12

As Matt and Chris were making their way to Blake, C.J. was finishing up all her paperwork. Roy was reading something on the couch and it was getting close to 5 already so she told him as she made her way over to him, "Whatcha got there?"

He looked up for a second with a look of concentration and then said, "Well, I was reading about this zumba dance that Lucy wants us to do together, but I'm thinking I need to recommend something a little more...uh..."

C.J. smiled for a second. She knew what zumba was and in fact had taken a class in college to satisfy her physical education requirement on different dances and distinctly remembered it. She told him, "Something slower, perhaps?" He looked at her as she explained, "The two weeks we did zumba in my dance class in college I thought I was going to have a heart attack. And I was 20 at the time."

Roy then took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, I'm thinking a nice slow waltz would be better. I should probably take this book back and get one on that. See if I can't convince her."

She told him, "Well, I was thinking about going to the bookstore before I head back home. Why don't you follow me?"

He agreed and they left. They ended up at the exact same bookstore he had been at earlier. Roy exchanged his book rather quickly while C.J. was still looking around. He told her he was leaving and she took her time looking through all the pregnancy and fertility books. She found 7 she thought were interesting, they weren't in the right place though, but just piled on a table by some slightly pornographic massage books. She wondered for a moment exactly who was looking at pregnancy books and pornographic massage books at the same time.

She got the books and headed home. Figuring Matt and Chris wouldn't take that long she threw a couple of hamburgers on the grill and had them done when the phone rang.

Matt got an earful from Chris as he rode over with her to Blake's mansion. She had all the gossip, "Ok, well according to The Bay Boys Babes, its a all girl fan club, Joshua and Macy had this really fast and furious love affair about four years ago. It was like a fairytale, they met while the Bay Boys were opening for her and they practically lived together for a full year before they got married. See then she got him his contract with her label. What I heard is that no other label would touch them but because they were sleeping together and 'in love' she arranged everything."

Matt then asked, "So, in other words, if they weren't together, the Bay Boys may not have been as famous as they are now."

Chris just looked horrified for a second and said, "Bite your tongue, they are the most awesome band with the most unique sound and beat and..."

Matt cut her off and said, "I know I know, they're the best thing since George Strait."

Chris said, "Who?"

Matt did a double take and said, "George Strait, Chris don't tell me you don't know who..." She clearly didn't so he said, "I'll explain later, so Joshua got this contract and then his band took off right?"

Chris then smiled bright again and said, "Yep, but then Macy broke Joshua's heart when they were out on tour. He came back to surprise her, see that's the kind of sweetheart he is, and found her in bed with her drummer." She shook her head.

Matt then said, "I take it you don't like the drummer?"

Chris then said, "He sleeps with anything that moves and he and Macy were known to hook up whenever she wanted."

Matt nodded his head and said, "I heard he came on to C.J. Maybe I should have my own little talk with him."

Chris smiled and said, "As long as it doesn't get you arrested again." He looked surprised and said, "Oh its all over the office, Barney said you were trying desperately to get that lawyer to keep quiet but he didn't catch on. Then C.J. read you the riot act."

Matt looked up for a second and then said, "Ok, back to Blake, he left Macy after catching her with her drummer. Then what?"

Chris told him, "Well, he handled it well, at least at first." Then she almost looked nervous.

Matt prodded, "What do you mean, at first?"

Chris then took a deep breath and told him, "Well, a couple of weeks after the break up the label dropped them. Then, well, I don't know how true all this is, but there was a rumor that he tore up a hotel room one night after finding out. If they did drop him, it didn't last long. Their next album was with the same label. Rumor was Macy tried to get them dropped but they were rising then and there was no way the label would drop a group so talented, so bound for stardom so..."

Matt told her, "I get it, so profitable, right?" She nodded so he continued, "Ok, if something happened to her now, what would Blake have to gain from it?"

Chris told him, again nervous, "Well, there is also a rumor that this last tour was Macy's last headlining with that label. See some of the upper level guys in the label thought she was getting too old and wanted to replace her with a more popular band."

Matt then speculated, "The Bay Boys were next in line, right?"

She nodded and said, "Well, see the thing is, last month The Bay Boys Babes were talking all about how they were going to be headlining and well...then about three weeks ago they speculated that Macy wasn't going down without a fight and the Boys were getting pushed back again, meaning..."

Matt then filled in the blanks, "Meaning they remain second fiddle for a while longer." She nodded and he said, "Sounds like a motive for murder to me."

They pulled in the drive and Chris said, "I'm sorry Houston, but you are just wrong on this one. There is no way someone as talented as Joshua Blake would kill Macy Raven. The Bay Boys are already as big if not bigger than she was! He was married to her and loved her and..."

Matt shot Chris a skeptical look before saying, "Chris now you know as well as I do that folks have murdered for less than what your Mr. Blake here stands to gain from her death." She started to protest again, but he stopped her, "Now I'm not saying he's the prime suspect yet, alight? Why don't we go in and see what the man has to say, ok?

She nodded and they got out and got to the door. Joshua Blake himself answered it looking really tired. He barely said "Hi" and then turned to walk in leaving the door open for Matt and Chris to follow.

They got to the kitchen where he said as he walked over to the coffee machine on his granite countertop, "You two want a cup? I don't feel that well so you'll have to excuse me."

Chris spoke up a little shyly, "I'm fine. You have a beautiful house here."

Joshua turned back around and faced them nodding taking a drink. Matt then said, "Yes you do. Look I was wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a couple of questions."

Joshua told him, "A couple maybe..." Then he rubbed his neck and said, "I just have a really bad headache right now. I've had it for the last couple of hours and nothing seems to help. I guess its all the stress of the last few days catching up with me. First Macy and then the death threats..."

Matt furrowed his brow and said, "Death threats? You've been getting death threats?'' Joshua nodded and Matt continued, "What kind of threats are they and when did they start? Did you get a letter or has someone done something?"

Joshua nodded again and walked over to a larger room with a piano in it. He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Matt. It read in cut out letters, Macy was first, you'll be second. Joshua then told him, "The police checked it out, no prints or anything and no way of knowing if its real or not. A Det. Warren told me its probably some freak show trying to make himself famous with Macy's death."

Matt nodded and said, "Nevertheless, I would still bring in some extra security."

Joshua then said, "Why don't we go to the sun room, its vented. I want a smoke and I don't do that in the house, brings down the value." They followed him outside to a pool area where he got the same brand of Italian cigarettes Perkins had in his house.

Matt asked him as Joshua lit it up, "That's an interesting pack there."

Joshua looked at it and told him, "Yeah, Macy used to get them for me. Not many people knew she smoked. These were her favorites. She certainly got me hooked."

Matt then asked, "So both her ex husbands smoke them?" He nodded and then Matt asked, "What about her drummer or current husband?"

Joshua tapped off the ashes and said, "Yeah I pretty sure Darrin smokes them and Randy...who knows...probably. I don't talk to him much."

Matt then asked, "That's right, that was who you caught Macy with. Its what led to your divorce am I right?"

Joshua looked a little startled but then said, "Yeah, you'd be right. At least that was the final straw. I loved Macy I really did, but when we started touring on opposite sides of the country, well...lets just say we fell out of love as quickly as we fell into it. We never saw each other. That's no way to have a marriage."

Matt asked, "I heard you lost it in your hotel room, ended up paying a lot in damages..."

Joshua then said, "Yeah, I got a little angry when we got news the label was ditching us. Didn't last long though, because our next hit had already played in New York and was getting all kinds of interest. There was no way the label was dropping us after that. Actually if anything, it made Macy more angry than anyone else."

Matt speculated, "So if it made Macy mad, that would give her a good reason to try to stay the headliner for the label as long as possible to leave you as second fiddle, right?"

Joshua took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead again, "Yeah, maybe, but whatever. She was getting older. There was no way the label would keep her on forever. I've got a lot of years left and an offer from another label to make us the headliners. Our contract expires next month and we might do just that. Trust me, Mr. Houston, I have no reason to want Macy dead. In fact I care a lot about Dove, she's like a daughter to me even if the tests say otherwise. I love that little girl and I never want to see her crying like I did yesterday, begging for her mother who won't be holding her again."

Chris then started rubbing her neck too and Matt noticed. He asked, "Chris, you ok?"

She closed her eyes and started to stutter, "I...uh...I just don't feel that good all of a sudden."

Matt then blinked thinking he didn't feel that well either. He asked Joshua who looked like he was about to pass out along with Chris and said, "Joshua, how long did you say you've had that headache?" He felt like he was asking in slow motion.

Joshua then answered almost in slow motion, "It started the afternoon...I...uh...I just..."

Matt then stood up and took Chris by the waist as she didn't appear able to move much. He then put his other arm around Joshua and took the both out the back door to Joshua's back yard. Chis collapsed and Joshua knelt beside her shaking her shoulders, "Hey...are you ok...hey wake up..."

Matt took a couple of deep breaths and asked him, "Joshua, is anyone else still in the house?"

Joshua looked up confused but shook his head. Matt then ran out to his car after checking on Chris who was breathing but unconscious. "Hang on Chris...I'm gonna get you to the hospital." He called it in and within minutes cruisers arrived with Hoyt and Warren not far behind.

They were loading Chris in the ambulance with Matt walking beside her when Warren came rushing over. "What the hell happened? Chris..." He pulled Matt out of the way and took her hand, "Honey I'm right here...what are her vitals?" He shouted to the EMTs.

One responded, "She's stable, carbon monoxide poisoning it looks like. After a few hours of oxygen treatment she should be fine." Then loaded her with Warren right by her side.

Matt had stepped back and watched Warren. Hoyt came running over, "Warren, we have a crime scene here! Warren!" The doors shut and the ambulance took off leaving Hoyt there at a loss for words.

Matt patted him on the back and said, "Come on, I'll give you my statement."

Hoyt nodded and the two walked back to the pool area, "We were in here when I figured out something was wrong. There's no telling how long the house was filling up with carbon monoxide. One of your tech guys found this." They walked to the outside where the vent had been sabotaged. Matt explained, "They said it was tampered with and caused the build up. It doesn't appear Blake ever left his house this morning, so he got the worst of it. He collapsed right after Chris but his skin was pink or something so they rushed him in ahead of Chris. Her vitals are stable and she should be just fine."

Matt then rubbed his face. Hoyt asked him, "You just fine? You're looking a little pale yourself."

Matt shook his head, "No, I'm just fine. They checked me out too. C.J. would throw a fit if I didn't let them do that and I'm already in the dog house."

Hoyt smiled for a second and asked, "Do I want to know?"

Matt shrugged, "I just got into a disagreement with an old boyfriend of hers while I was back in Texas that's all."

They started to walk into the house, "A disagreement huh? Like the kind you used to get into at that old bar you told me about?" Matt smiled back a little sarcastically, then Hoyt said, "I probably don't want to know as a member of law enforcement."

Matt then said with a little more of a serious tone, "It may have gotten me in a little trouble but it was worth it. The ex boyfriend hit her when they broke up and I felt the need to address that, even if it was a little late in coming."

Hoyt nodded in agreement, "Sometimes I wonder exactly who were are protecting sometimes..." Then he told Matt, "You call C.J. and tell her about this yet?"

Matt shook his head, "No, I figured I'd just go pick her up and take her to the hospital. I know she'll want to see for herself, like I do that Chris is really alright."

Hoyt then put his hand up, "You do know that whenever your name comes through that little radio of mine, our information officer gets to dialing the next of kin don't you?"

Matt then looked worried and walked quickly over to Blake's phone and called the beach house. He got no answer. Hoyt told him to head on to the hospital and he'd meet up with him there to check on Chris and gather his wayward detective.