S06E18 - “Secret Witness” - Plot

(Prepared by Bobbi Baker)


Act One

Just before 6:00 a.m., a man (Mark Jenkins) kicks out a drunk from the restaurant where he works saying if Case (Samuel Peters) finds him, he'll have both their heads. The customer stumbles down the street as the man closes the door to the 24-hour establishment. Case walks in seeing it was really slow the night before. Handing the man, his book Case kicks the young man out so he can get some work done.

As the young man leaves and crosses the street, a limousine drives on the deserted street. The man driving (Mark Gordon) has a .38 pistol with silencer on the front seat. Meanwhile, a man in a suit walks out of a bar with a small bag with the limo driver following him. The young man from the restaurant is across the intersection from the man with the bag. The limo driver slows enough to take a single shot killing the man. He then exits the car grabbing the bag realizing too late the young man witnessed everything and takes off running. The driver tries running the man down but he escapes jumping down onto a lower street. The driver shoots but misses as the man keeps running. However, the man dropped his book and the driver finds it: Theodore H. Reynolds of Honolulu.

McGarrett arrives at the murder scene with Danno briefing him right away: the victim is Joe Wang, Dan Bok's (Mark Lenard) "number one bag man". Doc (Al Eben) says a .38 at close for the two bullet wounds. Che (Harry Endo) has Wang's personal effects from his pockets on the trunk of his car: "keys, cigarettes, a lighter, a handkerchief, a pocket comb, a wallet with about 40 bucks in it and $2,000 in cash from an inside jacket pocket". McGarrett finds the cash strange with $40 in the wallet and he wants the car impounded and taken apart. He also sends Chin to Wang's place to "shake it down". McGarrett goes over the case with Danno: Wang, a bagman is killed and why: for the money he carried or was it an overzealous freelancer or possibly something more? Danno tells him there's talk of the Koreans are ready to make a "big move" and this could be the opening shot to a gang war with Bok. Otherwise, they're at a loss but someone would have a clue: Bok. They leave to talk to him.

Reynolds paces in his apartment with a woman (Cindy Williams) watching him saying Wang was in for a cup of coffee only an hour before he was killed. Reynolds knew who he was, what he did and whom he worked for; everybody did. Reynolds wants to tell the police everything but Sue doesn't want him involved because the gangsters could find him and hurt or kill him before the police find the shooter. Their baby starts crying and as she starts feeding him, Reynolds decides to back off of telling the police what he knows.

McGarrett and Danno arrive at Bok's but Bok talks with the shooter tossing Reynolds' library card back and forth. Bok reminds the shooter his contract is not complete despite the fact that Wang is dead. An aide walks out to the back where they're talking to let Bok know Five-O is there. Bok hides the card and tells the shooter to wait. The aide goes to retrieve McGarrett and Danno who walk out to Bok and he immediately asks what they're doing about Wang. McGarrett wants to get right to the point wanting to know how much money Bok lost last night. Bok of course denies knowing what McGarrett is talking about the $10,000 to $15,000 Wang probably had on him. Danno asks if he wasn't robbed, why was he hit, which Bok tells them to figure it out! The phone rings and it's for McGarrett: Chin says Wang's apartment was tossed apart and McGarrett wants the lab crew to check it all out. Bok still denies knowing anything and doesn't think McGarrett will nab him. After McGarrett and Danno leave, Bok makes another contract with the shooter: $10,000 for Reynolds.

In the apartment, Reynolds reads the Star-Bulletin and their "Secret Witness Editor" offer of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who killed Wang. The idea is to protect the witness' identity and payment can be made any way they want. Reynolds says they could use the money in a number of ways and she reluctantly agrees to let write the letter but she's sure they donŐt' give away that kind of money to people they don't know. Reynolds sits down and starts typing the letter.

Act Two

In McGarrett's office, Che shows McGarrett what was found under Wang's car: a safety deposit box key from Oahu National Bank. McGarrett sends Chin and Ben to check it out. Che says the slugs were probably fired from a Smith & Wesson .38 due to "right twist, six lands of 0.5 width". Danno walks in with the latest intelligence on Bok: while there are people wanting to knock Bok off his top spot, there's no one with enough "strength or stomach" to actually do it. The conclusion is that Wang's murder wasn't the first shot in a gang war. Danno also says Duke (Herman Wedemeyer) is out talking to snitches and something should turn up soon. McGarrett wants to know why Wang was killed.

The shooter tracks down Reynolds' address on the library card. The landlady (Myrtle K. Hilo) approaches the shooter to see what he wants. The landlady explains the house is a "hippie pad" with kids moving in and out all the time. The Reynolds' moved out about six months ago but she doesn't know where they moved.

Chin and Ben find the safety deposit box and open it discovering a whole bunch more cash: $76,497 plus there was the $2000 found on him. McGarrett wonders how Wang gathered such a nest egg. Word on the street is the killing was not a rival gang and Wang wasn't the "enterprising" type. Ben says they still can't rule out heist-murder though. The theory now is that Wang was skimming and made an example out of rather than taken care of quietly with "no noise, no fuss". McGarrett says if the theory holds, they can really nail Bok to the wall, for Murder One! Jenny (Peggy Ryan) buzzes in: Jack Powell (Ted Scott) is on line four. Powell tells McGarrett about a letter received through their "Secret Witness" column and he wants Manicote (Glenn Cannon) there too in 20 minutes.

At the library, the shooter tries to track down Reynolds' new address. The librarian (Penny Jennings) tells him they're not allowed to hand out information on cardholders but the shooter is persistent even offering money but she doesn't budge. The shooter goes to a nearby phone booth ripping out the page with the listing for 'Reynolds' in the phone book.

In McGarrett's office, he meets with Manicote and Powell and they discuss their main problem: if Bok had Wang killed, he's not going to allow a witness to roam free. The whole idea of the "Secret Witness" program is to keep the identities anonymous but it's obvious this witness is still in danger because the shooter tried to kill him too. Both McGarrett and Manicote tell Powell the paper can't keep its promise this time because the witness has to be protected. McGarrett surmises the shooter is looking for him now and they can't let that happen.

The shooter starts on his phone book list scratching one. Meanwhile, Che doesn't believe he can lift any prints off the letter but McGarrett wants him to try anyway. Back in McGarrett's office, he goes over the landscape with the team and Duke trying to find the wall where the witness escaped. He sends Duke out to get some HPD men to scour the area. After McGarrett reads the shooter's description, he sends Danno to complete a computer run to see if the guy matches any of Bok's hit men. McGarrett, Chin and Ben discuss the witness' night job: what business is he in to work nights? Some of the suggestions they come up with: "janitor, a night watchman, or a night clerk in a hotel. Night manager, projectionist, ticket taker in an all-night grind house". There's a lot of people and a lot of ground to cover and the only clue is he work nights. After Chin and Ben leave to figure it out, McGarrett calls Bok.

The shooter scratches another name as Reynolds listens to the news on the radio but not any information on his letter or that have found Wang's killer. When Sue asks for money for the grocery store, Reynolds realizes his library card is missing. He remembered leaving it in the book and if the shooter found the book, he's found the card and knows Reynolds' name!

Reynolds runs to the place where he jumped over the wall to hopefully find his book but it's not there. Distant sirens make Reynolds run in the opposite direction. Those sirens are McGarrett and an HPD unit arriving to double-check their information at the area where Reynolds made his escape down the street. Che is patched through to the HPD unit: the only prints are those of already known people and the paper is "dime-store stuff". However, he has some success with the typewriter: it's a Zephyr made by the Roma Company from Italy made for two years before it was discontinued. McGarrett wants to know if there was a local distributor and who it was as well as the retail locations that sold it. Duke finds a .38 slug in a post so McGarrett is ready to accept the witness' story. Another call comes through the HPD unit: McGarrett has a visitor, Bok.

Act Three

McGarrett arrives at Five-O where Bok waits for him and follows him into his office. McGarrett picks up a briefcase full of cash: it's the $78,000 plus in cash found on Wang and in his safety deposit box. McGarrett tells him straight up Wang was skimming from him, he knew it, took care of Wang and had Wang's apartment tossed because of it. Bok laughs claiming to know nothing. McGarrett also tells him about the witness and that his shooter saw the witness trying to kill him already. McGarrett warns Bok that when it's over, every lawyer on the island isn't going to prevent his incarceration. McGarrett offers the briefcase and Bok is about to take it but doesn't telling McGarrett, "a nice try". McGarrett tells him next time it won't be a try, it'll be "murder one" throwing the briefcase at the closed door.

The shooter keeps up his quest eliminating names on his phone page. Meanwhile, Danno reports the computer came up with nothing because the description is too general. Chin radios in as well reporting they have 23 names and addresses for guys who work nights. HPD is checking them as they get them but it's very slow going. The problem is they don't have a faster or easier way to find the witness. Duke walks in with the distributors of the typewriter: two with 18 retail outfits. There is no way they can check them all but McGarrett notices only one store in the area they're concentrating on: "Lopaka Wood Office Machines on Waialae". McGarrett sends Danno to check it out while he sends Duke to give Chin and Ben a hand with the slogging.

Reynolds and Sue argue about the next move. She wants to run back to the mainland because she's sure the shooter will find him. Reynolds shows her they don't have the means to return to the mainland: they have $19 and change! He wants to go to the police and the paper but they're both on edge. Reynolds decides he's going to ask Case for the airfare to L.A. and tells Sue to pack her and the baby for the flight.

In McGarrett's office, he finishes talking to Powell when Danno walks in with bad news. The manager of the shop took six on consignment but they were crap and he sent them back to the distributor. McGarrett knows they need to find the witness and they're running out of time.

The shooter shows up at Reynolds' apartment and Sue makes the mistake of opening the door because he forces his way in. Meantime, Chin and Ben shows up at the restaurant where Reynolds works. Case cooperates giving them Reynolds name and address but wants to know what's going on and Ben tells him it's routine. Case tells him Reynolds was just in asking for $200 in advanced pay while tapping a menu on Ben's chest. Ben takes the menu and notices the typed special, it matches the witness' letter! Chin radios HPD with the details when Ben runs to him showing him the type. Case tells them Reynolds does it at home and they run off.

The shooter watches Reynolds run home as Sue sits crying on the couch. The shooter positions himself waiting for Reynolds to walk through the door. As soon as the door opens, the shooter pulls the trigger twice hitting Reynolds. Sue's goes to him and the shooter is about to finish Reynolds but hears sirens closing in: Five-O shows up at the apartment building. When the shooter tries to run, he's quickly boxed by Five-O and runs back to the Reynolds' apartment. McGarrett and Danno are at the apartment when the shooter demands they go back to the street and they have one minute to do it. To make his point, he fires two shots through the door and reminds them he has a "woman and kid" with him. McGarrett and Danno head back downstairs. Fortunately, Reynolds is still alive and tries to talk as Sue quiets him. Ben verifies there is no rear exit in the building and McGarrett tells him and Chin to meet them back on the street. The shooter notices the name Tanaka (Yankee Chang) on a mailbox across the street looking up and dialing the phone number. Tanaka runs out grabbing McGarrett telling him about the phone call. McGarrett takes the call as the shooter tells him his plan: he's walking out with the woman and child wanting every cop off the street. Chin and Ben run back as McGarrett and Danno emerge from Tanaka's house. They're "between a rock and a hard place" with the hostage's lives not worth much to the shooter. McGarrett tells Duke to move the HPD units out with Chin and Ben moving the Five-O cars. As well, he wants Danno to grab his rifle and find a good spot to get a clean shot then he asks Ben to enter the house with his lug wrench. The cars are moved in preparation of the plan.

Act Four

The shooter demands Sue grab the baby yanking her to her feet. McGarrett calls the apartment and tells the shooter he wins. The shooter looks at the street below seeing it empty. He forces Sue and her baby out at gunpoint as Danno rushes into position. Reynolds is still on the floor inside their apartment. The shooter walks out holding the gun to the baby's head! As soon as they move away, Danno runs to his perch overlooking the street. The shooter takes Sue to the car forcing her into the passenger seat handing the baby over once he's behind the wheel. As they take off, the front driver's wheel drops off! The lug nuts were taken off! The car crashes before HPD units move back in and McGarrett runs to the street. Sue calmly gets out of the passenger side as the shooter who's dazed half falls out of the driver's side. He stumbles only to be shot from above! Ben checks on Sue who tells him Reynolds is till alive and needs an ambulance, which he runs off to call. McGarrett reaches the shooter, Bo Lansing, in time to be told Bok ordered the hits. He tells Chin who is standing behind him to "get him," meaning to arrest Bok. McGarrett then tells Duke to take over as he checks on Sue himself.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2019. No reproduction of any kind without permission.


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