THE ROOKIES

DISCLAIMER: THE ROOKIES was created by William Blinn and Rita Lakin, produced by Spelling/Goldberg with syndication rights to Sony Pictures Television. The author isn't making any money off this story. The author does not own the original characters but if I did, Mike and Jill would have kids, Willie would move back to Southern California and Lt. Ryker would be Captain Ryker. Any extra characters used in this story are fictional and any likeness to real people is purely coincidental.

CHAPTER 1

It was a mild day in late October 1983 and Jill was cooking breakfast in her new kitchen. Mike and Jill recently moved into their first home which is a four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom ranch home located in a gated community off Mulholland Drive. The home was in foreclosure and the price was too good to pass up. Jill loved the large kitchen, new appliances, and open concept layout while Mike was sold on the large yard, underground pool, and an attached 2.5 car garage.

Mike walked into the kitchen as he was putting his suit coat on.

"Good news. Rumor has it that there's a Lieutenant position opening." Mike announced.

"That sounds promising." Jill commented as she handed a plate of pancakes over to Mike.

"There's just one small problem." Mike said as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Terry is probably up for the same promotion." Mike and Terry are patiently waiting for a Lieutenant position since they both took the promotional exam and passed.

"Let me ask you this." Jill said as she poured pancake batter in the hot skillet. "How would you feel if Terry got the promotion, and you didn't?"

"I'd be happy for him." Mike answered.

"And how would Terry feel if you got the promotion?" Jill asked.

"I'd think he'd be happy for me."

"Does it really matter who gets the promotion?"

"What are your plans for today?" Mike asked to end the previous discussion. "Are you unpacking more boxes?"

"No. Eddie called last night and said his receptionist can't come in to work this morning and asked me to cover for her until noon." Eddie retired from the police force not long after Jill's kidnapping in 1976 and opened a private investigation business. Everyone was mystified when Eddie announced his retirement especially since his promotion to Captain was eminent.

"This afternoon I plan on looking for a dining room set. I am getting a little nervous now. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it."

"We don't need to host Thanksgiving for one year. I think everyone will understand." Mike explained. Now it was his turn to offer advice that was not asked for. "You look tired as it is. Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale to me. Maybe you should see your doctor."

"I'm just burning the candle at both ends." Jill answered. "I'm getting tired of living out of boxes."

"I'll help you out this weekend. I promise." Mike replied knowing that any other answer would be suicide.

"How are the plans coming along for our anniversary on Saturday?" Jill queried making sure Mike did not forget their anniversary.

"You won't be disappointed." Mike replied as he finished off his breakfast. "I really should get going." Mike announced as he was looking at his watch. "I don't want to be late for my meeting with Captain Christianson."

"I hope this meeting means that you will finally make your promotion official." Jill said as she gave Mike a kiss.

"Me too. Although I do not know of anyone who is leaving or retiring right now. I love you and I'll see you later." Mike said before he kissed Jill on her lips.

"I love you too. Good luck."

CHAPTER 2

It was approximately 08:50 AM when Mike entered the Southern California Police Department and headed for the locker room. Terry was busy adjusting his tie and jacket as Mike opened the locker room door.

"What time is your appointment?" Terry asked as Mike was busy opening his locker.

"It's at 09:00. What time is yours?" Mike queried.

"Mine is also 9:00." Terry answered. "I was thinking that the captain finally has a position for me. Now I'm not so sure."

"There's only one way to find out." Mike replied as he shut his locker and headed for the door. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Terry replied as they left the locker room and headed for Captain Christianson's office.

Mike and Terry were ushered into Captain Christianson's office at precisely 9:00.

"Have a seat." Captain Christianson said as he sat behind his desk.

"Let us get down to why I asked you here. About six months ago, the state of California gave out subsidies to several departments around the state. We applied and subsequently approved. To make a long story short, the department decided to use our money to start a Cold Case Unit and we want both of you to head up this new unit."

"I don't mean to be rude Captain, but this is a little out of our area of expertise. Why us?" Terry queried.

"That's a good question. I looked at both of your employee files before making my decision. Terry, you have experience as a social worker can be of assistance in dealing with difficult families which will help when dealing with cold cases. Mike, you were in the military and with your attention to detail, you will be an asset when going through all the evidence. Plus, you help set up the newly formed Air Command Unit. Also, I had a discussion with Eddie Ryker, and he highly recommended you for the job and I trust his opinion."

"When would you like to get this division up and running?" Mike asked.

"As soon as possible. We have an open room on second floor. That will be your office. Oh, and these are possible candidates you might want to look at." Captain Christianson said as he got up from his chair and handed Terry a small stack of employee performance files. "Your immediate job is to find two officers preferably within the precinct to help you with this new unit. I'll be your immediate boss so if you have any questions, ask me."

"Yes, sir." Mike and Terry said in unison.

"Can I expect your list of potential candidates by tomorrow?"

"Yes, sir." Terry answered.

"That's what I like to hear." Christianson replied. "You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." Mike answered and he and Terry exited the office.

CHAPTER 3

"Let's go over these cold case files." Terry said as they entered the Cold Case Unit.

One hour later both desks were filled with files.

"I don't know about your box, but mine has numbered and alphabetical files." Mike said as he started opening the files to see how to best organize everything.

After some discussion, Mike and Terry decided to implement an alphabetical open file system.

Over the next three hours, Mike and Terry separated all the files alphabetically.

"That wasn't so bad." Terry noted as he emptied and separated the last box.

Just after Terry said that a recruit came in with another four boxes.

"What did you just say?" Mike queried as the recruit placed the four boxes in the corner.

"I believe it's time for lunch." Terry announced while looking at his watch. "You pick the place."

"You never let me pick the place." Mike answered. "Okay, what did you do now?"

"Nothing…bad anyway." Terry answered cryptically.

"Let's go to the Disclosure Café." Mike suggested.

The Disclosure Café is a place that opened about one year ago. They have good food, fast service, relaxing atmosphere and is conventionally located one block from the station.

Meanwhile, Jill was sitting in the exam room at the doctor's office. Jill noticed for the last month that she has been tired, nauseated and lightheaded at times.

After a few minutes, Dr. Martin stepped in the exam room.

"Nice to see you, Jill." Dr. Martin greeted has he shook Jill's hand.

"Good to see you, too."

"What can I do for you today?" Dr. Martin asked.

"Well, for the last month I've been lightheaded, nauseated and I don't have an appetite. I think I even lost a couple of pounds."

"That's not good. Let me look at your vital signs. Blood pressure, pulse and temperature are all within normal limits and yes, you did lose two pounds since your last visit."

"What do you think could be the problem?"

"Let's do an exam today and see where we're at." Dr. Martin explained noticing that Jill was a little anxious.

After the exam, the nurse instructed Jill to get dressed and then led her to the laboratory where blood was drawn. When the lab work was completed, Jill was ushered into Dr. Martin's office.

Dr. Martin came into the office a few minutes after Jill sat down.

"Good news Jill. Your exam is completely negative."

"But we still don't have a diagnosis." Jill stated rather than asked.

"That's why I want to get blood and urine samples. You could have a viral infection, or you could be anemic among other possibilities. I will not know for sure until I see the lab work. I should get the results by late afternoon, and I'll give you a call."

"Okay." Jill answered.

CHAPTER 4

Mike and Terry sat at the only open booth on the far side of the Disclosure café.

"I don't know why I even look at the menu here." Mike quipped. "I always get the same thing."

"So, how's Jill doing?" Terry asked after he and Mike each ordered a cheeseburger and fries. "Is she done unpacking boxes yet?"

"I don't think we'll ever get those boxes unpacked. She's been kind of tired and she looks pale."

"Maybe she should see her doctor?" Terry offered a little friendly, unsolicited advice.

"I did mention the possibility of seeing her doctor, but she's too consumed with finding a dining room table right now. I don't know if she even heard me."

"Jill's a smart woman. She'll see a doctor if she feels she needs to." Terry advised as the waitress brought their food order to the table. "Here's to a new chapter in our lives."

"I second that." Mike said as he and Terry raised their water glasses. "I can't stand it any longer, what did you do?"

"I took the plunge, Mike." Terry announced with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to ask Rebecca to marry me." Terry announced as he pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket. Terry opened the box and handed it to Mike.

"I'm impressed Webster." Mike said. "This ring is beautiful."

"I hope she likes it." Terry said as he put the ring back in his pocket.

"I'm sure she will." Mike replied. "You really didn't ask me here to talk about the ring, did you?"

"Not exactly." Terry confessed. "I want to know what you think Jill is going to say about this." Terry's soon to be fiancée Rebecca Norris, is an assistant District Attorney for Los Angeles County which includes the Southern California district. She was working on the Blair and Rex Winfield case as a newly hired attorney that was responsible for working out a plea deal that greatly reduced the prison time for Blair Winfield and probation for Blair's father, Rex.

"Well, she's in a good place emotionally." Mike revealed. "She's even off her medication for depression for the last six months. When were you thinking about telling Jill?"

"I was hoping you would tell her." Terry announced, rather sheepishly.

"Oh, no…you're not putting me in the middle of this." Mike replied.

"You know her best, Mike." Terry explained.

"You mean you think Jill will be more receptive to the idea if I tell her, don't you?"

"The thought did cross my mind." Terry admitted.

"I would be happy to be there when you tell her." Mike replied. "I think this news would come off better if you actually told her."

"Okay. I'll let you know when I want to tell her." Terry replied knowing that Mike will end up telling Jill himself since they tell each other everything. With that, Mike and Terry finished their meal and promptly went back to work.

"When do you want to meet to discuss our potential candidates for our new department?" Terry asked as he started putting the files on to the shelves.

"How about coming to my house, order a pizza and try to pick out a couple of candidates." Mike offered.

"The sooner we get this done, the better." Terry replied as he glanced at his watch. "It's already 4:30. Should we call it a day?"

"Sounds good to me. You order the pizza and I'll get the personnel files."

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Jill opened the garage door carrying an armful of groceries which she meticulously put away. As Jill finished unpacking the groceries, the phone started to ring.

"Danko residence." Jill greeted silently hoping that Dr. Martin was on the other end.

"Hey babe." Mike replied. "Did you start dinner yet?"

"I was just thinking about it. Why?"

"Because I want to bring Terry home so we can find a couple candidates for our new Cold Case Unit."

"You're heading your own division?" Jill asked.

"Yes, we are."

"That's wonderful! You worked so hard for this. Congratulations Mike." Jill excitedly said.

"Anyway, we're bringing the pizza. How are we with beer?"

"I just bought some from the store. We should be okay."

"Great. We'll see you in thirty minutes."

As soon as she hung up the phone, it rang again.

"Danko residence." Jill greeted.

"Hello. Is Jill there?"

"This is Jill."

"Hi Jill. This is Dr. Martin. I have some good news for you. You are pregnant. Congratulations."

"Excuse me…. did you just say I'm pregnant?" Jill asked not quite grasping the information.

"Yes, I did. I thought you'd be more excited."

"I am. It's just that I've only been off my antidepressants for six months."

"When was the last time you saw the psychiatrist?

"About two months ago." Jill answered.

"I see the medication you were on isn't safe to take in the first trimester but it's safe in the second and third." Dr. Martin said. "If I feel we need to, I'll schedule an extra ultrasound to monitor the baby's progress. Do you have any questions?"

"I don't think so." Jill replied still stunned over the news.

"Okay. I will see you in a month and make sure you start taking some prenatal vitamins. Take one tablet daily. Any questions, call the office."

"Sounds good." Jill replied before hanging up the phone.

Jill sat down by the kitchen table. She is still shocked over the news that she is pregnant. Jill and Mike never really discussed having children after the kidnapping in 1976. Then there is the matter of the antidepressants and the possible effects the medication may or may not harm the fetus.

"I hope you'll be happy about this Mike." Jill said to herself as tears rolled down her face.

Just then the garage door opened. Jill wiped the tears from her eyes and started setting the table.

"Hello Jill, can I come in? I come bearing gifts." Terry announced carrying three pizza boxes.

"Sure, come on in. I hear congratulations is in order." Jill said.

"Thank you." Terry answered. "It will be quite a change of pace, that's for sure."

After a few moments Mike enters the house. "I was just talking to Mr. Ferguson."

"Oh, really? Why?" Jill asked.

"He has a business proposition for us." Mike said. "He wants to sell us one half of his land." Mike and Jill's neighbor, Mr. Ferguson, owns a small parcel of land in between his house and the Danko house.

"Why doesn't he sell the whole lot instead of one portion?" Terry asked.

"Mr. Ferguson wants to keep the land, but he admits he's having trouble with the upkeep. He also said he doesn't want to risk a stranger buying the property and building a house on it."

"Can you split up land like that and sell portions of it?" Jill asked.

"Sure. If the owner follows the rules and regulations." Mike answered. "The land also has to be surveyed as well."

"Do you really want to mow more grass?" Terry asked while Jill removed two bottles of beer from the refrigerator.

"What's a little more grass?" Mike said. "Besides, in order to build an award-winning backyard, I'm going to need more land."

"And I could have a garden like I've always wanted." Jill answered.

"We could plant some trees." Mike suggested.

"Let's eat this pizza before it gets cold." Jill replied.

Two hours later, Terry and Mike were still going over potential candidates.

"Here are the last two candidates." Terry announced as he picked up the only two personnel files left to review. "What are we going to do if these last two candidates are a bust?"

"I have no idea." Mike confessed as he took one of the files from Terry.

"Well, here's a surprise." Terry commented as he looked at the name on the file.

"I agree." Mike answered as he looked at the file in front of him.

After thirty minutes of discussion, Mike and Terry unanimously agreed on two candidates.

"Did you make your selections?" Jill queried as she walked in the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Yes, we did." Mike announced.

Jill got her water and walked over to the kitchen table. She noticed two files left on the table.

"Are these your selections?" Jill asked as she read the names on the files. "Do you think your boss is going to agree with your decision?"

"I don't know why not." Terry replied. "They happen to be the best candidates for the job."

"Are you sure?" Jill queried suspiciously.

"We're sure." Mike answered feeling less confident than he let on. "We just have to have a convincing argument why they are the best candidates for the job."

"Is there anyone on this list that speaks Spanish? There's a lot of Spanish speaking people in the greater Los Angeles area."

"I can speak Spanish." Terry announced. "Admittedly, I'm a little rusty."

"It's not like these two aren't capable of doing the job." Jill countered.

"Then what is it?" Terry asked.

"It's your past relationships with them." Jill replied.

"Jill, I know you have reservations about this, but we've thought this through, and we know what we're doing." Mike replied, signaling the end of the conversation.

"I hope you're right." Jill said as she picked up her water glass and left the room.

CHAPTER 6

The next morning, Mike and Terry were ushered into Captain Christianson's office promptly at 9:00 am.

"Well gentlemen, who did you pick?"

"Here are their personnel files." Mike said as he handed two files to Captain Christianson.

"Chris Owens and William Gillis. I cannot say I am surprised. Eddie Ryker told me how close you were in the 1970's." Captain Christianson said. "I'm sure you can justify these candidates."

"Yes, sir." Mike answered and then he started his explanation. "Well sir, our thought was to pick candidates who have a wide variety of expertise. We chose Chris Owens because he was just promoted to Detective and his specialty is gang activity. Terry and I felt his contacts on the streets would be invaluable to the Cold Case Unit. We chose William Gillis because he was just promoted to Sergeant and his specialty is robbery and homicide. Plus, he's also experienced in arson cases."

"Excellent work, gentlemen." Captain Christianson said as he leaned back in his chair. "I must admit I was a little leery on your candidates at first but when hearing your explanation, I feel these two are a good pick. I am signing off on this. I will let their commanding officers know about the selections this morning. That will give Gillis and Owens today to hand over their caseloads to their supervisors. They will report to you on Monday morning. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." Terry said as he and Mike got up and shook Captain Christianson's hand.

After lunch, Mike and Terry returned to the office now known as the Cold Case Unit.

"Did you talk to Mario?" Mike asked making sure everything is going as planned for Mike and Jill's anniversary dinner.

"Mario? Oh, my goodness, I forgot to talk to him about your special request."

"I hope you're kidding."

"Don't worry, everything is set for tomorrow night." Terry jokingly said. Mario owns Mario's Italian Restaurant which happens to be the place where Mike and Jill's anniversary dinner is to take place. "So, what did you get Jill?"

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you?" Mike answering Terry's question with a question.

"I won't tell Jill, honest." Terry said while raising his left hand.

Just at that moment, a middle-aged man walks into the room carrying a manila envelope. He was wearing blue jeans, cardigan sweater and tennis shoes. "Is this the cold case unit?"

"Yes sir. Can we help you?" Terry queried.

"If you're not set up yet, I can come back." The man commented as he looked around the room noting all the files and boxes scattered about the room.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Mike suggested as he pulled out a chair. "Welcome to our organized mess."

"If you have a cold case, we'll be glad to take a look at it." Terry said as he pulled out another chair and sat at the only desk in the room without a file or box on it.

"My name is Jack Wilson, and I would like to tell you about my daughter's case. Her name is Lacey Wilson and she disappeared four years ago." Mr. Wilson explained. Mike pulled out a piece of paper and began to take notes.

"Tell us about Lacey." Terry prompted.

"Well…she was twenty-two years old and three months pregnant at the time she disappeared. She was going to Pacific University. She was in her junior year, and she wanted to eventually get into medical school. In fact, she took the MCAT exam in September before her disappearance. This was before she found out she was pregnant. Here are some news clippings and other information pertaining to the case." Mr. Wilson explained as he handed Terry the envelope, he brought with him. "Her car was found abandoned at that bar on the corner of thirty-sixth and Huron. It's called Gordon's Bar or Green's bar."

"Grady's bar?" Terry suggested.

"Yeah, that's it. Anyway, when I got up that morning, I noticed she was not home, so I started talking to her friends which lead me to Grady's bar. The bar was closed but her car was nowhere to be seen."

"Do you know when this photo was taken?" Mike asked as he pulled the "missing flyer" from the envelope and handed the flyer to Terry.

"Six months before her disappearance." Mr. Wilson answered.

"I remember this case." Terry said as he looked at the flyer. "Someone confessed to the crime about a year ago, didn't they?"

"That's right. Although it was proven to be a false confession. The man was in prison at the time of Lacey's disappearance. Listen…I know you have other cases to work on. But I'd appreciate any help you can give this case."

"We'll do our best sir." Terry replied.

"What's next?" Mr. Wilson asked after answering all the pertinent questions.

"After we find her file, we will talk to the detective that handled the case originally. From there will start interviewing everyone connected to this case." Mike explained.

"Sorry I have to ask, but do you know anybody that would want to harm Lacey?" Terry asked.

"Yeah." Mr. Wilson said without any hesitation. "Lacey's former boyfriend, Jack Lamont. Lacey told me that Jack was not pleased when he found out Lacey was pregnant. Jack didn't believe the baby was his and tried to convince her to get an abortion."

"We will find out what happed to Lacey." Mike assured the man.

"Thank you." Mr. Wilson replied. "What else can I do to help you?"

"We'd appreciate any information on Lacey's friends, family and anyone else who was in contact with her at the time of her disappearance." Terry answered.

"We're particularly interested in names, addresses, phone numbers and last known whereabouts." Mike added.

"I can't help with the last known whereabouts on some of these people, but Lacey has an address book. I'll find it and give it to you."

"Thank you very much." Mike replied knowing they are behind the eight ball on this case.

"We really need to find Lacey's file." Terry said as he and Mike entered the office now known as the Cold Case Unit after lunch.

"That might be easier said than done." Mike replied as he looked at the corner of the room to find another three boxes. "Let's each take a box and start looking."

Mike and Terry sat at their respective desks and started looking at the files.

Two hours later, Terry pulled out the last file in his box and noticed the name "Lacey Wilson" on the front of the file. "I think I found the file." Terry announced as he handed it over to Mike.

"Looks like it to me." Mike confirmed as he opened the file. "It looks like the Detective handling the case was Lt. John Nichols."

"I've been in Robbery and Homicide for the last three years and I never heard of this guy." Terry said.

"I haven't either. Not that it means anything." Mike agreed. Mike's previous job was working with the Southern California Air Support Division parttime and the rest of the time with robbery and homicide. The Air Support division involved training recruits to fly helicopters as another tool in crime prevention.

"I'll see if I can track down this Detective Nichols." Terry offered.

"I'll start looking for the evidence box." Mike said. With that, Mike and Terry went on to their prospective assignments.

One hour later Terry walked into the office empty handed.

"Did you find this guy?" Mike asked.

"No, I didn't." Terry answered. "Nichols suddenly resigned during the Wilson case and hasn't been heard from since."

"What about his notebook on the Wilson case?" Mike queried.

"Apparently, no one can find that either." Terry replied.

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Mike said sarcastically.

"What's a coincidence?" Captain Christianson asked as he walked into the room. "I came to see how things were coming along." Captain Christianson explained as he scanned the room noticing the boxes of files that have not been opened yet.

"We were setting up the office when someone came in asking for assistance in finding his daughter whose been missing for four years." Terry explained, sensing that Captain Christianson was going to ask about all the boxes that have not been opened.

"Her name is Lacey Wilson." Mike said as he handed the file over to Captain Christianson. "She's twenty-two years old and three months pregnant. Her father noticed she was missing and started asking her friends about her which led him to Grady's Bar. She hasn't been seen since."

"We're having a problem." Terry said.

"What's that?" Captain Christianson asked as he started scanning the chart.

"The detective originally handling the case abruptly resigned and hasn't been heard from since." Terry explained. "Also, his notebook regarding the case has also seemed to disappear."

"Who's the detective?" Captain Christianson asked.

"Nichols, Detective John Nichols." Terry answered.

"Let me talk to the head of Robbery and Homicide. I'm sure they just misplaced the notebook." Captain Christianson replied emphasizing the word 'misplaced' with air quotation marks.

"Thank you, sir." Terry answered, grateful for Captain Christianson's help.

"No problem." With that, Captain Christianson left the office.

"Anything interesting in the evidence box?" Terry asked.

"Not much of anything. Lacey's purse is the only item in here." Mike answered. "Interestingly, Lacey's driver's license is missing and no credit cards either." Mike said as he handed Terry a piece of paper.

"What am I looking at?" Terry asked.

"It's the evidence list." Mike said.

"There isn't a lot of things on this list, is there?" Terry said.

"I thought the same thing. We really need that address book and the detective's notebook.

"I found the notebook." Captain Christianson said as he walked into the office. "It was behind some boxes in Evidence and Property Management. It's not much but it's your starting point."

"Thank you, Captain." Mike said.

"So, what's next gentlemen?" Captain Christianson asked as he handed the detective's notebook over to Terry.

"We've talked with Mr. Wilson, now it's time to talk with Mrs. Wilson." Terry replied.

Fifteen minutes later, Mike and Terry arrive at the Wilson home. The home is a modest one story located in a gated community.

"Are you ready?" Terry asked Mike as he got out of the driver's side.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Mike replied as he exited the passenger side of the car.

Mike knocked on the door and introduced himself and Terry simultaneously showing their badges as identification to Mrs. Wilson after she opened the door.

"We're working on your daughter's disappearance, and we were wondering if you have time for a few questions." Terry explained.

"Sure." Mrs. Wilson replied as she opened the door further allowing Mike and Terry to enter the home. "What can I help you with?"

Mrs. Wilson corroborated all her husband's statements and even shared her husband's belief that Lacey's ex-boyfriend, Jack Lamont may have had something to do with her disappearance.

"Has Lacey been living with you at the time of her disappearance?" Mike asked.

"Yes, she did." Mrs. Weston answered. "In fact, her room is the same as it was when she disappeared. I can't bring myself to change anything."

"May we take a look at her room?" Terry asked.

"Of course, this way." Mrs. Wilson walked down a hallway leading to Lacey's room and opened the door.

Mike and Terry walked into Lacey's bedroom. The walls, quilt and even the carpeting was zebra print with some hot pink accessories. "It's like walking into a time capsule." Mike said to himself. Nothing was discovered during Mike and Terry's cursory inspection until Terry came across her bedside table. On the table was a pink book with a pen on top of it.

"What is this?" Terry asked pointing to the book.

"Oh…that's Lacey's diary." Mrs. Wilson answered.

"Do you mind if we take this book with us?" Terry asked.

"Of course, you can. It's about time." Mrs. Wilson answered.

"Excuse me?" Mike asked.

"Did you know you're the first person that even asked about this diary?" Mrs. Wilson explained. "I even pointed it out to the detective that was handling the case at the time, and he seemed disinterested. I thought maybe there's nothing of value in the diary, but I kept it anyway."

"It's a good thing you did, Mrs. Wilson." Terry said. "There might be something in this diary can help us solve this case."

"There's also something else I should mention about the detective handling the case." Mrs. Wilson announced.

"What's that?" Terry asked not really thinking much information would come from this.

"This Detective Nichols. He always came by himself and never took any notes. He'd ask questions but never wrote down the answers."

"Interesting." Mike replied not sure if this tidbit of information will fit in with the case.

After a few more questions, Mike and Terry exited the Wilson home taking Lacey's address book and diary with them.

Fifteen minutes later, Mike and Terry arrived back to the station.

"Next week we can look at Lacey's diary and coordinate the names mentioned with the names in her address book." Mike suggested.

"That sounds like a job to give to Willie and Chris, doesn't it?" Terry quipped.

"What a good idea." Mike replied. "Now, if you don't mind, I want to stop by the Register of Deeds office before they close for the weekend." Mike said as he was checking his watch.

"You're still thinking about buying that land?" Terry asked.

"If Jill agrees, yes I am."

"You better get going Michael. I'll close for the weekend."

"Thanks, man." Mike replied before exiting the office.

Forty-five minutes later, Mike walks into his home carrying a manilla envelope.

"Hey, babe. I'm home." Mike said after kissing Jill on the lips.

"Hi sweetheart. What do you have in your hand?" Jill queried as she noticed Mike was carrying the envelope.

"I went to the Register of Deeds and got a property map. This map should tell us where the property lines are. Do we have time to go over it before dinner?"

"I just put the chicken and rice in the oven. It won't be ready for another thirty minutes."

"Good." Mike said as he opened the property map on the kitchen table. "Come over and take a look at this."

"Alright. I'm coming." Jill said as she walked over to the table.

"Here's our property line." Mike said as he pointed to the appropriate area on the map. "And here's the Ferguson property line."

"So basically, the lot will be split into two equal parts." Jill said as she pointed to the parcel of land in-between their property and the Ferguson property.

"That's right." Mike confirmed. "Let's go out there and take a look."

A minute later, Mike and Jill are standing in the middle of the Ferguson' property.

"What do you plan on doing with all this land anyway?" Jill asked.

"It's part of my plan for an award-winning back yard." Mike answered. "Just use your imagination for a minute. We can put a gazebo over there, you can plant flowers anywhere you want, and you can even plant that vegetable garden you have always wanted. We could put in a small pond over by the gazebo and stock it with fish and over by the pool, we can put the grill that we never got to use."

"Anything else?" Jill asked.

"It'll prevent someone from buying the land and building a house close to ours. Plus, buying real estate is always a good investment." Mike said, obviously rehearsing his pitch prior to talking to Jill. "So, what do you think, babe?"

"If we buy this land, what do you plan on doing with the fence that's already there?" Jill asked knowing that once Mike gets an idea in his head, there is not much you can do. The fence that Jill is talking about is a cement privacy fence that is all around their property.

"We'll probably have to at least take down the fence toward our new property and extend it to the edge of our property line." Mike explained. "But we don't have to do this right away at least until we know what Mr. Ferguson is going to do."

"The fence needs to be sooner rather than later."

"Why? Nothing's going to change much in say, one year, will it?" Mike asked.

"You'd be surprised what can change in a year." Jill mumbled to herself not really intending on Mike hearing her comment.

"Am I missing something?" Mike asked.

"No, you're not missing anything." Jill said deciding that she still wanted to tell Mike about the pregnancy tomorrow night. "Come on in, Mike. Dinner is ready."

"I'll be there in a minute." Mike replied as Jill started walking toward the house.

Mike and Jill ate a leisurely dinner each talking about their day. When they finished, Mike handed the plates over to Jill who put them in the dishwasher.

"There's one more thing I need to tell you." Mike said deciding that this might be the best time to approach the subject of Terry and Rebecca's engagement.

"I already know what you're going to say." Jill replied.

"You do?" Mike asked obviously shocked thinking that Terry told her about his engagement to Rebecca on his own.

"It doesn't pay to get upset over it because it's going to happen whether I like it or not."

"I'm glad you feel that way. I'm sure Terry and Rebecca will be glad as well." Mike said.

"What does Rebecca have to do with your overtime at work?" Jill asked. "You're talking about working more to get the Cold Case Unit up and running, aren't you?" Jill asked sensing Mike's confusion.

"Actually, no I wasn't." Mike replied deciding to hold off on the news about working weekends. This is something Mike neglected to mention. "Terry is going to ask Rebecca to marry him."

"I was wondering when he was going to get around to ask Rebecca." Jill replied not really knowing how to react. "Good for them. Why are you telling me and not Terry?"

"Because Terry thought the news would be better coming from me rather than him." Mike explained. "I told him he needs to tell you this and he said he was going to tell you this week. But as you can see, it never happened. When and if he tells you, act surprised."

"That won't be hard to do since I am surprised. Do you know any of the details?"

"No, and I didn't ask either." Mike answered.

"Thanks for telling me." Jill said. "I'm kind of disappointed that he didn't tell me himself though."

"I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready." Mike said.

"Let's talk about something else." Jill said. "Would you like to watch TV or maybe play a game or two of Backgammon?"

"I kind of feel like a little Backgammon. Maybe I'll beat you this time."

"Don't count on it." Jill replied. "You get the game board and I'll get the popcorn."

"Meet me in the living room?"

"I'll be right there." Jill said.

CHAPTER 7

There was excitement in the air on Saturday afternoon as Mike and Jill were getting ready for their anniversary dinner.

"Are you ready to go babe?" Mike asked as he waited by the kitchen door. Mike wore a navy-blue suit with white shirt and a matching blue tie. Mike wears his hair a little longer now which shows off his naturally curly hair.

"Give me one minute." Jill said as she walked toward the door. Jill wore a knee length red dress with spaghetti straps, black heels and matching red clutch. Jill's hair is significantly shorter with a feathered cut on the sides, back and bangs.

"You look amazing." Mike said as he saw his wife walking toward the door.

"Thank you. You look great too."

"Ready to go?" Mike asked one final time.

"I'm ready." Jill said as she and Mike left for the car.

Twenty minutes later, Mike and Jill arrive at Mario's Italian Restaurant. The parking lot was completely empty.

"Are you sure this is the right restaurant?" Jill asked.

"This is the right address." Mike confirmed.

A few seconds later, the front door of the restaurant opens.

"Hi. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Danko. I'm Mario, the owner of the restaurant."

"I'm Mike and this is my wife, Jill." Mike and Jill shook Mario's hand as he made the introductions.

"Nice to meet you." Mario said. "Come on in. We have a table just for you."

Mike and Jill followed Mario to a secluded table in the back of the restaurant. After Jill and Mike were seated, Mario gave them a miniature version of their menu. The menu had two soup choices, three main menu choices and a surprise dessert.

"When do you open your restaurant tonight?" Mike asked.

"We closed down the restaurant for a private party tonight."

"Are we the private party?" Jill asked.

"Yes, you are. We close the restaurant for any friends or family that need a place to host a party. I've known Terry since college so when he said he needed a place for his good friend's anniversary, how could I say no?" Mario said. "I'll let you look over the menu. Your waiter will be Anthony. If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you." Jill said.

"Have you thought any more about purchasing the land?" Mike queried as the waiter brought garlic bread and cheese.

"Only if you agree to a privacy fence…sooner rather than later." Jill said laying out her negotiating terms.

"Okay…but I don't understand why you want a privacy fence so quickly."

"I have my reasons." Jill said rather cryptically. "Do we have a deal?"

"Okay. You're one mean negotiator." Mike said as he shook hands with his wife.

Just then, Anthony the waiter came to the table to take their order. Jill ordered minestrone soup with ranch dressing on her side salad and Italian shrimp and scallop risotto. Mike ordered the French onion soup, blue cheese dressing on his side salad and lasagna. Mike ordered a beer while Jill opted for sparkling water.

"I still can't believe that Terry made you tell me about his engagement to Rebecca." Jill said as Anthony brought their drink order and soup.

"Terry didn't force me to tell you. I just didn't want you blindsided with the information when he did tell you." Mike said. "Now I'm sure there are plenty of other subjects we can talk about."

Meanwhile, Terry pulls up next to the Danko house. There was a delivery truck parked in the driveway with Eddie and three men standing in the front yard. A few minutes later, Chris and Willie pulled up in their cars as well.

"Did you bring the keys?" Eddie asked.

"Yes, I did but why are Willie and Chris here?" Terry queried as he glanced over at the delivery truck.

"Because I have a special delivery for Mike and Jill, and I wanted to surprise them." Eddie answered as he unlocked and slid open the delivery truck door.

"Oh, my gosh!" Willie gasped upon seeing Eddie's gift.

Inside the delivery truck was an oversized oak dinner table with six chairs and a bench. The table and bench were stained to bring out the beauty of the oak. Eddie bought six chairs at an estate sale which ended up complementing the table and bench.

"Did you make this?" Chris asked incredulously.

"It's my creation." Eddie said.

"It's beautiful." Terry marveled as he looked at the table.

"I have one question." Willie said. "How are we going to get this into the house? Because I do not think it is going to fit through any of the doors. It's too wide."

"Wait a minute." Chris said. "There are French doors right off the dining room. I'm sure the table will fit through those doors."

"But we'll have to go around the house to do it." Terry said. "I don't know how we'll ever be able to do it with just the four of us."

"Don't worry, I've got this covered." Eddie replied as three guys pulled up and parked right behind Willie's car.

"Where did you find these three guys?" Willie queried.

"Through my business." Eddie answered. "I can't divulge anything else due to privacy concerns."

With Chris, Terry and Willie plus the three guys Eddie brought along, they were able to move in the table, chairs, and bench in without difficulty.

"I've got to admit, this table and chairs match perfectly with the floorboards." Terry said.

"I knew it would." Eddie quipped.

Once everyone left, Terry made sure everything was perfect. With that, Terry left the house making sure everything was locked up.

Meanwhile, Mike and Jill finished up their meal and were waiting on their surprise dessert. While Jill excused herself to the ladies' room, Mike asked for the check when Anthony came over to the table asking if they were ready for their dessert.

A few minutes later, Mario showed up carrying the envelope with Anthony standing behind him. "Don't worry about anything Mike, the bill has been taken care of."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"This note should explain everything." Mario said as he handed the note to Mike.

"Okay…thank you." Mike said.

"Here is your dessert." Mario said as Anthony came to the table carrying a pizza pan. "Terry told me I could make any dish I wanted except pizza. Which made me think about how I can work pizza into the menu. So, I decided to make a dessert pizza."

Mike started laughing as Jill walked back to the table.

"What's so funny?" Jill asked.

"Terry told Mario not to offer pizza as the main course, so he made a dessert pizza." Mike explained after he recovered from laughing.

The "pizza" looked like an actual twelve-inch pizza topped with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and crushed graham crackers. The crust was pie dough.

"Let me know how you like it." Mario said. "I'm considering adding it to the menu."

"Will do." Mike answered. "Oh, I was supposed to give you this." Mike handed Jill a small white envelope.

"Did you open it?"

"Nope. I thought you should."

Jill picked up the note and started reading the contents out loud. "We had a hard time deciding what we should get you for your anniversary, so we decided to pay for the meal. I hope you are not upset that we failed to include pizza as part of the main meal. Have a nice evening. Signed by Terry, Chris, and Willie. That was nice of them, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Mike agreed. With that, Jill, and Mike each ate a piece of the dessert and took the rest home in a Styrofoam container.

"How was everything?" Mario asked as he walked over to the table.

"Everything was delicious." Jill answered. "The dessert pizza was delicious. I hope you put it on the menu."

"Does that mean you'll come back?" Mario asked.

"Definitely." Mike said as he and Jill got up and walked toward the front door.

"Thank you for everything." Jill said as they walked out the door.

Twenty minutes later, as Mike turned into the driveway, the headlights illuminated a spot on the driveway that was not there previously.

"Is that an oil leak? On our driveway?" Mike asked as he got out of the car.

"Maybe one of our cars is leaking oil." Jill suggested.

"No." Mike answered as he got back in the car. "I know the condition of both cars and neither one is leaking oil."

As Jill and Mike started entering the house through the garage door, Jill abruptly stopped.

"What's the matter?" Mike asked nearly running into Jill as they entered the house.

"Someone's been in this house." Jill said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't explain it other than telling you something is different in this house." Jill said.

Mike started thinking about the mysterious oil leak on the driveway and immediately sprang into action. "Let me go in first. You stay here."

"I'm not staying here by myself. I'm coming in with you." Jill said as she grabbed onto Mike's hand for dear life.

As Mike systematically checked the house, Jill was right behind him.

Mike finally reached the dining room and turned on the lights. "Jill, you have to see this."

Jill walked into the dining room looking at her new table, chairs, and bench. Jill did a double take not quite believing what is she is seeing. The table was a perfect fit for the dining room. On one side of the table was a solid oak bench and on the opposite side were four chairs. On each end of the table was one chair.

"This is solid oak." Mike said as he inspected the table more closely.

"There's another note here." Jill said as she retrieved the note. "The table is from Eddie. He's wishing us a Happy Anniversary."

"It's a beautiful table." Mike commented.

"Yes, it is. We'll have to thank him tomorrow." Jill said.

Thirty minutes later, Mike brought a beer for himself and a sparkling water for Jill. As he walked into the living room, Jill was sitting on the couch with Mike's present on her lap.

"Jill, do you want to open your present first?" Mike asked.

"Of course." Jill said as handed her a small, wrapped box. "Mike, what did you do?"

"Now before you get upset about this, I want to say it's not an engagement ring." Jill and Mike decided when they got engaged that instead of an engagement ring, they would save their money. "Now open your present."

Jill carefully unwrapped the box only to find a smaller jewelry box inside it. "So, you're telling me that things aren't always as they seem."

"Quit procrastinating and open the box."

Jill carefully opened the box and found a gold eternity band. The band had small diamonds all around the entire ring. "Is this to replace my wedding band because that would be bad luck."

"You can do whatever makes you happy. Wear the ring by itself or with your existing wedding band." Mike explained as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it on Jill's left ring finger.

"It's really beautiful." Jill said as she was admiring the ring on her finger. "I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Mike replied glad that the ring was a success.

"Do you want to open your gift?" Jill asked.

"Yes, I do." Jill handed Mike a medium sized box that was carefully wrapped with gift wrapping. "I can hardly wait." Mike started ripping the wrapping off the box. "It's a Sure Flash LE camera. How did you know I wanted this?"

"Simple. I listened to you. Do you like it?"

"I love it." Mike said as he started taking the camera out of the box.

"What do people take pictures of?" Jill asked.

"Pets and sporting events." Mike answered the question but not listening to what Jill was trying to say. "This is the top-of-the-line camera. Did you know that this camera has a Titanium shutter for increased shutter speed?"

Jill is trying to think of another approach to tell Mike about the pregnancy. "Why do we hate going out with Norman and Pat Ricci?"

"Because we hate looking at all their stupid photos of their family vacations. Look Jill, this camera has an interchangeable focusing screen."

"This is not working out as planned." Jill mumbled to herself. "What do you plan on taking pictures of?"

"Our home renovation projects, the backyard remodel, sporting events."

"What about taking pictures of the baby?"

"That would be great, but we don't have a…." Mike is now slowly realizing what Jill had been trying to tell him.

"I'm pregnant Mike. We're going to have a baby."

"You and me and a baby?" Mike asked trying the process the information.

"That's right. Listen Mike, I know this is coming out of left field. I was shocked when the doctor told me as well. Are you happy about it?"

"Of course, I am. I didn't think a family was going to be in our future." Mike said as he reached over and hugged his wife. "Wait until I tell the guys."

"You can't tell the guys about this yet." Jill said.

"Why?"

"I'd like to wait until I'm past the first trimester which will be around Thanksgiving." Jill explained.

"Oh, alright." Mike said, obviously disappointed. "Remember when we decided to start a family and I asked you a very important question?"

"Yeah, about that. I kind of changed my mind." Jill said knowing that Mike may not like the answer. "Naming our child Michael Danko Jr. will only complicate things as the child gets older. Plus, what will we call him? We can't call him Mike obviously, and I hate nicknames like M.J. or Mikey."

"I understand. There are many names we can choose from." Mike answered, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Let's make a toast." Jill suggested. "To a new phase in our life."

"I second that." Mike answered as they raised their glasses and took a drink.

CHAPTER 8

The next day, Mike and Jill were sitting at the table eating their lunch.

"There's something I need to talk to you about." Mike said rather cryptically.

"What's that?"

"I'm going to be spending more time at the station just until this Cold Case Unit is up and running." Mike said.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Well…we'll be on call on the weekends."

"Why? You never mentioned weekends until now." Jill said as she is now getting upset.

"That's what I told you, but I found out that every Lieutenant has to be on call on different weekends."

"What could possibly happen that would require you to go into work on the weekends?"

"Whenever extra manpower is needed. For instance, when Los Angeles hosts the Summer Olympics next year and we might be needed as extra security." Mike explained.

"I was hoping you could go with me to some of my doctor's appointments, Mike."

"I promise I will try to get to as many appointments as possible." Mike said trying to diffuse the situation.

"Well, as long as you show up for the delivery."

"Really?"

"I know how important being a police officer is to you and I would never want to jeopardize that."

"Wow. I didn't think this conversation would go this well." Mike said.

"What can I say? You caught me when I'm in a good mood."

The next morning, Mike walked into the Cold Case Unit office.

"It's about time you got here." Willie said. "Chris and I have been here for hours."

"I bet." Mike said as he sat down by the only desk that does not have files on it. "What's going on here?" Mike just noticed two computers sitting on two of the desks.

"Well, the LAPD is finally linked up to the NCIC database." Chris explained. "We'll need computers to access all the information." The NCIC is the National Crime Information Center which has access to every criminal justice agency in the United States. Information that can be accessed are missing persons, wanted persons, stolen cars, boats, guns, and many other areas. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System will also be accessed, contains images of property or persons which helps agencies identify missing persons or stolen property. Also accessible through the network is the Interstate Identification Index which contains criminal history records.

"All the cruisers and even CHP motorcycles will also have a miniature computer in them to access information quickly. Although it will take a little time to get this portion of the system up and running." Willie added. "This should make our jobs easier and more efficient. Did you bother reading the Interdepartmental Memo you received explaining this?"

"Nope. That's what you guys are for." Mike said.

"Good morning, everyone." Terry greeted as he walked into the office.

"You're certainly chipper today." Willie commented.

"Life is good." Terry replied. "Mike, did you give Willie and Chris their assignment for today?"

"I was waiting for you, Webster." Mike said. "Before we get started, Jill and I would like to thank you guys for the great anniversary dinner on Saturday night and for whatever role you may have or haven't had in bringing the dining room table into the house. How did you do it, by the way?"

"Well, I may have let Eddie into the house using the key that you gave me." Terry explained. "Willie, Chris and I may or may not have helped getting the table into the house."

"Sorry, but Willie and I had no idea why we were summoned over to your house until we got there, theoretically of course." Chris added. "You and Jill aren't upset over this, are you?"

"No, actually. I did have quite a scare though when I noticed an oil spot on the driveway that was not there previously. We put two and two together when we saw the table. Now let us move on, shall we?"

"Alright then. Right now, were working on a four-year-old case involving a missing person, Lacey Wilson. She is twenty- two years old and three months pregnant. Lacey's father noticed she was missing and through her friends, traced her to Grady's bar. He found the bar was closed at the time and Lacey's car was not there. Lacey's parents told us that Jack Lamont, an ex-boyfriend wasn't too pleased when he heard about the pregnancy." Terry explained.

"Lamont even went as far as suggesting an abortion." Mike added as he handed Lacey's file to Chris. "Both of Lacey's parents pointed the finger at Lamont when we asked them who they think might be responsible for her disappearance."

"Lacey was going to Pacific University studying pre-med at the time of her disappearance." Terry said. "Any questions?"

Both Chris and Willie shook their heads no.

"Your job today is to look at Lacey's diary and try to match up anybody she mentions in the diary to her address book." Terry said. "Our hope is to find some potential persons of interest."

"Will do." Willie answered.

"Terry, I thought you and I can create a timeline of the events before and after Lacey's disappearance." Mike said as Terry brought in a large eraser board and placed it in the front of the room.

"Great find, Terry." Mike said.

"Thanks. I found this in our junk room." Terry replied. The junk room is a small closet where unwanted items are stored.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Mike said as he walked toward the board. "When was Lacey reported missing?"

"According to the detective notes, it was April 16th, 1979." Terry answered.

"Okay. Let us start there." Mike said as he wrote Lacey's name and the year she disappeared in the middle of the board.

"Her father discovered she was missing and traced her to Grady's bar."

"So that would be April 17th, 1979." Mike said as he continued writing on the board. "When did Detective Nichols disappear?"

"Let me look at his notebook." Terry said as he grabbed the notebook on the desk and opened it to the last page. "Nichols last entry was January 1980. Do you think this has some significance?"

"I'm not sure but it's certainly strange that Nichols basically dropped off the face of the earth." Mike explained as he started writing on the board. "We don't even have anyone to ask about the case because the lead detective has gone AWOL."

"You guys have to hear this." Willie announced. "It's from her diary dated mid-December 1978."

"I'm not sure what I should do. I overheard a conversation between Niko and Steve about something Niko allegedly did. If anyone finds out about it, this will undoubtedly eliminate his chances of entering medical school and cause him to get kicked out of the university." Chris said reading from Lacey's diary.

"Do we have a last name?" Terry asked.

"It's Christos, Niko Christos." Chris answered.

"Do you have any idea who Steve is?" Mike asked. "Lacey's address book only lists one Steven. The name is Steve Leighton."

"There's another name we need to add to our list." Mike stated as he wrote Steve's name on the board.

"We need to do some background checks on Steve Leighton and Niko Christos. We're looking for any prior convictions, wants and warrants, etcetera." Terry said. "Mike and Chris, why don't you start looking at Niko Christos? While you are doing that, Willie and I will take on Steve Leighton."

"Chris and I won't be able to help you." Willie announced. "We have our computer training in-service today."

"For how long?" Mike queried.

"For the rest of the day." Willie answered.

"Mike and I will start researching these guys in your absence, I guess." Terry said.

"This computer training is coming at an inopportune time." Mike observed.

"That's true." Chris agreed. "But our searches will be much easier and more efficient when we can access the computer database."

CHAPTER 9

Once Willie and Chris left for their in-service, Mike and Terry started working on the Wilson case.

Later in the morning, Terry announced his findings. "Okay. This is what I know for sure. Steve Leighton was accepted into medical school and is now rotating through the internship program at Sunset Hospital. I already talked to him, and he can meet with us at noon at the hospital. What did you find out?"

"Absolutely nothing. I cannot find anything on Christos. His parents are dead and as far as I can tell, he has no other family."

"Did you check with the area hospitals? Maybe he is also in an internship." Terry suggested.

"I was thinking that too." Mike agreed. "Although the universities that have a medical school program in Los Angeles County, don't have a Niko Christos as a student."

"Maybe Willie and Chris can check into this on the computer when they get back tomorrow."

"That's a good idea." Mike replied.

"In the meantime, do you want to come with me to see Steve Leighton?" Terry queried.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Thirty minutes later, Terry and Mike walked off the elevator on the fourth floor at Sunset Hospital. After asking about Steve Leighton at the nurse's station, Terry and Mike were directed to the family lounge which was down the hall.

Five minutes later, a twenty something man walked into the lounge. He was wearing blue scrubs and a crisp, white lab coat with "Steven Leighton, MD embroidered on the coat pocket.

"Hello Dr. Leighton." Terry said. "I'm Lt. Terry Webster and this is Lt. Mike Danko. We are from the SCPD Cold Case Unit. It's nice to meet you." Terry shook Steve's hand.

"Sorry to bother you during your shift." Mike said as he shook Steve's hand.

"I have a few minutes to spare. On the phone you mentioned something about Lacey Wilson?"

"That's right. We're reviewing Lacey's case and we're wondering if you could answer a few questions." Terry quickly explained.

"I'm glad to help any way I can." Steve said. "Please, have a seat."

"In Lacey's diary, she mentioned overhearing a conversation between someone named Steve and Niko Christos. Are you the Steve she's talking about?"

"No, I'm not."

"What was your relationship with Lacey?" Mike queried.

"We were good friends. More like brother and sister than friends. We met in high school. We became friends after discovering our interest in the medical profession. Lacey wanted to be a pediatrician."

"Do you know a Steven that Lacey could've been referring to?" Terry asked.

"Sorry, but I don't. I really don't know Niko at all except for what Lacey told me." Steve explained.

"Did Lacey confide in you about what she overheard between Niko and Steve?" Terry asked.

"No, sadly she didn't." Steve answered. "She refused to tell me because she thought the less, I knew the better. In retrospect, I wished I would've pressed her for more information."

"Why do you think Lacey wanted to keep this information to herself?" Terry queried.

"Niko always said he had an uncle that had a high-level job within Los Angeles County. This uncle apparently is quite influential. I guess she was afraid to say anything for fear of retribution."

"Do you know where Niko is now?" Mike asked.

"I'm not close with Niko, but I did hear he went back to Greece to continue his education."

"What do you think about Jack Lamont?" Terry queried.

"If you are asking if I thought he could be responsible for Lacey's disappearance, the answer is yes, I do. He was always a hothead. Even in high school. I thought Lacey could do so much better."

"Is there anyone else we should be talking to?" Mike asked.

"Yeah. Did you talk with Eliza White? She was Lacey's best friend. If there is anyone who knows what is going on in Lacey's life, it's Eliza.

After asking a few more questions, Mike and Terry left the building.

"What's next?" Mike asked as he and Terry were driving back to the precinct.

"I'd say we should talk to Eliza White and Jack Lamont." Terry answered. "We'll have to continue our search for Niko Christos too."

"I have an idea about finding Christos." Mike answered as he drove into the parking lot of the precinct.

Upon entering the precinct, Mike stopped by the front desk and asked for the telephone number of Interpol in Washington DC. After getting the phone number, Mike and Terry headed back to their office.

"Do you think Interpol will be able to help us?" Terry queried.

"Dr. Leighton did mention that Niko could be in Greece. Who better to track this guy down than Interpol?" Mike reasoned.

Later that afternoon Mike contacted Interpol and put a Red Notice out on Niko Christos. A red notice is an international wanted person's notice, but it is not an arrest warrant.

"Well, I'm heading home." Terry announced.

"Do you have big plans tonight?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Terry answered. "Tonight, I'm taking Rebecca to Mario's Restaurant and I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"I thought you already asked her." Mike said, obviously confused.

"I had to get up the nerve to." Terry explained.

"You're not going to chicken out, are you?" Mike jokingly asked.

"I hope not." Terry answered as he grabbed his suit coat and walked out the door. "Are you coming?"

"You go ahead. I'll lock up." Mike said.

"See you tomorrow." Terry said as he walked off.

Just then, Mike saw a sealed envelope addressed to him only on his desk.

"What is this?" Mike mumbled to himself as he noted the return address was the California Board of Corrections and Procedures.

Mike opened the letter and realized that he was being notified that Blair Winfield has a parole hearing in two weeks. If Winfield is granted parole, he could get out of prison within six months. Without hesitation, Mike picked up the phone and dialed a number by memory.

"This is Mike Danko. Does Adam have some time to see me?" Then after a few moments, Mike answered with "That's great. I'll be there right away." Adam Franz is a criminal defense litigator, and he happens to be married to Jill's best friend, Christine.

Thirty minutes later, Mike was ushered into Adam's office.

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice." Mike said as he shook hands with Adam.

"My pleasure." Adam answered. "Why don't you have a seat? I was going to call you anyway."

"Oh, really?" Mike asked as he sat down in a chair facing John's desk.

"This land contract you gave me to look over." Adam started explaining. "There's nothing in the paperwork that specifies who is going to pay for the retaining wall between the two pieces of land. Ideally, you should split the cost. Other than that, the contract looks good. Do you want me to call his lawyer and set up a time to sign the contract? We can go over our concerns with the retaining wall."

"If you don't mind." Mike answered.

"No problem. It's part of my job." Adam stated. "Now why did you want to see me?"

"I got this letter from the California Parole Board today." Mike said as he handed John the envelope.

"This isn't what I think it is, is it?" Adam asked before even opening the letter.

"I'm afraid so." Mike said. "Winfield is up for parole. The hearing is in two weeks."

"Did you tell Jill about this?" Adam queried.

"No, I don't plan to, and you can't tell her, either." Mike said.

"Give me a dollar." Adam said abruptly.

"What?" Mike asked not quite believing what he was told.

"Give me a dollar."

"Why?" Mike asked as he pulled out a dollar from his wallet and gave it to Adam.

"You just hired me as your lawyer. I cannot discuss whatever you and I talk about to anyone. Not even my wife. That would be breaking the client/lawyer confidentially agreement. Now, what is it you're asking me to do and why?"

"I want you to give the victim's impact statement at the parole hearing."

"I can do that under one condition. You need to talk to Jill about this. Jill's statement will really have an impact on whether Winfield is paroled or not. I can't stress enough that not telling your wife about this is the wrong way to handle it."

"Does Jill absolutely need to be there?"

"Well, no she doesn't. Perhaps if you would tell me why you don't want Jill to find out about the parole hearing."

"Jill's pregnant." Mike blurted out.

"Congratulations, Mike." Adam said.

"The less stress she's under, the better." Mike explained.

"Okay Mike, I don't like it, but I understand where you're coming from." Adam answered as he took the letter out of the envelope and glanced at it. "This is right before Thanksgiving."

"Will that be a scheduling problem for you?" Mike asked.

"Let me check." Adam replied at he hit the transfer button on his phone. "Doris, what's my schedule look like in two weeks?"

"Yes, that's right." John answered after a few moments of silence.

"Great. Add "Winfield Victim Impact Statement" to the schedule for 10am." Adam said before placing the receiver back on its cradle.

"It's all set." Adam announced. "Who's writing the victim impact statement?"

"I really don't think I could come up with the words to describe what Jill and I went through after that incident."

"Okay. I will write it. Do you want to look it over when I'm done?"

"Not particularly. I trust you on this." Mike answered.

Several hours later, Terry and his girlfriend are at Mario's Restaurant sitting at the same table Mike and Jill were sitting at just a few days before. Terry was wearing a navy-blue suit with a matching tie. Rebecca was wearing a grey off the shoulder dress with matching heels.

"So, how's the cold case coming along?" Rebecca asked as the waiter brought their drinks and soup to the table.

"We have a few obstacles to overcome." Terry answered cryptically.

"Like…" Rebecca prompted.

"Like the fact that the original detective on the case quit suddenly and is nowhere to be found. Also, one of the main suspects abruptly left for Greece to allegedly continue his education."

"Are you thinking that the missing detective and missing suspect are related to this case?"

"Mike seems to think so. But I'm not so sure." Terry answered. "This would be quite a coincidence if true."

"What's next?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, Mike called Interpol and put a red notice out on our main suspect. We're hoping to get a hit." Terry said. "You wouldn't happen to have any good ideas on how we can find this guy, do you?"

"Actually, I do." Rebecca replied. "You might want to think about faxing Lacey's information to all the major departments in the United States as well as departments here in California. You could put her physical description, last known whereabouts and even her picture on the fax. Remember, it only takes one clue to break this case wide open."

"I like that idea. We will have to run it by Captain Christianson, of course. But I don't see this as a problem." Terry answered as the waiter brought their main meal to the table.

CHAPTER 10

Meanwhile in Greece, Niko Christos picks up the telephone.

"Hello." Niko answers.

"It's me." The unidentified voice announced.

"Did you send the money transfer?" Niko queried.

"Yes, I did. Between you and your brother's spending habits, your inheritance from your parents will be depleted in no time."

"Relax. I am using the money to fly back to the United States. That should help decrease our spending." Niko said.

"Good. The bank is starting to ask questions. I'm not sure how to respond."

"You're our trustee, I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I'm not taking the fall for this." The voice said. "If I'm going down, I'm taking you and your brother with me."

"You might want to think about this. If this ever gets out, your career or what's left of your career is history." Niko warned. "We'll discuss this when I get back to Los Angeles. Don't do anything stupid."

Meanwhile, at Mario's Restaurant, Rebecca and Terry were just finishing their meal.

"I couldn't eat another bite." Rebecca announced as she put her napkin down.

"I hope you saved some room for dessert." Terry said. "It's your favorite. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake."

"How can I refuse that?" Rebecca said as the waiter removed their dinner plates. "What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"I've been thinking about that because I don't think Mike and Jill are ready to host a dinner quite yet." Terry explained. "My cousin, Draymond who lives in the Hollywood Hills, invited me over. I think I'll except the invite."

"You could come with me to Texas and meet my family, you know." Rebecca said.

"That's a nice offer but I haven't seen my cousin in years." Terry answered.

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know."

"I will." Terry promised as the waiter brought their dessert.

"This looks delicious." Rebecca said as she does not appear to notice the sparkling engagement ring on the plate. "Oh, my gosh." Rebecca said as she finally noticed the two carat diamond ring.

"Rebecca, I love you very much and I can't envision my life without you. Will you marry me?" Terry asked as he got down on bended knee and proposed.

"This ring is so beautiful." Rebecca said.

"Hello? I'm waiting for an answer." Terry said, still kneeling on the floor.

"Yes. I'll marry you!" Rebecca said as she wrapped her arms around Terry's neck.

The rest of the patrons seated near Terry and Rebecca stopped eating and started watching Terry's proposal. Once Rebecca said "yes," a round of applause was heard all over the restaurant.

"It's a good thing you said 'yes.'" Terry quipped.

CHAPTER 11

The next morning, Terry walked into the Cold Case office to find Wille and Chris already working.

"What are you two doing?" Terry asked as he took off his suit jacket and placed it on the back of his chair.

"We're using our newfound computer skills." Chris answered.

"You'll be interested in what we found out." Willie added.

"Such as…" Terry prompted.

"Such as the boyfriend, Jack Lamont was killed in a motor vehicle accident about two years after Lacey's disappearance. He was alone in the car. That is not the interesting part. It was determined that Lamont's brake cable was cut." Wille explained.

"Also, if our elusive Detective Nichols has a job, it's not in law enforcement. I sent his driver's license to all the major police departments in the United States. And no one matches his name and description." Chris added.

"You might want to inform Interpol about Nichols and to keep an eye open in case he shows up." Terry suggested.

"The other person of interest, Niko Christos has a juvenile record. Of course, we can't access the record." Willie added.

"Not without a warrant, anyway. We simply don't have enough evidence for that." Terry said. "Anything else?"

"Well, it looks like the good doctor you talked to yesterday was telling the truth. He and Lacey did go to high school together. Niko Christos on the other hand, went to a private school." Willie answered.

"What private school is this?" Terry asked.

"It's called the Jefferson Preparatory School." Chris answered. "It's located on Sherman Boulevard in Calabasas Hills." Chris said.

"So, it's more than likely that Niko Christos met Lacey at the university and not high school." Terry said.

"I'd say so." Willie agreed. "Where's Mike, by the way?"

"I'm right here." Mike said as he walked into the office. "Sorry I'm late. I had some paperwork that needed my signature." Mike explained. "So, what did I miss?"

Terry, Willie, and Chris spent the next few minutes bringing their friend and colleague up to date on the latest developments.

"We should really talk to Lacey's best friend Eliza White." Mike said. "Did you find out anything on her?"

"Yes, we did." Chris said. "Sarah and Lacey went to Pacific University at the same time. Sarah was working on her undergraduate degree in Psychology. She is now working on her master's degree in Psychology at the same university. I called her and asked if we could stop by and ask a few questions and she said she'd rather come to the station next week."

"Why next week?" Mike asked with a perplexed look on his face.

"Apparently, she has something to give us that she feels would help the case but now she has to locate it." Willie answered.

"Okay. I guess we'll have to wait for her to come in." Mike answered. "Great work, by the way."

"Thanks." Chris said. "Does this mean you intend on attending the next computer Inservice?"

"Let's not go crazy." Mike answered.

"Before we get off tract, Rebecca had an interesting idea." Terry said. "She suggested we wire Lacey's information to all the precincts in California and even the larger ones in the United States."

"You mean like a missing persons flyer." Chris stated.

"Exactly, "Terry answered. "I took the initiative and asked Captain Christianson what he thought of the idea. He said we should go ahead and do it."

"That's great." Mike replied. "Let's get all of her relevant information and make up a flyer."

"I can do that." Willie offered.

"I'll help you." Chris said. "I can wire the flyer to all of the larger police stations."

"Thanks, guys." Terry said. "Any suggestions on how we can find Niko Christos? I'm starting to doubt that Interpol will ever find him."

Just then, the telephone rang on Mike's desk. Mike answered the phone after two rings.

Terry, Chris, and Willie continued with the conversation as Mike finished the call.

"How does this look?" Willie asked as he pointed to the computer screen.

"It looks good." Terry said as he looked over the flyer. "Now all that's left to do is wire this all over the nation. Why don't we make a bunch of copies of the flyer, and we can distribute them this weekend?"

"I'll do that." Chris volunteered.

"Great." Terry said.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Chris said jokingly knowing that wiring this information to all the larger precincts will take a good chunk of time.

Just then Mike hung the phone back on the receiver. "That was Interpol. They traced Christos' passport to the American University in Athens, Greece. They wanted to know how to proceed."

"What did you tell them?" Willie asked.

"What could I tell them? We do not have any concrete evidence other than Lacey's journal and even that is a little sketchy. So, I asked them to monitor Christos' movements and to let us know if he leaves the country."

"You're right Mike, we can't do anything at this point other than monitoring his movements."

"What's next?" Willie asked.

"While Chris and Willie are sending the flyer out, why don't we start writing up our reports?" Mike suggested.

CHAPTER 12

Later that evening, Jill was sitting on the couch reading some paperwork Mike had left on the kitchen table.

"Hey babe, have you seen the diary I brought home from work?" Mike queried as he walked into the living room.

"I have it here." Jill answered. "Sorry about that."

"That's alright." Mike answered. "What is your impression of Lacey's diary?"

"Well, she certainly was afraid of something, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, she was. In fact, it's the question of the day."

"Have you read any of this?"

"Not particularly. That is why I brought it home. Why?" Mike asked as he sat next to his wife on the couch.

"Listen to this entry from late December 1978." Jill explained. "I decided not to go to the police about Niko at this time. It is safer for all involved. Instead, I wrote two identical letters detailing what I overheard between Niko and Steve. I'm hiding one letter in my secret place and giving the other letter to Eliza which instructions to give the letter to the police should something happen to me."

"We didn't recover any letter from Lacey's room."

"It doesn't have to be in her room, though. Maybe she hid the letter somewhere else, like her car."

"Gosh, I hope not. We can't find Lacey's car."

"I hope you're kidding." Jill answered.

"I wish I were. Any other interesting entries?"

"Yeah. This next entry is dated January 4th, 1979." Jill announced. "I don't know what to do. I found out that I am pregnant and today I told the father-to-be, Jack Lamont. His reaction was worse than I expected. First, he said the baby is not his and then he wants me to have an abortion. The worst part is that I put a copy of the letter to the police in my backpack and now the letter is gone. I suspect Jack took it when I went downstairs to get him a glass of water. God only knows what he will do with the contents of the letter. Luckily, the copy of the second letter is safely in Eliza's possession."

"That answers the secret place question." Mike said.

"And why you didn't find the letter. Who is this Niko character?" Jill asked.

"We're not sure." Mike admitted. "Other than the fact that Lacey stumbled upon something that could prevent Niko from going on to medical school. The funny thing is Niko's record is clean. No priors except for something that happened when he was going to a private high school."

"Did you happen to find out what this something is?"

"No. It is a private school, so they do not have to release the information if they don't want to. It probably doesn't have anything to do with the case."

"You don't know that though." Jill said. "Maybe this information that Lacey is talking about is school related. Either from high school or college."

"What could that possibly be?" Mike asked. "Lacey and Niko didn't even go to the same high school."

"Cheating, plagiarism, vandalism, among other things."

"These are all petty crimes. Seems like overkill."

"People kill for less. Isn't that what you always say? The same applies to this."

The next morning, Terry walked into the office to find Mike feverishly looking through the evidence box.

"What are you looking for?" Terry asked as he took off his suit jacket.

"The car." Mike answered curtly.

"What car are you talking about?" Terry asked.

"Lacey's car. Remember the car was not at Grady's bar when Mr. Wilson was looking for his daughter. There aren't any pictures of the car, and I can't find the car in the evidence shed."

"Let me look." Terry said as he walked over to his desk and picked up the evidence inventory sheet. "You're right, Mike. The car does not show up on this list either. Good pick-up Mike."

"Something just wasn't right when I started looking at the evidence and then this morning while driving into work, it hit me. Where is Lacey's car?" Mike explained.

"How do we find out?" Terry asked.

"We'll have to go through the SCPD Evidence and Management Division to find out." Mike said.

"I can do that." Terry volunteered.

"We should probably call the Wilsons and see if they know where the car is located first." Mike suggested. "I'll give them a call."

"What's going on?" Chris asked as he entered the office followed closely by Willie.

"We're looking for Lacey's car at the moment." Terry answered as Mike dialed the Wilson's phone number.

"Did you get all those flyers out?" Terry asked.

"Yes, we did." Chris answered. "If it were not for Sergeant Older helping us, we'd still be working on this. I also printed off some copies of the missing flyer, too."

"Really? Sergeant Older was helpful?" Terry jokingly asked.

"I know. I was shocked too." Chris answered.

Just then, Mike placed the phone receiver on its cradle. "I just got off the phone with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and they made several inquiries about Lacey's car without success."

"That's okay." Terry said. "Willie, let's you and I go to the Evidence and Management shed to look for the car."

"Maybe it's hidden under a bunch of other cars." Willie quipped as he and Terry left the office.

"What's next, Mike?" Chris asked.

"Let's update the timeline." Mike suggested. "Jill was reading the diary last night and she pointed out a few of the passages that were interesting."

"Let's start there." Chris said as he brought out the board.

"In December 1978, Lacey mentions writing a letter to the police should something happen to her. She made two copies. One she gave to Eliza White and the other she put in her backpack."

"So… December 1978, I'll put Lacey writes letter." Chris said as he is writing the information in the appropriate place on the timeline.

"Then January 4th, 1979, Lacey finds out she's pregnant. She tells Jack Lamont who took the news badly." Mike states.

"Okay. So that means, sometime in January 1979, Lacey informs Jack Lamont, her former boyfriend that she's pregnant." Chris said as he wrote down the information. "Anything else?"

"Jack Lamont. He died around 1980."

"I'll write that on the side." Chris said. "So, what's next?"

"Let's take a road trip to Jefferson Preparatory School." Mike answered as he grabbed his jacket. Chris followed close behind.

Meanwhile, Terry and Willie are in the SCPD's Evidence Management Shed.

"Can I help you?" Todd Mason, the manager of the Evidence Shed asked.

"We're looking for a 1972 Red Chevrolet Vega two-door hatchback." Willie said looking at the information he obtained from the NICI database. "California license plate LM6XR99. Owner is Lacey Wilson, case number 955WIL."

"When would we have received this car?" Todd asked.

"Approximately four years ago. It would have been April 1979 to be accurate." Terry answered.

"We don't have all the information stored into the computer database yet, so I'll have to look at our old paper inventory list. Give me a moment."

Fifteen minutes later, Todd shows up with a logbook from 1979. "I'm not seeing any entry for a 1972 Chevrolet Vega four years ago and I checked the entire year. Are you sure about your dates?"

"Yes, we are." Willie said.

"Then, I don't know what to tell you. I can continue looking for this car if you'd like."

"That would be helpful. Thank you." Terry said as he handed his business card to Todd Mason.

CHAPTER 13

At the same time, Mike and Chris were in the Jefferson Preparatory School's administrative office.

"I can confirm that someone named Niko Christos attended the school, but I can't give out any other information unless you have a warrant." Martha Gunderson, a middle-aged woman announced. Mike got the impression that this woman was not going to bend the rules for anyone.

"We could waste precious time getting a warrant if you'd like." Mike stated.

"But then the media might find out that your school is impeding the police regarding a cold case investigation." Chris added. "Now, do you really want bad press?"

"No need to get the media involved." Martha said. "Let me pull his record."

A few minutes later, Martha comes back with two paper files.

"Niko has two files?" Chris quipped.

"Oh, no. One is Niko's file, and the other is his brother, Stavros." Martha answered.

"Excuse me? Niko has a brother?" Mike asked incredulously.

"Yes. In fact, Stavros and Niko are identical twins." Martha said.

"We had no idea." Chris said as he and Mike quickly looked at each other in surprise.

"Niko and Stavros have been reprimanded several times while they were students here." Martha said.

"Really? What for?" Mike asked.

"Let me see." Martha said as she put on her glasses and opened both files. "Here it is." Martha said as she pointed to the top of the page.

"May I take a look at that?" Chris asked.

"Of course. As you can see, they were caught three times impersonating each other. It always happened during finals." Martha answered.

"These guys didn't kid around." Mike replied. "How did you figure out they were even impersonating each other? I mean if they're identical twins."

"As I recall, one time was because Stavros accidently wrote his name on the test instead of Niko's name." Martha recalled. "It was easier after that."

"Why is that?" Chris asked.

"Well, we discovered Stavros had a scar on his forehead from an accident as a child. That's how we started to distinguish between the two."

"What was the punishment for impersonating someone else?" Mike asked.

"We tried to suspend both, but their guardian had a fit over it. So, we downgraded the punishment to detention instead."

"Who was their guardian?" Chris asked.

"If you look at the left side of the file, their personal information should be listed including the guardian."

"I don't believe it. The information has been redacted." Mike said as he gave both charts back to Martha.

"Redacted? I've never seen anyone's information redacted and I've been working here for fifteen years."

"Could we have copies of both files?" Chris asked.

"We aren't going to use the information for anything other than trying to solve this cold case." Mike said as he saw a look of hesitation on Martha's face.

"Well, technically you don't even have a warrant. I could get reprimanded for this." Martha replied.

"We won't tell if you don't tell." Mike replied trying to add levity to the situation.

"Well, I supposed it wouldn't hurt to give you the files." Martha said as she grabbed the files and left the room.

"Everyone thinks they're an expert just because they watched a couple of crime shows on television." Chris whispers to Mike making sure Martha was out of ear shot.

A few minutes later, Martha came back with a standard 9 x 12 manilla envelope. "Here are the copies of the chart. I hope you find out what happened to this poor girl."

"We do too. Thank you." Mike said as he took the envelope and walked out of the building with Chris.

Meanwhile, in New York, a man entered the police station scanning their information board on current events. Something caught his eye as he was looking at the flyers. As he looked closer, he realized it was a missing poster for Lacey Wilson. Her picture, all her information was listed along with a telephone number to call if anyone knows any information regarding the case. The man ripped down the flyer and immediately went back to his tiny apartment.

As soon as the man entered his apartment, he got on the phone and dialed a number from memory.

"Hello." A voice answered after three rings.

"It's me and we have a problem."

"What are you talking about?"

"I found a flyer today. They're looking into Lacey's case again."

"What do you mean "they?" Niko asked trying to make sense of the situation.

"The new SCPD Cold Case Unit."

"I thought you said that once the initial investigation was over, there wouldn't be a problem." Niko said obviously getting irritated at this unexpected turn of events.

"I didn't anticipate the SCPD to open a Cold Case Unit. How was I supposed to know?"

"It's your job to keep tabs on the situation." Niko countered. "Do you have any suggestions on how to proceed?"

"Well, obviously you can't go home. I suggest going to United Arab Emirates."

"Why there for god's sakes?"

"Because they speak English there and they don't have an extradition treaty with the United States. I wired you some money so you can buy a ticket to UAE. Leave as soon as possible."

"Is Stavros keeping tabs on Steve Masters?" Niko asked. "We can't afford to have Steve go to the police. He knows way too much."

"Steve is hiding in plain sight." The man answered.

"What does that mean?" Niko asked.

"Steve is living with Stavros on the farm. There's no better place to hide."

"Okay, I guess. I will leave for United Arab Emirates as soon as possible. Just so you know, I'll be off the grid until I get to United Arab Emirates so don't try contacting me." Niko instructed.

"Fine. We'll talk later."

CHAPTER 14

Thirty minutes later, Mike and Chris walked into the office. Terry and Willie were already back from the Evidence Management Shed.

"I hope you guys had better luck than Terry and I did." Willie said.

"Why? What happened?" Mike asked as he took off his jacket and put it on the back of a chair.

"Lacey's car isn't there." Terry answered.

"Where is it?" Mike asked.

"We don't know. The car wasn't even in their inventory. Hell, maybe the car is in some junkyard somewhere." Terry explained. "Why is it every lead we get leads to a dead end?"

"Don't worry, guys. We'll figure it out." Mike said trying to keep the morale up.

"We found out some interesting information." Chris said. "It turns out Niko has a brother, Stavros. They're identical twins."

"Really?" Willie exclaimed, obviously excited over the new bit of information.

"It turns out their academic record isn't spotless." Mike said. "They were reprimanded for impersonation."

"The old switcheroo." Terry commented as the three guys all turned to look at him. "In high school there was a set of identical twins that would take each other's tests, do each other's homework, etc. We would call it the old switcheroo."

"Were they ever caught?" Willie asked.

"Believe it or not, no. It was sort of an unspoken fact. We all knew it was going on but, they were never caught."

"Well, this is the same scenario. Stavros was caught taking a test for his brother." Chris explained.

"How did that happen?" Terry asked.

"Stavros accidently used his own name instead of Niko's name." Mike answered.

"Here's the interesting part. The school wanted to suspend both brothers, but their guardian talked them out of it."

"There was a guardian?" Terry asked. "Finally, a real lead." Terry grabbed the manila envelope from Chris, opened it and looked at the file.

"There's a problem." Mike said hoping to explain before Terry got a chance to read the chart.

"Redacted? The name was redacted." Terry said incredulously.

"Listen. I hate to break this up, but can I leave early?" Chris asked.

"Why? Do you have a date?" Willie teased.

"As a matter of fact, I do. A friend from my high school days in Spokane, Washington." Chris explained. "She called me earlier this week to let me know she's moving to the area."

"Were you an item in high school?" Mike asked obviously not up to today's language.

"An item?" Willie asked.

"Mike asked if they dated in high school." Terry explained.

"Yes, we did." Chris answered. "We broke it off when we graduated because we were going to different colleges. We did not think a long-distance relationship would last. So, can I leave early?"

"Of course." Terry said. "In fact, why don't we close shop right now? Get an early start on the weekend."

"Before we go our separate ways, I wanted to know if you guys would like to distribute flyers tomorrow?" Chris asked. "We could each take a specific area and post our informational flyers on Lacey at strategic places in the vicinity."

Terry, Mike, and Willie all agreed to distribute the flyers the next day.

CHAPTER 15

The next morning, Mike entered the kitchen just as Jill was getting breakfast on the table.

"Just in time." Jill said as she poured coffee into Mike's cup.

"No coffee?" Mike asked.

"I decided to refrain from drinking coffee until after the baby is born. I switched over to milk instead." Jill explained as she pointed to the glass of milk.

"Ahh, you don't like milk."

"I know." Jill said as she took a sip from her glass making a face as she quickly swallowed the milk.

"Why don't you ask the doctor about alternatives to milk?" Mike asked as he tried to stifle a snicker.

"This isn't funny." Jill said. "I have to suffer through another eight months of this."

"What are you doing today?" Mike asked as he skillfully changed the subject.

"I thought about asking Christine if she wants to go to lunch. Why?"

"How would you like to spend quality time with your husband?" Mike said answering her question with a question of his own. "We're passing out our "Looking for Information" flyers today. We could use your help."

"I could do that." Jill said. "If this helps bring closure to this case and answers for Lacey's family, I'd be glad to help."

"Thank you." Mike answered.

Two hours later, Mike, Jill and Chris were distributing flyers to every business located in the immediate area of Grady's Bar. As Jill was passing out flyers across the street from the bar, she noticed the front door open with someone peeking out of the door before closing it.

"Mike!" Jill called out to Mike who was crossing the street.

"What's the matter?" Mike asked as he walked up to his wife.

"Isn't this the bar where Lacey's car was?"

"Yeah. That is why we decided to pass out flyers in this area. We thought maybe someone who frequents the bar in this area in general might know something." Mike explained. "Why?"

"Because I just saw some man open the bar door, look out and then closed the door again."

"Maybe that's the owner." Mike said. "I need to talk to him."

"Don't you want to wait for Chris?" Jill asked as Mike crossed the street heading toward the bar.

"When Chris gets here, tell him where I am. I don't want to lose the opportunity to talk with him." Mike explained.

Just then, Chris came across the street to talk to Mike and Jill.

"Done already?" Jill asked.

"I ran out of flyers." Chris explained. "What's going on here?

"Jill saw someone open the front door." Mike said as he pointed to Grady's Bar. "It could be the owner of the bar."

"Let's go talk to him." Chris answered.

"What do you want me to do? I'm all out of flyers as well." Jill asked.

"Why don't you come in with us?" Mike said as he and Chris walked toward the bar. Jill immediately followed.

Mike gave Chris a curious look when he tried opening the door, fully expecting it to be locked. Instead, it was open.

Mike and Chris walked in with Jill following close behind.

"Sorry folks, the bar is closed." A middle-aged man who was behind the bar said.

"We're not here as customers." Mike explained as he showed his badge. "I'm Lt. Danko and this is Detective Owens. We're from the SCPD Cold Case Unit."

"We wanted to talk to the owner of the bar." Chris added.

"You're talking to him. I am Grady Lewis. How can I help you?" Grady said as he continued to wipe down the bar.

"We're wondering if you could put this flyer up somewhere in your bar." Chris said as Mike handed the flyer to Grady.

"You're working on the Lacey Wilson case?" Grady asked as he looked over the flyer.

"Yes, we are." Mike confirmed. "Do you or your employees have any information that might help solve this case?"

"Unfortunately, I have a high turnover rate since most of my employees are college students from the nearby university. All the employees I have working here at this time weren't working here when Lacey disappeared." Grady explained. "However, I was here on the night she disappeared."

"What can you tell us about that night?" Chris asked as he pulled out his notebook and pen.

"Lacey would come in quite frequently. She even bartended for me when I needed her. That night Lacey came in clearly upset over something. She asked me if she could hide out in my office for a while. Before I could even answer her, someone she called Niko came in. Niko kept on asking her what she planned on doing with the information she had. Lacey just kept telling him she didn't know what he's talking about."

"Have you ever seen this Niko before?" Mike asked.

"Sort of." Grady answered cryptically.

"What do you mean by that?" Mike asked.

"I don't know Niko, but I do know his brother, Stavros." Grady started explaining. "I let Lacey go into my office and I told Niko he had to leave. Then something strange happened."

"What was that?" Chris asked.

"Stavros has a scar on his forehead from a childhood accident." Grady continued. "Anyway, as I escorted him out of the bar, I noticed that the person Lacey called "Niko" had a scar on his forehead."

"So, Stavros was impersonating his twin brother Niko." Chris surmised.

"Exactly. When I asked Stavros what he was doing, he said he and his brother would impersonate each other at school all the time." Grady explained. "In fact, he thought it was funny. Then I asked Stavros why he was impersonating his brother."

"What was his answer?" Mike asked.

"Apparently, he gets a thrill out of tricking people. Then he made a veiled threat. He said that things could get exceedingly difficult for me if I should decide to tell anyone."

"Do you know what he meant by that?" Chris asked.

"No and truthfully, I didn't want to know."

"What do you know about Lacey's car?" Mike asked.

"That was the other weird thing. About thirty minutes after I escorted Stavros out the door, Lacey decided she wanted to leave. I asked her if she wanted me to walk her to her car. She said not to worry about it because her car was right near the door. She left and I never saw her again. If I only would have insisted on walking with her to her car. I think about that a lot."

"And what about the car?" Mike asked again as he tried to redirect the conversation.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that." Grady apologized. "Anyway, the next morning I go out to the parking lot to pick up any broken glass from the night before. When I went out the front door, I saw this Vega parked near the front entrance just like Lacey said it was from the night before. I tried calling Lacey's phone number thinking that for some reason, she got another ride home. There was no answer."

"So, then what happened?" Chris asked.

"Well, I didn't know what to do since I didn't want to tow her car away in case, she was planning on picking up the car sometime that morning."

"What did you end up doing?" Mike asked.

"Well, I was about to go back into the bar and call her family and friends when this man came driving up in an unmarked car with a tow truck immediately behind him. The man said he worked for SCPD, and he even showed me his badge. The man said he was coming to tow the car and take it back to the SCPD car shed or something along those lines."

"Did the officer give you, his name?" Chris asked.

"I actually asked for his card." Grady answered. "Let me check my rolodex."

Grady came back five minutes later with a business card. "Here's the card he gave me." Grady said as he handed the card over to Chris who took the card using a plastic glove, he had in his pocket.

Mike looked at the card and read the name "Detective John Nichols. I knew he had something to do with this. I suppose we don't have a plastic bag with us." Mike said while holding the business card trying not to get his own fingerprints on the unexpected evidence.

I do." Jill answered. "In the glove compartment in the car. I'll get one."

Chris looked at Mike with a curious look.

Mike, reading Chris's mind stated "Don't ask. It's a woman's thing."

Jill came back one minute later with a plastic bag with a zip type closure. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Chris said as he opened the bag allowing Mike to place the card in the bag without further contamination.

"You don't happen to know what towing company moved the car, do you?" Mike asked as Chris sealed the bag and placed it in his pocket.

"I'm sorry, I don't." Grady said. "The towing company's name wasn't even on the door of the truck. I thought it was odd at the time."

"Did this Detective Nichols say what he planned on doing with the car?" Chris asked.

"No. I just assumed it would go to wherever your department usually takes impounded cars."

"Do you think you could come down to the station and look at a few photos?" Mike asked seemingly out of the blue. "We would like you to look at some pictures and see if you can identify John Nichols."

"No problem." Grady replied.

"Okay." Chris replied. "If you think of anything else, here's my card."

"I will." Grady said as he took the card from Chris.

"Do you think you'll get some useful fingerprints off the card?" Jill asked after leaving the bar.

"It's a long shot." Mike admitted. "But this is the first circumstantial lead we've received, and I don't plan on wasting it."

"I'll swing around the precinct and personally log this card into evidence." Chris said.

"Thanks Chris. Let's meet with Terry and Willie at my house later this afternoon. Maybe we could have a fry out."

"Sounds good." Chris said. "I'll tell Terry and Willie."

"Great. Thanks." Mike said.

"Is it okay if I ask my friend, Britney to come along?"

"Who's Britney?" Jill asked.

"A high school friend that Chris went on a date with." Mike answered.

"You went out on a date and didn't tell me?" Jill asked pretending to be annoyed.

"It wasn't a date." Chris said. "It was an informational meeting. You know, to catch up with each other's lives."

"Right…" Mike replied.

"Britney is more than welcome." Jill said.

"Thank you, Jill."

With that, Mike, Jill, and Chris walked to their respective cars and left the area.

"Let's get home." Mike said as started the car. "I need to clean up the grill."

"Not so fast, Danko." Jill said. "We need to go to the store first."

"I thought you just went to the store."

"I did and I was shopping for the two of us. Not for an impromptu barbeque."

"Sorry." Mike said sheepishly. "I should've cleared it with you first."

"That's okay." Jill said. "But after the baby is born, our impromptu parties will have to be planned ahead of time."

"I hear you." Mike said as he pulled out from the curb.

CHAPTER 16

Later that afternoon, a party was in full swing at the Danko house. In attendance were Terry and his fiancé Rebecca, Willie and his wife Sarah, Chris and his "friend," Britney, and Eddie Ryker. Willie and Sarah were high school sweethearts in Ohio, but they broke up when Willie decided to move to Southern California. Willie and Sarah reconnected when he moved back to Ohio to take care of his ailing father. Their romance blossomed and they subsequently got married before moving back to Southern California.

Everyone was congregating around the pool while Mike tended to the grill.

"So, what's this good news that Chris said happened this morning?" Willie asked.

"Well, Mike and I interviewed the owner of Grady's Bar." Chris replied.

"And…" Terry prompted.

"And Grady was at the bar the night Lacey disappeared. Grady said Lacey came into the bar, clearly upset over something. She asked if she could hide out in the backroom of the bar." Chris said.

"Right after Lacey came in, someone named Niko also came in. Niko kept asking Lacey what she planned on doing with the information. Lacey kept saying she did not know what he was talking about. Grady started escorting Niko out of the bar when Grady noticed a scar on Niko's forehead." Mike continued with the story.

"Stavros has a scar on his forehead from a childhood accident." Chris added.

"So, you're saying Stavros was impersonating his brother, Niko?" Willie asked.

"Yes. When Grady questioned him about it, Stavros said he got a thrill out of it. Like it was no big deal." Mike continued. "Stavros even made a veiled threat to Grady about what could happen if he told anyone this information."

"That ties in with the paperwork you got from Jefferson Preparatory School." Terry said. "They were caught impersonating each other but their guardian intervened."

"That's right." Chris confirmed. "That's not the interesting part. The next morning, Grady went out to the parking lot and found Lacey's car parked right where she said it was. He tried to call Lacey to see if she planned on picking up her car but didn't get the chance."

"Grady was about to call her family when someone in a car with a tow truck following came into the parking lot. The guy introduced himself as a SCPD officer and even showed his badge. The officer said he was there to tow the car away." Mike said.

"The officer even gave Grady his card." Chris said. "Guess whose name was on the card."

"Detective John Nichols." Mike said before anyone could ask.

"What towing company was it and where did they take this car?" Willie asked.

"Unfortunately, we don't know." Chris said. "There is one thing that's been bothering me."

"What's that?" Terry said.

"Nichols is going to great lengths to disassociate himself from this crime. Why would he give the bar owner his card? It doesn't make sense, does it?"

"No, it doesn't make sense. Unless..." Mike said thinking out loud.

"Unless what?" Chris asked.

"Unless it wasn't Nichols who picked up the car. Maybe someone else tied to case did."

"Suppose what you're suggesting is true, how do we go about finding out?"

"We have that covered." Chris said. "Grady is coming in to look at some pictures."

"What about the parents?" Eddie asked as he handed a plate of hamburgers and hotdogs to Mike.

"The parents are dead." Chris answered. "As far as we know."

"Do you want some unsolicited advice?" Eddie asked.

"Yes, we do." Mike answered for everyone.

"Follow the money." Eddie answered.

"I don't understand." Terry admitted.

"If the parents are dead, then there might be some money from an inheritance." Eddie explained. "Follow the money trail and see where it leads you."

CHAPTER 17

Terry, Chris, Willie, and Mike were hard at work bright and early Monday morning.

"What do you want us to work on this morning?" Willie asked.

"We follow the money trail." Terry said. "Just like Eddie suggested."

"Is there a way to find out property ownership using the computer?" Mike asked.

"We can run a background check on Niko and Stavros Christos and see what we come up with." Chris answered.

"What are you thinking Mike?" Terry queried.

"Well, Niko and Stavros don't appear to be employed. What are they living on?" Mike asked.

"Eddie did say something about an inheritance." Terry added.

"Precisely. Also, we should figure out if they own any property." Mike agreed.

"Chris, why don't you run a background check on Stavros and Willie, why don't you work on Niko's history?" Terry said.

"Will do." Willie said as he and Chris each logged on to their respective computer databases.

Just then Chris answers his phone after three rings. "Okay, we'll be right down." Chris said before placing the receiver back on its cradle.

"Who was that?" Terry asked.

"Sgt. Older called. Eliza White is waiting by the front desk. Apparently, she's refusing to come to the office."

"I wonder why?" Willie asked.

"This high ranking official that Stavros and Niko keep talking about has got everyone on edge." Mike said.

"Who's coming with me?" Chris asked as he got up from his chair and grabbed his jacket.

"Where are we going?" Terry answered with a question as he also grabbed his jacket.

"Sgt. Older said the conference room is open. Hopefully, Eliza won't object to talking there." Chris explained.

"Carry on gentlemen." Terry said as he and Chris left the office.

"I think I'll start writing up some of our reports." Mike said.

"Okay, Mike. I'll start working on Niko's background check."

Approximately thirty minutes later, Willie finds something of interest. "Well, I found out where the money is coming from." Willie announced. "Apparently, there's an irrevocable trust in Stavros and Niko's names left to them by their parents. It is worth over one million dollars and apparently, the father likes to dabble in the stock market and was quite successful at it. There is something else. The inheritance keeps coming as long as one or both go to college and graduate."

"Really?" Mike asked now his interest is piqued. "That explains the private schooling and Niko's trip to Greece. Do they have any stocks, bonds or property?"

'Yeah." Willie answered. "There's a farm on Old Mill Road that is in Stavros and Niko's name."

"Now we're getting somewhere." Mike said. "What happens if neither one of them graduates?"

"The entire estate goes to charity." Willie answered.

"Do you think the trustee of the estate is also involved with this case?"

"That's a good possibility. Let me look further." Willie said.

After a few minutes of silence, "Oh my god, Mike. You've got to see this." Willie exclaimed.

Meanwhile, down in the conference room, Terry and Chris are talking to Lacey's best friend, Eliza White.

"We appreciate you coming in today." Chris said.

"Anything I can do to help." Eliza said. Eliza is a young twenty something woman, obviously nervous about coming into the station.

"Did you find whatever it was you were going to give us?" Terry asked.

"Yes." Eliza answered as she handed over a business sized envelope to Terry.

"What is this, exactly?" Terry asked as he took the sealed envelope from Eliza using a tissue and placed it in a plastic evidence bag.

"Lacey told me it was a letter that I was to give to the police if something happened to her."

"What made you decide to give us the letter now?" Chris asked, trying not to be accusatory.

"Honestly, I forgot I had the letter until you asked me to come in for an interview." Eliza explained. "In fact, I didn't know where I even put it since I moved twice since Lacey died. I am sorry. I wasn't intentionally trying to hide this." Eliza started to tear up.

"Don't worry about it." Terry said reassuringly. "We want to find out what happened to Lacey. We're not looking to get you in trouble."

"Thank you." Eliza said with a sigh of relief. "What else do you need to know?"

"Do you know Niko Christos? His name keeps popping up in our interviews." Chris asked.

"He was going to Pacific University at the same time we were." Eliza explained. "We called him a Trust Fund Baby because he always had money to spend."

"Did he mention where the money was coming from?" Terry asked.

"Niko said when his parents died, they left a trust fund for him. Niko had a crush on Lacey, but Lacey wasn't interested." Eliza blurted out of the blue.

"Did Lacey tell you this?" Terry asked.

"No. It was obvious to anyone that knew Niko had a crush on Lacey. He would ask her out for coffee or a movie. Lacey was not interested in him though. In fact, Niko was so persistent, Lacey would lie and tell him she's still dating Jack Lamont to get him to stop." Eliza said. "It didn't work."

"Did Lacey ever tell you she was afraid of Niko?" Chris asked.

"Lacey made it seem like she was more annoyed than scared of him. I knew better though."

"Do you know why she wouldn't tell you about this?" Terry asked.

"Niko always mentioned he had a family member working in LA county law enforcement. I'm guessing she didn't want to involve anyone else."

Terry and Chris concluded the interview after asking a few more questions.

Meanwhile, in the Cold Case office, Willie found something interesting in his research.

"What did you find?" Mike asked as he got up from his chair and walked over to Willie's desk.

"The guardian's name is John Nichols." Willie answered.

"Maybe we found a link between Nichols and the Christos brothers." Mike said.

"According to this, Nichols listed work phone number is the same as the precinct's main number." Willie announced as he continued to look at the computer screen.

"Can you run a background check on Nichols and see what you come up with?"

"You got it." Willie said as he returned to his computer and started working.

CHAPTER 18

Meanwhile, Niko picks up the phone and dials a number by memory.

"Hello." The person greeted after three rings.

"It's me." Niko answered.

"You've landed in United Arab Emeritus already?"

"No. I came back to Southern California." Niko explained.

"Why did you do that?"

"I got a call from Stavros. He's freaking out because he thinks John is going to tell the police everything."

"Do you have a plan to keep that from happening?"

"I always have a plan." Niko replied.

"I hope you don't plan on doing something stupid because I'm not cleaning up any more of your messes."

"If you're worried, why don't you come back and handle this yourself?" Niko countered getting tired of his endless threats.

"I might have to do just that."

Fifteen minutes later, Terry and Chris walk back into the office carrying an evidence bag.

"Did you uncover anything interesting?" Willie asked as he saw Terry and Chris enter the office.

"We did get the letter that Lacey wrote prior to her disappearance." Terry announced as he held up the plastic evidence bag.

"We didn't get a chance to read it because we wanted to preserve the evidence." Chris explained.

"Let's see what the letter contains, shall we?" Terry said as he started putting on a pair of gloves he retrieved from his desk. Terry carefully removed the letter sized envelope from the plastic evidence bag. The room was completely silent as Terry put on a pair of plastic gloves and carefully opened the letter sized envelope. Inside the envelope was a two-page document, handwritten on white standard paper.

Terry started reading the document out loud.

"To whom it may concern. If you are reading this letter, it must mean that something has happened to me. If I go missing, you need to look no further than Niko Christos. Let me explain further.

"My name is Lacey Wilson and I'm a twenty-two-year-old junior going to Pacific University. In September 1978 I took the MCAT exam which is commonly taken as a prerequisite to getting into medical school. Not long after the MCAT exam, I was sitting in the campus café when a classmate, Niko Christos, and a friend of his by the name of Steve Masters came in and sat a couple of tables over. I overheard Niko tell Steve that he cheated on the MCAT exam. I did not think much of it at the time until I remembered that the day of the MCAT exam, the fingerprint machine was inoperable, so the proctors had to check people in by using their driver's license or some other form of identification. So, it is possible that someone did impersonate Niko Christos. The question is who?

"Fast forward to January 1979. I found out I was pregnant and my now ex-boyfriend, Jack Lamont, was the father. Before telling Jack the news, I decided to write this letter in case something happens to me. I was not afraid of Jack; I was afraid of Niko. I made another copy of the letter, and I gave one of the letters to my good friend, Eliza putting with instructions to give this letter to the police should something happen to me. The other letter I put on top of my backpack with the intention of putting it in a hiding place other than my bedroom.

"I then invited Jack to my house to tell him about the pregnancy. The news did not go over well. First, Jack questioned whether the baby was his and when I told him there is no question who the father is, he wanted me to have an abortion. Sometime during the confrontation, Jack asked for a glass of water. I was out of the room less than five minutes to get the water. When I got back to the room, Jack was gone. It was a few hours later when I discovered my handwritten letter was missing. The only person that could have taken the letter was Jack. Of course, Jack denied stealing the letter. I am worried that Jack will want to seek revenge because I refused to get an abortion.

"Now back to Niko Christos, he started harassing me shortly after I lost the letter. Sometimes Niko was nice and friendly. Other times he was mean and aloof. It was almost like he had two personalities. Maybe Niko has some sort of personality order? Niko would follow me around. It was not hard to do since he is in pre-med just like me. However, he would start showing up in places that he would not ordinarily be. Like when I would work at Grady's bar, for instance. Niko would come into the bar occasionally and harass me until the bouncer came over and kicked him out of the premises. Other times Niko would harass me at the university. I considered reporting the harassment to the campus security, but I was afraid of retaliation from Niko.

As for the letter, I have no idea what Jack did with it and since he never contacted me again, it is unlikely I will never find out.

"Her letter is certainly detailed." Willie commented.

"Yeah, it is." Chris concurred.

"What's the matter, Mike?" Terry asked noticing Mike was in deep thought.

"I can't help thinking about what Lacey said in her letter. Something about Niko almost having two personalities." Mike answered. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

CHAPTER 19

Later in the afternoon, Niko entered the home he owns with his brother, Stavros.

"Stavros…" Niko called out as he set his suitcase and coat on the floor.

"I'm right here." Stavros answered as he walked into the living room. "Why didn't you tell me when you were coming in? I would've picked you up at the airport."

"Let's cut the crap, shall we? Where is he?" Niko asked.

"Who? Steve?" Stavros answered Niko's question with a question.

"No, Santa Claus." Niko answered sarcastically. "Of course, I mean Steve. I came to take care of this problem. I don't want another repeat of the Lamont fiasco."

"He's been working on something in the barn." Stavros answered.

"What is he working on?" Niko asked.

"I don't know exactly." Stavros said as he started preparing for Niko's reaction.

"What are you talking about? There is only one thing in that barn that he could be working on. That car is the only thing besides Steve, that can definitively link us to Lacey's disappearance. Follow me." Niko instructed as he and Stavros walked out of the house and to the barn. "You better hope Steve knows nothing about car repair."

"Relax. That car has not been started in four plus years. It will take a miracle to start it now." Stavros said as he and Niko opened the barn door and walked in.

It was pitch black in the barn until Stavros reached over and turned on the overhead light. After a few seconds, Niko and Stavros vison adjusted to their surroundings. The barn was completely empty except for an empty gas container.

"I guess he does know how to work on cars." Stavros said in a rare moment of levity.

"This isn't funny." Niko said. "We have to find Steve before he does something stupid."

"If he makes it that far." Stavros mumbles to himself.

"What are you mumbling about?" Niko asked who is now obviously irritated over the whole situation.

"He's driving a car owned by a deceased person with expired tags and emission." Stavros answered.

"Thanks for reminding me. Now let's go." Niko said. "I'll drive."

Meanwhile, Steve Masters is driving on Harbor Street in a 1972 Chevrolet Vega. Steve looks in his rearview mirror and sees a police car with the lights flashing.

"Oh, shit." Steve mumbles to himself as he pulls over to the curb. "This is exactly what I need."

Officer Juan Salazar gets out of his cruiser and walks to the driver's side of the car. Immediately, Officer Salazar notices Steve Masters is sweating profusely.

"Do you know why I pulled you over today?"

"No sir, I don't." Steve replied as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Your back taillight isn't working, and I see your plates are expired as well." Officer Salazar replied. "You're really sweating, why is that?"

"I'm a little nervous. A person doesn't get pulled over for no reason."

"Fair enough."

Steve made a sigh of relief thinking he might be out of the woods.

"Can I see your license, registration and insurance please." Officer Salazar asked.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Steve asked as he took out his driver's license and insurance card.

"No problem at all." Officer Salazar replied. "Unless you have something to hide, that is."

After a few tense moments, Steve was able to pull the registration out of the glove compartment.

Officer Salazar found a discrepancy between Steve's driver's license, insurance, and registration. "Who's Lacey Wilson?"

"Excuse me?" Steve asked silently wishing he checked the glove compartment and trunk before driving the car.

"Lacey Wilson. Her name is on the registration which is four years old, and I noticed that your emissions sticker is also expired."

"Lacey is my sister. She said I could drive it." Steve explained silently wishing Officer Salazar would accept his explanation. "I could get her on the phone if that would help."

"That won't be necessary." Officer Salazar said. "I'll be right back. If everything checks out, you will be on your way." As Salazar turned toward his cruiser, he noticed the car was hotwired.

"I'm sure you'll have a reasonable explanation why you hotwired a car you allegedly had permission to use." Officer Salazar stated as he's trying to remain calm so as not to alarm Masters.

"That's why I have her car. She lost her keys and I offered to get a couple of new keys made for her." Masters said trying to remain calm in an increasingly stresses situation.

"Okay." Officer Salazar said as he went back to his cruiser.

Officer Salazar got into the driver's side of his cruiser and picked up the radio.

"Dispatch, this is Ludlow 26 on a 11-25." Officer Salazar said.

"Go ahead Ludlow 26." The dispatcher answered.

"I need a 11-28 on a 1972 Red Chevrolet Vega two door hatchback. License plate number LM6XR99."

"Copy that." The dispatcher answered. After two minutes, the dispatcher came back on. "The license plate number LM6XR99 comes back as a 1972 Red Chevrolet Vega owned by Lacey Wilson. A missing person's report was filed on her approximately four years ago. There was an inquiry about this car by the Cold Case Unit one week ago."

"Copy that. I also have a 10-27 on Steven Robert Masters. DOB 11-26-1960. Social Security Number is…."

After a minute, the dispatcher reports back. "A 10-27 check on Steven Robert Masters shows he has a warrant out for his arrest on felony theft charges."

"Copy that." Officer Salazar said.

"I need a 10-11 sent to the corner of Lexington and Harbor."

"Copy that Ludlow 26. Will send an officer to your location. Ten four." The dispatcher said.

"Ten Four dispatch."

Approximately two minutes later, Officer Todd Landers parks behind Salazar's cruiser.

"How can I help you, Sal?" Officer Landers asked. Sal is a nickname for Salazar among his co-workers.

"I initially stopped this guy for a rear light out and expired tags. When I got to the driver's side door, I noted the emissions tag was four years old. He said it is his sister's car and he was given permission to use it."

"Anything else?" Landers asked not sure why he was summoned to this location.

"Yeah." Salazar said. "I noticed the car is hotwired."

"You were right to call for backup." Landers said. "I have a feeling this is no ordinary traffic stop. What else do you have?"

"I ran the plate, and it comes up as Lacey Wilson who has been missing for four plus years. Also, Masters has a felony theft warrant for his arrest. The interesting thing is the Cold Case Unit inquired about this car one week ago."

"The question is why would the Cold Case Unit ask about the car unless they are working on the case? I attend the same church as the Wilson family. Lacey was their only child." Landers said. "Is this guy aware that you have some serious doubts about his story?"

"No. I told him if everything checks out, he could be on his way."

"That's good. He won't have time to try to talk his way out of it."

Officers Salazar and Landers cautiously approach the car, Salazar on the driver's side and Landers on the passenger.

"So, can I go now?" Steve asked unaware of what just transpired.

"Not exactly." Officer Salazar answered. "Step out of the car please."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked seemingly oblivious to the situation at hand.

"You're being detained, not arrested." Officer Landers explains. "Put your hands behind your back." Steve followed instructions while Officer Landers handcuffed him.

"I still don't understand." Steve explained.

"Does an outstanding felony warrant for your arrest on theft charges ring a bell?" Officer Landers queried.

"We need to find out why you're driving someone else's car." Officer Salazar added.

"I told you already." Steve explained now getting irritated with the whole situation. "This is my sister's car. Let me call her to prove it."

"We're going to search your car." Officer Landers said, ignoring Steve's offer to call his "sister."

"What if I say you can't search it?" Steve asked.

"We have probable cause to search your car. We don't need your permission." Officer Landers said.

"Go ahead and search the car. I have nothing to hide." Masters said while second guessing himself on taking Lacey's car out for a spin.

CHAPTER 20

Meanwhile, in the Cold Case Unit, Willie was looking intently at the computer.

"What are you doing, Willie?" Terry asked.

"I'm just looking at the roll outs from this afternoon." Willie answered.

"Do you miss working on the streets already?" Mike asked.

"On yeah. I miss getting shot at, car chases and gang wars. Doesn't everybody?" Willie answered. "I don't believe this."

"What's the matter?" Chris queried.

"There's a traffic stop in progress." Willie answered.

"Those are a dime a dozen." Terry said. "What's so special about this traffic stop?"

"It involves a 1972 red Chevrolet Vega."

"Really?" Chris asked as he rolled his chair over to Willie's desk.

"Would I lie about something like this?" Willie answered with a question.

"Who made the stop?" Terry asked.

"Officers Juan Salazar and Todd Landers."

"We need to get in touch with Landers and Salazar as soon as they get back to the station." Mike said. "Willie, keep an eye on the situation."

"Sure." Willie answered.

Meanwhile, on the corner of Lexington and Harbor, Officer Salazar put on a pair of latex gloves and starts systematically looking through the 1972 Vega that is owned by Lacey Wilson while Officer Landers keeps an eye on his "detainee." Nothing evidentiary comes to light until Salazar opened the trunk and found a wealth of information including Lacey's driver's license and several credit cards, all in her name.

"What do we have here?" Officer Salazar asked as he followed evidence collecting protocol by placing the driver's license and credit cards in separate evidence bags.

"What are you doing with Lacey's driver's license and credit cards?" Officer Landers asked after reading the name on the license and credit cards.

"I told you already." Steve Masters replied. "Lacey was my sister." Steve immediately regretting that last statement.

"Really?" Officer Landers queried. "I don't know of anybody who needs to hotwire a car they're borrowing from a family member."

Officers Landers and Salazar gave each other a "aha" moment. Masters used past tense in his last statement. Salazar has a feeling this traffic stop is about to get interesting. Officer Salazar continues looking in the trunk and lifted the floor mat up. Interestingly, the spare tire well is now filled with approximately thirty grams of marijuana, complete with a scale, little plastic bags, and a pipe. This is a clear sign Masters intended to sell and distribute marijuana.

Feeling confident they have enough evidence for the district attorney, Officer Salazar informs Steve that he is under arrest for a felony warrant and distribution with intent to sell marijuana.

Steve continues to profess his innocence as Officer Landers reads the Miranda Rights to him. "You have the right to remain silent…"

Meanwhile, Salazar calls into dispatch requesting a 946 to his location.

"Copy that, Ludlow 26. Will send a tow truck to your location."

Meanwhile, Niko and Stavros make a right turn on to Lexington Avenue and immediately see flashing lights near Harbor Drive.

"That better not be Masters." Niko commented as he and Stavros drove past the traffic stop just in time to see a handcuffed Steve Masters helped into the back seat of the cruiser. "This isn't good. We won't have anything to blackmail him with if he decides to talk."

"What should we do now?" Stavros asked as he approached the stoplight at the next corner.

"As much as I hate to, it's time for us to call our uncle." Niko answered. "He might have an idea on how we can stop Masters from confessing."

Meanwhile, in New York, he was packing his suitcase in preparation for traveling back to California when his attention shifted to the television. The local news station was reporting a break in a cold case from four years ago in California.

Instead of flying back to California like he originally planned, he booked a flight to Vatican City.

He immediately finished packing and headed to the airport.

CHAPTER 21

At the Danko home, Jill turned on the television to catch the local news when it was reported that there was a break in a four-year-old missing person cold case. The news report stated the SCPD made a traffic stop that lead to the arrest of one person.

Jill immediately reached for the phone and called the direct phone number to the Cold Case Unit.

"Cold Case Unit, Lt. Danko speaking."

"Why didn't you tell me there was a break in the Wilson case?"

"Because all we know so far is that someone was driving Lacey's car. We don't know anything yet." Mike explained. "Why?"

"Because the local news station is already reporting a break in the case." Jill answered.

"Damn it." Mike replied. "This could seriously compromise the whole case. I wonder how they found out?"

Chris and Willie looked at Mike sensing a problem with the Wilson case.

"I have no idea." Jill said. "Anyway, I thought you should know."

"Thanks, babe. I'll see you later." Mike said before placing the receiver back on its cradle.

"Is there a problem with the case?" Willie queried.

"That was Jill. Apparently the one of the news stations is reporting that there's a break in the Wilson case."

"But we don't know anything." Chris interjected.

"We have a problem." Terry said as he walked into the office.

"I'll say we do." Mike quipped.

"Apparently news station WSCW reported a break in the case, and I spent the last fifteen minutes trying to explain to Captain Christianson how this information leaked to the press. He was not happy with my explanation. How could this have happened?" Terry asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out myself." Mike answered.

"I think I know." Willie announced. "The rollouts. The news stations probably monitor the rollouts just like I was doing earlier."

"How else are they going to get a jump on their competitors?" Terry asked.

"That makes sense." Mike agreed.

"What do we do now?" Chris queried.

"Captain Christianson wants all media inquiries sent to his office."

Just then the telephone rang on Willie's desk.

"Cold Case Unit, Detective William Gillis." After a few moments, Willie continued. "Great. We'll be right down."

"Where are we going?" Terry asked.

"That was the Evidence Management Division. A 1972 Vega was just towed in." Willie answered.

"If the Vega is here, Steve Masters must be too." Mike deducted. "Terry, why don't you and Willie go down to the Evidence Management and Chris and I will see if we can locate the officers who brought Masters in?"

"Sounds like a plan." Terry answered as he and Willie walked out of the office.

"Let's call the front desk and see if Salazar is around." Mike suggested.

Chris called the front desk and found out Salazar was already making his way up to the Cold Case Unit.

CHAPTER 22

A few minutes later, Salazar entered the Cold Case Unit.

"You must be Officer Salazar." Mike surmised as he got up from his chair and shook his hand. "I'm Lt. Mike Danko and this is Detective Chris Owens."

"Please, call me Sal. Everybody does."

"Sal it is." Chris said. "Please, have a seat."

"Let's get to the point." Mike said as he, Chris and Sal sat down around Mike's desk.

"We're investigating a cold case involving the disappearance of Lacey Wilson." Chris explained. "We understand you had a traffic stop with someone driving Lacey Wilson's missing 1972 Chevrolet Vega car."

"So, what happened?" Mike queried.

For the next thirty minutes, Officer Salazar painstakingly recalled the events of the Steve Masters encounter.

"We're going to have to work fast to find something on Masters to charge him with before we have to release him." Chris announced.

"I have something that just might make your job easier." Officer Salazar said. "Masters has an outstanding warrant for his arrest on felony theft charges. I do not know the details of the warrant, but if it's a felony, it must be substantial."

"Chris, could you look up the details on the warrant?" Mike asked. "In fact, could you take a closer look at Masters' record? Let's see if he has had any other interactions with law enforcement."

"I'm already on it." Chris answered as he typed in his name and password into the nearest computer.

"Is Officer Landers around?" Mike asked.

"If the Vega has been towed in already, then he's here somewhere. Would you like to talk to him?"

"That would be helpful." Mike answered. "We won't keep you any longer. I am sure you have paperwork to complete. Thanks for coming in."

"Don't hesitate to call if you have questions." Officer Salazar said as he left the office.

"Mike, I have something." Chris announced.

"What did you find?" Mike asked as he walked over to Chris.

"The arrest is for robbing a taxi driver." Chris announced. "I didn't think this was a felony."

"Under California law, robbing a taxi driver or passenger is a first-degree felony punishable by nine years in prison." Mike explained.

"I think the district attorney will have plenty to work with." Chris said.

Meanwhile, Willie and Terry are observing the crime scene investigators as they are going over Lacey Wilson's car. Officer Landers is also present.

"Have you found anything of interest?" Terry asked the crime scene investigator.

"So far, we lifted quite a few fingerprints off the trunk and hood areas. We also found some hair strands on the driver's side front seat. We found some lint pieces from a blanket that was in the trunk. All the evidence has been entered into the evidence log and sent to the lab for analysis. Interestingly, the car was hotwired, and we didn't find a key. Our biggest obstacle will be trying to match the numerous fingerprints we recovered and matching the tire tread impressions."

"I have a possible match for your fingerprint analysis." Terry said. "It's Steven Masters. He was just brought in early this afternoon. His fingerprints will be on file."

"Okay. Thank you." The crime scene investigator said before going back to processing the car.

"I'm Officer Landers. I was the backup for the Steve Masters arrest." Todd greeted as he shook hands with Willie and Terry. "I'm assuming you're from the Cold Case Unit?"

"Yes, we are." Terry answered. "I'm Lt. Webster and this is Detective Gillis. We were just going to find you."

"I thought you might be looking for me." Landers said. "I don't know what information I can add though."

"Did Masters do or say anything that seemed 'off' to you?" Willie asked.

"Yes. There were a few curious moments. Masters kept saying that the car belonged to his sister. I know the Wilson family. Lacey was their only child."

"Anything else that comes to mind?" Willie asked as he was busy writing notes in his detective notebook.

"Well, Masters slipped up on one point and used past tense when he said Lacey was his sister." Landers explained.

"Interesting." Terry said. "How was his demeanor?"

"Masters seemed totally oblivious to the situation. It's like he wanted to get arrested."

"Okay. Thank you." Willie said.

"If I can help you at all, just let me know." Landers said as he handed his business card to Willie.

CHAPTER 23

Meanwhile, Niko dialed the phone number used to reach his contact in New York. All Niko heard was the "this number has been disconnected" prerecorded message.

"Oh, shit." Niko said as he tried dialing the number again.

"What's wrong?" Stavros asked as he walked out of the kitchen eating a sandwich.

"The number is disconnected." Niko explained as he placed the phone back on the receiver.

"Try dialing it again." Stavros suggested.

"I tried twice already." Niko replied obviously getting upset with the situation.

"What do we do now?"

"I'm not sure but I have a feeling he's bailing on us." Niko said. "I need to give this some serious thought."

"Think fast." Stavros said. "It won't be long before Masters will be talking to the police."

Meanwhile, Mike and Terry were in Captain Christianson's office preparing for the most important interview thus far in their careers.

"Do you have a strategy going into this interview?" Captain Christianson queried.

"Start out with informal questions while assessing body language and eye contact." Mike answered.

"And then tailor your interview based on what you observe." Terry adds.

"Excellent." Captain Christianson said. "You have interviewed other subjects before. Treat this like just another day at the office."

"I am not sure I follow." Terry admitted.

"Just remember this. As you are assessing his demeanor and eye contact, your subject is also assessing you."

"That makes sense." Mike said.

"Good. Any other questions?" Captain Christianson asked.

"No, sir." Terry and Mike said in unison.

"Good luck, gentlemen." Captain Christianson said.

"Thank you." Terry stated as he and Mike exited the office.

As Mike and Terry were heading back to their office on second floor, they were stopped by Sgt. Older.

"Lieutenants Webster and Danko, Masters has finished in processing, and he's set up in Interrogation Room one."

Meanwhile at the Christos home, Niko is nervously pacing the floor in the kitchen/dining room while Stavros finishes his sandwich.

"Maybe we can visit Masters and try to convince him that confessing would be a bad idea." Stavros suggested.

"That will not work. He is probably striking a deal with the police as we speak."

"There is only one thing we can do." Stavros surmised.

"Do tell." Niko said not really expecting his idea will be helpful.

"We need to turn ourselves over to the police." Stavros said bracing for a bad reaction from his twin brother. "We need to tell our side of the story before John has a chance to tell his side."

"You know, this might actually work." Niko replied after a few tense moments. "There's one problem, though."

"What's that?"

"Our contact. Where is he and what is he planning on doing?" Niko explains.

"He's probably out of the country. Maybe he will call us."

"I doubt it. He is hiding somewhere and he's a loose cannon."

"That's why we need to confess. Who knows? We might be able to strike up some type of deal of our own." Stavros explains as he pulled out the telephone book for the greater Los Angeles area.

"What are you doing now?" Niko inquired.

"We need to hire a couple of lawyers."

"Lawyers will only complicate things. I can handle the police during an interrogation." Niko said trying to sound more confident than he is.

"Wonderful." Stavros said as he started scanning the yellow pages for lawyers in the immediate area. "I'm still going to hire my own lawyer."

"What's your plan?" Niko asked.

"Tomorrow morning, we'll turn ourselves in."

CHAPTER 24

Meanwhile, Mike and Terry are making their way to the Interrogation room.

"Damn it!" Terry exclaimed as he realized he is missing a vital piece of information. "I don't have the Masters file. I'll run back upstairs and meet you at the interrogation room."

"Sounds good." Mike answered before he and Terry parted ways.

Mike took a big breath and started walking down the corridor by himself. As Mike headed to the interrogation room, he noticed three people hovered round the one-way mirror observation mirror into the Interrogation room. As Mike walked closer, he sees the head of Robbery and Homicide, Captain Williams. Also looking on are two detectives from Robbery and Homicide.

"Lt. Danko, are you lost?" Captain Morris asked.

"Excuse me, sir?" Mike answered with a question.

"You're from Cold Case Unit and this is an interrogation of a felony warrant." Captain Morris explained.

"Steve Masters is in there, isn't he?" Mike asked for clarification thinking he was directed to the wrong room.

"Yes, he is." Captain Morris answered. "However, this is concerning a robbery of a taxi driver. Why are you here?"

"Masters is a part of a four-year-old missing persons case." Terry answered as he walked up to the group.

"I didn't realize the Cold Case Unit was even interested in this guy." Morris said.

"We were hoping to get the opportunity to question him." Mike explained.

"My detective has already started questioning Masters but you're welcome to observe." Captain Morris explained.

"Okay. I guess it will have to do." Mike said wondering what his own boss is going feel about this.

In the Interrogation room, Masters was sitting facing the one-way mirror while Detective Mullen was sitting facing Masters.

"Do you know why you're here?" Detective Mullen.

"Not particularly." Masters answered.

"Does this ring a bell?" Detective Mullen asked as he pushed a picture of a Glock 30 across the table.

"I never saw this gun before in my life." Masters answered as he suddenly realized this is no ordinary interrogation.

"Interesting since this gun is registered to you."

"Oh, that gun." Masters answered as his anxiety level started slowly rising. "I reported it stolen about a year ago."

"Cut the crap." Detective Mullen exclaimed realizing this question-and-answer session was going nowhere fast. "Several bystanders saw you drop this gun while running away from the taxi. You remember, the taxi you robbed at gunpoint."

"The bystanders are mistaken."

"You're telling me three bystanders who each gave separate, nearly identical statements are all wrong." Mullen stated.

"What are the odds?" Masters quipped.

"Do you think this is funny? I assure you; the taxi driver doesn't think so." Mullen said as he pushed another photo across the table. This one was of a bloody and bruised taxi driver taken at the hospital.

"I don't know what evidence against me you think you have but I didn't rob or shoot that taxi driver."

"Really? We never released any information about the gun being discharged during the robbery." Detective Mullen started smiling. "That is something only the perpetrator would know. Let's start over, shall we?"

"Okay. I'll tell you everything."

Chapter 25

After three hours and two detectives later, Masters not only confessed to the taxi driver robbery but also the marijuana found in the trunk of Lacey Wilson's car.

"Can I go home now?" A physically and mentally exhausted Masters asked.

"You have no idea how much trouble you're in, do you?" Detective Kruger from Narcotics Division asked.

"What are you talking about?" Masters asked still hoping that the police will forget about the fact he was driving a missing person's car.

"I'll let the Cold Case detectives explain what happens next. They will be interviewing you tomorrow. For right now, you'll be staying in one of our world class cells." Detective Kruger explained as he picked up his paperwork. "Take him back to his cell." Detective Kruger said to the guard on his way out of the room.

After the conclusion of the interrogation, Terry and Mike headed back to the Cold Case Unit.

"I can't believe how quickly Masters confessed." Terry said as he and Mike entered the office.

"I can't believe he refused his right to an attorney." Mike commented.

"You're done with the interrogation already?" Willie asked.

"Yeah." Chris chimed in. "It's been barely three hours."

"That's because we didn't get to interrogate him." Mike said.

"What are you talking about?" Willie asked incredulously.

"By the time we got to him, Robbery and Homicide was already in the interrogation room." Terry explained not really wanting to discuss things further.

"Well, we have something that might make your day." Chris said as he handed Mike a file.

"What's this?" Mike asked.

"Just out of curiosity, we decided to look up the details on Jack Lamont's accident." Willie explained.

"Great." Terry answered as he took the file from Mike. "How does this accident impact our case?"

"Lamont's accident was no accident." Willie explained further. "His break line was cut."

"We already knew that." Mike said. "I repeat, how does this impact our case?"

"Look where the accident occurred." Chris said.

"On Old Mill Road." Terry said. "He was travelling north on Old Mill Road, missed a curve and crashed head on into a tree. Speed was determined to be a factor and of course, the brake line."

"The suspense is killing me." Mike said. "Just spit it out already."

"The farm that Niko and Stavros own is on Old Mill Road." Willie explained. "The accident occurred less than two miles from the farm."

"So, you're suggesting Lamont was at the farm just prior to the accident?" Terry said.

"Precisely." Chris answered. "Look, we know it's a longshot, but don't you think it's worth investigating?"

"That would at prove there's a link between Lamont, Niko and Stavros Christos." Terry said.

"Sounds reasonable." Mike agreed. "But how do we go about proving it?"

Chapter 26

Early the next morning, Mike and Terry are finalizing their strategy for the upcoming interrogation when Captain Christianson walks in.

"Are you ready for this?" Captain Christianson queried.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Terry answered.

"Before you interrogate Masters, I have some information that you should know about." Captain Christianson said. "Word has it that Masters lawyered up and is looking to make some sort of plea deal."

"Great." Terry quipped.

"How should we approach this?" Mike queried regarding the interrogation.

"I know the present district attorney and he won't entertain any type of plea deal without getting something of significance in return. I suggest finding out what type of deal they're looking for and what we'll get in return." Captain Christianson explains. "Then you can tell them you will pass along the information to the district attorney who will decide what the next step should be."

"This might be our longshot." Terry said to Mike referring to a comment Chris made the day before.

Two hours later, Mike and Terry find themselves in Interrogation Room One sitting across the table from Steve Masters and his attorney, Derick Quinn. After reciting the Maranda Warning, Terry started with the interrogation.

"Before we get started, my client is interested in some sort of immunity deal." Attorney Quinn explained.

"In exchange for what?" Mike queried.

"My client has information pertaining to another crime that is indirectly linked to the Wilson case."

"Can you be more specific?" Terry asked.

"Not without a deal in place." Attorney Quinn answered.

"As you probably know, we aren't authorized to work out these types of deals." Mike said. "However, the District Attorney might be interested in working out some sort of arrangement.

"When will that be?" Attorney Quinn asked.

"The DA should be here momentarily." Terry answered as he and Mike exited the room.

Upon walking into the hallway, Captain Christianson and the District Attorney were waiting patiently for Mike and Terry to give an update on the situation.

"This is District Attorney Jeffery Dobson." Captain Christianson started with the introductions as the four men exchanged handshakes. "District Attorney Dobson, meet Lieutenants Webster and Danko."

"What can you tell me about this deal?" DA Dobson queried. Dobson has a reputation as a no nonsense but fair litigator.

"Essentially, Attorney Quinn is asking for some sort of immunity deal in exchange for information regarding another case that's indirectly related to this crime." Terry explained.

"Did Quinn elaborate on this alleged case?" Lieutenant Christianson queried.

"Attorney Quinn wasn't willing to divulge any information without a deal firmly in place. I don't think we should do this." Terry blurted out.

"What do you mean?" Captain Christianson asked obviously surprised by Terry's assessment. "Don't do an immunity deal?"

"I think Masters is hiding something significant and thinks he could avoid prison time with a deal." Terry explained.

"Lt. Danko, do you feel the same way?" Captain Christianson queried.

"Yes, I do. I know we want to seek justice for the Wilson family, but we don't want to make any rash decisions either."

"Look, I feel the same way you do and for the record, I hate making these blind immunity deals. But if this leads to finding Lacey's body so her family can lay her to rest, isn't that the goal?" DA Dobson said before opening the door and entering Interrogation Room One.

One hour later, DA Dobson, Masters and his attorney worked out a transactional immunity deal in exchange for information on this "mystery case." The transactional immunity deal protects against any future charges based on any matter related to Masters' testimony. The paperwork was personally delivered by an employee at the District Attorney's office and signed by all three men.

Shortly thereafter, Mike and Terry found themselves sitting across from Steve Masters and his attorney in Interrogation Room One.

After making sure the video camera and audio recorder were turned on and working properly, Terry started the painstaking process of setting up the interrogation.

"This is November 20, 1983 and I'm Lieutenant Terrance Webster and sitting on my right is Lieutenant Michael Danko. We are interviewing Steve Masters regarding the Lacey Wilson case. Also, in attendance is Attorney Quinn, counsel for the defendant." Terry explained.

"Just to be clear, Mr. Masters, you signed an immunity deal in exchange for information on a case indirectly related to the Wilson case. Is that accurate?" Terry queried.

Masters shook his head up and down presumably indicating he was answering Terry's question.

"You need to actually say the word." Mike prompted.

"Yes, I signed the paperwork." Masters answered.

"Did you sign this agreement of your own free will and did your attorney explain all of the stipulations regarding this deal?" Terry queried.

"Yes, I signed the paperwork of my own free will, I wasn't influenced by my attorney." Masters answered.

"This morning, you were stopped by a SCPD officer driving this car." Terry said as he slid a picture of the red Vega across the table. "You were originally stopped for a burned-out taillight but upon further investigation, the officer discovered you were driving a car owned by Lacey Wilson, a missing person from four years ago. Is that correct?"

"Don't answer that." Attorney Quinn instructed to his client. "How do we know this car was actually driven by Mr. Masters?"

"The VIN number called into dispatch and this car's VIN number match." Mike interjected as he slid another photograph taken from the left side of the dashboard revealing the car's VIN. "Plus, your client's fingerprints were recovered on the hood, trunk and steering wheel of the car."

"Also, the car was taken to our evidence shed following our chain of evidence protocol. The arresting officer has already written up his report and can testify this is the car that your client was driving."

Unsure whether he should answer this question, Steve Masters looked over at his attorney for approval. "You can answer the question." Quinn advised.

"Yes, that's all accurate." Masters said.

"Where did you get Lacey Wilson's car?" Terry asked.

There was a knock on the door and Willie popped his head into the room.

"What is it?" Terry asked obviously irritated with the interruption.

"Sorry to intrude but Attorney Quinn has a phone call." Willie announced.

"Tell them I'll call back." Attorney Quinn said.

"They said it was an emergency." Willie explained.

"Excuse me for a minute." Attorney Quinn said as he headed toward the partially open door.

"While we're waiting for your return, do you mind if we have a little chat with your client?" Terry asked.

"As long as it doesn't pertain to this case." Quinn said before he closed the partially open door.

"How was your first couple of nights in jail?" Terry asked trying to strike up a conversation.

"How do you think it was?" Masters said. "I've had maybe five hours of sleep in the last two days."

"I hear you." Terry said trying gain Masters' trust. "The constant noise during the night is horrible and the food. Well, don't get me started on the food."

"How would you know?" Masters asked.

"Because I had a short stint in custody myself." Terry confessed.

"What did you do? What happened?" Masters asked, clearly interested in Terry's story.

"I did some stupid stuff as a juvenile." Terry explained. "They put me in some sort of scared straight program, and it worked. I was scared."

"Did that motivate you to go into law enforcement?" Masters asked.

"Actually, I got a degree in social work before going to the police academy." Terry said as he was looking at Masters' hands.

Masters, feeling self-conscious, attempted to hide his hands from view.

"Do you like working on cars?" Terry asked.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"I noticed your hands." Terry answered. "They looked like mine when I was working on my car."

"Don't tell me you were a mechanic too." Masters said.

"No. But I did like to work on my little red convertible." Terry explained. Mike was fascinated by the exchange between Terry and Masters and decided remain quiet as to not disrupt the flow of the conversation.

"I worked for my uncle at his auto repair shop. He taught me everything I know."

"Do you still work for him?" Terry asked.

"No. We had a falling out and I quit. Do you still have it? The car I mean."

"Regrettably, no. I needed money, so I sold it."

There was a knock and Willie opened the door allowing Attorney Quinn to enter the room.

"Sorry about that." Attorney Quinn apologized while trying to regain his composure. "What did I miss?"

"We were just having a friendly chat." Terry said.

"Don't worry." Mike said. "We didn't discuss the case."

"Good. I'm ready to continue whenever you are ready." Attorney Quinn said.

"How did you meet Lacey Wilson?" Mike asked.

"I don't know her. I know of her." Masters explained.

"How did you acquire Lacey's car?" Mike continued asking questions.

"I was living at a house where the car was located."

"Where is this house?" Terry interjected.

"It's outside of the city." Masters answered continuing to provide very vague answers.

"If you continue to answer these questions with little bits of information, we'll be here till doomsday." Mike said sarcastically.

"You do realize that giving vague answers to these questions can be viewed as uncooperative rendering your plea deal rescinded, don't you?" Terry asked.

"May I have a word with my client?" Attorney Quinn asked.

"Of course." Mike said as he and Terry exited the interrogation room.

Chapter 27

"What are you doing?" Attorney Quinn asked his client. "You have an immunity deal in place. Lying to police makes no sense. Do you want to let this opportunity slip out of your hands?"

"No, I don't." Masters answered. "I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"One of the guys involved in this case is an SCPD officer. There's no telling what will happen if I speak out."

"Would you like me to talk to the District Attorney and tell him you changed your mind?"

"Of course not."

"Then tell the truth." Attorney Quinn advised before getting up and opening the door.

"May we continue?" Terry asked before he and Mike sat back down.

"Yes. My client is ready to tell you everything."

"Okay, then." Mike said.

"I'll repeat the question. Where is this house?" Terry asked.

"On Old Mill Road." Masters answered. "The car was in a barn on the property. I got the car running again."

"So, you decided to take the car on a test run?" Terry asked.

"Exactly."

"Who owns the land?" Mike asked.

"Niko and Stavros Christos."

"How did you meet Stavros?" Terry asked. "At the same basketball game you met Niko at?"

"No. I met Stavros after I moved into their home. In fact, I didn't know he had a brother until then."

"How did you get involved in this?" Mike asked.

"One day, Niko asked me to meet him at a café on the Pacific University campus. I thought he was going to ask me to run an errand for him or something because I had been doing that lately, in exchange for living there rent free. Anyway, Niko was telling me about how he cheated on some exam he needed to take to get into medical school. It was like he was proud of it."

"How did he manage to pull this off?" Mike asked.

"Apparently, Niko had his identical twin, Stavros take the test for him. Stavros used Niko's driver's license to enter the test."

"That's quite a story." Terry said knowing that Lacey wrote the same account in her letter to the police. "Did you believe him?"

"Not initially until he saw Lacey sitting at a nearby table. He kept asking me if I thought Lacey heard the conversation. He was getting anxious about it."

"What did you say?" Terry asked.

"I told him 'No.' She appeared to be engrossed in her schoolwork to even care."

"What happened next?" Mike asked.

"Niko started following Lacey around, asking her out on dates and giving her a hard time when she declined. Niko even asked his brother Stavros to follow her around pretending to be him."

"Why would he do that?" Terry asked.

"Niko told me he had to find out if Lacey heard our conversation and if she did, what she was planning on doing with the information. Niko was not romantically interested in Lacey at all. It was a means to an end."

"What happened after that?" Mike asked.

"Fast forward to the end of the year. It appeared that Niko's attempt to find out what Lacey knew was failing miserably so he decided to ask Lacey's ex-boyfriend Jack Lamont if he knew what was going on. Jack said he did not know anything, but he thought Lacey's diary might answer his question. Niko said Jack would be well compensated for his efforts."

"What did he mean by 'well compensated'?" Mike asked.

"Niko and Stavros inherited a large sum of money after their parents died. I'm thinking Niko planned on paying Jack money."

"Okay. And…" Terry prompted.

"Jack came over to Niko's house with a letter he claimed he stole from Lacey's home. I never read or saw this letter myself but from what Niko told me, the letter had damning evidence against him."

"How much did Niko pay him?" Mike asked.

"Niko reneged on his promise to pay Jack. Niko kept making excuses for not having the money available."

"How did Jack feel about that?" Mike asked.

"Jack made it known he wasn't pleased about the situation. Jack visited the house numerous times demanding his money or he would go to the police, but as far as I know, Jack was never compensated."

"So far, you haven't admitted to anything that necessitates getting an immunity deal." Terry observed. "What haven't you told us?"

Masters took a deep breath and started talking.

"This has to do with Lamont and his untimely demise." Masters said. "About two years after Lamont gave the letter to Niko, he called and said he was coming to the house to get his money. After the call, Niko told me that Lamont was a loose cannon and needed to be dealt with."

"What did he mean by 'dealt with?" Terry asked.

"Niko wanted me to alter Lamont's car." Masters explained.

"What did Niko mean when he said he wanted the car altered?" Mike queried.

"Niko wanted me to cut the brake line while Lamont was distracted in the house. So, I did what he told me to do."

"Do you know what happened to Lamont after you cut the break line?" Terry queried.

"He was killed on Old Mill Road. He failed to navigate a curve and hit a tree." Mike said as he slid a picture of Lamont's car immediately after the accident.

"I didn't realize that." Masters said as he faced turned a pasty color.

"Why do you think we wanted a transactional immunity deal?" Attorney Quinn quipped.

"Niko threatened to go to the police if I didn't do it." Masters explained somehow thinking that would explain away his crime.

"You mentioned Niko, Stavros and yourself so far." Terry observed. "But nothing about the fourth person involved."

"Who is this fourth person?" Mike asked.

Masters looked for approval from his lawyer before answering. "Go ahead and tell them." Attorney Quinn said.

"His name is John Nichols. I guess he is a high-ranking official within the SCPD. This person is also Niko and Stavros' uncle."

"You don't seem too surprised by this information." Attorney Quinn noted.

"Let's just say his name has come up numerous times during our investigation." Terry answered. "What was John Nichols' role in all of this?"

"I guess Nichols funded everything via Stavros and Niko's trust fund. Nichols was the trustee of the trust fund. If Niko or Stavros needed money, all they had to do is ask their uncle."

"I have a feeling Nichols was more involved in this than you're telling us." Mike countered.

"Nichols was responsible for monitoring any new developments in the Lacey Wilson case. When Nichols found out that the new Cold Case Unit was looking into the Wilson disappearance, he freaked out." Masters said.

"What did Nichols do next?" Terry asked.

"From what I understand, he ran to New York City to hide out." Masters answered.

"Is Nichols still in New York?" Terry asked.

"I really don't know at this point where he is." Masters answered, clearly getting exhausted from being questioned for several hours.

"Can we continue this tomorrow?" Attorney Quinn interrupted. "My client is clearly tired and probably hungry."

"Of course." Terry answered.

"Take him back to lockup." Mike instructed the uniformed police officer standing watch by the interrogation room door.

"You mean I must go back to jail? I have an immunity deal and I've told you everything I know." Masters queried.

"You may be off the hook for tampering with Lamont's car but you're still in trouble for taking Lacey Wilson's car out for a joy ride." Terry explained.

"Didn't your lawyer tell you this already?" Mike asked as the police officer started leading the handcuffed Masters out of the interrogation room.

"Yes, I did tell my client." Attorney Quinn answered before Masters had the chance to respond to the question. "When do you plan on questioning him next?"

"Probably around 8:00 am." Terry answered. "Will you be available?"

"I have a couple of appointments that I might be able to reschedule in the morning. Otherwise, my entire afternoon is empty." Attorney Quinn answered.

"How does noon sound?" Terry asked.

"I should be able to come in at that time. Thank you." Attorney Quinn answered in amazement that Terry and Mike were so accommodating.

Immediately after, Mike, Terry and Attorney Quinn left the interrogation room.

After a few minutes, Mike and Terry were back in their office.

"How do you think we did?" Terry asked referring to the interrogation of Steve Masters.

"Great. Considering this was our first interrogation as Lieutenants and head of our own unit. I was really impressed with how you managed to get Masters to open up to you."

"Thanks, Mike. I've had success with the 'scared straight' story on numerous occasions." Terry answered. "Are you ready to call it a day?"

"Sounds good but before we go, I need to ask you for a huge favor." Mike announced rather cryptically as he and Terry entered their office.

"Is this regarding the Blair Winfield parole hearing tomorrow?"

"Yeah. How did you know about that?" Mike queried.

"I signed up for the notification program right after Winfield's trial. I received notice from the parole board here and at home. Chris told me he also received a notice." Terry explained.

"I forgot about that." Mike said. "Jill must have received notice, too."

"She was the victim and has the right to know about his parole hearing." Terry explained. "You didn't tell Jill about this, did you?"

"No, I didn't." Mike answered. "I wanted to protect Jill from having to go through the trauma of having to see Winfield again."

"What did you learn from your marriage counseling? You need to be open and honest with Jill. Hiding things from her isn't doing you any favors." Terry warned. "Do you think she knows about this?"

"If she did, she would've told me." Mike said. "I was hoping to attend the hearing and explain things to her if and when she ever brings it up."

"Good luck with that." Terry said. "Now, what's the favor?"

"I need you to run interference for me if Jill should call the office while I'm at the hearing."

"I don't know about this Mike." Terry answered obviously reluctant about Mike's request. "In order for this to work, I'd have to get Willie and Chris involved too. There's no reason to drag them into this."

"Well, do what you can." Mike said. "I'll deal with whatever fallout happens."

"Do you even know what happens at a parole hearing?" Terry asked.

"No, but I think I'm about to find out." Mike answered.

"Have a seat." Terry instructed as he sat down by his desk. "Winfield's parole hearing won't be the only case tomorrow. There probably be other cases scheduled. There are three parole board members sitting at a table in front of the room. When Winfield's case is called, his social worker will talk about his behavior while in prison. Did he get into any fights, how was he with the other prisoners, did he do anything for self-improvement like taking a course, is he remorseful. Then, Winfield's family will speak if there are any in attendance." Terry explained.

"When is the victim impact statement?" Mike asked.

"That comes next. The victim and immediate family are allowed to speak next. Then the board discusses his case and decides if Winfield should be paroled. The victim's family can have a spokesperson in attendance if they so choose. Also, you can have a support person there as well for the victim. Generally, any law enforcement personnel involved in the original case are discouraged from coming. Any other questions?"

"Yeah. How long before you hear the parole board's decision, and do you think Eddie Ryker will be able to attend?" Mike queried.

"Usually, a decision is in three to five days. It all depends on how many cases they are hearing that day. As far as Eddie attending, I think he could attend seeing that he retired from the force."

"How do you know so much about this?" Mike asked.

"Believe me, as a social worker, you attend a lot of these hearings." Terry replied. "I'd love to chat" Terry said as he glanced at his watch. "But I must meet Rebecca. We're house hunting."

"Wow." Mike replied. "Buying a house is a big deal."

"Yeah. I'm a little nervous over the prospect of making such a large and life altering purchase." Terry confided.

"You'll be fine." Mike said as he grabbed his coat and followed Terry out of the office. "Buying the house was one of the best decisions Jill and I ever made. The more improvements you make on a house, the more your property value goes up."

"I like that idea." Terry said as they headed out of the main entrance.

"Where is this house located?" Mike asked.

"It's about one block from you and Jill." Terry answered.

"Is that the colonial two story house?" Mike queried as he and Terry walked up to their prospective car which were parked next to each other.

"Yeah, it is."

"I think the owners are trying to sell it on their own."

"Yeah. That intrigued us to look at it. Rebecca thought that they might be opened to negotiating the price. Terry explained.

"Who else better than a lawyer to negotiate? Mike said as he opened the driver's side door of his car and got in. "See you tomorrow and good luck with the house.

"Thanks." Terry said as he got in his car and followed Mike out of the parking lot.

Chapter 28

The next morning, bright and early, Stavros and his attorney Max Sherman enter the SCPD precinct.

"I thought you said your brother was going to meet us here." Attorney Sherman whispered to his client, Stavros Christos.

"That's what we agreed upon. Stavros answered. "I don't know where he's at."

"I suggest you turn yourself in." Attorney Sherman advised. "The prosecutor might be willing to work with us."

"Okay." Stavros said as he and his attorney walked over to the front desk.

"Can I help you?" Sgt. Older asked.

"Yes, you can. I'm attorney Sherman and this is my client Stavros Christos." Attorney Sherman announced. "Mr. Christos would like to turn himself in for questioning regarding the Lacey Wilson case."

"Okay. Have a seat gentleman, I'll contact someone from the Cold Case Unit."

Meanwhile, Niko Christos arrives at the G.B. Pastine International Airport in Ciampino, Italy and went straight to the predetermined apartment building in a non-descript area in Vatican City.

After knocking on the door, John Nichols opened the door.

"It's about time you got here." John said. "Well, how did it go? Don't keep me in suspense."

"The plan worked out better than I hoped for." Niko said. "Stavros came up with the idea to turn himself in. He's probably at the precinct as we speak."

"What about the gun? Did you get rid of it?" John asked.

"Now, don't get upset." Niko warned.

"What happened?" John asked trying to keep his blood pressure under control.

"Stavros couldn't get rid of the gun."

"Why?" John asked as he felt his blood pressure rise.

"Because the gun was confiscated by the police."

"So, you're telling me the police have the gun. The gun that might have been used in two separate crimes?"

"That about covers it." Niko replied. "I did manage to get Lacey's driver's license and credit card in the trunk of her car, just like you instructed. I even put some marijuana in the trunk."

"How much marijuana?"

"Enough to make it a felony." Niko answered.

"Did you put Lacey's car title in the car?"

"In the glove compartment." Niko said.

"At least something is going right." John said. "Enough about that. I need to tell you a little about Vatican City."

"What's there to say? It looks like I could throw a baseball, underhanded from one end of Vatican City to the other."

"Precisely. Although Italy has reciprocity with the United States, Vatican City does not." John said. "The point is that you have to be mindful of where you are at all times."

"I don't understand." Niko admitted.

"Vatican City is small. You will be fine if you stay within the city limits. The minute you step out of Vatican City, you're at risk of being picked up by the police and probably extradited back to the US."

"I thought we would be in the clear." Niko said.

"We are fine for now, but I anticipate that the police will alert Interpol and we will be on their red notice list."

"Red notice list?" Niko asked.

"It means we're fugitives from justice."

"Great." Niko replied.

"The good news is they have no idea where we are. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

The next morning, Terry was paged to call the precinct right away. Terry walked over to his phone on the bedside table and dialed the SCPD precinct number from memory.

"This is Lieutenant Webster." Terry announced. "I'm returning a pager call."

"Yes, I paged you." Sergeant Older replied. "Stavros Christos turned himself in. He was accompanied by his attorney, Mr. Sherman."

"That's interesting and surprising." Terry commented. "Where is he?"

"Christos is still being booked in and his attorney is waiting in the reception area."

"Okay. Tell Mr. Sherman I'll be there as soon as possible, probably within the next thirty minutes."

"Will do." Sgt Older replied before hanging up the phone.

"Great day for a parole hearing." Terry muttered to no one as he fumbled putting on his tie.

Chapter 29

Meanwhile, at the Danko household, Jill answered the telephone. The caller is Eddie Ryker.

"Hey, Eddie. Mike just left if that's who you're looking for." Jill greeted assuming Eddie wanted to talk with Mike.

"Mike already left?" Eddie queried obviously surprised by the news.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I called to see if you and Mike wanted a ride to the California State Prison, but I sense I'm telling you something you didn't know until now."

"I'm guessing you're talking about the Winfield Parole hearing." Jill explained.

"Why didn't you and Mike go together?" Eddie asked now wondering what he is accidently stumbled upon.

"If you pick me up, I'll tell you everything." Jill promised.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." Eddie said before placing the telephone receiver on to its cradle.

Ten minutes later, Terry arrived at the precinct, intent on going straight to the interview room when Sgt. Older stopped him.

"Wait Terry." Sgt. Older called out. "You can't go into the interview room right now."

"Why not?" Terry asked realizing he only has four hours to interrogate Christos before Masters' attorney is due to arrive for another round of questioning.

"Because the prosecutor is trying to iron out another plea deal." Sgt. Older replied.

"Would you call me, please and let me know when I can come down?"

"Sure." Sgt Older answered.

Meanwhile Eddie and Jill are on their way to the California State Prison for the Blair Winfield parole hearing.

"Let me get this straight." Eddie said still trying to grasp the timeline of events. "Mike doesn't know that you know about the Blair Winfield parole hearing. How did that happen?"

"I intercepted this letter." Jill explained as she held up the California Department of Corrections envelope addressed to her. "I kept waiting to see when Mike would tell me about the hearing."

"But he didn't." Eddie surmised.

"Right." Jill answered. "What I don't understand is why he didn't want me to go. He knows that this parole hearing was one of the final steps I needed to experience on the road to my recovery."

"You know how overprotective Mike is." Eddie said. "As far as the letter, Mike probably thought that if you did not mention the letter, maybe you didn't receive one. What's next?"

"What can I do?" Jill answered. "It's not like I can make a scene at a prison."

"That's true. Do you plan on making a statement?"

"I truly don't know what to do about this." Jill confessed.

"Why don't you wait and see what Mike has to say before making a decision?" Eddie suggested.

"Thanks for coming, Eddie." Jill said as Eddie pulled into the parking lot of the California State Prison.

"Are you ready for this?" Eddie asked as he turned off the car and remove the key from the ignition.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Jill said as she and Eddie exited the car and walked over to the entrance of the prison.

Meanwhile, at the SCPD precinct in a nondescript area of California, Terry was about to interrogate another person of interest in the Lacey Wilson case. Waiting patiently by Interrogation Room One, is District Attorney Dobson.

"Mr. Dobson, nice to see you again." Terry said as he and District Attorney Dobson exchanged handshakes.

"Please, call me Jeff. I anticipate we'll be working together quite a bit."

"Okay. You can call me Terry. So back to the Wilson case. What type of deal did you negotiate this time?"

"No deal, I'm afraid." Dobson replied.

"What happened?" Terry queried.

"They wanted a plea deal before telling me what information they're going to supply in exchange."

"Ah. I can see why this would be a problem."

"I can't afford another "plea deal disaster" when I'm up for reelection next year. Dobson explained.

"You had no way of knowing what information Masters was going to reveal. That is not your fault. We did get some useful information out of it."

"Tell that to my constituents." Dobson quipped as he looked at his watch. "I'm due in court in twenty minutes. Good luck with the interrogation."

"Thanks." Terry said before opening Interrogation Room One.

Meanwhile, back at the California State Prison, Jill and Eddie slipped into the conference room just after the prison staff gave a glowing report on how Winfield was the model prisoner. He even took a few college level courses and participated in group discussions.

"Now we would like to invite the victim's family to give a statement if they want to." The parole board officer announced.

With that, Adam stood up from his seat, with his notes in hand.

"My name is Adam Franz and I'm the spokesperson for the Danko family. Since the kidnapping in 1976, Mr. and Mrs. Danko's lives have been forever altered. Mrs. Danko had to resign from her job as a registered nurse, a job she loved, on the advice of her psychiatrist. After the event, Mrs. Danko suffered from anxiety and depression and was slowly isolating herself from her friends, family and even her husband. She is under the care of a psychiatrist to this day.

Mr. Danko, a police officer, struggled daily from anxiety, depression and guilt. Mr. Danko felt guilty for many years over not being able to protect his wife at the time of her abduction. He was also frustrated because he felt like he could not help with her continuous depression and tendency to self-isolate. Mr. Danko was under the care of a psychiatrist for several years following the event.

The traumatic nature of the event necessitated Mr. and Mrs. Danko to seek marriage counseling. Both Mr. and Mrs. Danko needed to relearn how to communicate with each other and to forgive each other for their real or imagined inadequacies that perpetuated the aftereffects of the event. We humbly ask the parole board to deny Mr. Winfield parole. Thank you to the board members for allowing me to speak on behalf of the Danko family."

"Is there anyone else who would like to give a statement?" The parole board member asked. After several moments, "Okay then. That concludes this month's parole board meeting. The decision of the parole board will be announced after the Thanksgiving break."

Everyone got up from their chairs and started filing out the door. It is at this moment when Adam notices Jill and Eddie leaving the room. "Jill and Eddie are here." Adam announced.

"That's not funny." Mike replied hoping Adam was joking around.

"Does it look like I'm joking?"

"Actually, no it doesn't." Mike replied. "Where are they?"

"Jill and Eddie just left the room."

"Do you think they noticed us?" Mike asked.

"Now who's joking around?" Adam replied.

As Mike and Adam slowly made their way out of the door, Eddie and Jill were nowhere to be found.

"Maybe they didn't see me." Mike thought to himself as he and Adam walked out of the prison and into the sunny, crisp, cool day.

Meanwhile, at the precinct, Terry was sitting across the table from Stavros Christos and his lawyer, Max Sherman.

"This is a surprise, gentlemen." Terry said. "We don't see many people turn themselves in to the police."

"We still would like to make some sort of deal." Mr. Sherman said in a last-ditch effort in defense of his client.

"You've already talked to the prosecutor." Terry said, patiently explaining what Christos and his attorney already know. "Look. Depending on how much your client cooperates and tells us everything he knows, I will talk to the prosecutor on his behalf. Maybe some deal can be made for a reduction in whatever charges are coming. I do not know. That would be up to the prosecutor. I make no promises on that."

"Fair enough." Mr. Sherman replied.

"Good. Let us get started, shall we? I will be recording this conversation." Terry said as he opened the Lacey Wilson case file. After reciting the Miranda Warning to Stavros Christos, Terry once again painstakingly set up the interrogation.

"This is November 21, 1983. I am Lieutenant Terrance Webster with Stavros Christos and his attorney, Mr. Sherman. Mr. Christos, you and your lawyer came into the precinct of your own free will and turned yourself in regarding the Lacey Wilson case. Is that accurate?"

"Yes, it is." Stavros answered.

"You have also been advised of your Miranda Rights. Is that accurate?"

"Yes, it is." Stavros answered.

"You and your attorney, Mr. Sherman have already talked with the prosecutor about working out a reduction in your sentence or an immunity deal which was unsuccessful. Is that accurate?"

"Yes, it is." Stavros answered.

"Okay." Terry said. "Tell me what your involvement is in this case."

Meanwhile, at the California State Prison, Mike and Adam were walking toward the parking lot when Mike notices Jill and Eddie standing by his car.

"Oh, god." Adam said when he also noticed Jill and Eddie waiting for Mike.

"Go and save yourself." Mike said in his last-ditch effort to keep Adam out of the proverbial hornet's nest he was about to walk into. "Thank you for giving the victim impact statement. Now get out of here."

"Are you sure?" Adam said feeling uneasy about walking away from this situation.

"Yeah. I am to blame for creating this mess and now I must own up to it." Mike said as he walked toward his car.

Adam walked toward his car which was in the opposite direction. Adam looked over his shoulder one more time and saw Eddie Ryker standing next to Jill. Ultimately, Adam reaches his car and decides to leave the prison parking lot.

"What are you doing here?" Mike seemingly asking Jill the question.

"The same reason you are here." Jill said as she pulled the same envelope that she showed Eddie from her purse. "Does this look familiar?" Jill asked as she handed the California Parole Board envelope to Mike.

"When did you get that?" Mike asked referring to the Parole Board notification.

"Probably around the same time you received your letter." Jill answered, clearly hurt and upset over Mike's failure to inform her of the parole hearing.

"I'm sorry." Mike said as he mentally tried to think a way out of this mess. "I thought I was doing to right thing at the time."

"No, Mike." Jill countered. "You were thinking that I couldn't emotionally handle this hearing."

"Mike and Jill." Eddie interrupted. "This isn't something you want to discuss in the parking lot of the California State Prison, is it?"

"No." Mike and Jill said simultaneously.

"Then the two of you should go into your respective corners for now and discuss this in private." Eddie suggested. "Mike, get in your car and go to work. Jill, I'll drive you home."

"Okay." Mike said as he unlocked his car and got in.

"Jill, let's get out of here." Eddie said as he and Jill walked to Eddie's car.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow precinct, Terry was interrogating Stavros Christos.

"How do you know Lacey Wilson?" Terry asked.

"I didn't know her personally." Stavros said. "I just heard of her."

"That's funny." Terry said. "Your friend Mr. Masters said the exact same thing. You don't know Lacey Wilson yet, here you are."

"My brother has the uncanny ability to see a person's weaknesses and use that against them." Stavros answered.

"Are you referring to your twin brother Niko?" Terry asked.

"How do you know about Niko?" Stavros asked clearly shocked that Terry knows about his brother.

"There are a lot of things we know about this case." Terry cryptically answered. "What do you mean your brother can be 'convincing'?"

"Niko has a way of finding out what a person's weaknesses are and use that against them."

"What did Niko have on you?" Terry asked.

"I helped him with something and then he turned around and said he would tell everyone what I did if I didn't keep my mouth shut." Stavros answered.

"Okay." Terry said patiently as he started to unravel this case layer by layer. "What did you do for Niko?"

"I impersonated Niko and took the MCAT exam for him." Stavros said.

"How could you possibly take the test for your brother?"

"You may have guessed Niko and I are identical twin brothers." Stavros explained. "I took his driver's license as identification and took the test. The fingerprint machine didn't work that day so the only way to identify people is by their driver's license."

"You were able to get through the identification process using Niko's driver's license?" Terry asked not actually believing what he is hearing.

"We are the same height and weight. The only difference is I have a scar on my forehead." Stavros said.

"How were you able to answer the questions?" Terry queried.

"I studied the material and took a few practice tests." Stavros answered. "I have a photographic memory."

"Okay." Terry said. "Just to satisfy my curiosity, when and where did you take the MCAT exam?"

Meanwhile, Mike entered the Cold Case Unit office clearly upset over what transpired at the California State Prison.

"Where have you been?" Willie asked.

"I'd rather not discuss it." Mike answered as he took off his jacket and placed it on the back of his chair. "Can you get me up to speed on what is going on?"

"Terry is interrogating Stavros Christos as we speak." Chris announced.

"Wait a minute." Mike said not quite believing what he heard. "Where did you find Stavros?"

"We didn't." Willie said. "Stavros arrived here early this morning with his lawyer. He wanted to turn himself in."

"Captain Christianson is working on getting a search warrant for the Christos property as we speak." Chris added.

"Wow." Mike said as he sat down at his desk. "Things are finally progressing. We might solve this case."

"Did you have any doubts?" Chris asked.

"Quite frankly, yes I did." Mike confessed. "Which reminds me. Willie, did you ever get to run a background check on John Nichols?"

"Yes, I did. Nichols joined the force at the same time we did." Willie answered as he handed a file to Mike.

"That means he could have gone to the academy at the same time we did. His name does not sound familiar to me. Does it to you?" Mike asked as he opened the file.

"I may have asked him if he wanted to live together." Willie asked.

"You asked a total stranger to live with you?" Chris asked.

"Yeah. I couldn't afford any apartments in the area without a roommate to share the rent." Willie explained.

"What else did you find out about Nichols?" Mike asked.

"He received a police lifesaving medal for entering a burning building and bringing out a young child before the Fire Department arrived." Willie answered. "Nichols took the detective's exam and passed it approximately five years ago. He was assigned to Robbery and Homicide soon after. There doesn't seem to be any complaints filed against him."

Five minutes later, Captain Christianson walked into the office with a piece of paper in hand.

"The judge authorized a search warrant of the Christos' property looking for evidence that ties him or his brother to the Lacey Wilson case." Captain Christianson announced as he handed the warrant to Chris. "Make sure you check any buildings on the property as well. Don't leave any stone unturned."

"Yes, sir." Mike said. "I'll take the warrant to Terry."

"Okay." Captain Christianson replied. "I have two uniformed police officers waiting in the lobby to assist you when you execute the search warrant. Keep me updated."

After retrieving the warrant and looking it over, Mike exited the office and headed toward Interrogation Room one. Mike arrives one minute later, just as Terry emerged from the interrogation room.

"I'm glad you're back." Terry said with a relieved look on this face. "How did the parole hearing go?"

"Eddie was there." Mike explained. "He wasn't alone."

"Oh god. How did Jill react?"

"We had a tense conversation in the prison parking lot until Eddie told me to go to the office and he drove Jill home."

"I don't envy you when you get home tonight." Terry said.

"Neither do I." Mike quipped. "I heard you had an interesting morning."

"Yeah. I have been interviewing Stavros Christos for a couple of hours. The only useful thing he told me of interest is he took the medical school entrance exam for his brother."

"How did he do that?" Mike asked.

"Stavros used Niko's driver's license as identification. The fingerprint machine was inoperable that day, so they had to rely on the student's driver's license in attempt to verify identity." Terry explained. "What did you bring with you?"

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Mike replied. "I have the search warrant for the Christos property."

"Do you want me to inform him we're going to execute the warrant?" Terry asked as he took the sheet of paper from Mike.

"That would be great. The sooner we get started, the better our chances of finding something incriminating."

"Could you have Willie or Chris verify the finger printing device wasn't working?" Terry asked as he handed a piece of paper to Mike. "This is the date and location of the MCAT."

"No problem." Mike said. "I'll be back for the search warrant."

Chapter 30

"What are you going to do about Thanksgiving?" Eddie asked as he turned into the Danko driveway.

"What do you mean?" Jill asked.

"Thanksgiving is in a few days." Eddie explained. "What happens if you and Mike haven't resolved your issues? How are you going to be able to put on a party if the two of you aren't even talking?"

"Thanksgiving will go on as planned whether Mike and I have resolved our issues or not." Jill answered. "I have no choice. My sister Amanda and niece Tori are joining us this year. What would I do? Tell Amanda she cannot come? I don't think so."

"I wish you luck, Jill." Eddie said as Jill exited the car. "Call me if you need a mediator."

"Thanks, Eddie for everything." Jill said as she closed the car door and walked to the garage door.

Eddie waited until Jill was safely in the house before backing out of the driveway.

Meanwhile in Rome, John Nichols was impatiently waiting for his nephew Niko Christos to return from his walk around the incredibly small Vatican City where they are hiding from the authorities. John races to the door as he hears footsteps suddenly stopping at his door.

"Who is it?" John asked thinking it could be the authorities or Niko.

"It's me." Niko announced.

"Where the hell have you been?" John asked as he opened the door to let his nephew in.

"Relax, John." Niko softly answered knowing his uncle is close to losing it. "I was at The American Bar."

"The American Bar is in Rome." John said as he felt his blood pressure go up.

"Thanks for the geography report. I already know this."

"What did I tell you about leaving Vatican City?" John patiently asked.

"Don't leave Vatican City because of the reciprocity something or other." Niko answered not grasping the concept of what happens if he is spotted outside of Vatican City.

"Okay. Let's go through this one more time. Vatican City does not have a reciprocity deal with the United States. Rome however, does. If you are caught by authorities in Rome, they will send you back to the United States. If that is the case, even I can't save you."

"I promise not to leave Vatican City." Niko said.

"Good." John said as his blood pressure returned to normal. "I picked Vatican City for a reason. The city is so small, that no one will expect us to hide here. Not even Interpol."

"I get it now." Niko said.

"No more trips to The American Bar." John explained. "It's these types of screwups that will get us in trouble."

Meanwhile, at the precinct, Terry reenters interrogation room one with paper in hand.

"Just to let you and your lawyer know, we have a search warrant for your property that we will be executing shortly." Terry announced as he slid the search warrant over to Stavros Christos' attorney.

"You've included everything except the kitchen sink." Attorney Sherman said as he quickly scanned the contents of the search warrant.

"Your client hasn't been forthcoming with information, so we need to look elsewhere for answers." Terry explained as he opened the interrogation room door and handed the warrant over to Mike who was patiently waiting. "It's now or never, Stavros. If our investigation turns up anything incriminating before you tell me what you know, any type of deal you think you can negotiate with the District Attorney will be useless."

"What if I refuse to carry out the search?" Stavros asked.

"It doesn't matter at this point. We have probable cause." Terry said as his patience is going on empty. "Ask your attorney if you don't believe me."

"Tell them what you know." Attorney Sherman advised.

"Your lawyer is giving you some advice. The question is whether you'll follow it." Terry said.

Fifteen minutes later with the search warrant in hand, Mike, and Willie along with officers Davis and Underwood arrive at the Christos property.

"This is the Southern California Police Department. We are here to conduct a search of the property. If there is anyone home, I suggest you make yourself known." Officer Davis called out after knocking on the door.

After several attempts were made without yielding any results, it was determined the house was empty.

"No one appears home." Willie said after he walked around the house looking through the windows.

"Does anyone have a key to the front door?" Mike asked seemingly out of the blue.

Willie and the two police officers looked at each other quizzically.

"Ahh…no we don't." Willie answered.

"Then I guess we'll have to let ourselves in." Mike said. "Willie, would you do the honor?"

"I'd love to." Willie said as he proceeded to kick in the front door without any difficulty.

"Thank you, Willie." Mike said.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant Danko." Willie answered as he and Mike followed Davis and Underwood into the house.

After a cursory search for any occupants in the house, the search began.

"Officers Davis and Underwood, you search the downstairs. Wille, you and I will search the second floor. We're looking for anything that may pertain to the case. Things like receipts, proof they left the country, etc."

Officer Davis started in the kitchen while officer Underwood searched the living room.

Mike and Willie headed up the staircase to the second floor.

"Did you notice something strange?" Mike asked as he and Willie were now in the hallway, second floor.

"Are you referring to the condition of the rooms?" Willie answered.

"Yeah, the house is pretty immaculate considering three bachelors were living here." Mike observed.

"It's like they knew we were coming." Willie added.

"That's what I'm afraid of. You take the rooms on the right, and I'll start searching the left."

"Got it." Willie said as he and Mike started searching for unknown items.

After approximately thirty minutes, Willie hit paydirt. "I found a gun. It looks like a Glock 23, .04 caliber." Willie excitedly announced.

"Put it into evidence. That blows my idea out of the water." Mike said as he moved on to the next room.

"What do you mean?" Willie said as he started his second room.

"I thought the gun that was confiscated when Masters robbed that taxi driver was somehow tied to this case."

"Finding the second gun does complicate things, doesn't it?"

'I found something." Mike said. "Bullets. Some used, some clean."

"If those spent bullets were proven to be from this gun, we might be on to something." Willie surmised.

After a thorough search of the upstairs, Mike and Willie came downstairs with the gun and bullets in separate evidence bags.

"Did you find anything?" Mike asked Officer Underwood who just finished up with the living room search.

"I found this receipt shoved in the couch." Officer Underwood said as he handed the evidence bag to Mike.

Mike briefly scanned the receipt. "This looks like a receipt for an airline ticket. Good work Underwood."

After Officer Davis finished looking at the kitchen, he joined Mike, Willie and Officer Underwood in the living room.

"Did you find something?" Willie asked.

"I'm not sure." Officer Davis answered. "Come with me and see for yourself."

Willie, Mike and Officer Underwood followed Officer Davis into a large pantry lined with canned fruits and vegetables.

"While I was searching in this room, I accidently came upon this." Officer Davis explained as he pushed open one of the pantry walls. Beyond the wall was a flight of stairs seemly going down into a basement.

"Interesting. Where does it lead to?" Willie asked.

"Let's find out." Mike answered.

Officers Davis and Underwood lead the way downstairs using their flashlights as their only source of lighting.

"There must be a light switch around here." Officer Davis said as he continued to scan the basement using his flashlight.

"Here it is." Officer Underwood said as he flipped the light on.

Once everyone's eyes adjusted to their surroundings, they started scanning the basement. On one side of the basement were more shelves with canned fruits and vegetables, bottled water and a radio. On the other side of the basement were several bunkbeds with bedsheets and blankets. In the middle of the basement were cupboards seemingly for storage. Willie noticed what looked like dust and small pieces of cement.

"What is this?" Officer Underwood asked as he was trying to process what was in front of him.

"It could be a bomb shelter." Mike suggested. "Back in the 1950's and 1960's, homeowners were encouraged to build one of these in case of an atomic bomb. Now I believe they call this a panic room."

"Do bomb shelters or panic rooms typically have bags of cement in them?" Willie asked as he pointed to several bags of cement in the corner of the room.

"Not usually." Mike said as he walked over to the cement bags for closer inspection. "Maybe this was extra bags that they didn't need."

Meanwhile, Officers Davis and Underwood started moving one of the bunkbeds for closer inspection.

"Notice anything of interest?" Officer Davis asked no one in particular.

Under the bunkbed was an area of cement approximately one hundred inches by fifty inches that appeared to have been poured after the original bomb shelter was built.

"Yeah." Willie answered. "The cement under the bunkbed is noticeably whiter than the rest of the basement floor. Almost like it was poured after the original construction."

"That's exactly what it looks like." Officer Underwood added. "But what does it mean, if anything?"

"Gentlemen, I think we stumbled upon a crime scene." Mike announced.

"You don't think…" Officer Davis started saying.

"That's exactly what I think." Mike interrupted. "Officers Davis or Underwood, radio into the precinct and ask them to send the CSI, extra manpower and equipment to breakup this cement and dig. The entire property needs to be searched for any other evidence."

"I'll do it." Officer Underwood announced as he immediately went upstairs to his squad car.

"Willie, contact Captain Christianson and advise him on the status of our search." Mike instructed.

"You got it." Willie said as he also went upstairs to his police cruiser.

"What do we do next?" Officer Davis queried.

"We wait for help." Mike answered.

CHAPTER 31

Meanwhile, word of the possible crime scene at the Christos Property quicky spread to Terry, who was still interrogating Stavros Christos.

"I just received word that a body that suspiciously looks like the body of a young female was discovered on your property. The door on the plea deal is rapidly closing. I suggest you start talking." Terry said knowing that they haven't discovered a body.

"Why was Steve Masters living at your house?" Terry asked.

"Masters thought my brother was being nice, but the real reason is we needed to watch Masters to make sure he didn't go to the police."

"Do you know the location of your brother and John Nichols?" Terry queried, trying to get as much information as possible before Stavros decides to exercise his right to remain silent.

"I don't know where my brother is." Christos said. "He was supposed to meet me here and we'd turn ourselves in. As far as John Nichols, he could be anywhere. He did fly to New York, but we were unable to contact him as of yesterday."

"You must have some idea where your brother or John Nichols are."

"Nichols was obsessed with finding a country that doesn't have reciprocity with the United States."

"So, you think Nichols is possibly out of the country?"

"That is exactly what I think." Christos answered.

Meanwhile, Jill was ushered into the office of Dr. Marilyn Tindal. Dr. Tindal has been Jill's psychiatrist since the kidnapping incident in 1976.

"Hi Jill." Dr. Tindal greeted. "I must say I was surprised to see you on my emergency appointment list. How can I help you?"

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Jill said as she sat down on the couch next to Dr. Tindal's desk. "I'll get right to the point. Blair Winfield's parole hearing was today."

"Really?" Dr. Tindal queried. "I'm surprised he's eligible for parole so soon. How did the hearing go? Were you able to make a victim's impact statement?"

"No, I wasn't able to say anything." Jill answered. "Which leads me to the reason I wanted to talk with you today. I received the parole hearing notice in the mail about one month ago."

"That seems reasonable."

"Mike also got a notice mailed directly to him at the office. I waited for him to tell me about the parole hearing thinking that he would mention he had received the letter."

"But he didn't." Dr. Tindal surmised. "I take it Mike forgot that you'd be getting a letter as well."

"I guess so." Jill answered. "Anyway, he left for work this morning not mentioning the parole hearing or the fact that he was going to it. Eddie Ryker called me, and we went to the hearing together. When we got there, a family friend of ours who is a lawyer, made the impact statement on behalf of me and Mike."

"How was the statement? Did he accurately represent what you wanted to say if you had the chance?

"Yes, actually." Jill said. "He did a wonderful job. I never did get a chance to thank him for making the statement though. I never gave a statement because there was nothing else to say."

"Are you upset more because Mike didn't tell you about the hearing or the fact that you couldn't complete your treatment plan? I know you decided that your main goal before ending your treatment was making that impact statement."

"What bothered me is he reverted to his overprotective mode. How can I get past this incident if Mike's constantly trying to protect me from getting hurt again?"

"Let's look at this from Mike's point of view. Why do you think he reverted to his old habits?" Dr. Tindal queried. "Something must have happened."

"Maybe it's because I just found out I'm pregnant." Jill answered.

"Congratulations Jill! That is wonderful news." Dr. Tindal said. "So, I'm guessing you think Mike has two people to protect, you and your unborn child."

"I actually never thought of that." Jill confessed. "It makes sense."

"Now that we know why Mike reacted the way he did, the question becomes why didn't you tell Mike you got the letter to begin with? You could've avoided this whole situation had you been upfront. Was this some sort of test or maybe you're having trust issues as well?"

"I trust Mike. That's not the issue. I guess I wanted to see how he'd react after getting that letter from the parole board." Jill confessed. "So yes, I guess you can call it a test."

"Do you think it was fair of you to set him up for failure? Because if you think about it, that's exactly what you did."

"I guess I really messed things up, haven't I?" Jill asked.

"It doesn't matter what you or I think at this point." Dr. Tindal pointed out. "What matters is how you're going to rectify the situation."

"I guess I owe him an apology." Jill said.

"Maybe you owe each other an apology." Dr. Tindal suggested.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow precinct, Terry is still questioning Stavros Christos. Also in the room is Mr. Sherman, Stavros' attorney.

"I'm done wasting time." Terry announced. "Let's start at the beginning. How did you meet Lacey Wilson?"

"I never met her." Stavros answered. "I knew her name, what she looked like and that's about it."

"What was your involvement in this mess?" Terry asked trying to figure out if Stavros is telling the truth.

"I told you already." Stavros said. "I took the MCAT exam for my brother."

"There's something you're not telling me." Terry replied. "What is it?"

"He's told you everything." Attorney Sherman replied.

"Are you sure about that?" Terry queried.

"What are you talking about?" Stavros replied now getting annoyed with the situation.

"On the night of Lacey's disappearance, there was an eyewitness who said they saw you at Grady's Bar trying to talk to Lacey." Terry revealed. "Apparently you were chasing Lacey down while impersonating your brother. Care to comment about that?"

"Yes. I was there. Are you happy now?" Stavros answered bluntly.

"I'll be happy when the truth comes out and we actually find your brother and John Nichols." Terry answered.

"Were you chasing after her? Remember, if you tell the truth, you might be able to work out some type of deal.

"Yes, I was chasing her. Yes, I was impersonating my brother." Stavros confessed.

"What would you do that?"

"My brother Niko thought that scaring her would help finding out what she overheard at the café." Stavros revealed.

"All this because she overheard your brother confessing to cheating on a test?"

"Yes. Our parent's left us a considerable amount of money in a trust fund when they died. The only problem is, one of us must go to college. Niko always wanted to be a doctor, so he volunteered to go to college."

"If the money is in a trust, who was your trustee?" Terry asked.

"Our uncle, John Nichols. We've been getting money out of this trust for years with John's help."

"Is John an accomplice or an unwitting participant?"

"He helped bury the body." Stavros answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"When you say "body," who are you talking about?"

"Lacey Wilson. She was buried in a secret room that can only be accessed through the pantry on the Christos' property."

"Where exactly, is the body?" Terry asked noting that Stavros called his property "Christos property" instead of "my property or our property" as if he were trying to diminish his involvement in this case.

"She's buried in the north corner of the room, under some bunkbeds. She was strangled and shot once, buried and then cement poured over the area."

"Who was involved in burying the body?" Terry asked still not believing what he just heard.

"My brother Niko, John Steve Masters and me."

"Do you know anything about Lacey's car?"

"It was hidden in the barn on our property." Stavros answered. "Somehow, Steve Masters got the car in working condition and took it for a joy ride. That's when the police pulled him over for one reason or another."

"Who removed Lacey's car from Grady's Bar parking lot?"

"As far as I know, John picked up the car himself."

"Our eyewitness said John told him he worked for the police, and he was picking up the car. Is that right?"

"I don't know the specifics of when the car was picked up but that sounds reasonable."

"Is there anyone else involved in this case?" Terry queried.

"There's no one else." Stavros said.

"Are you sure about that?" Terry asked. "Does the name Jack Lamont jog your memory?"

"I forgot about Jack." Stavros answered. "Niko hired him to find out how much Lacey knew about cheating on the MCAT exam and what she was planning on doing with the information. Jack said she had a diary and Lacey might have written about what she overheard."

"Did he find the diary?" Terry asked knowing the diary has already been recovered and logged into evidence.

"No, he didn't find the diary. But he did find some sort of letter that Lacey wrote."

"Do you know what was in the letter?" Terry asked as he tried to ascertain whether Stavros was telling the truth.

"I didn't personally read it, but I understand there was quite a bit of information regarding Niko that could potentially ruin his chances of becoming a doctor and the status of our inheritance could be at risk."

"Excuse me." Attorney Sherman interrupted. "My client has been more than cooperative in answering your questions. Is it possible to give him a break?"

"Of course." Terry said as he got up from his chair and instructed the uniformed police officer standing by to take Stavros Christos back to his cell. "Do you have any time tomorrow to come in? I'd like to get as much done as possible before Thanksgiving."

"I totally forgot Thanksgiving is in a few days." Attorney Sherman said. "My schedule is tight up until Thanksgiving. However, I have a case that might be dismissed tomorrow. If that's the case, my whole afternoon is free. How about 1:00 pm?"

"Sounds good." Terry said as he followed Mr. Sherman out of interrogation room one.

Meanwhile at the Christos' property, the equipment ordered by Mike finally arrived at the scene. There was an excavator, bobcat, dump truck and other equipment needed to remove a concrete slab.

"We've done all we can in the basement, Lieutenant Danko." The crime scene investigator reported. "We picked up the bag of concrete as you instructed."

"Good. Thank you." Mike said. "Anything of interest down there?"

"Just this." The crime scene investigator said as he handed Mike an evidence bag with a bullet casing. "We saw this under one of the cabinets while we were collecting pieces of concrete and dust."

"Good work. Log this into evidence." Mike yelled over the sound of the jackhammer being used to break up the concrete.

Mike and Willie walked over to the crime scene to check on the progress of the excavation. By this time there was a large hole in the house which led to an opening to the basement. As Mike and Willie peered into the hole, they noticed the only way to get into the basement was by a ladder propped up against the wall.

"How does it feel to oversee your first crime scene?" Willie asked Mike as they walked away from the hole and left the crime scene, watching from a distance.

"I'll let you know after I start breathing again." Mike quipped. "I don't want to screw this up in front of our boss and the media."

"And the family." Willie added.

"Thanks for reminding me." Mike said.

"Lieutenant, I think we found something." One of the workers yelled over to Mike.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow precinct, Terry walked into the office to see Willie engrossed with whatever was on the computer screen.

"What's up?" Terry greeted.

"Sorry, I'm engrossed in finding the countries that doesn't have an extradition treaty with the United States. Here's the list." Chris said as he handed Terry a piece of paper.

"This should be a piece of cake." Terry quipped noted there were at least twenty countries on the list. "Let's look at this scientifically. Greece isn't even on this list"

"So, we can cross Greece off the list."

"Right." Terry confirmed. "I think we can safely cross off the Vatican. Who's going to hide out there?"

Chapter 32

Meanwhile, at the Christos' property, Mike and Willie entered the crime scene again and walked over to the excavator operator.

"What have you got?" Mike asked.

"You might want to look in the hole." The operator answered. "I didn't want to go any further until you see this."

Mike took a deep breath as he and Willie walked over to the hole and looked inside. After digging approximately ten feet, the excavator operator saw a piece of blue material sticking out.

"You were right to stop digging." Willie said as he mentally started thinking about what this blue material may mean.

"Willie, would you track down someone from the CSI and have them come and start working on this?"

"No problem." Willie replied as he left the crime scene.

Back at the Ludlow precinct, Terry and Chris were trying to narrow down the long list of countries that don't have reciprocity with the United States.

"We can't notify Interpol with a list of twenty countries and ask if they can put a red notice out on Nichols and Christos." Chris said. "There has to be a better, more efficient way to do this."

"And I think I just may have an idea." Terry said.

"Where are you going, and can I do anything to help?" Chris asked.

"I'm going to lock-up." Terry replied. "Are you able to access Nichols' personnel file?"

"I did it for Mike a week or so ago. But how is that going to help?"

"If my hunch is right, I'll be able to explain things when I get back." Terry cryptically replied.

Meanwhile at the Christos' property, the CSI unit called in for several people from the Forensics Unit to come and sift through the evidence in the freshly dug hole.

Mike and Willie were now situated in the freshly dug hole.

"Are you ready for this?" Mike asked before slowly removing the blue tarp.

Under the blue tarp was another tarp wrapped around something clearly resembled a body.

"Dear god." Willie exclaimed as he realized what this means.

"Let's remove the tarp to see what this is." Mike said as he, Willie and two crime scene investigators gingerly unwrapped what could possibly be a body.

Once the wrapping was removed, Mike and Willie saw the skeletal remains of a body.

"Let's carefully process this crime scene." Mike said as he tried to remain his composure.

"This is your first crime scene investigation, isn't it?" The crime scene investigator asked Mike.

"Yeah." Mike answered. "How did you know?"

"I've been doing this job for the last ten years. Every new lieutenant was the same look of bewilderment." Lincoln, whose name was clearly on his badge said to calm Mike down. "Relax. You'll get through this just like every other new lieutenant."

"Thank you." Mike said now looking at his badge. "What should I call you, Lincoln?"

"No. Just call me 'president.' everybody calls me that."

"As in President Lincoln. I like it." Mike said.

"We found something in the barn." Another one of the CSI members announced.

Back at the station, Terry is back from lock-up.

"Why is it every time I come in, you're staring at the computer screen?"

"Don't laugh. There's a lot of information you can access." Chris said. "I have John Nichols' personnel file up on the screen. What am I looking for?"

"Good." Terry said. "Find Nichols' job application and find out of Nichol's speaks any other languages."

After one minute, Chris found the information. "Nichols is fluent in Spanish. I still don't know where this is going. What's next?"

"You're going to need to use your newfound computer skills."

"Alright, what do you need?" Chris asked.

"Can you look in the computer and find out which reciprocity nations speak Spanish and English."

"I'll give it a whirl. This may take a while." Chris said before starting his search.

Meanwhile, at the Christos' property, Mike, and Willie race to the barn to see what was uncovered.

"What did you find?" Mike queried.

"Tire tracks leading right out of the barn." One of the CSI personnel said.

"Good work." Mike said. "Can you get a cast of the tire treads? We should be able to compare these tire tracks to Lacey Wilson's car."

"You really think the skeletal remains are from your missing woman?" The CSI investigator asked.

"One of the suspects lead us right to where she's buried." Mike explained. "Are you done processing the barn?"

"Yes, we're pretty much done in here."

"Good." Mike replied. "Could you go lend a hand the officers searching the rest of the property? I'd like to get out of here before nightfall." Mike and Willie looked up to the sky and realized dusk is quickly approaching.

Mike and Willie walk quickly back up to the first crime scene just in time for the coroner to make his initial determination.

"Good evening gentlemen. I'm Dr. Phillip Colten, forensic pathologist." Dr. Colten introduced himself as he shook both Mike and Willie's hands.

"Nice to meet you." Mike said. "This is Sergeant William Gillis and I'm Lieutenant Mike Danko. Do you have your preliminary results?"

"Yes, I do. Based on the evidence and of the pubic bones and broader pelvic inlet, I'd say this is a female. Also, this person still has her wisdom teeth which indicates a young female approximately twenty to thirty years old." Dr. Colten explained.

"Initial cause of death?" Willie asked.

"The hyoid bone was fractured indicating strangulation. Also, judging from a small hole on the side of the skull that traveled through the brain and out of the opposite side indicates she suffered a gunshot wound."

"So, are you saying she suffered a bullet wound to the head that entered and then exited the victim?" Mike asked.

"That's exactly right." Dr. Colten confirmed. "I also found a spent casing by her pelvic region. I pointed it out to the crime scene investigator who promptly bagged it and presumably logged it into evidence."

"Can you tell if the victim was pregnant at the time of death?" Willie asked.

"How far along was she?"

"Approximately three months." Mike answered.

"Unfortunately, no. In the world of forensic science this is called a 'coffin birth' which is exceedingly rare especially early in the pregnancy. I've personally never seen a coffin-birth, and this is my fifteenth year as a coroner."

"What do you think actually killed her?" Willie asked.

"I would say she was strangled first which rendered her unconscious, followed by the gunshot wound."

"How quickly can you get the final report completed?" Mike asked.

"Give or take a few days, but I'll put a rush on it. Do you have dental records on your missing woman?"

"Yes, the family provided us with her dental records." Willie confirmed. "I can bring them to your office first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good." Dr. Colton replied. "Unless there are any other questions, I'll make arrangements to have the remains transported to my office."

"Sounds good." Mike said as he, Willie and Dr. Colton exchanged handshakes.

Meanwhile at the precinct, Chris finally narrowed down the list of countries that speak English and Spanish.

"I've narrowed the search down the number of possibilities." Chris announced.

"Okay. What countries are we talking about?" Terry asked hoping the list was no longer than ten countries.

"Keep in mind that I haven't compared this list to our extradition list." Chris advised as he handed Terry a single sheet of paper.

"There must be at least twenty countries on this list." Terry said incredulously.

"I know." Chris said. "There are sixty-seven countries that speak English and another twenty-seven countries that speak Spanish."

"I had no idea. I have a feeling this will take a while. Why don't we shut down for the day?" Terry suggested.

"Do you have a hot date tonight?" Chris asked.

"No. Rebecca is in Texas with her family for the Thanksgiving holiday. I think I'll go to the Christos property and see if they need help."

"I'll come with you." Chris said.

"You don't have a hot date either, do you?"

Chapter 32

Approximately thirty minutes later, Terry and Chris arrived at the crime scene. Mike turned his head and saw Terry and Chris approaching.

"You sure know how to dig up a crime scene." Terry quipped. "How can we help?"

"I'm glad you're here." Mike said, clearly relieved to see two familiar faces other than Willie. "Terry, could you supervise the search of the property? I'm hoping they're almost done with their search."

"Of course." Terry said as he walked toward the back of the property.

"Chris, could you make sure all the evidence is properly bagged and documented? I don't want this case to go south because of a technicality." Mike said.

"I'm on it." Chris said as he headed toward the CSI vehicle.

Approximately thirty minutes later both Chris and Terry completed their assignments.

"Find anything of interest, Terry?" Mike queried.

"Only a set of keys with the initials "LW" on the key fob." Terry said.

"Are you kidding?" Mike asked.

"Nope. Here's a picture to prove it." Terry said as he handed Mike a picture of the keys and key fob before they were placed into evidence.

"We should be able to match the keys to the Vega." Chris said.

"Creating another link between Masters and the Christos brothers." Terry added.

"I think we can call it a night." Mike said as he noticed the crime scene investigators packing up their equipment.

"Well, the skeletal remains were finally picked up and are going to the coroner's office as we speak." Willie said as he walked over to Mike, Terry and Chris who were congregating next to the crime scene.

A few seconds later, Brett Lincoln walked over to Mike with a clipboard. "Would you like to release the crime scene? CSI has finished processing."

"Of course." Mike said as he signed the paperwork.

With that, everyone left the property, leaving the yellow crime scene strips blowing in the wind.

The next morning, Jill woke up to find Mike's side of the bed empty.

"He couldn't still be at the crime scene, could he?" Jill said to no one as she headed toward the kitchen. As she walked past the living room, Jill saw Mike sleeping on the couch. Taking a deep breath, Jill quietly walked over the couch and gently called his name.

After a few moments, Mike woke up to find Jill staring down at him.

"Why didn't you come to bed when you got home?" Jill asked.

"I got home late and didn't want to wake you up." Mike explained.

"This couch doesn't look all that comfortable." Jill noted.

"Trust me, looks aren't deceiving."

"How about I make you some eggs, toast and bacon for breakfast?"

"That sounds great, babe. I'm going to take a shower first."

"Okay. I'll start making breakfast."

Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Terry entered via the kitchen door.

"Hey Terry." Jill said as the smell of eggs and bacon filled the kitchen. "What brings you by?"

"I was wondering if I could have a moment with your husband." Terry explained.

"He should be dressed by now." Jill said as Mike entered the kitchen. "Right on cue."

"Hey Terry. Did you come by to go over our strategy for today?" Mike queried.

"Strategy?" Jill asked as she brought another plate to the table. "Have a seat, Terry."

"Yeah. We will be continuing our interrogations with Masters and Christos today." Mike explained.

"I didn't come for a free breakfast." Terry said as Jill brought the eggs, toast, and bacon to the table.

"Too late." Jill said. "I have plenty of food to go around. Now sit down."

"Okay, okay." Terry said as he sat down. "I know when to give up."

Mike brought the coffee while Jill brought herself a glass of milk.

"Thanks, Mike." Jill said as she sat down followed by Mike.

"Milk?" Terry queried. "Jill, you're drinking milk. I didn't know you even liked milk much less drink it."

"Jill loves milk." Mike said wryly as Jill glared at her husband.

"Actually, I've grown quite fond of milk." Jill explained as she took a sip of her favorite beverage.

"What am I missing?" Terry queried as he looked over at Mike and Jill.

"Nothing." Jill and Mike answered in unison.

"Right…" Terry said.

"Let's go over our strategy." Mike suggested hoping to change the focus of the conversation.

"Our strategy should be simple." Terry explained. "We need to go over the information and see if we get consistent answers."

"Isn't that a waste of time?" Jill queried. "I mean, you already know the background information."

"People who are telling the truth will give the same story when asked repeatedly." Terry answered.

"People who lie will give different versions of the event when they are pressed for information." Mike added. "We could ask Masters and Christos to take a lie detector test."

"The results won't be admissible in court but will at least we will know if they are being deceptive." Terry said. "Good thinking, Mike."

"We still don't have any link that ties Niko Christos to this case." Terry stated. "What are we going to do about that?"

"Wait a minute." Jill said interrupting Terry's thinking process. "Mike, didn't you say Niko was applying to medical school?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Mike queried.

"In order to get into medical school, you probably need to have your fingerprints taken, shouldn't you?" Jill explained.

"That's true, Mike." Terry agreed with Jill. "How else are they going to run a background check?"

"So, if we're incredibly lucky, the medical school will have Niko's prints on file." Mike said. "Good thinking, Jill."

"I'll send you my bill in the morning for my work as a consultant." Jill quipped.

"Consultant? What are you talking about?" Mike asked.

"This is the second tip I've given you in this investigation." Jill explains.

"I'll give you a couple of bucks in the morning."

"Very funny."

"Let's go Terry." Mike said. "We have a lot to do with a little time to do it."

With that, Terry and Mike got in their respective cruisers and drove to the Ludlow Precinct.

Chapter 33

Meanwhile, in the Vatican, Niko Christos walks in the door with an unknown female.

"Where have you been?" Nichols asked.

"I've been doing a little sightseeing." Niko quipped. "This is Gia, her father is a diplomate representing the United States here in Italy."

"Nice to meet you." John said avoiding eye contract with this twenty-three-year-old who looks like a model out of Vogue Magazine.

"Listen Niko, my father is waiting for me in Rome for dinner." Gia announced as she felt a definite chill in the air not related to the temperature.

"Give me a call when you're free. I'll give you the VIP tour." Gia said as she slipped a small piece of paper into Niko's hand.

"Don't you worry about that." Niko said as he opened the door for Gia exit.

"Till we meet again." Gia said as Niko accompanied her to the door.

"Are you crazy?" Nichols said after Niko fully closed the door.

"I thought we should blend in with the locals." Nico said trying to defend his actions.

"Next time you have an idea, come to me first, okay?" Nichols instructed.

"I don't see what the fuss is about."

"Did you give her your real last name?" Nichols continued his interrogation.

"I didn't see the harm in it since we're in a foreign country." Nico answered.

"Have you ever thought this diplomate really isn't a diplomate?"

"I have to reason to doubt her." Nico answered. "Look, I'm sorry. I was getting a little bored."

"That's no excuse. Where did you go?"

"To a bar in Rome." Nico answered. "Again, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is we're fugitives from the law in the United States. I suspect there will be wanted posters circulating around with our names and pictures if it hasn't happened already." Nichols explained. "You just put our whole operation on the line. The Vatican doesn't have reciprocity with the US, but Rome does. The minute you step into Rome, you're at risk for being arrested and brought back to the United States."

"So, what do we do now?" Nico asked seemingly grasping the severity of the situation.

"I don't know." Nichols admits. "We can't fly anywhere, take a train or even rent a car without the risk of getting caught. Our best bet is to stay here for now. Just don't do anything stupid like giving out personal information or stepping into Rome."

Meanwhile, Mike and Terry entered the office to find Chris and Willie hard at work.

"Good news." Willie said before Mike and Terry was able to sit down at their respective desks. "The final autopsy report is here."

"More good news." Chris announced. "I've narrowed down the list of possible countries."

"Possible countries?" Mike asked.

"Chris researched all of the countries that spoke English and Spanish and then compared that to his extradition list." Terry explained. "So, how many countries are we talking about? Five maybe ten countries?"

"Not quite." Chris said as he handed Terry his amended list. "There are twenty-one countries that speak both Spanish and English and are on the non-extradition treaty list with the United States."

"Geez." Terry said as he grabbed the list from Chris. "Well, I think we can take Russia and China off the list."

"And Vietnam." Mike added as he looked over Terry's shoulder.

"I took the liberty and started researching some of these countries." Chris explained. "And The Maldives, Vanuatu and Tunisia are popular destinations for tourists looking for investment opportunities. Africa, Ethiopia and Botswana have excellent economies. Ukraine, Moldova and Montenegro offer excellent lifestyle and investment opportunities. The United Arab Emeritus has excellent beaches and resorts. It's a popular destination site because of their ancient customs versus modern technology. The rest of the list either I didn't get to or aren't worth the trouble of mentioning. My thought being Nichols and Christos are likely to go to places that are considered tourist destinations or because they have excellent investment opportunities. Do you want me to continue the search?"

"No need. I think we have enough information to give to our friends at Interpol. Good work Chris." Mike said obviously impressed with Chris' initiative and attention to detail.

"Okay Chris," Terry thoughtfully said. "If you were a fugitive on the run, where would you go?"

"If I had to pick, I'd go to countries with excellent economy in case they want invest the inheritance they received from their parents and a tourist destination to blend in with the locals."

"Let's start with Vanuatu, Maldives and Tunisia. If that search is unsuccessful, then we can move on to the other countries."

"Let's look at the autopsy, shall we?" Terry said. "Based on the dental records provided by the family and the anatomic features, the skeletal remains have been positively identified as Lacey Wilson. The hyoid bone was fractured indicating the victim was strangled. There were two holes, one on each of side of the temporal area of the skull. Based on the trajectory of the bullet, this was likely delivered by a small handgun at pointblank range. In summary, the examiner hypothesizes the victim was strangled first followed by a single gunshot wound to the head. Therefore, the cause and manner of death is listed as homicide by strangulation and gunshot wound to the head. Signed by P. Colten, MD."

"What's next?" Willie asked.

"I think it's time to call Interpol and put out a red notice alert on John Nichols and Niko Christos." Terry said.

"Do you think Christos and Nichols are holed up together?" Chris asked.

"I'm sure they're together." Terry answered.

"Based on what?" Willie asked.

"Nichols is a detective so I'm sure he doesn't trust Christos and Christos probably doesn't trust Nichols." Mike answered. "They both have things they'd rather keep secret."

"Mike, do you want to handle calling Interpol?" Terry asked. "I heard Masters' lawyer is here and waiting in Interrogation Room 2."

"Sounds like a plan." Mike said as he opened his Rolodex to find the Interpol phone number.

"I can find that for you." Chris excitedly said.

"Let me guess, in the computer?" Mike queried. "Never mind, I've got the number right here." Mike said as he pulled the card out of the Rolodex.

Meanwhile, Terry opened the door just as Masters was escorted to the room by a uniformed police officer. Attorney Quinn, Masters' attorney was already seated at the table.

"Good morning, gentlemen." Terry greeted as he sat down in the same chair as the day before. "Let's continue on."

Terry proceeded to turn on the tape recorder and painstakingly gave a synopsis of yesterday's interrogation.

"Is my breakdown of yesterday's interrogation accurate?" Terry asked.

"Yes, it is." Masters said seemingly resigned to the fact he's in too deep to try and explain his way out of this mess.

"Before we get started, is there anything you'd like to add or clarify?"

"No." Masters replied.

"When we last spoke, you said you didn't know where Niko Christos and John Nichols are located. Is that accurate?" Terry asked.

"Not exactly." Attorney Quinn answered.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Last evening, I remembered something." Masters explains. "I overheard Nichols and Niko talking about United Arab Emirates. How it was the perfect place to hide out because it's a tourist attraction and English is one of the languages used there. Nichols said something about hiding in plain sight."

"Okay. Let's go over the details one more time…" Terry suggested.

In the Cold Case Unit, Mike put the receiver back on its cradle indicating he was finished talking to Interpol.

"How did it go?" Chris asked.

"As well as can be expected. I told him about the research you conducted but it turns out Interpol acts as a middle man by supplying information as needed to the countries looking for fugitive."

"But that's going to waste time that we haven't got." Willie said.

"I know." Mike answered.

"What's next?" Willie asked.

"Well, I'm waiting for permission to obtain a search warrant to search John Nichols' home. He lives in an apartment so this shouldn't take long."

Just then, Captain Christianson walked into the Cold Case Unit with paper in hand. "Here's your search warrant you requested." Christianson announced as he handed the piece of paper to Mike. "I took the liberty to include any storage units he rents."

"That would be the perfect place to hide evidence." Mike answered.

"Nichols probably thinks he's smarter than the SCPD with hopefully, will be his downfall." Captain Christianson explained.

"He or Niko will probably relax and venture out more if they feel we're not getting anywhere in this investigation." Mike added. "This could be our big break if we luck out and a tip comes in from an observant citizen."

"Precisely." Captain Christian agreed.

Just then, Grady, the owner of Grady's bar walks into the office obviously excited about something.

"Thank you for coming." Chris said thinking Grady was there to view the six-pack of pictures. "I have a six pack of pictures ready to go."

"I don't have to look at the lineup." Grady announced. "This is the man that picked up the car." Grady said as he purposely placed the latest edition of the Southern California Dispatch, the local newspaper on Mike's desk. The paper was neatly folded showing the picture of Steve Masters.

"Okay." Mike said as he picked up the paper and started reading the title of the article out loud. "Local man arrested for possession of narcotics with intent to sell."

"At least the paper didn't pick up on his link to Lacey's disappearance." Captain Christianson said.

"And this article was buried somewhere in the paper." Mike added. "The only way anyone could find the article is if they accidentally came upon it."

"Or if they were looking for it." Chris added.

"I'm going to have you look at the lineup we prepared for you anyway." Mike announced. "If that's okay with you. We don't want the case dismissed over a technicality."

"Of course." Grady said as Mike showed Grady the six pictures he prepared. The pictures were a mixture of various booking photos, a detective of the SCPD and Steve Masters.

"That's the guy." Grady said as he pointed to Steve Masters' photo without hesitation.

"Okay." Mike said. "Your identification helps us immensely."

"Anything I can do to resolve this case and bring closure to Lacey's family, I'm happy to do." Grady said.

"Thank you for coming." Mike said as Grady left the office. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"What's that?" Captain Christianson asked knowing the answer to the question.

"Masters lied to us. Therefore, the immunity deal is no longer valid." Mike answered.

"Masters won't be going anywhere in the near future." Chris added.

Meanwhile in Rome, John Nichols is unaware of Niko's budding romance with Gia, whose father is a diplomate representative of the United States.

Niko and Gia are at a restaurant just outside of Vatican City.

"You never said what you're doing in Italy." Gia observed.

"My uncle and I are on an extended vacation." Niko answered as he started feeling the effects of the wine he's drinking on an empty stomach.

"And you chose the Vatican to stay in? That seems a little odd since Rome is a much better place to visit as a tourist."

"My uncle thought it was a good idea at the time." Niko explained cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Gia asked.

"Ahh…when we booked the vacation, my uncle thought this was a good idea to stay in Vatican City." Niko explained as he tried to choose his words carefully.

During dinner, Gia and Niko talked about places to visit while in Italy and she offered to take Niko to some of the tourist destinations.

"That sounds like a good idea. Thank you." Niko said thinking that sightseeing was a safe thing to do since they would be moving about in Rome decreasing the chances of being discovered by the locals.

"Okay." Gia said. "May your travels be everything you hoped it will be." Gia raised her glass toward Niko.

"Cheers." Niko said in response as he lightly touched his glass to Gia's glass.

There was a moment of silence as Gia was looking intently at Niko as if she was studying his face.

"Is everything okay?" Niko asked fearing he made some type of faux pas with the toast

"It's just your face. It's like I've seen you before even though I know we never met until recently." Gia explained. "Isn't it strange?"

"Not really." Niko explained. "I often hear people say they've seen me before. I guess I have that type of face.

"I don't know." Gia said as she continued to look at Niko intently.

"Let's get out of here." Niko said as he tried desperately to move on from this subject.

"Sounds good to me." Gia said as he paid the bill prior to leaving the restaurant.

Meanwhile, in Interrogation Room 1, Terry was continuing his questioning of Steve Masters.

"Let's go over this one more time." Terry said trying not to get irritated with the whole situation. "How did you meet Niko?"

"I told you." Masters answered obviously getting irritated as well. "We met playing basketball. I told him I was homeless, and he offered to let me stay at his home."

"What do you know about Lacey Wilson's car?" Terry asked as he tried to trip Masters up on the details.

"I saw the car in the barn on the Christos' property and I decided to try and fix it up."

"Where did you get the parts for the car?"

"There were stuff lying around, all except the keys to the ignition." Masters explained. "I had to hotwire the car."

"You're telling me there was stuff just lying around that you needed to fix the car?"

"Yes. It looked like someone was trying to dismantle the car and then left it there."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"What is it?" Terry asked.

Mike opened the door enough to talk to Terry.

"You're going to want to see this." Mike answered.

"Excuse me for a moment." Terry said as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

"I hope there aren't any more surprises." Attorney Quinn whispered to his client.

"I've told you everything." Masters answered.

Meanwhile, just outside Interrogation Room 1, Mike handed Terry the newspaper that Grady gave him just minutes ago.

"Local man arrested in drug bust." Terry said as he read the byline. "At least it's buried in the paper."

"Guess who picked up Lacey's car?" Mike asked.

"I don't know." Terry answered. "Maybe the tooth fairy."

"Steve Masters." Mike answered ignoring Terry's sarcasm. "Grady just identified him by seeing this picture. I had him look at the six pack I put together and he picked Masters right away."

"This case has more twists and turns than a cheap crime novel." Terry observed. "Any suggestions on how to proceed?"

"Yeah, I do." Mike announced. "What if you were to conveniently leave out our latest discovery?"

"You mean not revealing we know who picked up Lacey's car?" Terry queried. "I don't know about this..."

"Why not? Let the District Attorney have the pleasure of revoking his plea deal." Mike explained. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"Okay." Terry said still a little reluctant in the latest strategy. "What are you doing now?"

"I'll be going on a fishing expedition." Mike said. "Captain Christianson just received the search warrant for Nichols' residence and any storage units he may have."

"That'll be interesting." Terry said.

"I just hope it will be a productive search." Mike said. "You should go back into the interrogation room before Masters' and his attorney get suspicious."

"Good luck." Terry said before opening the door to the interrogation room.

"Good luck to you." Mike said as he headed down the hallway.

Chapter 34

Meanwhile, in Italy, Gia, the diplomate's daughter is standing in front of a mirror making last minute adjustments with her hair.

"Where are you going?" Luigi Capelle, the diplomate from the USA and Gia's father queried.

"Sightseeing in Rome." Gia answered as she turned to face her father.

"What's this guy's name?"

"Why the third degree?" Gia asked, skillfully avoiding her father's question.

"One of the stipulations when I decided to let you accompany me to Italy is you telling me where you're going, who you're with and what time are you coming back."

"Niko Christos is his name, and I don't know when I'll be back." Gia said after sighing for emphasis.

"Where does he live?" Luigi asked, ignoring his daughter's annoyance.

"I told you." Gia answered. "In the Vatican."

"That's impossible."

"Oh yeah? Why is that daddy?"

"No one can live in the Vatican unless you work there." Luigi explained. "Now, where does he live, exactly?"

"Hotel Della Conciliazione." Gia answered. "I was actually there and had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting his uncle."

"So, this guy doesn't live alone." Luigi surmised.

"Yeah, so what?"

"He lied to you, Gia. The Hotel Della Conciliazione is right across the street from Vatican City."

"Okay…" Gia answered. "He's a little confused on the Vatican geography. Is that really a big deal?"

"Yes, it's a 'big deal.' You need to be careful who you associate with."

"Oh, I get it. You don't want a tarnished reputation."

"No, it's a safety issue." Luigi explained. "I don't know where you are during one of your excursions and if you get in trouble, I won't be able to help you if I don't even know where you are."

"Sorry, dad." Gia said after she accused her father of making some sort of political issue.

"I'm going to check him out." Luigi announced.

"Please don't do that." Gia pleaded. "Niko seems like a nice guy."

"The point I'm making is you don't really know this guy. Who is this Niko living with?"

"His name is John, and I don't know his last name." Gia replied, hoping to thwart her father's interrogation.

"Where are they from?" Luigi kept up the questioning.

"The United States, I guess. He and his uncle are here on an extended vacation." Gia answered. "That's all I know."

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct in southern California, Terry walked back into the room after finding out another revelation about Steve Masters.

"I'm done playing Mr. Nice guy." Terry announced as he sat down while looking Masters straight in the eye."

"What are you talking about? Attorney Quinn asked as he braced for another blow to his defense.

"Stavros Christos just confessed to his role in Lacey Wilson's murder." Terry announced deciding to change tactics.

"I don't believe you." Masters countered.

"Really? Does this look familiar?" Terry queried as he slid several pictures across the table toward Masters and his attorney. The pictures show the excavation of Lacey's body in various stages. "His confession led us to uncovering her remains."

Masters, now visibly shaken by the news picked up the pictures showing exactly what Terry described.

"Did you kill Lacey?" Terry queried.

"No!" Masters forcefully denied any involvement in the actual shooting "I'm telling the truth."

"Sorry, but I'm having a hard time believing your story." Terry said.

"Look." Masters answered trying to figure out a way to explain things. "Niko brought Lacey's body back to the house."

"The house you're referring to is the Christos' property?"

"Yes. Niko and I helped carry the body into the house. Niko said if I didn't help him, he would go to the cops and tell them all about Jack Lamont."

"Lovely." Terry said. "Now I'm interested in the whole story. What is it?"

"Niko called his uncle John Nichols and told him what happened. Nichols dropped whatever he was doing and came to the farm."

"What happened next?" Terry prompted.

"We started looking for a place to bury the body where no one would find it. Then, Nichols found the cellar and decided that was the place. We moved the bunkbeds out of the way and started breaking up the concrete followed by digging the hole to Niko and John Nichols specifications."

"Okay. Tell me about the burial of the body."

"By this time, Stavros arrived, and he was threatened by Niko to help hide the body or he would tell the cops everything. Me, Stavros and Niko carried Lacey's body down the stairs to the cellar using a blue tarp."

"Does this look like the blue tarp?" Terry asked as he slid another picture of Lacey's body along with the blue tarp in question.

"Must you show all of these crime scene photos?" Attorney Quinn asked. "He's fully cooperating with you."

"How else are we going to get to the truth of the matter?" Terry answered Attorney Quinn's question with another question. "I'll ask again. Is this the blue tarp?"

"Yes, it is." Masters answered. "By this time, Stavros was sent to the hardware store to buy some cement bags. We started putting the dirt back into the hole."

"Who decided using the cement?"

"John Nichols did. He said it would look funny if we didn't replace the cement over the grave. Once Stavros came back, we mixed up the cement and poured it over the grave. Once the cement dried, we put the bunkbed over the new cement."

"When did Jack Lamont enter the picture?"

"About six months after the incident in the café. Niko was obsessed with finding out how much Lacey knew about the cheating on the MCAT exam. That's when Niko went to Lamont and asked for help in finding out what Lacey knew. Lamont mentioned something about a diary Lacey had and thought the incident might be in the diary. Niko enlisted Lamont in finding the diary and stealing it. Niko said Lamont would be well compensated for the effort."

"I'm guessing Lamont's untimely demise is next." Terry surmised.

"Yes." Masters confirmed. "Niko called Lamont and told him to come to the house and get his compensation. Only Niko didn't have the money. Niko told me the next time Lamont showed up, I should cut the brake lines while he kept Lamont occupied. Lamont came to the property and went ballistic when he found out Niko didn't have his money."

"How did you hear Niko and Lamont arguing if you were outside?" Terry asked.

"The argument was loud, and I was right next to the house working on Lamont's car. Lamont threatened to go to the police if he didn't get his money, but Niko told him that would be his death warrant if he went to the cops."

"So, in other words, Niko threatened Jack Lamont in an effort to keep him quiet?" Terry asked.

"Lamont must have given up on getting the money, so he left. By that time, I was finished working on Lamont's break line."

"Let's fast forward to Lacey Wilson, shall we?" Terry sarcastically said.

"Apparently, Niko had his brother Stavros follow Lacey around on the night she died. She went to Grady's Bar because she knew the owner and thought he'd help her out. There was a confrontation between Stavros and Lacey before Stavros was eventually thrown out of the bar."

"What happened next?"

"When Lacey left the bar, Niko drove up in his car and parked diagonally behind Lacey's car so she couldn't back out. Stavros grabbed her from behind and dragged her to the car and put her in the trunk before driving off." Masters explained. "They drove to the Christos' property and took her into the house."

"And…" Terry prompted.

"Niko kept asking her what she knew about the MCAT cheating and she denied everything. Niko was getting increasingly frustrated with the whole situation. Niko lunged at Lacey and started to choke her." Masters explained. "Lacey appeared to be dead but in reality was unconscious, so Niko stopped what he was doing. Suddenly, Lacey took a deep breath in, and he was shocked that Lacey was still alive. Niko instructed Stavros to get a gun that was hidden upstairs. Stavros got the gun and gave it to Niko. Niko shot Lacey once in the temple."

"Do we have to go through this again?" Attorney Quinn asked. "This is getting ridiculous."

"Sorry, gentlemen." Terry apologized. "I was checking to see if your client would change his story from our previous talk."

"I'm due in court in one hour." Attorney Quinn said as he was looking at his watch. "Can we please wrap this up?"

"I just have one more question." Terry answered.

Meanwhile, Luigi Capelle, the American diplomate, walks into the American Consulate in the center of Rome. Sitting at the reception desk as usual is Antonio Morello, Luigi's assistant and friend.

"Good morning." Luigi said as he walked up to the desk.

"Good morning." Antonio returned the greeting. "You look a little bit frazzled. Is everything all right?"

"Not exactly." Luigi confessed as he stopped by the desk. "Are these my messages?" Luigi asked as he picked up a stack of papers.

"Those are the Interpol red notice alerts. I don't think you want to waste your time on that." Antonio said as he handed Luigi a smaller stack of paper. "These are your messages. Now tell me, what's the problem?"

"It's Gia. She's been sight-seeing with an American tourist for the last couple of days." Luigi confessed.

"Is he nice?"

"According to Gia, he's nice." Luigi answered. "I told her I was going to run a background check on this guy."

"Let me guess. She begged you not to."

"Yeah, she did. Gia even accused me of being political." Luigi answered.

"Ouch…So, what are you going to do?" Antonio asked.

"I really don't know what to do."

"If you want, I could quietly run a background check on this guy." Antonio offered. "I doubt Gia would bring him here to meet you."

"Hold off on the background check." Luigi answered. "I want to keep the lines of communication open with Gia. Running a background check could backfire."

"Just let me know." Antonio said.

"The eagle has landed." Luigi said as he started walking toward his office.

"Excuse me?" Antonio asked.

"If Gia and her friend come walking in, just say 'the eagle has landed.'" Luigi explained. "I'll understand."

"Got it." Antonio said as he started looking through the large stack of Interpol red flag posters.

Meanwhile, back in Southern California, Mike, Willie and officers Salazar and Landers are in the middle of searching John Nichol's home. Mike and Willie are searching the first floor for anything that could tie Nichols to Lacey's disappearance and death besides the shaky confessions of Masters and Stavros Nichols. Officers Salazar and Landers are responsible for the second floor.

"Did you find anything?" Mike asked as he finished the kitchen and was on his way to search the living room.

"Nothing so far." Willie answered until he came across a stack of opened invoices. "Oh, wait. Look at this, Mike."

"What is it?" Mike asked as he walked into the office.

"All these bills are past due." Willie announced as he handed several envelopes with the words 'past due' stamped in red, bold letters over to Mike. "Look at this one. It's a letter from his landlord informing Nichols that he will be evicted."

"This is an interesting turn of events." Mike announced as he scanned the correspondence from Nichols' landlord. "Perhaps John is looking for a payday from his nephews in order to get out of debt."

"That's a possibility." Willie agreed.

"You won't believe what we found in the garage." Officer Salazar announced as he quickly walked into the living room.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow Precinct, Terry is ready to reveal his "ace in the hole."

"What now?" Attorney Quinn asked.

"Earlier your statement was that you didn't know who picked up Lacey's car from Grady's Bar. Is that accurate?" Terry asked.

"That's right." Masters confirmed.

"Well, we found an eyewitness who positively identified you as the person who picked up the car. You even flashed a badge and gave one of John Nichols business cards for good measure." Terry said as he slid at a plastic evidence bag toward Masters and his attorney. "We lifted a couple of fingerprints off the card. Guess who they belong to?"

"This is only a misdemeanor offense." Attorney Quinn said. "I think the fine is two thousand dollars and up to one year in county jail. So what?"

"Well, with all of his other inconsistencies, this might be enough for the prosecutor to deem the immunity deal null and void." Terry said. "As I told you earlier, the decision is up to the prosecutor, and I don't have any say or influence."

"All right, I'll say it." Masters blurted out.

"Wait a minute." Attorney Quinn interjected. "Don't say anything more."

"No, I won't stay quiet." Masters said.

"I want to stipulate my client has decided to go against my advice." Attorney Quinn advised.

"So noted." Terry confirmed. "Just to be clear, Mr. Masters, you have decided not to go with your attorney's advice. Is that accurate?"

"Yes, it is." Masters confirms.

"Okay then. What did you want to tell me?" Terry asked.

"I drove the flatbed truck to Grady's Bar and picked up Lacey Wilson's car. I obtained a fake badge and used John Nichols business card per his request."

"Just to clarify, Mr. Nichols told you to use his business card." Terry said.

"Yes, he did but I don't know why. I thought it was an odd request, but I did it anyway."

"I have a court hearing in thirty minutes." Attorney Quinn said. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, there is." Terry answered. "Do you mind if I go ahead and have your client write down his version of the events?"

"No problem since he really isn't listening to my advice." Attorney Quinn said as he picked up his briefcase and left Interrogation Room One.

Meanwhile, Mike and Willie are conducting a search of John Nichols' property.

"Let's see what you've got." Mike said.

Officer Salazar led Mike and Willie to the garage where two items were on a workbench in separate evidence bags waiting to be logged in.

"Does this look familiar?" Officer Landers asked as he lifted a large evidence bag with a blue tarp in it.

"That looks like the same tarp that Lacey was wrapped in." Willie answered.

"It sure does." Mike agreed.

"We also have this." Officer Salazar said as he handed a small evidence bag over to Willie.

"It looks like a receipt from Miller's Hardware Store." Mike said.

"Look at the items purchased and the date on the receipt." Officer Salazar instructed.

"Let's see…he bought a shovel, two blue tarps and a pair of gardening gloves." Willie said.

"And the date on the receipt?" Mike asked.

"The night she disappeared." Willie answered. "Do you think we finally have enough evidence to link Nichols to Lacey's disappearance and murder?"

"If we can prove this tarp is from the same lot number from the tarp used to bury Lacey." Mike explained. "There's one thing left we need to do."

"Finding the gloves on that receipt?" Willie asked.

"Do you mean these gloves?" Officer Landers said as he held up two gardening gloves already placed in an evidence bag. "I found them out in plain sight, just waiting to be discovered."

"My, those gloves are dirty." Willie said sarcastically.

"They sure are." Officer Salazar agreed. "There's just enough dirt to compare with the ground uncovered when Lacey's body was found.

"I'd say we've had a successful search." Mike said. "It's time to go back to the precinct and log all of this stuff into evidence."

Back at the precinct, Terry was sitting with Steve Masters while he was writing down his version of events surrounding Lacey Wilson's disappearance and subsequent death.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Terry said.

"Sorry to disturb you, Terry." Chris said.

"No problem. Mr. Masters was writing down his version of events. What's going on?"

"Can you come out here for a second?" Chris asked.

"I'll be just outside the door." Terry said to Masters before exiting the room.

"Captain Christianson ordered an emergency meeting with you and Mike." Chris blurted out after Terry closed the door.

"Did he say what it was about?" Terry asked.

"No." Chris answered. "His mood didn't allow for questions."

"Great. Where's Mike?" Terry asked.

"Mike is done with the search and is on his way back to the precinct as we speak."

"Okay. Good." Terry said as he mentally was going through all the possible reasons warranting an emergency meeting. "Can you find someone to watch Masters until he's done with his written statement?"

"I have someone right here." Chris said as a young police officer fresh from the Academy was standing next to him. "This is officer Strom. He'll be taking over for you."

"Great." Terry said. "When Masters is done, make sure he gets back to lockup."

"Yes, Lieutenant Webster." Strom answered.

Chapter 35

Back in California, thirty minutes later, Mike and Terry find themselves in Captain Christianson's office bracing themselves for whatever is about to come.

"Sit down, gentlemen." Captain Christianson said. "Sorry for the emergency meeting, but there is something you need to know about. I decided it should come from me."

"Yes, sir." Terry and Mike said almost in unison.

"I just got off the phone with district attorney Jeffery Dobson and he wants us to turn the case over to the US Marshall Service." Captain Christianson said.

"No offense sir, but why?" Terry asked.

"Because finding Nichols and Christos is going to be complicated, and the US Marshall Service has the manpower and funds to do it." Captain Christianson explained. "Once our fugitives are captured, they will be involved in extraditing and accompanying them back to the United States."

"I believe the US Marshall Service is responsible for the fugitives until sentencing." Mike offered.

"That's right." Captain Christianson agreed. "Being a police detective, Nichols will have a virtual target on his back once he sets foot on US soil. We don't want any part of that."

"What about Stavros Christos and Steve Masters?" Mike asked. "Are they still under our watch?"

"Good question. Dobson thought it would be easier if they would take responsibility of all four suspects." Captain Christianson explained.

"What's next?" Terry queried.

"You'll need to gather all your information together on the Wilson case. Make sure all your forms are completed, evidence is properly stored and entered in the evidence log." Captain Christianson instructed. "Tomorrow morning, two US Marshalls will be coming in to review everything we have on the case."

"How is that going to help?" Mike asked. "If they're responsible for the suspects, do they really need to know everything about the case?"

"Dobson feels the more they know, the quicker they will be able to locate Christos and Nichols." Christianson explained. "The US Marshall Service has a unique relationship with Interpol. The US Marshall Service actively look for our fugitives while Interpol provides and informs them of any information, they come across relating to their case. Once the suspects are located and captured, the US Marshalls and the district attorney will help fill out all the paperwork needed to extradite them to the US."

"We'll get started on this right away." Terry said.

"Good." Captain Christianson said. "The two US Marshalls will be here tomorrow at 8:00 am. You have a lot of things to get ready."

"Yes, sir." Mike said as he and Terry got up from their chairs.

"Look, I know this is something none of us anticipated but when I started thinking about it, transferring everything to the US Marshalls makes the most sense. We won't have the expense and the time trying to locate the suspects."

"Yes, sir." Terry said unsure if he and Mike were dismissed.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Captain Christianson asked. "You have some work ahead of you and I'm assuming you'll want to get home at a reasonable hour. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir." Terry said as he and Mike wasted no time leaving the office.

Meanwhile, at the American Embassy in Rome, American diplomate Luigi Capelle walked toward the front desk with his coat in hand.

"Leaving for the day?" Antonio Montello, Luigi's coworker and friend surmised.

"Yes, I have some grocery shopping to do." Luigi answered. "Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow and I have nothing eat."

"Instead of wasting time and money buying food, why don't you and Gia come over to my house for Thanksgiving dinner? Mary is making her world-famous Pumpkin Ravioli. You don't want to miss out."

"Thanks, but how would Mary feel about three extra guests coming?" Luigi asked. "My wife, Jules is flying in from Los Angeles for the weekend."

"She won't mind." Antonio said in attempt to reassure his friend. "In fact, it was her idea. Look at it this way, if Gia is invited to my house, she isn't going to bring her American friend with her, is she?"

"Maybe she should bring him along." Luigi said thinking out loud.

"Why?" Antonio asked.

"What better way to keep tabs on this guy? He'll have his guard down."

"That's true. You can ask questions without sounding intrusive." Antonio said. "Well, how about it? Will you come over?"

"Sounds like a plan. Thank you for inviting us." Luigi said, clearly appreciative of his friend's gesture.

"You're welcome. I'm interested in this guy as much as you are."

It's now early evening at the Ludlow Police Station in a nondescript location in Southern California. Mike, Terry, Willie and Chris are feverishly working on getting everything together regarding the Lacey Wilson case.

"What's the status report?" Terry asked everyone while he's busy making sure all his documents are completed and signed.

"I'm almost done with my reports." Chris answered.

"Me too." Willie chimed in.

"My reports are completed and now I'm making sure everything is properly logged into evidence and matching them up with our crime scene photos." Mike said. "This is going to take some time."

"I'll be able to help you in about five minutes." Chris said.

"Great." Terry said. "Once I'm done with my reports, I'll start putting everything in chronological order."

"You mean like this?" Willie asked as he picked up one of three large binders.

"How did you manage to get that done so quickly?" Mike asked.

"Easy." Willie answered. "I've been doing this all along. All that's missing is everyone's reports."

"Impressive, Willie." Terry said.

Just then, Jill walked in carrying enough pizza, garlic bread and cookies to feed an army.

"Hi guys." Jill said as she was juggling pizza boxes into the office

"Let me help you." Terry said as he literally dropped his paperwork on his desk and ran over to assist Jill.

"Don't drop anything." Willie said.

"Yeah." Chris chimed in. "That pizza is precious cargo."

"I'm afraid to ask this." Jill said. "But how are things going?"

"Great." Everyone said in unison as they literally swarmed around the food.

"I forgot to bring plates and napkins. Sorry, guys." Jill said as the food was literally disappearing at breakneck speed.

"Don't need any." Chris said as he pulled out a stack of napkins he had hidden in his desk.

"When do you think you'll be done?" Jill asked as she started scanning everyone's desks.

"By 10:00pm. If we're lucky." Terry said. "Hey, save me a cookie!"

"You snooze, you lose buddy." Mike said as he grabbed two chocolate chip cookies.

"I'll give you one." Chris said as he tossed a cookie in Terry's general direction.

"Thanks, man." Terry said after skillfully managing to catch the cookie before it landed on the floor.

"I think I'll leave before a food fight erupts." Jill said as she walked toward the door. "Do you want me to take the boxes away?"

"Nah…" Terry answered. "We'll take care of it."

"Thanks Jill." Everyone said in unison as Jill walked down the hall.

"That was really nice of her." Willie said.

"Yeah." Mike answered. "She always seems to know what to do in every situation."

"Let's get back to work, shall we?" Terry said as he noted a half-hour break to eat was enough time.

Chapter 36

The next morning in Rome, Luigi Capelle, the American Diplomate and his daughter, Gia were having breakfast at a small café near their residence.

"What is your friend doing tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day?" Luigi asked hoping his question didn't seem intrusive.

"You mean Niko?" Gia asked, surprised that her father would even mention him.

"Yeah, Niko. What is he doing for Thanksgiving?"

"I don't know." Gia said. "He didn't say, and I didn't ask. Why?"

"You remember Antonio and Jules Montello, don't you?" Luigi asked.

"I think so." Gia said thoughtfully. "Mr. Morello works with you at the American Embassy, doesn't he?"

"That's right. Antonio and his wife Mary have graciously invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and he said you could bring your friend Niko along. If you want to, that is."

"What about his uncle?" Gia asked. "It would be rude to invite Niko and not his uncle."

"You'd have to clear that with Antonio." Luigi answered. "The invitation was intended for you, me, your mother and Niko. I wouldn't bring the uncle along without clearing it with him or Mary."

"Maybe I won't even bother asking Niko. He and his uncle probably already have plans." Gia said.

"You do whatever you think is right." Luigi said as he got up from his chair and leaned down to give Gia a kiss on the cheek. "I must go now. A diplomate's work is never done."

"Especially an American Diplomate." Gia chimed in. "Have a good day."

"Thank you. The same to you." Luigi answered in kind. "I love you, Gia. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you more." Gia answered.

Meanwhile, at the Ludlow precinct, Terry, Willie, Chris and Mike were carrying several three ring binders and two boxes of miscellaneous items related to the Lacey Wilson case to Conference Room 1 on the first floor.

"What time is it?" Terry asked as he started fidgeting with his necktie.

"Are you nervous, Terry?" Willie asked.

"Slightly." Terry confessed. "I want everything to go smoothly."

"It will, Terry." Mike said. "The time is five minutes to eight."

"What's the game plan?" Chris asked.

"We'll go through the case in chronological order. We'll use the crime scene photos to enhance our presentation. I was thinking Willie should stay in the room with us acting as a runner in case we need something. Chris, you'll man the phone upstairs and let us know if any urgent matters come up." Mike said.

"Sounds like a plan." Chris said. "If you don't need me, I'll head upstairs."

"Wait!" Terry said. "I just thought of something."

"What's that?" Mike asked confident they've covered everything.

"Lacey's car. Did anyone think to have her car transferred to the print shed?" Terry asked.

"I did." Captain Christianson said as he walked into the conference room. "Unfortunately, I didn't give them a lot of time to find the car and transfer it."

"So, we don't know if the car will be there?" Willie asked.

"No. We'll have to wait and see." Capt. Christianson confirmed.

"Chris, keep tabs on the car and let us know when it arrives." Terry said.

"You got it." Chris said. "Good luck everyone."

"Thanks, Chris." Willie replied.

Back in Rome, Luigi entered the American Embassy feeling a little more relaxed. Antonio was sitting at his usual spot behind the front desk.

"So how did it go with Gia?" Antonio excitedly asked before Luigi had time to take off his coat.

"As well as can be expected." Luigi answered. "Gia doesn't know if she's going to ask him or not."

"That's unfortunate. What was your response?"

"I didn't want her to think this was a setup, so I told her to do what she thought was best." Luigi replied. "I didn't know what else to say."

"Well, you did your best." Antonio said. "Only time will tell."

"Oh, fair warning. Gia may ask you if it's okay if the uncle comes to Thanksgiving dinner."

"I don't see why not. The question is whether this friend will let his guard down when the uncle is around."

"Yeah." Luigi agreed. "I was thinking that myself."

"I'll keep you updated should Gia say something to me."

"Great. Now, I really need to get to work" Luigi said as he looked at his watch.

Back in California, two unidentified men were escorted to the Conference room by Sgt. Older.

Mike, Willie and Terry immediately got up from their chairs as they entered the room.

"Good morning gentlemen." One of the men greeted. "I'm US Marshall Brad Shaklee and this is US Marshall Russell Wernicke. We're from the US Marshalls Fugitive Department."

"I'm Lt. Terrance Webster, this is Lt. Michael Danko and Detective William Gillis. It's nice to meet you." Terry said leading the introduction.

"Same here." Marshall Shaklee said as everyone exchanged handshakes.

"Please, have a seat." Mike said as the two US Marshalls sat across from Terry and Mike with Willie sitting slightly behind them.

"Thank you." Marshall Shaklee replied as he and Marshall Wernicke sat in their respective chairs.

"Before you start your presentation, do you have any questions for us?" Marshall Wernicke asked.

"Questions?" Willie asked with a quizzical expression.

"We find that most departments we work with want to know how we decide what cases to take on." Marshall Wernicke explained. "Contrary to popular belief, we don't get involved in a case until we're asked by the department to help."

"In this particular case, the prosecutor requested our assistance." Marshall Shaklee added. "Part of our job is to find fugitives who fled the US to another country."

"We work in tandem with Interpol and actually have a good relationship with them." Marshall Wernicke said.

"Our job consists of working with Interpol to find, surveille and arrest the fugitives in question. We work with the prosecutor to write up extradition paperwork and send it to the country involved. Then, when the country agrees to the extradition, we pick up and transport them back to the US." Marshall Shaklee explains.

"Once the fugitive is back on US soil, the fugitive remains in our custody through the trial, sentencing and escorting them to prison wherever that might be." Marshall Wernicke explained.

"Why are you taking our two inmates?" Mike asked.

"Because they might be useful in finding the two fugitives in question." Marshall Wernicke answered. "They may have information that hasn't been revealed yet."

"We tried getting Christos and Masters to give us anything that may help narrow down the search." Terry added. "They were useless, to say the least."

"Sometimes a new person with a new approach can be helpful in these types of situations." Marshall Wernicke said cryptically.

"Do you know one of the fugitives is a rogue cop?" Willie asked.

"Yes, we did." Marshall Shaklee said. "That's the main reason why we were asked to step in."

"We have the manpower and the funds to get both fugitives safely back to the US and to keep them safe while in our custody." Marshall Wernicke added. "They will both have to be in protective custody once they're back in the US."

"Let's get started." Terry said as he opened his first three ring binder.

Back at the American Embassy in Rome, the telephone on Luigi's desk started ringing indicating an interoffice call.

"You'll never guess who just called." Antonio excitedly announced before Luigi had a chance to say anything. "It was Gia. Her guy friend has accepted the invitation to Thanksgiving dinner."

"Really?" Luigi said.

"You sound surprised." Antonio said. "What gives?"

"I have a bad feeling about this guy." Luigi answered. "Something's not quite right with this situation."

"Well hopefully, when he's in a holiday atmosphere, he'll let his guard down enough to start talking about himself."

"Add alcohol to the mix, he'll be a regular stool pigeon." Luigi said. "Which reminds me, do you have any of that special wine of yours?"

"I have enough bottles stored to get us through Christmas and New Year's."

"Let's hope he reveals something about himself before New Year's Day." Luigi mused.

Back at the Ludlow Precinct, first floor conference room, Mike placed the first of a few three-ring binders in front of him.

"In April of 1979, Lacey Wilson was working toward her dream of becoming a physician in the future when she was kidnapped while walking to her car." Terry said as he painstakingly laid out the facts of the case while Mike started laying out the evidence to coincide with Terry's narrative.

"Lacey was twenty-two years old at the time of her kidnapping and was finishing up her pre-med classes. Lacey lived with her parents to save money. She took the med-school entrance exam or MCAT approximately six months prior to the incident." Terry said. "Enter Niko Christos who was also pre-med and took the MCAT exam at the same time and place as Lacey."

"Niko Christos is also twenty-two years old and in the same rotation as Lacey. Niko and his twin brother Stavros, lived at the same home they grew up in. Their parents died in a car accident, leaving Niko and Stavros with a large inheritance plus their home." Terry said as Mike slid a picture of Niko and Stavros as children across the table.

"Enter John Nichols. He worked as a detective with the LAPD and was working on the Lacey Wilson case. One day, Nichols didn't show up for work. Apparently, he decided to quit without warning. The only thing of interest to us was his notebook which was finally located by our boss, Captain Christianson." Terry continued as Mike slid over a picture of the notebook while Willie located the actual notebook in a clear, plastic evidence bag and gave it to US Marshalls Shaklee and Wernicke to inspect.

"Next, we have Stavros Christos. He's the twin brother of Niko. He also lived in the same home as Niko. We're not sure how much or how little he was involved in the kidnapping. What we do know is Stavros' timeline of events is close to Lacey's letter. Then there's John Masters. Masters was given an immunity deal in exchange for information on a related but separate crime. Apparently, Masters was down on his luck when Niko invited him to stay at his and Stavros' home. Finally, we have Jack Lamont. He was Lacey's boyfriend. They broke up after he found out she was pregnant. He wanted her to have an abortion and she wouldn't do it."

"That's quite a few players in this case." US Marshall Shaklee said as he and US Marshall Wernicke examined all the evidence so far.

"It's a complicated case, that's for sure." Mike said.

"Okay, how does this all fit together?" US Marshall Shaklee asked.

"One day, Lacey was studying in the university's cafeteria. Sitting a few tables over was Niko Christos and Steve Masters. Niko was bragging how he cheated on the MCAT exam by having his brother, Stavros take the test for him." Mike said as he took over the presentation while Terry provided the evidence.

"Niko saw Lacey studying a few tables over and became convinced she heard his confession." Mike said.

"Did she? Hear the confession, I mean?" US Marshall Shaklee asked.

"Yes, she did according to a letter she wrote prior to her disappearance." Mike said. "Niko was obsessed over finding out if Lacey heard any of the conversation. Niko started following Lacey around, asking her on dates and generally becoming a problem. Lacey told her friends she was frightened of Niko and didn't know what to do."

"Did she go to the police?" US Marshall Wernicke asked.

"Unfortunately, no she didn't." Mike answered. "Niko was always bragging about his uncle who he said was a high ranking official within the LAPD. Lacey feared the repercussions if she did go to the police."

"Lacey decided to write a narrative in the form of a letter detailing everything that happened so far. Lacey gave one letter to her friend Liza White and the other she was going to hide somewhere safe." Terry said as he slid a copy of Lacey's letter in a clear plastic evidence bag over to the US Marshalls.

"Before Lacey had a chance to hide the letter, Jack Lamont confiscated the letter when he was over at Lacey's house. Lacey didn't know it was missing until after Jack Lamont left. It turns out Niko Christos asked Jack Lamont to find and take Lacey's diary in exchange for money. Lamont didn't find the diary, but he did find the letter and gave it to Niko Christos." Mike explained.

"On the day of the kidnapping, Niko had his brother follow Lacey around. Lacey ended up at a place called Grady's Bar, a place where she works on an intermittent basis, to hide out. When Lacey felt it was safe, she left the bar and disappeared without a trace." Mike continues.

"On or about on April 16, 1979, Lacey's red Vega was discovered in the parking lot of Grady's Bar. Her purse was discovered in the front seat. According to Mr. Grady, an unidentified tow truck arrived at the scene and recovered the car." Mike explained as Wille produced a photo of the red Vega and VIN number. The man accompanied the tow truck said he was John Nichols from the LAPD."

"So, the rogue LAPD detective picked up the car himself?" US Marshall Wernicke queried. "That doesn't make sense. Why would he have exposed himself like that?"

"That's exactly what we thought until we found out Steve Masters actually picked up the car." Terry explained. "He impersonated John Nichols by giving his business card to Mr. Grady."

"We confiscated the card for fingerprints, but we were unsuccessful." Willie explained as he slid a plastic evidence bag with the business card.

"The case really took off when Steve Masters was pulled over by an LAPD officer driving Lacey's red Vega." Mike said.

"Are you saying the red Vega was never confiscated?" US Marshall asked.

"Yes." Mike said. "We wanted to inspect the vehicle only to find out the Vega never made it to the print shed."

"The car was actually hidden on the Christos property." Terry added. "Steve Masters decided to fix up the car and take it for a joyride. A SCPD officer initially pulled him over for a burned-out taillight. When the car was searched at the scene, Lacey's driver's license and credit card were in the trunk along with enough marijuana to make it a felony case."

"Masters was arrested and held for stealing the car and the marijuana." Mike continued. "Unfortunately, his lawyer struck a up an immunity deal with the prosecutor before we had a chance to question his client.

"While Lt. Webster conducted the interview, I executed a search warrant of the Christos property. We recovered a Glock 23 with some spent and live rounds and a receipt for an airline ticket. One of the police officers who was helping with the search when he uncovered a cellar behind a fake wall." Mike said.

"Inside the cellar, we noticed some remnants of cement on the floor and unused bags of cement. In the corner of the room was an area that was obviously poured sometime after the original construction. Upon excavation of the cement, we uncovered a body which was later identified as Lacey Wilson via dental records." Willie added.

"The coroner concluded Lacey died of a bullet wound to the head and strangulation. A spent bullet was also uncovered. According to Masters, Niko didn't know what to do, so he called his uncle, John Nichols for advice. Detective Nichols came and helped Masters and Niko Christos bury the body." Mike said.

"So, this Detective Nichols is the alleged 'high ranking officer' you mentioned earlier?" US Marshall Shaklee surmised.

"Yes." Willie said. "His role in this crime will be explained further."

"What about Jack Lamont?" US Marshall Wernicke asked. "You haven't mentioned his role in this."

"Apparently, his harassment of Lacey wasn't working, so he asked Lacey's former boyfriend for help. Jack Lamont offered to steal Lacey's diary in exchange for money. The day Lacey told him she was pregnant was the day he stole the letter you see in front of you." Terry said.

"The only problem is, Niko never gave Jack Lamont money for retrieving the letter. One day, Lamont shows up at the Christos property determined to get his money. While Lamont was confronting Niko, Masters was tasked with cutting the brake line on Lamont's car." Mike said.

"Sadly, right after Lamont confronted Niko, he was killed when his car missed a curve on Old Mill Road. He died instantly." Willie said. "Niko is very manipulative and only does things that benefit him. Niko threatened to turn his own brother into police for taking the MCAT in Niko's place."

"What is Stavros Christos role in this?" US Marshall Wernicke asked.

"Besides impersonating Niko during the MCAT exam, Stavros was also harassing Lacey and he helped bury Lacey's body." Willie said.

"Subsequently, Stavros Christos turned himself into the police and appeared to be forthcoming in telling the events of the crime. Stavros said his brother, Niko was supposed to turn himself in to police at the same time, but Niko was a no-show." Mike said. "Both Niko and John Nichols appeared to have dropped off the face of the earth."

"Steve Masters was caught in several lies and omissions during his interrogation." Terry said.

"What about Steve Masters?" US Marshall Shaklee asked. "Does he still have an immunity deal?"

"We don't know, quite frankly." Mike said. "The prosecutor has yet to decide."

"Did you search Nichol's home and what did you find?" US Marshall Wernicke queried.

"I obtained the search warrant and conducted the search." Mike answered. "We discovered a sales receipt to a hardware store where two blue tarps and a pair of gloves were purchased. The receipt was dated the same date as Lacey's disappearance. Also, there were several delinquent bills recovered from the scene."

"So, you have something that definitively ties Nichol to the crime." US Marshall Shaklee concluded. "Earlier, you mentioned an inheritance the Christos brothers received after the parent's death. Did you follow the money trail and where did it lead?"

"The inheritance is around one million dollars and that doesn't include the property. Upon further examination, the inheritance is monitored by their uncle, John Nichols. The only stipulation is that one of the Christos brothers attend college." Terry explained.

"What's your theory on the night of the kidnapping?" US Marshall Shaklee asked.

"Niko had his brother follow Lacey around that night. Frustrated, Lacey goes to Grady's Bar to hide out. Unfortunately, Stavros followed her in the bar and tried to talk to her. Lacey was obviously frightened, so the bouncer kicked Stavros out of the bar. When the coast was clear, Lacey left the bar and was taken by Niko before she had a chance to defend herself." Mike explained.

"We think Niko took her to the Christos property. Lacey tried to put up a fight. Exasperated with the whole situation, Niko started choking her. When Niko realized Lacey was still alive after chocking her, he shot her in the temple at point blank range." Terry continued.

"Niko freaked out over what just occurred and called his Uncle John Nichols, for assistance. That's when they buried the body under the cellar." Willie said.

"What you're telling us is that this whole situation was over cheating on the MCAT exam?" US Marshall Shaklee asked.

"That's our suspicion." Willie said.

"How could someone possibly impersonate someone else in order to take an exam? It seems farfetched to me." US Marshall Wernicke asked.

"That's what we thought initially." Terry answered. "But we checked with the company that administered the MCAT exam and found the fingerprint machine wasn't working on the day they took the exam."

"Stavros looks like Niko and when only using a driver's license as ID, I think this is very possible." Willie answered.

"You mentioned Nichol has some delinquent bills." US Marshall Shaklee stated. "Do you think Nichol was taking money from his nephews' inheritance in order to pay his bills?"

"Actually, that never occurred to us." Mike admitted.

"We'll have to check into that." US Marshall Wernicke said as he started writing a note to himself.

"Do you have any other questions or concerns?" Terry asked hoping to move this meeting toward a conclusion.

"I don't have any questions." US Marshall stated. "Do you?"

"The only other thing I would like to see is Lacey Wilson's car. Is that possible?"

"Let's see. We've been working on getting the car out of storage and into the evidence maintenance shed." Mike said as the telephone rang.

"Interrogation Room 1, this is Detective Gillis." There was a several second pause before Willie ended the call. "Okay, thanks."

"Was that the call we were hoping for?" Mike asked.

"Lacey Wilson's car just arrived in the evidence maintenance shed." Willie answered without really answering the question.

"Great. I'll take you down." Terry said as everyone started getting up from their respective chairs.

"I'll go with you." Willie offered.

Meanwhile in Rome, Niko Christos takes a deep breath before opening the door to the apartment he shares with his uncle, John Nichols. Niko has been putting off telling John about his invitation to Thanksgiving dinner.

"Where have you been?" John asked.

"Hello to you too." Niko said in response to John's greeting.

"I repeat, where have you been?"

"Taking a walk to clear my head." Niko answered cryptically.

"I hope you didn't venture out of the Vatican, did you?"

"No." Niko said. "I stayed in the Vatican like a good nephew." Of course, Niko was lying. He was walking the streets of Rome.

"It doesn't matter anyway." John replied. "I found a couple of restaurants that are open tomorrow. I figure we can call in our order for pickup. We'll be in and out in a matter of minutes."

"About that." Niko said. "I've been invited to Thanksgiving dinner with Gia, her father at someone's home."

"You did decline the invitation, didn't you?" John asked.

"No, I accepted." Niko answered.

"Where are you going specifically? Do you know any of these people? Have you met and of them?" John started firing off questions like he was interrogating a suspect.

"Gia knows them. I don't know the specifics."

"This is a bad idea, Niko." John said. "This could be some sort of set up."

"Relax, Colombo." Niko lightheartedly replied. "We're in Italy, not Los Angeles."

"I hope you're right."

Two hours later, Terry and Willie escorted US Marshalls Shaklee and Wernicke into the lobby of the Ludlow precinct.

"Everything seems to be in order." US Marshall Wernicke said. "I must say, your evidence catalog is impressive."

"Thank you." Terry answered. "We paid special attention to every detail since this case involves a former SCPD detective."

"I'm glad you did." US Marshall Shaklee said. "It will make the process easier when it comes to extraditing Nichols and Christos back to the US."

"I'll be on call on Thanksgiving Day and through the weekend." Terry announced as he handed US Marshall Shaklee several of his business cards. "You can reach me by pager with any questions."

"We appreciate your help." US Marshall Wernicke said. "We'll try not to bother you on the holiday."

"Anything else you need from us?" Willie asked.

"That about does it." US Marshall Shaklee announced. "Thank Lt. Danko and the rest of your department for us as well. You all did a fantastic job."

"We'll certainly pass along the message." Terry said. "Well gentlemen, the Lacey Wilson case is officially yours. Good luck."

Chapter 37

It's late morning on Thanksgiving Day and the Danko household is buzzing with activity preparing for their inaugural Thanksgiving meal in their new home. Jill was preparing the turkey in preparation for baking as Mike came in through the kitchen door carrying various supplies.

"Hey babe." Mike greeted as he placed all his supplies the counter.

"Hi sweetheart. I thought you were going to help me get ready for our first Thanksgiving meal in our new home."

"I am. With all this." Mike answered pointing to the supplies now sitting on the counter.

"I know I'm going to regret asking this but what are you talking about? What is all this stuff that is sitting on my kitchen counter?"

"It's a deep fryer." Mike proudly stated.

"Okay." Jill answered. "What are you planning on deep frying?"

"This bad boy." Mike said as he pointed to a turkey, he managed to find at the local grocery store.

"I already have a turkey all set to go in the oven and you want to cook more turkey? I have more than enough right here." Jill said as she pointed to her large turkey.

"I heard deep frying a turkey is delicious." Mike answered.

"So, you essentially want to pit my tried-and-true oven baked turkey against a deep-fried turkey that you've never done before?"

"Ah…yeah, I guess so." Mike answered now starting to second guess his deep-fried turkey idea on Thanksgiving Day.

"Do you even know how to correctly deep fry a turkey?"

"I've read the instructions, if that's what you mean."

"Where are these instructions?" Jill asked still skeptical about this whole idea.

"Right here." Mike said as he pulled out the instructions from his pants pocket. "All you have to do is heat the oil to 350 degrees and carefully lower the turkey into the fryer."

"For how long?" Jill asked.

"Approximately 3 ½ minutes per pound and this is a 10# turkey."

"The instructions say the turkey must be completely thawed. Is your turkey thawed?"

"For the most part." Mike said non-committedly. "So, a little water and oil mix together. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Water and oil don't mix." Jill said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you've never heard the phrase 'water and oil don't mix' before."

"It will be fine." Mike said. "I'll set it up away from the house and see what happens."

"Care to place a little wager?"

"You're really feeling confident, aren't you?" Mike said not really answering the question. "Okay, Mrs. Danko, what's the wager?"

"Whoever has the most votes for their turkey wins." Jill said as she offered to shake Mike's hand.

"Hold on. What happens if you win?"

"One long weekend at Martha's Vineyard before the baby is born." Jill said.

"Pick something else." Mike countered. "I need to save up my vacation days for paternity leave if I want to get paid.

"How about leaving on a Friday night and coming home Sunday night." Jill suggested. "Would that work?"

"Possibly." Mike answered. "I don't want to appear like I'm not committed to making this new department a success."

"You made the ultimate commitment by serving in the Armed Forces." Jill said. "I think you've proven your commitment into whatever you're doing."

"Thanks, babe." Mike said. "What should I pick if I win?"

"Don't bother choosing since my turkey will win."

"Very funny." Mike replied. "How about a weekend at Big Bear? It would be a win-win no matter who gets the most votes."

"Sounds like we have a contest." Jill said as she and Mike shook hands, sealing the deal.

"May the best turkey win."

Chapter 38

Meanwhile, in Italy, Niko was busy getting dressed for Thanksgiving dinner with Gia and unknown hosts.

"This is a very bad idea, Niko." John said in his final attempt to convince Niko to back out of Thanksgiving dinner.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Niko replied. "It's not as if I'm going to know anyone at this dinner. The possibility of being recognized is slim to none."

"How much did you pay for that suit?" John asked as Niko started removing the price tag off the dinner jacket.

"Don't worry. The suit was on sale."

"How did you pay for this?" John asked as he started to instinctively go into his detective mode. "The suit must have been expensive."

"I paid cash. Are you happy now?"

"Do you know what would make me happy? When you cancel your dinner plans."

"Quit worrying already."

"Don't give out too much information especially if Gia's father is there."

"I know what I'm doing." Niko said as he adjusted his tie prior to heading out the door.

"I hope so." John said to no one in particular.

Meanwhile, at the home of Antonio and Mary Morello, the Thanksgiving party is in full swing. Luigi and Jules Capelle just arrived.

"How was your trip?" Mary asked Jules referring to her plane ride from Los Angeles to Italy.

"It was uneventful. Which is always a good thing in my book." Jules replied. "Thank you for inviting us over."

"It's our pleasure." Antonio replied. "We love to entertain, especially during the holiday season."

"Where's Gia and her friend?" Mary asked.

"They should be here momentarily." Luigi answered.

"Would you like something to drink?" Mary asked. "Hopefully, we'll have something here you would like. Antonio don't just sit there. Take their coats and get them something to drink."

"Of course." Antonio answered.

"Meanwhile, I have to check on dinner."

"Can I help you with anything?" Jules asked.

"I never turn down a helping hand in the kitchen. Come with me." Mary said. "We can get to know each other better over celery and carrots."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Antonio opened the door to see Gia and Niko.

"Come on in." Antonio said. "You must be Gia. It's nice to finally meet you and you must be..."

"Niko. It's a pleasure to meet you." Niko said as he and Antonio shook hands.

Meanwhile, at the Danko household, dinner preparations are going well, and Eddie Ryker, always the first to arrive, didn't disappoint.

"What is your husband doing?" Eddie asked as he noticed Mike out in the backyard.

"Oh, he's trying his hand at deep frying a turkey." Jill answered as she unconsciously rolled her eyes. "I have a feeling it's going to be disastrous. The turkey, which he only purchased today, is partially frozen and once the turkey is immersed into 350-degree oil…"

"The oil and water will separate creating a whole new set of problems." Eddie replied. "I'll go out there and see if I can lend him a hand."

"Thank you, Eddie. I appreciate it."

"No problem." Eddie replied as he headed for the side door that leads to the backyard.

"Could you please tell him the rest of the guests will be arriving momentarily and he's in charge of drinks."

"Copy that." Eddie replied as a reflex response from his days on the police force.

Ten minutes later, just as Jill predicted, the doorbell rang indicating the party is about to begin.

Jill opened the door to find her best friend Christine and her husband standing at the door. Christine was holding a dish to share.

"Christine and Adam, thank you for coming. Please come in." Jill said as she opened the door allowing them to enter the house.

"I hope you don't mind, but I brought my world famous seven-layer salad." Christine announced as they walked through the door.

"Thank you." Jill replied gratefully. "I never turn down another dish to pass."

"I hope you have some room in the refrigerator."

"If not, we'll make some room." Jill said. "Come this way."

"Where is everybody?" Adam asked. "I hope we're not the first guests here." Then toward his wife, Christine "I told you we were too early."

"Nonsense." Jill said. "Eddie is always the first to arrive."

Right on cue, Eddie appears. "Can I take your coats?"

"Thank you." Christine and Adam said simultaneously as they handed Eddie their coats.

"Jill, where should I put the coats?"

"In the front closet." Jill replied. "To answer your question, Mike is in the backyard insisting on making a deep-fried turkey."

"Where did he get that idea?" Christine queried.

"I have no idea." Jill replied.

"I'll go see what he's up to." Adam said.

"Thanks." Jill said as they headed for the kitchen.

Chapter 39

Back in Italy, Gia and her new friend, Niko Christos have just arrived at the Morello home.

Mary Morello and Jules Capelle emerge from the kitchen just as handshakes were being exchanged.

"Niko, this is my wife, Mary and this is Luigi's wife and Gia's mom, Jules." Antonio took the liberty of introducing both wives.

Jules had a curious look on her face as she shook Niko's hand.

Luigi noticed 'the look' and responded with "are you okay?"

"Have we ever met before?" Jules asked Niko, not really responding to her husband's question.

"I don't think so." Niko replied now wishing he listened to his uncle.

"I'm certain I've seen you before." Jules insisted.

"Maybe you saw him somewhere in the states." Mary said, referring to the United States.

"Maybe that's it." Jules replied, deciding not to make a big deal of it. "What else can I help you with?"

"If you could set up the hors d'oeuvres on the coffee table, please." Mary answered.

"No problem." Jules said as she followed Mary back into the kitchen.

"What would you like to drink?" Antonio asked Gia and Niko just as Jules was bringing out the hors d'oeuvres.

"I'll take a glass of wine." Gia answered.

"Me too." Niko chimed in.

"Red or white?" Antonio asked.

"Red." Niko and Gia said almost simultaneously.

Niko, Gia and Jules started talking amongst themselves while Luigi followed Antonio into his office.

"I have to show you my new toy." Antonio said as he proudly showed off his new fax machine.

"Impressive." Luigi said. "What did Mary think of your new purchase?"

"She doesn't know yet." Antonio answered sheepishly. "I figured I have until after black Friday before she'll notice anything. Speaking of noticing, what do you make of Jules thinking she saw Niko before?"

"I don't know, really. What I do know is if my wife says she's seen him before, you can take that to the bank." Luigi's wife, Jules is a litigator for the Southern California Legal Aid Department. Around the office, Jules is known for her compassion, quick wit and photographic memory. "Show me how this thing works."

"It's really easy." Antonio said. "I'll fax something to the office." As Antonio was setting up the fax, he realized the machine was out of paper. As Antonio reached over his desk, several pieces of paper fell to the ground.

"I'll pick up the paper while you set up the fax." Luigi suggested. As he picked up the papers, he noticed several of them were the Top Ten Fugitive List that were faxed over to the office. "Don't you ever take time off?" Luigi held up one of the Fugitive Lists.

"What can I say? I love my job." Antonio replied. "Could you please give me one of those lists and I'll fax it to the office."

"You key in the phone number and hit the "fax" button and viola; the fax has been sent. Pretty neat, isn't it?" Antonio proudly said.

"I'll reserve my comment when I see the fax made it to the consulate. Is this fax transmission instantaneous?"

"No, it takes a few minutes. There will be a fax confirmation coming through when it has been successfully sent.

"Where are you guys?" Mary called out. "Dinner is ready."

"We better get back out there." Antonio said. "When Mary says dinner is ready, it means the food is on the table and you better show up."

Meanwhile, John Nichols was preparing for departure. John obtained a fake passport and started packing his suitcase.

At the Danko household, every guest arrived and was counted for. Sitting at the dinner table was Eddie Ryker at one end of the table and Mike at the other end. Also in attendance were Christine and Adam, Chris and his friend, Britney and Jill's sister and niece, Amanda and Tori.

After a Thanksgiving prayer, Jill brought out her turkey all sliced and ready to serve. Mike brought out his whole deep-fried turkey on a platter.

"Before everyone starts eating, Mike and I would like to say thank you for coming to this important inaugural Thanksgiving Day dinner." Jill announced. "Families come in all shapes and sizes, and we are proud to call everyone here a family member. Thanks again."

"I'd like to make a toast." Eddie said as he stood up from his seat. "To friends and family, may everyone that's here today will be present for years to come."

"To friends and family." Adam said as everyone raised their glasses toward the middle of the table.

"Can we eat now?" An impatient Tori asked. "I'm hungry!"

"Hold on Tori." Mike said. "Jill and I have a side bet going on to see whose turkey is the best."

"What's the prize?" Chris asked.

"If I win, we go to Big Bear. If Jill wins, we go to Martha's Vineyard one final time before…" Mike started saying as Jill gave him a 'not now' look.

"Before what?" Christine asked.

"Mike and I are going to have a baby." Jill blurted out.

"I'm going to be an uncle! Yes!" Chris said with a fist pump for emphasis.

"Congratulations!" Eddie said as he gave Jill a hug. Everyone started hugging and congratulating Jill.

"Hello? I'm the father." Mike said as the doorbell rang.

Mike answered the door to find Willie and his wife Sarah at the door.

"No offence, but I thought you were going to Ohio." Mike said.

"We were bumped off of our flight." Willie explained.

"Instead of waiting for another flight, we took a voucher." Sarah explained.

"Yeah. I'm sure there will be some sort of expiration date and plenty of exclusions." Willie said showing his slight annoyance with whole situation. "Anyway, sorry for the intrusion, but can we eat here?"

"Of course, you can." Mike said as he opened the door to allow Willie and Sarah in.

By this time, Jill entered the living room. "We just sat down for dinner. Come and eat while the food is hot."

"Thank you, Mike and Jill." Sarah said. "I brought a banana cream pie as a peace offering."

"Follow me." Jill said as Willie and Sarah entered the dining room. "Look who's here, everyone!"

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Willie said as he and Sarah took two empty spots at the table.

"Now can we eat?" Tori asked as she was growing impatient.

"Yes, Tori." Everyone said in unison.

Just as everyone was passing the food around the table, there was yet another knock on the door. "What is this? Grand Central Station?" Mike asked as he opened the front door again.

Terry was standing at the door with a loaf of Italian bread.

"Mike, you need to get out here." Terry said in a whisper.

Without hesitation, Mike stepped out and closed the door behind him.

"Why so secretive?" Mike asked clearly confused by Terry's demeanor. "You're always welcome here."

"That's not why I asked you to come out."

"Okay. What's the problem?"

"When I pulled up to the front gate, I noticed someone driving in behind me." Terry started to explain.

"So what?" Mike said. "Maybe it is another wayward guest of ours."

"I don't think so." Terry answered. "This car followed me throughout the neighborhood. I think this person was looking for something."

"Looking for what?" Mike asked.

"Your house."

"Who would be looking for our house?" Mike asked obviously believing Terry's version of events.

"Do you remember Pip Brent?" Terry asked.

"Of course, I do. I killed her husband. You don't forget something like that."

"That's who it looked like." Terry said. "See, there's the car again." Terry pointing to a car driving exceptionally slow past the Danko house.

Meanwhile, Willie and Chris were sitting at the dinner table wondering what was going on.

"Excuse me for a moment." Willie said as he abruptly left the table.

"Me too." Chris said as he followed Willie out the front door.

"What is going on out there?" Jill asked as she started getting up from her chair.

"Stay in here, Jill." Eddie said sensing there's something major going on outside.

"But maybe I can help." Jill said.

"I'm telling you to sit down." Eddie said with more force than he intended.

Jill immediately sat down realizing when Eddie tells you to do something, you do it.

Meanwhile in the front yard, Terry and Mike are joined by Willie and Chris.

"What is going on?" Chris asked.

"It's an extremely long story." Terry said as the car drove past the house slowly.

"That's it. I'm going to see what's going on." Mike said as he immediately started walking toward the car.

"Damn it!" Terry said. "Wait for us." Terry started walking briskly toward Mike with the Italian loaf of bread still in his hand. Willie and Chris aren't far behind.

When Mike got to the car, he found Pip Brent and a teenager whom Mike presumed was Howie Brent, Pip's son.

"What are you doing here and how did you get my home address?" Mike asked.

"Hello, Mike. It just bought a house on the next street over. As far as your address, a nice man named Sgt. Older gave me your address after I told him you were my long-lost brother."

"He actually believed that story?" Terry asked.

"Obviously, he did." Pip said. "Aren't you going to invite me in? I'd love to say 'hello' to your wife. Unless you're divorced, of course."

"Sorry, this party is by invitation only." Willie said. "Were you invited?"

"Mike and I are old friends." Pip said. "Do friends need an invitation?"

"You're right." Mike said in a sudden shift in strategy. "Why don't you come in?"

"Mike, do you think this is the right move?" Terry whispered to Mike.

"She wants to see if Jill and I are together, so let her find out." Mike said as Willie and Chris walked back into the house.

After Willie explained the situation developing in the front yard, Jill also decided to do a little reverse psychology. "Invite her in." Jill answered.

"Are you sure?" Chris asked.

"Pip is slightly confrontational right now." Willie clarified.

"If she wants to embarrass herself in front of a bunch of strangers, let her." Jill answered.

"It's scary how you and Mike think alike sometimes." Willie said. "I'll tell Mike."

Chapter 40

Meanwhile, in Italy, John Nichols paid for the room he shared with his nephew through the holiday weekend before picking up his fake passport and global Eurail pass on the way to the train station.

Back at the Morello house, after Thanksgiving dinner, everyone was enjoying their choice of either Tiramisu, apple or pecan pie.

Inexplicably, Antonio slipped away from the dinner table and headed for his office to check to see if the fax transmission went through. As he headed to the fax machine, he noticed a piece of paper on the floor and decided to pick it up.

As he started looking at the paper, the color drained from Antonio's face when he realized he's looking at a red notice alert issued by Interpol for John Nichols and Niko Christos. The red notice alert included pictures of Nichols and Christos. "That's definitely Christos." Antonio said to himself. Fear started creeping in as Antonio realizes he has a fugitive in his home.

Antonio put the paper in his pocket and walked out of the office and into the dining room. Antonio promptly walked over to Luigi and whispered, "You have to come and see something."

"Do you mind if I finish my pecan pie?" Luigi whispered back.

"Bring the pie with you." Antonio said. "This is literally a life-or-death situation."

"Okay." Luigi said thinking that Antonio might be overemphasizing the situation. "Did you want to show me the fax transmission or what?" Luigi walked into the office prior to Antonio closing the door.

"No, although it did come through." Antonio said. "I found this on the floor when I walked in here." Antonio pulled the paper and gave it to Luigi. "The eagle has landed."

"What are you talking about?" Luigi asked momentarily forgetting about the code phrase to use if Niko was spotted.

"Just look at the paper."

The color on Luigi's face matched the color on Antonio's face when he realized a fugitive was sitting in the next room, sitting right next to his daughter, Gia.

"What should we do?" Antonio asked.

"There's no choice in the matter." Luigi answered. "We have a duty to notify Interpol. It will be up to them to verify that it's Niko Christos before proceeding accordingly."

"I understand that." Antonio said. "I mean what do we do right now? We can't tell our wives or Gia there's a fugitive among us."

"That's true. That will only cause panic and the last thing we want is to do is tip off Niko. Who knows what he would do if backed into a corner?"

"I doubt Niko will go down quietly." Antonio said. "If he sticks around, that is."

"After Niko leaves tonight, we'll notify Interpol." Luigi said. "This can't wait."

Meanwhile, in Southern California, Mike and Terry accompanied Pip and her son, Howie into the dining room where everyone was still enjoying their meal.

"Everyone, attention please." Mike said. "This is Pip and her son Howie."

"My name is Howard." Howie interjected.

"Sorry. This is Howard." Mike said.

"Welcome." Jill said in a sugary and annoying way. "You can take my place right here." Jill started clearing her plate and silverware from the table.

"And Howard can take my spot." Christine said as she picked up her plate and silverware and placed a clean plate and silverware in its place.

Eddie, upon hearing who the unexpected "guests" were, nearly chocked on Mike's deep-fried turkey.

Christine followed Jill into the kitchen carrying her plate and silverware. "Is this the Pip Brent that wanted to steal your husband approximately ten years ago?"

"The very same." Jill answered.

"What do you suppose she wants?" Christine asked.

"All I know is her timing is impeccable." Jill said. "Showing up out of the blue on Thanksgiving Day takes guts."

"You got that right." Christine said.

Just then Jill's sister Amanda came into the kitchen. "Am I going to get the grand tour of the house?"

"Of course." Jill answered.

"You two go ahead. I'll start loading the dishwasher." Christine offered.

"Thanks, Christine."

"You're welcome."

Jill gave a quick tour of the house ending in the Master bedroom. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Amanda asked.

"Sure." Jill said. "Have a seat." Jill and Amanda sat down on the bed.

"I want to apologize to you. It's been a long time coming." Amanda said.

"What are you talking about?"

"When you and Mike decided to get married, I wasn't very supportive because of your age difference. I was sure the marriage wasn't going to last long especially with Mike in the armed forces at the time. But ten years later, you're happily married with a baby on the way. So, can you forgive me?"

"It's been a long time, but I think I can manage to forgive my favorite sister." Jill said as she gave her older sister a hug.

"I hope so, since I'm your only sister." Amanda said. "Now about the pregnancy. If there's anything you need or have any questions, I'm just a phone call away. If you want me to come down after the baby is born, let me know. I'll have to clear it with my boss, but I think I'll be able to take a week off or so."

"Thanks for the offer, but Mike and I need to learn how to handle taking care of a baby on our own. But I'll promise to call you if I need something."

"Make sure that you do." Amanda said as Tori came running up to her mom.

"What are you talking about?" Tori asked.

"About your Aunt Jill and Uncle Mike having a baby of their own." Amanda said. "When are you due, by the way?"

"Probably by early to mid-May. I'm hoping we'll be able to narrow down the due date after my first ultrasound."

"Mom, can I stay with Auntie Jill and Uncle Mike after the baby is born? I can help them take care of my new cousin."

"I don't think so, Tori. Jill and Mike will have their hands full taking care of the baby and they won't have any time to take you to the zoo or the amusement park like they usually do when you visit."

"But Uncle Mike said I'd have to ask Auntie Jill if I can come." Tori said.

"Did he?" Jill said. "I'll have to have a long talk with Uncle Mike about this. Listen Tori, I appreciate your offer, but Mike and I will need some time to adjust to having a baby around. Maybe you can come and stay with us when you're a little bit older, okay?"

"All right." Tori said seemingly unphased by not getting her way. "Can I set up the croquet set up in the backyard? Uncle Chris thinks he can beat me."

"Sure. I'll get it out for you." Jill said as she got up from the bed. "I'm pretty sure it's in the garage."

"Thank you, Auntie Jill."

"No problem. Take it easy on Uncle Chris, okay? I'm sure he hasn't played in a while."

"Okay." Tori said as she excitedly ran down the hallway.

"Uncle Chris is going to have his hands full. Tori is good at croquet."

"There's only one way to find out." Jill said as she and Amanda exited the bedroom and headed out to the garage.

Jill and Amanda emerged from the garage with the croquet set just as the players were picking out their teammates.

"Jill, are you playing?" Terry asked.

"I'm afraid I'll have to pass." Jill answered. "It's time for me to release Christine from kitchen duty."

"I'll help Christine." Amanda offered.

"Thank you, Amanda." Jill said.

"No problem. It's the least I can do after I invited myself and Tori to Thanksgiving. The meal was great, by the way. Especially the roasted turkey." Amanda walked back into the house through the back door and then kitchen.

"What can I help you with?" Amanda asked.

"I'm so glad you asked. We need to find containers for all the leftovers." Christine answered referring to all the food, still in the serving dishes on the kitchen counter.

"I guess it's time to go on a scavenger hunt for hidden containers." Amanda said as she rolled up her sleeves and started opening kitchen cupboards.

Chapter 41

Meanwhile, in Rome, Antonio and Luigi were still in Antonio's office trying to collect themselves prior to joining the other guests.

"Do you think we can pull this off without causing any suspicion?" Antonio asked as he folded the red alert notice and placed it back in his pocket.

"I don't know." Luigi replied. "My wife has the uncanny ability to see right through people."

"Then we'll have to make sure Jules doesn't feel the need to look." Antonio said before opening the door and joining the other guests in the living room.

After approximately thirty minutes, Niko suddenly announced he is going back to the hotel where he's presently resides.

"But you haven't had a piece of my apple pie." Mary said.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Morello, I couldn't possibly eat another bite. Thank you for the wonderful meal." Niko said trying to be on his best behavior. "Now, if I may use your phone to call for a taxi."

"Nonsense." Antonio said in a knee-jerk moment. "I'll drive you back. It's quicker than waiting for a taxi on a holiday."

"He's right." Luigi chimed in. "In fact, I'll come with you."

"Thank you but really, I can all a taxi." Niko said suddenly wondering how this situation went South so quickly.

"We insist." Luigi and Antonio said almost in unison.

"Well, if you insist, how can I say 'no'?" Niko said deciding it would raise too much suspicion if he continued to decline the offer.

"I want to come too." Gia said as she tried to get out of kitchen duty.

"Remember, when you're eating at someone's home as a guest, you either help before the meal or after." Jules chimed in now suddenly realizing where she's seen Niko before. It was at the Legal Aid Office where she saw the red notice alert on Christos and Nichols. "Isn't that right, Luigi?" Jules made eye contact with her husband indicating she knew what was going on and why Luigi and Antonio are insisting they drive Niko to the hotel.

"Your mother is right." Luigi said. "We'll be back shortly." Luigi, Antonio and Niko grabbed their coats and walked out the door.

"Oh, all right." Gia, realizing she's never going to win this argument, reluctantly agrees.

With that, Luigi, Antonio and Niko walked out the door.

"What hotel are you staying at?" Antonio asked as he started his car.

"Why do you want to know?" Niko asked abruptly.

"Ahh…so we can drop you off." Luigi answered.

"Of course, I'm sorry." Niko apologized. "You can drop me off in front of St. Peter's Square."

"Have to been to the Vatican?" Antonio asked trying to keep the conversation going and hopefully, gather more information.

"Excuse me?" Niko asked.

"The Vatican. You should really sign up for a tour. It's quite impressive." Luigi said.

"What do you mean? The hotel where I'm staying is in the Vatican."

"Oh, really?" Antonio said, surprised Niko would have secured a place to stay in the Vatican.

"You sound surprised." Niko said.

"Well…" Antonio started saying.

"It's hard to find accommodations within the Vatican." Luigi interrupted. "Isn't it, Antonio?"

"Yes, it is." Antonio agreed deciding to follow Luigi's lead.

After a few minutes of silence, Antonio finally reaches St. Peter's Square.

"You can drop me off right here." Niko said as Antonio pulled over to the curb. "Thank you for a wonderful dinner. It was the best Thanksgiving I've had since my parents died."

"I'm glad you had a good time." Antonio said.

"Please extend a 'thank you' to your wife." Niko said as he opened the front passenger side door and exited the car.

"I will. Goodbye, Niko." Antonio said.

With that, Niko closed the door and briefly stopped at the corner making sure Antonio was pulling away from the curb before heading to the hotel.

"Which way is he heading?" Antonio asked as he carefully merged back into traffic.

"He isn't." Luigi said. "He's just standing there pretending to look at his watch."

"Damn. I was hoping we could find out where he's staying." Antonio said. "Any information we can give Interpol would be helpful."

"Gia said Niko and his uncle are staying at the Hotel Della Concilliazone." Luigi said. "But that could be a lie."

"There's only one way to find out." Antonio said as he backtracked around to St. Peter's Square.

Antonio pulled over the curb in front of St. Peter's Square just in time to see Niko cross the street and enter the hotel.

"Well, he wasn't lying about that." Luigi said.

"What do you think about this guy?" Antonio said.

"Well, Niko certainly knows how to manipulate people, doesn't he? Luigi answered with a question.

"That's why he's dangerous." Antonio said. "Do you think we handled Niko the right way?"

"I think so. If we would've told him the hotel really isn't in the Vatican, who knows what would happen?" Luigi answered. "We don't want him slipping away before Interpol has a chance to catch up to him."

"You're right." Antonio said. "Let's get back to my house and celebrate what's left of the holiday."

"Great. There's a bottle of wine with our names on it." Luigi said.

"First things first." Antonio said. "I think we should call Interpol when we get back to my house."

"That's a good idea." Luigi said as they headed toward Antonio's home.

Meanwhile, at the train station in Termini, John Nichols was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get on the train with his fake passport in hand. John's next hurdle is successfully travelling to Yugoslavia.

Back in Rome, Niko carefully opened the door and noted the eerily quiet hotel room.

"I wonder where John is?" Niko asked himself as he took off his coat. When Niko turned on the lights, he detected there were personal belongings of John's that were missing.

Fear took over Niko as he took a deep breath and turned on the light in John's room. As Niko scanned the room, he realized none of John's belongings were in their usual place.

"Did he take off on me?" Niko asked himself as he opened the closet door to find all of John's clothes were gone. "Damn it!" Niko said out loud. "He bolted to who knows where."

Niko was faced with the fact he is now alone in Italy and has no idea what to do or where to go from here.

Chapter 42

Back at the Danko house, Jill walked outside just in time to see the first team, comprised of Tori and Terry, start playing. The second team was Mike and Chris, and the third team was Pip Brent and her son, Howie.

The croquet game was complete, Terry and Tori were the winners.

"I believe you each owe us five dollars." Terry said referring to he and Tori.

"Pay up guys." Tori said.

Reluctantly Mike and Chris each gave Terry five dollars while Pip Brent handed over ten dollars.

Amanda and Christine just walked outside in time to see money being exchanged.

"They didn't play for money, did they?" Amanda asked Jill.

"It sure looks like it." Jill answered. "Sorry about that." Jill apologized after realizing placing a bet might have been sending the wrong message in front of teenagers.

"Don't worry about it." Amanda said.

Meanwhile, Terry collected the twenty dollars, added his own five dollars and handed the money over to Tori. "This is for you, Tori." Terry said.

"Don't you want your half?" Tori asked Terry.

"Take it all." Terry said. "Let's just say I'm in the holiday spirit."

"Thank you, Uncle Terry!" Tori said excitedly.

"What are you going to do with your windfall?" Chris asked.

"Windfall? What's that?" Tori asked.

"Basically, it means you unexpectedly received something to your advantage." Terry explained.

"In this case it was twenty-five dollars." Mike asked.

"I want to get a Sega SG-1000." Tori said.

"What is this 'Sega' thing?" Chris asked.

"It's a home video game." Tori answered. "Mom said it was too expensive and if I want it, I'd have to earn the money."

"So, it has its own screen or what?" Mike asked.

"Oh, Uncle Mike!" Tori said as she rolled her eyes for effect. "You hook it up to the back of your tv with a special cable. The tv is your screen."

"What will they think of next?" Mike asked as Tori ran to her mom.

"Look what Uncle Terry gave me!" Tori said.

"Wow! Twenty-five dollars is a lot of money. I hoped you thanked Uncle Terry." Amanda said.

"Yes, I did." Tori said.

"So, do you have enough to buy that video thing?" Amanda asked.

"With the money I got for my birthday, I should have enough." Tori answered.

"Video thing?" Jill asked.

"Doesn't anybody know about these things?" Tori asked.

"That was a rude thing to say Tori." Amanda scolded her daughter. "Apologize to Aunt Jill and tell her with this game thing is without the attitude."

"Sorry Aunt Jill." Tori said refusing to make eye contact with Jill. "It's a video game called SG1000."

"Thanks for the apology, Tori." Jill said.

"Can I go and put my money in our 'secret place?' Tori whispered to her mom.

"Go ahead, Tori." Amanda said as Tori ran toward the house.

"What is this secret place?" Jill asked.

"In my purse." Amanda answered. "I told Tori that my purse is my secret place, and she couldn't open it unless she asked first."

"So, Tori dubbed it your 'secret place.' Jill concluded.

"Exactly." Amanda answered.

Meanwhile, in Rome, Antonio and Luigi each took a deep breath before opening the front door of the Morello house.

"Are you ready for this?" Antonio asked. It was decided between Antonio and Luigi that their wives and Gia need to know the truth before they called Interpol.

"No, but we need to do it." Luigi answered.

"That was quick." Mary commented upon seeing Antonio and Luigi standing in the living room.

"We dropped Niko off at St. Peter's Square, just as he requested." Luigi said. "Listen, we have to tell you something."

"Okay." Mary said as she, Jules and Gia sat down in the living room.

"This is about Niko, isn't it?" Jules asked. "I finally put two and two together when you were about to leave."

"I figured that." Luigi said. "What took you so long?"

"You don't run into this type of situation every day of the week." Jules said.

"Could someone tell us what's going on?" Mary asked. "I'm getting concerned."

"It's Niko." Antonio said. "We have confirmation that he's on the run with his uncle."

"What do you mean by on the run?" Gia asked.

"Because Antonio and I work at the American Consulate, we receive any red notices that are issued by Interpol." Luigi explained.

"Basically, a red notice is distributed when someone is on the top ten wanted list." Jules explained.

"That's right." Luigi confirmed.

"What does this red notice have to do with Niko and his uncle?" Gia asked.

"A couple of days ago, we received a red notice on Niko and his Uncle John Nichols. They're wanted in the US in a four-year missing person's case."

"So, they're wanted on suspicion of what, exactly?" Mary asked.

"They are persons of interest in a kidnapping and subsequent murder of a twenty-two-year-old pregnant student." Antonio explained.

"I don't believe it." Gia defiantly said.

"Interpol doesn't wire out these red notices for the fun of it." Luigi said. "Antonio, show them the notice."

Antonio pulled out the red flag notice clearly naming John Nichols and Niko Christos as wanted fugitives with their pictures.

"But he's so nice." Gia said. "I really like him."

"I know you do, Gia." Luigi said. "Remember when I told you to be careful around this guy because you really don't know who he is."

"Yes, I remember. It doesn't make this any easier to hear." Gia said as Antonio handed her the red notice.

"When are you going to contact Interpol?" Jules asked.

"Right now." Antonio replied. "We wanted to talk about this before we called Interpol."

"That certainly looks like him." Mary said as she handed the notice to Jules.

"So, are we all on board?" Luigi asked. "About calling Interpol, that is."

"Can we think about it?" Gia asked.

"Sorry, Gia." Luigi said. "Part of my job as an American Diplomate is to report any US citizen who's running from the law or has broken the law and is hiding in Italy."

"It's our duty." Antonio said. "Sorry, this isn't up for debate."

"Do what you have to do." Mary said as Jules handed the notice back to her husband.

A few minutes later, Luigi is on the phone calling Interpol.

"Hello." Luigi greeted. "I would like to report a sighting of two US citizens on the red notice list."

"Let me have you talk with US Marshall Wernicke." The operator said.

A few moments later, "this is US Marshall Wernicke. How can I help you?"

"My name is Luigi Capelle, American Diplomate working at the US Consulate in Rome, Italy. I think I know where two fugitives are on the red notice list."

"Okay. Who are the fugitives?" US Marshall Wernicke asked.

"Niko Christos and John Nichols." Luigi said.

"I'm actually on that case." US Marshall explained. "When and where did you see them?"

"I actually only seen Niko Christos, I never met John Nichols." Luigi explained.

"Okay. When and where did you see Niko Christos?"

"Tonight, just as he was walking into the Hotel Della Concilliazone in Rome." Luigi said.

"Was it a positive ID?"

"Well, Niko matched the picture on the red notice, if that's what you mean."

"Okay. Thank you for the information." US Marshall Wernicke said.

"What happens next?" Luigi asked. "What will Interpol do about this?"

"All Interpol does is pass on any information they might obtain on red notices to the country that's looking for the fugitive. The US Marshalls will look for and surveille for confirmation this is the person they're looking for before apprehending and assisting with extradition back to the US."

"Okay. Thank you." Luigi said. "Are there any questions I can answer for you?"

"If I could have your telephone number in case, I need to contact you, please."

"I'll give you my home phone number and the American Consulate number." Luigi said before giving his contact phone numbers.

"Just for your information, if you should see Niko Christos again, do not approach him. Instead, call Interpol who will then pass the information to the US Marshall's Service."

"No problem." Luigi said.

"Thank you for the tip." US Marshall Wernicke said. "I wish everyone was as conscientious as you are."

Chapter 43

Meanwhile, back at the Danko household, the Thanksgiving party was winding down and guests were leaving at various times of the evening leaving Terry as the lone guest.

"Thank you for coming." Jill said as she and Terry picked up used paper plates and napkins.

"I thought you were going to your cousin's house." Mike said as he brought in his utensils from his deep-fried turkey experiment.

"My cousin, Draymond is spending Thanksgiving in the LAPD jail, Parker Center." Terry said. "It's hard to host a Thanksgiving Day dinner when the host is in lockup."

"That does make things more difficult." Mike said

"Where's your fiancée?" Jill asked.

"She's in Texas with her family." Terry said.

"Why didn't you go with her to Texas? You could've met her family." Jill asked.

"Yeah. I don't know." Terry said.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"Rebecca thinks I spend too much time working and with friends."

"I'm surprised she feels that way." Jill said. "Rebecca should know it takes time to get used to a new job. I'm sure she spent a lot of time at the office when she started out, too."

"Then why am I second guessing myself?" Terry asked just as his pager goes off. "Can I use your phone?"

"Of course." Mike said. "Go into my office and use that one. I have a private line set up in there."

"Okay, thanks." Terry said.

After a couple of minutes, Terry emerged from the office.

"That was US Marshall Wernicke. They have a credible sighting of Niko Christos."

TO BE CONTINUED

."