Disclaimer: "Sons of Thunder" and its' characters are owned by Chuck Norris, Aaron Norris, CBS and whoever else was involved with the creation of this show. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fan fiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

Chapter 8: Suspicions

That Saturday morning, Carlos and Trent had thoroughly checked out the dojo for any indications of breaking and entering, but had found nothing. They went to the office and sat at their respective desks, each lost in their own thoughts as they rifled through papers or looked at the files on their computers.

Kim knocked on the door to their office, but opened it before either of them could say a word. "Detective Ryan's here, with a couple of officers." There was worry in her voice.

Trent and Carlos looked at each other and then stood up, as Detective Ryan, with the two officers behind him, came into the office.

"We have a warrant to search the premises." Detective Ryan stated and handed the paper to Trent as Carlos stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's legit, Carlos." Trent said softly as he handed the paper back to Ryan.

"Fine." Carlos said irritably as he stepped outside into the reception area and Trent followed him.

"What's going on?" Kim asked as she nervously walked around the room.

"Ryan's got a warrant." Trent answered.

It was about twenty minutes before Ryan and the two officers came out carrying evidence bags. "Well, you wouldn't believe what we found in Sandoval's desk." Ryan said as he had one of the officers hold up a bag with a bloody knife. Then he held up the other bag that had a small silver badge. A badge for a mall security guard and it had Brian Locke's name on it.

"I did not put those in my desk." Carlos said firmly and with anger.

"No? Well, we found your fingerprints on a beer bottle at Locke's house and in the bottle he had drank from, we found traces of a drug that had knocked him out cold. According to the tox screen and what the ME told us." Detective Ryan explained.

"What's my motive, Ryan? Why would he want to drink from a bottle I gave him?" Carlos asked.

Ryan ignored him. "Turn around Sandoval. Hands behind your back."

Carlos hands formed into fists but before Carlos could take a shot at Ryan's smug face, Trent laid a comforting but firm hand on Carlos' shoulder. Carlos sighed and turned around, placing his hands behind his back.

"You can't really believe that Carlos murdered that man!" Kim practically yelled at Ryan.

"It looks that way and it will only be a matter of time before we find the evidence that links him to the other two murders." Ryan said.

Trent stood next to Kim and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "We'll do all we can to help you Carlos."

"You are under arrest for the murder of Brian Locke," Ryan said as he placed the handcuffs on Carlos' wrists. He had one of the officers, one he called Cliff to search Carlos for a weapon but he had already removed his gun and it was stored in a safe in the office. As Ryan led him out of the office, with the two officers assisting, he read him his rights.

Kim was restless as she returned to her pacing. She didn't know how Trent could be so calm when his best friend had just been arrested for murder. She was mumbling under her breath about Ryan and his incompetence.

Trent leaned against Kim's desk, his eyes staring beyond her and the office. He was picturing in his mind what his friend was going through, but figured it was probably a lot worse. He hoped not as he shook his head to clear out the thoughts that had seeped into his mind and focused on the pacing Kim. "He'll be alright, Kim." He said reassuringly.

"Right." She said with a hint of sarcasm. She stopped her pacing and looked directly into his eyes. "I think Kendra planted your watch at the other murder and framed Carlos for this one."

Before he could protest, Kim continued. "She has had many jobs and has been moving around a lot for the past six, seven years. Doesn't that seem odd to you? Maybe she has done this sort of thing before, killed people or God knows what."

"Kim…." Trent started to say before Kim interrupted him again.

"Well, the timeline fits. She could have been Claire Wesson and then she changed her name to Kendra Stone." Kim pointed out as she went to her desk and showed a picture to Trent. "It could be Kendra. She could have gotten some cosmetic surgery."

Trent studied at the picture. A woman with blond hair and blue eyes smiled at the camera with perfect teeth. The oval face and the nose were similar to Kendra's, but the eyes in the picture didn't have that fire that he had seen when he had first met her. "I don't think Kendra did it. No, I know she didn't kill those men. How did she get my watch? She was in the bar with Butch the entire time." Trent said.

"I…uh…maybe she has an accomplice." Even as she said those words, it didn't seem right.

"People, who kill like this, don't have accomplices. Not usually but it's possible. I think there is only one person. One person who killed those three men, took my watch, and planted it at Flemming's house. One person who took that beer bottle with Carlos' fingerprints and planted it at Locke's house and that person planted that knife and the badge in Carlos's desk."

"It has to be Claire Wesson. She is the only one who would despise all four of those men." Kim stated.

"Yeah and there is only one left." Trent said gravely.

Kendra had heard Kim's allegations against her. She was furious when she had descended the stairs and had gotten into her car. She didn't know if she wanted to punch Kim in the face or shake her and tell her that she didn't kill those men. How could she believe I could do something so heinous? Kendra thought as she pulled her car out of its parking spot.

Kendra had seen Detective Ryan with two uniformed officers bring a handcuffed Carlos out of Thunder Investigations and then, watched as they had put him into the back of a cruiser. She had been across the street and was certain they hadn't seen her. As they drove away she had gone up the stairs to offer her help to Trent and Kim but before her hand even reached for the doorknob, she had heard what Kim had said about her being the killer and framing Carlos. She had heard those allegations because someone had left the door open a crack.

Kendra hissed underneath her breath. She was angry, disappointed and frustrated that Trent and Kim could believe that she was the killer but mostly she was angry. Angry with the killer for murdering those men and with those men for being jerks. Angry with Kim and Trent even considering that, she was the killer and finally, she was angry with herself for not protecting Carlos and Trent, especially Carlos who was now in a jail cell framed for three murders he hadn't committed.

Kendra continued to drive automatically and had not noticed that she had driven outside of the city. Thoughts and emotions swirled within her as images ran through her mind as she drove. Of the cops putting Carlos in the cruiser. Of Brian Locke's body. Of Trent's blue eyes that had stared so profoundly into her own.

A frown came to her lips as she realized that she had driven outside the city. She saw a small turnaround area and turned her car around. She headed back to the city, determined to prove Carlos' innocence.

Carlos paced in his cell. He had been brought through booking and had been placed in a cell by himself. It had felt strange being the one who was arrested instead of the one who did the arresting. When he had been a cop anyway. Heck even as a PI he chased bad guys and helped bring them in.

Carlos tried to focus on the case but he was angry. He stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the floor so he wouldn't pound the wall in frustration. He took a deep breath.

Someone had set him up. That someone had gained access to the office. But how? Whoever is the last to leave the office makes sure the door is locked. The only way to access, the office was the door or the windows. But the office was on the second story. Wait. There is one more access to the office. Another door. From Uppercuts.

Detective Ryan sat at his desk typing up his report on the computer that sat on his desk. He had solved Brian Locke's murder, now all he had to do was prove that Carlos had killed the other two. He probably had taken Malloy's watch and left it at Flemming's to throw the cops off of him. Ryan thought as he punched the keys on the old, white keyboard. But something that Carlos had said nagged at him. Why would Brian Locke drink a beer with Sandoval? He thought as a frown started to form on his face. His thought was interrupted when an officer came to his desk.

"Detective Ryan, should we pull our men off of Allen?" the young cop asked, as he shuffled his feet.

Ryan looked up at the cop. "Yeah. Call them in." Ryan ordered and then returned to his report.

guardianM3: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I do not remember/know if there is a door from Uppercuts to the upstairs, but it is being used in this story anyway. Please keep reading and reviewing!