6

On the drive over to Stinky's in Hoyt's car as he insisted, Matt shared what he knew. "Listen I know it looks bad but I'm telling you...its just like when I was accused of murder. C.J. witnessed something as a child, both her parents died horrible deaths..." He had to swallow before continuing, "Now I don't know if that was what she witnessed or not. All I know is how they died, that she was in the witness protection program and now, twice she's almost hurt herself. Neither time does she remember doing anything. I think I know better than anyone what its like to have someone manipulate your mind like that."

Roy hated all this. He stood by Matt just a little over a year ago when he confronted his own kidnapper again. He also knew C.J. had witnessed two murders and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that most likely she saw both parents. He was hedging for now partially because he didn't want to even admit it to himself and partially because he had a sense of what it would do to Matt. Matt needed to focus.

Roy then spoke up as they pulled into Stinky's driveway. "Well, I picked up that 45 from the office where I've been keeping it since you two took off a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully Stinky's grandson can help us determine if this was the gun used to kill Daniel." Matt looked down and took another deep breath.

Then Warren spoke up, "You know she is smart. Wouldn't surprise me if even as a little girl, she knew how valuable that gun would be if it were the murder weapon. Maybe hang on to it so she could go after them someday, take it all to the police and have them arrested."

Matt then said with a small smile, "Yeah, that would be just like her. I remember the first time I got to meet her properly. She was so angry and I knew, I mean I just knew she had gone through something as bad...well...I could see her finding it and then keeping it to go after them as a lawyer later or just waiting to find someone she could trust." He looked down again, "Maybe she thought that'd be Floyd, but neither him nor Missy really ever made her feel like family." He shook his head, "She could have told me though."

Roy then said, "You never know. By the time she felt safe enough with you and Bill, her mind may have forced her to forget it by then. I mean Bill would have...huh..." his voice trailed off.

Matt noticed and asked, "Bill what, Uncle Roy?"

Roy then said, "Well I told you he asked me if I could get a hold of an old contact to ask, but...well...if memory serves, Bill completely dropped the subject about 6 months later. I told him I had tracked down every lead I could and he told me not to worry about it any more. I knew he had hired a few guys for security, and was even paying a couple guys to work for Floyd. We were having some problems with Will in school then so I didn't think too hard about it, but it was never really like your Daddy to let something like that go. I wonder if he didn't find out something and never told me."

An older man, Roy's age came out of the small house in the little subdivision holding a little coffee cup. "Roy, old man, its good to see you."

Roy smiled and shook his hand. After making the introductions he asked him if his grandson would be able to help them. Stinky led him to the backyard. Sitting in a patio chair smoking a cigarette was a nice, clean cut young man. He held out his hand and his grandfather introduced him as Jeffrey the best graduate UNLV ever had in forensic science.

Jeffrey took the gun and told them to wait there for a minute. He went in the garage and they could hear it fire. Warren and Hoyt flinched but Roy told them as Stinky laughed, "He's got a lab there in his garage."

Stinky then added, "Always been interested in guns and stuff. Used to make little experiments in the backyard on stuff to find fingerprints and track bugs and stuff."

Jeffrey came out and clarified, "I was tracking the consumption of toxins by maggots. Its called entomotoxicology. See they consume flesh and if there are toxins or drugs in the system of that flesh then..." All men looked like they were about to lose their lunch when his grandfather stepped in.

"Jeffrey there's no need to impress us with all that scientific mumbo jumbo. Is that the murder weapon or not?" Stinky asked him.

Jeffery then said, "Well, I have the bullet under the scope. You have the picture I asked for?"

Roy handed it to him and he left again. Stinky then asked, "You fellas hungry? We've got some BBQ inside here."

After the little explanation Jeffrey gave, none of the men were hungry so they all shook their heads. He came back out quickly enough and said, "Well, gentlemen you have your murder weapon. The marks on the bullets match. Each gun leaves its own fingerprint if you will and the prints match."

Hoyt then asked, "You're sure. There's no way that's not the gun."

Jeffrey then said, "I did a whole thesis on these things. That's your gun detective."

They all looked at Matt who then said, "So the question is, why does C.J. have the gun that killed her father and how did she get it?" He rubbed his forehead, "And was she there when he was killed? Did she witness his murder or her mothers, or both?" Tears were in his eyes as he asked that last question.

The men parted ways when they got back to the hospital. Warren picked up Chris and drove her home and Matt replaced her by C.J.'s side. He was still trying to think all this through. Brad was standing watch, dressed as an orderly outside her room. Knowing that, Matt finally drifted off to sleep in that uncomfortable chair around midnight.

C.J. woke him up as she ran her hand through his hair as his head laid beside her body on the bed. She smiled and said, "Hiya boss."

Matt smiled back and said as he sat up slowly, "Hiya sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"

She nodded her head and said, "Yes I guess I did. I still barely remember coming in here. Matt...what happened? How did I wind up in the hospital again?"

Matt swallowed and told her, "Honey you took those sleeping pills I got you." He started to say something else but stopped.

C.J. caught this and said, "And? Matt, people don't wind up in here after taking a couple of sleeping pills. What is it you aren't telling me?"

Matt took a deep breath before saying, "You took more than a couple..." He started rubbing her hand and focusing on it to keep from showing her how scared he was. "you took the whole bottle."

C.J. furrowed her brow, "What? Wait, Matt there's no way...I mean I wouldn't...it has to be a mistake, did someone break in and force me...I mean there is no way I really did that, I know."

Matt looked at her again and told her, "Yes you did. I saw you..."

C.J. was starting to get angry. She knew she wouldn't do anything like what Matt was telling her. How could he even think something like that, much less say it? He had never lied to her before, but still...she just knew herself and knew this couldn't possibly be true. "You couldn't have...I wouldn't do that!" Her voice got louder and she pulled her hand back.

Matt blinked and swallowed again, "Honey, I don't think you meant to, not really." She looked confused, hurt and angry which tore Matt up just a little more. So he continued, "Look, do you remember when I was on the run for murder?" She nodded still confused, "Do you remember how they told us that under hypnosis I could have actually hurt Veronica?"

C.J. then blinked several times and asked softly, "You think I was hypnotized?"

Matt could see the fear in her eyes so he told her, taking her hand again, "I don't know, C.J. I just know you wouldn't do these things without someone having some kind of control over you."

He kissed her hand and she just shook her head, "How? I just...I..."

She was at a loss for words he could tell. So he spoke up, "Look, I have Brad right outside your door here so no one is getting in here to hurt you. I think this is all tied to how your parents died." She turned away from him but he kept going, "I'm gonna solve this, honey. Don't you worry. I won't let anyone hurt you, not again."

She turned back to him and he saw the fresh tears flowing from her eyes, "I remembered a few things about my Daddy. I was reading my journal, that first one to try to help...Matt, I miss him. I haven't thought about him in so long, I..." at that point she broke down.

Matt moved from the chair he was in and sat on the bed, wrapping her in his arms. "Oh, honey I'm so sorry." For the next hour he held her while she cried softly into his chest. His heart was breaking for her but his blood pressure was starting to rise, wanting so bad to just take a piece out of whoever had taken her father from her and caused her so much pain.

The doctor came in just a little after nine to find Matt laying on the bed beside her as she slept, holding her in his arms. He smiled and then motioned for him to follow him outside. He told Matt, "I wanted to meet with both of you, but her resting is probably a good thing. I hate to wake patients like that."

Matt nodded to Brad and Greg who had just arrived and both moved closer to her door as Matt and the doctor walked off. Matt told him, "She really doesn't remember anything. I think she's been hypnotized at some point and that's why she's done these things."

The doctor looked surprised, "Hypnotized? What? When?...did she see a psychiatrist we don't have on record?"

Matt shook his head, "No, I think its related to the case." He put his head down as they got closer to the doctor's office, "I've been hypnotized before so I know how this works, I know that sensation, time disappearing from your life, not being in full control of your own actions..." He shook his head, "Many of these guys take something painful, traumatic that has happened in their target's life and they use that to control them."

The doctor stopped and then sat down at his desk, "If that's the case, maybe she should be admitted upstairs..." Matt started to shake his head but the doctor continued, "now I know this isn't what either of you want probably, but listen...The people we have up there are professionals. If what's going on is what you think is going on, you need them to help her break out of this. I know you love her, but love is not enough if a professional psychiatrist has messed around with her psyche."

Matt interjected, "I know all that, but if I have her committed, she'll never trust me again. I can't do that, not now. She needs me."

The doctor nodded and then said, "Alright...but she needs to stay another night. Her blood work came back much better this morning, but not perfect. One more night and then I'll release her into your care. Looks like there wasn't anything really to her cold, but another day of observation wouldn't hurt there either."

Matt thanked him but the doctor told him as he walked out, "Just be careful and remember we are right here. If anything else happens, call us. We aren't out to get anyone, we're only here to help."

Matt ran into Chris in the hallway outside C.J.'s room trying to hide a cup of coffee under her business jacket. He asked her, "Whatcha got there?"

She almost jumped and spilled it, "Nothing you need to worry about. Its only a little creature comfort for C.J."

Matt smiled and then asked, "White chocolate strawberry mocha?"

Chris nodded and Matt held the door open for her. C.J. lay peacefully sleeping on the bed but started to stir as they walked in. She asked when she saw Chris, "Is that what I think it is?"

Chris smiled and said, "Shhhh, only if you don't tell."

C.J. smiled and almost grabbed it from Chris and rolled her eyes back as she took the first sip, "Heaven, absolutely heaven."

Matt chuckled and then said, "Well, ladies I think I'll leave you two alone for just a little while."

Chris whispered as C.J. took another drink, "Roy's waiting at the office. I'll stay til you get back." Matt nodded, kissed C.J. one more time and then left.

Matt knew what he had to do now. He had to find out what case Daniel Parsons was working on when he died that got him killed and solve it himself. Getting into the office he found his uncle at Baby with the same idea.

He told him as Matt walked in, "How's she doing this morning?"

Matt answered, "Better...she'll be released tomorrow. Greg is staying at the door and Chris is staying in the room with her. I was thinking..."

Roy finished his statement, "that we need to find out who Daniel Parsons was representing and if that case is what got him killed?"

His uncle never ceased to amaze him and he simply nodded. Roy hit some buttons on Baby and said, "Well, seems he had four clients at the time. First up, Billy Wrangler seems Daniel had taken his case pro bono. He was accused of being a part of the violent protest against our involvement in Vietnam."

Matt was confused a little and he pointed to the screen, "He looks awfully conservative to be accused of something like that." The man on the screen was balding and in a three piece suit.

Roy explained, "Well, does this look more the part?" He punched buttons and brought up the same man, only much younger and in tie dye from head to foot, with a board in front of him with his name on it, the police mug shot.

Matt nodded and said, "Yeah, it does. What happened?"

Roy told him, "Seems after Daniel's murder the police questioned him and he was angry Daniel had told him to take the plea bargain. He ended up doing 5 years and then went back to the same college and got a business degree. He's the owner of a quite lucrative chain of hardware stores."

Roy then looked straight at Matt who said, "So if C.J. remembered him shooting her father he could lose everything he had worked for. Sounds like motive to me."

Roy pushed more buttons and then said, "Next up is Redford Lux. Daniel was representing him in an embezzling scam. He also was interviewed and not happy with his lawyer. After Daniel's death he went to jail. He had to be restrained by authorities after shouting at the lawyer that replaced Daniel and threatening to have him killed. Apparently he did just that..." Matt's eyes shot up, "he's in jail now serving a life term after the hit man turned state's evidence against him a year after the lawyer was found dead in his car from what looked like carbon monoxide poisoning. The hit man knocked him out and then put him in the car, turning it on and closing the garage door."

Matt said, "So one guy has plenty of motive and the next one has a history...great." He rubbed his forehead.

Roy then sarcastically said after clicking more buttons, "It gets better. This third client, Nikkos Sacan is tied to the Italian syndicate..." Matt put his head down and ran his hand through his hair. "Daniel worked for a large firm and they assigned Sacan to him. He was on trial for murdering 5 men at point blank range after torturing them. Seems he was lower level then and he got off under Daniel's replacement. However, it was rumored that Daniel was about to drop him. A clerk reported an official request by Daniel to be removed by the court from the case, but nothing ever happened with it because Daniel died."

Matt then said, "So, supposing he did know something, Sacan could have killed him or had him killed because he knew too much. Its just like the syndicate to go after family members too."

Roy then clicked more buttons to bring up the last suspect, "This one may be the most interesting though. Meet Parker Ralls, Parsons was representing him in a civil case. He was a psychiatrist..." Matt looked sharply at Roy again as he continued, "He was accused of sleeping with his young, female patients after putting them under."

Matt stopped him, "How young Uncle Roy?"

Roy told him, "All victims were between the ages of 8 and 15." Matt thought he was going to throw up again as he closed his eyes and looked down. Roy continued, "He was convicted and lost his license. He can't practice anymore."

Matt then told him, "He never should have been able to practice in the first place. He knows how to put someone under then huh...He has experience in that?"

Roy told him, "Yes he does. He's a manager of a local retail store now, quite a step down." Matt nodded and then Roy told him, "There's one more thing that all four have in common."

Matt asked, "What's that?"

Roy told him, "They all live in L.A. now."