Ultimate Betrayal

**Immediately follows "Where There's Smoke…"**

"Death, the one appointment we all must keep,
and for which no time is set."
Charlie Chan

CHAPTER 1

Fumbling for the phone, Matt glanced at the clock on the nightstand: 1:17AM. "Yeah, Houston." He heard sobbing on the other end of the line. "Hello?" When the sobs continued he looked at the caller ID on the phone and turned on the lamp. "Vince? What's wrong?"

"Paulie…" The former LAPD detective sobbed some more.

"What happened?" Matt sat up on the side of the bed and CJ scrambled across to sit next to him, her hand on his back.

"He's dead, Houston, he's dead!" Vince lost it again. Matt hit the speaker button and CJ immediately teared up as she heard their friend crying.

"Vince…" Matt's voice caught in his throat as he thought about his friend's almost eighteen year old son. "What happened?"

"They called Five-0 - Steve and Danny came and told us…" Novelli tried to pull himself together. "He was found in Central Park."

The Houstons looked at each other: Vince wasn't talking about his son, but his brother Paul that his son was named after. "Are you still in Honolulu?"

"Yeah." It was obvious that the man was trying to pull himself together and Matt could now hear wailing in the background – the sound of Rosa Novelli reacting to the news.

"I'll be there as soon as I can, bud. You take care of Mama, okay?" After being reassured that he would, Matt hung up and dialed his uncle's number. "Uncle Roy, we have to make a trip." He told the former CIA agent what little he knew, knowing that he would want to be there to comfort Rosa. The pair had been dating exclusively for over a year and Roy wanted to marry her.

"I'll meet you at the airport." The normally jovial voice of the seventy two year old was full of grief. He immediately got dressed and packed a bag.

As Matt began getting dressed, CJ started packing clothes for him. Knowing that he would stop in LA on the way from Honolulu to New York, she spoke. "We'll meet you at the airport when you stop to refuel." After getting dressed Matt added a bullet proof vest, holster, and Glock to the bag along with plenty of ammunition. "Expecting trouble?"

"Just being careful." He zipped up the bag and pulled her into a hug. "Try to get some sleep. See you later." After the pair shared a kiss he stroked her cheek. "Love you, Babe."

"Love you. Be careful." She watched as he headed down the hallway and heard the kitchen door close as he went to his truck.

As Matt went through the gates at the bottom of the driveway of the sprawling ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains, he thought about what he knew about Paul Novelli. Like his older brother Vince, Paul had entered the Air Force straight out of college where he had earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science. After serving his country for four years in Germany where he had been a military policeman, he got a job with the NYPD, starting out on patrol and then moving to a coveted position with the Computer Crimes Squad. Paul had been recruited by a private security firm about three years before and had left NYPD for the higher-paying job. Houston and Vince had talked to him via video chat not long after the transfer and he referred to his job as "making sure the rich guys that don't know how to use a computer don't get hacked or scammed." He was seemingly happy and had even gotten engaged three months ago to a young woman who worked for an advertising agency. The wedding was due to take place the following spring. Naturally, Rosa had been excited; she had spent a lot of time urging Paul to settle down and start a family of his own.

After arriving at the airport, Matt filed a flight plan, oversaw the fueling of the plane, and was in the midst of a preflight inspection when Roy pulled up and parked at the hangar. He silently hauled his baggage up the steps of the plane, not stopping to talk to his nephew, who was surprised, but continued on with his work. Once finished, he boarded the jet and closed the hatch. Roy was sitting in one of the seats staring out the window. Putting a hand on his uncle's shoulder, the younger man spoke quietly. "You okay?" Roy nodded, but didn't speak, instead continuing to stare out the window and Matt knelt at his side, worried that the excitement might have had an effect on the older man's heart. "Hey…" He swiveled the chair slightly to see his uncle's eyes brimming with tears.

Trying his best to choke back his emotions, Roy cleared his throat. "Sorry."

"You know, you're not with the CIA anymore. It's okay to show a little emotion – especially at a time like this." He patted on his uncle's hand and was surprised when Roy pulled him into a hug, the sobs rolling through his body silently. It was a first for Matt; Roy had always been the calm, controlled voice of reason and the only time the younger Houston had seen him as close to being upset so badly was when he thought that his own son Will was dead. The two stayed that way for a couple of minutes, Matt patting his back. Eventually Roy settled back in the seat, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping his eyes.

"Sorry." He looked at Matt and shook his head. "Rosa called me when I was on the way over here…I'm scared, Mattlock. She's…" He waved his hands. "I'm worried about her."

"I am, too. That's why I thought you should come along. She's gonna need you." Matt continued to pat Roy on the shoulder. "Tell you what: how about you pour yourself a little bracer and come up front to keep me company – and out of trouble." He gave the older man a lopsided grin. "You know I need that since CJ isn't with me right now."

"Damn good idea." Roy got out of his chair and went to the galley, pulling down a bottle of whiskey and pouring himself half a glass before following his nephew to the cockpit of the plane. He watched the younger man as he prepared for takeoff and was given clearance, then piloted the plane smoothly into the air.

Matt checked the time: it was almost 3:00AM. The flight to Hawaii would take five hours and would put them getting there at 6:00AM Honolulu time. Once he was out over the Pacific, he hit the autopilot and shifted in his seat, popping his back and heaving a sigh of relief. "All I got from Vince was that they found him in Central Park…you?"

"Yeah, she wasn't really able to talk too much." He took another slug of the bourbon and got more comfortable in the seat. "She just…she said she needed me."

"I'd say she's right. You know CJ talked to her for you about the marriage proposal." Roy had asked him a week or so before if he and his wife would talk to Rosa about accepting the proposal. "She said she'd think about it."

"Uh huh. That's what she said before." Roy took another sip, feeling the smoothness of the Tennessee whiskey as it began to warm him. "I need her, too, Matt."

"I know you do." He reached across and patted his uncle on the shoulder. Although he had wondered before what Roy would do if he did marry Rosa, he was pretty sure the result would be his uncle's retirement from the detective agency and a move to Honolulu. Mama wasn't about to leave her family. She had moved to LA a few months after Vince had been accepted by the LAPD. Her husband had died years before and all of her sons were either working or in college and away from home; the house that the Novelli boys had grown up in was too big, too lonely, and too full of memories of her deceased husband. Unlike a lot of wives, Vince's wife Isabella had been thrilled for her mother-in-law to come live with them. They had worked together to open the Novelli's restaurant that had been an instant hit in LA. Vince's four sons – Paul, Michael, Vince Jr., and Tony – were named after the previous generation of Novellis. Rosa was used to the hustle and bustle of a house full of boys and had come back to life after the move.

Matt snuck another glance at Roy who was sipping the whiskey again. Will Houston - Roy's son - had been like a brother to Matt when they were growing up and the two had spent part of their time in the Army together in the same unit. During an ambush where Matt was severely injured, Will had been taken prisoner by the enemy in Iraq and it wasn't until years later after Houston and Roy were reunited that Matt had found out that his cousin was still alive and still a prisoner in Afghanistan. He had led a raid and brought the man back home and there was a reunion of sorts, but his time as a POW had changed Will. He still loved his family, but for the most part tended to be a loner. Although Roy had never said anything, Matt knew that it hurt the older man not to have his son around more. Almost afraid to ask, he did nevertheless. "Have you talked to Will?"

Roy shook his head no. "Not yet - didn't figure there was any point in waking him up in the middle of the night." They were silent. "Don't blame him, boy. He's got his reasons." The elder Houston knew what his nephew was thinking.

"Maybe I shouldn't – but I do, Uncle Roy. I'll admit I wasted a couple of years when Daddy and I were butting heads when I moved to LA…and that's why I think I've got the right to say he's wrong." There was a catch in his voice when he spoke again. "I've made several mistakes in my life. Not talking to him for almost two years and waiting so damn long to let CJ know how I felt are the two biggest regrets I have. Every time I look at Catey it gets me – he should have still been around to know her – and now the boys."

"Even if you had come to your senses sooner, you don't know that he would have been around. He had heart trouble for years. We never know what tomorrow holds – we just have to hope for the best and hold on like hell." He knocked back the rest of the whiskey. "You know, I always wanted to learn how to fly one of these contraptions." Giving Matt a grin he looked over at him. "Maybe when things calm down a little bit you can teach me."

"I'd be happy to do it." They got quiet again and in a few minutes he heard his uncle's breathing get deeper and looked over to see that he had fallen asleep. Going back to the passenger cabin he retrieved a blanket from one of the closets, bringing it back to the cockpit and carefully covering him. After returning to his own seat, Houston continued to watch the radar and keep an eye out the windshield of the G-550, all the while wondering just what in the hell had happened to Paul.

Just before he landed, Matt gently shook Roy awake. "Hey, we're here." The elder Houston nodded and straightened up in the seat, realizing then that there was a blanket on him.

"I wasn't much company, was I?" He folded it.

"You needed the rest…not to mention the Jack Daniel's kinda has a way of doing that when someone has an empty stomach." He gave his uncle a grin and began the landing process. A few minutes later they were taxiing to the hangar where Vince and two of his sons – Paul and Tony – were waiting for them. After opening the hatch, Matt allowed his uncle to deplane first and then stopped to speak to the driver of the fuel truck. Tony had headed across the tarmac carrying a couple of suitcases as soon as the hatch was popped and was the first to reach Roy, who received a big hug. Vince and Paul were headed that way with more luggage and both stopped to embrace Matt's uncle. Tony boarded the plane and stashed the luggage, coming back out to meet up with his hero as he oversaw the refueling.

Catching sight of the boy out of the corner of his eye, Houston wasn't prepared when the now eleven year old ran the last few feet and threw his arms around him, causing him to nearly loose his balance. "Easy, pard." Matt held him tight. The others had put the luggage on board and walked out to join them, Vince and Houston immediately hugging each other. Paul was next and it was apparent to Matt that the teen was trying extremely hard not to cry.

"They'll be here in a few minutes. Mama wanted to stop by the church…" Vince's voice trailed off and he swallowed hard. He looked back over at the man that he considered a brother just as much as he had Paul. "I really hated to call you like that."

"Don't – that's what brothers do, remember? I made that call not too long ago." Matt thought back to a couple of months earlier when a rogue cop and dishonored FBI agent had conspired to kill him as well as CJ and Catey. There was a moment of awkward silence. "Have you heard anything else?"

Nodding, Vince fought to control his emotions. "Tony called after he had managed to talk to one of the detectives." Tony was a Catholic Priest and like his brothers Paul and Michael, had remained in New York City after Vince moved to LA. His voice cracked as he spoke. "They're saying it was suicide." He shook his head.

"That's crap and you know it, Dad!" Vince's youngest son Tony exploded with anger.

"Watch it, son. I know you're upset but you're going to have to keep that mouth in check. You don't want to upset Grandma any more than she already is, alright? And just so you know, I think it's crap, too."

"We all do." Paul put his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Tony told me to call him when we get airborne so he can fill us in a little bit more. He figured that would give you a chance to start working the keyboard."

"I'll sure do it." Houston looked toward the hangar as Isabella pulled up in the family's van and he and the others walked that way, Roy in the lead. The older man opened the door for Rosa and was immediately embraced as she once again began crying. Isabella and the two other boys both greeted Matt, Vince's wife trying hard not to cry as were Michael and Vince, Jr. "Are y'all ready to load up?" Everyone nodded and Rosa finally pulled away from Roy and then put her arms around Matt who pulled her close and rocked her. After a minute he pulled back a little bit. "Mama, I need to ask you a favor."

"What?" She dabbed at her red-rimmed eyes with a tissue.

"I know this is a rough situation, but I'm worried about you; try to calm down a little, okay, darlin'?" He took both her hands in his. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, I promise you. But you calm down and take care of yourself for me, huh?"

"I'll try."

"Okay." Matt looked up as a black Camaro pulled up to the hangar and two familiar faces got out. Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams of the Five-0 Task Force quickly made their way over to the group, Danny immediately hugging Mama.

"I'm so sorry, Mama." He kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Danny."

Matt and Williams shook hands as Steve pulled Rosa into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "You take care of yourself, okay? We don't want Danny to starve." He gave her a little smile, which was returned tearfully. "You've got the best help there is." Steve nodded in Houston's direction and looked at Vince. "If you guys think of anything you need call me – I don't care what time it is, you got me?" He and Vince shook hands.

"Can I talk to you two for a minute?" Danny looked between Matt and Vince. The three walked a short distance away. "I've got contacts in New York and New Jersey. Call me if they give you any crap, understand?"

"I appreciate it." Vince nodded.

"And give CJ a hug for me, okay?" He looked at Matt and gave him a grin.

"We aren't getting divorced, Gnome – give it up." Matt gave him a smile, teasing him with the nickname he'd been given when they had worked a case together.

"Don't – even – go there, you…" Danny shook his head. "Seriously, though. Like Steve said – no matter what time it is, alright?"

"Thanks, bud."

Matt shook hands with Steve and the two embraced. "I meant what I said – I might be able to help you get access to something that you need, if you know what I mean."

"Much appreciated." Matt looked at his watch as a truck from the airport pulled up and a beautiful young native woman carrying a couple of pastry boxes approached the group.

"Mr. Houston?"

"Yes ma'am." He took the boxes. "Mahalo, hon."

"You're very welcome. Aloha." She turned and walked off.

"Junior…" He used his pet name for Vince, Jr. "You're in charge of these: don't drop 'em." As the boy took them from Matt he could smell the aroma of pastries.

"Yes sir." He headed for his uncle's jet as did the rest of the group, Vince holding his mother's hand as Roy had an arm around her waist. While everyone boarded, Matt and Paul gave the plane another pre-flight going-over before boarding and closing the hatch.

Vince joined his best friend in the cockpit and after receiving clearance for takeoff, the PI got the plane into the air and once out over the Pacific and away from the traffic, he once again put the plane on autopilot. "Want to call Tony?" Vince nodded and pulled out his cell phone as Matt pulled a pen and notebook out of his back pocket.

"Hey, we're in the air." He listened. "Hang on a second." Looking back over his shoulder at his youngest son, he spoke. "Close the door, pal." Tony immediately did as he was told. "I'm putting you on speaker." Punching the button he told the priest to go ahead.

"Okay, I still don't know a lot. These detectives are really tight lipped. All they've told me so far was that he was found by a homeless man at the Turtle Pond near Belvedere Castle in the park. It looks like he shot himself." The emotion in the man's voice couldn't be disguised. "Houston, none of us believe that Paulie would do that."

"I don't either. When was the last time you talked to him?" He had already written down what the priest had told him so far.

"Monday - we had lunch together." Tony paused for a minute. "I was teasing him about getting cold feet – was he sure he wanted to marry Clarissa, and he was all smiles. Said he couldn't wait." His voice cracked and Vince had tears in his eyes once again.

"Did he say anything about having problems with anyone – personal or at work or anything like that?"

"No, he was on cloud nine. The smile never left his face."

"Did he mention anything he had been doing on the job?"

"No."

"Did he have a roommate?"

"No, he had a little one bedroom apartment. He and Clarissa had already started apartment hunting. It can be tough to find one around here – you have to have plenty of time."

"Uh huh." Matt was quiet as he thought. They really didn't have much to work with and he looked at Vince, knowing he was thinking the same thing. "What about Michael? Have you talked to him?"

"No…" Houston knew by the sound of the priest's voice that something was up. "He, uh…well, lately he's been…"

"He's been a jackass is what he's been." Vince spoke up.

"Vince…" Tony started.

"He has, Tony – however you want to say it, it works out to the same thing." The former cop's voice shook with anger.

"I know you're upset but that isn't going to help anything at this point. Please? If not for me than for Mama; she's fragile enough already."

"Yeah, I know…" Vince hung his head. "Sorry."

"Hey, I understand, big brother." Tony leaned back on his sofa as he spoke, recalling how he and Vince had shared a lot of talks over the years where he had used that term. "I don't have anything else. These folks aren't turning loose of very many facts, Houston. Thanks for helping us out. I know Mama and Vince claim you as one of the family and I do, too."

"I appreciate it. Just keep an ear to the ground for us, okay?" They wrapped up the call and Matt sent Tony back for his laptop and began working the keyboard but with very little success. The internet connection wasn't good and he put the computer away. "Maybe we'll have better luck after we take off from LA again." They really didn't have enough to work with as it was and the aggravation of a bad connection wouldn't do much for Vince or anyone else.