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Knight Rider and characters copyright to Universal Studios, no copyright infringement intended or implied.

Danni Long is copyright to L.J. Tenorio.

Rating: PG-13

 

November 3, 1986

San Bernardino, California

2155 hrs.

        At a high-rise complex construction site, two men were having a heated verbal confrontation. The nighttime winds masked their confrontation from the world below.

        “No, I refuse to betray him!” The small man yelled.

        “Oh, how dramatic, did you read that in one of your romance novels?” The other man chuckled.

        The small man was about five-nine, built stocky, in about his late twenties. He wore a white construction hat, blue jeans, work boots, and a plaid green work shirt. He had a bit of a tanned baby face slightly hidden by a scruffy beard. His face was flushed with anger.

        The other man was approximately six-four in height, built like a wall of muscle, and was in his mid thirties. He wore all black from head to foot, which made his white, yet tanned, face stick out prominently beneath a beige construction hat. He was definitely the hired muscle type, yet his face possessed a deadly intelligence. His features, which were pudgy, strange in comparison to the rest of his body, kept a calm demeanor.

        “He’s my friend, he gave me this job when I didn’t have anything else. I can’t just screw him over like you want me to. I will do anything else, but I won’t do that.” The smaller man sternly said.

        “Kid, you are either in, or you are out. And those that are out don’t leave this building in one piece. You do what we tell you to, or you are out.” The other man warned.

        “Do what you have to do, but I am not going to betray my friend like that.” The smaller man growled.

        “So be it.” The other man sighed.

        In the lower part of the building, another man was riding up in the elevator, his face covered by the shadows. He was heading towards the top of the building. A slight light glinted off of his construction hat, but did not give any more definition to the man’s face.

        Up on the roof, in a swift movement, before the smaller man could react, the larger man had pulled out a gun, and shot the kid in the abdomen, knocking him off the roof. The smaller guy didn’t even have a chance to scream as he fell to his true and final death. The only noise his grand exit made was a slight thud as he fell onto the concrete pad below.

        The gunman dropped the weapon from his gloved hand to the roof, and then quickly ducked into hiding as the elevator came to a stop on the top floor. The man in the elevator stepped out and walked forward, allowing the slight moonlight to shine on the man’s face.

        It was the face of Anthony Long, Michael and Danni Long’s brother.

        “Tommy? Where are you, dude?” Anthony asked around in the darkness.

        The killer watched in amusement behind an air conditioning motor as Anthony walked straight up to the gun, and picked it up in his non-gloved hands. He frowned in confusion, and looked around.

        “Tommy, what’s going on? Come on, it’s not time for jokes, ok, dude?” Anthony said in a worried voice.

        Anthony looked around the roof as much as he could, squinting in the darkness. He shrugged, and left, dropping the gun on the roof where it had been before. The killer shook his head in total amusement. Anthony got back in the elevator and proceeded down. The killer got out of his hiding place and watched, knowing that Anthony would have to walk right past the body of his dead friend.

        It was a slow process to get down the side of the 20-story building, but Anthony finally got there. He got out of the elevator, and walked forward towards his car. He almost fell over the body of his dead friend as he walked through the construction zone in the dark. He stopped and looked down to find the man in a pool of blood that was enhanced by the gunshot wound to the abdomen. Anthony gasped, and dropped to his knees next to the man, unable to scream, unable to do anything but just look at his friend in shock.

        The killer rappelled down the other side of the building, unnoticed.

September 16, 1982

Los Angeles, California - FLAG HQ

0930 hours

        Devon was in his office, sitting behind his desk, filling out paperwork. The intercom buzzed.

        “Mr. Miles, Mary Long-Matherton is here to see you, she says it is urgent.” Cathy said over the intercom.

        Devon froze in place, his face melting to one of temporary terror, and then softening to one of complete curiosity.

        “Send her in,” Devon said.

        A few moments later, the door opened, and the perfectly coiffed, nicely dressed woman stepped in, her face strained with worry. Devon stood up as she entered.

        “Mrs. Matherton, this is an unexpected surprise,” Devon said, diplomatically nice.

        “Mr. Miles, thank you for seeing me on such short notice, but I didn’t know who else to turn to, and I remembered that the Foundation sort of specialized in these things.” Mrs. Matherton sighed.

        Devon kissed her hand, and then motioned for her to sit down. She did, trying to keep her calm demeanor about her. He took his seat as well.

        “What may we do for you?” Devon asked.

        “Last night, there was a murder at a construction site in San Bernardino. My son, Anthony, was the senior architect of the project, and had been called there by his construction supervisor. When he got there, he couldn’t find his construction supervisor, but found a gun on the rooftop of the project. He thought it was some sort of prank being played by the supervisor, so he left, and then almost tripped over the dead body of his supervisor on the ground floor outside the building, as he was heading to his car. He called the police, who then promptly arrested him for the murder, saying that they had gotten an anonymous tip from another caller saying that there was some bad blood between the two.” Mrs. Matherton explained.

        “That’s horrible,” Devon sympathized.

        “Mr. Miles, we do not have much money, but... Anthony didn’t do this, I believe in my son. I think he is being hung out to dry here. I would like for him to have the best possible defense. I would also like to know the truth, even if it hurts.”

        “Mrs. Matherton, we are a non-profit organization, funded by donations and corporate sponsorship. We fight for the rights of the ordinary citizen. This case definitely fits within our mission statement. We would be happy to take on Anthony’s case for you and him. You should be warned however, that we might find things that are not particularly appeasing.”

        “I do not care, I want the truth in this matter, and by somebody we can trust. I have gained a bit of a trust for you and your organization, Mr. Miles. You and your people seem to be in it for the little person, rather that the big ones.”

        “That is what we pride ourselves on, Mrs. Matherton. It is also the principle under which we were founded upon.”

        Mrs. Matherton couldn’t help but let a smile stretch out on her face thanks to Devon’s demeanor and statements.

        Michael was standing next to an average sized pond hidden amongst several rocky hills. He had a fishing pole in his hand, with his line out into the water. He was dressed for the occasion, his faded green boater’s hat melded in perfectly with the faded green vest with fishing flies on it, the green plaid shirt, the faded denim jeans, and waterproof hiker’s boots. KITT was parked nearby, capturing pictures of the nature scenery.

        “I do not understand this. You and I have had more vacation time in the past two months than within the previous eight months, yet D.J. and KARR have yet to have one.” KITT said.

        “Well, I used to complain about it enough, I suppose that the time accumulated, and we being compensated for it, now,” Michael replied.

        “It doesn’t seem fair.”

        “I know, buddy, it doesn’t. But D.J. and KARR were brought in to allow us a little more breathing room, rather than being worked into the ground all the time. I suppose this is the result, though I keep wishing that they would let us see a little more action again.” Michael grumbled.

        “The action we have seen lately has not reflected well upon either of us, if you think about it.”

        “You do have a point, but we were overmatched in at least two of the cases, and it wasn’t our fault.”

        “Then why do we keep getting put on vacation?”

        Michael went silent, knowing that KITT had a point. He reeled in his line, to find the overly drowned worm on the end without a single bite taken out of it.

        “I wonder where D.J. is right now, and if she would be free for dinner?” Michael wondered out loud.

        The familiar chime of the Remote Communications System (RCS) sounded off within KITT.

        “Devon’s calling.”

        Michael laid his rod down on the grass, and quickly made his way over to KITT’s driver door, opening it, and folding himself into the seat. He pressed a few buttons over his head, and waited for the screen to display his boss’ face.

        “Yo, Devon!”

        “Hello, Michael, have you been enjoying your vacation time?” Devon asked.

        “Yes, but I am starting to get a little anxious to get back to work.” Michael admitted.

        “I have a rather interesting case for you, but only if you are willing to take it.”

        “I’ll take it! I’ll take it!”

        “Please hear me out first,” Devon requested, taking a deep breath. “Mary Long-Matherton visited me earlier to tell me of some trouble that her son, Anthony Long had gotten into.”

        “Tony? Mom?”

        “Now, Michael, they need your help, but they still must not know who you really are,” Devon warned.

        “Yes, Devon. I know.”

        “Anthony Long is presently being held in the San Bernardino County Jail. His bonding hearing is scheduled at three p.m. He is being held on first degree murder charges.” Devon explained.

        “First degree murder? Anthony?”

        “Yes.”

        Michael flopped back in the seat. “Devon, that’s not possible. Anthony could not hurt a fly.”

        “Sometimes people can change, Michael. We have to leave ourselves open to that possibility,” Devon said.

        “You’re right.” Michael frowned.

         “Mrs. Matherton has hired us to defend her son, as well as investigate the charges against him. I have assigned Julia Dandridge as his defense council. She’s one of the best criminal litigators in our legal staff. She and Bonnie are on their way to the San Bernardino County Jail to interview Mr. Long as we speak. Michael, I am going assign this case to you only on a voluntary basis, D.J. is presently preoccupied with another case, and that only leaves you on the investigatory end. You may volunteer to deal with this case, if you refuse, then we will hire one of our trusted private investigation firms to deal with the matter,” Devon said, a warning tone in his voice.

        “I understand. I will do it.”

        “Michael, I must place a few conditions upon you. I have Bonnie doing the interview with Anthony Long because I want you to have limited contact with him, in this matter. In addition, you are to have limited and supervised contact with the rest of the family as well.”

        “Devon, after all this time, you don’t trust me to keep my secret?” Michael asked, astounded.

        “Michael, I trust you, but in an emotionally charged situation, you may not trust yourself.”

        “I think I understand. So who is going to be my monitor?”

        “Reginald,” Devon answered.

        “That’s cool. Let me just pick up my stuff, and I will head back to the base.”

        “We are relaying the details as we know them to KITT. We look forward to seeing you back. I apologize for cutting your vacation short.” Devon said, a glint of softness seeping into his facial features.

        “That’s ok, KITT and I were going a little stir crazy anyway,” Michael answered, forcing a slight smile.

        “I will see you when you arrive.”

        Devon cut off the transmission. His image dissolved off the screen. Michael sat back in the driver’s seat, looking a little stunned.

        “Michael, are you all right?” KITT asked, breaking the silence.

        “Yeah, KITT. It’s just strange that after these past years of being kept as far away from them as possible, I am suddenly thrust near my family in at least two occasions within the past few months, and neither situation has been favorable.” Michael answered.

        “I can not imagine how difficult it must be for you. I have to wonder why Devon feels it is necessary to send an extra chaperone along. Does he not trust me to watch over you?”

        “He trusts you, KITT, but it might take a physical shove to keep me from accidentally going overboard,” Michael answered, then smiled. “And of course, he knows that you are my partner, my friend, and you have developed certain allegiances to me.”

        “There is truth in that,” KITT admitted.

        Michael stood up and got out of KITT. He then headed for his gear to pack it up.

        “This would have been an ideal case for D.J. I wonder what she is up to that is keeping her from being assigned to this mission?” Michael wondered out loud.

        D.J. was sitting in an old town convenience store, back in the stockroom. KARR was parked in the back alley, keeping up surveillance of the side of the store, as well as the front of the store off the cameras they had installed. D.J. was reading a book, and snacking on a sandwich, hidden behind a few crates of food items.

        “This is boring,” KARR stated through the comm link.

        “I know, KARR, but we do what we are assigned to do,” D.J. said.

        “What did we do so horribly wrong to end up with this boring assignment?” KARR complained.

        “I don’t know, I guess we are the rookies, so we catch whatever is thrown in our direction.”

        “This sucks.”

        “KARR, stop whining.”

        “Nothing is going to happen, the thieves have hit, they will not strike again in the same place.”

        “KARR...” D.J. warned.

        “D.J., you need to stand up for your rights, and not take this kind of...hold on...I believe something is occurring.”

        D.J. immediately stood up, pulled out her weapon from her side holster, and cocked it.

        “Two men, dressed in black, have entered the store. They’re browsing around, but are continually looking towards the register in a suspicious manner,” KARR said in a low, almost whispering tone.

        D.J. stepped up to the door, and peeked out through the small looking hole to see what was going on in the store from her vantage point which gave her a clear look down 4 out of the 6 aisles to the door, and the other 2 aisles out of her view were being monitored by mirrors angled so she could see through them.

        Two men, one dressed in denim from head to foot, including a blue denim beret, the other dressed in all black were in the store. One was browsing the drinks in the refrigerators in the far aisle completely out of view of the attendant who was near the front, and in the first aisle that was out of D.J.’s normal view. The other man was browsing the magazines right in front of the attendant. The attendant, a young man in his early 20s was beginning to look slightly nervous.

        “Don’t mess your undies, kiddo, you don’t set them off, you won’t get hurt,” D.J. mumbled.

        There was only two other people in the store, an elderly Chinese couple in their 80’s, who were slowly and carefully getting their shopping done, oblivious to anything else going on around them.

        “Remember, you have to let them get the money, you have to catch them in the act,” KARR whispered.        

        “I know. I am not some kind of rookie, you know.” D.J. whispered back.

        Danni Long was in a bank, undercover as one of the tellers. Her partner was sitting behind the counter, pretending to be another teller going through bank records.

        “A man with a beard, and a bandanna around his neck just walked in the door, he matches the same description as our suspect,” Danni whispered to her partner, as she stood looking directly to the door.

        “Rein it in, partner, we have to wait until he actually commits bank robbery to nail him.” Thomas whispered.

        “I know.  I am not some kind of rookie, you know.” Danni hissed.

        “Yes, but I know that you have become the Lone Ranger lately, and try to jump the gun. They want this guy on bank robbery, not attempted bank robbery.”

        “I know, I know...” Danni breathed out.

        The man stepped up to the first teller on the end of the L-shaped setup the bank had its tellers in. Danni pretended to be doing other things while keeping a close eye on the man as he waited patiently in line, fiddling with something in his denim jacket.

        “Wait...” Thomas warned.

        “I just hope that whichever teller he goes for doesn’t panic, the last thing we need is for this guy to be set off, he is already a nervous wreck as it is.” Danni shakily said.

        “He’s not the only one.”

        “I am not nervous.”

        “Did I say you were?”

        “Without actually saying it, yes.”

        “Well then, you must have picked up on the truth.”

        “Bite me.”

        “Can I really?”

        The man got to the teller window at the far end, and in a swift movement, pulled his bandanna up over his face, and pulled out his gun.

        “It’s going down.” Danni noted.

        “Wait...”

        “Give me all the money in your drawer, and get the others to do the same, and I won’t kill you. And don’t even think of pressing that alarm button, sweetie, I would hate to have to blow that pretty little face of yours off.” The robber growled.

        “Screw you!” The teller growled back. “I have been robbed three times this year, and you look like the same jerk who has been doing it at least two of the times. I’m sick of this crap, go find another bank to rob.”

        “Oh crap, he picked the feisty dumb one.” Danni sighed.

        “Shit,” Thomas mumbled.

        “Get the hint, I am robbing this one, now do as I say, or I am going to blow your face all over the back wall!” The robber yelled, loud enough that everybody could hear.

        “No!” The teller screamed back.

        “Ohhhh boy,” Danni groaned.

        The teller then hit the alarm button, Danni looked over at her partner, who cringed, and held his head low. Danni looked back in time to see the robber use the butt of his gun to smack the teller hard across the face.

        “You stupid bitch!” The robber screamed.

        Without another moment’s hesitation, Danni launched up over the counter, oblivious to her skirt and heels, gun aimed and ready, and landed in a run to catch up with the robber who was about to break into a run for his getaway. She aimed her gun at him.

        “FBI! Freeze!” Danni yelled.

        The entire bank, except for the robber froze. Danni’s partner hopped over the counter, gun drawn. He came up beside her, as the robber turned his gun on Danni.

        “Let me go or one of you dies,” The robber stuttered.

        “You shoot one of us, the other will fill you full of lead,” Thomas warned.

        The robber began to panic and squirm, looking for a way out of this mess. Danni took the opportunity of his momentary distraction from her and her partner, to kick forward, and knock the gun out of the guy’s hand. Her partner then tackled him to the ground. Danni pulled out her handcuffs from her jacket pocket as her partner wrestled the guy onto his belly, screaming and bucking. He drew the guy’s hands back.

        “I thought I told you to wait,” Thomas grumbled at Danni.

        “For what, he wasn’t going to get any money out of this one, did you want him to kill somebody first?” Danni snapped back, cuffing the guy.

        In the present, D.J. continued to watch as the man in all black had gone from browsing through the magazines, to heading towards the counter. His partner moved a little closer, both secure in the knowledge that the store was clear from any dangers to them. Both men had their eyes on the counter, and not on the rest of the store. D.J. took the opportunity to silently and slowly open the door, and crawl out into the store itself. One man situated himself near the door; the other situated himself directly in front of the register, placing a magazine on the counter. The clerk attempted to act like everything was normal, and rang up the magazine. The moment the register door had opened, both men pulled out weapons and aimed it at the clerk. The older couple remained oblivious to what was going on as they continued their shopping. The man in front of the counter tossed the clerk a plastic bag.

        “Put all the money in there, and don’t say a word, and don’t activate the burglar alarm, it is a good way to get killed,” The man snarled, deep and low.

        “Ok, ok, just don’t shoot me, I’ve got a family,” The clerk uttered, trying to keep himself from panicking.

        The clerk continued to fill up the bag with the contents of the register, his hands shaking all the way. The other man remained at the door, looking outside to make sure that nobody entered, but still did not keep an eye out on the rest of the store.

        The clerk finished cleaning out the register, the clerk snatched the bag, and leveled his gun directly at the clerk’s chest. Before he could get off his shot, he heard the sound of two guns cocking directly to his side. He stopped, and looked out of the corner of his eye to find D.J. standing next to him, gun aimed directly at his head with one hand. D.J. had her other hand also loaded with gun, aimed at the other man who was still trying to comprehend what was going on.

        “Drop it,” D.J. grumbled.

        “Lady, I don’t know whatcha think you’re doin’, but there are two of us and only one of you,” The man at the counter grumbled.

        “I said drop it. I can pull the trigger at the same time with both hands, and I love to watch body parts fly,” D.J. said sternly.

        The doorman finally managed to bring his gun up to aim at her. Unfortunately, just then, the elderly couple managed to figure out what was going on, and the lady uttered a gasp/scream that distracted everybody. It gave the man at the counter just enough time to throw the money at the man at the door. The man at the door caught the money, and burst out of the door at a run.

        “Oh...crap!!!” D.J. yelled.

        In a swift movement, she smacked the gun out of the hand of the one at the desk, who was preparing to run himself. She put one of her guns back in her side holster, grabbed her handcuffs, and before he could fight back, she had the thing slapped on his wrist. She then cuffed the other end to a railing on the side of the counter. She handed the clerk the gun.

        “Do not shoot him unless he gets loose, you hear me?” D.J. yelled.

        “Y-y-yes,” The clerk stammered.

        “Good, you two make sure that he doesn’t fight to get away. I’ll be right back,” D.J. said to the older couple.

        Without further adieu, D.J. ran out of the door in pursuit of the robber. The elderly couple moved in, snarling, and armed, her with a large sausage, him with a broom. The clerk kept the gun concentrated on the exasperated robber.

        KARR had started up the moment that the runner robber made his break. He popped open his glove compartment, backed up at full speed, then slammed on the brakes. Everything flew out of the glove compartment, including the handcuffs, which landed on the seat perfectly. KARR threw himself in forward gear, and took off in pursuit of the robber.

        The man was racing down the street at a full run, D.J. tore out of the store, about 100 yards behind him. She growled, and ran after him, picking up speed with each step. KARR raced out from the alley, and entered the street behind the man. KARR slid behind on the street, to become parallel with D.J.

        “Incoming,” KARR told D.J.

        KARR opened his passenger side sunroof, tilted the passenger side seat a bit, and illuminated his eject right button. The seat elevated, the cuffs flew into the air, and D.J. managed to catch them while still on the run, only slowing down minimally.

        “Thanks, KARR!”

        KARR sped ahead to catch up to the robber who was throwing people down, knocking over trashcans, and trying to throw anything in the way to slow her down. D.J. sped up, and leapt over anything in her way, gaining speed and closing the distance. KARR managed to get up to the next street, and waited for the robber to catch up. He then swung in front of the robber, just in time for the guy to slam into the side of KARR. The guy got angry, shot at the driver’s side window, and managed to slide to the side to duck the ricocheting bullets, which hit a streetlight and a mailbox. He tried to climb over KARR, sliding off, just as D.J. got there.

        She grabbed the robber by the neck; he swung around with the gun aimed at her. She broke his arm with a swift chop, sending the gun clattering to the ground; he tried to swing at her with the hand that still gripped the plastic bag. She ducked, grabbed the back of his arm, punched him hard in the solar plexus, and flipped him over onto the ground. Even gasping for air, he tried to kick her; she just deflected the weak kick with her arm. She pulled out the second set of cuffs, and slapped them around his arm with the money, which she still had her grip on. He struggled as she got the other hand in the cuffs.

        “You’re under arrest, you have the right to remain silent...” D.J. said, sighing.

        “Screw you, bitch!” The man screamed and threw out both feet to kick her.

        D.J. ducked his feet, and slammed her fist into his face, knocking him out.

        “...Anything you say or do can be used against you in a court of law, idiot,” D.J. snapped.

        D.J. ripped the money out of his death grip, and put it in KARR’s front seat.

        “I do not want something that idiotic in my front seat, some of his grime may rub off on my upholstery,” KARR complained.

        “Good point,” D.J, said, frowning.

        Soon, KARR pulled in along side the grocery store, where the cops had already arrived. The thug was on the hood of the car, still unconscious. A couple of cops were leading the other guy out. D.J. noticed the other criminal had a black eye. One of the cops came up to her, to see what was going on, as she got out of the car. She held up her ID badge.

        “D.J. Caballero, Foundation for Law And Government. This is the other thug; the money is in the front seat of the vehicle. What happened to the other guy?  I didn’t leave him like that.”

        “He tried to get away, and the elderly lady inside smacked him with a rather large sausage,” The cop answered, trying to keep from chuckling.

        The cops grabbed the unconscious thug off the hood of KARR, and dragged him off to the police vehicles. D.J. tried to stifle her giggle long enough for the cop to get out of hearing distance.

        Michael had arrived at the Foundation HQ. KITT was parked up front in his standard parking space within the parking lot. Michael entered Devon’s office where RCIII was sitting in front of Devon’s desk, Devon was sitting behind it, and both were awaiting Michael’s arrival.

        “You’ve made excellent time,” Devon commented.

        “I guess vacations aren’t cut out the way they used to be. It’s nice, but after such a long period of time of inactivity, it feels funny,” Michael said, shaking both men’s hands as he entered.

        “Can’t stay away from the action anymore, huh, Mike?” RCIII asked.

        “Nope. KITT and I were both going a little stir crazy,” Michael answered as he sat down next to RCIII. “So, where is D.J.?”

        “She’s working on the series of robberies that have occurred in the Chinatown area,” Devon answered.

        “The convenience store robberies? Where the guys break into the store in broad daylight, rob the register, shoot and incapacitate the cashier, and make their break, even with witnesses?” Michael asked.

        “Yes, it is a situation where the cops couldn’t go undercover, because it might be considered some form of entrapment, but where we could obtain reasonable access, with legal ease.” Devon answered.

        “She must be loving that one,” Michael mumbled.

        “It’s an ugly job, but somebody’s gotta do it.” RCIII replied.

        “Bonnie is presently interviewing Anthony Long, as soon as she reports in, I will put her in contact with you. It seems that the police are attempting to add more charges to their case, including racketeering, grand larceny, embezzlement, and other items against Mr. Long and his company,” Devon said, going straight to the subject.

        “Kick the man while he is down and vulnerable, it is much easier that way,” Michael grumbled.

        “From what we can tell of the police reports, it seems that the murder victim was Anthony Long’s Senior Foreman on a project they landed 6 months ago in San Bernardino. It was for a new office complex high rise that they had worked extensively to get the contract. The contract, from as we could tell was worth 13.6 million dollars,” Devon explained.

        RCIII whistled. “That’s a lot of dough.”

        “Yes. Mr. Long hired this young man as his foreman primarily out of friendship, since his experience does not match the position, necessarily. He has the educational background, but had only recently graduated from college, and was not having the easiest of times getting a job, until Anthony Long, who had been one of his mentors, offered him the position of Foreman for the high-rise job,” Devon continued.

        “Anthony always believed that a man should be judged on what he can do, not his background.” Michael sighed.

        “The witnesses seem to be divided on the matter, there were no other witnesses for the crime, so the police are going on character background from the other crew people on the job. Some say that the two were best of friends, and they could not believe that Mr. Long could be capable of such a thing. Others are saying that they fought all the time, and they could not agree on anything,” Devon said.

        “Great, half of them liked him, half of them didn’t,” Michael grumbled.

        “As it has been presented at this point, here is the scene,” Devon began. “As far as the police are hypothesizing, the victim, Thomas Longaro, had evidence that Anthony Long was embezzling from his own company, and was meeting with Anthony to black mail him about it. They say that Mr. Long had a general idea of what was about to take place, so he took a weapon with him, to the meeting place where Mr. Longaro felt safe, the top of the new structure they had been building. Once the two met, they exchanged words, Longaro must have threatened to go to the police, Long panicked, pulled the gun, shot the man, and pushed him over the edge of the building. He panicked once again, dropped the gun, which had his finger prints all over it, rushed back down to the spot where his former employee had landed, and was found there, covered in blood kneeling before the man, in what they have described as, ‘silent shock’,” Devon explained.

        “That sounds like fiction to me. It’s a little too...convenient,” RCIII said.

        “That factor, in addition to the fact that several people are reporting that Anthony Long could never do such a thing, led his mother to us to ask for help,” Devon said. “She would like to know the truth, and at this point, so would we.”

        “So where and when do we start?” Michael asked.

        “I would say that you start at the scene of the crime and familiarize yourself with the surroundings, and you would start immediately. I would suggest as undercover as possible,” Devon said.

        “Sounds good to me. You ready to make sure that I can keep my Michael Knight persona alive, and my Michael Long one dead?” Michael asked RCIII.

        “I don’t think you’ll have problems with ‘dat, I’m just around to give ya some help, and be background scenery,” RCIII answered with a smile.

        “That’s cool,” Michael said, as the two of them stood up from their chairs.

        “Michael, Reginald,” Devon said, to stop them and get their attention. “Be careful.”

        “Will do, boss,” RCIII replied.

        “You got it,” Michael answered.

        D.J. stepped out of the Police Station. She stopped at the curb, and shook her head out.

        “That bad?” KARR asked via the commlink.

        “These are the times that I am grateful to be working for an organization as organized as FLAG,” D.J. replied as she stepped off the curb, and headed for KARR. “Those idiots couldn’t find their big donut loaded butts with any of their hands. I actually had to work to keep the old lady and myself at the store from being slapped with assault and battery charges, and then, of course, they couldn’t find the right paperwork, nor could they figure out what exactly the charges were. They couldn’t find my handcuffs, and they didn’t want to release them to me until they could confirm my identity. They wanted to look at and confiscate my gun, despite the fact that it only had limited involvement. They couldn’t remember which prisoner they had where, nor what hospital the other one was at. They even had to look up FLAG’s operation license for good measure. I’m surprised they didn’t ask what underwear I had on, though more than a few of them wanted to.”

        “They are a prime example why I gained a dislike for humans before,” KARR commented as D.J. got in. “Even FLAG had its moments.”

        “What changed your mind?”

        “A complete reprogram, as well as being partnered with somebody whom I seem to be able to at least tolerate.”

        “I am so honored, KARR,” D.J. said with a smile as she started him up and pulled out of the lot.

        “You should be.”

        D.J. tapped a few controls over the top of her head. “Get me Devon.”

        KITT was traveling along the roads, heading towards the construction site. Michael was behind the wheel; RCIII was in the passenger seat, digging through a large bag full of props. He managed to dig up two construction hats.

        “I still can’t believe ’dat this big ol’ bag fits in that compartment, under da’ seat,” RCIII commented.

        “KITT has more room and more compartments than even I realize. I figured you would have known since you were involved with rebuilding him,” Michael said with a smile.

        “I worked on ‘da engine and ‘de outside, not ‘da inside, except fo’ parts of the front control panel.”

        “For which I am still grateful,” KITT spoke up.

        “I was happy to do it. How ya doin’, Michael?” RCIII asked.

        “I keep thinking that D.J. would have been better off being assigned this job over me. After so many years of being told to keep away, it is strange being assigned to check out a family member, and still try to keep everything penned away,” Michael answered.

        “I don’t think D.J. would’ve been better off bein’ assigned this job.  I think you can get through it, and I’m here to back ya up,” RCIII said, darkly, and frankly.

        “Why don’t you think D.J. could have done the job?” Michael asked, slightly confused.

        “She can be overly aggressive at times, and not as sensitive to ‘da case,” RCIII quickly said, covering the secret that he was about to let out.

        “Maybe that would have been better for this case,” Michael insisted.

        “Well, she didn’t get ‘da gig, you did, so we gotta live with what we got,” RCIII said, sternly.

        Michael flashed him a strange look, but shrugged it off, and went back to concentrating on the road and his thoughts.

        KARR was traveling along the freeway; D.J. was still waiting for Devon to be put through.

        “Oh, come on, how busy could he possibly be?” D.J. grumbled.

        “Devon is a very busy man, just be patient,” KARR replied.

        “I don’t know what patience is.”

        “Putting him through now.”

        “Hey, Devon!”

        “Hello, D.J., I presume from your cheerful demeanor, that you solved the case?” Devon said, as his image appeared on the screen via the Remote Communications System. (RCS)

        “Yep, the Police Department should be faxing over the information soon. The two thugs decided to pick on the store just as we figured they would, their pattern was followed perfectly. They did, however, resist arrest, and I did have to chase one down and temporarily incapacitate him. He should be released out of the hospital within the next twenty minutes, and into the holding facility. The two thugs matched the composites and security video captures from their other robberies. Case closed.” D.J. reported with a smile.

        “I have the report here,” Devon said, darkly.

        D.J.’s smile quickly disappeared off of her face.

        “A sausage?” Devon asked.

        “I had no choice, I had to leave the other one in the store while I took after his accomplice who had the money. I told the clerk and the two customers to keep an eye on him, and to not let him escape. He tried to escape, and a 70 year old lady found the first thing she could find as a weapon to subdue him.”

        “A sausage.”

        “It was better than her purse, that probably would have killed him.”

        Devon turned away from the monitor for a few seconds, to release the amused look, then regained his composure to face her again.

        “Did you have to break the second assailant’s arm?” Devon asked with a neutral face.

        “Yes, he pointed a gun at me, he was willing to pull the trigger, I proved that it was in self-defense.”

        “And his nose?”

        “He tried to kick me, he wouldn’t come peacefully, he was male, I’m female, I did what I had to do.”

        “You are by no means any ordinary female.”

        “Well, I wasn’t going to announce it to the world that I have an enhanced skeletal structure, I didn’t think that would look very good for FLAG nor anybody else.”

        “Very true. You have handled this situation adequately.”

        “Adequately?” D.J. asked in disbelief.

        “Adequately,” Devon confirmed. “I presume that you are prepared for your next case?”

        “Don’t I at least get lunch first?” D.J. said, blinking in slight disbelief.

        “Oh, of course, your portion of the case does not have to be done immediately.”

        “My portion of the case?”

        “You are beginning to sound like a parrot, Danielle. Report back to the Foundation when you are ready, and I will explain in detail.”

        “But...”

        “Foundation out,” Devon said, as the screen disappeared.

        “That was not very nice of him,” KARR commented.

        “I think that man has some serious beef against me, and I haven’t a clue as to why.”

        “A serious beef?” KARR asked.

        “He doesn’t like me,” D.J. explained.

        KARR continued in his course back for the Foundation.

Interrogation Room

San Bernardino County Jail

1200 hrs.

        Bonnie and the lawyer, Julia Dandridge, were sitting across from the orange suited Anthony Long, who was looking exhausted and miserable.

        “I tell you, that is all I know. I didn’t do what they are accusing me of. I have busted my ass trying to stay as legit as you can possibly get in the construction world. I have receipts for everything, every single dime of money can be accounted for by a paper trail, and I didn’t kill my friend!” Anthony blurted in frustration.

        “I can understand that, Mr. Long, but we do have to make sure that all ends are covered to properly defend you,” Julia explained calmly.

        Julia Dandridge was considered one of the top lawyers in California, which was the primary reason why the Foundation snatched her up as quickly as possible. The tall, fairly light skinned African American woman didn’t look all that opposing, until she lost her temper, or until she got into the courtroom, then she was the ruler of her domain, and it showed.

        “It doesn’t seem like you are on my side with all these questions,” Anthony mumbled.

        “Anthony, we are on your side, but we have to look at this case from all different directions to make sure that we don’t miss anything. The plain facts are: as of the present, the police department has a whole list of embezzlement charges against you, and they claim to have proof. And in total fact, your friend was shot and thrown off the roof of your high rise. These things did happen, and we need to find out why, and that is why we are asking every question possible of you. We are not accusing you, nor holding you at bay. Ms. Dandridge here is your defense council, and she is going to do everything in her power to make sure that you are declared innocent. I am the investigative wing, I have to find out everything I can to help your case,” Bonnie explained. “I know you are tired, and the past 12 hours have been nothing but one shock after the other, but the more that you cooperate with us with everything you know, or think you have heard, the faster we can try to put an end to this ordeal.”

        “I...understand,” Anthony said, putting his head down. “I have never had anything like this happen to me before.”

        “I know, and we are going to work to prove that you are innocent of these heinous charges they have placed against you, but we are going to need your help as much as you need ours,” Julia soothingly explained.

        Anthony just nodded sullenly, trying to control the emotions that were flowing through his tired body. He really much rather would have liked to roll up into a ball in the corner and cried, but he knew that wasn’t going to do a bit of good, so he was trying to do his best to put up a facade.

        Bonnie kept trying to keep from staring at the man’s face, the chills sent up her spine by looking at him were hard to suppress. She had seen the previous pictures of Michael Long before bullet shrapnel forever erased his face. At the present, she was sitting directly in front of what Michael Long could have been, the man, though exhausted, and scared looked virtually identical to Michael Knight’s former self, it was frightening. He even had many of Michael’s mannerisms. Bonnie knew that she had a job to do, and that was to help solve this man’s accused crimes, knowing that his life was on the line. But she had to keep shaking off the eerie feelings that kept threatening to overtake her.

        “Anthony, there are three words that we all need to hear you say. I think you know what they are, but for the record, did you do what you are accused of?” Bonnie asked.

        “No, I didn’t,” Anthony replied, sincerely.

        “That is what we need,” Julia commented.

        KITT pulled up in front of the construction site gates, and found that the construction site was quiet. Not a single person walked the skeletal structure of the building that was being built. It was eerily quiet for a construction scene. As they got closer, they found the police crime tape floating in the slight breeze, as well as the guards posted at the gate in their guard post shack. The police crime tape was spread across the entrance. KITT scanned the facility, and showed a closer view of the crime tape spread in front of the concrete pad landing area, as well as the tape fluttering up high on the top story.

        “It’s bad enough ‘dat a murder happened here, but shuttin’ down ‘da construction area, and delayin’ work, ‘dat gotta be pissin’ off ‘da company,” RCIII commented.

        “I’m surprised that they did. Now we have to do this legitimately.” Michael sighed.

        Michael pulled KITT up to the guard gate, pulling out his ID wallet. One of the police officers came out. Michael opened up his wallet, presenting his FLAG ID.

        “Hello, I’m Michael Knight of the Foundation For Law And Government, we are representing the defense in the case, we are here to do a visual inspection of the crime scene,” Michael said with a smile.

        “Of course, we just got the call that you were coming in. That was fast,” The guard said with the same smile. “Go on through, just be careful, this is still a dangerous construction site.”

        “We came prepared, thank you,” Michael said, putting the wallet down.

        The guard lifted the tape high enough for the Trans-Am to slip under it.

        “Thanks KITT,” Michael mumbled.

        “No problem,” KITT replied.

        “Well, at least we won’t have to put on the heavy equipment belts,” RCIII said, as they pulled up to the frontal area of the building, near the taped-off crime scene.

        “KITT, get me a full scan of the entire building from top to bottom.” Michael ordered.

        “Right away, Michael,” KITT replied.

        Michael and RCIII got out of the car, and walked forward to the cement area. The bodyline trace chalk was an eerie reminder of how the body last lay. The blood marks, now a deep burgundy, almost black, splotched the outline, and stretched out beyond it, almost like a child’s coloring book, where the child had colored outside the lines. Michael and RCIII stood staring at the scene, having a slight moment of silence. Michael then looked up to the top of the building. RCIII then looked up as well.

        “One’s gotta hope ‘dat he was dead from ‘da bullet wound before he fell, otherwise, ‘dis would’ve been a real ugly way to die,” RCIII commented.

        “I’d have to agree there,” Michael commented.

        “This is peculiar,” KITT spoke up.

        Both men turned to KITT, interested in what he had to say.

        “What is it, pal?” Michael asked.

        “This did not show up in the preliminary reports. On the other side of the building, there are foot prints on the side of one of the exterior support struts,” KITT answered.

        Michael and RCIII both frowned, they went back to KITT, grabbed their construction hats, and then walked around the side of the building. KITT started up, and followed them, as they put their hats on, and then checked it out with their bare eyes.

        “The footprints have Formica and tar within them, and they seem to be fairly recent,” KITT reported.

        He showed the zoom-in of what he was seeing on his screen, Michael and RCIII looked in to see the image of a very large set of white dusty footprints on the vertical, reddish metal support beam.

        “I am surprised that you didn’t give us the chemical composition of what you were observing,” Michael chuckled.

        “You always complain that I am not speaking English, so I decided to bring it down to your terms,” KITT shot back.

        “You’ve been parked next to KARR too much,” Michael grumbled.

        “So, how do footprints get on ‘da side of a very tall buildin’?” RCIII asked, bringing the subject back on track.

        “That is a very good question. Unless...somebody rappelled down the side,” Michael deduced.

        “They never saw this evidence, it is not within the reports. Which is why they say that Mr. Long, and Mr. Longaro were alone,” KITT said.

        “They never saw it, or they didn’t even bother to look, or they didn’t want to look,” Michael grumbled.

        “Are ya sayin’ ‘dat we could be lookin’ at some kinda police cover-up here?” RCIII asked.

        “I am not too sure what we are looking at here, but somehow, things are not right,” Michael answered.

        “Michael...” KITT warned.

        “No, KITT, this is not because of my personal attachment to the case, you even have evidence of it yourself, and you are the one who has brought up this evidence. Why wouldn’t this be in the preliminary police report? They were supposed to go over this building inch by inch, yet they obviously didn’t,” Michael said calmly.

        “Very good point.” KITT said.

        “Let’s go take a look on ‘da roof, shall we?” RCIII said, once again, bringing the situation on track.

        “Sounds good to me,” Michael answered.

        RCIII led the way to the nearest service elevator. KITT took photographs of the evidence that he had found as they did.

        D.J. pulled into the Foundation parking lot, into the parking space that had been established for her and KARR next to KITT’s slot. D.J. sighed as they parked.

        “At least the case was solved, by you and I, with nobody’s help,” KARR reminded her.

        “Unless you count the old lady and the sausage.”

        “She didn’t catch him, you did. She just beat him after the fact. But the bottom line is, we solved it without Michael and KITT’s, or anybody else’s help. No innocents got hurt...”

        “Unless you count the sausage.”

        “Get over the sausage. The only ones who got hurt here were the bad guys, and it was justified, they did resist arrest, and attempted to inflict bodily harm upon you and others. I believe we did well.”

        “I just wish that our report didn’t have to include the word ‘sausage’ in it.”

        “Fine, I will put in processed meat product. Does that make you feel better?”

        “Actually, it does,” D.J. said as she got out of the car.

       Michael and RCIII stepped out of the elevator onto the roof, which had a large area opposite them taped off with crime scene tape that fluttered in the high breeze. As they got closer to the area, they could see some blood splatter, as well as the outline where the gun was found. Michael looked down at the whitish chalky roof they were walking on.

        “This is definitely the same substance that KITT found on the side of the building,” Michael noted out loud.

        “I can confirm,” KITT said through the commlink.

        “Which means ‘dat whoever went down ‘da side of ‘da building definitely was up here, now was he part of ‘da crime?” RCIII asked.

        “I would assume so,” Michael answered.

        “You know what they say about assume,” RCIII shot back.

        “Those of you who live by the crime solvers manual scare me,” Michael retorted.

        “The boss wanted me to be totally logical and stick to ‘da rules. I am not going to disappoint him. I’m still on probation fo’ my last few incidents.” RCIII said, heading towards the crime tape area.

        “What last few incidents?” Michael asked.

        “Uh, losin’ KITT fo’ one, and then ‘dat exploding cabin, fire fight incident when I was sent in to back up D.J.”

        “That was not your fault in either case.”

        “The board, who seems to be takin’ an even more active interest in FLAG operations isn’t seein’ it ‘dat way.”

        “That is just plain wrong.”

        “So’s the scrutiny ‘dat ‘dey are payin’ to ‘da rest of us, but ‘dey have nuthin’ betta to do.” RCIII sighed.

        “I thought Jennifer was going to do something about that?”

        “When does Jen-Jen do anythin’ ‘dat she said she was gonna do?” RCIII asked, stepping over to the edge, and looking down to the concrete pad down below. “Wow, ‘dat is a looooong way down. There’s no doubt ‘dat he was shot up here, there’s blood splatter all near ‘dis wall. I’d say ‘dat he was shot, and ‘da force of ‘da shot sent him flyin’ over ‘da wall to the ground.”

        “So he was most likely still alive when he fell.”

        “The wound was a gut shot, so he definitely could’ve still been alive and conscious when he took the dive,” RCIII hypothesized. “Horrible way to die.”

        “Michael, on the opposite end of the roof from where you and RCIII are standing, I have scanned something I believe to be of interest. It is approximately 22.3 feet away from your present position,” KITT spoke up through the commlink.

        Michael looked up, then carefully counted off his steps until he was in the area where KITT told him to be, RCIII carefully followed.

        “Now two steps to your right,” KITT instructed.

        Michael and RCIII stepped up to the edge where a grounding antenna was poking through the roof and up two feet over Michael’s head. The antenna had been placed towards the edge of the southwest corner of the roof. Several scratches had marred the black surface of the antenna, and was slightly bent near the bottom, angled towards the wall. RCIII looked over the edge, and saw where KITT was parked, and could see the first foot print on the iron girder directly in front of the antenna.

        “It’s in direct line wit’ ‘da iron girder wit’ ‘da footprints on it,” RCIII told Michael.

        “I think that somebody managed to get a line around this thing, and used it to rappel down the side of the building. Potentially after killing Longaro, and watching Anthony Long hang himself.”

        “I’d say it’s a reasonable conclusion.” RCIII said.

        “But how did they get the line down, and why didn’t anybody else notice this?” Michael asked.

        “Very good questions,” RCIII agreed.

  Act II     

        D.J. stepped inside Devon’s office, where he looked up from the paperwork that he had been working on.

        “Did you get something to eat?” Devon asked.

        “Yes, but the suspense was killing me, so I did it quickly.”

        “That is not the proper way to eat. Please, have a seat.” Devon gestured D.J. to sit down in front of his desk.

        D.J. gracefully sat down in the seat as Devon looked directly at her. For a while, a strange look came over his face as he seemed to be trying to figure out how to express what he had to say. D.J.’s face remained neutral.

        “Last night, a man by the name of Thomas Longaro was shot, and fell to his death off of a high rise building that was being constructed in San Bernardino. A man, who had been there at the time, has been arrested for the murder, but the man who is presently in custody may have not done it. We have been assigned by the family of this man to prove the man’s guilt or innocence,” Devon explained.

        “Who is the man accused of the crime?” D.J. asked, cutting to the chase.

        “Anthony Long.”

        D.J. was hit with a barrage of echoes from her past life running through her brain like a runaway herd. She saw images of her brother from when he was a young boy, up through when the two of them would serve playground justice by picking on the bully, to other times when they would fight, or just hang around together, up through his graduation from High School, and his wedding. She snapped out of it, with a slight gasp.

        “Are you all right?” Devon asked.

        “Yes. Anthony Long, as in Danielle Long’s brother?” D.J. asked, regaining her professionalism.

        “Yes.”

        “I don’t think he is capable of that. What proof do they have?”

        “He was at the scene, standing over the body of the deceased, there was nobody else there, and his prints are on the weapon. He claims innocence.”

        “Somebody who just murdered somebody else wouldn’t stick around for the cops, unless it was an accident.”

        “That is our line of thinking. Presently Michael and RCIII are on the case.”

        “So, you just told me so I would know?” D.J. asked, trying to keep a slight tinge of anger restrained within her voice.

        “No, I want you to work the case from another angle. Michael and RCIII will be working the angle that brings them closest to the family; I want you to pursue the deeper investigative end of this. The police have brought up further charges including grand larceny dealing with Mr. Long’s construction company, at this time. There have been some suggestions of Mafia involvement. I want you to track down every lead, no matter where it takes you.”

        “Even with the Danni Long Theater playing in my mind 24/7? Just the mention of her brother’s name brought back a rush of memories,” D.J. protested.

        “That is why Michael and Reginald shall be handling the majority of the familial contact, while you shall be handling the investigative details. I shall also be sending Bonnie with you, as soon as she returns from her interview with Mr. Long. She knows of your condition more intimately than April.”

        “Why can’t Michael handle the whole thing?”

        “He will be otherwise occupied with the attempt to keep the family apprised of our actions as well as preparing them for the potential horrible conclusion that Mr. Long may have had some involvement in these crimes. This is a large case as well, Danielle, you need to work together.”

        “While still working apart, while having me fight off the sense that I am near my... her family, and pretend not to know them, despite the fact that the memories are rampaging through my brain,” D.J. complained.

        “I have faith in your professional abilities, you have proven yourself to be capable of putting the Danni Long Theater, as you call it, aside, to be able to complete your tasks in an extremely professional and expedient manner. That same professionalism is required here to save this man’s life.”

        D.J. went silent for a while as she looked down. “I understand, and I will do it to the best of my professional abilities.”

        “That is what I wanted to hear. Bonnie should be returning any moment now, as soon as she is debriefed, you two should be capable of being on your way. As of the present, all the information gathered as of present from the police preliminary reports has been sent to KARR. You may review it for the time being, if you choose.”

        “I might as well get a head start for what I will be looking forward to. I’ll be in KARR if you need me.”

        Devon nodded, then went back to his work. D.J. rose from her chair, and headed out of the room. She got outside the door, just as her past took precedence in her mind again.

        A young Danni Long was passing through the halls of the home, when she passed by her brother’s room, and heard a slight sobbing. She stopped, frowned, backed up, and carefully opened the door to see the teenage Anthony Long sitting on the edge of his bed, his face buried in his hands.

        “Tony, what’s wrong?” Danni asked gently.

        Anthony jerked his head up, showing tear-stained cheeks, and swollen eyes, before he quickly turned away, to hide it from her.

        “You wouldn’t understand, nothing is wrong, go away!” Anthony yelled at her.

        Danni was undeterred; she walked further into the room, shutting the door behind her.

        “Don’t lie to me, and don’t treat me as if I am a child, you know as well as I do that I can handle just about anything, what were you crying about?”

        “It’s stupid.”

        “Not stupid enough, you were crying about it. Now, tell me, maybe I can help.”

        Anthony stopped, and then looked at his little sister with an age-old soul and wisdom to match, who was standing before him. He saw the compassion and seriousness in her eyes.

        “If I go to school today, I might have to hurt somebody in self-defense,” Anthony explained.

        “Why?” Danni asked, sitting next to him on the bed.

        “Yesterday, I stood up for Jackie Stephano, you know, the really hot cheerleader?”

        “In my female world, I know her as the assistant head of the airhead squad, but yes, I know who she is.”

        Anthony couldn’t help but crack a little smile as he wiped the tears off of his cheeks. “Her boyfriend was smacking her around pretty good on campus, and I stepped in. He said that if I kept meddling in his shit, then he was going to have to rearrange my face, and hers.”

        “She’s going out with Richard Clearmont, isn’t she?” Danni asked.

        “Yeah, the captain of the soccer team.”

        “Dude is a hell of a bully.”

        “Watch your language.”

        “Drop dead.”

        “How do you know so much about the high school anyway?”

        “I make it my business to know everything, it is why I am a know-it-all,” Danni stated, matter-of-factly. “So, he wants to rearrange your face?”

        “Yeah, and I know that I will end up hurting him, I don’t want to go there again, it is a horrible feeling,” Anthony said, his voice cracking with emotion.

        “Then don’t. Stay home today, lemmie talk to my connections, we can have Clearmont taken care of remotely. There are more than a few people who want to kick his ass anyway.” Danni said with a grin.

        “You’re kidding me, you’re going to set him up to have his ass kicked?”

        “Don’t worry about it, bro, you’re just gonna owe me for this.”

        “Another history assignment?”

        “Nah, that’s chump change, I’ll come up with something for you to pay me back with.” Danni said, standing up.

        “Danni,” Anthony said, standing up, putting an arm on her shoulder. “Thank you.”

        He hugged his sister and she hugged him back.

        In the present, D.J. had reached the parking lot, where KARR was.

        “Are you all right?” KARR asked.

        “Why does everybody keep asking me that question?”

        “Because your behavior and the present situation warrant it.”

        D.J.’s face melted into a slight smile. “I’m fine, just trying to shut that damn past up isn’t going to be so easy when you are confronting it face to face.”

        D.J. sat down within the car’s driver seat, and then closed the door. KARR began to run his presentation of the case as it stood so far.

        Bonnie and Julia were standing up, preparing to leave. The guard had come in to lead Anthony away. He looked at the two women wearily.

        “Am I a lost cause?” Anthony asked.

        “Not even close,” Julia assured him.

        “We’ve got legs to stand on, Anthony, now all we have to do is make sure the ground is a little more stable,” Bonnie added.

        “Thank you,” Anthony said, the relief echoing within his voice.

        “This is our job, this is what we do best.” Julia smiled.

        Anthony nodded, as he was escorted out of his room. Bonnie and Julia collected their things in silence and checked out of the jail. Once they were outside into the open air, both expelled a sigh of relief.

        “I hate those interrogation cells.” Bonnie sighed.

        “I don’t like them any more than you do,” Julia stated, as they headed for her burgundy Volvo.

        “So, what do you think of his chances?”

        “I think the police have been working overtime on finding things to nail him with, and some of their work, imagined or real is going to pay off at this rate. I hope the investigation team can come up with a little bit more solid footing, because this is shaping up to be the toughest case I have fought.”

        “Why would the police have such a thing against him, and his company?” Bonnie wondered.

        “I think that is your team’s job to find out, and tell me.”

        “You would think that since his older brother had been one of them, and that his younger sister had also been part of the law enforcement family that they wouldn’t be so willing to hang him out to dry.”

        “Maybe that is part of the problem, he didn’t follow in their footsteps,” Julia mentioned as they got into the car.

        “There is something more though, I could feel it reading those reports, and hearing him talk.”

        “I would have to agree, and once again, I think that it is your job to find out.”

        Julia started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

        D.J. was still sitting in KARR as he finished up his presentation. She had a slightly puzzled look on his face.

        “I don’t know who or what they are talking about, but that is not Anthony Long,” D.J. said.

        “Maybe people change after a period of time,” KARR suggested.

        “KARR, I haven’t been dead that long, I…she saw Anthony not more than a couple of weeks before she died, in fact, he was at her hearing when she…”

        D.J. struggled to remember, as the images flashed through her mind at light speed. She got frustrated and almost slammed her hands into the steering wheel, but refrained.

        “Dammit! Why is it that when I don’t want it, it comes to me with perfect clarity, but when I want it, it speeds through at light speed, and I can’t see shit!” Danni screamed.

        “Maybe her death sent him over the edge,” KARR carefully said.

        “These charges stem from many months, almost a year.”

        “Maybe she didn’t know him as well you thought she did.”

        “Something is really wrong here.”

        “D.J., you have to approach this from a non-attached perspective…”

        “Yes, but I don’t have to assume he is guilty right off.”

        “You also don’t have to presume that he is innocent, either.”

        “Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, KARR, brush up on your law.”

        “Yes, but we go in with a neutral position in order to prove one way or the other, read your bylaws, D.J.”

        D.J. opened her mouth to snap back, just as Bonnie and Julia pulled up in the parking space next to KARR. D.J. threw a cold look in KARR’s direction.          

        “Do you know how sexy that glare makes you?” KARR asked.

        D.J.’s face turned to one of shock as she got out of the vehicle to greet the other women.

        “Ooh, even better,” KARR purred.

        “Are you all right?” Bonnie asked.

        “Yeah, KARR is just being a little...strange, that’s all,” D.J. answered.

        “I call it sensible,” KARR said, cheerily.

        “Devon’s put me on the case from a different angle,” D.J. announced.

        Bonnie looked a little stunned; D.J. gave her a look of reassurance, as D.J. gestured for the two women to go ahead of her, as they went to Devon’s office.

        Michael and RCIII had come down off of the top of the building, and were heading back for KITT, looking puzzled.

        “Well, I guess we had better go on, and talk to his wife,” Michael mumbled.

        “Did you know her?” RCIII asked, as they sat in KITT’s seats.

        “No, he must have met and married her long after I exited the picture,” Michael said, with a tone of sorrow in his voice. “She shouldn’t be so hard to interview.”

        “Unless your mother is there,” RCIII noted.

        “That is why I have you for crowd control. You get to interview...Mary,” Michael said, trying to control his reactions.

        “Gotcha,” RCIII answered.

        They got inside KITT and pulled out.

        Inside Devon’s office, Bonnie and Julia were reciting what they knew. D.J. listened with complete and total attention.

        “Devon, there is no way this guy could have done what they said he did,” Bonnie stated.

        “Just because the man can talk well does not mean that he is incapable of doing misdeeds,” Devon warned her.

        “I know that, but things just do not add up here, Devon.” Bonnie sighed.

        “I know they don’t, that is why we are investigating the case. Can you defend him, Ms. Dandridge?” Devon asked.

        “If the investigation teams do their job right, I most certainly can. Bonnie is right, things just do not add up, but too many other things are adding up too well,” Julia noted.

        “Like what?” D.J. asked.

        “Like the fact that his company has in fact received stolen property, and I am pretty sure that the books the cops confiscated are probably very interesting reading,” Julia commented.

        “That may not necessarily be him, that could be anybody who had access to his business files,” D.J. protested.

        “Or it could have been him. It is up to you to find out the true answer to this, I am just bringing up both sides, and I am also saying that what he is accused of doing, is pretty complicated,” Julia noted.

        “Forgery, larceny, grand larceny, embezzlement, all your pretty standard industrial crime list,” D.J. noted.

        “Yes, but the way that Anthony Long had it set up, everything is pointing back to him. He kept personal control over everything, every single item of business. He prides himself on knowing what is going on,” Julia said. “And he even stated it to us a couple of times during the interview.”

        “Technically, if he knew all that was going on, then he would have had fore-knowledge of all that he is being accused of, even if somebody else is responsible.” D.J. scowled.

        “Yes, but I don’t think he knows as much as he thinks,” Julia answered.

        “Gee, no difference there,” D.J. mumbled.

        “Pardon?” Julia and Devon both asked.

        “Sounds like a pretty big ego there,” D.J. covered.

        “He does show some signs of being a little too proud, and not smart enough to cover his tracks properly, which is one of the reasons why I don’t think he has it in him to pull this stuff off,” Julia commented.

        When Julia called Anthony ‘not smart enough’, D.J. temporarily bristled, but calmed back down when Julia justified her statement.

        “Bonnie, I am sending you with D.J. on the investigative end of this. Julia, get to work on the defense you will have to present, Bonnie and April will keep you apprised of the team’s work.”

        “I understand,” Julia said, standing up, and straightening her skirt.

        “I suggest you start at the murder site, and see what Michael and Reginald have turned up there. April will be nearby in the case there are any problems,” Devon assured Bonnie and D.J. as Julia walked out of the office.

        “Are you sure that…?” Bonnie began to ask.

        “Yes,” Devon cut her off.

        “I can handle it, Bonnie. I know where my place is, and I know that I have a new life now, the old one shouldn’t bother me anymore,” D.J. said with a smile.

        “I sure hope so,” Bonnie said.

        “Have faith, and give me a chance,” D.J. said.

        “You’ve got it.” Bonnie smiled.

        D.J. looked at Bonnie with a slightly astounded look on her face. Bonnie walked out of the office with a wicked grin plastered on her own face.

        A man, in about his early 40’s, with a receding hairline, a well fed gut, and extremely Italian looks, stood next to a pond, with a hunting rifle in hand. He was silently watching as a duck landed in the pond. A man carefully walked up behind him, trying to make as little noise as possible. The Italian man took aim with his rifle at the duck in the water. He pulled the trigger, and completely missed the duck. He sent a spray of water flying a few feet in front of the duck, scaring the crap out of the duck, and making it fly away.

        “Shit!” The Italian screamed.

        “Your sight is slightly off, you will either want to compensate for it by adjusting to the right a few inches on your target, or have it fixed,” The other man said.

        The Italian man swung around dropping the gun to his side to face the other man. The man he faced was the same man who had so cold-bloodedly killed Longaro, and set up Anthony Long.

        “Why don’t you get a rifle from the guest house, and join me?” The Italian asked.

        “No thanks, I don’t have the patience for it, and I don’t hunt animals,” The other man said, with a cold smirk pulling at his lips.

        “I thought this would have been right up your alley.”

        “I only kill stupid people, not poor, defenseless animals.”

        “I see,” The Italian nodded, as they headed towards the house across the perfectly manicured and seemingly never-ending lawn. “So, the problem is taken care of?”

        “Yes, the rat is gone, and he had a rather horrific end too, but he has been taken care of, and the main problem is being framed for it. It all went down as planned.”

        “Very nicely done, as usual, Nicholas. You have earned your bonus.”

        “There is only one problem…” Nicholas, the large muscled guy said.

        “I don’t want to hear that. That is almost like hearing a brain surgeon say ‘oops’.”

        “The mother of the main problem went out and hired a private investigation firm to look into the case, and the same firm to represent the problem in court,” Nicholas said.

        “So, we’ll buy them off, who are they?”

        The two men stepped up to the porch of the rather large, castle like estate in the country.

        “The Foundation for Law And Government,” Nicholas answered.

        The large Italian man spun around to face Nicholas with a shocked look on his face. Immediately, the Italian had gone pale.

        “Oh, shit.”

        Michael and RCIII pulled up outside the very residential suburban house in which Anthony Long and his wife resided. KITT forced a stop ahead of the house, as he noticed that there were multiple cars in the driveway. The sudden halt made RCIII and Michael lurch forward and back in their seats.

        “KITT?” Michael asked.

        “Are you sure about this, Michael? We could always have D.J. come and do this, or Bonnie or you say out here and let RCIII do this…” KITT said, with an urgent tone in his voice.

        “KITT, what is wrong?” Michael demanded.

        “Mary Long-Matherton is here,” KITT answered almost solemnly.

        “So? I can handle it, and so can RCIII,” Michael said, frowning. “KITT, unlock the steering wheel, and the acceleration system.”

        “Very well,” KITT replied with a tone of reluctance in his voice.

        They proceeded forth to the driveway of the nice little home, and parked.

        “Nice digs,” RCIII said.

        “Yeah, but I would have expected a little more for somebody who was in construction.” Michael frowned.

        “Maybe he invests,” RCIII suggested.

        “Maybe. You got the plan under control, right?”

        “Gotcha covered, Mike,” RCIII said with a smile.

        Both men got out of the car, and stepped up to the house. Before either had a chance to knock, the door opened, and Ronald Matherton stood at the door. Michael froze, as he saw his former stepfather standing at the door with an extremely stern look.

        “You’re the guys from the Foundation, huh?” Mr. Matherton said.

        “Yes, sir,” RCIII answered.

        “Come on in, we were expectin’ this,” Ronald growled.

        “Thank you,” RCIII said, nudging Michael.

        Both walked into the nicely furnished house, with a fair amount of room on the interior. They were led into the living room, where Mary Long-Matherton was soothing the still upset Eileen Long, Anthony’s beautiful wife. Both women looked up at the men with concerned looks on their faces. Mary cracked a smile.

        “Come on in. We knew that you would get around to us sooner or later,” Mary said.

        “As much as we hate to do this, we have to, in order to get a full scope of the case,” RCIII said, with almost perfect English. “I am Reginald Cornelius, and this is Michael Knight.”

        “We remember, I am so glad to see you back on your feet again, Mr. Knight,” Mary said with a smile. “I visited you in the hospital, and said a prayer for your recovery.”

        “It most definitely worked, Mrs. Matherton, thank you,” Michael said, almost automatically.

        “We need to interview you separately, if you do not mind,” RCIII said, getting down to business. “Michael will interview you, Mrs. Long, and I will interview you, Mr. and Mrs. Matherton, if you do not mind.”

        “Of course, let’s go to the kitchen,” Mary said.

        “Are you sure, I mean, don’t say anything that could hang your husband!” Matherton said.

        “Um, sir, we are on your side…” RCIII reminded him.

        As soon as Mary and her butthead husband were out of the room, Michael visibly loosened up. Eileen looked at Michael with hope in her eyes.

        “Can you help Anthony?” Eileen asked.

        “That is what we are here for,” Michael said with a reassuring smile. “But I do have to ask you a few questions.”

        “Of course, anything.”

        “Some of these questions might be a little sensitive…”

        “Just ask them, I will answer to the best of my abilities.”

        “Have you and Anthony been having any problems lately?” Michael asked.

        “What kind of problems?”

        “Any kind.”

        In the kitchen, RCIII was sitting down with Mary and Ronald, and smiling a kindly smile.

        “Michael is really good, he is gentle, don’t worry, he knows when to back off,” RCIII assured them. “Now, how close are you to your son?”

        “He and Eileen come to dinner at our house every Sunday, and he always calls me,” Mary answered, but then hesitated.

        “What is it, Mrs. Matherton?” RCIII gently asked.

        “Is this an official questioning, should we have our lawyer present?” Matherton asked.

        “Not unless you have something to hide and are screwin’ around with us,” RCIII darkly said.

        “Ronald, please,” Mary scolded, and then flinched.

        Her husband gave the woman a look that made RCIII shudder slightly.

        “Well, he has been coming home really late recently, and then there is the money problems, we have been fighting more recently,” Eileen said, uncomfortably.

        “It’s ok, I’m not a court of law, and I am on your side, whatever you tell me only gets repeated to my fellow team mates, and all of us are sworn to secrecy, through the law,” Michael said, very kindly. “What you say is not going to hang your husband. We just need to know, so that we know what direction to take our investigation.”

        Eileen visibly loosened up. “Not too long ago, we found out that one of the payments from his construction job disappeared before it got to our account. And it wasn’t the first time it had happened. We suddenly found ourselves without enough money to buy groceries for the week. He said it was nothing, and then stormed out of the house. I had to borrow money from Mary and Ron to get food on the table for us, but in the end, it was just for me. The first time that he had actually been home at night was last night, but then he got a call, and went out. While he was home, he was actually relaxed, and calm. It was the first time that I had seen him that way in some time, but the moment that damned phone call came in, he was completely tense, and he stormed out of here. The next time I heard from him was when he called me from the police station this morning to find him a decent lawyer. He wouldn’t even tell me what the charges were, I had to ask a policeman.”

        “Recently, Anthony had been extremely uptight. I mean, he would always talk to me about anything, but suddenly, he clammed up. He became so tense, that I thought he was going to bust something. Anytime I would ask him what was going on, he would tell me that I wouldn’t understand, and to back off. He became extremely closed.” Mary answered RCIII.

        “How long had this behavior been going on?” RCIII asked.

        “A little over two months. I thought it was just the stresses of the job, do you think it could have been more?” Mary asked.

        “Mary, do not put words in his mouth!” Ronald scolded.

        “Chill, dude,” RCIII said, sternly. “I do not know, Mrs. Matherton, we still have a lot of investigating to do, before we can make that determination.

        “I thought he was having an affair or something,” Eileen said. “He totally changed within the past few months. He went from this kind, warm, caring man, to one that was cold, confined, and refused to speak about anything. He would brood, and pretty much keep completely to himself when he actually was home, which as I have mentioned before, wasn’t often.”

        “Did he ever bring anybody home from work?” Michael asked.

        “He used to bring Longaro over all the time, until a couple of months ago, then it completely stopped, in fact, he did everything in his power to keep from mentioning work at all. And then when the money thing happened, he still told me that it was ok, that it was just a mistake, and to not worry about it, that it was work related, and I need not worry.” Eileen sighed.

        “We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise you,” Michael said, gently touching her hand.

        “Thank you, Anthony, no matter how strange he was acting, couldn’t have done those things that they said he did, I know it.”

        “Thomas Longaro was Anthony’s protégé. I remember when Anthony brought him to meet us one time. Anthony had found him in an alley, where the kid had ended up after a run of bad luck. Anthony had seen him in one of the trade school classes previously when Anthony was helping one of the teachers there. He picked him up, took him to a motel room, got him some clothes, and listened to the guy’s story. He then offered him a job.” Mary smiled.

        “Anthony was always picking up strays, he was too nice,” Ronald griped.

        “Ronald…” Mary warned.

        “That is the sign of an extremely generous heart,” RCIII said with a comforting smile.

        “All my kids had a tendency of wanting to help people,” Mary said, looking down sadly. “Sometimes to the extent of giving their lives for it.”

        “You were a great parent,” RCIII said gently.

        “Longaro had started as a standard carpenter within Anthony’s company, but then, he worked so hard, and showed such promise, that Anthony promoted him to lead foreman in no time at all. The last few foremen had left to join other construction companies, so the promotion wasn’t hard for him to do at all.” Mary said. “The two of them had become the best of friends, he used to bring him over all the time. Tommy had become like another member of the family.”

        “Until two months ago,” Ronald snarled.

        “What happened two months ago?” RCIII asked.

        “He stopped coming around, and Anthony never said why. At the same time, Anthony’s mood had changed a bit, but as far as I knew, nothing had changed in the work situation at the sites.” Mary sighed.

        “Have you noticed any strange people hanging around?” Michael asked.

        “Um, no, not…well, about three days, I could have sworn I saw the same car parked across the street with a man inside of it. I could have sworn it had been there a couple of days before, with the same man sitting inside of it. But it was gone that same day, and I haven’t seen it since.” Eileen said.

        “Can you describe the man and or the sedan?”

        “It was a late 70’s model sedan, Cadillac or something like that, blue, faded, with silver trim. The guy inside of it was about in his late thirties, early forties, Caucasian; he had dark hair, and very dark sunglasses. He was wearing sort of a rumpled suit, almost like he had just gotten out of bed or something.”

        Michael smiled, allowing Eileen to have a quick release of a smile herself. It was quickly wiped away, as she remembered something else.

        “And then there was the burglary a couple of weeks ago, where nothing was stolen,” Eileen remembered.

        “Ok, what happened?” Michael asked.

        “Well, the whole place was ransacked, everything, everywhere was thrown all over the place. There wasn’t a room untouched, but we couldn’t see that anything had been stolen. I had been out at the hair salon, it happened in mid-daylight. When I came back, the whole house was ripped apart.”

        “Did you call the police?” Michael asked.

        “Yes, against Anthony’s wishes. They took a report, and said that they would do their best to find out what happened, but nothing has been heard from them since.”

        “Why didn’t Anthony want to call the cops?”

        “I don’t know, he just got rather upset when he came home and found them already here. Of course, he has been rather touchy against law enforcement since his brother and sister died. They were both cops, you know.”

        Michael couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I heard about that, from his file.”

        “He’s blamed the law enforcement agencies for not protecting their own,” Eileen said. “That could have been why.”

        “Is there anything else you can remember?” Michael asked.

        KARR was pulling up to the gate in front of the construction site. The guard stepped up to the driver’s side door.

        “Let me guess, FLAG?” The guard asked.

        “Yes.” D.J. smiled, flashing her ID.

        “But a group of you guys was already here,” The guard said.

        “We like to be especially thorough, and they wanted us to check out something,” D.J. said with a sexy smile.

        “Go on through.” The guard smiled back.

        “KITT has relayed his report of what he and his team had found here, it seems that they found something of interest on the roof,” KARR reported.

        “I guess that is where we are going, then,” D.J. said with a slight smile.

        “Are you going to be ok with all of this?” Bonnie asked, as they pulled up in front of the site, and the blood marked chalk outline.

        “Sure,” D.J. said.

        “I know who you really are, and I know your relationship to this case,” Bonnie said. “RCIII and I both do.”

        “I’ll be ok, I think. But you know that is why Devon sent you with me anyway, just to make sure,” D.J. sighed.

        “I just wanted to make sure that you knew it as well.”

        “I do.”

        “They found that there seemed to be damage done to one of the pipes on the roof, as well as there being footprints on the iron support girders on the side of the building,” KARR reported, as D.J. and Bonnie got out of the car.

        “Somebody got off the building in another manner than the elevator,” Bonnie deduced.

        “Or flying off,” D.J. said, as they stood in front of the blood blot.

        Bonnie turned a little green, as D.J. looked up to the top of the building. She nodded Bonnie over to the elevator. Bonnie was happy to get away from the spot.

        D.J. and Bonnie didn’t notice that they were being watched from a pair of binoculars from across the way from the building they were now standing on top of. They emerged from the elevator, and took in the scene.

        “So, let’s see, we have footprints on the side of a building. We have a bent pipe, we have a few blood stain sprays up here from where the vic was shot…” D.J. said, as they stepped forth towards the area where Longaro flew off.

        “The police have a gun from up here with Anthony Long’s fingerprints all over it. They have his fresh fingerprints on the elevator, and at the wall area,” Bonnie continued.

        “And…I don’t see fingerprint dust anywhere else but the direct crime scene,” D.J. said as she paced the rooftop.

        “That is correct,” KARR agreed.

        “They would have no direct cause, but…why didn’t they do a further scan of the rooftop?” Bonnie asked.

        “Because they were convinced they had their man. Shotty detective work be damned,” D.J. said, with a scowl. “Ok, let’s put ourselves in the shoes of our victim and shooter. We know that Longaro was standing over here.” She walked over towards the wall, where Longaro had been standing, establishing the place, through the blood spray that was on the wall and ground. “Now, we know that he was blown off the roof by the blast from the gun.”

        Bonnie walked over to the wall in front of her, and looked around for the right angle. “KARR, help he find the right angle here to blow her off the roof if I were shooting her with a Colt .45.”

        “A little to your left,” KARR instructed, Bonnie moved in accordance to his instructions. “There. Now step closer to her by five steps.”

        “Five?” Bonnie and D.J. asked at the same time.

        “Yes,” KARR answered.

        Bonnie did as she was told, putting her only a few feet away from D.J.

        “Well, without a doubt, Longaro knew his attacker,” D.J. commented.

        “There was no attempt to deflect the weapon, either, so it had to have happened quickly, too fast for him to instinctively bat away the weapon,” Bonnie observed from the angle of the weapon.

        “Could still mean it was Anthony.” D.J. sighed.

        “Reverse your roles,” KARR ordered.

        “Pardon?” D.J. asked.

        “Well, from the angle of entry, as well as the calculated trajectory, the victim was of approximately the same size as Bonnie, and you are closer to the size of the shooter,” KARR replied.

        Bonnie and D.J. switched places, and both frowned.

        “By how much am I off in height?” D.J. asked.

        “Three inches,” KARR answered.

        “The shooter was six-four?” D.J. asked, astounded.

        “Yes.”

        “Anthony is six-one,” D.J. and Bonnie said in sync.

        “I also do not believe that he is a size fourteen shoe, and that is what size the footprints on the side of the building are. I would also estimate that the shooter is approximately 270 to 290 pounds.” KARR commented.

        “KARR, examine the elevator system. Does it have a self-monitoring maintenance log?” D.J. asked.

        “Yes, I am retrieving the data from it now,” KARR noted.

        “Now, the big question is; what was Longaro doing up here?” Bonnie asked.

        “And who else was with him?” D.J. said, looking around her thoughtfully.

        Michael continued to look at Eileen sincerely. “You have my promise that we are using all our resources to determine what is really going on here.”

        “I’m grateful,” Eileen said, forcing a slight smile. “Michael, I know Anthony didn’t do this. He may have become strange in the past few months, but not to the point of murder. If you knew him, you would know that he doesn’t have it in him.”

        Michael smiled, and patted her shoulder. “I know. I believe you, that’s why we are working the case.”

        RCIII came back in with Mary and her husband behind him.

        “I hope we aren’t intruding,” RCIII said, with his perfect language tone.

        “Nope, not at all, I was just telling Eileen that the Foundation is devoting all its resources to finding out the truth in this matter,” Michael answered.

        “And we thank you for it.” Mary smiled.

        Michael’s commlink alarm sounded off. Michael frowned, and stood up. “Excuse me, that is my beeper, I will be right back.”

        RCIII turned to the rest of the people. “Do you mind if we have a look through Mr. Long’s stuff?”

        “Not at all, feel free. His home office is just down the hall,” Eileen answered.

        Michael ducked outside, and walked over to KITT. “What is it?”

        “D.J. and Bonnie are on the case,” KITT reported.

        “Very interesting, and…” Michael pressed.

        “I forwarded them the information we retrieved.”

        “And…?”

        “That’s it.”

        “And you sounded off the emergency alarm for that?”

        “I had to tell you in person.”

        “I think Bonnie needs to check out your circuits, KITT.”

        Michael tromped back inside.

        At the building, Bonnie was dusting for fingerprints near the bent bar, and the edge where the footprints were located. D.J. was carefully surveying the powdery roof beneath her.

        “I have retrieved and analyzed the self-monitoring maintenance logs on the elevator,” KARR announced via commlink. “Discounting the thirty times it was used this morning by the police detectives, during the estimated time of the murder, it was used three times. Two ascending, and one descending, the first went up at 9:50 last night.”

        “Probably Longaro, I think,” D.J. said.

        “The elevator registered only trips in which it had a load, so the next recorded trip was an ascent, at 9:59.”

        “Nine minutes later,” Bonnie noted.

        “The descent trip was one minute later. One minute and twelve seconds after the descent, the incident was called in from Anthony Long’s car phone.” KARR continued.

        “Does it log from moment of movement?” D.J. asked.

        “Yes,” KARR answered.

        “Ok, at its highest speed, it would have had him up here in what…thirty seconds?” D.J. hypothesized.

        “That is correct, and it never logged its fastest speed, his ascent took 45.3 seconds,” KARR said.

        “So he had less than fifteen seconds up here.” D.J. scowled.

        “Could have been enough time to shoot and go.” Bonnie said.

        “Hastily, but yeah, he could have, if he had done it at a race pace all the way around,” D.J. agreed.

        “I need a sample of the blood from the cement below, as well as from the spray residue up on top. I believe I might be able to determine the coagulation and oxidation rate and back track to an exact time of the shooting and the landing,” KARR suggested.

        D.J. reached into Bonnie’s black forensic case, and pulled out a couple of little evidence envelopes, then pulled out her knife from her back pocket. “You got it.”

        “I am also getting you some flakes off of this post so you can determine the rate of oxidation,” Bonnie said.

        “I will do all that I can,” KARR said.

        Michael had returned inside the house, and smiled at the family. The family had come together around Eileen in the living room.

        “Your partner is down the hall, third door to the left,” Mary said.

        “Thank you.” Michael nodded.

        Michael shuddered as soon as he got out of their view. He joined RCIII in the room down the hall, where they were faced with a dismantled computer, and a paper-strewn office.

        “I sorta get ‘da feelin’ ‘dat he had a slight hissyfit,” RCIII said, returning back to his street slang.

        “I also get this feeling that the police haven’t been here yet.”

        “I think you’re correct.”

        “We need to document as much of this evidence as possible, and as quickly as possible.”

        “Gotcha, boss.”

        Michael stepped up to the computer area, and picked up the hard drive, which had a few dents, and cracks in it, and it was in better shape than the rest of the computer, which almost looked as if it had been tossed into a few walls.

        “This hard drive looks a little trashed,” Michael observed.

        “So does the entire computer,” RCIII noted.

        “I wonder if Bonnie will be able to help this thing out,” Michael wondered.

        “Bonnie can resurrect anythin’ ‘dat is in computer form.”

        “Now, how long do we have before the police get their warrant and come for this stuff?”

        “I think, mo’ importantly; how illegal are we gonna have to be to keep ‘dis in our paws?”

        “You think the police are covering up?”

        “They missed footprints on ‘de side of a buildin’, Michael. My dead gramma could have seen those,” RCIII said with a very serious look.

        Michael couldn’t help but break a smile.

        D.J. and Bonnie returned to the ground floor. Bonnie rushed past the blood soaked pad, and got into KARR immediately with her envelope. D.J. stopped to scrape up some of the concrete into one of the envelopes, before she continued on to the car. Bonnie had already unloaded the contents of her envelope into the chemical analyzer.

        “So where do we go from here?” Bonnie asked.

        “Over to Anthony’s main office, and see how much the cops may have taken.” D.J. answered.

        “You know, I have never been in this much on a case before,” Bonnie said with an excited whisper.

        “You have missed a few joys in life. By the time this one is over, you should be as good of a Criminalist as the pros.” D.J. smiled, as she started up the vehicle, and backed up.

        The person watching from the binoculars put them down, and rushed down off of his point on the opposing roof, and headed directly for his car. He started it up, and pulled out of the parking garage, just in time to see KARR pull out of the construction site. The vehicle pulled into a following pattern behind KARR. Bonnie carefully pulled out her chip from the chemical analyzer, and put the first of D.J.’s evidence packets in.

        “We are being followed,” KARR announced.

        D.J. immediately looked in the mirror, and saw the blue sedan behind her. She frowned. “I think you are right, and he sucks at it.”

        “How can you tell?” Bonnie asked.

        “See the blue sedan? Watch,” D.J. said.

        She put on her turn signal to make a right turn, and then made it at the next street over. The car followed them. She turned the turn signal on to take a left hand turn at the next intersection, and the car followed. D.J. looked over at Bonnie, who scowled.

        “So what do we do?” Bonnie asked.

        “Well, that depends, do we want to lose him, or do we want to find out who he is?”

        “I’d say, we find out who he is.”

        “Good choice.” D.J. grinned, as she turned down an alleyway.

        The car, of course, followed them. D.J. came to a screeching stop, and threw KARR in reverse. The other car screamed to a stop, and went in reverse as well.

        “Aww, they aren’t going to introduce themselves to us, or threaten us, such a shame,” D.J. said sarcastically.

        The sedan took off down the main street at a high rate of speed.

        “Run the license plate number. We will chase these ding-dongs around for a little while, then break off, we have other things to do.” D.J. grinned.

        “You’re crazy, you know that?” Bonnie asked, giggling.

        “Yep, and darn proud of it.” D.J. chuckled.

        The sedan swung down a side street, and tried to run an intersection, almost wiping out in the process, D.J. shook her head, as they cleared the intersection with ease.

        “Sad. Just sad,” D.J. said, shaking her head.

        They turned down another street, slowing down, as the sedan got away.

        The doorbell at Anthony Long’s house rang. Mary and the others looked at each other in confusion, as Michael made his way to the door quickly. He flashed them a slight smile.

        “It’s the cops,” Michael said.

        “I was wondering when they would get to us. Shouldn’t we have our lawyer or some kind of legal representation with us?” Matherton asked.

        RCIII caught up to Michael, who was waiting at the door. “You do.”

        Michael opened the door to reveal two uniformed police officers and a detective dressed in a tan colored suit. The detective definitely looked as if he spent way too much time near the doughnut table.

        The detective flashed his badge at Michael. “San Bernardino P.D. We have a search warrant for this house. I’m Detective Jack Dannon.”

        “May I see the warrant?” Michael asked.

        “Who are you?” Dannon counter-asked.

        Michael smiled, and pulled out his ID from his jacket pocket. “Michael Knight of the Foundation for Law and Government, legal representation for Anthony Long and the Long family.”

        “They sure worked fast,” Dannon grumbled.

        “They smelled a potential witch hunt. Warrant, please?” Michael admitted.

        The Detective scowled, and pulled out the warrant from his sport jacket’s inner pocket. Michael unfolded it and read it.

        “Ok, this is for the office and the office alone. Come on in. This is my partner, Reginald Cornelius the Third, he’ll show you to the office,” Michael said, opening the door further to let them in.

        “We also need to speak to his wife and family too,” Dannon said, attempting to try to get some control of the situation back.

        “I figured you might. They will be eager to answer any questions you may have. His wife, mother and stepfather are here,” Michael said, still controlling the situation.

        “And you’ll be there too, right?” Dannon sniped.

        “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Michael smiled.

        The Detective scowled, as he and the others entered the house. RCIII led the other two officers to the office, as Michael and Dannon entered the living room where the rest of the family was, trying to control their emotions, and in particular, their nerves. Michael gave them a reassuring smile.

        “This is Detective Dannon of the SBPD. Detective, this is Eileen Long, Anthony’s wife, Mary Long-Matherton, his mother, and Ronald Matherton, his stepfather. Detective Dannon would like to ask you some questions,” Michael stated.

        Eileen fought her emotions to try to be cordial. “Hello, Detective.”

        “And I will be right here to make sure that the doesn’t overstep his gentlemanly boundaries.” Michael smiled, as he took a seat next to Eileen.

        Detective Dannon snarled at Michael as he took a seat across from the family.

        RCIII had led the two uniformed officers to Anthony’s office, which had taken on a completely different look since Michael and RCIII had first entered it. The office was completely clean. The shattered computer was gone, as were the scattered papers. Many of the papers were also missing, but there were papers and other book keeping items left behind, neatly stacked.

        “You didn’t tamper with this room, did you?” The taller of the two officers asked.

        “We’re legal representation, not scene snatchers. Beside, what reason could we possibly have for doing that? Our client is innocent, we have nothing to hide,” RCIII answered with a smile.

        The officers both nodded as RCIII remained at the door, and watched their actions around the office very carefully.

        KARR pulled into the fairly empty parking lot of the Paradise Construction Company. The building was a very nice and spacious one, covering a fair amount of property, with almost perfect landscaping around it.

        “Anthony was always a neatnik,” D.J. said, with a light chuckle in her voice.

        “I can definitely see that,” Bonnie commented.

        Both women got out of KARR, and went inside the building. Inside, they found a secretary, who looked emotionally weary and physically exhausted.

        “We’re closed today,” The secretary said, slightly depressed.

        D.J. pulled out and flashed her ID. “I’m D.J. Caballero, this is Bonnie Barstow, we’re from the Foundation for Law and Government. We are legally representing Mr. Long.”

        The secretary brightened up a bit. “Private detectives?”

        D.J. smiled. “We prefer Private Legal Investigators. I take it you have already been questioned by the police?”

        “Yes, and they also sealed off Mr. Long’s office and took several files,” The secretary answered.

        “I take it that they were a bit rude about it.” D.J. sighed.

        “It was like going through an inquisition. I’m Sarah O’Malley,” Sarah said, shaking D.J.’s and Bonnie’s hands. “I’m Mr. Long’s secretary, I have been since this business first started.”

        “We’ll have to ask you some questions, but I promise that you can tell us to stuff it, if we get inquisition-like.” D.J. smiled.

        Sarah managed a smile. “I will help in any way possible. I have known Anthony Long for a long time, and I know he couldn’t be capable of something like this. Tommy would be the one I would have figured to be more capable of something like this.”

        Bonnie looked intrigued. “Really?”

        “Yeah. He had a real dark and unstable side about him. It used to worry all the girls who worked here. One had even filed stalking charges against him, but since California State Law doesn’t totally acknowledge them, it didn’t do much good,” Sarah answered.

        “Sounds like a real bundle of joy,” D.J. said sarcastically.

        “He was a royal pain, and lately, I didn’t tell the police this, but we all suspected him to be behind the sabotages,” Sarah whispered conspiratorially.

        “The sabotages?” Bonnie and D.J. asked in unison.

        “Sounds like I have a lot of catching up to do with you two.” Sarah smirked.

Act III       

        Dannon was sitting in front of the Long family, and Michael, working at the more serious question in his mind.

        “Mrs. Long, did your husband ever have any affairs?” Dannon asked.

        “No!” Eileen yelled in disbelief.

        “This is a murder case, what does that have to do with anything?” Michael asked.

        “Maybe Longaro was trying to blackmail him,” Dannon answered tersely.

        “You don’t have a clue on a motive, do you?” Michael asked, shaking his head.

        “No, Mr. Knight,” Dannon answered even more tersely. “Maybe you would like to fill me in on one.”

        “Our client is presumed innocent until proven guilty, remember how that goes?” Michael asked, with a dark look in his eyes.

        Dannon scowled at Michael, then went back to his questions. “Mrs. Long, how well did you know Mr. Longaro?”

        “He was my husband’s friend, but as for really knowing him, I didn’t. He creeped me out too much,” Eileen admitted.

        “How about you, Mrs. And Mr. Matherton?” Dannon asked, shifting his attention to them.

        Michael had to fight back his bristled attitude, as Mary launched into the same explanation that she had provided to RCIII.

        Back at the construction company headquarters, D.J. and Bonnie were carefully inching their way past the police crime scene tape on the door to Anthony’s office, which had been set up in a criss-cross ‘x’ pattern.

        “They told me to not let anybody past the tape, but I guess since you work for the defense, that it’s ok,” Sarah mentioned, slightly uncomfortable.

        “Equal access opportunity,” D.J. mumbled.

        “It’s very interesting how they turned this murder case into a witch hunt,” Bonnie commented as she slinked over the tape.

        “It was an opportunistic event that they were more than happy to take advantage of,” D.J. said, as she went over to the file cabinet, and opened it.

        “They took the files that related to the book keeping, the employees, and Anthony Long’s other financial histories, but they didn’t take the insurance accident files,” Sarah said, sheepishly. Bonnie and D.J. looked at her. “I was curious.”

        “So, other than the sabotages, were there any other strange things that happened around here?” Bonnie asked.

        “Where do you want me to start? The past few months have been a real roller coaster ride,” Sarah said.

        Dannon was putting his little list away, as the cops came to the hallway entrance to the living room, with nothing in their hands.

        “Anything?” Dannon asked.

        “Nope, it seems he never brought his work home with him,” The shorter officer said.

        Eileen looked temporarily confused, but wiped the look off her face as Dannon looked at her.

        “Well, thank you for your time, and I suppose we shall go ahead and go now, we might have further questions in the future for you,” Dannon stated.

        “Just make sure that you don’t ask them without their legal representation around first,” Michael warned.

        Dannon just shot him a scowl, as he and his officers exited.

        “Anthony’s office was a maze of work he brought home. It looked like world war three!” Eileen hissed.

        “I know,” Michael answered. “We knew they were coming, and we know that something is up with the police, so we figured to do things a little improperly.”

        “We didn’t have enough time to go through the stuff in his office, so we hid it,” RCIII admitted.

        “That is ingenious!” Mary exclaimed.

        “And highly illegal,” Matherton scolded.

        “Do you want Anthony cleared or not?” RCIII snapped.

        Matherton went silent, and looked down at the floor. Michael looked impressed, as he and RCIII led them to the office area. RCIII threw the window open, and hopped out into the yard. Michael went to the window; as RCIII began to hand stuff back in through the window.

        D.J. and Bonnie walked out of the construction company headquarters with stunned looks on their faces. They got into KARR at the same time.

        “This case has more twists and turns than D.J.’s circuitry.” KARR noted.

        “Very funny. I need you to run the background on Longaro, and see what you can dig up there,” D.J. ordered.

        “Right away. Oh, I traced that sedan back. It belongs to a Detective Jack Dannon, of the San Bernardino Police Department,” KARR said.

        D.J. and Bonnie looked at each other, a little confused.

        “Why would he run?” D.J. asked.

        “I do not know, but he is the same Detective that is in charge of Anthony Long’s murder investigation,” KARR noted.

        “You’re right, this case does have more twists and turns than our circuitry has combined.” D.J. sighed as she started up the car.

        “Where next?” Bonnie asked.

        “Our presence, in particular, Bonnie’s, has been requested at the Long house, as soon as possible,” KARR said.

        “I guess we go over to the Long house,” D.J. said, as she pulled out of the spot, and got out onto the highway.

        A few moments later, KARR was pulling in behind KITT. Bonnie and D.J. were looking around the neighborhood.

        “Not a bad little neighborhood,” Bonnie commented.

        “Especially since Anthony Long’s construction company built the neighborhood,” KARR noted.

        The Danni Long Theater presented a replay of her pulling into the yard, as a teenager, seeing the brand new house for the first time. When she pulled into the driveway, Anthony rushed out to greet her, giddy with excitement.

        “Hey, Danni, check it out! What do you think?” Anthony asked.

        “Of the house, or the neighborhood?” Danni asked, shutting the engine off.

        “Both.” Anthony grinned.

        “It is amazing!” Danni said, sincerely amazed.

        “I’m so glad you think so. Come on in, check it out!” Anthony said.

        He opened the driver’s side door, and helped her out. Eileen was waiting at the door with a smile.

        D.J. snapped into the present, as they were walking by KITT, and heading for the door.

        “You made remarkable time over here,” KITT commented.

        “We were in the neighborhood,” D.J. said.

        “I’ve kept Michael straight so far,” KITT reported.

        “Good job,” Bonnie said, smiling, as they got to the door, and rang the doorbell.

        It opened revealing Mary standing at the door, she smiled.

        “You must be D.J. and Bonnie,” Mary said with a gracious tone, as the two women nodded. “Michael said you were coming, please come on  in.”

        Danni Long remembered seeing her mother at the door, with a very relieved look, she quickly rushed up to her and hugged her.

        “Oh, Danni, I am so glad to see you! You had me worried to death!” Mary said.

        “I’m sorry, mom,” Danni replied.

        “Where were you?”

        “Out clearing my head.”

        D.J. walked in, Michael stepped out of the office where he and RCIII were going over the information that they had brought back inside.

        “Nice timing. D.J. Caballero, Bonnie Barstow, this is Mary Long-Matherton, her husband, Ronald Matherton, and Anthony Long’s Wife, Eileen. These are my colleagues from the Foundation who are working another aspect of the case,” Michael introduced.

        Danni Long entered the house by herself, and found Ron Matherton in the living room, playing with himself. He looked over at her, and smiled.

        “I’d been waiting for you,” Ronald said, darkly, as he got up, and cornered her.

        D.J. snapped out of it, she smiled at the others, and struggled to breathe.

        “We have a pretty wrecked computer hard drive here that we need you to try to resurrect,” Michael said, ignoring the fact that small sweat beads had appeared on D.J.’s forehead.

        “I have a few more places I need to check up on, I’ll be back for you later,” D.J. told Bonnie.

        “Are you ok?” Bonnie asked.

        “Yeah,” D.J. said, nodding.

        “Are you sure you don’t need some more help?” Bonnie continued to prod.

        “Yeah, I’m going to need April on this one anyway, she’s the only one willing to bare that much skin for the cause.” D.J. smiled.

        “Leaving so soon?” Mary asked.

        Danni remembered her mother cornering her at the door just as she was preparing to leave for the academy, with the same extremely concerned look.

        “Yes, I have a few more places that I need to check out, before the sun sets,” D.J. said, trying to control her voice.

        “Well, I hope that you come back, we are having a dinner to thank you all for your hard work, and we would love to have you here with us,” Mary said with a very motherly smile.

        “I will try to get back in time,” D.J. assured her.

        “Good, dinner will be at 5:30,” Mary said, patting her on the shoulder.

       Danni felt her mother’s touch one other time, when she had been sent out the door to play as a little kid.

        “Thanks, I’ll try to make it,” D.J. smiled, waved to the others, and got out of the house quickly.

        “She has been going non-stop for well over twenty-four hours,” Bonnie explained.

        “Wow, the Foundation sure works its detective hard, don’t they?” Mary asked.

        “We strive for excellence,” Michael smiled.

        D.J. got to the exterior, and gasped for air, as she steadied herself.

        “Are you all right?” KITT asked.

        “Yeah, just a little tired, that’s all. Keep up the good work, KITT,” D.J. said, going over to KARR.

        “Of course,” KITT answered.

        D.J. flopped down in KARR’s seat, and pulled out of the driveway, not noticing that Ron Matherton was watching her from the window.

        “What now?” KARR asked.

        “Find me April. I have a mission for her, and it is wicked payback for the school girl stunt.” D.J. grinned.

        A couple of hours later, April walked into the Police Evidence Locker area, looking absolutely miserable. The elderly man behind the counter grinned at her as she walked in.

        “Hi, I’m Agent June Farwell of the FBI,” April said, quickly flashing an ID wallet. “And I am here to log in evidence, but I have a slight dilemma.”

        “And what is it, Agent Farwell?” The desk sergeant asked, scooping her out.

        “Well, see, this was my first undercover assignment, and, the other agents decided to play a trick on me,” April said, uncomfortably. “And they wired me up with some kind of tape that I can’t totally get off by myself. Could you help me?”

        “Let me guess, they taped you up with duct tape,” The desk sergeant chuckled.

        “Yeah, duct tape, that’s what it is, and it hurts like hell,” April said, blushing.

        “Come on over here, kiddo, I’ve got the solvent to help take it off real easy. You’re not the first one they have done it to, consider it an orientation ritual.”

        April smiled, and went around to the door, which he buzzed open, and left open.

        Around the corner, D.J. was trying to keep from giggling, while remaining completely concealed from the other officers passing by, hidden by a decorative palm tree. She was hearing everything that was going on.

        “No shit you’re not the first one,” D.J. chuckled.

        The sergeant took April to the far side of the cage to afford her a little privacy as he retrieved the solvent. D.J. smiled, and quickly ducked around the corner, through the door, and into the warehouse area that housed all the evidence. April gave her an evil look as she passed by. The sergeant came back to April, as she blushed and took her blouse off to reveal that D.J. had in fact planted a wire on her with duct tape.

        D.J. quickly made her way over to find the evidence taken for Anthony Long’s case. She found it on the shelves closest to the door, and grinned. She popped the boxes open, and started filing through the contents with one hand, while holding up her commlink over it for KARR to get his visuals.

        In the other room, D.J. could hear April whimper as the sergeant brushed the solvent on her, and kept making sure to run the back of his hand across her breast. Slowly, he began to pull it off of her, making her whimper more.

        D.J. quickly finished her task, and put everything back where it was before, just as the sergeant was getting to the final strips of duct tape. D.J. peeked out, made sure that he wasn’t looking, ducked down, and crawled out of the room, back out the door, and into the hallway area. April looked absolutely miserable.

        “We’re almost there,” The desk sergeant reassured her.

        “Thanks for doing this. I hope that this is the last time that this happens.” April sighed.

        “Next time, make sure you watch over what tape they are using, if it isn’t medical tape, then run,” The sergeant advised.

        “Thanks for the advice, and for the solvent,” April said with a smile.

        “Sure, I guess the tape is mine, all you have to do is sign over here, once you put your shirt back on.” The desk sergeant said, gently.

        “Thanks,” April said with a smile.

        Outside in the parking lot, D.J. was looking over the information that she had just picked up from the police evidence warehouse. April hurried over to the passenger side, and got in, looking extremely angry.

        “That was just…wrong!” April said.

        “Not for the old man.” D.J. grinned, not looking up.

        “D.J. that was just…out of line!” April screamed.

        “Hey, I told you,” D.J. said turning to April. “You would pay for the school girl thing.”

        “I did that under orders!” April yelled.

        “And you did this under orders as well, your actions enabled me to find out what the police have, and we may be able to save a man from the gas chamber. Would you like to bitch anymore?” D.J. asked.

        “Take me back to the Foundation.” April pouted.

        “Ok,” D.J. said, trying to hold back her laughter and smile.

        Michael grabbed Bonnie by the arm, and took her towards the empty pantry to talk about KITT’s strange behavior, as RCIII helped the rest of the family set up the dinner table.

        “You need to check into KITT, he has been acting strangely since this case started,” Michael whispered.

        “Acting strangely, how?” Bonnie asked.

        “He tried to put me and RCIII through the windshield just before we got here, and tried to keep from moving. Ever since, he has been interrupting us during interviews, and such, any time Anthony’s mother gets near me.”

        “I don’t think KITT is malfunctioning at all.” Bonnie smiled. “He is trying to protect you from your past.”

        “I don’t need protecting.”

        “That may be the case, but KITT is trying to do what he thinks is his job. I can’t imagine that he was all that appreciative of Devon sending RCIII as your guardian in this case, rather than having KITT do it, and KITT is trying to show his worth.”

        “It’s becoming a serious pain in the ass.”

        “I will have a talk with him.”

        “Thank you.”

        Michael and Bonnie stepped out, acting as if nothing had ever happened. They approached the dinner table.

        “Will Ms. Caballero be joining us?” Eileen asked.

        “She said that she will try to make it, but not to wait for her,” Bonnie said.

        “She is such a nice girl.” Mary smiled. “Not exactly the type I would have figured for the type of work you do, Mr. Knight.”

        “She is very good at her job. I think her looks combined with her brains make her very effective.”

        Bonnie and RCIII looked at each other, and shared a smile.

       Outside, KARR pulled up behind KITT. Behind KARR’s wheel, D.J. wasn’t looking all that healthy; she had a slight pale tinge to her.

        “Are you ok?” KARR asked.

        “Fine, just fine,” D.J. said, not sounding fine.

        “Just take a deep breath, go in there, and be D.J. Caballero. Ignore Danni Long,” KARR said.

        “That is easy to say, not so easy to do.”

        “You can do it.”

        D.J. got out of the car, and walked up the driveway towards the house.

        “Hello, D.J.” KITT spoke up.

        “Hello, KITT, how are things going?” D.J. asked, as she got closer to the door.

        “Pretty well. D.J., are you all right?” KITT asked.

        D.J. stepped up closer to the door, and got a look through the window at the people assembled around the dining room table. She stopped, and completely blanched.

       The memory hit her at full speed of the old days, when they would gather around the table, Danni, Michael, Anthony, and the parents, all sharing a happier day together.

       The memory then changed into one of terror as she was backed into a room by Ronald Matherton, and smacked around. She snapped out of it, as he had come towards her, covering her view.

       D.J. was trembling like a leaf. She backed away from the door.

       “D.J.?” KITT asked.

       “Um, tell Michael that I couldn’t stay, and that I forgot something that I had to check into. Tell him I will meet him later back at the Foundation, and for Bonnie to ride back with you guys, ok?” D.J. said.

       “Of course,” KITT replied.

       D.J. made her way back to KARR, started him up and pulled out, silently driving down the street.

       “D.J., talk to me,” KARR urged.

       “I couldn’t do it, I can’t keep facing them, and she comes through too strongly.  She’s getting more powerful,” D.J. said, whining, trying to control the shaking fit she was going through.

       “It’s ok. You knew these people, and not too long ago. Your reaction is understandable.”

       “Is it? I thought it was completely unprofessional.”

       “Not in the least. D.J., you haven’t had that much time to adapt, nor create a new personality of your own since your former self died. You are expected to have relapses.”

       “Thanks for understanding, buddy.”

       “That’s what partners are for.”

       That evening, at the Foundation, D.J. was sitting in Devon’s office, right next to a still pissed off April. April was sitting in the chair, sulking. Devon was trying to hide his smile as well.

       “The police only collected evidence pertaining to the embezzlement, larceny, and the white collar type crimes. And what they collected makes Anthony look guilty as hell, if you look it on the surface,” D.J. reported.

       “And if you look at it beneath the surface?” Devon asked.

       “The evidence they have has all been doctored, and isn’t the original. Those documents, which supposedly reach back several months are no more than a few weeks old,” D.J. reported.

       “Then where are the originals?”

       “I don’t know where all of them are, but we did find a few of them in Longaro’s office, which the cops hadn’t touched,” D.J. reported.

       “Longaro’s residence?” Devon asked.

       “That would be the next area I would suggest checking out,” D.J. agreed. “And there was nothing collected from Longaro’s residence at the police station.”

       “Wait, they are trying to go with a blackmail motive, but they are only investigating one end of the deal?” April asked.

       “It seems so,” D.J. answered.

       “Did they even try to cover up their set-up, or did they just leave it all laying out on the line?” April sarcastically asked.

       “They were more naked than you were at the police station,” D.J. said, trying to bite down her laughter.

       “Not funny,” April warned.

       “I’m sorry,” D.J. said, the laughter in her voice.

       Michael, Bonnie and RCIII entered from the garage area, and Michael entered the office, giving a rather sour look to D.J.

       “Nice appearance at dinner, D.J.,” Michael snapped.

       “I told KITT to please excuse me, but I had other things to check out,” D.J. said.

       “When people invite you into their home, you generally, out of graciousness, enter, and attend their dinners,” Michael growled.

       D.J. stood up, and looked him straight in the face. “When a man’s life is at stake, you do everything you can, follow every lead possible to try to get that man out of harm’s way, not play socialite. I spent the entire day, running all around San Bernardino, trying to find every little snippet of information and evidence I could, to point to the second shooter and away from Anthony Long. I picked up where you left off up on the roof of the building where Longaro was killed. I had to ditch some idiot who was following me, who turned out to be a cop. I had to shimmy through police tape to gather the evidence the Police seemed to deem as not important enough to hang him, but could set him free, I had to send April in half-naked as a distraction at the police evidence lockup, in order to get in, and find out what they do think they have, and get out without being detected. Then, I spent this entire evening analyzing what we collected, and trying to find out what the hell we have on our hands.”

        “So you spent the evening here, rather than being polite,” Michael pushed.

        “And all of this came after I finished a rather harrowing undercover gig at a store this morning, that just about had my head re-arranged,” D.J. continued, backing Michael towards the couch, her face twisted in anger. “And what did you do today? You walked around the roof for a little while, then you went over to the house, and spent the entire day there, doing what? Reading papers? Cleaning house? Consoling the family or more specifically kissing their ass? Don’t give me any shit on how to do my job, Michael, not until you put in a little more mileage and a little less butter!”

        Michael fell back onto the couch, in total surprise. D.J. reached over to the chair that she had been sitting in, and grabbed her leather jacket off the chair and put it on.

        “I’ve got another run to make, maybe Michael can do a little bit more footwork over here and try to find the connections of this screwed up set-up,” D.J. scowled, and walked out of the office.

        “She has a bit of a temper, doesn’t she?” Devon asked, trying to hide his impish little smile.

        D.J. stormed out to KARR, and got in behind his driver’s seat.

        “He had no right to say what he did,” KARR said.

        “It must be hard to find that you are no longer the lead investigator of the institution anymore,” D.J. snarled. “Find me Longaro’s residence, and let’s get this over with.”

        “You need some rest,” KARR insisted.

        “I need to get this done,” D.J. said, darkly.

        Danni Long remembered darkness and pain, but it wasn’t from the explosion that ended her life, this was different, more personal.

        KARR sped along the road, in silence, heading for his destination. D.J. shook her head out.

        “She’s getting louder, isn’t she?” KARR asked.

        “Yes, and this case has made her worse.” D.J. sighed.

        Back at the Foundation, Michael remained sitting on the couch; the rest had taken their seats around Devon’s office.

        “A blue sedan?” Michael asked.

        “Yes, it followed us from the building, then D.J. tried to confront, and it took off,” Bonnie said.

        “Eileen Long said something about seeing a blue sedan outside their house,” Michael said.

        “If it is the same one, then we have a hell of a situation on our hands,” Bonnie said, Devon looked at her, puzzled. “We were able to get the license plate number, and run it back to the owner of the car. It came back as Jack Dannon, San Bernardino Police Detective.”

        “Dannon?” Michael asked, astounded.

        “Yeah,” Bonnie answered.

        “That’s ‘da same detective ‘dat visited us ‘dis afternoon,” RCIII said.

        “He’s also the same detective that is in charge of the Anthony Long investigation,” Bonnie added. “He must have gone straight from us losing him, directly over to the Long house.”

        “And called in the backup along the way,” RCIII added.

        Devon was looking at the computer, after he had tapped in what he had heard, and received the information back. “He was also the lead detective in charge of building a case against Anthony Long on the white collar crimes.”

        “Has this guy had any interesting deposits into his bank account recently?” Michael asked.

        “I am checking now,” Devon said.

        “There are all kinds of things about this case that don’t check out. They only took the book keeping, and primary business records from the office, but not the insurance investigation records for the six sabotages they had in the previous months,” Bonnie said.

        “Sabotages?” Michael and RCIII both asked.

        “Yeah. Two people were killed, and six others severely injured in strange little accidents that kept happening around Paradise Construction sites where Longaro was the foreman. The first was a beam strap snapping and falling, the second, a cement bucket support strap snapping, dumping a whole load of cement on a bunch of workers, another was an electrocution via wires that had been inspected the day before, another was an elevator cable snapping without reason, then there was the wall collapse where they found out that somebody had used the wrong cement for the load that was required of that wall, that brought down a quarter of a building. The final one was just a few weeks ago, when a load of lumber suddenly burst into flames, after it was exposed to an ungrounded high-load electrical power saw that had been laid on top of it,” Bonnie explained.

        “Eileen didn’t mention any of that stuff,” Michael said.

        “She probably didn’t know, it seems that the company knew it all too well, and they deemed that each incident was no accident, and if it was, it was clear safety negligence on the part of the foreman,” Bonnie added.

        “D.J. is presently headed over to Longaro’s residence, because in her search of the police lockup, she noted that not only did they not have anything from the residence, but the copies that the police took from Anthony Long’s office, were forgeries,” Devon added. “And Detective Dannon has had quite a few substantial, and unexplained deposits into his bank account in over the past month.”

        “I definitely think that Detective Dannon deserves a little more scrutiny,” Michael mumbled.

        “She is hoping to find the originals at Longaro’s place,” April added. “She also noted that there were no examinations entered yet from Anthony Long’s automobile, they just impounded it, and that was it.”

        “That means they haven’t checked it over yet, maybe if we get down there and check it out, we can beat them to the punch, and at least do some legwork to make the queen happy,” Michael said, standing up.

        “Those were my thoughts,” Devon agreed.

        “I’ll be back later, Devon. RC, stay here, and see if you can dig up anything on Dannon,” Michael ordered.

       “I gotcha,” RCIII said, as Michael rushed out of the office.

       “Everything moves a whole lot faster around here than before,” April observed.

       D.J. and KARR pulled up in front of the house that Longaro resided in. It was almost an exact duplicate of Anthony Long’s house, in a very similar neighborhood.

       “Nice house for a construction foreman who seemingly went from rags to riches in a short period of time,” D.J. commented.

       “He bought this house within the past few months. He used to live in a trailer,” KARR remarked.

       “Everything seems to boil down to the past few months, doesn’t it?” D.J. asked.

       “It sure does,” KARR observed.

       D.J. reached for the door, as they parked across the street from the house.

       “D.J., don’t!” KARR warned.

       D.J. frowned and looked back at him, just as the house exploded into flames and toothpicks. Debris rained down on KARR, including several large wooden struts from the roof. D.J.’s mouth fell open in total surprise.

       KITT was pulling up outside the San Bernardino PD police impound lot fence.

       “I am glad to be on this side of the fence for once,” KITT said.

       “I am glad that you are on this side of the fence,” Michael commented putting his black leather gloves on.

       “You can slip through the gate, there is a space wide enough for you to squeeze through. The only security is a guard dog, and a guard who is presently watching television, and not the lot. I have located Anthony Long’s vehicle, it is in the third row from the gate, a 1985 Pontiac Trans-Am, in Midnight Blue.” KITT said, showing diagrams of what he had found, and its location. “I have also found Longaro’s truck which they also impounded, it is directly left of Anthony Long’s vehicle.”

       “Thanks, pal,” Michael said with a smile.

       He patted KITT on the dashboard, and got out. He snuck his way over to the gate, where there was a definite gap between the two large gates. Michael squeezed his way though, and made his way through the dark towards the cars that KITT had told him to go to. He pulled out his slim-jim from his jacket, and popped the Trans-Am open.

       “Geeze, little brother, looks like you didn’t completely forget,” Michael whispered as he broke into the Trans-Am.

       D.J. walked into Devon’s office, with a scowl on her face.

       “That was fast,” Devon commented.

       D.J. didn’t say a word; she just grabbed the remote control, and pointed it at his television, turning it on. The breaking news featured the house that blew up.

       “Longaro’s residence?”

       D.J. nodded, rubbing her face. “Before I got in to take a look.”

       Devon just went silent. D.J. walked out of the room.

       Michael continued to search through the cars, looking up on occasion to make sure that he wasn’t being watched, nor heard. He got into Anthony Long’s glove compartment, and found a picture of the three siblings back when Michael had returned from ‘Nam. He smiled a nostalgic smile, but continued on his search for anything out of the ordinary. He reached under the seat, and pulled out a gun. The look on his face denoted his surprise. He ran his commlink over the top of the gun, then put it back, and continued on with his search of the vehicle.

       D.J. flopped down in bed in her room. At first, she managed to fall asleep immediately and peacefully, but soon, her dreams progressed into a series of realistic-type images flashing through her mind, and she began to toss and turn in her sleep.

       Danni Long was extremely proud on her graduation day, she made sure to lock on to where her family was sitting as she delivered her Valedictorian speech. She made eye contact with her proud brothers who looked back at her with only love in their eyes.

       D.J. tossed and turned in her bed, but then would have small moments where she was perfectly still, and talking in her sleep.

       “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…happy birthday dear…” D.J. mumbled.

       The memory turned to the funeral of her real father, followed by Ron Matherton being brought home to meet the kids.

       “Mean, worse than…” D.J. uttered in her sleep.

       The world went dark, but the sounds of bedsprings rocking could be heard through the darkness. The world temporarily cleared, and the face of Ron Matherton came into view, lust filled, and oblivious to the world around him.

       “No…no….NO!” D.J. screamed.

       D.J. popped awake and upright in bed, sweating, and out of breath. Dawn was breaking outside.

       Later on in the morning, Michael came into the kitchen, wearing warm-ups. He found D.J. already fully dressed, and sitting at the kitchen table, looking over hard copies of the files.

       “I heard that your night didn’t end too well,” Michael said, getting a glass of OJ out of the fridge.

       D.J. looked at him blankly, then looked back at the files.

       “Mine wasn’t that great either. A search of both Anthony Long’s and Longaro’s vehicles only turned up guns in both, but that was it,” Michael continued.

       D.J. just nodded her head, while still paying attention to her files. Michael came over, and sat next to her.

       “I’m sorry for last night. I was frustrated…and concerned,” Michael admitted, uneasily.

       “Concerned?” D.J. asked, stopping her reading, and looking up at him with only a slight tilt of her head.

       “KITT said that you didn’t look very well both times when you left,” Michael said.

       “I guess I am a little tired, I’ll be ok,” D.J. said with a small reassuring smile.

       “You sure?”

       “Yep,” D.J. answered, going back to her reading, and quickly changing the subject. “You know, this is strange, I keep finding references to a company in all these records, the ones from the office, and the ones you retrieved from the home office, but not on the ones at the lock-up.”

       “Which one?”

       “Falcon Lair Construction Supply.”

       “Sounds like we need to check it out.”

       “Yep.”

       “I heard that your profiled the crime scene.”

       “Yep, the guy we are looking for is a six-four body builder, who Longaro knew.”

       “You’re good.” Michael smiled.

       “Thanks, you’re really not so bad yourself,” D.J. shot back, with a straight look.

       Michael looked at her a little surprised, as she cracked a slight smile at him.

       “You remind me of…” Michael started out, but was interrupted by RCIII walking in, wearing a dark navy blue suit and tie. “Lookin’ sharp, RC.”

       “Devon has asked me to escort ‘da Long family to ‘da arraignment.” RCIII answered, getting a glass and filling it with OJ.

       “I guess he wants me to work on the case,” Michael said, silently disappointed.

       “Time is running short. The way the cops have this one set up, they could have Anthony sentenced as fast as two weeks,” D.J. reassured Michael.

       “Amazing how fast the wheels of justice spin when they are pushed by the right opposing force,” Michael mumbled.

       “Yep, it’s also amazing how fast they can spin the other way, with yet another correct opposing force,” D.J. said with a wicked smile.

       Michael looked at her in admiration.

Act IV

0855 hrs.

Courthouse

        RCIII led the family members in to take their seats close to the plaintiff/defendant pen. They sat directly behind the defendant chair. Eileen looked absolutely horrible, Mary and Ron looked like they were holding themselves together, primarily for Eileen.

        Julia walked in, and patted RCIII on the shoulder as she headed to her table.

        “Who is she?” Eileen whispered.

        “Our top criminal litigator, Julia Dandridge,” RCIII whispered back.

        “I don’t think we can afford this…” Eileen began to protest, squirming with discomfort.

        “Shhh, don’t worry about it, it’s all taken care of,” RCIII reassured her.

        D.J. and Michael had moved into Devon’s office, after Michael had gotten fully dressed. Devon was up as well, going over files on his newly installed computer on his desk that had been there for a few weeks. D.J. and Michael were sitting on opposite ends of the office, going over hard copies of the files they had retrieved the day before. Bonnie walked in.

        “I was able to pull the information off that hard drive. It was pretty broken up, but I was able to recreate the files that were corrupted. There were no bookkeeping items on there, but there were a series of articles, and other information sheets stored in there,” Bonnie reported, as she put the file down on the desk.

        D.J. and Michael flanked to both sides of her to look. Devon read the file upside down, as she opened it up and flipped through the copies.

        “Why would you save articles on a home computer system? Don’t they take up a lot of memory?” Michael asked.

        “They are of arrests of people, as well as on-going investigations. I’ve seen Dannon’s name appear twice already,” Devon noted.

        “There also seems to be large rap sheets on some of the people mentioned in the articles. Some of those rap sheets include construction site sabotage. The newspaper articles covering the construction sabotage at Paradise Construction’s Sites, are also in there,” Bonnie said.

        “All of these people are suspected mob legmen. I remember seeing their names on a roster for this coast not too long ago,” D.J. mentioned.

        “It almost looks as if he was doing some self-investigating,” Michael noted.

        “I think that is exactly what he was doing, but why destroy his computer?” D.J. asked.

        “Panic. Maybe he was getting the feeling that they were getting too close,” Michael hypothesized.

        “Have we turned up anything on Longaro?” D.J. asked.

        “A generic template. He was born, and grew up in Los Angeles, from an average family. He was a rebellious teenager who ran away from home on several occasions. After his graduation from high school, he left home permanently, and disappeared for a few years until he re-surfaced when Anthony Long found him,” Devon explained.

        “I think you need to run his image through the Federal databanks,” D.J. suggested.

        “You think Longaro wasn’t who he says he was?” Michael asked.

        “I think Longaro’s background sounds a little too perfect for the man whom I have been told was a stalker wannabe, and potentially dark and dangerous man, yet the police wouldn’t do anything about him. I’m saying that I think Longaro hooked up with some of his old friends again, and ended up with it being part of a plan to kill two birds with one stone,” D.J. answered.

        April walked in, with a file folder in her hand, wearing her large glasses.

        “Falcon’s Lair Construction Supply Company doesn’t exist. It’s a paper corporation operated under auspices of Canado Enterprises,” April reported, also putting her file on the desk, next to Bonnie’s.

        “Which is yet another paper corporation,” D.J. guessed.

        “Yes, more of a tax break institution, which leads back in the paper trail to the Fish and Chips Shipping Company. That one is owned by one Marco Amatto,” April stated.

        D.J. allowed a slight smile to appear on her features, as she shook her head.

        “Want to let us in on the discovery?” Michael asked.

        “Marco Amatto is the very dead nephew of Vincent DiMazzi. Don Vincent DiMazzi of the New Jersey Mob. I guess I should say former Don, a situation that changed when his senior henchman ratted him out to the cops, and send him into hiding. He disappeared a couple of years ago, before the Feds came for him,” D.J. recited.

        “You think the same guy is involved here?” Michael asked.

        “I’d bet on it. It’s his MO. He puts his businesses under dead relative’s names,” D.J. answered.

        “But what the hell would Anthony be doing with them?” Michael asked.

        “Construction companies have always dealt with a mob in some form or another from time to time. It is how the mob has made their primary income. It’s how sometimes construction companies land the bids to do a job. They under bid, and then a backer, a mob backer most of the time, backs them up to compensate for any losses they incur,” D.J. explained.

        “Not Anthony Long. Maybe it was his investigation, maybe he was trying to find the reality in Longaro’s past,” Michael said with anger in his voice.

        “I don’t think so. I think that was only a side benefit. Think about it, Anthony Long was the only member of three siblings who didn’t go into law enforcement. He most likely wasn’t that great of an investigator,” D.J. said, facing off with Michael again.

        “Are you convicting him before he is tried?” Michael growled.

        “Michael, you’re out of line,” Devon warned.

        “No, Michael, I am trying to keep all avenues of investigation open. There is nothing that says that Anthony Long went into a mob deal willingly, he might have accidentally fallen into it. It is how these guys play the game, actually.” D.J. explained.

        “And how do you know so much about the mafia?” Michael snapped.

        “It was one of her primary specialties in Chicago. She was their organized crime profiler. She is also just doing her job,” Devon explained, jumping in before it got ugly again.

        “I’ll go check out the stuff the arson investigators pulled from Longaro’s place. April…” D.J. said, flashing a dark look over to April.

        April looked almost pathetic. “No duct tape, please?”

        “Nope, I got something better than that this time,” D.J. said, grabbing April’s arm, and dragging her out as she whimpered.

        Bonnie chuckled, as Michael watched the event, astounded.

        “Who does she think she is?” Michael asked.

        “Don’t tell me you are getting territorial now, Michael,” Bonnie mocked.

        “No, but…” Michael began to protest.

        “Maybe she is not as hindered by the emotions of this situation that you are,” Devon suggested.

        Michael went speechless.

        Soon, Michael and KITT were pulling up across the street from the burned out pile of toothpicks that used to be Longaro’s ‘cookie cutter’ suburban house. The debris from across the street had been cleaned up. There were still a few fire investigators working the scene, as well as fire crew prepped to put out the hot spots.

        “It is a good thing D.J. didn’t get out of KARR,” KITT noted.

        “Good point,” Michael said, and then saw Dannon standing near the scene. “Well, well, look who’s here.”

        Michael got out of the car, and walked over to where Dannon was speaking to one of the arson investigators. Michael flashed his ID to the investigator, ignoring Dannon for the moment.

        “Michael Knight, FLAG. This residence used to belong to one of the people involved in a case I am working on. I was wondering if I could have a look around,” Michael said.

        “Knight, what are you doing here?” Dannon asked.

        “I think I just explained that.” Michael smiled.

        “Sure, you two can both look around, just be careful. We are still finding hot spots.” The investigator said, as he walked away, and went back to work, leaving Michael and Dannon facing each other off.

        “Interesting that there was a black Trans-Am spotted at the scene last night,” Dannon said, nodding towards KITT.

        “Actually, the report says that it was a two-tone Trans-Am, and as you can clearly see, that is a single color. Are you trying to imply that we had something to do with this?” Michael asked, almost sarcastically.

        “I am implying that you might do anything to free your client. Most of your private dicks do,” Dannon snarled.

        “We are a legal investigation and enforcement firm, and we don’t play dirty, unlike some people I know,” Michael said.

        “What is that supposed to mean?” Dannon demanded.

        “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out soon, when you get off your high horse,” Michael smiled, and then walked toward the debris.

        “If you tamper with evidence…” Dannon began to warn.

        Michael stopped, and swung around to face him with a wicked dark look on his face. “You’ll what? Please, finish your sentence, so I know what to send right back to you.”

        Dannon just clamped his mouth shut, and walked off. Michael shook his head.

        Over at the central fire station investigator’s office, April walked in, gently balancing a box marked ‘Explosive’ in her arms. The guy behind the lock-up cage, which looked similar to the one for the police lock-up, looked up in surprise.

        “Um, I think I need some help here…” April said, slightly nervously.

        “What the…” The handsome desk guy said.

        “I found this outside my door, and our phone was down, and the neighbors went to work, and my little sister was in the house, and…I don’t know if it is real or not, and I didn’t want to take a chance…” April stuttered.

        “Come on in,” The desk guy said, opening the door up.

        “I’m, uh, Angel, Angel Heartaway, by the way,” April said, as she maneuvered around the desk area, and through the door, which the guy left open.

        “I’m Tim, Tim Hornstien.”

        “Nice to meet you,” April said, still nervously.

        Around the corner, D.J. was fighting to keep from laughing.

        They went to the far end of the pen, to the workstation. D.J. waited until April set the box down, then crawled around the corner, and through the open door. She reached up to the cage lock, and picked it very discreetly, then snuck in through the door without being noticed.

        “I didn’t know what else to do,” April noted.

        “You did the right thing,” Tim said. “Why don’t you go wait over there in the case something goes wrong with this thing.”

        “Not a problem,” April said, clearing out of the cage, and going towards the other side.

        D.J. made her way through the shelves of crispy evidence. She found a locker containing items from the Longaro fire, as the tag was marked. She picked the lock, and got it open. She fought back a sneeze, as she knelt down to take a look at the various and crispy items. She found a secure lock box, and smiled.

        At the arraignment, the orange jumpsuit-clad Anthony Long was sitting next to Julia, looking remarkably miserable. He did keep looking back at his wife, and mother, and kept trying to flash them reassuring looks.

        “Bail is denied, the suspect will remain within high security lockup,” The stern looking judge said.

        “What?” Eileen yelled.

        “No, it’s ok, he’s safer here,” RCIII whispered.

        “What?”

        “The real killer is still running out there loose, he is safer in here, where he can be watched,” RCIII said.

        “It’s ok, honey, I’ll be ok,” Anthony tried to reassure her.

        “I miss you, sweetie,” Eileen said, the tears spilling out of her eyes.

        “I miss you too, baby, I love you,” Anthony said, as he was escorted out by the guards.

        “How’s the case going?” Julia asked RCIII.

        “Pretty good so far, we have tons of stuff, just no real clue where it goes yet,” RCIII said.

        “Keep working, they are making this one move fast,” Julia said, as she grabbed her briefcase and walked out.

        D.J. very carefully opened the charred lock box, and found that the papers inside were still perfectly intact. She pulled them out, and looked through them with a smile.

        In the other room, Tim had popped open the wooden box, very carefully, and found a timer, a couple of sticks of dynamite, and a gel coating on the bottom. Tim paled, April stepped further back.

        Michael was stepping through the debris with great care, finding little to nothing, until he found a shiny thing in a pile of debris. He looked closer, trying to keep from attracting attention. He scratched the side of his head.

        “Hey, pal, what’s this shiny thing over here?” Michael asked into the commlink.

        “One moment,” KITT said.

        KITT extended his scanners to scan the area Michael was in, with more detail. He zoomed in on the object that Michael was standing next to, and found that it was a square box. He penetrated it with his infrared scanners, and found piles of money inside.

        “It’s a security box, with a large amount of currency inside,” KITT said. “Approximately $500,000.”

        Michael’s eyes bulged.

        D.J. had KARR finish scanning the papers that were inside the box. She closed the box, and put it back where she found it, and was preparing to head out.

        Outside, a fireman stepped up next to April.

        “What’s going on?” The handsome fireman asked.

        “I found that in front of my door,” April explained.

        “Whoah, hell of an ugly present. Don’t worry, Tim is the best,” The fireman assured her.

        “I hope I am,” Tim commented.

        D.J. looked through the gate, and saw that the fireman and April were blocking her sneak-out exit. She frowned, and looked to the other door on the other side of the warehouse. It suddenly clicked, as somebody began to unlock it. D.J.’s eyebrows went up, and her jaw dropped in horror.

        Michael walked up to the lead arson investigator to inform him of what he found, all the while, flashing Dannon a sarcastic look. Dannon flashed Michael an evil look, as Michael departed the site.

        “Sorry to leave you, but I have other things to do with my time, like legally proving you wrong,” Michael teased, as he walked by Dannon.

        Dannon just gave him a very dark look, as Michael got into KITT and pulled out.

        At the fire station, Tim pushed through one of the dynamite sticks with his prodding tools, revealing that it was paper mache. He frowned, and dipped his finger in the gel, and tasted it.

        “It’s sugar,” Tim said, and turned back to April, who looked astounded. “Looks like somebody played a hell of a practical joke on you.”

        “What the…I know who, too, I’m gonna kill them!” April growled.

        “You want to press charges?” Tim asked with a smile.

        “Nah, I’m just going to kill them. Thanks for your help,” April said, as she stormed out of the room, leaving the two firemen looking amused.

        April stomped out to the parking lot where KARR was parked, and got in the passenger side. Inside, she found D.J. sitting behind the wheel, covered in dust.

        “What happened to you?” April asked.

        “You and your fireman boyfriend blocked my escape route. Another fireman came in through the back way, so I had to make my escape through the air ducts, which obviously haven’t been cleaned since Christ walked the Earth.” D.J. scowled.

        “Sorry about that, did you find anything?” April asked.

        “Yeah, KARR is processing it now,” D.J. said, starting up the car, and pulling out of the lot.

        “So it wasn’t a futile effort,” April said, rubbing it in.

        “Nope, if it had been, I’d be really pissed right now, and might actually think of making you pay for your comment,” D.J. growled back.

        April quickly went silent.

        Back at the Foundation, Michael and RCIII had come together in Devon’s office.

        “The bail was completely denied, an’ ‘dey’re holdin’ him at a high security jail,” RCIII said.

        “That’s actually a good thing,” Devon said.

        “Pardon?” Michael asked.

        “He’s safer in jail, particularly if the people who actually killed Longaro are still out there,” Devon explained.

        “That’s pretty much how I explained it to ‘da family,” RCIII said.

        “Longaro didn’t seem to trust the banking system, I found a lock box with $500,000 in it within the debris, and guess who else was there: Dannon.” Michael said.

        “Did you know that up until five years ago, Dannon didn’t exist in Southern California?” Bonnie asked. “His service record says one thing, and his background and the tax records say yet another.”

        “Witness protection program?” Michael asked.

        “Or Mob relocation,” Bonnie said.

        April walked in, carrying another folder, they all looked at her.

        “Back so soon?” Devon asked. “Where is D.J.?”

        “We found what we needed right away, and D.J. is presently taking a shower and getting a change of clothes. She had to escape through an extremely dusty air vent. She sent me in here to share with you what we found,” April said.

        “Why is it that everywhere she goes, she finds something?” Michael asked.

        “Because she is a great detective, and you are not that far off,” Bonnie answered.

        “It’s the originals of the records from the office,” April announced, opening the file. The ones that show that Anthony Long was not the one skimming money, but somebody else definitely was, outside sources with an inside leak. I also found the insurance check pay stubs from the accidents at the different sites. They all managed to get into Longaro’s hands, but not too sure where they went from there.”

        “I think I have a general idea,” Michael stated.

        “He pulled in over three million for those accidents,” April added.

        “Ok, then I know where a small part went,” Michael said.

        D.J. walked in, her hair wet, wearing all black. “I was just thinking of something. Longaro was in charge of procuring several deals, what if he got in over his head, and he turned to his former contacts to help bail him out. They glommed on to Paradise Construction Company, while asking for a high interest return rate on anything they added. Longaro set up those accidents in order to get the insurance money to pay back the mob. He tried to do it in order to keep Anthony from finding out about it, but the mob didn’t want the money, they wanted the company. Anthony started to catch on to what was going on, maybe from the sabotages, maybe from remembering from seeing familiar faces in the newspaper from other accidents, or maybe getting information about legmen who pull this kind of crap and are known for it, and started to do his own investigation. Longaro panicked, told his friends, and they decided to take care of two problems: Longaro, who caused the problem in the first place, and Anthony Long, who, if he gets sent up on these charges, loses everything, and have the assets of Paradise Construction Company seized. Then, they just come in, and take the whole company, which is worth right around 4 million dollars, for pennies on the dollar.”

        “Sounds like great reasoning to me, but that leaves us with one very large factor, the bad guys,” Michael said.

        “Oh, I think we have them more than we think, we just have to look. Start running the people of Falcon’s Lair Construction Supply Company and all their affiliates, and find their head honchos, and their offices.” D.J. smiled.

        “This could be of significance. The results of the Federal database search have come back. Thomas Longaro’s real name was Vincent LaGari, from New York City. He was a hostile member of the witness protection program. He was forced to testify against John Magotti, and they then put him in the program. He escaped from the program, and disappeared permanently,” Devon spoke up, reading off of his screen.

        “Magotti, that was DeMazzi’s senior henchman,” D.J. said with an impish smile.

        “How in the hell do you keep up with all this?” Michael asked.

        “Photographic memory from hell,” D.J. answered. “I’m willing to bet that DeMazzi is here, or very close to here, and he is behind all of this.”

        “So how do we find him? I ran the name DeMazzi through the database, and did not turn up anything here in Southern California.” Devon sighed.

        “We start running phone numbers off of those sheets for Falcon’s Lair, one has to be him,” Michael suggested. “Theoretically.”

        “The one that is called the least,” D.J. agreed. “And if they lead to a house that is in the hills, the country side, if I remember correctly, DeMazzi and his wife were nature lovers.”

        “You scare me,” Michael told her.

        “Then that makes two of us,” D.J. said with a grin.

        “Oh, ‘dis is too easy,” RCIII said, looking at the list, while sitting at the side computer.

        “What?” D.J. and Michael asked.

        “I found an address,” RCIII said. “One of the numbers led back to a Dominic Deazzi.”

        “Cocky twirp,” D.J. mumbled, and walked up to RCIII, as he printed out the address. “I’ll take Deazzi’s house, you take the offices.”

        “I don’t mind you taking the suicide missions.” Michael grinned.

        “Very cute, you thought that was funny, huh?” D.J. asked.

        “Very,” Michael chuckled.

        “I’ll bet you think you are a Love God, too. So sad to see a person when they are totally wrong,” D.J. sniped, as she walked out of the room.

       That night, KITT pulled up outside the offices of the parent corporation of the Falcon’s Lair Construction Supply Company, which was aptly named: The Fish and Chips Shipping Corporation. The offices were located at the docks, and were scarcely lit by a few lights. It looked like a rundown warehouse, grungy and ugly from the outside, but inside, it was very well protected by…

       “A very high class security system,” KITT reported.

       “Just like in the movies,” Michael said, shaking his head.

       “Other than the alarms, there is no other form of security. I can deactivate the alarms,” KITT said.

       “Go for it,” Michael said, getting out of the car.

       Michael made his way over to the door, with his lock picking tools already in hand. In no time at all, he had picked the lock open, and was inside the building. On the inside, the entire interior was clean, and very modernly decorated with expensive furniture.

       “Very nice…” Michael said, as he walked the rest of the way in and took a look around.

       D.J. was sitting in KARR, looking at the high chain link fence that was so charged with electricity, that it was almost glowing. She looked down to his monitor, where there was a blueprint of the house.

       “The security on this place is pretty steep. I can disrupt the electrical fence, and the interior electronic security systems, but I can’t do anything about the guards and their dogs,” KARR said.

       “I’ll skirt past them, they can’t cover the whole place, rather happily,” D.J. remarked.

       “The office is located on the second floor, northwest corner,” KARR said. “I believe if you are going to find anything in this long-shot haystack, that is where it will be.”

       “Gotcha, wish me luck,” D.J. said, smiling.

       “Why bother? You’ll either do it right, or mess it up,” KARR said, drolly.

       “You’re such a great friend, KARR.” D.J. said, rolling her eyes.

       Michael dug through the files throughout the office, having KITT scan everything he was finding. Soon, he came across a computer disk in one of the secured media drawers that was marked: Paradise Construction. He pocketed the disk.

       “They are trying to reset the alarms,” KITT said.

       “I’m almost done,” Michael reassured him.

       “I do not know how long I will be able to hold them off,” KITT warned.

       “Do your best, I am almost done here,” Michael hissed back, as he checked through another file cabinet.

       “As you say, Michael,” KITT said.

       Michael smiled, as he found a file on Anthony Long, and Thomas Longaro. He pocketed those, too, then headed for the door, as fast as possible.

        D.J. very carefully made her way over the fence that KARR had deactivated. She dropped to the other side, dressed from head to foot in black. She looked around her in the dark forest area, trying to get her bearings in the dark, and noticed that everything had a sharper focus to it, as well as being lit up by a slight white edge.

        “God, I wish I came with an owner’s manual,” D.J. whispered.

        D.J. made her way through the forest area without making a sound. She got to the clearing on the other side of the duck pond, and saw the castle estate laid out on the other side.

        “Too bad crime does pay,” D.J. grumbled as she made her way through the clearing.

        D.J. sighed as she worked her way through the forest, trying to not trip over twigs and other items that were laid in her way as booby traps. She made her way up closer to the house, without being detected. Not a single light was on in the house, thankfully.

        KARR was working on deactivating the security systems, what few there were.

        D.J. kept looking around the area, trying to make sure that the guards weren’t coming close to her; luckily they remained on the perimeter. KARR gave her a clearance beep on her commlink. D.J. smiled, and moved towards the porch door. She pulled out her burglar’s tools, which were encased in a nice leather case. She pulled out the correct lock picking tools, and popped open the standard door lock, with a very quiet click. She snuck in, gently closing the door behind her, and finding herself in the kitchen, which even in the dark, you could see that it was homey, and almost like that which you would expect to find in a country cottage, not the castle setting it was located in.

        She carefully made her way through the house, and towards the staircase, all the time looking all around her to make sure that she wasn’t being watched. She made her way through the halls, and made her way towards the room that she needed. She got into the office, and gently closed the door behind her. She looked around the spacious office.

        “Nice place, but not what you would expect from a mobster,” D.J. whispered.

        “The safe is near the wall, and there is a hidden file container beneath his desk with a combination lock on it,” KARR also whispered.

        “Hmm, I think I will start with the hidden file container beneath his desk with a combination lock on it.” D.J. smiled, continuing to speak in hushed tones.

        “Are you mocking me?”

        “I’d never dream of it, partner.”

        D.J. walked over towards the desk, and got to her knees, as she searched the floor for the hidden entrance to the file container on the floor. Her vision illuminated the edges of the floor where the entrance was located. She shook her head, and smiled with wonder, as she reached down, and pulled the carpet off of the thing, revealing the inset keypad combination lock. She watched, as the numbers raced through sequence, and then locked in, thanks to KARR’s help. The imbedded safe popped open with a click.

        “Thanks, buddy,” D.J. whispered, as she opened the door all the way.

        Inside, she found a stack of papers, a couple of bundles of money, and a couple of jewelry cases. She reached immediately for the stack of papers, and started to go through them, thumbing through them with her right hand, while holding the commlink over the top of them, so KARR could scan. She suddenly stopped as she came to a file folder marked: Paradise Construction. She opened it up to look carefully at the contents of the folder.

        “D.J., we don’t have much time, they have figured out that the alarm systems are out,” KARR hissed.

        D.J. quickly sped up her viewing of the files, so KARR could take his photos of them on the fly. She put the stuff back, and made her way out of the office, after putting everything in its place. She carefully made her way out of the house, and back out the way she came.

        At the same time, security guards had come together in the security room, buried deep within the house, noticing that they had a series of blank or frozen screens. They were frantically working to find out what was going on.

        D.J. backed out the door, and made sure that it was locked. She looked around her cautiously, and then snuck off, blending in with the shadows as much as possible, until she got to the forest area, then she completely disappeared.

        KARR worked to turn on systems behind her as she got past them, so she wouldn’t be detected. The guards and technicians looked confused, but relieved.

        D.J. launched herself over the fence, as she did, the electricity came back on. KARR started up, in silent mode, as she approached him, and got inside.

        “Nice job,” KARR complimented.

        “Excellent job,” D.J. replied.

        They pulled out, and headed down the country road, disappearing into the night.

        Back at FLAG, Michael, D.J., RCIII, April, Bonnie and Devon were meeting to go over their information. D.J. was still dressed in her black suit, but had taken the mask off.

        “Are you sure that they didn’t detect you?” Devon asked.

        “One hundred percent sure. KARR covered me all the way, and nothing set them off. I put everything back where I found it, and made sure that I left nothing behind,” D.J. reassured him. “I am not an amateur.”

        “KITT and KARR are still analyzing the data, but from what I see, she may have found some very interesting evidence,” Bonnie said. “We just are not too sure if it helps or hinders us.”

        “That’s why it is better to see pictures before getting the warrant,” D.J. said.

        “Has anybody ever told you that you look amazing in black?” Michael asked.

        “Yes,” D.J. answered.

        RCIII and Bonnie looked at each other, but continued to keep their mouths shut.

        The next morning, D.J. came downstairs, and found Michael asleep in the main living room of the Foundation, he was sprawled on the couch with a file on his chest. She walked up to him, and gently nudged him.

        “Huh?” Michael uttered sleepily.

        “I thought we agreed we would tackle this stuff this morning?” D.J. said.

        “I couldn’t sleep,” Michael mumbled, and picked the folder off of his chest.

        “Sure,” D.J. smiled. “You look like you need some coffee.”

        “That sounds good to me,” Michael said, rubbing his face, trying to wipe away the sleepy head.

        D.J. took the file from him, and glanced at it, as he worked to get to his feet. She stopped.

        “Sh…” D.J. uttered.

        “What?” Michael said, yawning.

        “You found it, you found our link!” D.J. said.

        “Huh?” Michael asked.

        “It’s the appraisal form for Paradise Construction Company, and it was in the possession of Mr. Deazzi.” D.J. smiled, as she reached for another folder, and popped it open. “These are the account transactions for the past six months for Deazzi, as well as the shipping company and the supply company, several of these figures match transactions with Longaro, Dannon, and the Paradise Construction Company.”

        “So…” Michael said, trying to put things together.

        “It supports my theory, now all we have to do is find a six-four bodybuilder with an itchy trigger finger, and we will be set.”

        “Not bad.”

        “Let’s get you some coffee, I like you better when all your brain cells are working.”

        “You remind me of…”

        Bonnie walked in, and giggled at Michael, who looked like a zombie.

        Later on, when Michael looked a little more awake and civil, the team found themselves in Devon’s office, going over the information.

        “Here is Dannon’s real file, seems his real name was Anthony Danano, former New York City Police Detective who turned out to be on the take from the mob,” April chuckled.

        “It’s like a who’s who of the witness protection program,” Bonnie scoffed.

        “And it looks like nobody has learned a single lesson over their second chance,” April added.

        “This’s interestin’, a new boy has come to town, a new security analyst for ‘da shipping company, his name is Nicholas Petarro.” According to his newly acquired California State driver’s license, He is six-four, 280.” RCIII reported.

        “Nicholas Petarro, real name: Nicholas Traterro, also known as the Dagger, he was suspected to be one of the top hit men in the mafia, until somebody tattled on him for a robbery, and he turned state’s evidence to keep his murderous past out of the limelight.” Devon recited.

        “Know anything about him?” Michael asked D.J.

        “I’ve heard about him, but he wasn’t a hit man, he was a sweeper,” D.J. remarked, as her mind began to make a connection. “He’d sweep up any loose ends.”

        “Which ones would be considered loose ends?” Michael asked.

        “Us, and Anthony’s wife.” D.J. said, a little unsure of herself.

        “Why hasn’t he tried yet?” RCIII asked.

        “Because they and we hadn’t become that much of a threat yet,” D.J. answered.

        “But by now, Dannon has gotten word back to the boss,” Michael surmised.

        “The family is in danger,” D.J. and Michael said at the same time.

        “And so are you,” Devon added.

        “We are not defenseless, they are,” D.J. said as she, Michael, RCIII and Bonnie stepped out of the office.

        At the house, Eileen was trying to work on cleaning up the place, to keep herself busy, and her mind off of her husband. Mary and Ron were trying to help out. None of them noticed that they were being watched from the exterior, by a man clad in a normal outfit of khaki pants and a Hawaiian shirt, and he wasn’t alone; Dannon, and a few others were surrounding the house, watching the activities within very carefully.

        KITT and KARR pulled up the street very quietly and carefully, so that they were barely noticed sneaking up behind the would-be assassins.

        “There are five people surrounding the house,” KITT mentioned.

        “All are armed with at least two weapons each,” KARR added.

        “Only five, such a shame,” D.J. chuckled.

        Michael, D.J. and RCIII got out of the vehicles, and carefully snuck up on the peeping-tom assassins. RCIII swept the legs out from under his foe, knocking him up against the wall, the other two foes tried to take off at a run in any direction they could find. Bonnie started KARR up, and chased one down, while KITT chased the other down on automatic. Michael took on Dannon, by swinging him around, and nailing him dead center in the middle of the nose. D.J. wasn’t as fortunate, because by the time she had snuck up on Nicholas, he had already heard the ruckus caused by Michael and RCIII sneaking up on and confronting their foes.

        Nicholas swung around, and tried to knock D.J.’s block off, but she ducked in time and managed to tackle him, slamming him into the house. Eileen and the rest of the occupants within the house all jumped in surprise.

        Bonnie guided KARR to chase down the fifth man into a side alley, she threw him into a slide, that allowed KARR to use his back end to smack the guy into the dumpster. Bonnie got out, and kicked him into unconsciousness.

        “Very nice, Dr. Barstow, you have more spunk than I imagined,” KARR complimented.

        “Don’t get too used to it, I don’t like violence that much,” Bonnie said.

        “That much,” KARR said with a slight lift in his voice.

        Bonnie reached into KARR, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

        KITT chased his down yet another alley, but this time, he pinned the guy into the wall on the other side, and held him there, fighting to get his legs unpinned from KITT’s prow.

        “Fighting is only going to make it hurt more,” KITT warned.

        Michael smiled, as Dannon got back up, growled, and came after Michael.

        “There is nothing I like better, than beating the crap out of a crooked cop,” Michael said, as Dannon tackled him, and Michael bashed him over the back with both fists right in the kidney area, knocking him to his knees. “And you bugged me from the start.”

        Michael dropkicked him directly in the face, knocking him backwards and out.

        RCIII punched and smacked his adversary around. The man tried to reach for his gun in his rear holster, but RCIII kicked it out of his hands, and out of his reach. RCIII then slammed his foe in the jaw with a hell of a right punch, snapping the man’s head back, and knocking him cold.

        Nicholas punched at D.J.with one arm, while reaching for and whipping out his knife with the other. She blocked his punch with her forearm, with a very loud ‘smacking’ sound, that made Nicholas cringe in pain, as a few of his knuckles broke. She grabbed his wrist that had the knife at the end of it in the same fast motion, and snapped the wrist like a twig. She then kicked him in the nuts while he was trying to figure out what happened to his wrist. He fell back with a silent scream. D.J. pulled out her gun and aimed it at his head.

        Danni’s last encounter with the same man was very similar. She stood over him with her gun aimed, as her partner rushed up to cuff him. He was holding his nuts with his good hand; his broken wrist lay to the side, limp, as he gasped for air. He stopped, and reached for his gun, she cocked her own.

        “Don’t, and you will live to get into the witness protection program,” Danni warned.

        A slightly younger and thinner Nicholas looked at her with dark, and cold eyes.

        The present-day Nicholas leveled those same dark and cold eyes on her. She shook her head.

        “Looks like the witness protection program didn’t quite work out with you, Nicky. Pity really,” D.J. commented.

        “Who...are you?” Nicholas gasped.

        Michael ran around the corner, dragging Dannon behind him, seeing the standoff. “D.J., no!”

        D.J. rolled her eyes. “Oh, chill out. If I were going to kill him, I would have done it already. Maiming him, now that is another story.”

        D.J. pulled out her cuffs, as KARR raced by to help KITT out.

        KITT continued to press the guy into the wall; the guy had tears running out of his eyes, as he continued to struggle to get loose. KARR pulled up alongside of him. Bonnie opened her door.

        “Get it off of me!” The guy screamed.

        “If you promise to surrender and come quietly, no problem. If you fight, you will be minus legs,” Bonnie threatened.

        “Ok, ok, ok!” The guy screamed again. “Just get it off of me!”

        Bonnie climbed up onto KITT’s hood, and put the cuffs on the guy behind his back, almost having to hug him in the process. Once the cuffs were on, she hopped off KITT, and nodded to him. KITT backed up a little bit, and the guy fell to the ground, sobbing. Bonnie helped him to his feet, and into KITT’s passenger seat.

        “He’s going to kill me!” The poor former assassin whimpered.

        “No, he’s not, he is only programmed to make your legs into hamburger, that’s it.” Bonnie sighed as she shut the door.

        The guy set out to screaming, and trying to figure a way out. Bonnie chuckled.

        “That is the first time I have heard of somebody being afraid of KITT,” KARR commented.

        “Feels good to have the attention taken off of you?”

        “Yes.”

        KITT backed up, and the guy screamed more.

        “There’s no driver in this car! It’s possessed!” The scream was barely heard as KITT pulled down the street, and headed back for the house.

One day later...

November 7, 1986

1030 hrs.

        The presently known Diazzi was standing by the pond, quietly fishing. Two Federal Agents, along with D.J. and Michael following them, walked down the hill and flanked him.

        “Let me guess, Nicky sang like a canary,” Diazzi mumbled.

        “Dominic Diazzi, a.k.a. Vincent DiMazzi, you are hereby under arrest for the charges of; harboring a fugitive, accessory to murder, embezzlement, grand larceny, accessory to vandalism, attempted murder, racketeering, and assault and battery,” The female Fed recited.

        Diazzi turned around to face D.J. and Michael, and smiled a very cherubic smile.

        “I knew I was in trouble when I heard you were on the case. Only the Foundation would turn a simple case of murder into a mafia sting,” Diazzi chuckled.

        “We work for justice, and we were not going to let an innocent man go down for your doings,” Michael said.

        “I will remember you, and my friends will remember you,” Diazzi said, with a grin.

        “And we will remember them,” D.J. answered.

        “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford an attorney, one will be provided to you by the court,” The female Fed recited as her male partner handcuffed Diazzi.

The next day

November 8, 1986

0922 hrs.

Courthouse

        RCIII, Devon and Bonnie were sitting with the Long family, who were all looking as if they had seen the second coming of a deity. Even Anthony looked astounded, tears of joy were welling in his eyes after Julia presented the evidence that cleared him. There was silence in the courtroom as the judge delivered her decision.

        “After the evidence presented in this court today, it has been agreed upon by both counsel, that this case should be dismissed. I hereby order that all charges presented against Mr. Anthony Long are dismissed.” The judge said, punctuating her last word with a bang of the gavel. “Case dismissed.”

        Anthony sprang to his feet, and hugged Julia. “Thank you.”

        “No need to thank me, the truth spoke for you,” Julia said.

        Anthony smiled, and turned around to his family, who hugged him tightly. RCIII, Bonnie and Devon shook hands with Julia.

        “Nice job,” Julia complimented them.

        “You know Michael, when he is determined to find something, he won’t stop until he finds it,” Bonnie said.

        “D.J. is very similar,” Devon added.

        “Where are Michael and D.J.?” Mary asked. “I was hoping to thank them personally.”

        “Both of them have been reassigned to new cases, but they send their congratulations to all of you, and hope that you can continue on in your life,” Devon said.

        “Tell them thanks, they saved my hide, and if they or you ever need a house built, don’t hesitate to give us a call,” Anthony offered.

        “We’ll keep it in mind,” RCIII said with a smile.

        “I just can’t believe that Tommy duped me like that, it’s going to be strange without him, too,” Anthony said, looking down.

        “You’ve got a second chance.  I think you can do just fine on your own,” Bonnie said.

        “I think so too,” Eileen said, wrapping her arms around him.

        “I have a lot to make up for,” Anthony admitted.

        “Yes, you do,” Eileen said.

        Devon, RCIII and Bonnie smiled at each other.

        At the Foundation, Michael was carrying his fishing rod, and other stuff down to KITT. He found D.J. there, loading her bag into KARR’s trunk.

        “It looks like you are going somewhere, please tell me it is on a vacation,” Michael commented.

        “Nope, got another case in Seattle that I have to attend to,” D.J. said.

        “What? Doesn’t Devon ever give you any rest?” Michael asked.

        “Yep, the trip to get there,” D.J. smiled.

        “I was going to invite you to come fishing with me, you need a break, D.J.,” Michael insisted. “Can’t the Seattle case wait?”

        “Nope, don’t worry, Michael, I’m used to this, but thanks for the offer.” D.J. smiled.

        “You sure? I can cover for you if you play hooky for at least a day,” Michael once again offered.

            “I’m sure, have fun, Michael,” D.J. said.

        “Good luck, D.J.,” Michael wished.

        “Thanks, hope the fish are biting,” D.J. said, as she got in behind KARR’s steering column.

        “Hope that the case goes smoothly,” Michael said.

        “Me too.” D.J. grinned.

        She backed out of the garage, and pulled down the driveway, Michael watched as she disappeared around the corner. He shook his head, and got in behind KITT’s steering column.

        “Looks like we have another vacation, partner.” Michael sighed.

        “I wonder if we could trade off our vacation with their cases,” KITT mentioned.

        “Keep it in mind, that is not such a bad idea,” Michael noted as he started KITT up, and pulled out. Michael temporarily looked nostalgic. “She really reminds me of my sister.”

        The garage door closed, as they, too, disappeared around the corner.

The End

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