S09E02 - “Assault On The Palace” - Plot

Act One

Two men drive to the middle of nowhere as the passenger (Robert Costa) asks Arthur (Clu Gulager) where he's driving to. Arthur assures Henry is in for "a most unique experience ". They stop in the middle of a one-lane road where they get out walking in the brush. Arthur starts talking about King Kamehameha's grave and how he's found it tricking Henry into a hidden booby trap. When Henry asks for help, Arthur returns with a shovel and hits Henry in the head! Arthur then drives back to Honolulu proper arriving to a meeting with the governor.

Inside, the governor is reviewing film from last year's King Kamehameha parade with McGarrett and several others in McGarrett's office. When the governor mentions they need something special for this year, the representative for the Chamber of Commerce (David Palmer) agrees. The governor suggests something to do with Hawaiian history. Just then, Arthur steps into the office giving his apologizes to Edna (Keo Hughes) and wanting to take floor. He excitedly shares his idea for this year's King Kamehameha Parade: a recreation of the Wilcox Raid, an armed rebellion that tried to overthrow the constitutional government. They were successful in holding the Palace and a few other buildings for a day. The governor is concerned about accuracy, wondering if it's been checked with Arthur answering, "yes, it certainly has. I had it read by Professor Henry Kolani. Who, incidentally, approved it enthusiastically". They wonder where Henry is as he is usually at the meetings. McGarrett has a security concern of course as something this large is bound to attract larger than usual crowds. With them, every crook and con man will emerge from the shadows and the Chamber of Commerce agrees. McGarrett invites Harry to go to HPD and meet up with Danno to see what they've been up to to curb the criminal element. They vote to allow the re-enactment to happen and be the showcase event for this year's King Kamehameha parade.

Another car drives to a middle of the nowhere with the husband (Michael Tipton) challenging the driver (Billy Roessler) about going to Waikiki. The wife (Lynne Stewart) whines that things don't look right. The driver assures them they're heading in the right direction but he pulls over and pulls out a knife! He tells them to leave their money on the seat and he isn't taking any gruff, only he's in for a big surprise: the couple is undercover HPD officers! Oops!

At HPD, Danno recognizes Taxi Joe, the driver, right away. Danno takes the opportunity while the arrested are in the same room. He warns them Five-O isn't going to put up with anybody's plans to rip off people during the King Kamehameha parade as a promise has been made to the governor. When he's done, everybody is taken to lockup. Danno is pretty certain his talk didn't do any good but Harry says he gave them a good scare. Chin walks up with a missing persons bulletin: Professor Henry Kolani! Danno tells him to get it to McGarrett right away. Chin calls McGarrett about it saying they've looked everywhere: his apartment, hospitals, morgue and no travel off Oahu for him. McGarrett orders an APB on Henry to cover the entire island.

At Oahu State Prison, a guy (Michael McGuire) is released with Arthur watching from his parked car. Arthur drives by the guy as he sits on a bench throwing a wad of paper out to him. There is a list of banks on it with a phone number or 'an admirer'. The guy takes a bus to a park finding the closest pay phone calling the number. Arthur answers the phone telling Horton to be at Pier 40 in 35 minutes.

Horton shows up with Arthur complimenting him on being punctual but Horton is not trusting Arthur, he wants to know what Arthur is really after. Arthur says the three banks listed were robbed and were never solved by the police. Horton is expecting a shake down but Arthur says he's not about a shake down, he's "a fan". Arthur proposes they go into business together and the bank president (Albert Harris) would actually help them! No worries with guards, alarms or lack of getaway time. Horton is sure the plan is crazy but is very interested to hear more.

Horton goes to see a seamstress (Logan Barrie Jones) about making two sets of costumes with one set no one knowing about. She agrees. Horton then goes to a bar where the owner Kimo (Jack Hisatake) kicks a drunk out. Meantime, Arthur meets with the Chamber of Commerce taking volunteers for his re-enactment. Horton then sees Taxi Joe who is working on another car. Taxi Joe wants to leave Hawaii but he doesn't have the money to do it but Horton says he can provide it as long as Taxi Joe is willing to be his "wheelman". Horton tells him the take will be $10 million plus split six ways and "double for the idea man". Taxi Joe is definitely interested wanting to know more. Horton then reports back to Arthur telling him everything is set. Arthur reminds him everything must go precisely as planned and nothing can stop them. Horton is confident nothing will.

A couple hikes in the middle of nowhere and the young man (Ken Archer) decides to stop. The young woman (Rebecca Jones Lewis) screams when she sees a hand reaching from the ground!

Act Two

HPD is on the scene where the hikers stopped as McGarrett and Danno show up. Chin briefs the young couple found the body. McGarrett tells Danno to get the word out to all police agencies no leaves and no absences until Professor Kolani's killer is found! He then tells the HPD sergeant to get Professor Kolani's body to the morgue for a full work up. McGarrett shows his badge to the couple and asks what happened and they tell him.

Doc Bergman (Al Eben) walks out of the Medical Examiner's office in time to meet McGarrett and Danno in the parking lot. Doc tells them Professor Kolani was hit with a heavy object but that wasn't the cause of death. However, they found "aspiration of dirt occluding the tracheal tube" and died of suffocation: in short, Professor Kolani was buried alive! Danno says there was no car found so he probably rode up with his killer. Doc adds the motive probably wasn't robbery because his wallet and money were still on him.

McGarrett and Danno return to the Territorial Building discussing what was, or was not, found in Professor Kolani's apartment. Danno says the Missing Persons Bureau went through and he did as well. No struggle or forced entry was found but Danno found "Kolani's copy of the scenario for the Wilcox raid" and it has a question mark on the front cover. Danno found it by the phone and has already checked the three phone calls he made before he disappeared thanks to his secretary's log. Danno ran them: the library for some reference materials, his mainland publishers and the final one to the Museum of the Pacific. McGarrett finds the last call of particular interest, as Arthur is the curator of that museum.

McGarrett goes to visit Arthur at the Museum of the Pacific where Arthur denies he spoke to Professor Kolani but says it wouldn't be unusual for him to call the museum because of his expertise in Hawaiian history. Arthur offers to ask around but McGarrett refuses saying they will take care of that but they need a list of museum staff and employees. Arthur asks Nathaniel the museum guard (Nat Coleman) to get the list to McGarrett. McGarrett then asks when Professor Kolani approved the scenario with Arthur claiming Professor Kolani signed off on it about a month ago. Arthur claims they had no recent conversations as Nathaniel brings the employee list.

Later, Arthur shows up at the seamstress' place telling his volunteers about their schedules and how he wants them ready before the limousines pick them up. Meanwhile, a telex comes in to Five-O as Danno briefs McGarrett on the intelligence report "on all known con men, thieves and pickpockets in Honolulu" while Chin has the "security reports on all government buildings and commercial buildings in the area". McGarrett is happy with the work down thus far: making the criminals think they're under a microscope and tight security around the parade grounds. Duke shows up with the sharpshooter plan along the parade route. McGarrett laments they were unable to protect Professor Kolani just as a female HPD officer (Vickey Bird) arrives with a red lei for McGarrett from the governor. The team laughs at the whole ceremony with McGarrett admonishing them.

Last minute preparations are made as some of the rebels are in the staging area. Some of the crowd sits in the prime seats for the parade. Elsewhere in the city, limousine picks up the volunteers as the governor arrives behind McGarrett at the grandstands. The pick-ups continue as the parade begins and McGarrett tells the governor they still don't have any leads in Professor Kolani's murder. Meanwhile, Harry waits at his house when the limousine pulls up but he recognizes the driver as Taxi Joe refusing to get into the limousine. As Harry get louder, his neighbor (Anne Swan) looks over her flowers to see what the commotion is all about. When Harry absolutely refuses, Horton tries forcing him in and when Harry threatens to call somebody, Horton shoots Harry! They drive off in a hurry before Harry climbs into his own car to try to get help. Unfortunately, he crashes his car!

The parade keeps going with military bands, a float and some horse riders. Danno makes his way to McGarrett at the grandstand telling him that Harry Lewis has been shot! Danno explains he was found on Kilauea Avenue, taken to Leahi Hospital critically wounded and he keeps asking for McGarrett. They take off as a plainclothes officer takes over guard duty for the governor. Arthur then shows up asking if there is something wrong and the governor only answers that it appears that way.

Taxi Joe and Horton drive the real volunteers to an abandoned building where they're locked up! Horton tells his guards to blast them if anyone gets twitchy while his guys climb into the limousine. They take off for the parade as McGarrett and Danno pull into Leahi Hospital. As they walk in, Dr. Monsoo (Herbert Kobayashi) meets them and gives them the horrible news: Harry didn't make it. As they ready to leave, Chin meets them: he found dried blood on the outside of Harry's car. Danno mentions they were supposed to be picked up by limousine with Chin saying it was 20 men in four cars. McGarrett wants to know if that is what happened.

The parade keeps going as Taxi Joe shows up with Horton and their group. They join the rest of the raiders in the parade staging area. Arthur looks at his watch and finds it's time for the main event and gets up to narrate it. The raiders walk behind a float as Arthur takes the podium. On cue, the rebels begin to storm the buildings including Horton and his group running into the bank! He forces the manager to show him the vault.

Act Three

Arthur narrates the buildings are now "under siege" as Horton sizes up the vault. The manager tries to talk them out of whatever they're doing. Horton sets the charges as the "King's guards" prepare to fire at the rebels during the re-enactment. As the rebels shoot, Horton blasts the safe with a rebel surrender shortly after. While the other rebels raise their white handkerchiefs, Horton and his gang start wiping out the bank's vault. Arthur concludes his narration and the parade recommences.

McGarrett, Danno and Chin arrive at Harry's house with the neighbor ducking into her garden. McGarrett sends Danno inside as he looks around the front yard near the steps finding a blood trail leading to where Harry's car was parked. McGarrett sends Chin to King Street to find out where the other volunteers are as Danno steps out of the house saying no one is home and probably at the parade. McGarrett notices the neighbor lady and steps over to speak to her. She isn't cooperative at first saying she heard a truck backfire but eventually comes clean with McGarrett when he asks her what kind of truck was it that she heard. She tells him what she saw: there was a big black car with a bunch of men in it. McGarrett talks her into going downtown.

Taxi Joe drives out of a warehouse in an ice cream truck as the neighbor lady looks through the mug shots. Chin walks into the Territorial office saying the raid "went off like clockwork". The neighbor lady finds the driver among the shots: Taxi Joe! Danno knows where to find him as McGarrett tells Chin to get a warrant and they take off. Taxi Joe keeps driving as McGarrett, Danno and Chin break into his apartment finding a marked map. They change tactics deciding to check out Kuliouou Ridge. Taxi Joe drives up to the back of the bank where Horton and his guys make their escape.

McGarrett, Danno and Chin drive to the ridge, stopping short as McGarrett radios for HPD backup. They decide to split up and surround the guard at the old tower with Chin arresting him. Danno finds the real volunteers locked up and lets them out. One volunteer (Terence Brady) tells them there was another group in their costumes and says they were supposed to take over the bank on King Street. McGarrett and Danno take off with McGarrett radioing Dispatch with a "code red" for a robbery in progress at the Unified Bank. As Taxi Joe and Horton drive through Honolulu, McGarrett and Danno arrive at the bank. Inside, an HPD Sergeant (Roland Naauao) stands by the open vault as McGarrett inspects it: "clean".

Act Four

The next morning at the Territorial Building, McGarrett is not amused! Slamming his briefcase onto a table, he yells at the team that they're going into overtime until they have this solved! Danno reports the guard arrested at the tower has a long rap sheet both in Hawaii and on the mainland and he's not talking. Chin says they have an APB out for Taxi Joe and explains the robbers were in costume looking alike. Danno adds the limousine was found abandoned near a parade assembly point. The limousine belongs to a rental agency and was rented to "Robert Wilcox". McGarrett realizes it all comes back to the Wilcox Raid. McGarrett wants every book on the Wilcox Raid and to find them now: they have some homework to catch up on.

Later that night, McGarrett reads up on the raid typing up what he has and dictates a memo for the team to meet at 9:00 a.m. the next morning to discuss the case. When they meet, they figure out who is behind it right away: Arthur but the problem is proving it. McGarrett's plan is a "direct frontal assault".

McGarrett visits the Museum of the Pacific and finds Arthur who is working with Nathaniel. McGarrett pulls him away talking about the robbery telling him whoever was behind it had to know every detail of the re-enactment including duplicate uniforms and what businessmen were going to the bank. McGarrett wonders if it isn't someone on the museum staff "with a limited future". The giveaway is an error: the raiders never made it near the bank! It was an error Professor Kolani found and pointed out but Arthur killed him before the professor could raise the alarm! When Arthur knows he's been found out, he pulls out a gun and fires at McGarrett! Arthur pulls out the money and makes a run for it as Five-O and HPD move in. They nab Arthur as he runs out of the museum with McGarrett asking who else was involved. Arthur names them off and they're arrested in order including Danno tagging Taxi Joe as he's trying to leave the island! Arthur asks for "consideration" that proves to be a huge mistake! McGarrett won't have it, "book him, Danno. Murder one, two counts".