Wish You Were Here

By Rocket

Episode 8.5: Part One

 

September 18th 1992, Hawaii


Aloha Mac,


Look where I am! I’m on a dance tour in Hawaii! It’s just like on the movies, just like on Magnum P.I. I’m dancing at this sweet little club on the Big Island, the other girls here are just so nice and I’m having the time of my life. The club manager is just the best to us and I’ve got this wonderful little apartment right on the beach so I can hear the waves when I go to sleep.

Hurricane Iniki was just awful. We didn’t get so much damage here, just a few sailboats sunk in the harbour, but on some of the other islands it was terrible! I hope we don’t get another one.

I wonder where you are? How is Sam? I would never in the world have figured that you had a grown up son running around – he must have been such a surprise but I just know you’ll be getting along fine. Wow, there’s not much room on a postcard, is there? I’m sending this to Pete, so he can send it to you. Write me when you get this, Mac, and tell me all about where you’ve been.
All my love,


Penny

 

October 10th 1992, Hawaii


Aloha Mac,

Thank you for sending me a postcard too and telling me all about your trip – it sounds amazing and Sam sounds swell. You and he look so alike in the picture you sent me! I’m sending you a picture of me on stage in my costume. Look how shiny it is! When I shimmy, all the sequins catch the lights and I look like a mermaid. Or so my new friend David says. He took the picture of me. He comes to all my shows and he says he just loves to watch me dance. We go out to lots of places and he has a boat! We’ve been out in it so many times and last time we went he had champagne on ice in the galley and we drank champagne and watched the sun set over Molokai. Isn’t that romantic? I wish you could meet him – he’s just dreamy! I think I might be falling in love with him, but don’t tell anyone else! OK, you can tell Sam. Anyway, I gotta go – I’m dancing tonight and I have to get ready.


All my love,


Penny

 

November 29th 1992, East Rock Island


Aloha Mac,


Well, you can see I’m not on Hawaii any more... You’ll never guess – David owns a whole island and he told me he loves me and asked me to live there with him now that my dance tour has finished! It’s like a fairytale, Mac. It’s really rocky and romantic and you have to get there by helicopter because the sea is too rough to land a boat and there isn’t really anywhere to land one anyway. I was a little bit scared in case another hurricane came and we had to get off the island fast but David says we don’t need to worry and the house has caves underneath where we could go if we were ever in danger. He wants me to stay here for Christmas though, so I guess I won’t get to see you after all ?. Anyway, I have to finish this letter so it can go on the helicopter to be posted on Hawaii – no mailman on East Rock Island!


All my love and Happy Thanksgiving,


Penny

 

MacGyver backed carefully through his front door, balancing two bulging grocery sacks and a pile of Phoenix Foundation binders, his mail clamped firmly in his mouth. Setting the binders down on the table and spitting out the mail, he stacked the sacks on the kitchen counter and pulled out a can of tomato juice. He kicked off his sneakers and sat down on the couch, wiggling his toes gratefully. He took a gulp of juice and leaned back, putting his feet up on the table and leafing through the mail. Bill. Bill. Advertising. Note from Mel thanking him for dealing with the overwintering snake in Kelly’s kitchen. Mac shook his head, grinning. Payslip. Postcard with a little heart shaped sticker on the front, stuck onto the picture...

 

March 3rd 1993, East Rock Island


Dear Uncle Angus,


I am having a lovely time here in Hawaii, David is just as kind to me as Monsieur Street ever was and I am happier here than ever. It’s so nice to find someone as trustworthy as Anton Burak. The house is amazing. Being here reminds me so much of when we went to Parker House that time, do you remember? Boy, that house was just full of surprises, and so was the garden! David is really well organised and successful and he treats me just like a princess! I’m even thinking about growing my hair really, really long so that I’ll look like the princess in the story too, what do you think?

Do you hear from Cousin Jack or Uncle Pete much? I’d just love it if you and he could come visit me, I really miss you all and it would be such a surprise for David. The hunting on the island is pretty good and I know how you two love a big target and how Uncle Pete always gets what he aims at. There’s a range here with lots and lots of paper targets. I found it by accident one day, when I was exploring.

Anyway, I have to send this otherwise I’ll miss today’s helicopter – I hope there’s room for a postcard on it because there sure is a lot of mail going out today.
Wish you were here,


Penny

 

MacGyver frowned and read the card again. Uncle Angus? Parker House? Penny had her moments, sure, but this was odd even for her. Maybe something was wrong. But if something was wrong, why didn’t she pick up the phone and call? His hand strayed to his own phone and he dialled without really looking.

“Hello? Yeah, Hi Jack. It’s me. What are you...? Never mind that. I’ve had a really weird message from Penny, would you come over and take a look at...? Yeah, I know. Weird even for Penny.” He listened briefly and then nodded. “Thanks Jack, see you soon.” He hung up.

* * * *

The door rattled in its frame as someone pounded hard on the other side.

“Hey Mac! You going to leave your two best friends out here all night? Let us in!”

MacGyver put the letter down and went to answer the door, shaking his head at Jack and guiding Pete inside. He settled Pete on the couch and watched Jack shrugging off his jacket and fanning himself.

“I know it’s supposed to be warm in L.A. but nobody said anything about Summertime in March! I wasn’t expecting to need Bermuda shorts...” Jack shook his head and hung his pilot’s cap on a hook.

“Yeah, you got me – I wasn’t expecting it either.” MacGyver poured lemonade and took a cup back to Pete.

“Thanks, that smells great.” Pete took a sip and wrapped his hands round the cool glass. “So what’s been happening, Mac? It’s not like you to get so spooked, especially where Penny’s concerned.”

MacGyver handed Penny’s postcards to Jack and sat down next to Pete.

“I’m not sure, Pete. The first few postcards I got from her – thanks for sending them on, by the way – were regular, holiday stuff. Having a great time, dance tour’s going well, stuff like that. She’d met this guy and they seemed to be getting along and...” He caught Jack’s eye and nodded. “Yeah, well, you know Penny...” Mac reached for the last card and turned it round in his hands. “And then there was this one. Let me read it to you.”

Jack and Pete listened, looking more and more confused. Pete shook his head, frowning.

“That makes no sense. Uncle Angus? Monsieur Street? I don’t get it.”

“Yeah, Pete. I don’t get it either. But she doesn’t sound happy and I’m worried about her. Trouble just seems to find her, we all know that. Just look at that time when...” MacGyver tailed off, looking again at the postcard he’d tossed onto the table.

Jack’s eyes widened and he snatched up the card.

“Mac! Pete! It’s a code, it’s got to be. We gotta work it out, Penny could be in trouble.” He stared round at his friends, the prospect of adventure lighting his eyes.

 

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