD when she says Aleno is there to see him. McGarrett tells her to send him in and he walks in with Chelsea and one of his guys (Rudy Aquino) who picked her up. Aleno says the challenge will be to keep her alive for Koko's trial.

Act Two

In McGarrett's office, he pours Chelsea a cup of coffee to try to put her at ease. McGarrett tells her she has a right to be "jittery" because of the scary ride and the events from the day before. Chelsea says Julene fell then backpedals saying she only heard her scream. McGarrett asks if she left immediately and she explains she's not one for parties but eventually answers the question that she left right after Julene "fell". Chelsea claims she doesn't know anything about how Julene fell but she doesn't answer if she could swear to it in court. She becomes nervous mentioning McGarrett being armed under his "carefully tailored suits". McGarrett finds it odd she would be nervous about armed men considering she has performed in Koko's clubs. He calls Jenny to find Chin and Duke to drive back Chelsea, as Doc (Al Eben) is there to see him. Doc walks in with the autopsy report and McGarrett introduces them. After he reads the report, Doc briefs "point-one-oh blood alcohol" with no other drugs present. A bruise and laceration were found and they were made shortly before death. Doc also found "someone else's skin particles under three of her nails". Bottom line: Julene was alive when she went over the railing. All the information makes Chelsea even more nervous as McGarrett wants Doc to get a make on the skin. McGarrett asks one more question, a theoretical one: if Chelsea saw Koko push Julene over the railing, would she testify to it in court? Chelsea says people don't tend to answer that kind of question until they have to.

Chin and Duke drop off Chelsea at her hotel where Duke spots two men in the parking lot leaving just as she returns. They leave as Duke radios the information to McGarrett. Chelsea enters her hotel room only to find Koko waiting on her! She owes him a dinner on a bet she lost at the party. As Koko pours drinks, he asks Chelsea how her mother (Jean Tarrant) is doing along with Marissa (Traci Weled). Chelsea is already on edge but plays it off well. When Koko calls for room service, Chelsea focuses on the bandages Koko has on his face flashing back to the altercation on the balcony. He hangs up saying it's been a while since they've had dinner together. She asks him how business is and the conversation turns to her being "delivered" by Aleno to Five-O that afternoon. Koko knows McGarrett and Aleno would like nothing more than to pin "a murder rap" on him. He asks Chelsea when she was in his dressing room yesterday and she's evasive because she says she doesn't remember but she's sure it was before she sang. Koko knows she's lying and finds her exhaustion as an excuse to leave. He asks to go to lunch tomorrow but she changes it to breakfast at the airport because she'll be on the noon flight. Before he walks out the door, he asks how old Marissa is now saying he knows how much her daughter means to Chelsea: a veiled threat. Chelsea freaks a bit as the phone rings: her call to her mother and daughter. The doorbell rings at their house with a package for Marissa: it's a doll with its face ripped off. Chelsea really freaks telling her mother to pack up to go to her Uncle Frank's in Arizona and she'll explain later. After she hangs up, Chelsea calls Five-O.

Act Three

Five-O admits Chelsea into Puanani Hospital shoving past the gathered media. McGarrett tries to be evasive as possible saying she's suffering from nervous exhaustion but "no comment" on everything else asked. He does say they want to ask her some questions about Julene's death, which gains Koko's attention as he watches on the television. One of Koko's guys says she'll talk but Koko says they're not making a hit until they know for sure. He tells the guy to set up the hit but not to move in.

Chelsea gives her statement in her hospital room telling McGarrett exactly what happened. Chelsea includes what led up to the altercation and Julene's threat to tell Aleno what really happened with his brother in Macau. Chelsea tells McGarrett when she went over the rail, Julene was able to hang on for a moment and Koko could have helped her but didn't. She laments about not doing anything but McGarrett says she's doing something now. He dismisses the court clerk, as they should have enough for the DA to get an indictment. Once he leaves, McGarrett expresses his empathy for Chelsea being in a tough position with a mother and daughter within Koko's reach. Much to Chelsea's relief, he tells her they are in a Los Angeles apartment under 24-hour police protection.

Outside her hospital room, McGarrett talks to Chin with an HPD officer (Arte McCullough) standing by. McGarrett says they have what they need to finally nail Koko and he's heading downtown with the deposition. Chin wonders if Koko will know with McGarrett saying he'll know. He wants Danno and Duke to get a warrant to pick up Koko and tells Chin to "take good care of her".

Danno serves the warrant to Koko's secretary (Reri Jobe) immediately walking into Koko's office but he's not there. She tells them Koko has gone fishing and they leave. She then calls Koko to tell him Five-O was there with a warrant!

Another of Koko's guys shows up to the hospital telling the receptionist (Sandra Higa) he's there to see "Pete Hoveland" who is having heart trouble and he has some chocolate for him. In room B-311, the nurse (Keo Hughes) doesn't know why the guy, who works for Koko, is there. Once the nurse leaves, the package is opened to reveal a .38 caliber revolver! The visitor then tries to get into Chelsea's room with Chin rebuffing him but the visitor is undeterred trying to slip a business card under the door. Chin and the HPD officer force him away from the door causing a major fight in the hallway leaving the door unattended. As they are around the corner, the guy pretending to have heart issues sneaks into Chelsea's room and fires his gun! He sneaks back out.

McGarrett arrives at the hospital with Chin briefing what happened. They go into Chelsea's room but the guy shot a mannequin with a fluid capsule! McGarrett tells Chin to keep a guard on the door as if nothing happened, as it should buy them a few days. He says he's going to the beach house tonight.

Act Four

McGarrett jogs on the beach the next morning telling Matsu to watch his gun as it's revealed. Chelsea is in the house giving him a cup of coffee. She makes him breakfast as he showers. They talk about life over breakfast as she wonders how long she'll have to be there and wanting to call her daughter. McGarrett tells her they'll put the call through the downtown switchboard. McGarrett asks if it's a lonely life behind the glamour, "lonelier than you think". Officer MacDougall shows up with Chelsea being a bit jumpy but he's her bodyguard. McGarrett tells them to keep their eyes open as it may take Koko a day or two to figure out what they did. McGarrett leaves for work with Chelsea commenting, "call if you're gonna be late for dinner, dear".

Koko rips through a newspaper looking for news of Chelsea's death but there isn't any. Walter doesn't have any better luck calling the hospital as all information about Chelsea is being handled through Five-O. Koko is beyond frustrated but Walter insists Dewey shot her three times! Koko wants McGarrett watched no matter what his moves. Walter knows about an apartment in Waikiki but Koko wants to know if there's a beach house or cabin in the woods. Walter leaves to find out what he can.

Chelsea and Officer MacDougall practice playing guitar when a shadow appears but it's only Officer Matsu. The phone rings: it's Koko's secretary pretending to be the operator with a call from Marissa. Koko picks up the line but doesn't say anything and signals for the call to be ended. The secretary pretends the connection has been lost and she'll call back. Koko tells Walter he needs Dewey.

Aleno and his guy have lunch in a Japanese restaurant when they're Koko, Walter and a couple of thugs rudely interrupt them. Meanwhile, McGarrett shows up at the beach house with Chelsea saying the woman sounded like a regular phone operator. McGarrett finds it strange because the call from California was supposed to be later. The phone rings: Danno says Aleno just called saying Koko is hiding at 1732 Kalanianaole and he can call Aleno at his restaurant to verify. McGarrett wants Duke to check out Aina Haina while he calls Aleno. Aleno verifies the address as Koko watches signaling to his thug as soon as Aleno hangs up.

Duke watches over the house they were given as Walter and another man show up. Duke reports to McGarrett Walter and Jamocha meet with someone looking like Koko. McGarrett walks out of the house putting a plan in place to bag Koko but McGarrett wonders if it's all about appearances. He walks out with Officer MacDougall with a plan of his own.

McGarrett drives from the beach house as Koko watches. Koko drives across the street to the house. He knocks on the door interrupting Chelsea's and Officer MacDougall's jam session. As she walks into the kitchen, he tells her to remember the orders. She's singing as Koko shows Officer MacDougall Aleno's business card saying he has more information for McGarrett. Once inside, Koko makes his move pulling a gun on Officer MacDougall forcing him toward the kitchen. Koko is ready to shoot but it's a tape player! McGarrett swoops in behind Koko holding his gun between Koko's shoulders! Danno is off to the side covering Koko as he drops both guns. McGarrett orders Koko arrested as Danno and Officer MacDougall do the honors. McGarrett brings Chelsea in as she tells Koko she doesn't owe him anything, not since he killed Julene. They take Koko out as McGarrett and Chelsea walk outside. She offers to make dinner, since he never takes her out!