2

Matt got the jet off quickly and the two were back in L.A. in no time. They took the chopper back to the penthouse. As they landed Roy came out with Murray to greet them.

Matt stuck out his hand and then drew Murray into a bear hug, "Murray, its good to see you."

C.J. came behind him and hugged him as well saying, "Yes Murray it is good, really good to see you."

Murray smiled for a second, just a small smile as Matt put his arm around C.J. He told them, "Thank you two so much for everything. It really meant a lot to me, your support that is.".

They smiled at him and then Roy spoke up, "I was thinking that perhaps C.J. and Murray could go get some dinner to catch up on all the paperwork while I catch Matlock up on some old business I need to take care of."

He smiled and C.J. then said, "I think that sounds like a plan. Murray, how would you like to taste some good Texas...". Matt shot her a look so she said, "I mean Texas style barbecue?"

Murray smiled and stuck out his arm the way he always did when Matt would ask him to take her to lunch. "Sounds good to me, just lead the way."

Before letting C.J. go Matt gave her one little peck on the cheek. After the two were descending down the elevator, Roy told him, "You might want to take a deep breath before I turn Baby back on. I accessed Daniel Parsons' autopsy report."

Roy got on Baby while Matt poured himself a scotch, he had a feeling he would need one. "Did you come up with anything on his client at the time?"

Matt got back and sat down on the couch beside his uncle taking a big drink as he told him, "Not yet boy, it was hard enough just getting this file.". He clicked some buttons.

Matt asked him confused, "I don't understand, what is so top secret here. It was a murder investigation I mean the police should have made a file and backed it up on their computer."

Roy then said, "Well Matlock, keep in mind that this case occurred almost 20 years ago. They didn't have computers then. However, it seems Sacramento is doing a good job putting in their cold case files. That's where I found this."

Matt took a deep breath, "I was hoping someone had been caught and convicted since you told me he was murdered, but I knew it'd be a long shot.". He took another drink.

The first photo, an autopsy photo almost made Matt lose his drink. Roy told him, "I told you."

Matt had to look down for a second, take a couple of deep breaths and then look back up, "My god...his head is split clear in half."

Roy took a deep breath, nodded and then brought up another photo of the crime scene, the master bedroom of the house Parsons owned. There was blood everywhere, not to mention gray matter. "That's why I suggested C.J. and Murray go have dinner. She doesn't need to see this."

Matt ran his hand through his hair, "I just hope she hasn't already...Please tell me there is something in that report that says she wasn't home and didn't see any of this.". He looked at his uncle, his eyes pleading almost.

All Roy could say was, "It only says there was one witness, a family member home that day who called for help. It doesn't say who that family member was, but does say it was a female. There's a notation by one detective that it was the mother. C.J. was school age then, time of death was 10:30am, by all accounts she should have been at school when this occurred. And there's more. It seems the first shot killed him and the second shot did the majority of the damage you see here."

Matt looked at his uncle confused, "First shot? He was shot twice? In the head?" He couldn't comprehend exactly why someone would do something like this.

Roy just nodded his head and clicked a few buttons that zoomed in on the photo of the room on what appeared to be grey matter with a bullet in it. "You see here, that is the bullet the report said most likely killed him. The blood spatter and mess that was left behind apparently indicates that he was dead when the second shot, from this..." He zoomed in on another much larger bullet, "a shotgun, also came from behind. The police think he was killed and then the killer himself wanted to send a clear message to the police telling them he wasn't one they wanted to mess with."

Matt ran his hands through his hair, "Like a mob hit."

Roy then shrugged, "I don't know, there isn't anything that proves that. Although one detective, a Dwayne Palpos speculated on that." Matt looked at him about to say something when Roy read his thoughts, "He died two years ago by the way."

Matt took another deep breath and then said, "Great. What about C.J.'s mother? Did you find out anything on her death?"

Roy then shook his head, "Not yet. Baby also found it listed as a cold case but hasn't hacked into it yet. It took her all day to get into this one last week."

Matt just shook his head and said, "Cold case?" After exhaling again he said, "I was hoping at least her mother died peacefully." He looked back at the image, "and not like this."

Roy then told him, "There isn't anything I or Baby have found that provides any details on how she died. It could have been an accident of some kind. Her obituary only gave a date and listed C.J. as the only surviving relative. All grandparents of hers had died at that point, one set by natural causes and the other in a car accident. Appears her parents were both only children, any distant relatives, I haven't found yet. Seems C.J. was taken in as a ward of the state just after their deaths and the trail ends there."

Matt nodded his head, "So the government took her to Floyd and Missy..."

Roy then said, "where she met you and Bill." He tried to smile just a little and Matt did smile a little back but then looked back at the screen.

After closing his eyes one more time and exhaling he said, "I just hope she didn't see any of this, I really do. Losing a parent at that age had to be difficult enough without it being a murder or such a graphic one at that. I can only imagine what she went through."

Roy then told him, "Matlock, that first bullet...well..."

Matt then looked at him puzzled, "That first bullet what?"

Roy took a deep breath and told him, "That first bullet came from a 45."

Matt's eyes widened, "You don't think the gun I found was the one the killer used, do you? You think he was killed with his own gun?"

Roy bit his lip and said, "I don't know, but we could find out. I know someone from the company. His grandson just got a fancy degree in forensics. He tells me if we take the gun to him and the photo of the bullet, he can tell us if the bullet was fired from that gun."

Matt nodded his head and told him, "Well its charred, but I think it could still be fired. When can we meet with him?"

Roy smiled and then said, "Stinky said to swing by after hours tomorrow night and he'll have him there and can do it for us."

Matt was sitting at the couch with a scotch much later after getting off the phone. Roy and Chris had left and he had placed a call into Hoyt to try to get any files he could on Deborah Parsons' death, C.J.'s mother. After explaining everything to Hoyt he agreed to help in any way he could. "So you think that someone connected to her father's death years ago, may be threatening her now?"

Matt answered, "Yes I do. Why, well, I haven't figured that out yet. All I have so far is what I told you. Someone tried to get my ranch hands to sell them the house she moved into after her parents' death, when they didn't sell, they tried to burn it down. Then two weeks ago someone comes into my office, talks to her and the next thing I know, well..." Matt had debated whether or not to tell Hoyt about C.J.'s response to everything. He knew Hoyt was a friend but also knew his friend tended to look at things from a rational perspective and may think C.J. was losing her mind.

Hoyt noticed the silence and asked, "Well, what?"

Matt then said, "The next thing I know she's standing on the ledge of my building." He could hear Hoyt gasp. "Look, Hoyt you know C.J. wouldn't do anything like that, hurt herself, but, it looked like she had been hypnotized or something."

Hoyt could hear how unnerved Matt was so he said, "I'll see what I can do. I have a couple of friends in Sacramento who owe me one. I'll try to cash in. Listen Houston, we have a couple of guys here that work really well with victims. If you think C.J. needs...I mean if you think she...might want to talk to someone, just let me know. I can arrange it off the record if you know what I mean."

Matt took a deep breath, "Thank you Hoyt but I think she's going to be ok. I just need to level with her tonight, tell her everything and its not going to be easy. I took her away for two weeks so we would have some time together before having to deal with this. I'm convinced that because her doctor was looking into her parents' medical history that it got the attention of whoever wants to keep whatever it was that she went through before coming to Texas, hidden."

Hoyt then said, "Well from what you've told me, I'd have to agree. I'll see what I can find out and keep it touch. Make sure C.J. knows I'm on her side. Whatever she needs, just let me know."

Matt nodded his head and said, "Thank you, Hoyt. I knew I could count on you."

C.J. came in an hour later. She found her husband nursing a scotch out on the patio looking out over the skyline, lit up with lights from adjacent buildings. He looked deep in thought. For a few minutes there she decided to just watch him, take him in with her eyes. C.J. had lost count of how many times she had found him out here, nursing a scotch trying to deal with something painful usually, especially when he had lost a client in a case or found out someone he thought he knew, he didn't. She walked out to him and he turned to see her approach. "Hey there," she said.

Her arms went around his waist and his around her arms. He had turned to face her and brushed some hair out of her eyes, "Hey there beautiful."

She smiled and asked, "What are you doing out here? You looked lost in thought there for a second. Everything ok?"

Matt took a deep breath and told her while rubbing her arms, "I did that research I told you about. I think we need to talk more about your parents, honey and how they died."

C.J.'s eyes widened and she took a deep breath, "Why? Matt, what did you find?" He could feel her stiffen just a little in his arms.

He kissed her forehead and told her, "I found out your father was murdered..." She looked down suddenly and he noticed but kept going, "I haven't learned any more about your mother though."

When she looked back up at him, he could see anger in her eyes, which surprised him. Then she told him, "Why? Why did you have to go dig all this up? There isn't any point to any of this."

She started to walk away when he grabbed her arm and turned her back to him, "Honey, there is a point to it. A few weeks ago someone tried to buy Floyd's old place from Bo and Lamar. Then when they didn't contact the realtor, someone tried to burn the place down. That's why they called me out there." She started breathing heavier and he noticed again, but kept going. "I had to get past US Marshals to get into the house. I found a couple of things but we were still working on a case. Before I could do any serious research on it, someone tried to...well...someone tried to hurt you."

Ok now she was really confused, "What do you mean tried to hurt me? Matt, Darrin Calindis is the one who attacked me outside the beach house and that had to do with our last case, not this. What are you talking about?"

Matt took a deep breath and put his hands on her arms more softly this time and told her, "I'm talking about that day we left on vacation. When I got back here you...C.J. you were on the ledge here about to jump." Her eyes widened again and she looked completely puzzled. He took a deep breath and then said, "I've never been more scared in my life. All you remembered was getting sleepy but a man met you in the office with some kind of legal papers and the next thing we knew, you walked right past Uncle Roy to jump. I don't have any idea what he did to you to make you do that and that scares me to death."

At that point he took C.J. in his arms and she could feel him trembling. Her breath was coming harder and faster herself. She remembered what Carol had told her about anxiety attacks and assumed that was what was happening again. She pulled back and said, "Matt...I..." At that point she grabbed onto his arms hard, blinking forcing herself to not black out.

Matt caught on and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the couch. "Just take it easy. Take a few deep breaths." She did and he kept watch. After about half an hour her heart rate slowed. He got her a drink and she swallowed it almost at once.

She told him after setting down the glass, "Ok, so apparently someone is trying to hide something they think I remember or know about what happened before I moved to Texas. Let's get to work..." She reached out her hand to Baby, but Matt took it.

He told her softly, "No, not tonight. Tomorrow we'll work on it. Right now I think we should go home, get some rest and start fresh tomorrow." She reluctantly agreed and they left.