S09E06 - “The Last Of The Great Paperhangers” - Plot

Act One

A guy (Antony Ponzini) breaks into the temporary Five-O offices in the Territorial Building. He makes his way into McGarrett's office forcing open a locker and taking a piece of paper. When he readies to leave, the thief sets off an alarm with a guard closing in. the thief leaves a music doll in a side room where the guard checks it out only to be locked inside so the thief can escape!

An older man (Kevin McCarthy) eats oysters in his hotel when there is a knock on the door. Mack the thief shows up handing over the paper he took: a Five-O requisition form.

A United 747 aircraft lands at Honolulu International Airport bringing McGarrett back from Colorado. His testimony put away a criminal five to ten years in Colorado State Prison. When McGarrett asks how things are going, Danno tells him "there's bad news and good news" in that someone broke into the office but it doesn't appear anything was taken. However, the doll was left and Danno shows McGarrett.

A woman (Elaine Giftos) sits in a car outside Hawaii National Bank where the man from the hotel opens an account telling the bank officer (Andy Ichiki) his bank in San Diego will be sending a sizable draft in a day or two. The man signs the card as 'Abner Hobson' to complete the transaction.

The man returns to the car and drives as Janice asks if there was any problem. Of course there wasn't and Pacific Equipment Company has a legitimate bank account. The man takes off his wig trying to outwit the witness, to "forget everything else".

McGarrett leaves a Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday when a boy (Shawn Sherman) in a baseball cap stops him asking for his autograph. The boy says he wants to grow up to be a detective like him. McGarrett obliges over a cover photo of himself on Honolulu Magazine. The boy takes off meeting Janice around the corner! She asks Calvin how they did and she pays him a $2 bill before leaving.

Back at the hotel, the man comments McGarrett hasn't changed much since he sent him away to Leavenworth for four to eight years. The man wants McGarrett to provide the seed money for the biggest score of his career so he practices McGarrett's signature. Mack makes a move on Janice who tells him to watch HRH so he can learn something. Mack scoffs wondering why HRH doesn't just trace it. The problem is tracing can be easily detected and no one duplicates their own signature twice. After some practice, HRH signs McGarrett's name to the requisition form for a little over $14,000.

In McGarrett's office, Danno and Che (Harry Endo) talk to McGarrett about their break-in: nothing, except the front door and supply locker were picked. There weren't any fingerprints and Che guesses the thief wore gloves and he's an expert. McGarrett finds it all strange: what expert breaks in and steals nothing? Chin wonders if the wrong office was broken into but McGarrett puts the kibosh on that idea. Danno offers the thief set off the alarm, surprised by the guard and fled before he got what he was after. McGarrett doesn't like that idea either but tells the team, he suspects the expert knew exactly what to go for and that he knew what he was doing. Their goal is to find out what the expert was after.

At the State of Hawaii's 'Office of the Comptroller,' Janice enters wanting the latest tax bulletin that she called about earlier. The clerk leaves her desk to retrieve a copy and Janice puts the forged form into the inbox under some other items so it's not an obvious plant. Janice leaves and the check is processed for the Five-O requisition made out to Pacific Equipment Company! The check is sent off in a self-addressed envelope provided in the package. Janice is at the address when the envelope arrives and she calls HRH on their success.

The doll plays music in McGarrett's hands as Duke briefs the dolls are sold all over the place in various souvenir shops. As they talk, Danno is dealing with something else finally gaining McGarrett's attention. Danno asks McGarrett to step out because Bill Stevens, the State Comptroller (Bob Basso) is there trying to figure out what happened to the new furniture. Bill explains the governor's secretary received a call from a newspaper reporter tracking down corruption in Five-O as he shows McGarrett the form. McGarrett says he's never seen the form before and it's not his signature. The biggest problem they have: the State has already cut the check!

McGarrett, Danno and Bill go to Pacific Equipment Company finding an empty office with the door unlocked. Bill calls to put a stop on the check but it's already been deposited into the company account where the entire amount was withdrawn a half-hour later. McGarrett realizes he's been had but by whom and why are the questions.

Act Two

In the hotel room, HRH counts out the money as Janice giggles and Mack is unamused. HRH reminds them they have McGarrett to thank for the $14,000 and change. Meanwhile, McGarrett is not pleased in his office especially when Che says the forged signature is one of the best he's ever seen. At least they know now what the thief was after: a requisition form but that doesn't help them to find the "paperhanger". McGarrett wants the FBI in Washington contacted for a list of top forgers. He also wants to know where the forger got his signature but none of the files were touched. Danno jokingly asks if McGarrett has been giving out autographs, which shakes McGarrett's memory of the kid who asked him to sign a magazine! McGarrett sets Chin on finding the kid after giving a description.

A group of armed Navy personnel arrive at the bank as Mack takes photos with Janice in the car. As a pair of Navy men walk inside with a case, Janice nonchalantly follows in the Bank of Honolulu. Once they hit the doors, Mack starts a stopwatch. Janice pretends to be conducting bank business but she actually spies on the Navy men interacting with the bank employee (Wayne Ward). The bank employee asks for Commander Hutton's signature before the Navy men leave with a bunch of cash. Outside, the Navy convoy of two trucks and a car take off. Mack times the entire process at 12 minutes, 23 seconds before they leave in a different direction.

In McGarrett's office, Danno runs down a list of what they got back from the FBI. "Carter Finley: Favorite M.O., postal money orders. Last known address, Hartford, Connecticut. Wesley M. Colton: Favorite M.O., stolen credit cards. Last known address, Miami Beach. Hunter R. Hickey: Also known as H.R.H. Favorite M.O., check forgery". McGarrett piques on the last name: HRH is out? McGarrett reminds Danno of a case where they tipped the Detroit police about some stolen traveler's checks and McGarrett flew back to testify against the forger: HRH. Danno confirms HRH was released May 16th. McGarrett tells Danno to pull HRH's file and if he's in Hawaii, McGarrett wants to talk to him.

Janice shows up at HRH's hotel room excited about what the newspaper has: a carrier force is due in at Pearl Harbor on Friday. Also in the paper, Hawaii police are in the process of looking for a master forger recently released from Leavenworth. HRH can't believe it but has an idea on how to find out for certain if McGarrett has something or is bluffing.

HRH shows up in McGarrett's office taking the newspaper article to task and wondering what charge McGarrett has against him. McGarrett explains there's no charge yet but they did have a few questions for him such as if he knows anything about the Pacific Equipment Company and the $14,000 of nonexistent furniture. HRH claims he only wants to be a productive citizen in the islands but neither McGarrett nor Danno buys that story especially since HRH doesn't answer their questions about Pacific Equipment. HRH says he returned to Hawaii to write his memoirs and nothing more. He threatens to bring legal action if he sees another planted article. McGarrett and Danno are about crack up laughing before HRH leaves. After HRH is gone, McGarrett knows he was there for one reason: to see if they had anything on him in preparation for a big score.

Act Three

Janice drives to a warehouse with a used truck bought for $1750 so it can be duplicated into a military vehicle. HRH is in the process of painting registration numbers on the doors of the first truck they have. He asks Janice about the uniforms and she makes a call to check on them.

HRH plays a game with Wan Li (Clem Low) at an open-air restaurant. Wan Li is acquiring the manpower HRH needs for his caper and he suggests talent from Seattle. They can fly in, do the deed and leave on the noon plane. Wan Li says $1000 each plus travel and his fee of $2500. HRH isn't liking the sound of expensive but agrees.

Chin walks into McGarrett's office with Calvin, the boy who asked for McGarrett's autograph. Chin says he "plays right field for the Kaimuki Sharks". McGarrett asks Calvin if someone else didn't want McGarrett's autograph. Calvin wonders how he figured it out but when shown a picture of HRH, he says a pretty lady asked him paying him $2 and gave him a kiss. McGarrett sends Calvin with Chin to look through the mug shots to hopefully get lucky.

That night, Mack breaks into yet another building: U.S. Government Printing Office Supply Depot. Making his way downstairs, he blows open a safe just as a security guard is on rounds upstairs. Somehow, Mack eludes the security and walks out of the building.

At Donna's Lounge, Janice pretends to be a waitress nabbing a Navy Payroll check. When the sailor (Richard Guffey) flirts with her, she tells him she's going home to her husband who is a Lieutenant Commander in the Shore Patrol!

In McGarrett's office, Danno tells the other end of a phone call McGarrett should be back any minute. McGarrett walks in with Danno telling him there's bad news and good news, again. Someone blew open the safe in the downtown Government Printing Office but they didn't take anything! McGarrett wants Danno to contact the Secret Service in order for him and Che to go over the room with their lab crews. Chin and Duke walk in as Danno leaves. They have news on the "building-equipment company": a girl rented the space for 30 days paying cash. Abner Hobson opened the bank account, but the name is a phony as there is no make on him anywhere. McGarrett is at the end of his rope: he wants a 24-hour tail on HRH and if he "so much as sticks his nose outside his hotel room, I wanna know about it".

Act Four

In the hotel room, HRH works on the check asking for $200,000. Mack wonders why they don't ask for half a million. There are several problems with asking for a larger amount including the need to go to the Federal Reserve for that much money but $200,000 a local bank can handle. HRH shares a story of how to catch monkeys with coconuts and nuts inside them: the moral is not to get greedy. Besides, if the Federal Reserve becomes involved, it means a delay of 48 hours. HRH continues work on the stolen check including tracing the machine signature: a different technique than before. Once completed, they call the bank pretending to be the switchboard from Pearl Harbor. HRH says he's Commander Belding as Commander Hutton is on leave and they have a problem. He explains there's a carrier force coming in and they need some more currency, namely $200,000, which the bank can handle. They hang up and the trio celebrates.

Chin and Duke keep up the surveillance at the Ilikai when HRH steps out waiting for his car. He takes off in a four-door Maverick with Chin and Duke right on top of him. Meanwhile, Mack takes a Navy car from the base! HRH drives around stopping at a lei stand then taking off again.

At the Government Printing Office, Danno is on scene working with a Treasury Officer (Ken Stimson) making sure everything is accounted for but a Treasury clerk (Lynn Forseth) shows something strange. She holds a book of blank checks ready to be sent out to Pearl Harbor but one blank check is missing, from the back. If it were damaged, she says it would be voided, not thrown away. Danno calls McGarrett.

HRH continues his little game of driving around town leading Chin and Duke in circles even waving to them in the side view mirror! He stops where he trades places with Janice and she takes off driving with Chin and Duke still following the car.

McGarrett arrives on scene at the Government Printing Office examining the checkbook himself. Helms the Treasury Officer says the Navy check can only be cashed for a few hundred dollars due to the security protocols in place. McGarrett doesn't like it, especially with HRH driving around Honolulu. He asks Helms to notify all Oahu banks about the stolen check and serial number.

At the warehouse, HRH, Mack and four other guys in Navy uniforms get their convoy underway as Janice keeps driving. McGarrett radios Chin to find out where HRH is going but it seems like he's heading out of town. Meanwhile, the convoy arrives at the bank with HRH and Mack walking in to meet Darcy, the bank employee from earlier. HRH counts the money and endorses the check as Belding. Darcy's assistant (Susan Young) tells him there's an important phone call for him as he walks HRH and Mack out. Putting the case in the car, the convoy drives off.

Danno answers the radio call with the really bad news: the stolen check has been cashed! Danno's confused since Chin and Duke have been tailing him but when the time is right, Janice pulls over to an HPD officer telling him she's being followed by two strange men. As the officer goes to talk to Chin and Duke, they realize they've been had as Darcy discovers the same talking to McGarrett and Danno. Chin and Duke pull up as McGarrett concludes it was HRH after all. They regroup and take off.

At the warehouse, the Seattle players are paid and they leave as Janice arrives. Then comes the problem of returning the Navy car. HRH insists it has to go back to the lot where it came from and he tells Mack they'll pick him up at the corner and zoom to the airport. However, as Mack drives off, HRH calls him in to the police so he and Janice can escape alone. HRH is certain he won't talk because he won't know they tipped the police.

At the airport, HRH and Janice go through security separately so they can board separately. Her bags go through with no problem while HRH is stopped for a random check by an airport guard (Larry Goeas) and McGarrett with Chin and Duke present as well, except his bag is empty! Thinking everyone has been outsmarted, HRH is smug but at the gate, Danno stops Janice and he has Calvin with him! Taking her bag, Danno finds the money! Out front, HRH tries to figure out his misstep. It's easy: when breaking in to an office, one should always steal something.