DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters, except for Matthew and Moxie. The rest of them belong to James Duff and the Major Crimes franchise.

Chapter 9

Provenza's phone rang at his desk and he reached over to answer it. "Lieutenant Provenza, Major Crimes," he said into the phone. "Provenza, it's Tao," Mike said on the other end. "Why are you calling me on my desk phone?" Provenza wondered. "You weren't answering your cell phone," Mike stated and then Provenza looked at his cell phone and saw the missed calls from him.

"Anyway, I'm at the morgue. Doctor Morales said that the baseball bat is definitely our murder weapon as the blood pattern matches the back of Michael's head. Plus, the lab stated that the blood types match as well," Mike informed Provenza. "Good, that's good news. We're just waiting for this guy's appointed lawyer to show up so he can start answering our questions. Be here as soon as you can with the results" Provenza told Mike and then hung up his phone.

"How come my cell phone didn't ring?" Provenza called out to anyone who was listening. "Probably because it's on silent, sir!" Julio informed him as he grabbed Provenza's cell phone and switched the tab over from silent mode. "Hmm, wonder how that happened?" Provenza mumbled to himself.

Andy walked back into the Murder Room from the break room where he was holding a cup of coffee. "Does the Commander know you're drinking coffee again?" Provenza asked him as he stood up from his chair. "Don't worry, it's decaf," Andy muttered as he sat down at his desk. "And yes, she knows," he added as he went through some of the reports on the betting slips.

Amy hung up her phone. "Lieutenants, Billy's lawyer is here and is in the interview room with him," she informed Provenza and Andy. "Good, maybe we can finally get somewhere tonight!" Provenza walked over to Andy's desk and waited for him to get the paperwork ready.

Provenza and Flynn walked back into the interview room where Billy was sitting. "Ah, Jennings, nice to see you again," Provenza muttered to the lawyer as he took his seat in the room. "Always a pleasure Lieutenant," Jennings stated back as he wrote some things down on his notepad. Andy then took his seat at the table.

"So, I understand you found some evidence linking my client to a murder of a hockey player?" Jennings asked the two Lieutenants. "Yeah, it's called his fingerprints and the murder weapon," Andy stated as he tapped his finger on the table.

"Where were my client's fingerprints found exactly?" Jennings asked them. "At the crime scene, where he dropped off the body that was frozen," Provenza answered him. "You see, Jennings, your client here bashed the head of a hockey player in and then stuck the guy in the freezer. A short time later, he and another person moved the body and dumped it in a backyard pool in the Palisades," he added and watched Billy sit across from him.

Billy was staring at Andy the whole time Provenza was speaking. "So you're saying my client didn't act alone?" Jennings asked just to be clear. "We know Billy here didn't act alone, because it took two people to carry that hockey player in that yard, and when the pool clock was knocked over, Billy here picked it up with his bare hands, leaving his fingerprints on it!" Andy gritted his teeth as he stared back at Billy.

"Where did you find the so-called murder weapon, Lieutenants?" Jennings asked them. "When we went to your client's house, and found out that his wife was lying to us, and that he was home the whole time. That's when we caught him trying to escape through an upstairs window," Provenza stated. "My wife didn't lie!" Billy shouted and Jennings turned to him, trying to calm him down.

"Oh, I think we hit a nerve there!" Andy stated as he glanced at Provenza. "I would say so," Provenza looked at Billy. "My wife doesn't know anything, so leave her out of this," Billy stated and then Jennings conferred with him while Provenza and Andy waited for them to be finished.

"As you have suspected, my client wasn't working alone," Jennings stated. "Big shock there!" Andy quipped back. "In exchange for telling you who he works for, we would like a reduced charge," Jennings added. "Reduced charge! From what, murder to?" Provenza asked him. "Voluntary manslaughter," Jennings stated and Andy laughed. "You're kidding right?" Andy asked and looked directly at Billy.

"Mr. Jennings, as you well know, we don't lessen the charges, that's up to the DA's office," Provenza told him. "But, if your client here feels like cooperating, then maybe we could put in a good word for him," Provenza added as he glanced at the clock in the room. It was now getting closer to 8 o'clock at night and they needed to wrap this up before Chief Mason found out that they were all on overtime.

Buzz was sitting in Electronics along with Julio when Chief Mason walked into the room. "I heard you all might still be here," he grumbled as he entered. Buzz went to work the microphone to alert Provenza that he was there but Chief Mason stopped him. "Don't alert the Lieutenant, Buzz," he told him and they continued to watch the scene.

"I work for Mister Rocco, he owns a construction business downtown," Billy started to tell them. "So, you're in construction?" Provenza asked him. "No, I run a side job for Mister Rocco, sports gambling, and that's what I was doing, I gather the sports bets from a bunch of Rocco's clients and we make a little money on the side," Billy told them.

Andy sat back in his chair. "Who ordered you to murder Michael Anderson?" he asked Billy. "No one," Billy replied. "So you just killed him on your own?" he asked in disbelief. "No, you got it all wrong. You see, Frankie and I are in charge of gathering the bets, you know in a small warehouse down by the railyards," Billy stated but then he stopped talking.

Provenza and Andy both looked at Billy, waiting for him to start talking again. "Uh, I said too much already," Billy mumbled and sat there. "Billy, who is this Frankie guy? Who ordered you to kill Michael Anderson!" Andy yelled but Billy didn't say anything else. Andy was now getting mad and glanced over at Provenza.

"Mr. Jennings, your client agreed to cooperate! Please compel him to do so, otherwise we will arrest him on murder charges, just on the basis that we found the murder weapon at his house and his fingerprints at the crime scene!" Provenza informed Jennings. Jennings turned to Billy and whispered to him. "You do know that those charges won't end well," he said to him.

After about two minutes of silence, Andy had enough and stood up from his chair. "Listen to me, you little prick! You are either going to continue the conversation we were having, or else I'm going to arrest you and you can spend the night in jail, up to you," Andy grinned at Billy. When Billy still didn't say anything, Andy threw his hands up in the air and looked at Provenza.

"Fine, Billy, you can spend the night in jail," Provenza stood up and Andy walked over to where Billy was sitting and grabbed him under his arm and stood him up. "Turn around and face the wall, place your hands behind your back," Andy told him and he complied. Andy placed his handcuffs on him and walked him out of the room. "Sorry, Lieutenant, I'd hope he would have cooperated with you," Jennings shrugged his shoulders as Provenza watched him leave the room.

Provenza shook his head and met Julio in the hallway. "Uh, sir, Chief Mason is in Electronics," Julio told him as he went with Andy down to booking. "Great," Provenza mumbled and rolled his eyes. He stepped into Electronics and saw that Chief Mason was speaking with Buzz. "Chief Mason, what can I do for you?" he asked him.

"Well, you can tell me why the team is still here, way past cut time after I told you there was no room for overtime in the budget," Chief Mason asked Provenza. "Ah, well we were about to finish up for the day when Lieutenant Tao ran the fingerprints we found at the crime scene and got a match. We secured a warrant, and decided to go find Billy at his residence, and then one thing led to another and here we are," Provenza explained to him.

"As soon as Lieutenant Flynn and Detective Sanchez come back from booking your suspect, I want everyone to go home, got it?" Chief Mason told Provenza and he nodded. He then left the room, leaving Buzz and Provenza. Provenza ran his hand over his face. "I don't know how the Commander deals with the Chief," he muttered and Buzz chuckled at his remark.

Provenza walked out of Electronics and saw that Amy and Mike were both at their desks. "Detective Sykes, are you almost finished here?" Provenza asked her. "Uh, I was just waiting to hear back from the coaching staff of the hockey team," Amy answered him and scrunched her eyebrows as she looked at him. "Yeah, well that is going to have to wait till tomorrow morning," Provenza told her.

Provenza sat down at his desk as Mike gave him a concerned look. "Chief Mason is ordering us to go home, so we are going to have to put everything else on hold till tomorrow," Provenza explained and Mike nodded.

"Chief Mason was pretty upset with the Lieutenant, sir," Julio informed Andy as they took Billy down to booking. "Oh really?" Andy stated as he moved with Billy out of the elevator and down the hallway. "Last chance Billy, before you spend the night," Andy stopped just short of the door to booking and glanced at Billy.

"Pig," Billy mumbled as they stood there. Julio glanced at Andy as he heard what Billy just told him. "What did you say?" Andy got in his face but Billy just smiled. "You seem like a tough guy all of a sudden, huh?" Andy added and looked him in the eyes. "Yeah, real tough!" Julio chimed in. Andy shook his head and grabbed Billy by his arm again.

"You're not worth it," he told Billy as he moved him through the door and in front of the booking Sergeant. "What's the charges, Lieutenant?" the Sergeant asked him as he filled out the paperwork. "Book him on murder and evading the police," Andy told him and turned around to face Julio. "One of those will stick," Andy muttered and then moved Billy through the booking process.

Meanwhile, Sharon and Matthew were sitting at the kitchen table playing the Connect Four game for the fifth time in a row. Sharon had won twice and so had Matthew. "I think you're getting the hang of this game now," Sharon told him as she placed her checker into a slot. "Are you going to be okay, Mommy?" Matthew asked as he stopped to look at her before he placed his checker in a slot.

Sharon gave him a look as he sat across from her. "Yes, of course I'm going to be okay, Matthew. I'm healing and seem to be on the right medication now, so yes I am okay," she smiled, trying to reassure him. "When are you going back to work?" he asked her. "Well, I go see the doctor again on Monday and hopefully he will release me back to work then," Sharon said as she placed another checker in a slot.

Matthew sat there, staring at the game and Sharon wondered what their youngest son was thinking. "Matthew, are you worried about something, other than what you told me earlier tonight?" she asked him as she reached over and held his free hand. "I don't want you to die like my other mom did," he mumbled to her, quietly but she still heard him.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere for a long time, don't you worry about that," Sharon told him and wondered what had brought that on all of a sudden. "Sweetie, what made you think of that?" she asked and even though he wasn't their son by blood, he was starting to develop similar traits of Andy. Like how she knew when to push Andy in order to get him to tell her certain things, she was quickly finding out the same with Matthew.

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "I guess when you were in the hospital, it just made me think of that," he mumbled and Sharon nodded. "Okay," she glanced at the clock. "Why don't you go get ready for bed and I'll read you a story when you're done," she patted his hand and he got up from his chair and went upstairs, Moxie following him like he always did.

Sharon was putting the game pieces away when Emily walked back into the kitchen. She walked over to the refrigerator and got out an orange. She always had an orange right after she worked out on her dance moves. Sharon smiled at the memory of her daughter's first dance recital as she watched her peel the orange. Emily saw her mom smiling for no reason. "Everything okay?" she asked her as she ate a slice of the orange.

"Between us, yes. I'm still worried about Matthew though," Sharon told her. "Hmm, don't be Mom, he'll be just fine," Emily told her and then retreated back to the family room.

Andy and Julio arrived back in the Murder Room and both went to their desks. "Okay, everyone, we have been ordered to depart for the night. We'll pick up tomorrow morning and figure out who Frankie is and who else may be involved," Provenza told everyone.

Andy opened his desk drawer, glanced at Croelick's folder as he reached in to grab his keys. He closed the drawer and sighed. It had been a long day and he still had to have a conversation with Sharon about her showing up at the office earlier today. He was not looking forward to that. "Good night!" he said as he left the office and headed towards the elevators.

He stretched his neck and rubbed the back of it as he waited for the elevator. Provenza caught up with him and stepped inside the elevator with his friend. "So did you give Chief Mason hell?" Andy asked him as the elevator took them down to the parking garage. "He didn't give me much of a choice," Provenza grumbled as they stood there. "I'm not sure if I entirely trust him yet," Andy muttered.

"How so?" Provenza asked as the doors opened and they stepped out. "He's not Taylor and definitely not Howard, but I don't think he has enough investigative experience," Andy told him as they walked towards their cars. "Not that I trusted Taylor in the beginning, but," he shrugged his shoulders and Provenza patted him on his back.

"Get some sleep, Flynn. See you tomorrow. And try to keep the Commander at home, please?" Provenza told him as he walked towards his car, which was a couple down from Andy's car. "Yeah," Andy said to himself as he folded his tired body into his car and drove home.

TBC