SURF'S UP
/Chapter 4/
A/N: hold tight, we're still in LA...but we'll be back in Hawaii soon...promise...case details play out so much quicker on screen than on paper...
...NCIS LA...HAWAII 5-0...NCIS LA...
Previously on NCIS LA...
"Lucky for us, whoever tried to erase Patton's hard drive obviously didn't know what they were doing," Eric began, his fingers flying over his keyboard, "now, most of the information was destroyed but I was able to find and hack into his cloud account..."
The main screen popped up with dozens of pictures...showing Ross with several unidentified men.
Turning to his partner, Callen said grimly, "ID these men..."
"...and we might just find our killer..." Sam finished.
.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,
"So a question now, were Patton and Ross working together on something or was Patton following Ross and saw something that got him killed," Sam asked aloud.
"Got facial rec up and running...if these guys are anywhere in the system I'll find them," Eric said.
Several minutes later a few new pictures, DMV records and other documents popped up on the screen.
Sam raised an eyebrow, "That was fast..."
"That's because it didn't come from the facial rec program, it came from the competition rosters I've been running," Eric explained, "...I set it up to automatically cross reference names, and pull up any relevant data..."
"So, what'd you get," Callen asked.
"Two of the people with Ross in the photos are...Victor Pratt and Jim Richards. According to these documents, both ex-cons just like Ross; both competed in the Coral Prince competitions..." Eric said
"Nothing illegal about that...last I checked surfing wasn't illegal, even for an ex-con," Sam commented.
"No, but, they wouldn't exactly be prime candidates to represent Coral Prince on the mainland either," Eric commented, "wouldn't look real good for the PR campaign if your surfers were felony, ex-cons..."
"Anything specific in the rules about people with a record competing," Callen asked.
"Well, there's nothing that says that they can't compete, but there is a section the participants fill out about past misdemeanors, traffic tickets and such and it also allows Coral Prince to run full background checks on the winners," Eric said as he skimmed his computer screen, " and our guys left that section blank."
"So, maybe Patton found out they were ex-cons; threatened to expose them," Sam postulated.
"But why, it would only be important if they win, Patton would have known that. Even without Patton, Coral Prince runs the background checks...finds their felony convictions, most likely getting them disqualified, if for nothing else, lying on the application..." Callen said. "So, what would be the point of competing?"
"And, the fact, we've got not one, but three, ex-cons competing in a competition, that even if they win, they most likely can't collect the prize..." Sam said slowly.
Eric chimed in slowly, "...but, that's just it, they both did won. Both came away with second place in their divisions: Pratt in San Diego and Richard's in San Francisco...and the background checks on both of them came back clean."
"How, this is not making any sense," Callen ground out, running a hand down his face in frustration, "was it their real social security numbers that Coral Prince ran?"
"It's their real numbers on the applications, checked it against their prison records." Eric supplied.
"So, our boys show up clean...sounds like they might have had a little inside help," Sam commented, pointing to the dozens of photos on the screen, "maybe one of those other guys..."
"So, then, Patton found out that these guys had a little help covering up their records..." Callen commented.
The computer dinged again on another of the unidentified men in the pictures, "...and I think I know who. The guy in a lot of these pictures with Ross and his prison buddies; it's Gordon Jensen—none other than the coordinator of the competitions...and hired to do the PR campaigned for the new Coral Prince stores."
"And who would be in charge of running the background checks..." Callen commented knowingly, looking towards Eric.
"The coordinator...Gordon Jensen," Eric supplied with a grin.
"So, somehow Patton finds out that Jensen covered up the criminal records of Ross and his buddies...he turns them in and they all lose the chance to compete in Hawaii, " Callen mused.
"So the question is, what does Gordon Jensen gain by helping out these guys," Sam commented with a shake of his head. "Just getting them to Hawaii doesn't guarantee them a spot on the team; they still have to compete against forty other surfers."
"Eric, run a full background on Jensen and the entire Coral Prince franchise, let's see what shakes loose..." Callen directed, then seeing a confused look on the tech's face asked, "...something else?"
"There's more. According to the notations on these rosters, neither man originally placed second; originally Pratt placed and fourth, Richard's sixth," Eric supplied.
"And yet, now both men are in second place and heading to Hawaii. Does it say why?" Callen asked.
"No..." Eric replied.
"Can you find out who the original winners were," Sam asked.
"Yeah, I can go into the specific competitions records," Eric said as his fingers flew across the keyboard.
"So the guy most likely to win the LA competition is gunned down, then two more are seriously injured...putting Ross in the running for a trip to Hawaii with his two friends..." Callen mused aloud.
"Except that he ends up dead too," Sam interjected.
"Okay guys, in San Diego...Pratt was moved up to second place after the second place winner...John Marsh dropped out and the third place winner never returned paper work to accept the slot..." Eric reported.
"Any reason given," Sam asked.
"Nope, Marsh cited family issues...and there's nothing on the other competitor." Eric said, moving on to the other man, "Jim Richards originally placed sixth in San Francisco...was moved up to second when the second place surfer...Mickey Price, was killed in an automobile accident, another had a serious surf accident and the third just seems to have disappeared...again, never returned the paperwork. And after forty-eight hours they removed him from the winners list."
"Looks like winning this competition could be hazardous to your health," Sam commented.
Nodding toward the screen where the facial recognition was still running for the fourth man in the pictures, Callen said, "Maybe when we ID him we'll get some answers."
"Not much else we can do right now..." Sam commented.
...NCIS LA...HAWAII 5-0...NCIS LA…..
Sam and Callen stepped into Deeks room and were surprised to see Ben Bass, the owner of Coral Prince, in the room.
"Hey fella's," Deeks said with a wave.
Bass looked at the two agents in surprise, turning back to Deeks, "you know these guys?"
Before Deeks could answer, Callen stepped forward, "we questioned Mr. Deeks after the accident ..."
Frowning, Ben asked, "Why?"
"In an ongoing murder investigation everything is relevant. Mr. Deeks was in the same division as Sgt. Patton and Ross, and now both of them are dead..." Callen said pointedly.
Ben started to nod, his face showing sudden surprise when what Callen said registered, "Wait...Ross, the guy that caused the accident; he's dead too...how?"
"Murdered...just like Patton." Callen said pointedly.
"Murdered," Ben shook his head in dismay, catching the expectant looks on the two agents faces he said skeptically, "Wait...you think… You think this has something to do with the competition—that's crazy!"
"Is it…? These two men, so far, had absolutely nothing in common—except your competition," Sam commented, throwing a quick look to his partner: while they knew the PR manager was somehow involved they had no idea where, if anyplace, Ben Bass fit into the picture.
"So that's it, they were both surfers…and you think because of that, its connected to my competition," Ben said tightly, surprisingly echoing Deeks earlier sentiments, and adding, "I'm not a cop, but that seems a rather tenuous connection."
"We're just investigating all the angles, Mr. Bass," Callen stated.
"What angles...?" Ben exclaimed impatiently, waving his hand wide, "What I see are cops grasping at straws...I don't need you harassing my surfer's..."
Sam and Callen exchanged looks, before Callen asked, "Your... surfers...? Just, why exactly, are you in Mr. Deeks room?"
Ben just shook his head angrily, glancing at the injured man in the bed, who shrugged and answered, "Mr. Bass has just informed me that due to the accidents and disqualification of Ross—apparently, not that that matters now, since he's dead; anyway, I am now in the second place position in my division-"
"And you accepted," Callen asked pointedly.
Sensing the agents working an angle he asked, "So, does that make me a suspect if I say yes...?"
"Should you be, Mr. Deeks," Callen shot back with a raised eyebrow, adding, "but we do have some questions for you..."
The agents turned to Bass, who turned to address the detective expectantly, "So then, I'll bring by the paperwork later, Mr. Deeks?"
Seeing Deeks nod in the affirmative, Ben then gave a hard look towards the agents, "...and if you require any assistance, please feel free to call my office."
Deeks grinned and reached out to shake Bass's hand, "I'll let you know, Mr. Bass...and thank you."
With one last look at the agents, Bass left the room.
"So guys, what's going on...?" Deeks started to ask only to be interrupted by an angry Sam.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Working the case," Deeks replied innocently.
"From your hospital bed," Callen accused.
"Hey, I didn't go looking for it…the opportunity came to me," Deeks defended. "With Patton and Ross dead, you're theory that it has to do with the surf competition is looking more likely. Now we have someone on the inside...me."
"You plannin' on going clear to Hawaii to solve this case..." Sam asked.
"Hey, if that's what it takes...but why would we need to go to Hawaii to find Patton and Ross's killer?" Deeks asked, adding, "...and what's the deal anyway, you didn't want Bass to know we knew each other..."
Answering the first question, Callen said, "Because Ross was our only suspect..." the agent went on to fill the detective in on everything else they had discovered about Coral Prince's PR manager and his ties to Pratt and Richards.
"So we have a lot of questions and not a lot of answers..." Deeks commented thoughtfully.
"And, we have no idea if Bass is involved," Sam added.
...NCIS LA...HAWAII 5-0...NCIS LA...
