The Files of Kenji, Staff Gardner - Robins Nest

[Doc Ibold]

Forty Years From Sand Island:

Rhythm is a way of life at Robins Nest. Magnum will take on a case, and in the process will do one of several things: 1) borrow" some of Robin Masters things. 2) somehow damage the Ferrari 3) Bring a client to the estate or the club. All of which generally end up with him getting into a fight, a misunderstanding, or in something over his head. The one certainty in this rhythm is that Higgins will be annoyed for a predetermined amount of time until the next perceived offense.

There is another, more subtle rhythm that comes into play whenever Magnum needs to go into Little Saigon or needs some information on the Asian community.. He asks me. Usually it's to ask about some random person that he assumes I know because of our shared heritage... Or even if I know of some underworld event that goes on in the community. I try not to show my annoyance and do my best not to ask him if he does the same thing with TC and black people. The underworld connections are a bit more unbearable, because save for cleaning up with Rick here and there on some wagers (usually at Magnums expense when it comes to surf ski races), I lead a very law abiding life and don't know of any of those types save for what I read in the paper.

This time, it was different. Higgins asked me. Higgins had never really asked my opinion on anything other than fertilizer or what the estate gardening budget projected to be for the year. He was doing some research for Mr. Masters and wondered if I had known anyone who was an internee on Sand Island during the war.

It was a bit of a shock to me, not because it was Higgins asking the question, but rather because of The subject. Very few people know this, least of all not Higgins or Magnum, but I was born in the Sand Island camp on March 1st, 1942. It isn't a celebrated chapter in our family's history in America. My grandfather was Issei and had emigrated to Hawaii in the late 1800s where he married my grandmother. He was a very skilled gardner and had opened up some of the first commercial greenhouses on the islands. My father was born Nissei, and not very long after my grandfather passed away of a fever. my grandmother had to sell the greenhouses, but passed on the green thumb, so to speak, to my father. He worked as a Gardner on several of the estates of the day until Pearl Harbor... And Sand Island

My parents, not uncommon for Nisei, were both very committed that the three of us be brought up as American as possible, baseball (or football in my case), hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet, as they say. Thats where the irony of Magnum asking me about Asian connections comes in, as I have about the same involvement with them as he does!

I think the fact that stuck with my father that out of the large number of Japanese-Americans on the island, and all he did to embrace American culture, he and his family were included in the proportionately small amount that were sent to the internment camps. He never got over that contradiction, and my sister maintains that when he died 12 years after the experience as a relatively young man, he died of a broken heart. On the very day Hawaii was made the 50th state. So when I think of Sand Island, I think of the place that caused his death.

So when Higgins asked me, it brought back a flood of memories that I thought I had buried long ago. With my parents being gone, I remembered the name of someone they knew from those days.. Richard Enoka. I remembered he was running for the Senate, and I showed the article to Higgins.

He seemed concerned at the expression on my face, but thanked me and left immediately in the Audi to go and interview him.

I decided to take a few hours off and visit the cemetery. When I returned, I passed Magnum leaving in the Ferrari. We waved and I got back to work. The Audi was also bak.

Magnum came back a few hours later and made an indirect route to the guest house. My guess is that he was avoiding Higgins for some reason. When I saw Higgins leave for the guest house with scimitar in hand, I KNEW Magnum was in trouble. The sight made me smile for the first time since that morning. I knew from experience that Higgins with a sword of any sort + A low-lying Magnum = Big trouble. I half expected Magnum to be sprinting away in a few moments with Higgins giving chase.

Note: When women are involved, or when he carries a sword, Higgins can definitely move!

It wasn't to be. Higgins had hung around inside for a half hour, and I didn't hear any of the usual raised voices of negotiation. When Higgins left the guest house with Scimitar in hand, then got in the Ferrari, I came to a sinking conclusion.

Higgins had finally killed Magnum.

I let out a deep breath and entered into the silence of the guesthouse. I walked down the stairs and heard a small voice say "I'm really sorry Higgins. Please let me out so we can discuss this". I opened the closet door to find Magnum recoiling back. When he saw it was me, he let out a breath of relief and sprawled out on the couch and told me about his newest surveillance case. I assumed the rhythm of the day was about to be out back into place until a few hours later.

Higgins was in an accident in the Ferrari. Magnum left for the hospital immediately.

When he returned, he told me that the Ferrari's brakes had been tampered with! He decided to do a little investigation and went into the study. The next morning he asked me if I had ever heard of Kirin Nakamura. That was two Sand Island references in as many days. He figured that maybe there would be some sort of connection.But luckily for Magnum, I was batting 1000 on the topic. I knew the story of Kirin Nakamura, as the Nakamuras were family friends, and if it could help Higgins in any way, I was happy to give him their address.

Magnum soon returned with an extremely irate Higgins, who tried to convince me Magnum pushed him down a hill in a wheelchair. Magnum ignored him and told me that he was trying to track down a guard named Sorenson there who could be connected to the death of Kirin Nakamura, and possibly the sabotage on Higgins. I told him that I couldn't help him there, but wished him well.

Rick and "Panama Jack" Calvin came by. TC was helping Magnum with a case, and was there to give him an update, Rick just wanted to use the free cable to check out the horse races. Magnum left in a hurry with a lead on Sorenson. Rick left soon afterward and asked me if he could borrow two thousand dollars.

Rick was at the estate and he said that he found out that Enoka and Sorenson had some business deals together, and it didn't make sense. Magnum soon arrived, and I told him Rick had some interesting news regarding Enoka.

When Magnum returned, he was shot in a fight with Enoka, who had killed Sorenson. TC was elated at solving the case he was handling for Magnum and was headed to a wedding, Rick found out that the brakes weren't tampered with after all. And Higgins, well, he had his bell. But that's another story!

It's odd, if the brakes didn't fail, then there would have been no need for Magnum to investigate. If Magnum didn't investigate, Sorenson would have lived. Karma sometimes has a fun way of showing up. And maybe now, Sand Island can live in the past.

[308GUY]

I came to a sinking conclusion.

Higgins had finally killed Magnum.

LOL! That's funny right there.....

Enjoyed reading both of your most recent reviews Doc. I especially liked the background on Kenji, it makes everything you've done so far so much more "real", if you will.

Keep up the good work, we're still reading and enjoying it!

[Doc Ibold]

Legacy From A Friend:

Over the years, I've grown accustomed to Magnum's comings and goings and the lengths he will go to in order to crack a case. Sometimes he will procure the Ferrari (when, in the ebb and flow of Robins Nest he has "lost it"), recruit Rick, TC or even Higgins in some instances. Other times, he will "borrow" some of Mr. Masters eclectic equipment, much to the irritation of Higgins. I have never seen him engage in an out and out heist of all of Mr. Masters things all at once.

To begin at the beginning, Magnum was in the middle of volleyball season, which is a misnomer in the islands because every day is perfect for volleyball. He and his partner Marcus were tearing up the ranks and were closing in on the championship, much to Higgins dismay as Magnum was "only a guest of the club." Rick, on the other hand was delighted as he was busy taking and collecting on wagers that he had, up to this point, had been collecting without Higgins knowledge so there would be no extra contributions save for his usual personal donation to the island orphanage Christmas fund.

I liked Marcus, he was a good lifeguard and helped to rescue a lot of people at the club, which was good for business as the King Kamehameha Club was widely renowned for being a safe place to swim. Marcus was, however, a little bit immature and at times could be a bit of a hot head. He did treat the grounds with respect though and would often help my crew round up the beach equipment once the day was out.

I was getting a little worried about him though, as he seemed to be spending a lot of money and had somehow acquired a Corvette. While he was an exceptional lifeguard, it isn't a profession where you bring in the kind of income to support that type of car. But, as I've learned.. Sometimes it's better to keep your head down and your mouth shut.

My fears came to a head when I arrived at the club early one morning to set up for the semifinals of the tournament. Rick was pacing and looked a bit out of sorts. I joked and asked him who hadn't come through with their wagers. He just looked at me and said it wasn't the wagers, but he had heard that Marcus' body had washed up on shore. How he comes across this information, I'll never know. He told me he had called Magnum himself to tell him the news. I knew that Magnum had just found his next case... And this time it would be personal.

As it had started to rain, I decided to head back to the estate to plan the upcoming estate tours that Mr. Masters had agreed to for the Aloha Historical Society with Higgins. Magnum had called and asked for some tide charts from Higgins. Normally when Magnum asks Higgins for something, it comes at some sort of cost. Higgins, surprisingly, didn't even begin to negotiate. He simply left during lunch and was even whistling!

When Magnum returned, Higgins ran out to greet him. Symbol One of something being off, but I assumed that it would be to ask for Magnums non-presence during the tours. When I stopped by later on to express my sympathies, Magnum was fiddling with a crossbow for whatever reason and muttering about the Romanian mimes. I didn't even know he had a crossbow, or was even an archery buff. The Romanian mimes, however... I knew very well about. I shuddered to think of the medical bills that lady racked up, and the guest house to this day still smells vaguely of artichokes.

Magnum thanked me and soon left. Rick had provided him with a lead.

When Magnum returned, he brought a lady friend with him. He didn't seem too pleased to be with her.. And Higgins was even more irate as he had scheduled his first tour. Higgins started in on Magnum when the lady emerged and took Higgins' hand. I'm not sure what she said... But she was GOOD. Higgins fury was disarmed in a matter of seconds, and when I caught up with him, he had a smile on has face and I think I caught him saying something about a "renaissance mind".

Magnum and the woman (Tracy Spencer, a Honolulu police detective) left for the guest house and soon the both of them left on another lead. When they came back, Magnum was battered and bruised. When I asked, he said he didn't want to talk about it, but Tracy volunteered that two women had attacked him. I guess the Magnum charm is starting to wear off. Higgins wandered over to the guest house to ask Magnum to watch the lads in his absence. I was going to be tied up at the club for the next few days putting in overtime to get the grounds ready for the volleyball tournament, so I couldn't assist. Rick and TC came by soon after and left cackling after Magnum and Tracy left on yet another lead.

When I returned to the estate to pick up some extra tools, Rick, TC, Magnum and Tracy were clearing out the main house and loading up a truck. If Higgins were there, he would have had a fit. Apparently, they were going to use Mr. Masters things as "merchandise" to sell to someone named Rose. I had heard of Rose from my sister, and it all made sense on how Magnum got beat up by some women. I wanted no part of helping out, but I did at least contribute to the cause by taking feeding duty for the afternoon.

When they came back, the truck was in shambles and Robins TV had a gaping hole in it. I decided to leave before Higgins returned. Plausible deniability!

The next day, the tournament went on as planned. It turned out that Marcus' sometime girlfriend (who provided his Vette) had somehow killed him. Rose and his Valkyries were in prison, and Magnum was back to volleyball. Tracy, as it turned out was a rogue meter maid who used Magnum to get her first big case so she could be made a detective on the police force.

Only with Magnum, only with Magnum. Now all he needs to do is explain the TV to Higgins. I have a feeling the Ferrari, and the tennis courts, and the guest house may be going away for a long while.

[J.J. Walters]

When they came back, Magnum was battered and bruised. When I asked, he said he didn't want to talk about it, but Tracy volunteered that two women had attacked him. I guess the Magnum charm is starting to wear off.

LOL!

[Doc Ibold]

Two Birds Of A Feather:

There are times when I wonder if Higgins can possibly get any angrier with Magnum. I mean, over the years he has dented, scratched, demolished and even destroyed the Ferrari. Mr. Masters equipment is sometimes pilfered, and often returns battered. He has even managed to melt a telescope at over 2000 degrees Centigrade.

Through Rick and TC visiting the estate, "Higgy Baby" has become part of the lexicon.. Even whispered about at the club through the staff. Numerous galas have been disturbed. Bottles of wine have been appropriated from the wine cellar and consumed with Macho Tacos (I myself prefer the Quesadilla Bravo).

I never thought Magnum could top himself until earlier this week.

I had been working at the club cleaning up after a charity gala one morning. Everything was running smoothly as Rick was preparing to go on vacation, and he wanted to make sure everything was shipshape before he left. It was all shaping up to be a very normal day until I decided to tend to the shrubs. As I was trimming them, I noticed several crumpled up pieces of paper. I didn't think anything of them at first and bent to pick them up when I noticed that they appeared to be photographs.

Appeared was the opportune word, as when I smoothed them out, I noticed that they all had large holes cut in them in the center. It looked like someone was practicing and taking pictures of their hand.. As all I could make out were fingertips, and what I assumed to be a wrist. Even stranger, it looked like someone had circled some of the photographs with red ink.

I thought it was all very strange until Kiki and Maku decided to show up. Maku had been involved in what could be referred to as an "incident" with a board members wife and some rum. Higgins, and even Rick, had put a standing ban on Maku entering the club. The trouble was, I didn't have the heart to tell Kiki, or Maku.

I had finally gotten rid of the both of them with promises to meet them for lunch the next day. Rick called me over and told me to let Magnum know he had a potential client. He couldn't leave the message with Magnum, as Higgins was pretty much answering service and he was running late to the airport so he couldn't stop by the estate. He said the client would meet Magnum at the club in a week or so, as the had to leave town on business. Normally, Rick is a little skittish about letting Magnum use the club to prospect clients lest Higgins finding out. It turned out that Magnums bar tab had exceeded Ricks standing rule just this once.

I promised to tell Magnum as soon as I found him.

The next morning, I was working at the estate. I had missed Magnum, as he had gone off on his run. I decided to hang around the guest house and wait for him. And.... That was when Higgins blew his top.

Magnum was running down the beach when a plane came out of nowhere, buzzed him, and then crashed into the tidal pool. I had never, ever seen anything like that before in my life!

Magnum, having dusted himself off jumped into the pool to save the pilot.

Higgins, of course.. blamed Magnum for the entire incident. The pilot seemed rather nonchalant about crashing the plane in the tidal pool, which only served to infuriate Higgins even further.

The pilots name was Sam Hunter, and he was from Waco Texas. Apparently he had flown the plane to the islands from Van Nuys! I'm not sure how he even made it to the islands, with the size of that plane and the distance involved.

Magnum was a good sport about the entire thing and even offered to give him a ride to the airport. Which, in retrospect probably wasn't a good idea, as Higgins got a call from the police about the Ferrari being involved in a high speed chase with the police and confiscated the keys from Magnum. Magnum took that in stride as well, as he said while he couldn't put a finger on it, but his "little voice" told him he owed Hunter one.

The next morning, when I arrived at the estate Higgins was still in an uproar. The night before, someone was searching the plane wreckage and took shots at he and Magnum. Magnum was investigating the wreck to see why, but all he could find were a few lead bars sewn into the seats.

Higgins had a hunch that someone didn't want Hunter to make his flight. Magnum decided to do some investigation and try and find him.

A few days later, I finally remembered that I forgot to tell Magnum about his potential client. I offered to give him a ride to the club, since Higgins was placing all vehicles off limits to Magnum for the time being in punishment for his airport adventure. Magnum confided in me that he was positive that Hunter was a pilot who helped get them out of a fight back in Vietnam.

We were walking into the club when Magnum was stopped by a man. He was short, pudgy and seemed to have a nervous giggle about him. He seemed a little off to me, but he also looked harmless. Since I don't like to intrude on Magnum-client confidentiality, I bid them farewell. As they walked away, I heard the first part of their conversation where the man introduced himself as Milton Collins.

[J.J. Walters]

Milton Collins?........ Oh, wait. Ahhh-haha. I see now. From the denouement of "Death and Taxes".

"Milton Collins. Even after I heard his name, I still couldn't remember him. I didn't have a record of him in my case file, but something did show up in my appointment book. I'd had a meeting at the club one day with a Milton Collins who wanted to know if his wife was cheating on him."

You're good Doc, real good.

Bring on "By Its Cover"! I can't wait to hear Kenji's take on how Rod Chrysler showed up at the front door of the main house! Heh!

[ConchRepublican]

As they walked away, I heard the first part of their conversation where the man introduced himself as Milton Collins.

Nice ....

[Doc Ibold]

By Its Cover:

Even though I've grown accustomed to visits from various clients and assorted eccentrics dropping by the estate to visit Magnum, I've never seen many friends of Magnums visit the estate, save for Rick and TC. I assume it's due to Higgins' general disdain of Magnums chosen profession that keep the gates of Robins Nest locked to most of Magnums acquaintances save for Rick or TC.. who usually get in over the gate and I am "convieniently" elsewhere on the estate.. or whether it is a scheduled appointment to discuss the club or a gratis charter for one of Higgins' societies that he and Agatha are involved in.

However, that all changed when Rod Crysler decided to make a house call.

I was busy working by the street one day when he drove up in the shoddiest looking truck I ever saw and passed right through the open gate! Higgins has a strict no solicitation policy, which I am diligent to enforce even though I am a little lax when it comes to Rick and TC. .

I took up after him on the driveway, but he had already reached the front door. I reached his "truck" and noticed there was a bit of an aroma lingering that smelled like a head shop. Maybe it was some sort of new cologne. Half the time, I smell like compost... So I don't really judge what other people smell like?

Higgins had answered the door and if I couldn't stop him, Higgins would. I was formulating a plan to explain his intrusion when I heard Magnum yell out "Hot Rod Crysler!!!!"

Magnum and Rod soon left for the guest house, and I was left to explain "Hot Rod Cryslers" presence on the estate. He soon left, and Magnum walked out grinning. He told me he was going to mKe an encyclopedia delivery for "Hot Rod" while he was traveling to visit his son. He asked if I would help him deliver it, but I had enough of "Hot Rod", plus had some extra chores Higgins had suddenly had discovered around the grounds, as the Baron Von Brandenburg was here with his new wife.. "Miss L". I'd try and take a look, but Kiki would kill me (as would Higgins).

Magnums delivery for Rod didn't turn out as planned. Rod had decided to plant some bags of grass in with his encyclopedias and make a little bit of green selling the green stuff... And the guys seemed to have Aiken a beating. Rick seemed to think it was hilarious. TC didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. It did seem to explain the aroma coming from the truck though. Magnum, however, seemed to think it was all one big misunderstanding!

He decided to go and chat it over with Higgins. Why that seemed to be a good idea at the time was beyond me.

The next day, Magnum took off on a hunt for Rod. For a guy whom he presumed to be innocent, he sure was asking a lot of time trying to find all about him.

Magnum came back again with Rod, who claimed he was being framed by a Narc from his past. Magnum still seemed to believe in this guy. He had to have done Magnum a solid in the past, because he didn't seem to be someone Magnum would associate with.

They headed back to the guest house where they remained throughout the night. When Rod left the next morning, Magnum almost seemed disgusted with Rod. TC and Rick showed up soon afterwards with Rods parole officer to catch Donner (the Narc in question) in the act.

In closing the Rod Crysler story, Donner was caught in the act. Rod was back on probation, and headed back to the mainland for good this time. As penance to Higgins, he had brought a batch of brownies. As Magnum and Rod said their goodbyes, it turned out there never was a son of Hot Rod! And maybe that was for the best, as one was probably too much,

[Doc Ibold]

The Big Blow:

Throughout my time here on the estate, I have gotten used to Higgins' eclectic interests and Magnums adventures. Many of them have been have dealt with love, betrayal, larceny or even murder. Usually I try to lay low and stay out of them and hear about it second hand from either Higgins or Magnum. On other occasions, either directly or indirectly, I find myself involved in them. This time, I was directly involved but no one knew about it save for Magnum, and my employer Robin Masters.

It all started around the time of Mr. Masters Spring Equinox party. Someone had been sending Robin threatening letters and he had reason to believe it would be a guest at his upcoming party, or so Magnum told me.

Rather than flee from the apparent danger, Mr. Masters decided to place himself directly in the middle of it. Magnum objected wholeheartedly to the plan, but once it was understood he go along with it or face other living arrangements, he reluctantly agreed. Magnum had three demands. 1) That Mr. Masters stay hidden in his room until the culprit was uncovered. 2) That no one know of his presence at the party (including Higgins) and 3) That I was to be involved.

I was to pick up Mr. Masters at the airport the day of the party and to smuggle him in in the Jimmy, in the guise of picking up fertilizer. Magnum would distract Higgins and I would take Mr. Masters up to his room where he and I would remain undetected with a great spread of food and drink that would tide the both of us over while the mystery unfolded. I was explicitly instructed by Magnum not to let Mr. Masters emerge under any circumstances.

Little did we know, a hurricane would turn that entire tidy plan upside down.

When I picked up Mr. Masters, I was noticeably nervous. He, however, was a little bit tipsy. He seemed to think this would be a great amount of fun and would be an interesting novel to write. And in order to write the novel correctly, he had to be involved!

I had never actually had a conversation with Robin Masters. Our relationship generally consisted of him complimenting the grounds, a Christmas card and a birthday card/bonus that I have received three distinctly different times throughout the year. I assumed this was his legendary ignorance of birthdates.

The winds were picking up as I pulled into the driveway. Magnum distracted Higgins, and I conspicuously excused myself to go home, with the guise that Kiki would be picking me up. I soon circled back across the beach and made my way towards the house along Magnums "avoiding Higgins" route.

I settled myself in Mr. Masters suite with him as he opened up a cognac to start the night. He offered some to me, but I refused. It was duty, after all. Mr. Masters was not to be denied, however and we were soon starting off with our snifters.

Amid the creaks, crashes and window shatters, we decided to go o we the list of suspects. It was almost like Hercule Poirot and Arthur Hastings. Im not sure if it was the cognac or the company, because even though we were in the midst of a dangerous situation, I was starting to agree with Mr. Masters view of it all being a terribly interesting adventure.

Archie MacPherson - Mr. Masters accountant
Duke Davis - Professional Baseball player whom Mr. Masters sponsored throughout his minor league career
Roland and Wanda Martine - Prince and Princess of Turbia
And
Candice Wingate - Editor of "Explosions of Poetry" magazine

None seemed to have a motive, but that seemed to intrigue Mr. masters even more. Through our seats upstairs, we could hear the guests arrive. Mr. Masters did comment that he found it amusing that Higgins seemed to think he was acquainted with most of the of the guests, when no one but Mr. MacPherson knew who he was. He mentioned he wasn't particularly surprised because Higgins had once let a KGB agent onto the estate who claimed to be his schoolteacher!

He must have seen the look on my face when he assured me that Higgins was a quite able majordomo and decide,y better and more trustworthy than Lowell Xavier Jamison, his predecessor. He said that despite Higgins' rare lapses, he had Magnum to fall back on.. Hence his unprecedented liberties at the estate. He also hinted that Magnums adventures made for excellent plot points in his novels, if he could only get Magnum to sign off on the rights to his life story. Which, he had steadfastly refused over the years. I resisted the urge to ask about his thoughts on Higgins memoirs.

Our illuminating discussion by raised voices. I my have been mistaken, but it sounded like everyone was being robbed! He didn't recognize the new voices, wanted to go downstairs. I had to restrain him and remind him of Magnums promise.

He begrudgingly sat down and opened up a bottle of brandy and motioned me to the chair across from him.

A shot rang out, the lads started barking and he once again sprung up. I had to once again calm him down and remind him that Magnum was armed and knew what he was doing. I also reminded him that Rick and TC were on the way.

He insisted on getting out of the room once and another shot rang out, punctuated for Higgins shouting "Lads!". I finally decided to let him explore to the head of the stairway to ensure no one was truly hurt. He heard Magnum claim that Higgins was shot, but also heard Higgins answer in the negative.

Satisfied, he went back into the suite and sank into the chair. I think some of his previous enthusiasm left once he realized armed robbers were in the house and this was all getting very real. He mused on the fate of the lads and said that Higgins would be devastated if they were killed. I empathized and told him that his dogs were probably fine, or else Higgins would have taken matters into his own hands.

The thieves then seemed to leave, just as the auxiliary generator went out.

He continued that the lads weren't his, as he was allergic. They were registered to Higgins and were actually a gift from Agatha in order to keep him company at the estate. He said that Agatha was a good woman, and it was probably for the best, so he didn't mind. Besides, it was a third line of defense for his guests behind Magnum and Higgins. We then toasted to Agatha.

The thieves must have returned because a young woman cried out. We could hear Wanda the princess laughing drunkenly. Mr. Masters commented that since she was laughing now, she would be hysterical later on. The young woman cried out again, as if she was in labor. Higgins and Magnum were arguing in the kitchen, which I explained to Mr. Masters was nothing out of the ordinary.

The mystery woman was screaming more and more now. The baby was soon going to be coming.

Rick and TC arrived and that's when Mr. Masters private investigators on retainer tripled. The hurricane had other ideas, as more and more windows shattered. Magnum came upstairs to advise us that his second phase was underway. They had subdued one of the robbers, while the other robber was helping his wife give birth.

Maybe it was the cognac talking, but i asked when the attack macaw was going to show up. Mr. masters and I had a great laugh over that while Magnum shot us a look and left. He warned us that the final phase was starting and he would be back up shortly. He advised us to make preparations to look like Mr. masters was asleep.

We could hear TC putting the play into action where he found Roland hiding in a closet... Much to the annoyance of Mr. Masters as it was close enough to the bedroom that he couldn't talk or drink anymore.

The quiet was punctuated by the woman giving birth in the study.

The next thing we knew, Magnum entered the room and motioned us to get away from the door. 5 minutes later, Candice Wingate opened the door and shot into the bed. Magnum subdued her, and Robin decided to have a talk with her, alone. Magnum left him a gun, just in case.

As they say, alls well that ends well. Robin had Candice taken into custody, as attempted murder is attempted murder after all. Robin gave me a bonus and instructed me to get a crew together to fix the estate up. One would think Higgins would be irate from being kept in the dark on so many levels, but he decided to throw his hands up and take a vacation to Switzerland.

.

[J.J. Walters]

As usual, great stuff Doc!

I took up after him on the driveway, but he had already reached the front door. I reached his "truck" and noticed there was a bit of an aroma lingering that smelled like a head shop. Maybe it was some sort of new cologne. Half the time, I smell like compost... So I don't really judge what other people smell like?

LOL!

I love how you worked Kenji into the Big Blow. Having him be with "Robin Masters" during the party was a good idea, although I guess you didn't have much choice. Where else would he be? Hopefully not out in the maintenance shed during the hurricane! The Big Blow is one of my favorite "Kenji Files" entries, Doc. Brilliant!

Maybe it was the cognac talking, but i asked when the attack macaw was going to show up. Mr. masters and I had a great laugh over that while Magnum shot us a look and left. He warned us that the final phase was starting and he would be back up shortly.

[Doc Ibold]

Thanks James!

This was a bit of a tricky one because I was going to have Kenji hide in the house due to the storm and not let on to his presence for fear of Higgins finding out.

But that wouldn't have made much sense with all of the action going on, and the entire house being searched by Magnum, Rick and TC.

So, I decided to make the Big Blow a "Very Special Robin Masters" episode, where it answered a few little questions here and there. I was about 5 paragraphs in when I realized it would be interesting perspective as to what would it be like if you heard everything that was going on without being part of the action. It also kind of explained Magnums special benefits from Robins perspective.

Sometimes the episodes where Kenji is the hardest to fit in are the most satisfying to write.

I do need to do a bit of cleaning up here and there in reviewing but overall... It turned out quite nice!

I was kind of bummed I couldn't do better by By Its Cover... But in re watching the episode, the estate isn't figured as prominently as I remembered! I was going to have Rod drop off some "special brownies" for Higgins as an apology and end with a scene of Higgins getting caught by Kenji raiding the guest house for hot dogs while listening to Jefferson Airplane, but I figured that would have been TOO much.

[ConchRepublican]

I was going to have Rod drop off some "special brownies" for Higgins as an apology and end with a scene of Higgins getting caught by Kenji raiding the guest house for hot dogs while listening to Jefferson Airplane, but I figured that would have been TOO much.

Hot dogs? You missed an opportunity!!! Higgins wouldn't munch on American snacks, but that Tanker Moran Jam would be a primary focus!!! That sounds like it could have been something special.

"I remember, well, I remember bits anyway, of a time in Malaysia. I was on station with an American of Hopi descent. Corporal Ahote, a fascinating fellow. We were celebrating with some Gurkha allies and he shared with us his theory that Polynesia was in fact settled originally by aboriginals from the Americas . . . "

[ConchRepublican]

The Big Blow:

Throughout my time here on the estate, I have gotten used to Higgins' eclectic interests and Magnums adventures. Many of them have been have dealt with love, betrayal, larceny or even murder. Usually I try to lay low and stay out of them and hear about it second hand from either Higgins or Magnum. On other occasions, either directly or indirectly, I find myself involved in them. This time, I was directly involved but no one knew about it save for Magnum, and my employer Robin Masters.

. . . .

As they say, alls well that ends well. Robin had Candice taken into custody, as attempted murder is attempted murder after all. Robin gave me a bonus and instructed me to get a crew together to fix the estate up. One would think Higgins would be irate from being kept in the dark on so many levels, but he decided to throw his hands up and take a vacation to Switzerland.

.

Excellent entry!

More intrigue regarding the Robin Masters/Higgins dynamic. I think we know where Doc falls on the debate . . .

[Doc Ibold]

Excellent entry!

More intrigue regarding the Robin Masters/Higgins dynamic. I think we know where Doc falls on the debate . . .

Or DO you???????

[ConchRepublican]

Excellent entry!

More intrigue regarding the Robin Masters/Higgins dynamic. I think we know where Doc falls on the debate . . .

Or DO you???????

Quite true, I'm sure you have more up your sleeve than you're showing.