French Connections

(In the sequence of the shows, this story would fall just before “Resolutions.”)

Magnum swirled the brown glass bottle in his hand, idly watching the little remaining beer slosh and spin. He drained the last swallows then lolled his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes against a raging headache. Higgins, as usual, was the cause of his headache. Jonathan Quail Higgins, that annoying little Brit who wasted no opportunity to needle Magnum, had thoroughly enjoyed the “briefing” he’d given that morning on the important guest who would be arriving at Robin’s Nest later in the week. A PhD in history --- Higgins had emphasized this bit of information as though pleased there would be one more person on the estate with what he considered an intellect superior to Magnum’s --- she was coming to enjoy all that Hawaii had to offer while finishing her latest book.

Grimacing, Magnum held the bottle aloft for inspection hoping that he had missed a few drops. No such luck. He groaned as he eased himself off the sofa and made his way across the room to the refrigerator. The worst of it, he thought, was not that there would now be two versions of Higgins on the estate for him to deal with, but that one of those versions was Robin Masters’ daughter. He popped the top off another bottle of beer and headed back to the sofa. He hadn’t even known Robin had a daughter --- and neither had Higgins, Magnum suspected, although Higgins gave his briefing as though he had been privy to this startling bit of information all along. She was, as Higgins had recited in his most supercilious voice, the product of Robin’s brief marriage over twenty-five years earlier to the daughter of a prominent and wealthy Virginia family. Robin was completely besotted with his young wife, Anne, and was devastated by her accidental death only a year after their daughter’s birth. Magnum swallowed what felt like a lump of beer. He and Robin had something in common, it seemed.

After his wife’s death, Robin was in no shape or position to raise an infant daughter --- or, so Anne’s relatives had convinced him. They had never approved of their daughter’s choice for a husband, and were eager to raise their granddaughter as they had her mother. That meant young years in the stodgy arms of Richmond Society and extended enrollments in prestigious European boarding schools. Magnum shivered as he imagined the sort of ice princess such an upbringing would undoubtedly produce. She was, he’d bet, more of a snob than Higgins. And she was coming to stay at Robin’s Nest --- perhaps to take over the estate. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus them on the familiar room. Initially, he had wondered if he would be allowed to continue living in the guesthouse. Now he wondered whether he would want to continue living here.

“Two Higgins’s,” Magnum muttered to himself. “What could be worse?”

The phone rang, causing him to wince. He briefly considered ignoring it before stumbling across the room to answer. “Hello,” he snapped into the receiver. In his mood, the possibility of offending a potential client didn’t seem to matter. The familiar voice on the other end of the line did matter, however, and he snapped into a more alert, agreeable attitude. It was Robin.

“Magnum,” the rich baritone began, ”I assume Higgins has told you my daughter will be arriving at the estate this week?”

Magnum wrinkled his face in disgust but responded politely, “Yes, he told me about it this morning.”

“Did he tell you of my special security concerns?”

“No,” Magnum responded carefully. He had a strange feeling he wasn’t going to like whatever Robin would say next --- his little voice warning that things were about to get worse.

“Yes, well, I did tell him I would call you myself.” Robin paused. “As you can imagine, Magnum, my daughter is, I believe, a tempting target to kidnappers. Between her mother’s family’s money and mine, well . . . you understand.”

Magnum raised his eyebrows and nodded grudgingly, but said nothing.

“There was an attempt once when she was around twelve. Then, after she came to live with me, there were a couple of crude threats made by someone with a rather perverted imagination.”

She had lived with Robin? Higgins hadn’t mentioned that. “How long ago was that?” Magnum asked hoping for more detail on this interesting development.

“She came to stay with me when she began working on her doctorate and has been with me since. Almost six years.” Robin’s voice sounded momentarily wistful giving Magnum a hint of the acute tenderness and indulgence the man had for his daughter. Robin returned to a more business-like tone. “In addition to her own work, she has been a tremendous help to me with research. I had hoped, while she was with me, to bring her out of the thick shell her grandparents had forced her into, but was not entirely successful. That’s one of the reasons I suggested she take over the house on Oahu, Magnum, not merely to work, but to force her out in her own right. That won’t come without problems, however, and possible dangers. Which is where you come in.”

Magnum opened his mouth to respond, but wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to say. Robin forged ahead into the silence. “Keep an eye on her, Magnum. She’ll be alright when she’s on the estate, I know, but whenever she leaves . . . well, keep an eye on her.”

Acting as bodyguard to a rich, spoiled, intellectual snob was not high on Magnum’s list of goals. “Robin,” he began hesitantly, “I’m a private investigator. Personal protection isn’t really my specialty.”

“I will, of course, pay your fee.”

“No, Robin, you don’t understand. It’s not the fee. It’s just that I may not be the most qualified person you could get for this sort of thing. I know some people . . . can probably get you some names of really good people who do that kind of work if you want.”

“No, Magnum,” Robin cut in. “I want you to do this. I’m not asking you to be her constant shadow. Just use your judgment . . . maybe accompany her on those occasions you feel present a risk.”

Depending on how bad someone wanted her, that could be any time, Magnum thought with irritation. “Robin . . .” he tried to protest again.

“Thomas, I’m asking you this personally.” Robin stated with a tone that implied he did not intend to let Magnum decline. “There is nothing more important to me than my daughter’s safety and security, and there is no one I would trust more than you. Please.”

Magnum’s head slumped toward his chest and he closed his eyes tightly. “What’s her name?” he asked opening his eyes again. They were clearer now, and focused – although on nothing in particular. He could almost hear the relief in Robin’s voice.

“Kelly.” Robin said. “Kelly Anne Masters.”

******

The day of Kelly’s arrival, Magnum deliberately lingered swimming laps in the tidal pool well beyond the time he expected Higgins to return from the airport. He hadn’t minded in the least that Higgins scoffed at the idea of Magnum going with him to pick her up. Higgins knew Robin had specifically asked Magnum to provide extra protection but felt his own presence, as he put it, “sufficient to deter any would-be thugs or ne’er-do-wells.” Now, exhausted from completing more than his usual number of laps, Magnum knew he could delay no longer. Indeed, as he climbed the grassy hill up from the beach, he heard Robin’s new Mercedes sedan coming up the gravel drive toward the house. Magnum walked slowly, lazily drying his hair, giving Higgins plenty of time to come to a stop before the main house. Higgins emerged from the sedan first and, casting a disapproving eye in Magnum’s direction, rounded the car to take Kelly’s bags from the trunk.

As Magnum neared the passenger side of the car, he saw Kelly emerging, long legs first. He nearly stumbled, then regained his composure enough to appear nonchalant as he took in the rest of her. Why he had expected a spinsterish librarian-type, he wasn’t quite sure, but his expectations certainly left him at a momentary loss for words in the face of the reality. “Grace Kelly,” was all he could think and he murmured the name to himself. “Grace Kelly with really long legs.”

To be sure, Kelly Masters could easily have passed for a young Grace Kelly. With her slender build, blonde hair and blue eyes, she had an icy cool beauty that would unfailingly draw second looks despite her apparent lack of vanity. She seemed comfortable in slacks and silk shirt that somehow managed to be casual and elegant at the same time. Her silky blonde hair was pulled back from her face into a simple braid and tucked at the nape of her neck. She wore almost no makeup to enhance her features, and yet her blue eyes were stunning.

Certainly, Magnum felt stunned, and ill at ease, as she looked him over. Her eyes swept efficiently from his wet hair to the tank top clinging to his wet chest, quickly across his wet swim trunks and down to his sloppily sandaled feet. If he had wanted to convey a lack of concern for her opinion, he had succeeded. Recovering himself quickly, he stuck out his hand. “Hi,” he said grinning, “I’m Thomas Magnum.”

Kelly took his hand and met it with a firm handshake and demure smile. “Mr. Magnum. I’m glad to meet you. My father has told me quite a bit about you.”

Once again, she had him at a disadvantage. Magnum glanced over his shoulder as Higgins slammed the trunk. He could only imagine what nice little bits of information Higgins might have added to what she already had learned from her father. Kelly’s unwavering eyes were still on him and he rested his hands on his hips, pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows as he searched for a suitable response.

“Magnum!” Higgins barked, unwittingly saving him. “Are you going to assist me with these bags?”

Higgins led the way into the cool foyer of the house. Kelly followed closely after him, while Magnum kept a comfortable distance behind. He found himself enjoying the sight of Kelly’s backside a little more than he would have liked, given that she was Robin’s daughter. He reminded himself of the boarding schools and the money, effectively turning her once again into a female Higgins. Magnum was startled when, upon hearing Higgins’ voice, “the lads” came bounding down the stairs. The two malevolent Dobermans -– Higgins’ henchmen, Magnum thought –- made straight for Kelly. To Magnum’s dismay, she didn’t flinch but put down the bag she was carrying and greeted the two animals in a soothing voice. It took only brief reassurance from Higgins for Zeus and Apollo to warm to her and allow her to stroke their silky coats.

Magnum could barely hide his disgust. The damned animals seemed willing to accept anyone who walked through the door, save for Magnum himself. He listened impatiently as Kelly talked to the dogs. He’d spent enough years in Tidewater to know a Virginia accent, and could tell that Kelly’s had been considerably watered down by her years in Europe. It was still distinguishable, however, just barely there --- like the hint of nuts in his favorite brandy.

Two servants appeared and took the bags up the winding stairs to the suite of rooms that had been prepared for Kelly. After agreeing to the dinner schedule Higgins outlined, Kelly disappeared up the stairs as well, leaving Higgins and Magnum alone in the foyer. Higgins eyed Magnum’s appearance with the disdain of an officer giving inspection. “You will dress for dinner,” he stated firmly. Grinning, Magnum turned on his heel and strode out of the house. Yep, he’d dress for dinner, he thought.

******

Dinner that evening was everything Magnum expected. Higgins fumed inwardly when he saw that Magnum had paired a suit jacket with a pair of jeans and considered himself “dressed” for dinner. Kelly, who insisted on calling him “Mr. Magnum,” was stiff and formal, and seemed to form a natural bond with Higgins. She knew as much about food and wine as Higgins, and seemed perfectly content to listen to his long-winded war stories. If Magnum hadn’t been sure that flirting was something completely foreign to this woman, he’d have thought that was what she was doing with Higgins. He knew, though, it was simply a matter of comfort. Higgins was probably very much like her grandparents, as well as the people with whom she undoubtedly hobnobbed in Europe. He understood, but it irritated him nonetheless.

Once Higgins learned that she was fluent in both Spanish and French, he insisted on lapsing in and out of those languages whenever the opportunity presented itself. That irritated Magnum all the more. He briefly toyed with the idea of throwing out a little Vietnamese, but quickly abandoned the idea as too petty. He was relieved when the evening ended and he could make his way across the expansive lawn toward the guesthouse. As he left, Kelly agreed to meet with him the following day to discuss his plans for her security when she left the estate.

Somewhere inside him, though, a little voice urged him to double back and check the indicator board to see that all was in order with the security system. Everything was functioning properly, as were all of the perimeter security measures. He chided himself for being overly cautious and headed back to the guesthouse. His plans for Kelly’s added security were not overly elaborate, just an extra measure of caution really. He knew that members of wealthy families like Kelly’s wandered about the world as a matter of course without any security at all, and without incident. He didn’t want to let an overprotective father make him paranoid.

Magnum fell asleep quickly, but the comfort of deep slumber eluded him. Disturbing nightmares in which he tried --- and always failed --- to save Michelle from her assassins, held him in that limbo between waking and sound sleep. Though she would always command a piece of his heart, he had let Michelle go, allowing her death to sink in to the point of emotional closure. Since then, she had not appeared in his dreams until this night, and it unsettled him to the point that he was easily awakened by the distant sound of the dogs barking. He was sure he had only just drifted off and was surprised when he checked the clock and found that he had actually been sleeping for several hours.

The dogs were after something. Their barking was too intense for anything else. Instinctively, he pulled his .45 from the drawer in the nightstand and made a perfunctory check of the ammunition clip. Not bothering with a shirt, he shimmied into a pair of shorts and jammed his feet into shoes as he made his way out of the guesthouse.

Although bright floodlights had been turned on around the house and grounds, the lights on the balcony of the main house had been turned off. Not a good sign. Magnum knew, if Higgins had seen anything on the video monitors to alarm him, he would likely be there in the shadows with a shotgun at the ready. The lights would not be turned off otherwise. Magnum paused in the shadows of the guesthouse and listened for the dogs. They were at a point in the wall where it was most heavily vegetated. Cursing Higgins for refusing to cut down a massive shrub that he seemed to prize even more highly than estate security, Magnum slipped across the driveway and disappeared into the shadows where he made his way along the wall.

The dogs paid him no heed as he drew within sight of them. He could just make out their shapes, rigid and angled as they barked and snarled in the direction of the top of the wall. Flat against the wall, gun drawn, he inched along, constantly watching the top. There was an alarm wire up there, but, since the dogs were already alert, it would make little difference to an intruder. Suddenly, something the size of a catcher’s mitt sailed over the top of the wall and landed within a few feet of Magnum. He braced, uncertain of the threat, before he realized it was a large piece of meat. Doubtless, someone was either trying to poison or tranquilize the dogs. “You don’t know Zeus and Apollo,” he muttered under his breath.

The dogs hardly noticed the meat. Dutifully, they continued their frenzied barking. Foam was beginning to form on the edges of their mouths and Magnum decided he almost pitied anyone who was stupid enough to come over that fence now. The intruders weren’t that dumb, though. Within minutes, he heard car doors slamming followed by the crank of an engine and spinning tires on pavement. Magnum jammed his gun into the back of his waistband and sprinted for the front gate, just in time to get a glimpse of the vehicle as it sped away. It was an older model, poorly maintained and non-descript. The license plate was, intentionally or otherwise, obliterated by caked mud.

Zeus and Apollo had followed him to the gate. They looked up at him as the car sped away and he was sure he saw reproach in their eyes. With a sigh, he walked back to where the meat still lay untouched on the ground. He picked it up. “Let’s go check the house, guys.”

Higgins met him at the front door, shotgun in one hand. “Good job, lads,” he said to the dogs as they trotted into the house just ahead of Magnum. Not to Magnum’s surprise, he had no such praise for him. “What was that all about, Magnum?” Higgins demanded sharply. “Did you see the culprits?”

“Where’s Kelly?” Magnum retorted as, without explanation, he handed the meat to Higgins. Ignoring Higgins’ questions, he started up the stairs.

“She’s in her room. She’s fine.” Higgins insisted.

Magnum continued to ignore him and strode down the hall to Kelly’s room. The suite faced the ocean side of the house, away from the side on which the commotion had occurred. He strode through her outer sitting room into the bedroom without knocking, startling her as he barged into the room. Her eyes were wide as saucers and she stood, clutching her robe, in a far corner of the room. “Are you alright?” he asked, pulled up short by her apparent fear.

“Fine,” she lied. “What’s going on out there?”

Despite her claims, he could tell she was inordinately frightened. “Everything’s okay. I think it was just kids out pulling pranks or something.” He sensed Higgins behind him. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Kelly exhaled the breath she had been holding, then drew herself up indignantly. “Nothing to worry about?” she replied sharply. “Some kids almost thwarted your security measures and you say there’s nothing to worry about?”

“They didn’t almost thwart anything,” he snapped.

“Thanks to the dogs.”

Magnum felt angry heat rising in his neck. “Even if the dogs hadn’t been here, they would have tripped the alarm wire coming over the fence,” he shot back.

“You assume,” she charged. “And where would you have been? How long would it have taken you to respond? By the time you rolled yourself out of bed they could have been in the house and made off with one of my father’s paintings or anything else they chose!”

“What do you expect me to do?” he cried, the veins standing out on his neck. “Pull guard duty by the front door every night?” He could not believe she had the audacity to try to imply that the incident had somehow been a result of his negligence. She opened her mouth to fire back, but stopped short under his glowering stare. As she backed down, he was aware of her eyes flicking across his bare chest. I supposed she thinks I should have stopped to put on a shirt, he thought irritably as he turned and strode out of the room. He’d let Higgins cosset the ungrateful little thing. “I don’t need this,” he muttered to himself as he stormed down the stairs.

“Magnum!” the sound of Higgins commanding his name from the top of the stairs stopped him in the motion of opening the front door. “Where are you going?”

“To bed, Higgins. I’m going to back to bed. Then, tomorrow morning, I’m going to call Robin and tell him to find another bodyguard for his daughter.” He was moving up the stairs toward Higgins as he spoke, his voice low but determined and gradually increasing in volume and force. “I don’t need this, Higgins. I don’t need the aggravation of having someone else on this estate to flog me with their superior attitude. Furthermore, I can tell this girl is going to be difficult . . . no, make that impossible, and I don’t need that either!” He was practically yelling now. “I don’t care if I have to move out, I’m telling Robin to get someone else!” He did an abrupt about face and trotted down the stairs, but Higgins stopped him again.

“Magnum, what about your duty to Robin and the estate?”

“I’ll give him time to find someone else,” he tossed over his shoulder. “But, I’m out of here.”

“Don’t you think you are overreacting?’

“No, Higgins, I don’t. I think I’m saving myself a lot of grief because I know --- I know --- it would come to this eventually.”

“Magnum, how can you even think of shirking your responsibility? After all these years of freeloading off of Mr. Masters’ largesse, how can you even consider abandoning your duty here?

“I have not been freeloading!”

“Call it what you like, the bottom line is that you owe Mr. Masters a great deal. Certainly, you owe it to him to honor his request to provide security for his daughter. Although I cannot imagine why it is so important to Mr. Masters that you personally take charge of this matter, the fact is that he has, indeed, asked you to do so and it is beyond me that you could even consider refusing. It’s simply a matter of common decency!”

“Common decency? Common decency? How much common decency do you think that girl is planning to show me? Huh? How much common decency do you think she’ll show when I don’t have time to take any other cases because I have to babysit her? How much common decency do you think she’ll show if I have to put my life on the line for her? I’ll tell you how much --- none! That’s how much!”

“That is irrelevant, Magnum. Your obligation is to Mr. Masters. “

Magnum dropped his head. He knew Higgins was right --- knew that he owed a great deal to Robin. He also knew he was overreacting, although he didn’t know why. Something told him that he needed to get as far away from this girl as possible. With a heavy sigh, he turned back to Higgins. “Let’s go look at the security camera videotape, Higgins.”

Satisfied with his victory, Higgins followed Magnum to the security monitoring room. “None of the cameras are aimed at the road, Magnum. They are all positioned to monitor the grounds.”

“All except the one at the front gate. That one may have picked up something.” He located the appropriate machine and rewound the videotape to the point of the incident. “See, down this side of the frame you can see the road.” They watched as a car pulled slowly to a stop in the grass between the fence and the road. The occupants waited several minutes before emerging. Three young men, approximately high school aged Magnum guessed, spent several more minutes dallying about the area before one of them attempted, but failed, to climb the wall. They seemed to have no plan, but spent a good deal of time testing various places along the wall and even more time arguing. Shortly, one of them returned to the car, took out what Magnum guessed was the meat, and tossed it over the fence. They waited and talked some more, then got back in the car and sped off.

“It appears you were right, Magnum. They were apparently merely a bunch of young hooligans out looking for trouble. I thought you were simply trying to calm Miss Masters’ nerves.”
“I was, Higgins.” His brow furrowed as he studied the images on the tape. While it had initially appeared that there was no logic to the intruders’ actions, the more he rewound and watched the tape, the more he was convinced that they were executing some sort of plan. “These kids may be ‘young hooligans’ as you call them, but the trouble they’re looking for isn’t the innocent kind you have in mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I think they’re testing to see what kind of trouble they’ll get if they try to come over the wall. My guess is, they had no intention of breaking in tonight --- unless there was little or no security.” He removed the videotape from the machine intending to take it to someone who could clarify and enlarge some of the images for him.

“You think they were on a reconnaissance mission?”

“I think that’s exactly what they were doing. They weren’t very professional, I’ll admit, but I think that’s what they were up to.”

Higgins stared at him in disbelief. “Surely, Magnum, anyone who had plans to kidnap or harm Miss Masters would not act on her first night here.”

“Why not, Higgins? Besides, they aren’t necessarily after Kelly. There’s plenty of other stuff around here someone would be interested in stealing.”

“Incredible.” They could hear the wail of a siren as a police cruiser came down the road toward the estate. “It took them long enough,” Higgins muttered. He cast a glance at his watch before moving to the switch to open the gate.

Magnum rubbed his eyes. He hoped the police would be more expedient at filling out their report than they had been at answering the alarm. He really needed some sleep.

******

It was late the next afternoon before he managed to pull himself together and amble over to the main house to talk with Kelly. Her suite of rooms included a main sitting room, off of which were bedroom and bath to one side, and a second spare room to the other. She was in this extra room with Higgins discussing her plans for converting it to an office for herself. Magnum leaned against the doorframe, unnoticed, watching them. Higgins seemed uncomfortable with her refusal to use Robin’s large downstairs study, insisting as she did that he keep it as his own, and was going to great lengths to accommodate her wishes for the transformation of the room.

“Mr. Magnum!” she said, startled when she finally realized he was standing there. “We didn’t hear you come in.”

“That’s ok.” He uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki shorts. “I can wait ‘til you’re finished.” He sauntered across the room and stood looking at the view of the ocean afforded by French doors that opened to a covered balcony running the length of the upper floor. He made mental note of the fact that her bedroom and sitting room opened onto the same balcony.

Higgins excused himself, reminding them that he would be serving tea shortly, and inviting them to join him. Magnum suspected the invitation was more for Kelly than for him, and thus, promptly, and with a big grin, accepted. He chuckled to himself listening to Higgins mutter as he left the room.

“Well,” Kelly said, suddenly much less at ease than she had been with Higgins. “Where should we begin?”

He studied her silently, wondering why she seemed suddenly flushed and nervous.

“Perhaps,” she ventured, “I should begin by apologizing for the way I spoke to you last night.”

The apology caught him momentarily off guard, although he doubted its sincerity. “That’s ok,” he responded no more convincingly. “I know you were upset.”

“Yes, well . . ..” She fumbled her words and kept fidgeting with a thin diamond bracelet she always wore. “Higgins has assured me that, despite certain appearances to the contrary, you are quite capable and good at what you do.”

He narrowed his eyes and gave her a sideways glance. It was one of the most backhanded apologies he’d ever heard. “I’d have thought your father would have already told you that,” he retorted irritably.

A faint smile flickered across her lips and her blue eyes sparkled. “That was one of the several things my father told me about you, Mr. Magnum. I guess I just thought his definition of ‘proficient’ might not be quite the same as mine.”

The way she was circling the room, obviously keeping her distance, made him wonder once again what else her father, or Higgins, had told her about him. He folded his arms and studied her in silence. He knew he was more than proficient. Nine years as a Navy SEAL and in Naval Intelligence, and seven years as a Private Investigator represented a resume anyone would consider more than proficient. He felt no need to explain himself to Kelly, though.

“So,” she ventured, clearing her throat and settling lightly on the arm of a chair, “tell me what you have in mind for the extra security my father thinks I need.”

“You don’t think you need extra security?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I suppose.”

“He said there had been one kidnapping attempt and several threats.”

“The attempt was when I was a little girl, Mr. Magnum, and I’m not so sure the threats were worth taking seriously.”

“Why not? Do you think you know who might have been responsible for them?”

She looked embarrassed. “Possibly,” she offered reluctantly. “They came shortly after I broke off my engagement . . . a flurry of them. And there haven’t been any since. I’m surprised my father didn’t tell you that.”

“So you think it was your ex-fiancé . . . that he was angry about the breakup.”

She shrugged. “It seemed the most likely explanation to me. He knew I was always a little nervous about possible kidnappers, after what happened when I was twelve, so I could see him doing it just to upset me.”

“How long ago was it?”

“Six years. We broke up six years ago, and the threats came in over the next few months.”

Magnum agreed that the coincidence between the two events was compelling, and wondered that this explanation for the threats had not occurred to Robin. “What was his name?”

She immediately shifted from the casual air she had affected to rigid vigilance. “Why do you need to know?”

“Look. We need to get something straight right now,” he informed her evenly. “I don’t want this job. But it’s important to your father, so I’m going to do it. That means I’m going to do my damnedest to keep you safe. Now, when I ask you something, you can either make my job easier by telling me what I need to know, or you can make it harder by forcing me to go ask someone else. It’s your choice.” He gritted his teeth and added, “But I think you should know that I don’t like having to do things the hard way.”

“I just wondered why you needed to know,” she insisted with a mild air of insult. “Kimbrough. His name is David Woolridge Kimbrough. Is that helpful enough?”

“Fine. Thank you. Were there any more threats? Anything more recent?”

She turned away from him. “Not any threats. I had a rash of thefts shortly before I came to Hawaii that were unnerving, but I think it was just a run of bad luck.”

He frowned. “What kind of thefts? Your dad didn’t mention anything about this to me.”

“He didn’t mention it because he didn’t know about it,” she said with a slightly guilty look. “I didn’t tell him because he was always so concerned. I really don’t think it’s important.”

“What kind of thefts?”

“Oh, my handbag, and then a camera. The closest call was when a purse-snatcher got my briefcase. If he had grabbed it a day earlier, I would have lost all of the notes I’d taken during some archives research in Paris. I couldn’t replace those. That one made me feel lucky rather than unlucky. And, one day I caught someone trying to break into my car. I assume he was planning to steal it. When I walked up, he ran off.”

“That’s what I’d call a run of bad luck, alright.” He made a mental note to retain this bit of information. A little voice in his head was whispering that it could be much more than just bad luck. “Anything else?”

“No.” She shook her head, but did not look at him.

“Okay. Now, here’s the drill. You should be safe when you’re on the estate, but be aware of what’s going on around you anyway. Watch for anything that seems out of the ordinary.”

“Since I don’t know what ‘ordinary’ is here,” she snapped, “that might be a little difficult.”

He ignored her. “Don’t go anywhere off the estate alone. If you’re going where there will be a lot of people, you can go with just Higgins or someone else along. If you’re going someplace secluded or someplace that involves longer travel distances, I’ll go with you.”

“I like to ride and we’re having some horses brought in and reactivating the stables. Can I ride alone?”

He thought for a moment. “No. I’ll go with you.”

“You can ride?” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Yep. I can ride.” He closed the French doors and locked them.

“Horses?”

He flashed her a sardonic look. “Let’s go down and have tea with Higgins. I should probably go over all of this with him, as well.”

After a couple of hours of arguing with Kelly over what seemed like every single detail of his security plan, sipping tea and eating tiny sandwiches at which even the lads would have turned up their noses --- not to mention listening to Higgins --- Magnum’s idea of a perfect evening was a long, slow swim in the tidal pool followed by a couple of beers and a pizza. There was a game on tonight and, he decided as he settled down to watch, if the trouble-making kids returned, he might well shoot them.

Chapter Two

When Kelly told him she would be spending the day with Higgins, Magnum wasted no time in getting down to the club to visit with Rick. An afternoon of indulging his fondness for beer and the two-legged scenery on the King Kamehameha’s beach seemed to Magnum the perfect tonic for what ailed him --- although, as he admitted to himself, he wasn’t quite sure what it was that was ailing him.

Rick finished dealing with a member’s complaint and joined him at a table on the breezy patio. “Wow,” he gushed in typical Rick fashion, “that’s some new houseguest you’ve got out at Robin’s Nest.” He gave Magnum a wink.

The longneck stopped short of Magnum’s mouth. “You mean Kelly?”

“Of course I mean Kelly! Man, that’s one body I wouldn’t mind pulling a little guard duty on.” He grinned and flashed Magnum another knowing look.

“Rick,” Magnum leaned forward and set his beer on the table. “She’s Robin Masters’ daughter. He asked me to provide a little extra security for her. That’s it. So you can just can the little innuendos right now.”

“Sure, Thomas,” Rick seemed surprised by the rebuff. “Whatever you say.”

“When did you see her anyway?” Magnum suddenly felt grumpy and annoyed with Rick for ruining an otherwise perfect afternoon. He lazed back in his chair again and took an overlarge swallow of beer.

“She was here with Higgins this morning.”

“Here?” Magnum nearly shrieked the question.

“Yeah, Thomas, here. What’re you getting so excited about? Higgins brought her to the board of directors meeting. I guess he’s expecting her to take over her father’s position from him eventually or something.”

Magnum looked annoyed. He assumed when Kelly said she would be spending the day with Higgins that they would be at the estate. He had specifically told her to notify him whenever she left the grounds. It had only taken her three days to begin to ignore his rules.

“Let me tell you, if Higgins does bow out, I sure won’t mind trading in his sour puss for that babe!”

Magnum glowered at him.

“She’s smart, too. She picked up on everything real fast.” Rick, as usual, ignored Magnum’s mood and barreled ahead. “She told me after the meeting how impressed she was with how I’d turned the club around. You know how long I’ve been waiting for Higgins to acknowledge what I’ve done around here?”

“Come on, Rick. You know Higgins appreciates better than anyone what you’ve done for this club. He just isn’t one to let on, that’s all. You know, he has to keep that implacable British façade in place at all times.”

Rick laughed. “Yeah, I know. But, if Higgins decides to turn the seat over to her, I sure won’t mind having ‘sugar and spice and everything nice’ to deal with instead of Higgins’ stiff upper lip.”

“I don’t know what Kelly Masters you met, Rick, but the one I know isn’t exactly what I’d call ‘sugar and spice and everything nice.’ More like spoiled and argumentative and a pain in the neck if you ask me.”

“ Well, she can be a pain in my neck anytime.”

Magnum finished his beer and stood up. “Rick, you’re the biggest sucker for a pretty girl I know.”

“Oh, yeah? Take a look in the mirror, pal.”

Magnum tossed a wave over his shoulder and headed toward the beach. Rick fell in love hourly, he was used to that. But, having him gush over Kelly Masters made him more than a little uncomfortable. A head-turning brunette in a bikini smiled as she passed him, but he didn’t notice. He broke out his surf-ski and paddled out from shore away from the crowd. When he was far enough out that he could only hear the sound of the water lapping around him, he quit paddling and lolled back, his legs dangling over the sides. The ocean was one of the best places he knew of for thinking. His head was always clearer, senses always sharper when he was out here.

He needed to get his mind off how and why Kelly irritated him. He hadn’t slept well since she’d arrived on the estate, and he found his thoughts drifting a little too often. It was not a good time to lose his edge. He thought about the still pictures he had been able to isolate from the security camera videotape. The faces and car would probably be tough to track down, but Rick said he’d give it a try.

The library newspaper archives had been interesting, if not helpful. He found the society pages from the Richmond papers dating from around the time of Kelly’s engagement. There was the formal announcement with a photo of the happy couple. She was radiantly beautiful, he charismatic and handsome. Central casting couldn’t ask for a pair that more closely fit the part of the “perfect couple.” The announcement listed her as Kelly Rutledge Masters. Magnum decided the Rutledges were Kelly’s grandparents. David Woolridge Kimbrough came from an old family, though not as prominent as the Rutledges, judging by the tone of the announcement. Or, perhaps it was just that they were from Charleston, not Richmond. He was an attorney with a prominent firm. That meant he was probably smart and ambitious enough to suit Kelly and her grandparents, Magnum reasoned. Central casting, indeed.

A further search through the microfilmed archives turned up a few items in the gossip columns several months after the engagement announcement. The “perfect couple” had broken up and, according to the Richmond rumor mill, it had not been pretty. It was whispered that Kelly would be leaving Richmond to join her father in the south of France --- or Spain, depending on which column you believed. No mention was made of Mr. Kimbrough’s fate, save for one cryptic allusion that implied a loss of stature in Richmond society. Magnum wondered if good old David had realized what a high-maintenance situation he was getting in to and bailed out while he still could.

Magnum’s mother had friends who moved among the creamier Richmond folk, and he decided to ask her what she could find out. He wanted to know if there was something there that would push David Kimbrough to do more than lob idle threats whose only purpose was to annoy and perhaps frighten Kelly. He had never asked about the specific nature of the threats, and hoped he would not have to. Every time he thought about the kind of threats a perverted mind could make against someone like Kelly, his imagination tended to drift down roads he preferred it not travel. Like now. He sat up abruptly and began paddling, hard and fast, toward shore. Physical exertion had become his salvation a few too many times since Kelly had come to the estate, he decided.

******

Sunrises were special in Hawaii, Magnum believed. And, whenever the weather report indicated conditions conducive to a particularly spectacular sunrise, he liked to swim early then sit on the beach and watch the breath-taking light and colors play out over the ocean horizon. Today was one of those days. He pushed himself harder than usual in the tidal pool and was breathing hard as he slogged his way to the beach and dropped to the sand. The first fingers of light were just beginning to jut into the sky when a runner coming up the beach accompanied by a couple of dogs caught his eye. The form was female and, by the looks of her, accustomed to physical exercise. She had only to move a few yards closer before he realized it was Kelly, with Zeus and Apollo.

She slowed to a walk as she approached where he sat, peeling off her shirt as she came. “How’s the water?” she asked, tossing her tee shirt on the sand beside him.

“Fine.” He tried not to watch too closely as she stripped off the shorts she was wearing over her swimsuit. “You’ll miss the sunrise if you go in now, though.”

“No I won’t. I’ve still got a few minutes.”

“Do you do this often?”

Kelly laughed. “If you got up earlier, Mr. Magnum, you’d know that I do this every morning.”

He flashed her an annoyed face and looked out over the ocean. “You shouldn’t swim alone, you know,” he scolded.

“You sound like my grandmother,” she accused. “Besides, you do it.”

He watched her walk out into the waves. Though her suit was modest by Hawaiian beach standards, it still showed more enticing curves than he was comfortable enjoying. She dove forward and began slow, steady laps. Zeus and Apollo trotted along behind her and sat at the edge of the water, their attention unwavering as they watched her swim. How, he wondered, did she know he came out here and swam alone? She was a strong swimmer, and completed her laps quickly. His eyes constantly shifted between the emerging sunrise and Kelly’s lithe body moving through the water, but tended to linger longer on her than on the horizon. Just as she’d said, she finished and returned to the beach in time to see the fiery sun poke it’s head above the ocean. The dogs shadowing her every move, she retrieved a robe and towel she had left on a nearby chair and, dabbing the excess water out of her braided hair, plopped onto the sand beside him.

“Sunrises really are special here, aren’t they?”

“Yeah.” He wished she hadn’t said that. He preferred to think of her as insensitive to things like sunrises. “How far did you run,” he asked, changing both the subject and the mood.

“I don’t know for sure since I haven’t looked up the beach distances on a map. About three miles, I guess.”

“Three miles? That takes you off the private beach, Kelly.”

She looked at him. “So?”

He sighed. “I don’t want you going that far alone.”

“I’ve always run alone in the mornings everywhere I’ve lived,” she insisted. “I’m careful, and I’ve never had a problem.”

“You think the fact that you do it regularly makes it ok?” His voice was becoming arched. “No! That makes it worse, Kelly. I told you, you need to avoid routine!”

“The lads always go with me, so I’m not really alone.”

“Those dogs are only protection up to a point.”

“Mr. Magnum, even if I had someone with me, that would only be protection up to a point. I can’t live my life in a state of paranoia!”

He conceded her point, but extracted a promise to let him start running with her every morning. Her doubts about whether or not he could actually get up early on a routine basis annoyed him.

“What’s your book about?” he asked in sudden diversion.

“Huh?”

“The book you came here to finish. What’s it about?”

“It’s a study of the role women have played in the outcome of various wars, both as soldiers and as support --- or, otherwise --- at home. It’s a slight departure for me. Military history is my field, but this is the first time I’ve come at it from a cultural angle.”

He arched his eyebrows at her.

“What? You don’t think whether or not a woman at home is supportive of the war effort has any impact on its outcome?”

“Oh, no. Believe me, I know all too well how lack of support at home can impact the outcome of a war. I’m just surprised you’d tackle a topic like that. I picture you doing something, well . . . lighter. That’s all.” He shrugged.

“Lighter?” Her voice held a definite edge of irritation. “Like maybe a history of the development of quilting? Or, perhaps, something about the Richmond Junior League?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Look, Mr. Magnum. I am well aware that you have little use for me as a woman or, perhaps even as a human being. I accept that. But I won’t have you belittling my qualifications as a historian! I am serious about my field, Mr. Magnum. Every bit as serious as you are about yours.”

“That’s not what I meant!” he protested again. “And I never said I had no use for you as a woman.” He could tell by the look on her face that his last statement hadn’t come out right. “Look,” he backtracked, “I don’t even know what I meant, really, but I do know I wasn’t trying to imply anything or belittle anything.”

She watched him, waiting to be convinced.

“Your father said you were helping him with research and stuff for his books. I guess I’m surprised you didn’t stick with that.”

“Take the easy road? Live off my father’s career instead of forging one for myself?”

“I haven’t seen you turn your nose up at anything your father’s money buys for you.” He hadn’t meant that, either, but decided not to retract it.

“You’re right, Mr. Magnum,” she fired back tightly. “I do enjoy my father’s generosity. But, at least I’m his daughter. What’s your excuse?”

With a hard look, and without a word, he rose and strode from the beach toward the guesthouse.

******

Other than their wordless morning runs along the beach, Kelly steered clear of Magnum for the next several days. She kept to the main house and did not once venture off the estate alone. Finally, one morning, an exceptionally hard rain shower prevented them from running. Magnum took the opportunity to don his favorite sweater, make himself an over-sized cup of coffee, and settle down for a lazy morning with the newspaper. An item on the front page of the metro section brought his lazy morning to a screeching halt, however. He nearly spit his mouthful of coffee across the room when he saw the photo of the overturned car and headline stating that three youths had lost their lives in a freak highway accident. The car had been pretty badly mangled in its descent down a rocky cliff, but he recognized it anyway. He pulled out the photos he’d had made from the security camera videotape the night the kids created the disturbance outside the estate wall. It was the same car.

What information Rick had turned up on the car and its occupants was of little value. There seemed to be nothing unusual about the young men, all of whom were high school students and members of a local gang. Magnum had just about decided to chalk the incident up to some random gang activity completely coincidental with Kelly’s arrival. The revelation about the accident made him rethink that scenario, however, and he started making phone calls.

The first call was to his police contacts. He confirmed his suspicions that the accident was not an accident at all. Skid marks on the pavement and paint streaks on the wrecked car indicated a bump from another vehicle had caused the youth’s car to go over the cliff. It had been traveling at excessive speed, even for teenagers, the investigator told him. Magnum wondered if they were being chased. There were no witnesses, which did not surprise him --- no other useful evidence.

Magnum’s second call was to the main house. He knew Higgins was planning to take Kelly with him to the opening of a new exhibit at the natural history museum the next day, and he decided he had better invite himself along.

******

Kelly was quiet during the ride to the museum, which suited Magnum just fine. He wanted to tell Higgins to quit trying to fill the void with idle chat, but it would have required more effort than it was worth. Instead, he tuned out the tour guide monologue Higgins seemed determined to deliver regarding the sights they were passing. Magnum had made Kelly sit in the back seat, while he took the front passenger seat. Eyes hidden behind sunglasses, face rigid, he maintained a watch on the surrounding traffic, especially using the side mirror to watch the traffic behind them. Twice he thought they might have picked up a tail, but the cars turned onto side streets leaving him annoyed at his own heightened suspicions.

The weather seemed to be breaking as they arrived at the museum. The emerging sun turned dampness into steam, and Magnum wished he had not been obliged to wear a coat and tie. Even Higgins seemed to be perspiring under the minor stress of walking around the car to open the door for Kelly. She, on the other hand, looked cool and elegant in an ice-blue silk suit, pearls, and not a drop of perspiration to be seen. Her hair, as always, was pulled back into a French braid tucked into a knot at the nape of her neck. Magnum’s eyes, under cover of his sunglasses, lighted on her momentarily before scanning the parking lot for anything notable.

His body went rigid when something notable in the form of a plain white compact car --- probably a rental, he guessed --- turned into the parking lot and took one of the far spaces. It was the first of the two cars he had thought might be tailing them earlier. He lingered behind Kelly and Higgins as they walked into the museum, hoping to get a glimpse of whoever was driving the car. A tall man unfolded himself from the small car. He had an athletic build and wore a white suit of the type Magnum associated with Europeans. The man was taking his time in heading for the museum entrance, so Magnum followed Kelly and Higgins inside.

It was cool inside the museum, and light enough that he could keep his sunglasses on, two things for which Magnum was thankful. The new exhibit was on spiders --- a topic he felt certain was not high on Kelly’s list of interests. Her father was a major contributor to the museum, however, and Kelly conscientiously spent enough time studying each display to please the curator. The man from the small white car made no such efforts, however. His attention remained focused in Kelly’s general direction as he made his way through the crowd milling among the display cases. Just as Magnum was ready to step up his level of preparedness, the man stopped moving toward them and settled back against a far wall more-or-less in the shadows.

Magnum kept the man in sight as he loosely followed Kelly around the exhibit. To his annoyance, she eventually separated herself from the crowd to read a large informational piece hung on the wall off to one side of the main exhibit. While she faced the wall, he stood beside her facing the crowd.

“You look like a secret service agent,” she informed him without looking away from the display. “Except for the mustache, maybe.”

There was unexpected humor in her voice and he suspected she was trying to break the ice that had formed between them over the past days. Not yet willing to laugh off her cutting words, he slid his glasses down his nose and gave her a hard look over the top of them. She returned his gaze and, once assured she understood his message, he slid the glasses back into place and returned his attention to the crowd.

Kelly did not move, and continued to study the display without really seeing it. Her face flushed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Magnum,” she said in a tone that left no doubt of her sincerity. “I was horrible to you the other day, and I’m sorry.” She looked up at him and waited until he gave in and returned her look. “I know about your arrangement with my father, and I know you’re not sponging or taking advantage of him. I also know he thinks very highly of you, and begrudges you nothing. He’d probably give you the Ferrari if he knew how much you like it and thought you’d accept it,” she added with a flickering smile. Too ashamed to look him in the eye, she turned back toward the display. “You always seem to put me on the offensive. I don’t know why. But, the other day, I looked for a tender spot and zeroed in on it.” When he didn’t respond she turned her face up toward him. “I just didn’t realize how tender it was . . . how much my words would upset you.” She sighed. “I only wanted to inflict a flesh wound --- not do any real damage.”

He hated that he could not resist the look in her eyes or the ghost of a smile trembling at the corners of her mouth as she spoke those last words. He wanted to ask why she was defensive around him, but suspected she was no more prepared to answer that question than he was. Slumping his head forward in defeat, he removed his sunglasses and slipped them into his jacket pocket. “It’s okay,” he assured her softly. “I guess I get a little defensive around you, too.”

Higgins, his timing impeccable as usual, interrupted them. “Miss Masters,” he said, “the museum staff are gathering for a group photo of themselves with contributors. They wondered if you’d join them.”

“Of course,” she agreed, seemingly as relieved by the interruption as Magnum.

While the photos were being taken, Magnum circled the room to take up a position nearer the man he suspected of following Kelly. The man glanced warily in Magnum’s direction once or twice, but remained primarily focused on the people on the opposite of the room. Finally, as the crowd began to disperse, he moved toward the main door and slipped outside. Magnum followed, pausing to watch him through the glass doors. He thought at first that the man might be planning to leave but, instead, he stepped into the cover of some shrubs growing at the edge of the lawn in front of the building. It was the perfect place to lay in wait for someone emerging from the building, especially if one wanted to be able to make a quick escape into the far fringes of the parking lot.

Magnum decided it was time to have a talk with the man. He pushed through the doors and ambled over. “Hi,” he said, grinning disarmingly. “I think we need to talk.”

The man smiled back then, to Magnum’s surprise, burst past him and began to flee toward his car. Letting an expletive slip from his lips, Magnum raced after him. He caught up with the man in fairly short order, and lunged to tackle him. Both men tumbled to the ground, and before they had completely recovered their feet, the mystery man swung his right fist into Magnum’s jaw. He fell back, hitting his head hard against the pavement. Groaning and holding the back of his head, he caught the man as he approached --- presumably to land a finishing blow --- grabbed him by an ankle and brought him down hard on the ground. His adversary was not to be counted out so easily, however, and was able to struggle to his feet more quickly than Magnum. As the man stood, Magnum caught a glimpse of a gun under his jacket. Determined not to cede the upper hand, Magnum did not wait until he had raised himself to full height. As he stood, he landed a hard right punch in the man’s stomach followed by a solid left square in the man’s face as he went down. He felt bone crunch beneath his knuckles and knew he had broken the man’s nose. The man doubled up to protect his sore gut and covered his bloody face with his hand. Magnum took the opportunity to relieve him of his gun. He stood holding the gun on the man and gasping for breath as Higgins, Kelly, and several other people arrived on the scene.

“Magnum!” Higgins said in a voice that wavered between astonishment and admonition.

“Someone call the police,” Magnum instructed firmly. He lightly touched the back of his head and groaned when his fingers came away bloodied. He handed the gun to Higgins. “Keep him here until the police arrive,” he said, swaying slightly with dizziness and casting about for a place to sit down.

Kelly moved to steady him and began leading him back toward the museum. “Let’s get you inside and take a look at your head,” she insisted.

“I’m okay,” he claimed unsteadily and trying to resist.

She was resolute, however, and continued to draw him toward the museum. “Could we use your office?” she asked the curator as they approached the doors. “And might you have a first aid kit and some ice?” Continuing to ignore Magnum’s weak protestations, she led him toward the curator’s office and directed him to sit on the edge of a desk. “Now, let’s have a look at your head,” she ordered turning his head slightly and leaning over so she could see the wound. She touched it lightly and he winced. “I think it’s just a scalp wound, but you’re going to have a nasty lump there, I’d say.”

The curator brought in the first aid kit and ice. Using Magnum’s handkerchief, Kelly made an ice pack and touched it to the back of his head.

“Ow!” he cried drawing away from the pressure.

“Hush,” she chided, “and hold this.” She put the ice pack in his hand and guided it to the wound on the back of his head. “Now, let’s see what else you’ve got here.”

“Kelly,” he said testily. He put his free hand up in an attempt to stop her. “I’m okay. Really.”

“Really? Well, you don’t look okay to me.” She forged ahead, taking his chin in her hand and turning his face to give her a better view of the darkening bruise on his jaw. “That’s going to be quite a bruise. We’d better get some ice on that, too.”

He scowled.

“This isn’t good, either,” she clucked, addressing a scrape on his cheekbone and cut over one eye.” She opened the first aid kit and fished out some peroxide swabs to clean the injuries.

“Ow!” he hollered louder than ever as she began dabbing at his face. “That hurts!

“Would you quit being such a baby and let me clean this up!” She swabbed away all the excess blood and dirt, totally ignoring his protests, then dug around in the first aid kit again. When she held up a bottle of iodine, he nearly came off the desk.

“No!” he cried. “You’re not using that stuff on me!”

She gave him a disgusted look. “Alright you big baby.” She put the iodine back and looked for an alternative. “I don’t see how you ever survived two tours in Vietnam.”

“Three,” he corrected sharply. “It was three tours, and I survived because you weren’t there!” He shifted the ice pack to his sore jaw and scowled at her.

Kelly flashed him an acerbic expression and began dabbing some benign first aid cream on his abrasions. “Oh, stop it!” she told him when he began wincing. “This stuff doesn’t hurt. It’s for use on little kids.”

“It does too hurt!” He scowled at her some more, but she was undeterred. “I think you’re enjoying this way too much,” he accused.

“And I think you’re being way too childish.”

He watched her face, enjoying her closeness and annoyed by it at the same time. Just as she finished applying the first aid cream, two uniformed police officers entered the room, one of whom Magnum recognized from previous encounters.

“Well, Magnum,” the officer challenged, “what do you have to say for yourself this time?”

“Me!” Magnum protested. “What about the guy in the parking lot?”

“What about him? Well, for one thing, he says he’s a cop.”

“A cop!”

“Yeah. His ID says he’s with the French judicial police. We’ll run a check to see if it’s legitimate.”

“If he’s a cop, why’d he run when I tried to talk to him, and why’d he take a swing at me?” Magnum argued.

“I don’t know, Magnum.” The patrolman’s voice was edged with sarcasm. “Maybe when the doctors in the emergency room have finished patching up his face, he’ll be able to tell us.”

“He was carrying a gun,” Magnum added defensively.

“I know. We retrieved it from Higgins.”

“Well, was he here on official business? Had he checked in with you guys or with the FBI?”

“I don’t know, Magnum. I’ll find out. In the meantime, why don’t you give me your version of what happened here today?”

Magnum recounted the afternoon’s events, with Kelly corroborating the actions that led to the fight. She seemed startled by Magnum’s belief that the man was following her. He insisted that the police check the man out thoroughly, annoying the cop with his implication that he might not do a thorough job without prodding.

When he finally made it back to the guesthouse that evening, Magnum grabbed a beer from the refrigerator then hit the “play” button on his answering machine as he crossed the room to collapse on the sofa. His mother’s voice emanated from the machine, telling him what she had learned from the Richmond gossip mill regarding Kelly’s breakup with David Kimbrough. Her information was only marginally helpful. All anyone knew was that they seemed like the perfect couple, and the breakup was rumored to be over another woman, although no one had any details about that. Afterwards, Kelly went to live with her father, while David continued to live in Richmond. Still unmarried, he had become the consummate playboy who lived extremely well.

Since David was apparently doing well enough now, Magnum assumed he had little motive to harass Kelly. Certainly, he didn’t seem to have the motive or wherewithal to attempt to harm or kidnap her. Magnum leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and pressed the cold beer bottle against his sore jaw. He tried to come up with some possible connection between Kelly and the French policeman, but drew a blank.

“If he really is a policeman,” he said, sitting up and pulling the telephone across the coffee table toward him. He took another swallow of beer before dialing Moss’ office at the police station. “Hi, Lieutenant,” he said in his most gregarious voice.

Moss wasn’t biting. “What do you want, Magnum?”

“Well, I was just wondering if you verified the credentials of that guy in the museum parking lot this afternoon --- have you determined whether or not he’s really a cop?”

“He’s really a cop. Name’s Bouchet. We just got confirmation back from Paris. He claims he’s here on official business, but he didn’t clear anything with us so as far as I’m concerned, he’s on the first plane back to France for running around with that gun. We decided to extend him that much courtesy.”

“Have you been able to talk to him? Did he say what his ‘official business’ is?”

“He is supposedly following some guy the French police think is tied to a major crime syndicate over there. Into smuggling big time. I don’t know, none of it washed with me.”

“It doesn’t wash with me either. Any chance I could talk to him?”

“I suppose. He’ll be in the hospital until his flight out tomorrow afternoon.”

“Hospital? What’s he in the hospital for?”

“You broke his nose, Magnum, and gave him a concussion.

“I didn’t give him a concussion! He must have hit his head on the pavement, or something,” Magnum insisted defensively.

“Well, anyway, we don’t have any better place to put him until we get him on that plane tomorrow. If you want to go by and talk with him in the morning, it’s okay by me. If I were him, though, I wouldn’t be too interested in talking to you.”

It annoyed Magnum that Moss seemed unwilling to look any deeper into Bouchet’s reasons for being in Hawaii. He supposed it didn’t matter too much, though, if they got him out of the country as quickly as possible. He did want to see if Kelly had any ideas about the guy, however. Looking at his watch, he decided it was not too late to go over and talk with her. The moment he started across the grounds to the main house, he decided he had made a mistake. All of the interior lights visible from his vantage point were turned off. He didn’t want to grapple with Higgins and the dogs, so he made his way around to the back of the house and up the stairs to the balcony outside Kelly’s suite. If her lights were still on, he decided, he would knock and see if she would talk to him.

The drapes in Kelly’s room were parted slightly, permitting him a limited view of the interior. Just as he was about to knock he saw her, dressed in her bathrobe, cross the room to her dressing table and sit down. He tried to go ahead and knock, but the sight of her taking down her hair stopped him. She reached up to unfasten the braid, shook out hair that reached almost to her waist, and began to brush it. Magnum could not take his eyes off her. Much as he knew he should not be standing there watching her, much as he knew he should either knock on the door or leave, he stood riveted to the spot. He could hear his own heartbeat and his palms were slightly damp. Michelle’s hair had always had a supremely sensual effect on him that had never been matched until this moment. Finally, when he knew he would loathe himself if he did not do otherwise, he forced himself to turn away from the door and go back down the stairs.

That night, Michelle invaded his dreams again. This time, she was running. Her face was frantic with fear and she was running from someone he could not quite make out. Her nemesis in these dreams was rarely visible to him but, this time, there was a shadow of a man in the distance --- a shadow that would not come into focus. Then, Michelle began to fall. Magnum reached for her until his shoulder ached from the exertion, but he could not reach her in time. She fell into some dark abyss and was gone.

******

Louis Bouchet seemed only mildly surprised by Magnum’s appearance in his hospital room the next morning. Magnum suspected that Detective Moss had already been there and mentioned that he might stop by. Bouchet was out of bed and dressed, but his face was bruised and bandaged. The two men skirted the room, sizing each other up, as they exchanged pleasantries. Bouchet’s English was good, although heavily accented.

Magnum offered up a weak apology for the condition of Bouchet’s face.

“It is regrettable, but understandable,” Bouchet said with a sigh. “When your Detective Moss told me that your actions were based on concern for a young lady, well,” he waved his hand dismissively through the air, “of course I understand.”

“What were you doing at the museum yesterday?” Magnum asked. He decided there was no point in being anything other than blunt.

“As I have already told your local police, I was following a suspect who is of interest to French authorities.”

“You followed him here from France?”

“From Paris, ouí.”

“What’s he suspected of?”

“Not suspected, really,” Bouchet said. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “We know for a fact that he is a courier for someone we call Le Chameleon.”

“The Chameleon,” Magnum repeated skeptically. He had to suppress a laugh. The name sounded like something out of one of Robin’s novels. “And what does this Chameleon do?”

“Le Chameleon is a smuggler, Mr. Magnum. A smuggler of everything from drugs to Nazis memorabilia.”

“Nazis memorabilia?” It seemed an odd combination.

“The sale of such merchandise is illegal in my country, Mr. Magnum. Anyway, Le Chameleon has been operating for many years now and we have not even been able to identify one single operative of the syndicate --- until now. It is this operative, Marco Linnet, that we hope will lead us closer to the center, to Le Chameleon, perhaps. We have been following him for some time. It is this that brought me to Hawaii.”

“And he just happened to lead you to the natural history museum where Kelly Masters just happened to be, as well.”

“I do not know about Mademoiselle Masters, Mr. Magnum. I know only that I followed Linnet to the museum. I agree that it was an odd destination for such a man, but,” he shrugged, “I go where he goes.”

The image of the first car Magnum had spotted on the way to the museum flitted quickly through his mind. “You don’t know of any reason that this Linnet would be following Miss Masters.”

“No, I am afraid not.” Bouchet watched Magnum digest all he said and was well aware of his skepticism. “I will return to Paris today, Mr. Magnum. We will simply have to pick up Linnet’s trail when he returns to the country. In the meantime, I leave this with you. Perhaps, if you turn up something that will help . . ..” He handed Magnum a photo of Linnet and his own business card. “But, Mr. Magnum,” he added, “if there is some connection between Linnet and the young lady, you must be careful. He is a very dangerous man.”

It was not what Magnum wanted to hear.

******

When Magnum returned to the estate, Higgins approached him from across the lawn, the dogs close by his heels. “Magnum,” he said in a commanding tone, “You’ll need to move the Ferrari.”

“Higgins, I always park it here. I’ll put it in the garage tonight.”

“No, Magnum. You will move it now. T.C. will be landing shortly and his rotor blades always kick up a great deal of dust and debris. I’ll not have it all blowing into the Ferrari for I know you’ll not clean it out any time soon.”

“T.C. will be landing here?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Why?”

“Because I arranged for him to take Miss Masters on a helicopter tour of the island today, and they should be returning shortly.”

“You let her go up with T.C.?”

“Of course. While I often fail to approve of the man’s attire, sense of humor, or any number of other things, his skills as a pilot are undeniably beyond reproach.”

Magnum looked bemused. Higgins seemed constantly to be throwing out curve balls these days. “She didn’t tell me she was going anywhere today.”

“Since she was to be in T.C.’s care, I did not think it necessary to obtain your approval. Now, please move the Ferrari.” Higgins turned on his heel. “Come, lads.” He moved smartly toward the main house.

Magnum had no sooner moved the Ferrari to safety when he picked up the sound of T.C.’s Hughes 500 helicopter approaching the estate. The sound of a helicopter, more than anything else, never failed to bring back the sensation of being in Vietnam. Watching T.C.’s brightly painted Island Hoppers chopper settle to the green grass of the estate’s vast lawn, Magnum recalled the relief he always felt when T.C. would come blowing in overhead --- Rick hanging out the door providing cover fire --- and set his big Huey down in some minimally open patch of ground to recover Magnum’s team from what was usually a hot LZ. Relief only at first, of course. Always, as he covered those last few feet of ground, there would be an extra rush of adrenaline and momentary panic that, after all he had been through, he might not make it the last few steps to the relative safety of T.C.’s chopper.

He shook off the sounds of gunfire in his head and waited while T.C. cut his engine and let the rotors slow to a stop. T.C. climbed down first, and quickly rounded the chopper to help Kelly down. They crossed the lawn toward Magnum, both of them laughing and smiling.

“I talked T.C. into joining me for tea, Mister Magnum,” she said perkily. “Would you care to join us?”

Magnum looked at T.C. who was grinning as though he could think of no better way to spend his afternoon than sipping tea. “Sure,” he agreed uncertainly. He was game, if only because he wanted to see how many cookies and miniature sandwiches T.C. would eat. He fell in step behind them as they walked toward the house. “Did you enjoy your tour?” he asked Kelly. He was annoyed that he had not been asked to join them, and hoped it did not show in his voice.

“It was wonderful!” she assured him. “Of course, we only covered Oahu today. He’s going to show me the other islands another time. He says some of the best scenery is actually on the smaller islands.” She was glowing. “And, he told me about a wonderful hiking trail that is only accessible by helicopter that I can’t wait to explore.”

“The trail on Maui?” He frowned at T.C..

“That’s the one,” she affirmed.

“I told her you’d be the perfect guide,” T.C. informed him.

“That’s a pretty tough trail,” Magnum said, stepping carefully around his words. “Are you sure you want to go out there?”

Kelly sighed and gave him a reproachful look. “Mr. Magnum, I’ve hiked across large parts of Kenya with my father. We’ve also hiked the foothills of Mt. Everest, and I’ve done the Great Wall of China hiking tour. Believe me, I think I can handle your trail.”

Magnum wasn’t convinced, but her smugness made him eager to take her out and let her try. He and T.C. waited in the study while Kelly went out to the kitchen to ask that tea be brought in to them.

“TM, I don’t know why you’ve been complaining about playing bodyguard for that girl,” T.C. whispered somewhat loudly. “She’s prettier than an oasis to a dying man and she’s nice to boot! You know she’s a pilot, too? Not choppers . . . just fixed wing stuff, but I may take care of that. She’s thinking about hiring me to teach her to fly . . ..”

Magnum interrupted him with a groan. “T.C., I don’t want to hear it,” he hissed.

T.C. flinched at the rebuke.

“I’m tired of everyone telling me how great she is! Higgins thinks she’s the greatest thing since Queen Victoria, Rick would have her children if he were able, and now you! I’m telling you, she’s a pain in the neck!”

T.C.’s stunned expression melted into a smile. “Okay, TM,” he agreed in a patronizing tone, “she’s a pain in the neck. The kind of pain that a cold shower helps get rid of, I’d say.”

Magnum was just about to retort when Kelly came back into the room. “Is everything alright,” she asked when she saw the look on Magnum’s face.

T.C. was fighting hard to suppress his amusement. “Thomas was just telling me about a pain he was having, uh, in his neck.”

She missed the look Magnum fired in T.C.’s direction. “Really? Is it from the fight yesterday?”

“Probably,” Magnum said grouchily. His back to Kelly, he glowered at T.C. as he crossed the room and lowered himself into one of the leather wing-backed chairs.

T.C. took the opposing chair, and Kelly seated herself on the sofa between them. One of the servants brought in a tea tray and set it on the table before Kelly, who began serving. Magnum noted that she was as ceremonious as Higgins about the ritual. He listened to her chat about the things T.C. had shown her that day, all the while smiling and drawing T.C. into her discussion. She always had enough charm to shower on everyone, Magnum thought --- everyone but him.