10
Uncle Roy's first stop was to see Laci and find out what had happened at her apartment. He knocked on the door and she gladly met him, "I'm sorry I didn't call Mr. Houston earlier, but...well...when we got back here we found the door handle broken but nothing really out of place..." She led Roy in and then pointed to the bedroom door, "until I got to my room...My jewelry box was open and everything was spilled out on the ground. I noticed my locket was gone right away. It's the only thing I really cared about in it."
Roy nodded his head and looked around, "So that's all that was touched? No electronic equipment? TVs? Nothing?"
She answered, "No, nothing else. I was sure it was Nick, but I didn't think that was possible when the cops told me he was in the hospital. But my neighbor across the complex swears she saw someone in a long coat limping around my door."
At that point Blaze walked in with to go bags from a local burger joint and Laci said, "Well, whoever it was, that was all they got."
She looked nervously at Roy and he caught on quickly so he said, "Not to worry. Whoever it was seemed to be after only one thing. Let me ask...have there been any other break ins lately?"
Blaze sat down the bags and said, "No, not really."
Roy asked, "Anything strike you as strange lately?"
Blaze seemed to think it through and then answered, "Well, a couple of days ago we came back here and the door was unlocked. We never leave it unlocked, but nothing was gone. TVs were still here and my stereo." He just shrugged. At that point Roy told them to keep in touch and then got in his car and drove to his next destination.
Roy knocked and knocked on Mr. Crazy's door for a good ten minutes. He started to take out his little breaking and entering kit when he heard a moan from inside and a hand knock away at the curtain by the window. So he deftly put the kit away and called out, "Mr. Witman...My name is Roy Houston and I'd like to talk to you for a second...if you don't mind."
"You with the bank?" Roy heard from the man inside in something of a slurred speech.
"Ah, no, no I'm not. I just want to talk to you about your lawsuit with the radio station." Just to make sure he got inside he added, "You know I'm a big fan of yours. Can't believe they let you get away."
The door started to open and the rather burly man in a muscle shirt with no muscles to go with it just flab, holding a beer smiled at him and said, "Well, why didn't you say so...come on in."
Roy smiled back and cautiously entered. He almost had to tip toe through the debris strewn living room filled with beer cans and pizza boxes. Crazy John brushed some empty potato chip bags off this dirty looking green fabric couch and told him, "Here, have a seat...Can I get you a cold one?"
Roy smiled and shook his head, "No thanks."
Crazy John then plopped himself down in a yellow striped easy chair and said, "So what part of the show did you like best?" He took a drink of his beer.
Roy had to think for a second to the research C.J. had done and said, "I...ah...enjoyed your pranks...especially the one about making other drivers on the road angry...I think it was."
Crazy John spilled some of his beer as he laughed and slapped his knee, "Oh yeah, that was a great one wasn't it. All those idiots stuck in traffic. Gave 'em somethin to do!" He took another drink.
Roy decided to get down to business, "So, I'm a little disappointed they took you off the air. Any chance of getting back on the waves soon?"
Crazy John then turned sour, "Not likely...not until I win that lawsuit that is. Maybe I can get a gig...stupid romance crap on now...you've heard..." he burped, "you've heard about that couple, that Lace chick and what's his name..."
Roy filled it in for him, "Blaze Jackson".
"Yeah, Blaze...what kinda name is that anyway...stupid couple...well they're a couple of..." he stopped himself and took another drink. "Well, anyway, I got a hook up that tells me that when this lawsuit is settled I won't have to go to work ever again." He started smiling. "Anyway, its all set."
Roy looked at him closely and asked, "So you aren't mad at the two then?"
Crazy John looked at him funny and asked, "Mad? Why would I be mad? I just think its stupid that's all." He started grinning and then leaned over to Roy and said, "You know, I used to do a stunt, how to piss off your ex..." he started laughing again, "I had a guy call in, he rearranged her whole wedding to the new guy..." he was laughing harder, "had it all set up for the day before..." He was laughing so hard he almost fell on the floor. "Now that's what I call a prank! And here I thought I was the best!" More laughing.
Roy kept smiling at him and nodding. Then the phone rang. Crazy John excused himself and left Roy to look around in the living room. There wasn't much of a point to it though as it seemed like it was just all trash to him.
However, he heard at least part of the conversation, "What?...Why?...ok...does it have to be right now?...I got company!...fine, fine...I know!...what do you mean, have I been drinkin...of course I been drinkin...ain't got nothin else to do...alright, give it a couple of hours and I'll be right on it..." He got really loud and slammed the phone down after saying, "I said I'll be right on it, now leave me alone!"
He took a couple more drinks and then threw the can away. He met Roy back in the living room and rubbed his hand against his pants leg to clean it off before holding it out to Roy. Roy shook it as Crazy John said, "Look, I've got something I've got to go do now. We'll have to catch up again later. You see yourself out?" Roy nodded and left.
Matt and C.J. got into the office of Richard Romanes in about the same amount of time it took them to get into Amanda Calemon's office. He also made the same assumption about the purpose of the visit until Matt began asking the questions.
Matt started with, "Well, you're two stars there, Laci and Blaze hired us to find out who is trying to sabotage their wedding and harassing them."
Richard shrugged and said, "Rumor is, it was Nick Peterson. He's the reason we initially had to screen Laci's mail. He kept sending her stuff and I could tell it made her uncomfortable."
Matt asked, "What kind of stuff?"
He answered, "Cards, notes, flowers, packages...he just wasn't getting the message," he said as he sighed.
C.J. took a deep breath for a second and excused herself. It hit her suddenly that Nick sounded like Christian Dean. Matt looked concerned, but then he also made the connection. He asked her as she left, "You ok?"
She told him, "Fine, I just need some air," as she patted him on the shoulder and smiled. She went out to the lobby where there was a water cooler. She took a cup, filled it and took a drink. It hurt a little as it went down as her throat was getting more and more sore.
She closed her eyes for a second and caught on to the conversation behind her by two receptionists, "So do you think we'll have a job next week?"
The other lady replied, "I hope so...I keep sending calls to his office from debt collectors..." The both shook their heads as C.J. turned around and started to walk past them. She heard that same lady then say, "He says he has a fool proof plan to get us back on our feet, but he won't say what it is."
C.J. stopped for a second as the other lady said, "I don't care what it is, I just hope it works." Then she reentered the office where Matt was trying to get a read on whether or not Richard was the one trying to sabotage the happy couple and if his uncle was right.
"No!" Richard almost yelled back at Matt. "No, that's not it at all!" he was pacing and running his hand through his hair, "I want nothing but the best for the two and you clearly have no concept of what the broadcast world is like. This stunt as you put it, would drive me out of business, not bring in listeners. You may think that people have this sort of morbid fascination with tragedy, but that's not something I would ever allow to be broadcast on my station."
He grabbed an envelope on his desk full of keys and said, "You see these? Someone's been breaking in here and I've had to have all the door locks changed and get all these new keys to practically everyone in the place! I don't have time to plot against them or devise anything like what you're suggesting". He then almost hit C.J. as he flung his hand toward the door and said, "Now please get out of my office!"
Matt got up and put his hand on C.J.'s back and said, "Let's go." As they got further out he told her, "Well, I didn't exactly get much out of him. He swears the threats will only hurt his advertising sales not bring them up. Argued that businesses will pull their ads so they aren't associated with a tragedy and that this would actually send them to Calemon's station. Oh and he doesn't think that highly of her by the way."
C.J. nodded when she got to the car and then coughed. Matt stopped and looked at her. She told him, "I'm fine. Its still day one," she reminded him. He gave her a look and then opened the car door and got in, looking her over once and then started the car and drove off.
They met up with Roy at the penthouse. They shared what they learned and afterward started to strategize what to do next. Going back over everything it seemed as though each suspect could be the one harassing the couple. Richard Romanes tried to make it sound as if the threats were working against him, but the conversation between the receptionists caused them to wonder about his argument. Then there was Crazy John and there were two issues with him. First of all, he didn't seem all that bright and tended to drink. However, he basically described the sabotage as a prank one of his listeners called in and he seemed to love the idea. Amanda Calemon they knew broke into Nick Peterson's apartment and stole something that all three believed was the necklace to set him up for breaking and entering and likely cast the police's suspicion on him for everything. So Nick was the perfect fall guy, except for the fact that these murders seemed tied to everything that was going on at the station.
The three homicides seemed to throw the monkey wrench into the whole investigation. Matt was sure it was Calemon, but she didn't have the physical strength to pick up a woman who weighed more than she did and sit her in a hot tub or drag/pose a couple in a park. Crazy John could, maybe, so that made him a decent suspect, but according to his landlord, he tended stay in his apartment. The landlord was waiting for him to leave to lock him out and in the last 3 weeks, he really hadn't done that. Richard Romanes, well, he was also a viable suspect, but still, he didn't really seem to gain that much from all this and why kill three innocent people just to get out of debt.
Matt decided a soak in the hot tub would be just the thing to clear his mind. It was late, but they had all eaten dinner and Roy said he was leaving because Lucy was already mad enough at him for missing their last date.
As he settled in, C.J. just walked by with her hands on her hips and said, "How long do you plan on staying in there?"
He didn't open his eyes but smiled when he said, "Now, C.J. you know I do my best thinkin in here." He opened one eye and then said in that low sexy voice of his, "Care to join me?"
She smiled and then looked around, "Well, I guess everyone has gone home. My bikini is downstairs..."
Matt opened both eyes and made his way to her feet and told her, "You don't need any bikini." He licked his lips as he waited for her response. She started to lean down to kiss him but turned around suddenly to sneeze again.
He got out of the water and grabbed his robe before she could turn back around. He was tying it when he said, "We better get you home. You're getting sick."
She looked at him and said, "No, I'm not."
He walked up to her and put his hand on her forehead which actually felt cool. Matt thought that was odd for a second until he realized his hands were just in 100+ degree water. He put his hand on her cheek and leaned over to give her a brief kiss and told her, "We're going home and going to bed. You may not be coming in tomorrow."
She rolled her eyes as he left to go get his clothes on. "Matt, really its nothing, its just because I rode over here in my bikini..." Ugh...she thought to herself...he was totally going to harp on this.
He got dressed quickly enough and met her in her office. She was rubbing her eyes and he walked over to her and softly took her hand and helped her up. He didn't say anything just put his arm around her waist and the two walked out and drove home. She didn't say much on the ride over because, she was feeling worse. Her throat was getting more and more sore and she was starting to feel more and more achy. She looked over at Matt who was driving and holding her hand, rubbing it in that way of his. She felt herself relax and he smiled as he noticed that when he stopped at lights. When they got home, he helped her out of the car and they walked up the stairs, arm in arm. They both changed and she climbed into bed.
He wrapped her in his arms as he told her, "Just rest now. We'll see how you feel tomorrow and go from there. Day two."
She smiled and said, "I'm sure this will clear up tomorrow, I'm not worried. You seem so sure its something serious...aren't you scared you'll catch whatever it is too?"
He smiled and said, "Not scared at all..." then he got serious, "I don't care how contagious it is, nothing could keep me away from you if you really needed me."
She looked up at him and said, "I guess this is where the 'in sickness and in health' part of the vows comes in huh".
Matt rubbed her arms as she laid on his chest and told her, "Yeah, I guess it does. Now just get some sleep". At that point they both did, unaware a monster lurked just outside their bedroom window.