13
Matt went to check on C.J. one more time before he and Roy headed out. Their plan was for Matt to be to talking Witman while Roy was talking to Calemon to test their theory. They would call each other at some point and make it clear to them that they were being investigated and see if they react. Hoyt agreed to have some men 'patrolling' near by in case anything serious went down.
Matt knocked on the door of Witman's apartment and called out, "Mr. Witman? Mr. Witman?" He saw some movement behind the curtain so he said, "My name's Matt Houston and I'm not with any bank or your complex here...I just want to talk about your lawsuit and the radio station."
Crazy John poked his head out of the door and said, "You here to settle?" He looked no more clean than what Uncle Roy described.
Matt said, "Not exactly...is there anyway I can come in, its awfully hot out here...and I could use a cold one..." he motioned to the beer in Crazy John's hand. He still seemed hesitant so he did what his uncle did before. "Would it help matters if I were a fan?"
Crazy John then opened the door and said, "Yeah...well...come on in I guess." He noticed that the reception John was giving him was different than the one his uncle got. John seemed very nervous that Matt was there.
Matt then said, "Look I'll be honest, I may not be your biggest fan but I do need to talk to you about Laci and Blaze and their morning show...the morning show that used to be yours."
Crazy John asked, "What do you want with me then? I never even met them." He sat down and Matt moved a couple of pizza boxes around and sat down himself on the couch.
Matt then asked, "Well, you don't seem to be their biggest fan. I was wondering if you would have a motive to harass them. You know pull a prank on them the way you used to have listeners play pranks on people they barely knew."
Crazy John looked agitated and he slammed his beer down when he said, "Hey! Those were harmless pranks, nobody ever got hurt, not really. Stupid Romanes...panicked every time I tried to do something fun. Idiot." He took another drink.
Matt, having that keen eye that he does, looked around the room and found a stack of envelopes that looked a lot like the one delivered with the spider and John's handwriting that matched the Matt Houston and C.J. Parsons on that envelope.
Crazy John saw Matt make the mental connection and he got up and said, "I should get you that cold one you asked for." However when he said it, it sounded different, more sober.
Matt nodded and then listened as Crazy John opened a window and slipped out the back. Matt gave chase and a police cruiser spotted them and ran in front of John just as Matt caught up with him. Matt grabbed him and slammed him to the ground as the officers tried to pull him off of John.
One of them said, "Houston, come on man...let him go, we got him." Matt was breathing heavy and nodded before backing up.
Hoyt came over quickly and the two tried to rummage through the apartment. Matt looked at his watch and told Hoyt, "I need to call Uncle Roy at Amanda Calemon's office to see how she responds."
Hoyt nodded and called over to an officer, "Roberts...radio over to Allens and Taylor and tell them to be prepared. Roy Houston is about to get that call from his nephew."
Roberts nodded and ran out.
Matt went over to the phone and called, "Yes, I need to speak with Roy Houston...I believe he is meeting with Ms. Amanda Calemon. Its really important, please." Matt looked over at Hoyt and the two listened as Roy had a conversation with himself.
Roy answered, "Yes, Matlock...is that you?... Really? He did...Going to tell the police everything, huh...well...keep me posted when he starts naming names...I'll be back in the office soon."
Roy had only just arrived and really hadn't had time to do much more than tell Amanda Calemon who he was and that he was working with Matt to try to find out who was harassing Laci and Blaze and who was behind the serial killings.
He sat the phone down saying, "Thank you so much...Looks like I've wasted much of your time. My nephew just told me that Crazy John Witman is in custody and is about to tell the police everything."
He noticed her swallow hard and try to keep her composure but the cracks were getting through. She told him, "That's good then, yes that's good. Then that Laci and Blaze can go ahead and get married without having to worry. You know that Crazy John is absolutely certifiable. I wouldn't really trust much of what he has to say." She took a drink from her bottle of water.
Roy then said, "Well, I'm surprised you would say that..." she stopped drinking suddenly as he continued, "especially given that you were interviewing him just this morning."
She put the bottle down and said, "He had listeners and I can assure you, it was only a passing thought.." She straighten her blazer as she stood up. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a station to run."
She didn't lead him out but left ahead of him. Roy then turned and called Matt back to the number that called her office and told him, "I didn't get much of a reaction from her...but she did take off so I'm heading out."
Matt told him, "Look just follow pretty far behind and don't confront her but don't lose her. Hoyt's men will be on her too, so let them handle it if it gets dangerous." Matt had shared everything and Hoyt already had radioed to the two officers in the cruisers set to follow her.
Roy told him, "I'm on it boy." He then left himself and got down to his car on the street just as she was pulling out of the parking garage with the unmarked car behind her.
She kept looking in her rearview mirror and drove straight to her apartment where she picked up two suitcases and took them back out to her car. The unmarked car and Roy were cautious enough that she never noticed them until she got to the airport.
Hoyt and Matt were waiting for her there once it was clear what direction she was heading. The officers had called into Hoyt and the two had taken off at once. Matt said to her as she started to enter the airport, "Going somewhere?"
Hoyt walked up to both of them seeing Det. Warren who came running over to him with a warrant. "Ms. Calemon...I need to inform you that your luggage and your apartment are subject to a search warrant and that you are being ordered by the ruling of Judge Harmago to remain within the city limits until such time as the police can investigate the harassment case of Laci Summers and Blaze Jackson and the murders of Sandra Mays, Margaret Nelson, Carlos Balones, and Trenton Wells."
She started to hyperventilate, "What! Murder? I didn't murder anyone! What are you talking about?" She tried to pull her arm away from Warren as he started to lead her out.
He told her, "Ma'am, my name is Det. Warren and you need to come with me."
He started to lead her out as she kept protesting. However his beeper went off and he had to hand her over to one of the beat cops to get to another serious crime scene.
Hoyt said, "We'll put them in separate tanks and see what they say. I'm thinking you're right and they are in this together. Hopefully it won't take too long to get a confession." He patted Matt on the back, "Job well done." Then he walked off.
Matt rubbed the back of his neck. Even though he thought these were the guilty parties, something still didn't feel right.
C.J. woke up and went back downstairs to get herself another cup of hot tea. She looked in the cabinet but only found an empty box. Then she looked over by the tea kettle and only found the empty wrapper from the cup Uncle Roy had made her. She scratched her head and said softly to herself, "Where did they put it?"
After looking around in vain for another 10 minutes through every cabinet and not finding anything she said to herself again, "Ok this is ridiculous, I'm going down to the boardwalk and just buying some."
She ran back upstairs and changed quickly. Once she came down the stairs again, she noticed the window was open and shut it again while looking around. Something was definitely off here. The first time she thought maybe Matt had opened it and forgotten to shut it, but she didn't really think he would do that twice in a row.
She put a jacket around her and started down the sidewalk. There was a little vendor with gourmet coffees and teas that kept a stand close by and that was her destination. As she approached she heard a scream and someone fall over into the water from the bridge up ahead. It appeared a man in dark clothes on a motorcycle had just knocked a woman over the edge. The person on the motorcycle sped off and had on a helmet so no one could see anything really, or even to make out if it were a man or woman on the bike.
C.J. ran over, adrenaline taking over and leapt into the water to rescue the young woman. She swam to her and noticed she wasn't moving and was face down. She turned her over and putting her arms under the woman's swam her to shore. A crowd had gathered and helped C.J. pull the woman out. As they did, C.J. noticed blood on her jacket from the back of the woman's head.
Before the paramedics had arrived, C.J. realized it was too late to save the woman. Whoever hit her from that bike, did so with a heavy object. She began trying to gather witnesses together and was able to round up a few as Warren approached.
He said as he walked up to her, "Twice in one day, not good." He then bent down and examined the body with gloves on. The victim was a young brunette wearing jogging shorts, a jacket and running shoes. He unzipped the jacket and C.J. gasped as Warren revealed that the woman was wearing a Laci and Blaze Morning Show T shirt.
C.J. ran her hand through her wet hair as she started coughing. She was coughing so hard she almost started to throw up. This all made her throat hurt even more and Warren came over and patted her back.
He asked her, "Are you ok, there?" He kept patting.
She stood up straight as she brought it under control and said, "Yes, I'll be fine. I just can't believe this. Another one..." She kept breathing heavy and coughing periodically.
He asked, "So here's the thing...you being here in the vicinity of two murders does not sit well with me..." He looked at her concerned but also trying to fit some pieces together at the same time.
C.J. told him as she tucked her wet hair behind her ear, "I know, but I don't know how the killer would have known I would be here. I didn't know I'd be on the boardwalk until about 20 minutes ago when I went out to go get some hot tea at the vendor because we were out at home." She took a deep breath as she looked around her for a second and then said, "I wonder if the killer lives somewhere around here? Three of the deaths occurred here."
Warren looked around too, "Yeah, you might be on to something there..." He looked back at her as she sneezed and said, "Bless you...now why don't you let Whatley here walk you to that vendor and then back to the beach house." He then motioned to the coroner's van who was unloading the stretcher, then he turned back to her and said, "I know where to find you if I need you."
She nodded and he called out to Whatley who walked with her. Luckily the vendor took wet credit cards. C.J. had begun to shiver as she got her two cups of hot tea, one for now and one for later. She decided on jasmine and chamomile and the officer helped her carry them both.
When she got back she put one cup in the fridge and the other she took upstairs as she went to get out of her wet clothes. She began feeling miserable and turned on the hot water in the shower. She took one last sip as she got in, completely unaware that Roy Turner was walking slowly up her stairs.
Turner walked quietly in and found C.J.'s cup of tea steaming on the nightstand by the bed. He could hear her in the shower and thought briefly of peeking in thinking she was sick enough that she could be subdued by him but then caught sight of a photo of her and Matt, her rather large husband, smiling somewhere on a beach. He decided to just do what he came there to do. He took her cup and pulled back the lid, then pulled out a small bottle of liquid and poured it in, then replaced the lid. He heard the water shut off and fairly quickly and quietly got out of the room and down the stairs without her noticing. Once outside he began walking with a crowd away from the beach house.
C.J. dried herself off and put on some fresh pajamas. She had a hard time between coughing and sneezing to sit in bed and drink her tea. She only got a few sips down when she started to feel sick at her stomach. She had no idea if it would taste off or not, given the severity of her cold now.
Matt and Hoyt were busy talking to Crazy John Witman. They figured he was the weak link. Hoyt started, "So...you say you don't know how that envelope with the spider got delivered to Mr. Houston here and you don't know anything about the harassment Laci Summers and Blaze Jackson have been receiving lately..." He looked at Matt and then back at Crazy John as he leaned over hard on the table across from him and looked him in the eye and said, "And I suppose you have no idea how those four people died, those four innocent victims, dead, as a result of someone wanting to wreak some vengeance on the couple either!"
Crazy John looked panicked so he started to stutter, "Dead? Victims? Man...I mean...I don't know what you're talking about!"
He started to sweat and ran both hands through his hair. At that point Matt jumped in, "Do you know what you're looking at here, John?" Matt asked with his arms folded, "You are looking at 25 to life, if you're lucky and they don't send you to the chamber...I suggest you start talking, unless you want to take full blame for all this. I have a feeling Ms. Calemon is probably already singing in the next room, blaming you for everything."
He looked up suddenly, "She wouldn't...I didn't...man listen, she just told me to scare them...she was the one canceling stuff...I don't know about any murders." He was almost crying, "I didn't know what to do when she told me to scare you. I caught that spider in my house and figured it was as good a plan as any."
Matt and Hoyt looked at each other and Hoyt said, "Oh come on...John...confess already..."
He pleaded with them again, "I mean it man, I don't know! Look, she came to me...told me that if I helped her scare those two she would make sure I could get a bundle from that stupid station."
Matt asked, "What do you mean? How was she going to help you exactly? Was she planning on giving you a job?"
He looked around and answered, "No, exactly the opposite. I was to file a lawsuit claiming I couldn't get hired anywhere and then the station would have to settle. She said Romanes had already settled so many times before, it probably wouldn't even take that long...I swear man, I didn't kill nobody!"
Since it appeared to the two John here was telling the truth, they decided to go check out how Warren, who had just returned from a call and Roy were doing with Calemon.