17

As the coroner wheeled out the body, Matt explained what he had learned about Nikkos to them. Seth was debriefing with another Marshal and then patted his shoulder and joined them. He said, "Ok, well its all taken care of. Francisco Sacan along with his lawyer and father are heading as we speak down to our offices. They think he was arrested by federal officers. I'll play the tape for him or have it played for him and explain it all. After that I've arranged for myself and Matt to talk to Peter Delaney.". The others turned to Matt and looked completely surprised. "He's being brought in as we speak, flown in from the federal detention center in Nevada."

Matt nodded and rubbed his neck, the stress of everything catching up with him. At least C.J. was out of physical danger now with Nikkos dead. Matt had survived and could still take care of her, regardless of what happened when she went under hypnosis again. The fear that she might not recover psychologically still unnerving him to the point where he felt like he wasn't breathing. He also wasn't looking forward to seeing Delaney. He explained to the other three why he would have to see him.

Roy asked in the gym where he had gone to check on Matt after giving his statements to the police and Marshals. "Are you sure you want us to hang back?"

Matt answered as he came out tucking in his white button up shirt, "Yeah uncle Roy. Seth can only get one other person in to the interrogation room.". He caught the look of concern in the older man's eyes and then said, "I'll be careful and I'll be fine, uncle Roy. No need to worry."

Seth was putting his gun back in the holster after checking it as Matt came back up tucking his own behind him. "You ready?" he asked.

Matt nodded and the two left in separate vehicles. In no time they were at the federal office. They both nodded to each other as they saw the black suv parked that had transported Delaney. Seth said, "Well, he's here."

As they walked down the hallway they could hear yelling in one of the rooms. It as initially an older female voice, "You can't believe them, mi amore! No! He's your son, don't listen to him!"

An older male voice then said, "You were gone 2 months Francesca! Then you tell me you're pregnant...I don't know what to think."

The brother then came down another hallway. He told Seth, "I heard there was a tape. Do you really think he's not my brother?"

Seth answered, "Francisco, I know you aren't in the family business and I know you aren't your father's favorite, but yeah...he so much as admitted it."

Francisco looked back at his shirt sleeve, "Seeing him like that..."

Seth asked, "You just ID the body?"

He nodded and then said, "Got his blood on my shirt." He said looking down, "I just can't believe it."

Seth then said,"Take that shirt and go test the blood against your father's. You'll know 100% then."

Francisco nodded and then said, "You're right, I will. Might break Mama's heart, but I figure she already knows"

Seth asked, "You worried about what your father will do?".

He answered, "I doubt he leaves her. Nikkos didn't have any kids or a wife so there's no one to get cut out of any inheritance or anything like that. My brothers will probably want to throw a party." They each gave a small smile before he looked up at Matt and asked Seth, "He the guy to expose him?"

Matt stuck out his hand to shake Francisco's, who did just that. "Yes I was. I'm sorry for your loss but..."

Francisco interrupted, "Don't be. He was crazy and he hurt a lot of people. This will hurt my mother and I hate that, but I think all in all, this will end up helping a lot more people.". Matt nodded and the brother continued, "I'm sorry for what Nikkos did to your wife and I do hope she gets her life back. I'll explain everything to the family. Outside of a brother or two who might send you a gift basket to say thanks, I'm sure they will leave both of you alone.". They heard the mother wail again and then he turned and said, "If you two will excuse me, I should get in there. Papa was already asking for a paternity test before I left so I doubt it takes much convincing to get him to agree to it tonight. Take care, Mr. Houston."

Matt nodded and another Marshal approached Seth and told him, "Delaney is in room 3.". With that the two went to the room. Matt took a deep breath before going in.

Peter Delaney sat at the table, both hands in cuffs but attached to the belt around his waist which also had chains linking to cuffs around his ankles. He was twiddling his thumbs when Seth walked in followed by Matt.

He looked up as the two men entered and a smile crept across his face, "I should have known I was being called into California to see you. How long has it been Matlock?"

Matt sat down beside Seth who spoke up, "Mr. Delaney I had you called down here." He then threw down a couple of photos of Nikkos on the table facing Delaney and continued, "I want to know what you did for this man."

Delaney's eyes widened and his smile got bigger. "Well I can't really take all the credit...I'm surprised Matlock. I was thinking you were never going to figure out that I knew both of you."

Matt leaned forward and told him, "Tell us, now. I'm not playing games with you."

Delaney smirked and then said, "You really think I would cross Nikkos Sacan. Matlock, I'm surprised at you. I don't have a death wish. I know who I can cross and get away with it and who I..."

Matt slammed his fist on the table as he stood up and leaned over it causing Delaney to jump startled. "He's dead now! He's dead because he crossed me. Now I think you need to rethink your position here because I can make what is left of your miserable life very difficult, if not short."

Seth interrupted also rising to his feet and pulling Matt down by the shoulder, "Houston, settle down. I'm sure he's a reasonable man. There is no way he wants you to tell the rest of the Sacan family that he knew Nikkos secret and kept it from them."

Matt started to sit back down and Delaney looked from one to the other confused and asked, "What is he talking about? What secret?"

Matt took a deep breath and said, "You can either cooperate with us fully, or I will tell every brother Nikkos had, that you knew he wasn't blood related to them. You have to know they didn't like him. They shared the same mother, but not the same father. I'll tell them all that you knew that and kept it secret. Just imagine how outraged they will be and just imagine what they will do to you."

Delaney then said, much more nervous now, "You can't do that. I didn't know anything of the sort."

Seth then said rather sarcastically, "I'll try to convince them. Hopefully, for you that is, they don't just act on impulse. You're the psychologist, what do you think they'll do?"

Delaney looked at both men, back and forth for a second and then asked, "What is it you want?"

Matt leaned forward again, "I want to know everything...I want to know what your mentor did to C.J. when he put her under, what you've done to her, and I want to know exactly what to tell her current psychiatrist so she can break free from all the damage the two of you caused her." His teeth were almost grinding together he was so angry as he said the words.

Delaney then said, "Your treading on dangerous ground here."

Matt slammed his fist again and yelled, "I know that! I've had to watch her break down in a way I've never seen in her or anyone else before, right before my eyes, helpless to do anything." He grabbed Delaney by the collar and said, "But that all changes now, because if you don't help me help her, I'm gonna kill you with my bare hands."

Seth pulled him back down and Delaney started, "I took 8 courses from Martin, he taught me everything I knew about hypnosis and ways to work with and embed things in the mind. He was working for the Sacan family on the side. I was his best student so he shared things with me, he didn't share with anyone else. One day he gave me a file on C.J. Parsons. Explained to me how traumatic events can be used to plant commands and make people do things they wouldn't normally do. You see, that's the problem with hypnosis, you can't make a person do something they wouldn't normally do unless you either drug them with an anti inhibiting drug or you get them at their most vulnerable, such as after a severe trauma. In her case, she had witnessed the deaths of both her parents, both were violent and she was left in shock both times."

Matt swallowed hard as Delaney stopped, "How do you know she witnessed both? Nikkos didn't tell us he made her watch her father's death, only her mother's. How do you know she saw him being shot?"

Delaney answered, "When I put her under hypnosis two years ago and I asked her."

Matt was shocked, "What the hell are you talking about?" He and Seth looked at each other.

Delaney chuckled, "Surely you haven't forgotten coming after me and Elgin Cody two years ago." Matt and Seth still looked confused so he explained, "Why do you think I took that offer so quickly, Matlock? It was perfect. I did a job for Cody, a well paid job, and I got to check on Ms. Parsons and her progress...you know, see if everything was still in place the way it was supposed to be. We would have found you much sooner, but I wanted to check on her. Her friends even made it so easy for me. You see they would drug her and take her home, then I could sneak in, give her a counteracting drug and put her under hypnosis. I only had to do it twice and she shared everything."

Matt swallowed again, "What did she tell you?"

Delaney leaned forward now and said in a sinister way, "She was at home sick the day Nikkos came by for those test results. She heard every word and then peeked through the keyhole in the door just in time to see his head get blown off. The first shot made her sneak down the hall, but it was that second shot that did all the damage. That was what Martin used, that image. Anytime she sees anything like that, she'll get a headache herself. He told her to."

Matt thought he was going to throw up and closed his eyes for a second. He barely said, "She was only 9 years old. How could he do that to a little girl."

Delaney answered, "It was all business, nothing personal. Anyway, Nikkos called Martin to a warehouse a few weeks later. He found her in shock. The whole works too, low blood pressure, everything. Got her more stable and then put her under. Gave her those commands. Told her their deaths were all too horrific to remember and that she would be better off dead than to do so." Matt's eyes were full of fury but Delaney continued, "He told her to commit suicide instead. If she got caught, she should try again, whenever threatened with remembering, using a different method each time so no one could stop her. The only contingency plan was that if she was ever forced to remember, in any way...her mind should shut down."

Matt was at a loss for words so Seth spoke up, "What's the key? How do we deprogram her?"

Delaney then shrugged and sat back, "There wasn't an escape plan put in place, quite the opposite. Your guess is as good as mine."

Matt lost it then and reached over the table and began unleashing his fury. He, it seemed had reached his breaking point. The images flooding his mind of the crime scene photos and the thought that C.J. had been there to witness everything, the fact that she was left vulnerable by him just two years ago so this slime ball could get to her when she was again at a weak point in her life and everything from the last few days he had seen. He was beating Delaney senseless as Seth and two other guards came in to pull him off Delaney.

Seth was shouting, "Houston! You have to stop! You'll kill him!" Both of his arms were struggling to put some distance between Matt and Delaney.

Matt yelled back, "He hurt her! He's the reason she's in pain! I'll kill him!" All three men were pulling him back now and it was taking all three to stop him. Delaney laid on the floor, alive but unconscious and then taken out.

Seth told him as Matt finally regained his composure, "I understand how you feel Houston, but you can't just kill him. I'll file all this in the report and get additional charges brought against him for it..."

Matt interrupted shouting, "What good will that do?! He's already in prison for the rest of his life!"

Seth then told him as he walked over closer to him, "I still think he should take responsibility, in some way at least...for C.J."

Matt just sat down, practically falling into the chair. He ran his hands through his hair then said, "I need to get back to Tranquil Gardens. I have to talk to Sydney, her doctor. Tell him everything and find out what we do next." He then looked straight at Seth and said, "I can't lose her, Seth. If I do...that man is as good as dead."