CHAPTER 5

When Matt and CJ emerged from the elevator at the office of Houston Investigations, Chris was coming back down the steps from the main part of the office. "Houston, Rich and Mitchell just got here; they're out on the patio."

"Thanks." He leaned over and gave CJ a peck on the cheek as they reached the top of the stairs. As he went out onto the patio, she went straight for the couch and brought up the computer, watching as her husband began talking to the the two men outside before beginning her all-out assault into the life of Sharon Plessy.

"Got some interesting news about the ash tray." Rich and Mitchell watched as Matt took the file and began reading through it, nodding as he got to the end of the short report.

"Kinda wondered if it might have been C-4. At first I had thought maybe the cigars had something to do with ignition, but it takes a detonator for that. Now we know." The ATF lab said that the ashtray, which was desiged to remove the smoke from the air, had contained C-4 in the battery compartment and the remains of a tiny detonator that featured a small cell phone had also been pieced together. "So your lab folks think that it was set off by a cell phone."

"Uh huh."

"Any idea what cell phone?"

"Not yet. They're still working on it." Mitchell watched as the PI nodded again and tossed the file back on the table. "So what happened with Bishop?" Both men listened as Matt ran through what they had found and about the interview with Sharon Plessy. He looked up as CJ came to the door of the patio.

"I think we might have just hit paydirt, guys." Motioning them inside she led the way back to the couch. "Sharon's sister Ashlyn used to date De Fiore several years back."

"Okay..." Rich sat down as did the other two. "And?"

"They were an item up until her car was found in a ravine off of Upper Tujunga Canyon Road..."

"Which is what – about an hour or so north of where we found Bishop this morning?" Houston looked up at the map that she now pulled up showing the locations of both incidents. "Nothing like a coincidence, is there? What have you got on that one?"

"A lot of the same as what we found this morning except for the fact that Ashlyn had a reputation as a party girl and had been popped for DUI a couple of times in the months before her death. It was ruled an accident."

"What did the ME's report say about her blood alcohol level?" Rich watched as she pulled up the information.

"It was .02."

"So way under the limit. Hmph." The fire inspector shook his head. "When was this?"

"About five years ago."

"Figures. That was back when we had the other ME." Matt stood up and began pacing around. "Babe, get Sharon Plessy's phone records for the last month."

Rich cut his eyes over at the man. "You know..."

"Yeah, I know...but I also know that we can get the search warrant later." The PI went back to pacing, shaking the right hand once again.

"Okay...got 'em." CJ looked up at her husband.

"Check to see if there was any activity on it about 1:00 yesterday afternoon."

"There was..." She brought up the information for the call. "It was a short call...listed as one minute."

"What number was called?"

"818-555-9158."

"I'll give that to the lab rats." Mitchell called the ATF lab and passed on the information to one of the techs working the case.

Matt continued to pace, looking up as Alex Bateaux came into the office. "Damn continuances. Do we have anything new?" Hoyt came in after him.

"You could say that. CJ, tell 'em what you found." He walked out onto the patio and continued his pacing out in the sunshine.

Bateaux listened and then let out a low whistle. "So the plot thickens..." He paused. "We, uh..." He paused momentarily. "We didn't have a search warrant for the phone information...did we?"

"Not as of yet, no." CJ leaned back on the couch.

"That's what I thought. Well..." The FBI agent looked across to first Michael, then Mitchell, and then Rich. "I guess we need to see about getting one." He gave a slight smile. "We might just find something useful if we do." There was a general chuckle. "Kind of got the cart before the horse, but c'est la vie." Looking out he saw the disgusted look on Houston's face and watched as he continued to work the fingers on his right hand. "Folks, I think we need to go have a chat with the leader of our band of merry men...and lady of course." The group filed out onto the patio, Hoyt stopping just inside as his phone rang.

"Looks like it might be starting to come together." Alex took a seat at the table. Houston's only reply was a nod. "But I get the sense that you're not altogether pleased?"

"Oh, I'm glad it's coming together – I just wish..." The PI shook his head and went back to pacing. "I've got a really bad habit that I've tried to get out of but sometimes..."

"Old habits die hard, Houston." Gunterson spoke up.

"Alright..." He stopped pacing. "So Plessy looks like she's involved in it up to her ears. But what's her angle? We need to see if she and De Fiore have anything in common besides her sister and the storage facility." Pausing for a minute he looked to Michael who had just joined them on the patio after finishing his phone call. "What about Lewis Gonzales and Ronnie Pilkins?"

"Lee just called me. According to their wives they were given the week off and went camping – someplace that you and Alex are kind of familiar with as a matter of fact."

"Oh?"

"Uh huh – near Mt. Whitney – just outside of Lone Pine." He watched as the FBI agent and Matt exchanged a look.

"Guess I better give Wally Simmons a call." Matt pulled out his phone and contined pacing around the patio as the call went through. "Wally – Houston. How ya doin'?" There was a pause as he listened to the Inyo County Deputy who had helped him and Bateaux take down a third generation serial killer. "Well, congratulations." There was another pause. "As a matter of fact I could use some help..." He went on to explain what was going on. "Do you think you could...?" He smiled and gave Alex a thumbs up and then told the detective the name of the two men and their destination. "Think it would be alright if I came up there and..." Pausing once again he gave a chuckle. "I'd appreciate it, bud." Looking at his watch, he spoke again. "Alright. I'll call you. Thanks." Disconnecting the call he looked at Alex. "Feel like taking a trip up to Lone Pine? I've got the new chopper that hasn't had a good work out yet." He grinned at the FBI agent.

"I don't know..." Alex shook his head, remembering their last flight together that had ended with Matt's previous helicopter being destroyed. His phone rang and after a short conversation with his boss he hung up. "The boss says I've got to take my life in my hands and fly with you again." The group all laughed. "So where is it?"

Matt pulled out his keys. "It's at the ranch. I was using it to look over the herd the other day and didn't bring it back here. Guess we get to make a short road trip. Anybody else want to go?"

"After what I just heard? No way." Rich shook his head and everyone cracked up.

"Chicken."

"Matt, I need to talk to you – privately." CJ stepped back inside and he followed her.

"Uh oh. Bet I know what that's about." Michael sighed, remembering what she had told him about the scheduled therapy session for the PI's hand.

Once inside and a short distance from the doorway, CJ turned to face her husband. "What about your therapy appointment?"

"Oh, well..." He thought for a minute. "Can you reschedule it for tomorrow or something?" Seeing the look on her face he knew that she wasn't happy with the answer. "It's starting to move a little better, Babe. Honest. See?" He wiggled his fingers, still seeing the doubt on her face. "I promise you I will go if you reschedule it."

Knowing that he always kept his word she nodded. "Just be extra careful, okay?"

"I will." Giving her a peck on the cheek he called out to Bateaux. "Fibby, are you coming or not?"

Alex came through the door. "Guess I should call my priest and get him to light a candle for me." The smirk that accompanied the statement caused the two PI's to laugh.

"I'll call you when we know something, Babe. Love you." Houston gave her another kiss, this time squeezing her hand with his right one. "See?"

"Uh huh. But you're still going tomorrow come hell or high water."

"Yes, dear." He used the hen-pecked voice and got a smile out of her before heading off to the elevator.

Hoyt and the others came back inside as Rich answered his phone. After a few seconds he hung up and went toward the elevator. "Gotta get back to my other work. Talk to you guys later." The fire investigator took off at a trot for the elevator and caught a ride down with the other two men.

"You two okay?" Michael approached CJ.

"Yeah, he's just so..." She rolled her eyes.

"Uh huh, and you wouldn't change him even if you could, now would you?" Michael grinned.

"I guess not."

"I'm going to get back to the office. Call me." Mitchell went toward the outer office leaving the pair behind.

"See you later." CJ went back over to the computer and looked through what they had gathered so far. "Michael, I think we would be wise to keep tabs on Sharon Plessy."

"I'll put Giovanni on it." He pulled out his phone and assigned his newest detective to the job and in the process was informed that he needed to respond to a call. "Looks like you're it, counselor. I've gotta go see about a nut case in Griffith Park."

"Okay. I'll nose around and see if I can find anything else out about all of our players." Sighing as the cop left, she refilled her coffee cup and had a seat in front of the computer once again. "Now...where to go from here?"

After a quick trip to the ranch, Matt and Alex boarded the helicopter and were flying northward toward Lone Pine. Speaking into the microphone attached to the headset, the PI looked around them. "Wally's going to check with the Park Service and see if they know exactly where Gonzales and Pilkins are camping."

"That would be helpful – Lord knows that's a lot of territory to have to cover."

"Yep." The short trip passed uneventfully much to the relief of Bateaux, and they were retrieving their gear from the helicopter as Wally pulled up at the airport.

"Long time, no see. How's it going, Alex?" The smiling deputy shook hands with both men. "I see you decided to test the fates and fly with him again."

"Called on St. Christopher to help me through it." The agent let out an umph as Houston poked him in the ribs.

"We've got an approximate location on Gonzales and Pilkins." Leading the pair over to his Jeep, Simmons slid behind the wheel. "We tried calling their cell phones but didn't get an answer. Lot of folks turn 'em off when they get up this way. When you're looking for peace and quiet a ringing cell phone doesn't exactly help." Heading westward along Whitney Portal Road he continued. "The ranger I talked to said that they had mentioned camping along one of the creeks near where the road ends. They sent a man on up that way to try to find out exactly where they are – cut down on our time."

"Awfully nice of 'em." Matt nodded.

They reached the dead end of the road and found the truck that the ranger had been using along with two other vehicles. Wally called his contact at the Forrest Service and was told that the ranger hadn't reported in yet. After a couple of minutes the contact reported that they were unable to reach the ranger by cell phone or his radio but that it appeared that he had last been going toward Carillion Creek. After thanking her, the deputy hung up. "Looks like we get to do a little hiking."

"Not exactly dressed for the occasion are ya, bud?" Houston grinned at the FBI agent who had removed his jacket and tie but was still in the rest of the suit that he had donned that morning.

"Wouldn't be the first time. Let's go." He slapped the velcro into place on his bullet proof vest and the three started off onto the trail that led slightly northwest from the roadway where they had parked, chatting as they went.

"So tell me about your daughter's wedding." Houston was walking right next to Wally.

"Gotta say I wasn't real happy at first, not having met the fella before he popped the question." Simmons' daughter was attending San Francisco State and had fallen for a graduate student three years her senior. "They came down for about a week and we met him. Seems like a nice enough guy. And no record – I ran a background check on him." The other two men laughed. "Yeah, go ahead and laugh. When that daughter of your's falls for some guy you'll probably do the same thing – if not worse." He looked at Matt who smiled. "Anyway, they're planning a New Year's Eve wedding."

"That's one way not to forget your anniversary." Bateaux piped up, then let out with a curse in French as they hit a rough part of the trail. Matt snickered. "I heard that."

"Good. Nice to know our FBI agents have good hearing." He felt a clod of dirt as it hit the back of his vest and another curse in the foreign language was uttered.

"So what about your crew?" Wally looked over at the PI.

"They're doing fine. Kids are growing like weeds. Catey seems to enjoy being a big sister. She's always ready to let one of us know when one of the boys has a dirty diaper." The group laughed once again. "Tomás is doing great at school. I'll be glad when he gets his summer vacation, though – I miss having him around."

"What about CJ?"

"She's good. Kinda been dogging me about my hand, but other than that..."

"I was gonna ask you about the lefty-holster deal."

"Broke my hand right before Christmas and it's being a little obstinate. No biggie. She just worries too much."

"Sounds like Tammy." The deputy pointed up ahead. "Looks like somebody's camp up there. Maybe we'll get lucky and..." A shot rang out before he could finish and all three men hit the ground, their weapons drawn and at the ready.

"You alright back there, Fibby?" Houston was trying to determine exactly where the shot had come from.

"Yeah. You know Hoyt was right about you. You're like a damn lightning rod."

"I'm not sure...think maybe it came from the right side over there. That clump of three trees..." Simmons pulled out his phone and called his department and the Forrest Service for some back up.

"We're not in a very good spot to be defensive here..." Bateaux looked around them. There were lying in the dried up creek bed.

"Nope. Not the best real estate, that's for sure." The PI continued to look ahead, trying to detect any movement. "Got any ideas, Fibby?"

"Uh huh – how about we don't get shot?" The agent moved up slightly for a little better view. "I can't see squat from here."

"I think we might do a little better if we can make it up to those two trees just ahead. They would give us a little something to hide behind." Matt nodded in that direction. "Anybody care to cover me if they let loose again?"

"Well, it's not like we've got much choice is it?" Simmons gave him a grin. "Better not get shot – I don't want CJ mad at me."

"You have no idea..." Houston took a deep breath. "Ready?"

"Uh huh..." Simmons' eyes swept the area ahead of them as the PI began crawling forward on his belly, a couple of shots ringing out when he was halfway to his goal. Firing back, the deputy spoke to Bateaux. "They're in the trees alright."

"Uh huh. Looks like he made it okay." Houston was now behind one of the trees and nodded in their direction, ready to cover the other two as they got ready to join him. "On three?" Alex saw the nod. "One, two, three!" Both men began scrambling and several shots rang out, some from their attacker and some from Houston. They made it over to the trees and hunkered next to the PI.

"I think I might have hit somebody up there." Matt was staring intently at the trees. "Heard a grunt."

"That might have been the Fibby here. I think he might have gotten a little dust on his socks." Simmons had almost as much fun as Houston teasing the agent.

"You two are just full of laughs aren't you?"

"Better than being full of lead." Matt glanced up at the sound of a nearby helicopter. "Sounds like our reinforcements are close." Looking back at the trees he noticed some movement. "They heard it, too."

Simmons was back on the phone with the Inyo County Sheriff's Department and had been patched through to the pilot of the helicopter informing him of where they thought the shots were coming from. "They've got a visual...said it looks like two people."

"By my count we should have Pilkins, Gonzales, and a ranger. The question is, is it Pilkins and Gonzales shooting at us or somebody else?" Houston kept watching the clump of trees. "Looks like they might be trying to go north. I don't think they're going to have too much luck with that given the terrain."

"Unless they're part mountain goat." Wally still had the pilot on the phone and lowered it slightly as he spoke again. "He says that the ranger is down outside of the tent. Can't see any other bodies."

"So it could be the two we're looking for that are shooting at us." Bateaux continued to look toward the trees.

"I don't know about you two, but I would like to get this over with ASAP." Houston was considering their limited options. "I'd also like to end this without killing anybody. We need information more than another body piling up."

Simmons jerked his head in the direction of the trees. "Tell them that."

"Believe I will." Taking a deep breath the PI stood up, still protected by the tree. "I don't know who y'all are, but we really don't want anybody else to get hurt. Just throw down your weapons and come on out with your hands in the air." There was no reply and he waited for a minute. "We've got eyes on you from the air...you know all they have to do is aim and pull the trigger from up there. Best come on out before they loose patience with you."

"Somebody is moving." Alex had shifted his position somewhat and was looking over Wally's shoulder. "Keep talking, Houston."

"What do you want me to say? Nice weather we're having?" The PI kept looking intently at the area.

"You've never been at a loss for words before."

"Shut up, Fibby." He paused, then raised his voice again. "Y'all know we've got more folks on the way. It won't get any better for you. Just come on out." There was another pause and then movement from the trees.

"We're coming out." Up ahead they could see two forms emerging from behind the trees, one supporting the other.

Wally spoke. "Looks like you were right – one of 'em got hit." He stood up, his pistol trained on the pair. "That's far enough. Down on your belly."

"He's hit."

"Get down. Now." Wally and the other two began moving out from behind the trees as the man who was supporting his wounded partner began going down to his knees.

"Something isn't right..." Matt lowered his voice and watched. "Get back behind the tree." Shots rang out as the man held the wounded person in front of him and began shooting at the trio who fired back. A shot rang out from the chopper that had been hovering above them and all fell silent save for the sound of the rotor on the aircraft. Easing out from their cover, the three friends advanced on the men. "Wally, tell your sharp-shooter up there they did good..." He kicked the pistol out of reach of the shooter who was now writhing on the ground, his right arm streaming blood.

Simmons passed the message along and then relayed the reply to Matt. "She says thank you very much."