Season 3 Re-Write
Chapter 14: Death Trap
Matt was in such need of a vacation that CJ and Chris practically pushed him down the elevator shaft.
"Houston, this is the best sun-tan lotion in the world."
"My boyfriend says these salmon eggs will catch anything that swims."
"This insect spray is guaranteed to give the bugs malaria."
"Well, thanks you two but this is just a one-week vacation. I'm not going on a six-month expedition down the Amazon."
The elevator doors opened and Matt and CJ cringed as soon as they saw what Roy was holding in his hand.
"I have here a Mississippi night crawler, ah considered ambrosia by our pescatorian friends. You little rascal stay there."
"Right. Ah, my hands are full Uncle Roy."
"Well, don't worry. I put fifty of these in the trunk of your car. They thrive in the dark."
Matt made a face. "That's good, ah, thank you. I'll see you all in a week. Look if something important comes up…"
"Houston, forget it. You've cancelled this trip four times. Nothing's gonna come up, if it does, we'll handle it. Bye!"
Knock on wood. No sooner did CJ say that then the phone rang.
"CJ – it's a collect call from a Jim Saunders. He says it's an emergency."
"I'll take it. Jim? Hello, what is it?"
"Oh, CJ, thank God you're there! I'm in Bancroft. Julia wanted me to come up here and take care of a couple of things, but …"
"Ah, check what things out?"
He heard the tires of a car screech from outside and immediately dropped the phone and took off.
"Hello? Jim Hello?" she said as someone on the other end hung up.
"Everything all right?" asked Roy.
"No. I just got a phone call from Jim Saunders. He works for my very dearest friend, a girl named Julia Martin. He sounds like he's in some kind of trouble, Roy."
"I'll try and stop Houston," said Chris as she picked up the phone.
"No, Matt's on his vacation. CJ's friend needs help. He's got it. And you're looking at it."
"Thanks, Roy."
"Where do we start?"
"Well, first of all we place a phone call to Julia Martin and find out what this is all about."
"Where can I find her?"
"Good question. She's a bit a globe hopper. She has offices all through Europe. Ah, why don't you try calling her London office first? And, you and I are going to take a little trip to Bancroft, California."
Roy and CJ flew to San Francisco and then drove to Bancroft to find Jim. On their way into town they saw Jim's car being driven by someone else. As they tried to get closer, their car went off the road and came to a rough and sudden stop. So sudden that CJ's head briefly met with the dashboard. While she was unconscious for a moment, she remembered a conversation she had with Julia when they were younger.
"I can't stand it. Open it!"
"I can't."
"Not ever?"
"Julia it's too thin. I have a feeling it's a rejection and if it is, I don't know what I'm going to do."
"CJ, if I can get in you can get in."
"Look, if I don't make it into Harvard Law School, do you still want me to be your law partner?"
"Hey, come on, what kind of silly question is that? Of course I will. But, first we are going to open this."
Julia grabbed the envelope, opened it, and read the letter inside of it.
"Well?"
"You're in."
"I'm in? I'm in!"
"You're in!"
"I made it!"
Roy came to and panicked when he saw her eyes closed. "CJ? CJ? Are you alright?"
It only took her a second. "How long have I been out?"
"No more than a minute. We hit pretty hard. Are you sure you're alright?"
"What about Jim's car?"
"Gone."
"Roy, something terrible has happened to him."
"I think we should get back to Bancroft. Stop at the Sheriff's office, maybe get some answers."
Meanwhile, Matt and Will caught up on their fishing and their respective love lives. Some bachelors, they amused. They spent most of their time talking about their women. After only a few hours, though, Holly called needing Will to take care of Johnny for a few days. She felt bad for interrupting his vacation so soon, but she had no one else to turn to - and Will didn't mind being needed at all.
Roy and CJ stopped by the Sheriff's office, but encountered resistance with getting any answers ... or help. They decided to check into the hotel for a chance to plan their next steps. Once in the room, Roy immediately went to the phone.
"Thinking of interrupting Matt's vacation?"
"I think someone outside of this town ought to know what's going on inside of it just in case."
"In case what, Roy?
"Just in case we end up disappearing like Jim Saunders."
"Hello..."
"Hello, Matt, is that you?"
"Yeah, none other, Uncle Roy. What's up?"
"Well I feel guilty cutting into your valuable fishing time, but there's something I think you ought to be aware of."
"Don't feel guilty, Uncle Roy. Will had to take off for a while and help Holly. I'm here all by myself with not much to do."
Unbeknownst to them, the men at the hotel desk were severing their phone lines.
"Well, Uncle Roy it sounds to me like … hello?"
"Hello, Matt? I think we just wore out our welcome."
Roy and CJ left the hotel quickly and started for their car. On their way they ran into Moonshine Moody, a local who had seen what happened to Jim. He took them to his very humble abode where Jim's body lay. CJ was shocked and saddened when she saw him. It seemed that Julia's cousin Oliver had killed him because Jim knew that Oliver was embezzling Julia's money, entrusted to him to build a children's research center. Oliver was using the money to drill for oil, which he believed was still present, despite reports saying otherwise. Oliver had convinced the whole town that he was in the right and none of Julia's friends were to be trusted.
CJ recalled why Julia wanted so badly to build a children's research center.
"Julia? Everybody downstairs is waiting for you."
"Hey, we made it didn't we? Four years of college and three years of law."
"And we're just getting started. Julia, what's wrong?"
"I'm gonna have to give you a rain check on that legal crusade partner. The doctors finally found out why I'm feeling so tired. And it seems I've got myself a slightly terminal blood disease."
Julia hugged CJ as tears ran down CJ's face.
"I wanted very badly to leave my mark, CJ. I wanted very bad to leave something important behind."
"And you will. I know you will."
CJ and Roy tried to flee the Sheriff, but were unsuccessful. They ended up in the jail until Matt came to their rescue.
"Houston!" she exclaimed as soon as she saw him. "You have no idea how good it is to see you."
The three of them headed for Roy's car, but no sooner did they get in the car when Sheriff Ferris and Oliver Bancroft surrounded them and crippled their escape by firing a shot in the front tire of the car.
Matt, CJ and Roy sat in the jail cell awaiting their fate until they were led to two different cars. One car was for CJ, of whom the deputy and Oliver were taking to the airport to witness an "accident". The other car was driven by Sheriff Ferris, who had Matt and Roy handcuffed in the back seat of his vehicle. Fortunately, Moonshine Moody was on the prowl and drove Matt's car into the sheriff's path, forcing him off the road. Matt and Roy were able to overtake the sheriff and rush towards the airport.
As the airplane touched down and came down the runway, CJ did her best to divert it from the explosives. Matt caused a bigger diversion by driving his car past all of the explosives, setting them off in spectacular fashion as he sped by. As soon as his car stopped, Matt fired his rifle into the air, "On the ground!" he said as Deputy Krell and Oliver Bancroft dropped to their knees. Roy took over the rifle as Matt and CJ went hurrying to Julia's airplane, which had miraculously avoided all of the explosions.
The door opened, but Julia didn't get out. A man dressed in a business suit appeared instead.
"What the hell is going on around here?"
"It's a long story," said Matt.
"You must be CJ Parsons. I'm Julia's financial adviser, Bruce Seavers."
"Where's Julia?"
Bruce stood aside from the plane so that CJ could peer into the cabin. All she saw was a coffin.
"I'm sorry. She was already dead when I sent you the telegrams asking you to be here."
"What happened?" she said as tears filled her eyes.
"After ten years in remission, the leukemia returned. She told me she wanted to be buried here, her birthplace, among her friends, especially you. Before she died, she gave me this. It's a check: the final three and a half million made out to Bancroft Building Fund. Her last wish was to see her research center completed."
Bruce handed CJ the check and felt reassured when she responded, "It will be. Guaranteed."
CJ fell into Matt's arms, who had been standing right behind her.
"There is something else Julia wanted you to have – it's a letter. She wrote it just days before she died. She also has a letter for Jim. I know Julia sent him here to check out a few things ... have you seen him?"
She let Matt answer that question. "He was killed yesterday."
Bruce looked at them in shock. "Jim's dead, too?"
CJ nodded through her tears.
Matt kept checking her expressions as they followed the hearse to the local funeral home. She hadn't said much as the details were discussed between Bruce and the funeral director regarding the joint funeral for Julia and Jim. At least she wouldn't have to attend two different funerals in one week.
Afterwards they were greeted by Roy as they walked to the parking lot.
"I took care of everything with the San Francisco police. After I'm done here I can go back to the office and hold down the fort while you two take whatever time you need."
"Thank you, Uncle Roy," Matt said as CJ walked ahead to the car.
"How is she?"
"She's not showing it much yet, but she's hurting. Her and Julia go way back."
"I got that impression earlier. She was upset about Jim, too."
"Well, I'm gonna get her to the hotel and spend some time with her. Do you need a ride?"
"No, that's okay. Moonshine Moody said he'd drive me to the airport."
Matt knew CJ would need to have a moment or two where she could express her sorrow, but he wasn't sure if she wanted him around or if she want to cry in private. Either way, he wasn't going to be far.
They checked into a hotel and once they were in the room CJ headed immediately for the shower. She wanted to have a good cry, and the shower seemed like a good place to do that.
She started sobbing, putting her entire body under the water as a way to cover her cries. Her best friend was dead. God, she was going to miss her! Through the past 30 years, Julia had been the one person with whom she divulged all of her secrets to. The only one she trusted with her innermost feelings on everything from law to men. Who would she turn to now? Who would she confide her dreams, secrets and deepest fears to? Who would be her bridesmaid at her wedding, if and when she and Matt married? She always knew in the back of her head that Julia wouldn't live forever, but why did her her fears have to come true? Death sucks. Not being able to ever talk to or see someone again who you love so much. The last time she spoke with her at length was a few months ago when Will came home and she mentioned how her and Matt's relationship was finally blossoming. At least she got to tell her about that.
She soon realized that she didn't want to be alone anymore. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel.
"Matt…"
He heard his name and turned to see her standing next to the door of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. With her eyes red, her hair wet she uttered "hold me" through her tears, not that she needed to say anything. Matt was waiting to envelope her in his arms.
He wouldn't let himself fall asleep until he was sure she had.
"CJ? "
"I can't sleep."
They sat up, shoulder to shoulder.
"Anything I can do?"
"Uh huh. Help me read Julia's letter."
"Okay. If you think it'll help you sleep."
She nodded and reached the letter from her purse.
"Here … you can read it out loud."
"Are you sure CJ?"
"Positive. Go ahead."
My dearest CJ.
If you're reading this that means I'm already dead.
I'd tell you not to cry or be sad, but I knew that would be in vain.
Please know that you were in my last thoughts before I died. I thought of you often because whenever I did, I pictured your smile and that alone made me smile. You were such a good friend to me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you how sick I was, but I just didn't want to burden you. I want you to remember me as I was.
I'm so happy for you and Matt! I hope that you and Matt stay in love forever. You belong together. I really believe that.
I hope you don't mind that I've entrusted you and Jim to oversee the building and operation of my research center. I know it's a large task, but I really feel that you and Jim are the best people for the job.
If ever you miss me, I've left you something. My journals and photo albums that I kept since high school were sent to your home address a few days ago. Feel free to read them and laugh at the photos – especially at all of those crazy hair styles and fashions we used to wear!
Whenever you want to talk, I'll be listening. I'll be all around you: in the wind, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars. But most of all, I'll be in your heart. I know you were always in mine. Thank you for being the best friend a girl could ever have.
Love, Julia.
Matt put the letter aside while CJ rested her head on his shoulder and cried.
Funeral. The word was interesting, CJ thought. Why the first three letters were "fun" she thought someone had a sick grammatical sense of humor. As she sat in the church, she held tight to Matt' s hand, awaiting her turn at the lectern.
Matt's heart was racing and at one point felt like it was going to beat outside his chest. He was so nervous for her. He loved speaking voice, but every time she'd take a breath, emotion would creep into it. She wondered herself how she would get through her part, but get through it she did, that is until she started for the pews to rejoin Matt and felt her body turn to jello. Matt saw the hesitation in her body and almost started for her, in hopes to catch her before she collapsed. But she somehow managed to walk back to the pew and avoid attracting attention from the many grievers who had gathered. As she sat down, Matt took her hand and kissed it, then held it tightly in his own.
After the burial CJ was emotionally exhausted. Having to watch Julia and Jim's caskets being lowered into the ground was almost too much for her to take.
"I don't ever want to wear this dress again!" she said as soon as they returned to their hotel room. Matt could only watch for flying objects as she furiously kicked off her shoes and tossed her dress onto the floor.
As she kicked the dress, she subsequently banged her toe into the foot of the bed. "OW!" she yelled as she collapsed on the bed gripping her foot. Matt rushed to her side as her anger turned into tears. She cried onto his chest as she sat with her head tucked under his chin.
"I'm tired of crying," she admitted.
"I know, honey," he responded. "I know you are. C'mon let's have a look at this," he said, taking his hand and placing it on her damaged foot. "Just as I thought – the Oilers won't be calling you this season. There's always next year."
She knew what he was trying to do and appreciated it - it gave her a chance to collect her tears. "I know I said that I wanted to get started on Julia's research center right away, but I think I'd rather go home and get away from here."
"Okay."
And with that they packed and started for home right away.
Matt had planned a special night for CJ after work, thinking of not only lifting her spirits, but quite possibly his as well. He changed in his tux and she changed into a gorgeous white dress, which might have looked like a giant scarf if it had not been gathered so beautifully around the waistline and shoulders. Staring out into the night sky, she thought of a conversation she had with Julia when they were kids.
"Who's your best friend in the whole world?"
"You. Who's yours?"
"Betty Lou Montgomery," Julia mused.
This answer made CJ laugh, something Julia enjoyed the challenge of making her serious best friend do.
"I think we'll always be best friends."
"Forever and ever."
"Hey - what are you smiling about, huh?" Matt said he rested his hands on her waist and pulled her close.
"Nothing," she said as she playfully touched the lapels of his tux.
"Nothing?"
"Let's go to dinner."
"Okay."
"Smiling about nothing?" he pursued as they walked together.
"Houston, when you were a kid, did you have a best friend?"
"Yes I did, yes I did." He stopped, "Now I have a better one."
After dinner he took her for a drive to the beach. When he stopped the car and climbed out of it, he took his shoes and socks off.
"What are you doing?" CJ asked with a chuckle.
"You'll see."
He walked over to her side, opened the door and slid her pumps off, leaving them on the floor of the car. Then he took her arm and walked to the edge of the water, taking time to enjoy the romantic scenery and the way she looked in the moonlight.
And then he stopped and faced her.
"CJ," he said taking her hands in his, "I love you". And then he went to one knee, took a small box out of his pocket and opened it up.
"CJ … will you marry me?" he simply asked.
She opened her mouth is a silent gasp as she saw a beautiful diamond ring before her.
She looked into his eyes as he waited for her answer. She was so emotional she couldn't speak, so she just nodded enthusiastically.
Rising to his feet, he took the ring and placed it on her hand. CJ kissed and embraced Matt and then looked up towards the night sky through tears, thinking, "Look, Julia - I'm getting married!"