308GUY wrote:Well done sir! I'll have to watch that one (Beautly Knows No Pain) again, as I don't recall Kenji being fired by Higgins!
Doc, I think you may have a future in writing should you ever tire of being a "Visagoth"
So....is it on to season two, or did Kenji actally get "let go"
No no no.
Kenji will return!
I have to explain Higgins mentioning letting the groundskeeper go in Billy Joe Bob, thus having to shovel the manure in penance for letting Billy Joe escape. Kenji will be "collecting his things" that episode!
Continuity can be a pain sometimes...
Thanks for the compliment btw! As long as you all keep liking em, I'll keep writing em! I check the feedback every once in awhile. So please.. Keep commenting! Lets me know people are still reading.
Doc Ibold wrote:At our most recent meeting of the Oahu Gardeners and Landscape Engineers Society, I was speaking to Rodrigues, who works at the Kimball estate and he tells me all sorts of strange things go on there.
Love it!!
Last edited by ConchRepublican on Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
Doc Ibold wrote:Mr. Higgins had me prepare a memo listing the types and colors of all the flora in the estate to give to a knew that had to be trouble, based upon stories I heard from fellow OGLES members who worked for him.
After Higgins let me go, I decided to take a week off to wrap my head around things. Higgins wasn't particularly concerned as he was searching for my replacement. When I came back, I decided to go to the KKC and explain my situation to Mr. Wright.
When I got there, it looked like a totally different place since I last saw it. TC was there too and they heard me explain the situation. I told them that I assumed that my duties at the KKC were over since I was no longer employed at the estate. TC had the strangest remark. He spoke to Mr. Wright and said. "Orville, Higgy Baby has gone too far this time!"
I assumed that Higgy baby was Higgins, but who was Orville? When I asked Mr. Wright about it, he got a panicked look in his eye, looked about wildly that no one else had heard TC and took me aside. He then told me to forget about hearing the name Orville, gave me $20 and said to "drop the Mr. Wright and just call him Rick, Rick only. The name is Rick, capece?"
He then said he didn't care what Higgins thought and he would hire me on permanently at the club, and not to worry about what Higgins would say about it. It was actually good timing he said, as just before I arrived, some cowboy (literally) showed up out of the blue and punched out Harland! He may be out for a few days due to the attack.
I felt really good about that, and decided to get to work as soon as possible!
Mr. Wright, or Rick as I should get used to calling him, wasn't the only one with the odd name request I got that day though. I ran into Pat, and chatted with him for awhile and mentioned that the club looked totally different. He looked at me like he didn't have the slightest idea what I was talking about and then told me to call him Keoki from now on. Strange. I wonder if he has something to hide?
A few days later, I finally stopped putting it off and went to the estate to collect my things. Higgins was cordial but aloof when he let me in. At least he let me collect my things by myself. As I was leaving, I noticed there was an extremely drunk man in a cowboy hat hanging around the estate. When I ran into Magnum, he had asked where I had been and where I was going with all my things. I explained the whole situation to him, but he seemed unconcerned. He noticed that I looked distressed about that and reassured me that he would talk to Higgins about getting my job back. He winked and said "Rule #12 in my book "How to be a World Class Private Investigator" says to always keep an eye out to help your friends and have an ace up your sleeve."
I'm not sure what influence he'll have over Higgins because Higgins doesn't seem to like Magnum... But then again some help is better than none.
I came back the next day because in my depression, I had totally forgotten to take my secret stash of money I won from the surfski races and gift exchange in the potters shed! I'm not a huge fan of banks, and even if I walked into the bank with $20,000 in cash, people would look at a groundskeeper funny for depositing that amount of money.. Especially one working at an estate like Robins Nest! I figured it was as safe there as anywhere, as one would have to dig through 500 lbs of the compost I keep for Mr.Masters orchids.
When I arrived, I saw that there was a giant load of manure had been deposited. I assumed it was for the grass we had just put down before the Ironman competition.
Higgins arrived at the gate and took me up to the house when all hell broke loose. The next thing we knew, the cowboy (who seemed to have sobered up) came sprinting away from the guest house with a gun around his waist. Before long, he had gotten into the Ferrari and sped out through the gates with a Yee Haw!
I wonder where the lads were to stop this? At least he didn't leave the top in the street.
Higgins then called me a cretin and said none of this would have happened if I had picked up everything the first time around. He then followed up with that not only did I commit a serious dereliction of duty, I caused him to commit one as well. He informed me that he heard about my employment at the club via Rick and would be speaking with the board about my employment. He then rushed me to the street, slammed the gate in my face and stomped off in a rage.
Even if Magnum hadn't spoken to him yet, I know it's the end of my time at Robins Nest after this incident. Plus, I'm out $20,000. Things certainly aren't coming up Kenji lately.
Update: The most amazing thing has happened! Higgins called me up and asked me to meet him at the estate. He then explained he had been rash in letting me go and asked if I would consider resuming my duties at the estate. Not leaving anything to chance, I accepted immediately and started to work on fertilizing the lawn, which looked like someone had started (and did a terrible job).
I went to the club to celebrate and ended up meeting a wonderful woman there. Her name was Kiki, and coincidentally enough she knows Magnum through Maku, her grandfather (and was actually with him when he destroyed the transmission on the Ferrari some time ago). We had a few drinks and decided to go out again soon.
As I left, I saw Magnum and told him the good new. He smiled and said he was glad to be of help. I thanked him and asked how he did it. He told me that he saw the lads burying some bones in the azaleas and as usual, they were torn up. He knew how I always fixed them up after the lads dropped off their treasures and didn't tell anyone. Since I was gone, and Mr. Masters was arriving for one of his rare visits, he let Higgins know that he knew who destroyed the azaleas. He also told Higgins that they frequently do this, and that I covered up for them (literally). Between the sword of Magnum revealing the lads to be digging up flowers to Mr. Masters and the 1400 lbs of manure remaining, Higgins really had no choice but to call me back!
Last edited by Doc Ibold on Sun Aug 04, 2013 4:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
I had been back to work at the estate for a few weeks, at it was if I never left.
One morning, after I got to work a woman arrived at the gate to meet Magnum regarding a case. Normally, I would have let her inside, but since since I consider myself to be on probation I had to make her wait on the street. A short time later, Magnum drove up with a goat in the Ferrari. Apparently it's name was Horace and he was taking care of the goat for a little girl.
Before he left, he practically begged me not to tell Higgins about Horace and then left with the woman whose name was Marion.
I have a feeling my work is cut out for me, as Horace seems to like dining on the flowers. But I think I owe Magnum one for getting me my job back, so I can violate my self imposed probation this one time.
Higgins returned from the kennels where the lads are staying. He then began wandering around the grounds searching for a Kudu Buck, as he put it. I'm not sure what a Kudu buck is, but at least he isn't looking for a goat. I told him I heard the noises as well and saw the damage to the flowers and promised to keep an eye out. I need to find that goat and get him to the potting shed ASAP once Higgins goes to sleep.
A little while later, I saw Higgins cleaning his gun when Magnum showed up. It turns out that he confessed that he brought the goat to the estate and Higgins allowed it to stay in return for a portion of the treasure that was trying to locate for Marion. Either way, I am off the hook. Although, I did find it funny that Higgins put me in charge of looking after it. I had to stifle a laugh, but solemnly promised him I would do my best.
On another note, I haven't seen TC lately. I hope everything is alright with him.
Kiki and I decided to recreate our first date at the KKC club. Everything seemed to be going well, until Rick stormed out of his apartment and decided to sit at the bar. He must have been really upset because he started ordering drinks and even had a cigarette, even though he quit.
He didn't stay sad for long, because all of the sudden he started to hit on a woman who looked exactly like Windham Jackson's wife! She even was dressed in old fashioned clothes like the ones she wore when she called herself the Black Orchid and came calling at the estate. I wanted to go over there and warn him not to get involved with her, based upon what happened to Magnum. Kiki stopped me and said not to let it ruin our evening, and to let him make his own decisions.
The next morning he came roaring up to the estate looking for Magnums help locating her. I figured Magnum, out of anyone, would warn Rick to stay away. I decided to let it be and went back to replacing some flowers destroyed by Horace's last visit to the estate. Higgins seemed to ignore them, as he was busy practicing Romeo and Juliet. He had asked me if I had wanted to be an extra, but I backed out. He eventually convinced Magnum, I heard later.
We had our weekly meeting of OGLES and Josef, the caretaker at the old Clifford estate told us a story of someone who broke into the estate whom he hit over the head with his shovel. I'm not sure why we have him around, as he's a little off and insists on carrying his shovel with him everywhere. But, he and some of the older members like Taka at the MacLeish estate love to hang around and tell stories about the good old days back in the 30s and 40s, so they do bring a little historical context to our little society.
I guess there really was something going on at the Clifford estate, because I read in the papers that her body had been discovered there after nearly 40 years. Her niece, one Lisa Page - who looks exactly like Windham Jackson's wife and Sara Clifford as well - had been kidnapped by a wealthy shipping magnate, who was eventually shot by Magnum when he tried to rescue her at the Clifford estate. I guess she was the one Rick met at the club. Apparently she was writing a book about her aunt and her supposed suicide. Sounds like it will be a best seller after everything that happened.
To close this entire weird incident, Kiki and I decided to take a walk on the beach after we saw Lisa, Rick (who was recovering from being shot in the shoulder), TC and Magnum at the club. Apparently Romeo and Juliet won't be happening after all and Higgins seems quite indignant about it. As we got further away from the club, Kiki forgot her purse and we turned to go back.
Standing in the waves, we saw Lisa Page looking back at Lisa Page at the bar. I didn't want anything to do with that and we quickly turned and walked the other way. I know we weren't seeing things because Magnum had stepped onto the beach to have a cigar and he turned and looked over at us after he saw her too!
Last edited by Doc Ibold on Sun Aug 04, 2013 4:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
A man arrived at the estate today looking for Magnum. Higgins sent me out to the gate to escort him to the guest house. He went to fetch Magnum from the beach. The man introduced himself as a Swede who was in pharmaceuticals. It sounded rather odd, as he had a Russian accent, but I let him in anyway. I've see Dr. Zhivago to know what's what.
I wonder if this is about the Soviet track team that's in town.
They soon left, and the man seemed very impatient, much to Magnums exasperation.
When Magnum came back, I checked in to see if I could do some work about the guesthouse the next day He said he didn't mind, and told me his client was a hothead who kicked over trashcans while expressing his hatred of impotence. I can't say I blame the guy, but he should do something a little more constructive like going a doctor than making more work for the sanitation department. TC and Rick came by later as a I was leaving with some slides and a projector.
Magnum, Rick and TC came back in TCs van and loaded a bundle into the guesthouse while I was working. TC and Rick left, and I could hear voices inside.. Then two gunshots! When Magnum emerged, he had a smile on his face and asked if I happened to know where he could get ahold of a Zodiac. I put him touch with my friend Jerry who ran a marina. I didn't want to know what happened in the guesthouse!
Magnum came back and had a conversation with Higgins and they seemed to share a moment. It must have been a very brief moment because Higgins called the lads on Magnum who chased him all the way to the guesthouse!
This is an anxious time in the islands, especially for those living in Little Saigon. My sister, Kishiko is married to a Vietnamese man named Minh. He told me that the word is that the Tiger will be making an appearance in Honolulu to bolster support for the New Revolutionary Front. He was wondering if I could get Robin Masters support.
I told him that it really wasn't my place and that Mr. Masters (to my knowledge) is apolitical at best, save for when it benefits his own interests.
The Tiger is very mysterious and no one seems to know who he is. I wonder what will come of it all?
The estate is in a bit of flux as well. The lads have been very friendly to Magnum for awhile now... Until today. I saw him slipping them a steak every now and then and they seem to like it... So I assume cases have been light lately. I think it's taken it's toll on Magnum because he looks like he's not getting enough sleep. He's pleasant as usual, but it seems he has something on his mind.
I ran into Higgins the early other day at the estate when I was getting the Jimmy to pick up some begonias from the Farmers Market downtown. He launched into a story of when he had to tunnel into the heart of Marrakesh in '42 and disguise himself as a merchant in a bazaar in order to procure a rare Algerian nuthatch and a fern, each holding half of a message regarding Operation Torch. I was really in a hurry, and I offhandedly told him he should write those stories down as a journal like I do. Or at least preserve them for historical posterity. He got a strange gleam in his eye, wished me good day and has been typing away in the study ever since.
I saw Magnum a little later, and seemed in good spirits as he left with Mr. Masters camera and giggling in his peculiar way about "15 Stone and 6 Feet".
The next day, Magnum and Higgins got into an argument about the use of the darkroom. Magnum sped out soon after and nearly hit me as I was loading the Jimmy up to take some of the extra begonias to the club. When I got there, Keoki told me Magnum was in the middle of a heated discussion with Rick and TC about someone named Michelle. TC took him aside and left with him down the beach. Rick was very quiet Nd didn't answer the question. Keoki told me he had never seen Magnum (or any of them) in that state, and it worried him.
I left the club, and as I was driving down the street, a military car pulled me to the side of the road. A man with a deep booming voice stood over the car and said that I wasn't in any trouble and just needed to answer some questions. His name tag identified him as a Colonel Greene. He said he knew about my brother-in-law and his involvement with the Tiger. He also said that he know I worked on the estate where Magnum lived. He gave me his card and said if I didn't want any trouble with my sister or brother in law, I was to give him an update of Magnums activities, especially in Little Saigon. He left, and as I looked at the card. I wasn't sure if he was a real colonel or not because his card spelled his name as Green. Needless to say, I was shaken up. I didn't want to spy on Magnum, but I also don't want to bring trouble for my family.
Higgins and Magnum seem to have come to a truce, as they seem to be working a lot together in the darkroom. Soon after, he left the estate again with tears in his eyes and looking like he had seen a ghost. TC and Rick came by after he left, chatted with Higgins briefly, then came rushing out and told me that the woman in the pictures was Michelle, Magnums wife (long thought dead) and that they were leaving for Little Saigon to find her. Rick recalled from my employment application that my sister and brother-in-law lived in Little Saigon and wondered if he could ask me to ask my brother-in-law if he had seen her, or at least assist in the search.
Against my better judgement, I decided to call Buck Greene.
The next morning, Lt. MacReynolds appeared at the gates looking for Magnum. Higgins had me show him to the guest house. For as much praise as Magnum heaped on him, he didn't seem happy to see "Mac". I had a feeling that I was the cause of his presence, and I soon left.. cursing myself that I made the call and vowing to do the right thing and head to Little Saigon and visit Kishiko and Minh and see if we could locate Michelle ourselves to reunite Magnum with her. I didn't want to risk them telling anyone else, as I know there are many people who act as spies in Little Saigon.
I came back extremely late that night, unsuccessful in our search. I couldnt get to sleep and decided to go to the estate and tell Magnum the whole story and to ask for his forgiveness. I got to the estate and decided to wait at the guesthouse for him. A few hours later, he arrived... With Michelle. I begged forgiveness for the interruption and explained everything to them about me calling Buck Greene. Michelle gave me a knowing glance and told me that even if I hadn't made the call, Greene would have found her anyhow. She went inside. Magnum gave her a strange look, but was very gracious and told me he wouldn't hold it against me and that he only important thing was that she was here. I left soon after to finally give them the reunion that Vietnam had kept from them for far too long.
My sister called and told me there had been a shoot out in Little Saigon, with Quang Ki, a member of the North Vietnamese army dead. It turns out he was the Tiger after all.
I took a few days off of the estate, simply because I didn't want to face Magnum, and to give him time with Michelle. When I arrived, both Magnum and Higgins were getting out of the Audi. Magnum had been shot again, and walked over to the guesthouse. I asked Higgins where Michelle was and he told me that she left for Vietnam with her husband.
Having gone through it twice with the same woman, I wonder if Magnum believes in the adage "It is better to have loved and lost, than never having loved at all"? My guess would be no.
With your permission, I'd like to compile all these together and put them on the site. It makes for a nice overview of each episode (from an insiders perspective). Are you planning on doing all the episodes?
Yessir! It may take me a little while, but I intend to do them all.
Weekends are usually the best bet for me. I'll probably get Tropical Madness through Dick McWilliams done tonight. Hopefully get S2 done by the end of the week.
Feel free to compile them however you wish, as long as you include in there about intellectual property rights, no reproduction w/o consent, etc. blurb, I'm cool.
I do love doing it, but also want to keep the credit/ rights for it so no one can just yank it. If there's an issue because its on a public site, then we can work around that.
Glad to see you like it! Any particular favorite passages/one offs you like?
Everything had been going smoothly at the estate, and whenever that happens, I've learned to expect the unexpected. Boy, was I spot on with that assumption.
Magnum came roaring up in his traditional fashion, but when he emerged, it was anything but traditional. He was only wearing his underwear and the Ferrari was covered in some sort of fluid. Higgins wasn't too pleased to see the side mirror had been sheared off, which he demanded Magnum pay for.
Magnum threatened to run him down, then tried to explain. Magnum is usually collected, even jovial.. But this time he was almost at a loss for words.
A strange situation (even for Robins Nest) got even stranger when a young woman showed up to the estate. I let her in once she indicated she was there to see Higgins and gave me his personal password. I made my way back to the main house just to see this for myself. Higgins letting someone onto the estate who isn't a guest (save for Rick or TC, whom I suspect he secretly likes having around - They do bring a dose of the unexpected!) is almost unheard of.
Magnum was trying to explain what happened to the Ferrari, and somehow expected this woman to corroborate his story. She didn't seem to have the faintest clue of what he was talking about. He then started yelling about a Sumo Wrestler and a Dwarf, got in the car and yelled about the car and his underwear. He then drove off to another part of the estate for whatever reason, because he certainly wasn't headed toward the guest house.
He took a swim, and then decided to chat with the young lady (who's name was Jennifer), who completely shut him down. Magnum definitely has a way with women, so this was a first for me. In addition to his book about how to be a world class private investigator, he should write about how to pick up women.
Before I met Kiki, I decided one time to grow out a mustache and wear a lot of Aloha shorts and baseball caps with sunglasses just to see what it was like to be Magnum. One day, I was eating lunch in my work van by the park and the police stopped me, asked what I was doing and said I looked suspicious. I guess the look goes better with a Ferrari.
Higgins seems like a much younger man recently, and in a much better mood overall! I caught him dancing one time before I presented the quarterly estate grounds plan and budget. He didn't even blink at the cost.
I met up with Rick at the Club to present the KKC budget, and he told me about how he and TC have a bet on Magnum to win over Jennifer before Higgins did. I decided to set a few wagers with him myself with $300 from my secret potting shed stash. I figured I had some inside information that would be useful, so why not?
I went back to the estate and Magnum doesn't seem to know when to give up. He confronted Higgins and Jennifer on the lanai, and you could cut the tension with a knife. Higgins told Magnum off and then left with Jennifer. Magnum took another swim while Higgins and Jennifer were skeet shooting.
When he finished, he approached Jennifer, they had a brief argument and then he kissed her! Higgins came back, saw it and punched Magnum! I ran into Magnum as he was moving his things off of the estate. He told me in confidence that he thought this was all strange and that Higgins was being set up.
Higgins had kicked him off of the estate, but he was going to sneak in with Rick and TC to prove it once and for all.
He needed me to stay late that night and lay low. If he was right, someone would be following Jennifer (as she now had a key). If so, he wanted me to wait in the bushes and let the air out of their vehicle so they couldn't escape. Rick, TC and he would take care of the others.
As I felt I owed him one for calling Buck Greene, I jumped at the opportunity because it showed he still trusted me. Even then, being a part of his investigations is kind of fun.
The night came, and everything went according to plan. He had TC arrive in order to have an excuse for the alarm to be disabled. If he was wrong, he didn't want me to be implicated and have me lose my job (again).
TC came and went, and Jennifer made her appearance. Sure enough, a car came through the gates with a middle aged man.. And a sumo wrestler and a little person. They rang the doorbell and waylaid Higgins. I let the air out of the tires and stole the sparkplugs.. Just to be sure.
I heard glass break, then saw the sumo wrestler and little person being chased across the lawn by Rick and TC. I think they should have had Rick chase the little person because he had his hands full with the wrestler and had to be saved by Magnum and TC.
Apparently, the three were after Robin Masters art collection. TC left and got his chopper and took Jennifer away before the police came. Magnum said she was a pawn in the scheme. Higgins took everything surprisingly well, and seemed quite proud of himself. I'm glad he finally had his moment.. Although I think an older British woman who likes society events, tea and gardening is more his speed.
I was working down at the KKC tearing down some trees that were damaged by the storm and replacing them. I stopped off at the bar, and Rick seemed to be down. I assumed it was regarding a woman, but he told me a surfer friend of Magnums turned up dead that morning near the Surfrider Club. I had just missed him, but he left to investigate.
I generally don't go there because there's a lot of drug dealers who hang out there. I went once with Kiki, but we left. We took a brief detour down to a banana patch near there, but got chased off by a man with a gun.
Magnum seems to be pretty down. He's not sure if he's even going to enter the surfski race. Selfishly, I hope he does because I placed $2000 on Kiki Kahuna beating him again. Rick thought I was nuts, but decided to give me a 10:1 bet that it wouldn't happen, and that all bets were final.
A few days later, Magnum solved the case. It turns out one of the police officers who patrolled that area killed Kacey. He was brought in by his partner. Magnum eventually raced.... And lost to Kiki Kahuna. I decided to put some of my winnings in the bank. The rest, as usual goes in the potting shed.
I used to think Magnum was the only person in the world who could get underneath Higgins' skin. Sadly, I have learned that there is one person who trumps Magnum in that respect in every way imaginable - Mad Buck Gibson.
It all started one morning on the beach at the KKC. I was helping Higgins set up for his beach croquet tournament for art enthusiasts. Higgins and Magnum were having their usual quarrel when Rick found Magnum a client at the bar, Mad Bucks ex-wife Joan Gibson.
Then, all hell broke loose. A man parachuted onto the beach from a biplane. He drifted towards the reef, then veered toward the beach.. knocking out Higgins and Nola Barnes, an acquaintance of Higgins. She seems to adore him, but he barely notices her. I hope they see more of each other.
And thus, we all met Mad Buck Gibson (and his broken leg).
Apparently, Mad Buck and Robin Masters go very far back and he is staying at the estate with us. Higgins was hospitalized and left me in charge. Joan Gibson also seems to be staying at the estate, much to Bucks annoyance. I let her in when she asked who I was, and I let her know about Higgins "accident". She and Magnum seem to have a decent bond. As much as she blusters about Buck, I think she truly cares about him and not the alimony she claims he owes her.
The next morning, I heard several rounds of gunfire coming from the Guest house! Higgins was back from the hospital and trudged over to investigate. I ran over myself to make sure Magnum was OK. It turns out Mad Buck was adding "artistic creation" to Magnums bathroom wall.
It turned out that Magnum was double dipping because he even got Higgins to hire him for a plethora of long-tern estate privileges, or so Magnum told me.
The next time I saw Buck and Magnum, TC was at the estate. It sounds like he and Rick are interested in writing books themselves. TC has always been extremely well read, but Rick seems a little far fetched. After TC showed Buck his book to get his opinion. I decided to put this journal in front of him.
Buck was now nursing a broken hand, but he graciously took a quick look after offering me a Bazooka. He told me that he enjoyed the whimsical tone coupled with the attention to detail and underlying subtext that speaks to the informed reader. He noted how the writing seems to be omniscient of the events surrounding the estate and hints towards the future and wondered how I did that. He also warned me not to lose sight of the purpose of the journal by becoming TOO tongue-in-cheek. I think I'll take that to heart.
Soon after I met with him, Buck true to form, stole the Ferrari and Magnum gave chase in the Audi. they soon returned with a banged up Ferrari.
And as soon as the storm called Mad Buck Gibson hit the estate, he was gone, aside for a check for the damages he caused... Much to Higgins relief.
Some time later, I read that before he left Hawaii, he set a record for hang gliding from Oahu to Molokai. Soon after, he returned to New York where he passed away a year later of bone cancer. Joan, who remarried him, was by his side. The article hinted at an unfinished novel that was found in his belongings about the adventures of a black helicopter pilot in Vietnam named Otis.. tentatively titled Saigon Sex Machine. Joan is thinking of shopping it around and donating the profits for cancer research.
He didn't leave behind any children... But I'm not sure if they could measure up to Buck. I assume they'd probably hang around a pool with their buddies getting drunk all the time, sponging off his money.
