Six Weeks after Last Day New Beginning…
She saw the flowers as she walked off the elevator. Red roses surrounded by baby's breath woven into a beautiful bouquet. The receptionist wore a wide smile as she handed C.J. the paperwork.
"Gorgeous flowers….Rodrigo?"
Chris nodded and leaned back in her chair.
"Isn't he something?"
C.J. listened to the contentment in her friend's voice intertwined with a sense of near disbelief that comes from finding someone special and not quite trusting that it's real. Chris had just weathered a breakup with a man she'd been engaged to for two years and she'd shied from the dating scene until she met Rodrigo at a concert two months ago. The guy was great looking, nice and clearly romantic to boot.
"He seems like a great guy," she said, "So where's he taking you tonight?"
Chris' smile widened her eyes once again on her flowers.
"Dinner and dancing…I already told Murray I won't be working late tonight."
C.J. rubbed her forehead remembering that the corporate president had been holed up one floor below them working diligently on the acquisition of yet another electronics firm for the company's information technology division. An area that they'd been expanding in during the past couple of years. Murray had been all excited, and out of breath when presenting the PowerPoint on this latest company.
"So what about you C.J…you doing anything special tonight…?"
C.J. just smiled as she went to pour herself a cup of much needed coffee.
"No…I think I'll stay home and kick back with a good book…"
Chris frowned.
"Really is that the best you can do? Look I know it's been six months since you broke it off with Nathan but you should be out mingling…and meeting guys again."
C.J. paused, sipping her coffee thoughtfully. Nathan had lasted much less than six months, and had been one of the security guards at Matt's aborted wedding to Elizabeth nine months ago. When she thought that Matt and Elizabeth were going to give the wedding another thought by eloping to Vegas, she accepted his offer for some drinks. Not that he hadn't been a fun guy to be with but she didn't see any future in it and suddenly…she wanted to see the future in a man's eyes sitting across from her at a table.
Matt shared that in common with her actually, after his near death experience while flying back to L.A. on last New Year's Eve.
"I'm just so busy…with all the court work I've been doing while Houston and Roy are out in the field and now Murray wants me to do legal on this merger."
Chris shook her head.
"Oh tell him to stuff it…you've got so much on your plate C.J. you need to go out and have some fun."
C.J. put her hand on her hip.
"Plenty of time for that after I'm done with this latest caseload…then I think I'm going to take a week off and go to Hawaii."
That news seemed to surprise Chris.
"What…when did you decide this?"
C.J. sighed.
"Last week when I realized I can't continue to burn the candle on both ends," she said, "I need to recharge my batteries."
"Hawaii will definitely do that," Chris said, "Sun, beaches, great food and plenty of hot guys."
"I just have been doing a lot of thinking," C.J. said, "and maybe it's time to make changes in my life."
Chris nodded.
"Okay that's great C.J. but what about today…it's Valentine's Day after all."
Not that she wanted to be reminded of that but not for the reasons that Chris might think. See, she and Matt had spent the last Valentine's Day hunting down a psychotic serial killer who timed his murders on the legend of St. Valentine…then the year before that. Oh yeah, they had been staking out a flower shop which had been threatened to be blown up to kingdom come by a guy signing himself only, Cupid. It turned out that his ex-girlfriend had received flowers from there when she'd been his current girlfriend some years ago and well, some people bore long grudges.
Then…oh she just shook her head at that point. Never mind.
Chris just smiled like a woman totally in love after a while waiting for it.
"Just have yourself a good time," she said, "Because we will."
C.J. just smiled at her friend's festive spirit very happy for her happiness because Chris had always been unlucky at love unlike her cousin Pam who had been swept off her feet while still working at Houston Enterprises. All of a sudden, goodbye L.A. hello Paris…London and Zurich where she and her investment banker were holed up in a chalet.
But while packing her home away, Pam had mentioned that her cousin had been looking for work and the rest was history.
Then when she reached her office, her phone rang and she forgot about everything else for a while.
Matt and Roy sat in the convertible across the street from the flower shop. They weren't in one of Matt's favorite cars in his impressive fleet but it would do in a pinch and they had just gotten this case the previous night.
Roy picked up the binoculars and scoped the store which had people milling in and out probably buying flower arrangements and other gifts at the last minute.
"You'd think they would have placed their orders yesterday," Roy said, "but then the way the world has changed since back in the day…"
Matt knew that one of his uncle's sagely stories of how true love conquered all except in the world of espionage would soon follow.
"You'd think…but then a lot's changed…Faster cars, boats, airplanes."
Roy sighed.
"Faster women…and men…makes you wonder where the romance is these days."
Matt smiled and watched the store. He knew his uncle had nothing to worry about. He'd had his share of romances before falling in love and settling down into a great marriage with his Aunt Flo. After she'd passed, his uncle had thrown himself into his work and then his ranching business until he met up with Matt when he'd been on the run. Now in L.A. he worked cases like this with his nephew and less than two months ago had met an art dealer named Shirley at Clover's bodacious New Year's Eve Party. The gala where…a few memorable things had happened, things a guy like himself wouldn't ever let himself forget.
"So what are you doing tonight?"
Roy smiled, putting the binoculars down.
"Shirley and I will be eating at that new place, the Priory and then heading out to a concert at the Bowl."
Matt picked up the binoculars to take a look at their mark.
"Sounds good…I'm thinking of finishing up some paperwork and then heading home to catch the ball game."
Roy's brows rose.
"On Valentine's Day, I would have thought you'd had plans."
Matt focused his eyes on the building where a man idled outside of it.
"I've been working pretty hard lately and a night to unwind sounds like what I need."
Roy shrugged.
"Nothing wrong with that of course…."
Matt smiled and watched the man look around a bit before heading inside the flower shop.
"You sure they're using this place to smuggle in diamonds," he said, "It's been written up in all the best magazines."
Roy sighed.
"That makes it the perfect cover for jewelry smuggling," he said, "The shipments would be hiding in plain sight."
Matt nodded, knowing his uncle could very well be right. He had great instincts honed from his years in covert operations for a shadowy organization simply named the Company. Still, it looked like a normal business day for the shop.
"You know surveillance might not uncover anything," Roy said, "We might have to take an even more clandestine approach."
Matt arched his brows.
"You mean…"
"Yes, send some operatives in to do an undercover sting."
Matt thought that might just worked. A part of him nagged at him, wondering if this is the point where he should give Hoyt a ring and tell him what was up and what they had in mind. But…no he and his uncle had handled other operations like this one.
"Okay let's head back to the office and get it started with…so what cover did you have in mind?"
Roy smiled broadly.
"Let's keep this nice and simple okay. What we need is a couple to go into that place to go buy flowers for Valentines and then maybe then drop a line on where to make the holiday perfect by shopping for an engagement ring."
Matt digested that.
"Okay I'll see if C.J.'s available," he said, "though Murray's kept awfully busy with this merger."
Roy settled back into his seat.
"That'd be perfect…think the two of you could pull it off?"
Matt just threw his uncle one of his looks.
"Sure we can…and C.J.'s probably looking for an excuse to get out of the office about now."
He started up the car and they headed on down the street to get back to the office.
"Murray's got them all working hard, day and night until this deal goes through."
Matt rubbed his forehead at a traffic light. The strip was heavily packed with vehicles as it would be most of the day. The day was unseasonably warm but the weather forecaster had warned of some rain later in the evening.
"Yeah and I might just have to take C.J. away from him," he said, "I miss working with her in the field but ever since Elizabeth…"
Roy just gave him that glance that told him he didn't need to finish that thought. Matt had buried himself in his work with the investigative firm but he'd also resumed taking on some more of the responsibilities of his corporation now turned charitable foundation. So had C.J. but mostly because he needed her there but he had thought about asking her to work more often with him and then New Year's Eve had come along…
"Uncle Roy…I've been thinking…."
"About what nephew…?"
Matt turned the vehicle into Wilshire to head to Century City.
"I've been thinking of taking some time off…a week or two and going on vacation."
Time seemed to have shut down inside the car even as the scenery flew by around them. Matt knew what he said to his uncle then had surprised him into silence. But he meant what he said, he'd turned into a real workaholic and it was catching up to him. Then there were other considerations, he thought with a smile.
Finally his uncle spoke, his extensive experience with all kinds of surprises many of which were much more lethal than this one kicking into gear.
"Sounds like a great idea. You've been working very hard after all. Where would you think of going?"
Matt paused.
"Someplace nice and warm…maybe Hawaii."
Roy nodded.
"Great place to relax, forget about the office and maybe meet someone."
Matt's hand gripped the steering wheel.
"I'm actually thinking of just renting a bungalow near the rain forest and doing some exploring," he said, "maybe deep sea fishing too."
Roy nodded again.
"Great…it's the next turn up ahead."
Matt's eyes blinked and he turned off on the street leading to the office complex. He definitely needed to get a way for a while, maybe when some of these cases had wrapped up. Yes, that would be just perfect but for now he had work to do…including Operation: Flower Shop.
Chris sipped her mocha as she listened to Pam on the phone. Her cousin was calling from New York City where she and her husband were there while he attended a World Bank conference at the United Nations. They were attending a play on Broadway and then having a late night dinner and dessert at Serendipity's afterward. Sounded like a plan to Chris, and she was excited about meeting up with Rodrigo later on.
"So has he popped the question yet?"
Chris sighed.
"No…we've only been going out a few months but they've been the best ones."
The line crackled and Chris heard activity in the background so Pam must be out and about somewhere.
"That's so great. I can't wait to meet him," she said, "We'll be heading back to our chalet after this conference but we'll be flying back to the States in a couple of months and we'll be sure to put L.A. on the list."
"That'd be great if you can fit it in your hectic schedule."
"Sure thing…I've been doing this art thing and I might have some sculptures ready to show to some of the galleries out there."
Chris heard the joy in her cousin's voice and knew that while Pam had enjoyed being one of Matt's executive secretaries, it hadn't been in her blood like her art.
"So what about the boss," Pam asked, "Word is he's been lying low since that wedding fiasco."
Chris sighed.
"Word is right. I'd be more concerned but Matt actually seems very happy…seems to have shrugged off the whole engagement and then since that near death experience."
"Oh yeah…when his plane had to make an emergency landing," Pam said, "I heard about that on the news but when I found out it was him…"
"It was quite scary but he jumped out of the plane, came to the office and then headed off to Clover's party without blinking an eye."
"Well that's Matt for you…though I never got used to it," Pam said, "He'd scare me sometimes like the time he got this phone call, then grabbed his granddaddy's old shotgun and left the office with it."
Chris had heard this story and others from her cousin while she'd still been working for Houston Enterprises.
"Oh yeah…when C.J. got kidnapped by that psychotic killer who swore revenge on Matt," she said, "the one who couldn't die at least not until he jumped out of a 14th story building."
"I lived through that and there were other times…and C.J. was the same way about him," Pam said, "One time when he was accused of murdering a jockey, she helped him go underground."
Chris remembered hearing that story too. Not the only time that Matt had been accused of a murder he didn't commit.
"Well does that surprise you," she said, "Another time he was on the run, she got shot and wound up fighting with him when he wanted to take her to the hospital. When she woke up from surgery, her first words were to tell him to go back in some building to get some evidence."
Only the way the story went, Matt had been long gone and hadn't told anyone where he was going, once he'd seen the toll his quest had taken on someone he loved so much.
Pam paused.
"You know what I never understood about Matt and C.J. is that if they're such great friends and obviously would do anything for each other, why they don't…"
Chris sighed.
"I know…I mean everyone's always asking me that and it's getting old," she said, "They might be the perfect matchup and just don't know it or are acting too stupid to know it."
"Chris!"
"No I mean it Pam, I have to sit there every day and watch it play out. And it's been even worse since Clover's party. You know I thought that her being his old friend, she'd make a play for him."
Pam chuckled.
"Oh yeah I remember her…she was a guest at that bogus party that Murray had us set up in the suite. Only no one knew about it except some businessman out to kill all the guests. The body count got a bit high on that one and the office was just destroyed when we all returned to work the next day."
Chris sighed again.
"Seriously though, maybe they need a little help figuring it all out."
Pam appeared to think about it.
"I don't know…it might take a lot. Seriously I love them both but I've never seen two such highly educated but utterly clueless people in my life."
C.J. walked out of her office after filing away another document and declaring it to be the last one before making herself another cappuccino. Not that she liked them much but Murray had insisted on ordering some fancy coffee machine and she had decided since they were stuck with the eyesore, might as well put it to good use.
She poured herself some of the frothy drink and then took it into the main lobby where Chris was sitting talking on the phone.
"Yeah it might come to using some rope and just tying them up together…"
Then Chris looked up and saw C.J. there and reacted.
"Look Pam, I'll get back to you later and you two have a great holiday okay?"
She then hung up and smiled at C.J.
"So how's the workload?"
C.J. sipped her coffee.
"Good…how's your cousin doing?"
Chris sorted some papers on her desk.
"Great…she and her husband are in New York at a conference but hitting the town tonight."
C.J. nodded, reaching for some more folders in her "in" box to work on…later. Murray would just have to understand but she was thinking about hitting lunch at the deli down the street and then maybe going to her favorite spa for a little pampering. Nothing hit the spot like an aromatherapy soak followed by a massage…especially after a couple rounds of kick boxing this morning with her sparring partner before even arriving at work.
"So you sure you're going to have a quiet evening?"
C.J. smiled back at her from gazing at her folders.
"Yeah…there's this book I've been meaning to finish but I've never had the time to start it."
Chris pursed her lips.
"Anything hot…?"
C.J. looked bemused.
"No…actually it's about some hot springs in Hawaii…and some ancient ruins, I might go check them out when I'm there."
"So you're really serious about taking off?"
C.J. sat down in a chair opposite from Chris.
"Yes I am…Like I said, I need to get away and do some thinking."
Chris looked at her seriously all of a sudden. Something in the way she said it…
"You're not taking off are you," she said, "You're not leaving your job."
C.J. looked at her in surprise.
"No…what gave you that idea," she said, "but I'm thinking of maybe cutting my hours back and doing some volunteering at the Legal Aid Clinic that Maureen got started."
Maureen Flanders being one of her sorority sisters back in college who had been this crack attorney even a junior partner at one of the city's hottest firms until she decided that wasn't what she wanted so she sold her partnership shares and opened up a legal clinic to help those without enough money to hire private attorneys from everything ranging from family law to probate and taxes.
"That's great…talked about it to Matt yet?"
C.J. looked away for a moment and her cheeks flushed with a trace of color.
"Yeah we've been talking about the future," she said, "He thinks the Hawaii trip is a great plan."
The elevator doors opened then and out walked Matt and Roy and the two women looked at them.
"Hey you're here…"
C.J.'s mouth curved into a smile as she gazed at Matt.
"Of course, where did you think I would be," she said, "only I'm done for the day with the merger work."
He tilted his head.
"That's good…because I'm going to need to borrow you for a couple of hours."
Her eye brows arched.
"Oh…what for…?"
Matt looked at Roy.
"I'm going to need you for a bit of undercover work."
She nodded.
"Of course…"
"Don't you even want to hear what we've got planned?"
She rubbed her arms looking back at him.
"Something simple right…something that will be done by the end of the day?"
He nodded.
"Sure…nice and simple," he said, "Roy and I suspect that the flower shop we've been staking out is a cover for a jewelry smuggling ring only surveillance isn't telling us much so…"
C.J. reached for her coffee mug.
"So you need to go in right…with a cover…something that will get them to lower their guard and give us what we need."
"Something like that…listen I was thinking that if we went in as a couple looking for engagement rings…"
She folded her arms.
"In a flower shop…where they normally sell them right?"
He sighed.
"Well we could start off shopping for some flowers…and then work our way up."
She pursed her lips considering whether that might work, she guessed it depended on the IQ levels of the smugglers if that's what was going on in that shop.
"That might do it…but we're going to have to be very convincing."
He coughed as he fidgeted with his collar.
"Okay…I think we can both handle it."
Her eyes sparkled as she winked at him.
"Oh you can count on that cowboy," she said, "We'd better start planning this gentleman. We don't have much time."
They both followed her into her office.
About an hour later, C.J. changed into a rather demure woolen dress that clung to her curves and then slipped on some nylons. She had insisted on changing her clothes even though Matt thought she looked just fine in her navy blue three-piece business suit. No, she told him that if a couple were going to go engagement ring shopping, they needed to dress for it. Then she told him that he needed to get out of his surveillance attire and grab one of his spare suits located in his closet downstairs.
She had slipped on her black camisole after she'd gotten out of the shower and worked on her hair a bit. It dried naturally curly and she wanted that look for the job. Mentally, she ran the plan over and over in her head like she always did, anticipating any twist and turn that they might encounter when they actually put into operation.
Roy would be outside listening on the wire that she'd be wearing into the jewelry store with Hoyt on speed dial if necessary.
Suddenly as she slipped on her heels, she saw Matt leave the bedroom dressed in one of his more casual business suits but it would do just fine. He stopped to check out her outfit, blinking his eyes.
"You look…"
She smiled at him as she stood up fully costumed.
"Yes Houston?"
"Perfect."
"Thanks and you look…great. Sure you don't want to wear the wire?"
He just shook his head and then went they both walked up the stairs to the main office to get this job started.
The moment they stepped foot in the flower shop, nothing went according to plan. Now, they both had learned to expect the unexpected, anticipate it even if they couldn't embrace it. To go with the flow, be ready to take the most perfect plan and change it to fit the realities of the assignment. Both of them had run through every possible scenario in their heads in their meeting and on the drive over to the shop.
But they hadn't covered everything. They knew that the moment they stepped over the threshold and found themselves in the exotic floral section.
C.J.'s eyes widened.
"Is that…it looks like..."
Matt sighed.
"Yes that's definitely Myron…I didn't even know he was in town."
They both just looked at each other and slipped out of that room that felt humid against their skin, the sounds of what sounded like waterfalls accentuating the floral exhibits.
"What if he sees us Houston?"
"We'll deal with that if it happens," he said, "Maybe he's just here looking."
The clerk at the counter, a young man looked up at them.
"Hello…welcome to Flowery Delights…a species for every taste….would you like a tour?"
Matt glanced at C.J. who appeared to be looking around the impressive layout of the shop that clearly looked larger inside than it had appeared outside.
"What about you miss?"
C.J. smiled and slipped a hand in Matt's.
"We're looking for something very special for Valentine's Day," she said, "Something very romantic."
The man smiled at them.
"I'm Hans and I'm sure we can find you whatever you desire here," he said, "We were bought out by an overseas business interest but we still provide high quality and customary service."
C.J.'s brow furrowed.
"You mean that Stu doesn't own this place," she said, "He's owned it for decades since he came from the Midwest."
Hans shrugged.
"He retired about a year ago and some rich socialite who probably needed something meaningful in her life…or a tax write off picked up the shop at auction."
C.J. squeezed Matt's hand.
"It looks like it hasn't changed that much," she said, "Still as beautiful as I remember."
Hans nodded but he seemed a bit antsy they noticed. But he covered himself with a smile.
"So how long have you two been together?"
C.J. glanced at the man beside her before she answered.
"Just a few months…."
"But we've known each other forever," Matt said, "or at least it seems that way."
C.J. nodded at Hans.
"We've been friends forever but more than that just recently but when I look at him…"
She bit her lip losing track of her words for a moment and she felt Matt squeeze her hand back.
"I see the man I want to spend the rest of my life with," she said, "the one who I've been waiting for my whole life."
Hans rubbed his hands together.
"That sounds so….romantic. We've got many floral arrangements all of which are special and romantic."
Matt rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.
"We know that…but we were thinking of something even more special…more permanent than flowers to celebrate our relationship."
Han's brows lifted.
"Like what? We do offer flowers and bulbs, an assortment of seed packets for planting flowers and other plants that'll last a lot longer with proper care of course."
Matt digested that but he had his script prepared already.
"Actually…I've already asked this lovely lady to marry me and now we're shopping around…"
Hans' face lit up.
"Ah yes, for engagement rings but we don't sell jewelry, we're a flower shop."
Matt appeared confused, rubbing his jaw line with a finger. C.J. just let go of his hand and rubbed his back with her hand as if to reassure him.
"Honey…you heard what he said," she said, "I guess what Lulu told you was wrong. They don't sell engagement rings here."
Disappointment lined Matt's face.
"Damn I thought for sure she knew what she was talking about," he said, "After all, she'd been working for Clover for years."
Hans' face lit up even more and he leaned closer.
"You know Clover?"
Matt smiled widely.
"Know her…why she and I go way back to her grand prix racing days in Monte Carlos and other places."
Hans nodded.
"Clover was a good friend of Stu's and used to rely on him to provide the floral arrangements for all her parties…as well as some of her more private celebrations."
C.J. looked over at Matt whose face flushed ever so slightly. Well of course, he and Clover…but it hadn't lasted very long. Even though she'd come onto him twice in the past two years including at her New Year's Eve party he hadn't bit, she thought smiling.
Hans looked around the flower shop and then leaned closer to them, dropping his voice down to a whisper.
"Maybe I can help you and the lady find something special."
C.J.'s eyes lit up immediately.
"Oh please do…unless it's too much trouble…."
Hans shook his head.
"No…not at all…we keep them in a vault in the back of the store," he said, "I'll just run it past my boss. She needs to improve the more…special transactions."
C.J. shot Matt a look right then and they both knew they were thinking the same thing. That what Hans might be showing them might be the contraband jewelry that was rumored to be sold by the shop.
After Hans left, Matt just shook his head.
"I know Stu never would have approved of dealing in stolen goods," he said, "If that's what they're doing."
C.J. sighed, stroking Matt's arm.
"I know but I do know that if he knew that anything illegal were going on in the shop he built from the ground up, he'd want the police to put a stop to it."
Matt watched the hallway where Hans had disappeared.
"I think we should proceed with the plan," he said, "If it goes wrong, then Roy will know when to bring Hoyt and his men in to shut down this operation."
"Good…I don't want anything to happen to you…not on this of all days."
She knew that they both didn't have the best of histories when it came to past Valentine's Day but maybe this one might wind up different? She slipped her arms around his waist and brushed her mouth against his own, softly before she just looked up at him.
"What's that for," he asked.
She traced with a finger where her lips had just been.
"Come on Houston, you know we have a role to play here."
"Yeah but…"
Suddenly they both heard Hans return to the room with a black lock box, medium sized and with a combination lock on it. He smiled as he placed it on the counter.
"Top of the line gems used in these rings," he said, "Most of them cut only by the best in the business."
Matt nodded approvingly.
"Only the best for my…fiancée here…and the most expensive."
C.J. shot Matt a sudden look and then rolled her eyes a bit for effect.
"Now sweetheart, you know we need to save some change to buy that new house in Bel Air as soon as we announce our engagement."
"Yes but I want to show the world how much I love you."
C.J. blushed.
"How sweet…okay let's see what this nice man has to show us."
They spent the next thirty minutes looking at some of the most impressively cut gems, mostly diamonds but some of which were surrounded with other gems like rubies, emeralds and blue sapphires.
"I like the emeralds."
No surprise there, as it had always been her favorite gem. The ring itself looked extraordinary, like it had been custom made and that's what Matt and C.J. suspected…that it had been made for someone else and then stolen to be sold on the black market. The couple probably didn't try too hard to find it since most likely the ring had been insured. But hopefully at least a police report had been filled out somewhere, with any photo of it on file that they could track down and use for comparison.
"I'll…we'll take it," Matt said finally, slipping his arm around C.J.'s waist.
She placed a hand on her chest and beamed up at him.
"Oh it's just perfect…how long until we can pick it up?"
Hans coughed as he closed up the box.
"Not long at all…I'll just need the boss to sign off on it and you can take it with you."
Matt and C.J. looked at each other and then smiled at Hans.
"Let's do that then," Matt said, "Can't wait to see it on the lady's finger know what I mean?"
Hans just nodded curtly and left them alone. C.J. looked up at Matt.
"It is beautiful…but it was made for someone else by someone who loved her," she said, "I can see that in the intricate design, how the stones were chosen and cut just so."
Matt smiled at her, stroking a stand of hair off of her face.
"I know…maybe we can track the real owners down…okay?"
She nodded happily.
"Yeah…hopefully we can return it," she said, "As soon as we hand it over to the police, then maybe Hoyt can move in on the store for fencing a stolen property."
Matt rubbed his jaw.
"Yeah we'll do that okay," he said, "We should be out of here shortly and then we'll head back to the office."
"Yeah…and still have plenty of Valentine's Day left to make it a good one for a change."
He looked at her intently then.
"Sounds like a plan…"
But then they heard two people walk into the room, Hans and his boss to approve the sale. Only when they turned around, they realized their undercover plan had just hit a huge hurdle.
Matt's eyes widened as he saw the familiar woman standing there in front of him.
"Serena…"
Both he and C.J. stood there in shock as dripping with diamonds, the socialite who had once wished her father dead and then had seen it come true approached them.
Serena