C.J. woke up with a start, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked around her room wildly for a moment thinking she was back in those most comfortable quarters that she'd been staying in as Duval's bargaining chip to use against Matt to get him to release his son. She knew that Duval had spent time researching the man who had put his son away, to find something, anything that would represent a weakness to be exploited.

It had been her and Duval knew it. That thought hit her with the dozens of others as she realized that what her eyes saw looked too familiar to be from back on the island. She was after all in her own bedroom, the one where she spent most of her nights, well all of her nights these days. She slowed her breathing down before she started hyperventilating which would trigger a panic attack. She'd had a few of those in her life after difficult experiences but she'd learned how to control them before they took off racing away from her. Her pajamas clung to her body and she got out of bed to go brew herself a cup of chamomile tea.

She gazed out into the darkness outside the windows of her sunroom as she waited for the tea to boil. Microwaving water wouldn't do it for her; she wanted to do it the more traditional way. Her dream well nightmare really started slipping away as soon as she opened her eyes but she knew it had been about Marquis Duval.

The father who had died rather than the son who had just killed someone…but she hadn't had these dreams in over a year. She smiled as she remembered she owed that to Carl, her boyfriend who had come back into her life at just the right time only to leave it abruptly later after she'd fallen as much in love with him as she allowed herself with anyone. It hadn't ever been lost on her that her love for him had gotten him killed when another man relentless in his mission and purpose had punished her for loving Carl and not him by taking him away from her.

She sighed as she heard the kettle whistle for her and she went to use the hot water to steep her tea. Just long enough for the chamomile to reach the concentration where it'd do its work to help her get back to sleep.

Duval had been dead for some months now and yet he still maintained a hold on her life…at least her dreams. She didn't want to think about him anymore than she had to, because then she'd start remembering again. She sipped her chair still looking out the window towards the street, remembering the footprints she'd found outside Clover's bungalow made by Duval Jr.

They were no closer to finding him let alone catching him but C.J. knew she had to try the tip she'd receive on the bar where he'd been seen.

She had to find him and she had to stop him. He was here to take out someone but how Clover factored into the picture only he knew…or she did and she wasn't talking. Maybe she should do what Matt had been doing which was to read Courtney's book on Duval to figure out whether anything in there could help her find his son before someone got killed.

Courtney had eluded that quite a few of his secrets made it into the book based partly on journals he'd left behind after death. And that meant…but certainly he wouldn't go that far. She took her mug back to the bedroom and then picked up the book where she left it and started reading.

Matt ran his 10 miles down the bike path all the way past Venice Beach pretty close to where the dead bodyguard had been found. He stopped to get some freshly squeezed orange juice at a tiny eatery just off the path and ran into a familiar face.

Randy, the ex-football player who had retired not too long ago to be a motivational speaker and who was talking to Mel, the guy who owned the place.

"Houston…long time no see."

Matt smiled and the two men embraced. Randy had mentored Matt back in the days when they both played football at Rice University and they'd remained good friends ever since. But the last time Matt had seen Randy had been at the funeral of another good friend of theirs, Too Mean Malone. He'd of course died as a member of Matt's impromptu team to spring his cousin Will out of the prison camp where he'd lived when everyone thought him dead.

"I heard you almost got married."

Matt sighed. He suspected the whole city knew about that given the coverage of his whirlwind engagement and the eruption of violence at his wedding.

"Almost…how about you…how's life been treating you?"

Randy smiled.

"I've been so busy traveling on speaking engagements and hitting the schools…talking to kids who grew up poor like I did that there's a whole world out there waiting."

"That's great…you always did have a way with words," Matt said, "Those speeches you gave before games lit quite a few fires beneath us."

Randy chuckled, clearly remembering those early days.

"Yeah well professionally things are going well…socially I haven't had much time…but while you're here, how's that sexy associate of yours doing these days?"

Matt blinked his eyes, a bit taken aback at Randy's question. Yeah C.J. was gorgeous and she certainly was…but he'd never figured Larry would be interested in her.

"She's been real busy doing legal work for us," he said, "Keeps her real busy and she's been working on some…projects."

"That's great…listen do you have a number where I can reach her," he said, "I was thinking of inviting her out to dinner…so we can catch up."

Matt just looked at him.

"I…you can reach her at the office."

Randy slapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks buddy…I really appreciate it," he said, "I've always thought her to be a hot lady."

Matt bristled at that.

"She's a very nice woman…and she's very busy…"

Randy laughed louder.

"Matt you just told me that," he said, "You're not against me asking her out are you?"

Matt hesitated and then shook his head.

"Course not…besides it's up to her to decide," he said, "Just don't treat her like...she's very special."

Randy smiled.

"I know that…and I've grown up a lot since you've seen me last. After leaving football and saying no to a lot of lucrative endorsement offers, I did some serious thinking about my life and where I wanted it to go and I've been thinking a lot about family…you know I didn't grow up with the best memories like you did."

Matt knew that and he knew that Randy had survived growing up in a household where his father beat the kids and his mother had been powerless to stop him or to leave. But Randy had a gift and it had ultimately gotten him away from that, not that some serious demons hadn't followed him. He saw that his friend was interested in C.J. and seriously he didn't know how he felt about that…or why he thought about it at all. She was his best friend since they were kids and he wanted her to be happy above anything else.

That was it wasn't it? She'd seen enough heartbreak what with Carl, Robert and just like him she'd somehow never made it to the altar. Only now she didn't seem to want that, she wanted a kid without the rest of it.

"Randy like I said, she can be reached at the office," he said, "She'll decide where to go from there."

"Thanks again buddy…good running into you."

Matt watched him leave and sipped his own juice. He knew that he'd treat C.J. well and with respect and that she wouldn't accept any less than that from any man. She really didn't need anyone to be concerned about her but somehow he couldn't help himself. Part of being friends with her most of their lives he guessed. If he overstepped his bounds, she put him nicely in his place quickly enough. He left the shack and continued with his run, passing the cordoned off area of the beach near the tide line where he saw some uniformed officers standing guard while detectives continued to process the crime scene.

C.J. hit the office and a ton of messages including a call from Randy asking her out. She smiled because she liked him but she'd have to think about it. He'd been a player most of his life with women flocking around him much like Matt. She didn't have in mind to be just another flavor; it'd have to be something special next time out. But then with this baby plan of hers…she'd really have to think about a lot of things. Her initial visits to the clinics had been…eventful so far. She had no plans to wind up behind bars in future visits.

As long as Serena took her own baby plan somewhere else…it'd work out fine. Something about that woman just brought out the feisty side of her and yet when she'd kept it under wraps she still wound up with SWAT coming in and hauling them off all off to jail to cool their heels for a spell while figuring out what to do with them.

Chris walked in her office with more papers faxed by Murray to sign by noon and fax right back to him. She looked almost apologetic.

"I heard about last night…it must have been rough."

C.J. sighed, as she tended to the paperwork.

"I was with Clover when we got the call that he'd turned up dead," she said, "Houston got a call when the body was discovered and we ran into each other there."

"It's Duval isn't it?"

C.J. nodded.

"He's set his sights on Clover and we don't know why."

Then she heard someone else in the doorway.

"Maybe we do C.J….just maybe we do."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What are you talking about…did you find out something?"

He leaned against the door jam. His arms folded as he looked at her.

"Maybe…I've been reading that book Courtney wrote."

"So have I…but I'm still in his formative teen years…haven't got much out of it except maybe he started hating the world early on?"

"Well I read that part too but I got further to his affair he had with Clover that started in Monaco about thirty years ago."

C.J. knew about that in bits and pieces but not the full blown narrative of what had happened between the two of them.

"So she had a fling with him and then it ended?"

He nodded.

"Yeah but it happened not long before Duval Jr. was born," he said, "I haven't reached the part of the book yet that even talks about him…as far as Duval knew this was his only child."

C.J. shrugged.

"As far as he knew maybe…but he had quite a few flings…don't know what these women saw in him. But I guess he got around."

"I know that…but he talked a lot about Clover in particular," he said, "The most of any woman so far…so why is that?"

"He had the most fun with her, the best memories? Houston, I think that's a guy question. Women remember their relationships much differently than guys do."

He rubbed the back of his neck a little sheepish at that.

"Well C.J. what if…he's written the most about her because of all the women he had…relationships with she was the one who gave him something the others didn't?"

C.J. felt irritation flash through her. She pushed a strand of loose hair out of her face.

"Houston…stop talking in questions…just get to the point which is…"

He looked straight at her, his brown eyes intent on the thoughts he was putting into words.

"What if she had a child with him," he said, "What if she's Duval Jr.'s mother?"

C.J. just stared at him and what he had just told her…but then she thought about it. What if Houston was right?

If so, they'd have to start looking at the younger Duval, the assassin for hire on the hunt in a different light.