"The King's Escape"

"Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures, so that society has to take the place of the victim and on his behalf demand atonement or grant forgiveness; it is the one crime in which society has a direct interest."
W. H. Auden

CHAPTER 1

"You may be seated." Private investigator Matt Houston sat down in the witness box at the Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles.

Consulting his notes momentarily before removing his glasses and putting them on top of his balding head, the prosecutor walked toward Houston. "Mr. Houston, for the benefit of the jury, would you please tell us how you came to be a consultant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation?"

"I was approached by Agent Alexander Bateaux last December. He said that the director of the Los Angeles field office had ordered him to ask for assistance with a series of murders in the Mojave Desert." For the next forty five minutes, Matt fielded questions about the investigation - dubbed "The Bone Collector Murders" by members of the press – being careful not to mention the use of the old Russian satellite that he owned. He and CJ had spent several hours the day before preparing for his testimony and he had come through the questioning with flying colors. When the DA was done, Walter King's defense attorney was ready to cross examine him but was disappointed when Judge Marshall Beck called the lunch break and ordered the court to reconvene at 1:30 that afternoon.

Houston met up with his wife CJ, now seventeen weeks pregnant with twin boys. As they made their way through the crowded courtroom they were joined by Alex Bateaux. "Hey bud, feel like catching some lunch?" The cowboy gave his friend a smile.

"Sure." They went through the double doors at the back of the courtroom and out into the crowded lobby, Matt keeping a protective arm around CJ.

"Piranha alert." She kept her tone quiet as she spotted reporter Tamara Placer who was fighting against the flow of people trying to get to the exits of the courthouse.

"Mr. Houston? Would you answer some questions please?" Placer's voice could be heard above the murmur of the crowd. Matt as usual ignored her and kept heading for the exit. Once outside, the trio decided to go to a small restaurant about a block north of the courthouse.

Once they slid into a booth CJ heaved a sigh of relief. "You okay?" Matt looked at her worriedly.

"Fine – just glad to be out of that crowd."

"I second that." Alex rolled his eyes. "I absolutely hate going to court."

"It's a lot more fun to catch 'em." Matt grinned and all three laughed. Simultaneously, both men's phones began ringing. Matt answered as did Bateaux, both receiving the same message: "King has escaped."

After taking CJ back to the lot where her Navigator was parked and sending her home, Matt rejoined Alex at the courthouse. As he was cleared through the metal detector, the PI was told to report to the security office. Alex and four other FBI agents were there interviewing witnesses and going through surveillance footage.

"The son of a bitch waved at the camera." Alex pointed to a monitor. Houston watched as Walter Lee King overpowered one of his guards, taking the man's pistol and shooting him in the head before shooting the other guard and looking up at the camera waving after getting the keys from one of the bodies and freeing himself from the handcuffs and shackles.

The director of the LA field office, Geoffrey Patterson arrived and was brought up to date. "A search is being done as we speak." Alex told his boss.

Looking at both Bateaux and Houston, the director spoke. "Where do you think he'll go?"

The pair looked at each other. "Well, his home was seized; his bank accounts were frozen…" Matt thought. "Has he had any visitors since he was locked up?"

"We can find out." Alex pulled out his phone and began dialing.

Removing his tie and putting it in his coat pocket, the PI thought about the situation. King had appeared in court in a suit and tie. Going through the streets of LA he would blend right in. "He won't get far without wheels." His phone rang. "Michael, King escaped."

"Yeah, I just heard." LAPD lieutenant Michael Hoyt had been on his way back to the office after a dental appointment.

"I'm thinking he's probably stolen a vehicle by now. Can you help us with that?"

"Yeah, I'm at the station now. I'll get on it." The cop hung up and took the stairs up to his fourth floor office and started looking into it.

Alex got off of the phone. "He's had one visitor other than his attorney: Trudy Janelle Alsup."

"Who is she?" The PI pulled out his phone and dialed the number for Sheila Wentworth, nanny to the Houstons' one year old daughter Catey Rose.

"Don't know. They're running a check on her."

"Sheila, where are y'all?" There was a pause as he listened. "No, stay there and tell Bo and Lamar to lock it down. CJ's on her way. She'll explain it." He hung up and his phone immediately rang. "Yeah, Michael?"

"There was a carjacking about five blocks from the courthouse at Temple and North Geary. A suspect matching King's description took a 2012 black Nissan Xterra: shot the male driver dead, threw the woman out in the street and left headed east on Temple. We've got an air unit looking for him now."

Houston passed the information on to the other two men, put the phone on speaker, and then went back to talking to his friend. "Michael, if he was headed east on Temple…"

"I know – he either had to go north or south: it dead-ends at Center Street." The cop was looking at the map of Los Angeles on the wall of his office. "You know as much about him as anyone – which way do you think he'll go?"

"Well, he lived up in Lone Pine – that would seem to be the most likely, but his house and property were seized…so south would seem…." He stopped in mid-sentence, a strange look coming over his face before he closed his eyes. Bateaux and Patterson watched as he ran his hand over the back of his neck before opening his eyes again. "He's gonna go north." The two agents looked at each other, both surprised at what the PI had said. "Send 'em north, Michael."

"Okay." Hoyt picked up the phone on his desk and made a phone call to the commander of the air unit. "They're headed that way now."

"Thanks, bud. Talk to you later." Matt hung up.

"I don't know that I agree with that assessment, Mr. Houston." Patterson shook his head. "What makes you think King is going north?"

"I…just…it's just a feeling."

Bateaux spoke up. "He usually has really good instincts, sir." The agent had spoken recently with Homeland Security agent Chris Oakley who had told him about the dream that Houston had in connection with a case they had recently worked in Laredo, Texas. He had been spot on and Oakley told him it wasn't the first time that Houston had proven himself.

"Alex, I need to run by the office and get my truck."

"I'll take you…I've got a feeling we're going to be spending some time together again…if that's okay with you, sir." Bateaux looked to his boss.

"Go ahead. You two tracked him down last time…you've probably got a better chance than anyone else. Keep me apprised of the situation."

"Yes sir." Bateaux and Houston quickly left the courthouse and got into the agent's car, the PI remaining strangely quiet. When they arrived at the Houston Industries Building on South Figueroa and boarded the elevator he finally spoke. "You saw it – didn't you?"

Somewhat surprised, Matt looked at him for a few seconds before answering. "I didn't really see it…" He stepped off of the elevator and nearly ran into Murray Chase, CEO of Houston Industries and husband to Matt's secretary Chris. "Hey…I'm glad you're here. Did you two ride in together today?"

"Uh huh, why?" Murray looked a little surprised.

"Chris, the office is closed right now. I want you to go on down and stay with Murray for the rest of the day, okay hon?"

The secretary who was now about six months pregnant looked surprised as well. "Is something wrong?"

"Kind of…Walter King escaped from the courthouse. Just go stay with Murray and don't worry about the office." Matt went up the steps into the central part of the office and turned right as Alex followed him. "I need to run downstairs for a minute." He hit the steps down to the gym and went toward the closet, removing a bag and some jeans and shirts as well as his bullet proof vest and a couple of boxes of ammunition.

"Wow…this is a nice setup you've got here." The agent looked around and then back at Houston who seemed extremely worried. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, the PI hit CJ's number and the speaker as he began changing into jeans and a t-shirt.

"Hey Cowboy, how's it going?"

"Are you home yet?"

"Uh huh, just stepped into the kitchen." She knew why he was nervous. "Everything's fine, hon - don't worry. Bo and Lamar are taking care of everything and the alarm is set. We're fine. You just be careful out there."

"Okay…" He was putting on a t-shirt. "Just stay put, okay? This guy is absolutely nuts, babe. Don't any of y'all leave."

"We won't."

"Alex and I are about to leave the office. I stopped by to get some of my gear. I don't know when I'll be home."

"I understand, baby. Go get him." Although she was worried about him, she also knew that every law enforcement officer in the state along with the FBI would be searching for King.

"Love you, Babe."

"Love you, too. Call me later."

"I will. 'Bye."

"'Bye."

"Let's go." Matt had put on his gun belt and checked the Glock that was now sitting in the holster. Picking up the bag and slinging it over his left shoulder, he held the vest in his right hand as he hit the steps and started back up, Bateaux following in his wake. As the pair boarded the elevator, the PI's phone rang again. "Yeah Michael?"

"You were right – security spotted him at Union Station a few minutes ago."

"Which train did he get on?"

"They're trying to figure that out right now. We've got people moving into the station right now and I'm headed that way, too."

"Okay, Alex and I will be right there." He hung up and told the agent as his own phone rang.

"Yes sir, I was just alerted to that. We're on the way." Bateaux hung up. "Patterson." Matt nodded.

When they got to the parking garage, Matt got behind the wheel of the truck and hit the lights and siren before he even got out of the garage, Alex following behind. In just a matter of minutes he was pulling up outside of Union Station. As busy as the train depot usually was, with all of the law enforcement officers now looking for King it was even worse. Trains were being delayed and searched but no sign of him had been found yet. Houston and Bateaux pushed through the mob of reporters that had intercepted the alert on the police scanners and were now circling like vultures. As the two ran inside the station they met up with Hoyt who had gotten there just a couple of minutes earlier. "Security has him on video near one of the ticket counters. None of the ticket agents remember seeing him."

"And if he paid cash…" Bateaux started.

"Unless he took money from the carjacking victims he wouldn't have any…he didn't rob the guards that he shot." Matt spoke up.

"That's true." Michael continued to look around.

"What exactly was on the surveillance video?" Houston scanned the area.

"He was near the ticket counter and then he just…disappeared in the crowd." Hoyt shook his head.

Matt stayed quiet for a moment. "I think we're being played." Turning he headed back the way he had come in, Alex and Michael exchanging a look and following him. Outside he waded through the throng of reporters again, Tamara Placer's grating voice getting louder and louder as she followed him out to the truck.

"Mr. Houston!" The exasperated reporter was practically screaming in his ear as he spun around.

"Ms. Placer, I've asked you before to leave me alone. Do I really need to say it again? I don't have a comment for you. " The last part came out as almost a growl as he turned back to the truck and opened the door. Michael and Alex got in on the passenger side.

"Houston – look, I know you operate on your on for the most part, but my boss will want to know what the hell is going on. Talk to me; what's your plan?" Bateaux watched as the PI shook his head.

"I don't know…but I do know he isn't in there. He led us on a wild goose chase to buy some time."

"But…" The agent blew out a breath.

"Michael, check to see if any other cars have been reported stolen around this general area."

"Okay." The cop pulled out his phone and began dialing and spoke with Sanchez.

"Look Alex, I don't want to get you in trouble with Patterson – I just…" He shook his head. "I just know he isn't there. That's not a good enough reason for the FBI – I get that. But that's all I have right now."

"There was a blue 2013 Honda Civic stolen out of one of the parking areas just to the north of the station." Hoyt sat back abruptly as Houston pulled away from the curb and went toward the parking area.

"Did they say which way it went?"

"North on Alameda." Hoyt braced himself as Matt hit the lights and siren, turning right when he got to the street.

"How long ago?" Houston's eyes never left the road.

Hoyt spoke to the clerk once again. "About four minutes."

The PI shook his head. "He could be just about anywhere by now." After crossing East Cesar Chavez Matt slowed down and turned off the lights and siren, hitting the steering wheel and cursing.

"We've got everybody out looking for him, Houston – LAPD, CHP, FBI…everybody. Calm down."

"I'm not gonna calm down until we catch the bastard…again." After another round of cursing he pulled into the parking lot of a Chinese Restaurant on the corner of Alameda and Ord. He looked in the rearview mirror at Alex. "Got any updates from your people?"

"No. I just talked to Greg Jaffrey. No luck – but like Hoyt says, there are all kinds of people looking for him."

"Let's just hope he isn't looking for anybody." Houston blew out a breath and put the truck in gear.