The crane was blocking the entire parking lot. Rick stood by with his hands on his hips and watched his Porsche being loaded. It wasn't a pretty sight, but at least a lot of care was taken and all Rick had to do was sign the papers. In the corner of his eye he saw the Ferrari pulling into the parking lot, then stopping and backing up. Thomas and Higgins got out, came closer, and watched the tow truck with Rick's Porsche in the loading area leave the La Mariana parking lot. Thomas shook his head blankly.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Did you forget to pay the tickets?"

Rick snorted and turned away from his friends, towards the entrance of La Mariana. Thomas and Higgins followed Rick inside, where Rick stepped straight behind the bar, took three mugs from the sink, and poured coffee. He placed two of the mugs in front of his friends, who sat down at the bar and looked at him, waiting for an explanation.

"What happened?" Thomas asked.

"Someone slashed the tires," Rick said dully. "That happened."

"All four?" Thomas asked.

His friend nodded and rubbed his temple with two fingers.

"Headache?"

"Wouldn't you have one?"

Thomas sighed. Rick was in no mood to talk. That was so unlike him.

"Who did that?" Higgins asked, but Rick only shrugged. "That was a warning," she said seriously.

"Oh," Rick said bitterly. "You think?"

Thomas and Higgins exchanged a look.

"What?" Rick asked.

"We wanna help you," said Thomas soothingly. "There's more to it and you know something about it. "

"Who says it's not just slashed tires?" Rick said, but Higgins shook her head and Thomas gave a wry smile.

"You," he said. "Your behavior, your irritable mood. You might as well carry a sign in front of you."

Rick sighed. He took a sip of coffee and then stared into his mug. He felt a lot of his tension leave his body all of a sudden. Then he looked up to find his friends were watching him carefully.

"That's scary," he said. "You two are really good."

"So?" Higgins asked calmly. "What's behind it?"

"Does it have anything to do with your research on that plane crash?"Thomas interjected .

"Probably," Rick said curtly. "I really don't know. There're a lot of sick people out there. "

"Did you call the police?" Higgins asked.

"No, what for?" Rick dumped the rest of his coffee in the sink and set the mug aside.

"Because that was willful damage of property," Higgins replied calmly. "You can report this."

"Yes." Rick snorted. "And then it'll take 18 months until I'm informed that the proceedings will be discontinued due to the lack of success."

The door opened and TC came in. Higgins and Thomas both turned, Rick looked up as TC approached. The big man didn't look happy.

"Are you okay?" he asked Rick.

"Yeah," Rick replied, amazed. "Why shouldn't I be?"

"You will immediately stop this crazy search, brother," TC said angrily. "Somebody doesn't want you digging and that out there-" He pointed his thumb over his shoulder, "was a clear warning."

"Told you so," Higgins said.

"Guys, guys." Rick held up his hands soothingly. "Calm down, will ya? Maybe that was just- "

"No, Orville!" TC exclaimed. "It wasn't!"

The silence that followed was oppressive. TC and Rick stared at each other until Thomas cleared his throat and said, "How about you tell us everything?"