CHAPTER 3

Mike Salvai 's home was located in a neighborhood known as The Bluffs. The two-story Spanish-style home with a breathtaking view of the Pacific was surrounded by gardens of flowers, vines, and trees and was nowhere near as pretentious as that of Stone. As the two detectives approached the wrought iron gate, Matt pressed the buzzer and within seconds the gates rolled open. The pair exchanged a surprised look and then went to the front door and rang the bell. After a minute it was opened by a man with short brown hair sprinkled with gray wearing brightly colored Hawaiian patterned board shorts and a neon green tank top. "Where's the pizza?"

Gabby produced her badge. "We'd like to speak with Mr. Salvai, please."

"Oh...okay. Come on in." He opened the door for them as he yelled in the direction from which the music was coming. "Yo, Corey – 'nuff for today, bro. I gotta talk to some people." The face of a kid appeared over the railing on the top floor. "You did great, man."

"Thanks." Smiling, the boy disappeared momentarily and then reappeared coming down the steps lugging a guitar case that was nearly as big as himself. "See you next week, Mike." The two exchanged a fist bump as the kid passed. When the door was opened the pizza delivery man was about to ring the bell and after tipping the driver, Salvai invited the detective's into the kitchen.

"So what did you need to talk to me about? Want a beer?"

"No, thank you." Gabby took a seat at the bar as did Matt. "We were wondering if you might be able to help us – there are three members of Almost Nuclear Sludge that have been murdered. Do you know of anyone who might want to hurt them?"

"No way, man." Mike took a seat across from them. "Those guys are really good. Bummer." Pulling a slice from the box he offered some to the detectives who declined. After swallowing the first bite of pizza and taking a swig of the beer, he shook his head. "I know a few months ago when they first started up in Vegas Jeremy was pretty pissed. He broke one of 'em's nose...but I don't think he would hurt them – like kill them." He took another bite.

Matt leaned forward with his elbows on the bar. "We just came from talking with Mr. Stone."

There was a chuckle from across the bar and the guitarist took another swig of beer. "I'm surprised he talked to you. Jeremy was a good front man – he was flashy, got the crowd worked up, ya know? But off stage he's got the personality of a coat hanger. You know when we toured he had his own bus – wouldn't have anything to do with the rest of us at all except for when it came time to rehearse or perform. Even when we were in the studio he kept to himself. But I can't see him actually killing somebody. Besides..." Another bite of the pizza disappeared. "He oughta be happy – we're making money off of their performances and not even having to lift a finger."

"He's far from happy about it."

"All the years I've known him, I don't ever remember him really being happy about anything...other than hooking up with a groupie and..." He looked at Gabby and smiled. "Well, you know. He's weird."

Matt nodded. "He suggested maybe a fan had done it."

"Hmmm..." Mike swallowed more of the beer. "I don't know why. It's not like we've done anything for...gees, man – a long time."

Standing up, the PI walked toward one of the windows that overlooked the Pacific. "You've got a beautiful view here and quite a garden." The hilly ground surrounding the house was filled with plants.

"It is. That's why I bought this land. When we first hit it big that was the first thing I did. My grandfather always told me that land was a good investment and he was right. Jeremy laughed at me when I built the house and started the garden. He was busy wining and dining girl after girl, spending money like it was going to kill him to keep a buck in his pocket. See, I came from nothing. My parents worked at a factory in Little Rock - double shifts and still didn't make squat. Then my dad got killed when I was eight - one of the machines caught fire after he got his sleeve caught in it. That's when my mom and I moved in with my grandparents. Times were tough. I started playing in bars when I was sixteen and by the time I was eighteen I met up with the other guys from Nuclear Sludge." Taking another slice of pizza he shook his head. "Things like that don't last forever. You've got to make the most of it while you can and try to hold on to things. Jeremy looks down his nose at this place but I'm happy. I've got a great view, a terrific wife, and I get to teach kids like Corey. That kid is going somewhere – he's got the talent." Looking across at the pair he smiled. "But you didn't come here to hear my life story, did you?"

"Well, it certainly is interesting." Gabby gave him a big smile. "But we do have three murders and we need to figure out who's responsible."

"I really couldn't tell you. The last time I saw the guys from the band was...wow...a long time ago. Angus is running a talent agency in New York and Jessie is down in Miami."

"Any idea how we could get in touch with them?" Houston turned and walked back to the bar.

"Umhuh." Swallowing more pizza he pulled a phone out of his pocket. He rattled off numbers for the other two members of the band. "Sorry I couldn't help you more." They shook hands.

"You were a lot more help than Stone. Thanks." The pair left and went out to their vehicles. Gabby leaned against the front of the truck and looked out over the waves of the Pacific. "Guess we can call New York and Miami and let them talk to the others."

"I'd say if they're at home and have been for the last few days they're not going to be much help to us anyway – or likely suspects." The PI put his sunglasses back on and popped his back. "It would also help a whole lot if we knew how they died."

"I haven't heard back from the ME on the tox screen just yet."

"Well, guess I'm going to head back to the ranch. Let me know if you get anything else."

"Sure will. Thanks for the help. I probably wouldn't have even made it past the front gates at Jeremy Stone's house by myself."

"Oh, if he had gotten a look at you – you would have made it in alright." Matt grinned as he got into the truck and took off back toward the ranch.

As he drove west on the Pacific Coast Highway he once again spotted the car. Anger and worry rose up in his chest. Why in the hell is she following me? And then it dawned on him: his interview with Giorgio had been on the night before on the very channel that employed Placer. But why...shaking his head he decided not to worry about it. If she spent all her time following him around she wouldn't be able to cover any stories for the station, meaning that she would get fired. When he reached Saddle Peak Road, Matt got a little grin on his face as he hit the accelerator; he knew every twist and turn of the road like the back of his hand and knew just exactly how much speed he could get away with – she, on the other hand, did not. It wasn't long before he was free from seeing her in the rearview mirror and then he passed through the security gates at the bottom of the driveway and was home.

Getting out of the truck he was immediately met by Catey Rose and her constant sidekick Tilly, both of whom were glad to see him. Scooping his daughter up into his arms he blew a raspberry on her cheek and sent her into gales of laughter, something he had done almost from the day she was born. Looking at the sunlight hitting on her dark hair, he realized just how big she was getting. She could no longer really be considered a baby much as he tended to think of her that way; she was now becoming a little girl of almost two years who slept in a toddler bed now. The move out of the nursery and into her "big girl room" as she and CJ referred to it had gone without a hitch. Catey was thrilled with the new room and had helped to choose the paint and decorations. It struck him that in three years she would be starting school. "What have y'all been up to this morning?" He carried her over to the table where CJ and the others were seated.

"We been busy bees!" She began telling him all about her morning and Matt knew without a doubt that no detail was being left out. Catey Rose Houston had turned into quite the talker in the last month. When she finally stopped long enough to take a bite of the hotdog that was on the plate in front of her as she sat on his lap, he and CJ shared a kiss and a knowing smile.

"I believe she might turn out to be a lawyer like her mama." He gave CJ a grin as he began putting mustard on the hotdog bun.

"Maybe not – her dad is a pretty fast talker when he's working a case." She laughed.

"So Catey..." Matt took a bite of his lunch. "What are you going to be when you grow up?"

"I..." There was a long pause. "I don't know." The last was said so dramatically that her everyone completely cracked up.

"Maybe I was wrong – she might be an actress."

Later on after Catey was down for a nap and CJ was dozing in the recliner, the cowboy took a walk down to the barn with Madre Rosa. It was only her second visit to the California ranch. As the two approached, Cricket looked up and whinnied, glad to see her owner. "How's my baby girl, today?" He put his forehead on the horse's and scratched her jaws as she gave him the peculiar little nicker that was the reason for her name.

Madre Rosa laughed. "She lives up to her name." Putting her hand through the fence she began petting on the little buckskin colt that was the offspring of Cricket and Jasper. "And such a beautiful little boy." Watching as Matt climbed up the fence to the top rail and then slid over onto the back of the mare she smiled; from the time that he and Bill Houston had moved to the ranch in Houston Matt had been in love with horses. That much about him hadn't changed, but there was so much about him that had in the last several years. She had watched the interview with Stavros the night before and although she had known that he was after a serial killer back then, all that he had gone through to catch the killer hadn't really registered until she heard him speak of it for the first time on TV. And the fact that he spoke so openly about his struggles after his time in the Army was surprising. Her main concern at the time had been the effect of his leaving on Bill. It had been a rough couple of years before the two had really spoken again and Matt had done what he set out to do. Even his dad had to admit that he had done well for himself and for all of the people that he had helped. Still, when she saw him with the horses she thought of the little boy that he had been.

In a couple of minutes he was back at the fence. "Want to go for a ride?" That crooked little grin was on his face once again.

"No, no...I'm too old for that."

"You're not old. Hang on a minute." In a flash he was off of the horse, over the fence, and lifting her up onto the back of the mare.

"No...Matt! I can't do this!"

"Looks to me like you are. Now just brace your hands on her shoulders there if you need to...there ya go. Now just relax." The smile on his face was infectious and the housekeeper found herself laughing. "Do you know in all my life I've never been on a horse before now?"

"You're kiddin'."

"No – it's true."

"Didn't think it was legal for any Texan to have never ridden a horse." He began walking alongside the mare. "Not so bad, is it?"

"Not at all." They completed the trip around the area with Buck following closely as well as Jasper. When back at the fence, he helped her slide safely down to the ground. After a little more time with the horses they went back up to the house and Matt's phone rang.

"Hey, Gabby." Punching the speaker button he set the phone on the patio table where Mama and Roy were seated and pulled out a chair for the housekeeper.

"I just got the tox screen back on Carter. They aren't sure what kind just yet, but he appears to have been poisoned. It says here that there were signs of gastric irritation, dehydration, and heart damage. The ME also noted that there was petechial hemorrhaging but no signs of strangulation, so it suggests that his oxygen levels were very low before he died. They're doing more testing on his stomach contents."

"At least we know now." Matt looked up and saw the look of shock on Madre Rosa's face. He immediately took the phone off speaker. "Have you talked to New York and Miami?"

"I have – they're going to work on it. The woman I spoke to in Miami didn't sound overly thrilled at having to do legwork for us."

"Too bad." He chuckled.

"Just wanted to let you know – and thanks again for your help."

"No problem. I'll keep thinking about it." The call was ended and the cowboy looked over at Madre Rosa. "Sorry about that. We hear things like that all the time around here."

"I used to have to make Vincenzo leave the table when he got those types of phone calls." Mama rolled her eyes as the others chuckled.

Later that evening everyone was outside on the patio talking when Matt's phone rang once again. As he looked at the caller ID a big smile spread across his face. "Hey, Tomás. How's it goin'?" There was a pause as he listened. "Sure I've got time. What's wrong?" The smile disappeared as he listened.

Walking away from the group a short distance he continued talking to his adopted son as CJ watched, wondering what was wrong. Tomás was a good kid and had been doing exceptionally well at the school just outside of San Francisco. Not only was it one of the highest rated schools in the country, but Matt thought that considering the trouble the boy had experienced with gangs in LA it would be a safer choice for him. It was thirty minutes later before her husband came back to join the group. "Is everything okay?"

Sitting back down on the swing next to her he automatically put an arm around her shoulders. "Yes and no: he broke up with his girlfriend. Or rather she broke up with him."

"Uh oh, teenage heartbreak." Roy shook his head.

"Awww..." She put her head over on his shoulder. "So is he okay now?"

"He will be." Kissing the top of her head he looked down toward the barn as both Jasper, Cricket, and the other horses began fussing and running in all directions. In the near darkness he spotted something flying around over the pasture near the barn and watched as all of the horses continued to nervously try to get away from it. "What the hell?" Standing up, he watched for another minute before going into the den and removing a rifle from the gun cabinet. As he chambered a round, he walked out a few feet away from the others, looked through the scope and fired a shot. The object dropped to the ground and as he started that way, Roy tagged along.

"What was it?"

Matt had the rifle resting on his shoulder. "I'm not sure, but I think it was a drone. Kinda hard to see." The first thought that had gone through the PI's mind was Tamara Placer following him that day. When he reached the pasture fence he handed the rifle to his uncle momentarily as he scaled it and then took it back before walking carefully towards the object lying about thirty feet away. Jasper was pawing at the ground staring at it. "Easy, boy." Reaching down he picked it up. Just as he had thought it was a drone – a quadcopter with a camera onboard. After finding the power switch for the camera, he picked it up and went back up to the house.

"Who do you think it belongs to?" Roy had seen stories about drones on TV. He could see where they could be useful in certain situations but the thought that someone had one flying over the ranch was disturbing considering how many times people had tried to harm his nephew and CJ over the years.

"Tamara Placer." He looked over at his uncle.

"Tamara Pl...why?"

"Probably for the same reason she followed me all morning when I was helping Gabby." The anger in his voice was distinct although he kept the volume to a bare minimum.

They reached the ladies up on the patio. "What in the world is it?" Mama couldn't see it very well in the dimming light. She was surprised that Houston didn't answer but saw the angry look on his face and got quiet. CJ started to follow him into the house.

"CJ, stay out here." He stopped at the kitchen door.

"What happened?" There was no mistaking the tone of his voice.

"Not sure just yet – let me handle it, Babe. Just relax." Going on into the house he walked through the kitchen and den on back to the office that he and CJ were now sharing. As he went to close the door Roy stopped him.

"I'm coming in there, Mattlock." The elder Houston knew that there was more to the story than he was being told.

Nodding, Matt took his hand off of the door. "Lock it behind you." Crossing over to the desk he got a good look at the object for the first time. The camera was mounted underneath the craft.

"Nice shot – looks like you got it right through the heart." Roy gave a grim smile. "Now explain why you think it's Tamara Placer." As he removed the SD card from the camera and slid it into the laptop on the desk he told Roy about his morning. "I've never asked you before..." The older man walked behind the desk so that he could see the computer screen. "...exactly what is the deal with you and her?"

There was no reply as the images began to play on the screen. "Son of a bitch.." The drone had taken off from inside the Houston property. In a couple of minutes it had reached the area of the barn and pasture. "How in the hell did she get on the property?" The security on the ranch had been tightened up after a close call back in February, with Roy and Vince planning out the improvements. It had hovered over the barn for only a few seconds before the horses had started reacting and Matt could see an image of himself and CJ as they sat on the swing together. The last frames on the card were of him picking it up and turning off the camera. He snatched the card out of the computer and put it in his shirt pocket before closing the laptop.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna go see if she's still on the property." He went past his uncle and out the door, the rifle back in his hands.

"Matt, wait now..." Roy followed along as his nephew hastily made his way through the house, out onto the patio and went to his truck.

"Hon, what's going on?" CJ stood up as he started the engine and quickly went down the driveway. Roy hopped into his own car and followed along as the ladies looked at each other in shock. When Sheila and Mama looked back around CJ had disappeared into the house and returned seconds later with the keys to her SUV.

"Un uh, no you're not." The nanny tried to stop her. "CJ, you need to stay put. Let them handle whatever is going on." She got to the driver's side of the vehicle before her friend.

"I'm going, Sheila."

"No."

"Get out of the way."

"You don't need to be getting all excited – you know that."

"Then get out of my way so I won't be..."

"Give me the keys and let me drive." Knowing that CJ was almost as stubborn as Houston, the nanny decided that a compromise was going to be the only solution and was relieved when the lawyer gave her the keys. They went down the drive and as they neared the gates they could see Matt's truck blocking the front gate and a dark blue sedan while Roy had the vehicle boxed in from the rear. Angry voices were heard and then sirens sounded. "What in the hell?"

Getting out of the SUV, CJ could make out a blonde woman yelling at her husband and then she realized exactly who it was. "What are you doing here?" She couldn't believe that the reporter had made it onto the heavily secured property.

Matt's face was white with anger and his voice had dropped into the growl. "CJ, go back to the house."

"No, I want to know exactly what she's doing here." She had made it up next to her husband's side.

Flipping her long blonde hair back the reporter spoke. "I'm trying to reclaim my property."

"Property? What property?"

A patrol car stopped outside the gate and Roy went over to open it. Two officers exited the vehicle, one of which Matt knew. "Houston, are you guys okay?"

"I've got a trespasser." He nodded in the direction of the reporter.

"Miss Placer..." The cop approached her. "Please put your hands behind your back, ma'am." Eric Tate removed the handcuffs from his belt as she began to protest.

"I'm a member of the press..."

"That doesn't give you the right to trespass." The officer began tightening the cuffs.

"You can't do this."

"Yes ma'am, I can. You have the right to remain silent..." Tate began reciting her Miranda rights as she struggled.

"Houston, you're going to regret this."

"Is that a threat?" His voice boomed out above all of the other noise, the anger surprising even CJ. "I've told you to stay away – you're not welcome at my office and you're sure as hell not welcome here."

"I'll make you wish..."

"Just try to come back here..." The voice had dropped even lower.

"Oh, so you're going to threaten me?"

"No, it's a promise."

"Matt..." CJ moved up next to him. Although he had a temper it was usually very well controlled, especially since Catey had been born.

Tate had passed the reporter off to his partner who half-dragged her to the car and finally managed to get her loaded into the back seat where she continued to yell. "I'll need to get some information from you..."

"Be with you in just a minute." Turning back to CJ he took her by the arm. "Babe, I want you to go back up to the house..." Leading her back to the SUV he was doing his best to calm down.

"I want to know what's going on here." She stopped obstinately.

"CJ, just..." He stopped, closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking a deep breath and exhaling before opening them and looking down at her. "I'll explain it when I come back up, okay?" Looking over at Sheila he spoke again. "Please take her back up."

"Matt..."

"Please, CJ..." He had an almost anguished look on his face.

"Okay, but as soon as you come back up there..."

"I promise, Babe." He held the door open for her as she got back into the vehicle. Watching as the Nanny backed up and then turned the Navigator around he drew in another deep breath before walking back to his truck and filling out the report.

It was a good twenty minutes before the two Houston men made it back to the house, the younger man sitting behind the wheel of the truck after he shut off the engine. He had never wanted CJ to know what had happened and certainly not while they were hoping to delay the birth of the twins to an acceptable date. Roy stood beside his door and waited. Matt slid out of the truck and went into the house, stopping at the control panel for the security system. According to the panel everything was secure. Obviously it wasn't or Placer never would have made it onto the property undetected. He was going to run a complete check on all of the activity. "Boy, making her wait isn't going to help the situation." Roy kept his voice low and watched as he nodded and slowly turned toward the den where the ladies were gathered. CJ was sitting in their usual place and his mind raced as he went to the gun cabinet and replaced the rifle, the lock clicking into place sounding loud in the complete silence. Without a word he went over and sat down in his recliner as she turned on the couch to face him. Nothing was said for a minute and Mama and Madre Rosa got up to leave.

"No..." His voice was very soft. "Stay...please." Looking at the two women that had been like mothers to him he looked back down as he took CJ's hand. "Babe..." He looked at the rings that he had put on her left hand and then up into her eyes. "Two months after we were married I was in the elevator at the station..." Slowly, he told her what had happened back then and then what had transpired earlier in the day. "That was a drone that I shot down – a quadcopter with a video camera on it."

"So she came onto the property and flew that thing..." The lawyer's eyes narrowed. "Okay, we've definitely got her for trespassing and the way she was acting they might slap her with resisting arrest..." The gears in her mind worked over the situation and Matt looked at her slightly surprised. "What?"

"I..." He shook his head.

"You thought I would be mad at you?" He nodded and looked back down at her hand. "Look at me..." Looking back up his eyes locked on hers. "Did you do anything wrong? No. You made it perfectly clear that her advances were unwanted and you've done everything in your power to stay away from her. I don't have any reason to be upset with you – other than the fact that I wish you had told me as soon as it happened."

"I...given my track record..." Matt shrugged. "But you know I would never..."

"I know that. And so does everyone else sitting here." Leaning forward she kissed him and then pulled him into a hug, a not-so-easy task with the twins in her belly in their way. Looking down at them she laughed. "I believe something's come between us but it isn't Tamara Placer." Everyone began laughing and then he picked her up, putting her in his lap and wrapping his arms around her.

Later that night after making sure that CJ was asleep, he slipped out of their bed and went into his wife's office and pulled up the controls for the security system. If there was a weak link in it he had to know; enough people had tried to kill him as well as CJ. Now with Catey Rose in the mix and the addition of the boys soon, he was anxious. Looking through the entire activity of the day he found what he was looking for: he had been the last one to enter the property before the drone was spotted, yet between that entry and when Roy had opened the gates for the police there was another event. Lamar Pettybone's pass-code had been entered. Sitting back in the chair he rubbed at the stubble on his face. Matt knew that the ranch hand had been in the bunk house when the gates were activated. He knew without a doubt that Lamar would never have knowingly given his code to Placer nor would he have opened the gate for her. So how did she get it? After turning the matter over for several minutes, he still hadn't figured it out but he knew how to keep it from happening again. Lamar's code was changed within seconds and the PI planned to have a talk with both Lamar and Bo early the next morning.

Quietly he went back to the bedroom and crawled into bed, CJ automatically snuggling in with her arm over his belly with her head on his chest. Just as he closed his eyes she spoke. "Did you figure it out?" Opening one eye she smiled up at him.

"Yep."

"Good."