Chapter 2

"Well it started with the land blocking injunction, starting with the court case to release the land…." C.J replied, her thoughts taking her back to the land Injunction and the events that spiralled out of control as a result...

The gavel hit the block and C.J leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes and sighed, rubbing her eyes she slowly rose and began to collect her paperwork together and placed them quietly in her briefcase.

"Dam it" she whispered under her breadth "Dam it and Dam him"

Jostling with members of the public coming out of the court rooms for adjournments, or jubilant from their triumphant wins, C.J finally made her way to the phone booths and picked up the receiver. Leaning against the booth wall she dialled Houston Industries.

"Matt Houston …"

"It's me….we lost…"

"I don't understand C.J …..The case was water tight….. you said it yourself and you normally prefer to err on the side of caution.…how come" Matt replied puzzled

"Judge Whitehead is free again….." C.J replied quietly…"he allowed the motion to go through on the land obstruction…he is totally corrupt Matt…..I had no idea, no-one told me he would be presiding…. On top of which I thought he had been disbarred when he went down for killing Marsha and Scotty and what he almost did to Butterfly….. He dam well should have been" C.J replied in quiet and controlled anger.

"Come back to the office C.J and don't worry…we'll go to plan B" Matt replied gently." The important thing is the money I'm investing in this project is safe and as far as I'm concerned we'll keep Julia's money safe as well. I'll call Bruce Seevers and let him know the setback….but C.J we will build this research centre, I promise you". Matt urged "Just come back safely ok"

"Ok" C.J replied softly

When Matt heard the lift bell ring and the gentle chatter between Chris and C.J he gently sighed with relief. He didn't want for her to attend to this case on her own especially as it was one that sat so close to her heart; but he had had no choice on this occasion due to a business meeting he had to attend with Murray.

Coming to greet her with a gentle kiss he wrapped his arms around her and then gently walked to towards the bar wher he poured them both a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

"I spoke to Hoyt, you were right, as you suspected…..Judge Whitehead was disbarred, so whatever paperwork he showed it was totally fake, just like he is. Hoyt is in the process getting him apprehended….again!...So anyway the whole case will have to be re-heard and they have been able to slot in two weeks on Friday …another case has been postponed apparently…..due to some missing evidence .

"So quickly…but Houston that's almost unheard of…I have never…." CJ stammered totally baffled

Matt shrugged "Hoyt called me back and said he had managed to pull some strings here and there…."

"Ok…but I still …. Well I still can't quite believe I'm hearing all this. Wha…What did Bruce Seevers say when you told him?"

"Well I called him after I finished speaking with Hoyt so it was bad news and good news, he says he'll come up and support the injunction hearing as well"

The two weeks leading up to the new case saw C.J work frenetically to make sure her case was watertight, with every 'i' dotted and every 't' crossed. Once again the gavel thundered down onto the block but the Judge's decision came down in favour of the research centre and the land injunction was lifted. In addition he granted extra land for Matt's gift of the hospice providing support for terminally ill children as well respite care for parents. C.J sat back and smiled and exhaled deeply, Julia's dream and her promise were one step closer to being realised.

"Well done C.J…brilliant work yet again" Matt spoke quietly "now we can begin phase two "I'm proud of you counsellor…really proud"

"Thank you Houston….I'm so relieved but so excited….but so exhausted" …C.J replied "I have some paperwork to complete, so I'll be back as soon as I can…"

"I can wait…." Matt offered

Smiling CJ replied "No really I'll be fine…and it could take at least two possibly three hours to file all the passed motions and get them rubber stamped ….don't worry I'll be fine"

"Ok well if you're sure, I'll head back with Bruce to the office…." Matt nodded gently kissing her "Well done"

C.J walked back into the courthouse and headed to the office she kept there and began working through and signing off the paperwork required to release the land for purchase. Matt had released the money including some of Julia's for the purchase. It was just gone four O'clock when she finally signed off the last piece of paper and began to make her way back to the office and out for early dinner before Bruce Seevers had to fly back home to New York. The courthouse had emptied and except for the odd official going about their business no one was around and the court house echoed as her heels clicked though the vast marble atrium. C.J looked up and marvelled at the high glass chandelier above her which threw a myriad of light and dark shadows across the building in the early evening sunlight.

Heading out into the car park C.J. began rooting in her bag for her keys for her car, observing the car park official nearby checking people's cars by but not unduly concerned or suspicious and carried on searching for her ever elusive keys. Her mind focussed on the day's events and the relief of winning the case, she never saw the official come up behind her before everything went black.

Matt looked at his watch for the umpteenth time within the hour, it was past Six O'Clock

"Dam it C.J where the hell are you…."Matt said with gritted teeth under his breadth

Bruce walked out of C.J's office where he had been working since they had returned for the court case. "Shouldn't C.J have gotten back here as well by now" Bruce asked Matt

"Yes she should, but she does like to talk…she's probably bumped into someone she knows at the courthouse and there will have been paperwork to have completed, but like I say she can't half gab once she gets goin' " Matt replied lightly with a smile to disarm Bruce's concerns

"Ah right ok, it's just I need to head back on the flight to New York, I'm sorry I'm going to miss her but I must get going"

"I'm really sorry Bruce and I know C.J will be sorry to have missed you as well. Can I give you a lift to the LAX?" Matt offered

"Thank you but it's no problem, I have to return the hire car on my way"

"Ah yes of course I forgot you had the car" Matt replied shaking Bruce's hand "I'll pass on your regards to C.J, I'm just really sorry. I'll have to have a chat with Miss Parson's when she gets back about her ability to gab" Matt said with a chuckle.

The evening crept on and Matt's fears for her safety began to grow

"This just isn't like her Uncle Roy…I don't understand….where is she. I've even been back to the courthouse and the officers on duty said they hadn't seen since the case was cleared and won"

"She's a big girl Matt…she can…."

"Look after herself"…Matt spun round to face his uncle, his face a combination of fear and anger… "Yeah, funnily enough that's what a girlfriend once said to me and look what happened…..CJ had the car crash and wound up in Bannon County with no idea who she was and where she had come from…look at how long it took for her to fully regain her memory and confidence in who she was…..remember all those weeks of sleepless nights she had with nightmares…..how do we know something similar hasn't'…"

"Matt…we don't but this won't help her will it…have you reported it to Hoyt yet…?"

"I'm sorry Uncle Roy….I didn't mean to lash out like that…but ever since…."

"I know Matt…..I know" Roy replied gently "I'll call Hoyt"

Half an hour passed and finally Matt heard the lift door ring

"Houston…."

"I'm here Hoyt" Matt replied quietly

Hoyt moved round to the bar where he saw Matt with his head in his hands, his eyes filled with concern

"No word yet"

Matt shook his head and turned to face his good friend "I don't know what to do…..I'm lost…I can normally handle anything that's put at me…"

"Not everything Matt…especially not where C.J's safety is concerned….we all know that…" Hoyt replied quietly as he placed a re-affirming hand on Matt's shoulder "We'll find her"