CHAPTER 2

Back at the station, Matt hijacked Sanchez's computer to run a check on the dead bank robber while Michael started on the paperwork. While the young cop looked over his shoulder, the private eye jotted down what he found and then headed into Michael's office. He sat down in the chair in front of the tired detective's desk and waited until he looked up. "Did you find anything else on him?"

"Yep. It wasn't his first rodeo. He got busted for driving the getaway car in a botched bank job when he was eighteen. Served six years at Lancaster and went to work for the zoo when he got out. According to his parole officer's notes he has an uncle who works there."

Michael shook his head and pulled two Tylenol out of the bottle in the top right drawer of his desk and swallowed them with coffee. "You know that boy was eight years old?" Matt nodded. The cop sighed. "I swear…I think when I get my twenty in I'm going to retire."

"I wouldn't blame you." The private eye took a sip of coffee. "Who's doing the notifications?"

"The chaplain is taking the boy's parents and Jenkins is notifying the teacher's husband."

"What about Anderson?"

The cop sighed. "I guess I'll have to do it. Everybody else is busy. Damn!" He picked up his phone and called down to the motor pool to request another car. "What do you mean you don't have one available?"

"I'll take you." Matt swallowed the last of his coffee and threw the cup in the trash.

"But you WILL have one in the morning, correct?" He paused. "Okay. Thanks." Hanging up he looked over at Matt. "Are you sure it won't put you out?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Come on." He got up and opened the door and held it for his friend. As they boarded the elevator Matt shook his head.

"What?"

"You have had a rotten day, bud."

"Yeah, I have. But it's almost over."

"It ain't over till it's over."

As they headed back up toward the zoo which was located on the northeastern side of Griffith Park neither man had much to say. Finally, Michael heaved a big sigh. "So how is Miss Catey Rose doing?"

"She's fat and sassy." Matt smiled proudly. Catey was now fourteen weeks old and had quite the personality. She loved to laugh and jabber at everyone. "Here we are." Matt parked in the lot and they headed for the gate. Hoyt flashed his badge and informed the cashier that he needed to speak with James Anderson. Looking somewhat shocked, she dialed the extension for park maintenance and was told to send the two men to the office located near the back of the park. Once there, they were met by James Anderson. The minute he saw Hoyt's badge, Anderson asked, "What did Jeremy do this time?"

"Mr. Anderson, I'm sorry to inform you that your nephew was killed in an automobile accident earlier today." He went on to explain what had happened.

"And he killed a little boy and a teacher?" The man shook his head. "I tried with that boy, I swear I did. His dad was my brother and the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Ricky, my brother, stayed in trouble. Jeremy was five when Ricky was killed in a bar fight. He was high on cocaine and got into it with a dope dealer. Guy shot him dead. His mom was a good lady, but she passed away when he was thirteen – cancer. He came to live with my wife and me, but he was a handful. Dropped out of school, did drugs, sold drugs, and then got involved with a bank robbery and did time in prison." Anderson looked almost sick. "I knew he wouldn't stay out of trouble but I thought maybe if I could get him a job here…" He paused for a minute. "I'm real sorry about those folks that got killed."

"It isn't your fault, Mr. Anderson. It sounds like you did everything you could for him." After talking with the man for a couple more minutes the two detectives left and headed back for Michael's office. Matt dropped him off in the garage and looked at his watch, deciding that it was time to head home.

The next morning as Matt was on his way into work his cell phone rang. After looking at the caller ID he picked up. "Good morning. Got a car yet?"

"As a matter of fact I do…and it's a nice one, too!" For a change Hoyt sounded happy. "I've also got some information for you on that body that you found yesterday. Very interesting information, I might add."

"Oh – what would that be?" He stopped at a light.

"You've met her before and so have I – not too long ago in fact. Remember the secretary at J. Campbell Masterton, Jr's office? The one that got kind of snooty with us during the Hobart – LaFata case? Her name was Phyllis Eva Wilson."

"That was her?!" Matt couldn't believe his ears. "Okay, how in the heck did she end up there? Do you think Masterton is back in town?" J. Campbell Masterton, Jr. was a pompous lawyer and windbag who had been tied into the planting of a car bomb a few weeks earlier.

"That's what I'm wondering. There haven't been any reports of him from the airport but if he was disguised somewhat they probably wouldn't notice. They're more concerned with someone trying to blow up a plane."

"Yeah…hmmm…so what do you think? Go check out his house and office?"

"Might as well…we don't have anywhere else to look other than her apartment. Want to meet up there?"

"Sure. See you in a few." Matt hung up and then punched CJ's number. "Hey, Michael just called with an ID on that body that we found yesterday." He filled her in on the latest. "If you would, run through Masterton's financials…see if he's tried to pull any money from his accounts. They're frozen, but he might try. Also, see what you can find on Phyllis Eva Wilson."

"I'll sure do it. We're about twenty minutes out. I'll call you if I get a hit on anything. Love you, Cowboy."

"Love you, Babe. 'Bye." Matt hung up and made his way through the morning traffic to Masterton's home on Lake Ridge Drive in the Hollywood Hills area, overlooking the Hollywood Reservoir. He walked around the house and took a look around before Michael pulled up in front. Just as the private eye was making his way back around the side yard a shot rang out. Matt hit the ground, drawing out his pistol, as did Michael, who called for backup.

"Are you hit?"

Matt made it around to the front of the house and was crouched next to the corner. He shook his head no. Hoyt made a run for the house and quickly got beside the private eye. "It's coming from across the reservoir. I bet he's either on the boat dock or the platform over there." Matt was very familiar with the platform. He had rescued CJ and Chris from a rapist and murderer after a gunfight there. The battle with the man, one of the secretary's ex-boyfriends, had taken place about three weeks before CJ became pregnant with Catey. The private eye looked at the breeze blowing the trees. "I'm betting on the platform – the boat dock would be hard to get a good shot from in this wind."

Michael had officers sent to the area on the northeastern end of the reservoir. They radioed in that no one was there, but workers for the Los Angeles Department of Light, Water, and Power had reported seeing a man in the area shortly before the shots were fired. There was no sign of him anywhere. When they were given the all clear, Matt's first move was to go to the truck and pull out his bullet proof vest. Michael did the same. The PI breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped inside the house. "Are you sure you're okay?" Michael knew it took a lot to shake up his friend.

"Yeah. Getting shot at just isn't my idea of how to start the day." The two detectives began searching through the house. "You know, Masterton built the bomb that was placed on LaFata's car…" Matt turned and looked at Hoyt. "I think we better be extremely careful."

"Uh huh." The pair went through the house which appeared to have been empty since the lawyer left the country a few weeks before. When they got to the garage where the bomb had been built both were relieved not to see any evidence that another was in the works.

Just as they were about to leave, Matt caught something out of the corner of his eye. "Michael…" He pointed to a workbench on the far end of the wall. There in the center of it was a dust void where something had been moved and there was a pile of dust in the floor in front of it. "It was probably something heavy…see? He slid it." Hoyt nodded. "I don't recall anything being there when I came here while I was working the Hobart – LaFata case. We can look at the pictures in the file when we get back to the office." Matt nodded. Nothing else seemed disturbed and they left.

Back at the station, Matt's phone ring. "Yeah Babe, whatcha got?" He punched the speaker button.

"It looks like Masterton made an attempt to withdraw money from one of his accounts. He was in Honolulu. That was a week ago."

"So it sounds like he might be running a little short." Matt nodded.

"I've also been looking into the Wilson woman. She was forty, lived in an apartment on Silver Lake Boulevard at the Silver Lake Gardens complex. Never married and as far as I've been able to see she has one living relative – a sister who lives in New York. Would you like the number, Michael?"

"Please." He jotted it down. "And what was her name?"

"Patricia Elise Wilson. Apparently neither one ever married."

"With the personality that she had I can see why…and that would also explain the romance novel." Matt snickered as did Hoyt.

"Romance novel?" CJ had no idea what they were talking about. Matt filled her in on their visit to the lawyer's office a few weeks before. "Hmmm, reading romance novels at work…that's an idea. But then we never would get any work done would we?" She gave a laugh as Michael started to stammer and Matt completely cracked up.

"Anything else?"

"I also ran a check on her financials…and I believe it paid off. It seems that Masterton moved about $20,000 to his secretary's personal account the day he left town. Three days later it was spent – on a cashier's check to LeBron Dupree on the island of Bairiki in the Atolls."

"So now we know where he disappeared to then." Everyone was silent for a moment. "Okay, thanks Babe."

"So you aren't going to tell me about getting shot at this morning, huh?"

The two detectives exchanged a look. "Well, I just hadn't had the chance yet." Matt rolled his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Matt. That's rude."

"Damn it, Houston! Get that camera outta here – now!"

"Thanks a lot, CJ, now he's on the camera crusade again." Matt said it as sarcastically as possible.

"You're very welcome. Make sure you wear your vest if you go looking for him anymore today, okay?"

"I will, Babe. Love you. 'Bye." He hung up and looked over at Michael who was glaring at him. "There is no camera. Now, I think we need to go see about Wilson's apartment and Masterton's office. Come on."

Grumbling, the lieutenant got up and followed Matt out of the office and out into the hallway. Matt punched the button for the elevator and they waited…and waited, with Hoyt grumbling the whole time. Finally the PI had had enough and grabbed the cop by the arm and drug him toward the stairwell. "C'mon Gramps."

"Gramps?! Do not even…" He swatted at the PI who took off down the stairs laughing.

"Are we going in your car or the truck?" Matt had stopped to pull his vest and Glock out of his truck.

"My car! Get in there!" Hoyt was still fuming.

After Matt got in and fastened his seatbelt he looked around the vehicle. "Boy, this one is a lot nicer than the other one. And it doesn't have that smell…"

"What smell?" Hoyt dropped the car into gear and headed out of the parking garage.

"You know…that OLD smell." Matt gave his friend the crooked grin and cocked head routine.

"Shut…the hell…up." Hoyt shook his head and continued grumbling under his breath as the PI looked out the passenger window and tried not to laugh.