Chapter 4.

The following morning Kris pulled in to Cate's drive behind her car. Everything was quiet; Kris assumed that Cate had just overslept that was why she hadn't arrived at the beach house when she said she would. Leaving Tiffany and Julie at the beach house Kris decided to come and check on Cate, make sure she was ok. Kris knocked on the front door but after no answer she knocked again taking her key for the house and unlocking the door, entering in Kris was met with destroyed furniture laying about the front room broken glass from the tables and hanging pictures that now lay broken against the walls.

'Cate!' Kris called out scared something terrible had happened. Turning to the kitchen she found Cate sat on a kitchen stool drinking orange juice with an empty cereal bowl by the side of her.

'Morning.' Cate said as Kris came closer.

'Are you all right? What happened here?' Kris asked confused. 'Did someone attack you or something?'

'No.' Cate almost laughing at the thought simply replied as she got down off the stool taking the bowl and the empty juice glass with her placing them in to the sink.

'Cate, what happened here?' Kris demanded.

'You know Kris I don't remember you being this loud this early in the morning.'

'Cate.' Kris warned. Cate picked up the broken half of the baseball bat from the kitchen floor placing it on to the kitchen table.

'I broke my bat.' Cate said as she passed Kris heading towards the bathroom to brush her teeth.

'Why, Cate I don't understand?' Kris said rubbing her forehead when she noticed the card and photo on the kitchen table where Cate had been sitting looking at them she began to understand.

'Patsy Cline.' Cate called back.

'Patsy Cline broke your baseball bat.' Kris said even more confused.

'Something like that.' Cate said as she came back out of the bathroom picking up her jacket and keys from the kitchen table before heading to the front door and opening it. 'Shouldn't we be going, I'm pretty sure we're late.' Kris gave in for now but she wasn't defeated.

'No you're late, I'm here chasing after you!'

'Huh, imagine that.' Cate joked as they exited the bungalow.

Kris was driving them back to her place in silence until Cate broke that.

'I lost my temper.' She said staring out the windscreen to the road ahead.

'That's why your place looks like a demolition team has been through it.' Kris said flicking her eyes to Cate from the road for a moment before flicking back again.

'Pretty much.' Cate said resting her head on her hand propped up again the side of the door.

'And how does Patsy Cline come in to this?'

'I switched on the radio hoping it would calm me down but there was Patsy singing 'I Fall to Pieces', I picked up the bat and began swinging, soon got it all out of my system.' Cate explained.

'Pretty expensive way.' Kris said raising her eyebrows.

'Yeah well I can replace what I've broken, that won't take much.'

'What made you so angry, was it Julie, what she said earlier?'

'I suppose that had a small amount to do with it. Then I found that card and photo on my coffee table from Kelly that was kind of it after that.'

'You're not intending to snap at one of us like that are you?' Kris asked.

'No, it just had to come out some how, some way and that was it.' Cate explained just as the mobile car phone rang picking it up Cate answered the call. 'Hello?'

'Kris?' Tiffany's voice came through.

'No Tiff it's Cate, what's going on?'

'Oh, Cate hi, Bosley called at the beach house wants us all at the office straight away, he's found something.'

'All right Tiff, I'll tell Kris we'll meet you both there.' Cate said as she ended the call hanging up the phone.

'What's wrong?' Kris asked looking to Cate briefly.

'Bosley wants us at the office. He's found something.'

'Ok, let's go see what it is.' Kris said as she found a place to turn her car around and headed toward the agency.

Julie and Tiffany arrived shortly after Kris and Cate, all greeting each other as they entered Julie and Tiffany took their seats on the sofa opposite Cate and Kris.

'You two want coffee?' Kris asked as they settled in to their seats, both Tiffany and Julie nodded appreciatively.

'So Bos,' Tiffany began 'what have you got for us?'

'I think something very interesting. Charlie has been checking on Mr Damien Roth to see if he has been up to his old tricks again.' Bosley began to explain.

'And has he?' Julie asked as she took the mug of coffee from Kris.

'Not from what Charlie is being told no.'

'So what is he up then?' Cate asked hating the round about way of getting to things that are important.

'He's been buying up some interesting properties, places that are large and out of the way of the rest of civilisation.'

'Such as?' Kris asked sitting back down next to Cate.

'He bought a large farm that hasn't been used as a working farm for years, an old slaughter house that is also no longer used completely cleared out.'

'Is he using them as fronts?' Julie asked.

'We're not clear on that yet, there seems to be no new equipment or even livestock being taken to the slaughter house and the farm still looks deserted.'

'So why is all of this so interesting?' Cate asked.

'The next part is the interesting part, you see this all starts to piece together when you look at Roth's time in prison.' Bosley explained handing out folders to the Angel's.

'How did he get out so early?' Kris asked annoyance in her tone.

'Good behaviour.' Cate flatly said.

'What?' Kris turned to her shocked.

'It's right here, page two Damien Roth was released early for reasons of good behaviour.' Cate summarised from the folder.

'With the charm that man could spin, I'm not surprised.' Tiffany sarcastically commented.

'So what are we looking at in here Bos that's going to make our ears prick up?' Julie asked sensing things going off track a little.

'It's the people Roth was noted to be socialising with whilst inside.' Bosley said.

'Duncan Bennett.' Cate read out. 'Why does that name sound familiar?' She asked the room.

'Wasn't he the guy who was arrested for setting up illegal fights?' Kris answered uncertain.

'He most certainly was Kris.' Tiffany confirmed. 'The only reason the police caught on to it all was when a fighter turned up dead on the beach close to where fights were being held.'

'A long undercover operation followed after that which ended with Bennett being arrested along with several others.' Bosley explained.

'So we're thinking that Damien Roth is now in to the underground fighting game?' Kris asked.

'It certainly looks that way.' Bosley answered.

'Or at least it's supposed to.' Cate said flicking through the pages of the file again.

'You don't think that, that's what's going on?' Julie asked.

'I think it's a little obvious but then maybe it's a double bluff on those looking.'

'Ok now I'm confused.' Kris said sitting back in the sofa looking at Cate.

'Well Roth has got to know that he's going to be watched whilst he's out. So buying up certain property that looks a certain way after spending time in jail with certain men, you have to ask yourself if he's really being that obvious and then there's the one person we haven't mentioned connected with all of this.' Cate explained looking around the people in the room.

'Jill.' Kris said sighing deeply.

'Exactly. Why do this style of thing and what possible reason would Jill have to be with him for that?'

'Well she's not exactly taking my calls to answer the questions so I really don't know.' Kris said throwing her folder down on to the coffee table in front of them. The room fell silent with just the sound of the clock ticking.

'Bosley, where has Roth been seen in the evenings recently or most frequently?' Cate asked.

'The new exclusive club downtown D24, Jill's normally with him.'

'Why?' Julie asked.

'I just want to check out this Roth, from a distance.' Cate explained.

'I'm coming with you.' Kris said determined.

'No way.' Julie stated before anyone else could. 'No way Kris, you can't go down there.'

'Why not?' Kris demanded even though she knew the answer they would give her.

'Because you can't be objective when you're near Jill and you know that.' Cate explained coolly.

'I'm not a kid Cate.'

'I know that Kris but I can't be worrying about you when I'm trying to watch over Roth. Julie why don't you come with me, Roth shouldn't know you.'

'Ok but Jill will recognise me and you, don't you think Roth will know who we are though?'

'I think that's the point.' Tiffany answered. 'If Roth doesn't let on in some way that he knows who the pair of you are then you'll be the perfect pair to go undercover.'

'But who's to say that Roth wasn't the one responsible for the explosion that killed Kelly and nearly killed Julie.' Bosley pointed out.

'That's the risk we take Bos.' Julie said. 'I for one think it's time we took the fight to them instead of waiting for the next attack.'

'Not that I don't agree but let's just scout out Roth first and the people of his inner circle and that club.' Cate planned out loud.

'Fine, but while you two are doing that what are Tiffany and I going to be doing?' Kris asked a little more than annoyed at being shut out from what she deemed a more important operation.

'Well I think we should go and check out this farm land and slaughterhouse.' Tiffany said looking at the information about them in her file.

'That sounds like a good idea.' Bosley agreed.

'Ok settled then. Julie and I will go to the club this evening whilst Tiff, you and Kris check out Roth's two new properties. All good?' Cate asked looking around at everyone knowing that Kris was not happy with the plan. 'Ok then, well I have some things to take care of so Julie I'll pick you up say at around nine tonight?' Cate offered, Julie nodded in agreement as Cate got up leaving the room. Kris sat for a few more moments rolling over what had been decided for her in the meeting.

'Kris, it really is for the best that you don't go with Cate tonight.' Tiffany offered in support to the decision knowing Kris's displeasure of it. Kris looked to Tiffany and then Julie knowing that they were only looking out for her, they weren't the ones to yell at, smiling at them she excused herself leaving the room looking for Cate who she found out side stood with her hands on her hips.

'Cate.' Kris called to her. Cate turned to face Kris.

'You know I came out here to drive back home and I've just realised that I didn't drive myself here.'

'Don't do that.' Kris said angrily to Cate.

'Do what?'

'Treat me like a kid, needing protecting and shutting away from things.'

'But you do need protecting Kris, from this you do.'

'Don't give me that crap, I've dealt with Roth and Jill before I can do it again.' Kris stated as she turned on her heel storming back in to the agency with Cate following swiftly after her.

'If you can handle it so well then why did I find you propping up the bar downtown when I came home?, you really showed how well you handled things in there!' Tiffany, Bosley and Julie stayed where they were seated when Kris and Cate came back in arguing.

'That was different and how dare you use that against me!' Kris yelled.

'Because you won't listen to me or any of us when we're trying to help you.'

'By shutting me out?'

'For God's sake Kris we're not shutting you out and you know it.'

'But you don't want me anywhere near Jill or Damien Roth in case of what Cate? In case I spoil your perfect plan?'

'Who the hell said my plan was perfect? All we're doing is checking the man out, what his circle is like now and how Jill fits in to it all.'

'Then I should be there!' Kris yelled again. Rapidly losing her temper Cate raised her hands to the air and dropping them as she walked her self around in a circle trying to control her self.

'This is exactly why I can't have you with me at the club near Jill or Roth. You can barely say the mans name without your temper rising.'

'With good reason.' Kris said flatly.

'Look, just go to the farm and slaughterhouse with Tiffany and leave the club to me and Julie, if you don't like it… You know what Kris I don't care if you don't like it, you're not going to the club full stop I will have you cuffed to that damn desk if I have to, to stop you from going.' Cate shouted pointing to Bosley's desk.

'So you can smash up the furniture in your house in a rage and go out after this guy and I'm the one who has to stay home by the phone?' Kris asked coldly, Julie moved forward to try and stop the argument but both Bosley and Tiffany stopped her shaking their head's, they obviously knew best Julie thought to herself as they allowed Cate and Kris to continue shouting the office down.

'But you're not staying home by the phone Kris you're going to be out with Tiffany checking on Roth's other properties to see what if anything is going on there and as we don't know what may going on there I'd appreciate it if you had your head in the game and would concentrate on that with Tiff. You see this is why you can't go near Roth or Jill right now; until you can control your emotions about them and around them you stay away from them. And as for me and what I do, well that's down to me isn't it. We don't know yet who was responsible for Kelly's death and until I have concrete proof that it was Roth I won't be going after him with a gun cocked and ready to kill.'

'Don't you think that's a bit of a double standard?' Kris asked looking at her through slit angry eyes.

'Kris, I can control myself.' Cate said sternly.

'I know you just as well as you know me Cate, I know that to be bull.' Kris stated.

'You want a different plan call Charlie but I cannot do the job I need to do if I'm worrying about you and your reactions.' Cate ended the argument taking a deep breath and breathing out slowly. 'Now, I don't have my car and need to get back to my place so who's going to get me there?' Cate asked still locking eyes with Kris.

'I will.' Julie offered grabbing her handbag from the coffee table, she was glad to be getting out of the office knowing full well that Kris wasn't done she'd be phoning Charlie next. Julie left the office with Cate following after her leaving the rest in the office in silence.