Bevis watched as Jake scanned through the information; although he didn't move from where he sat, his eyes constantly wandered to Chelsea; glancing at Jason, she saw his eyes flicking between Jake and Chelsea.

"What do you think?" Bevis whispered.

"Not going there," Jason hissed, "the last time I did, he ended up living with me. He just moved out ... I do not want him back in my apartment too soon."

"I can hear you," Jake said, glancing at Jason and Bevis, "I'm sure Chelsea can as well."

"Since you're talking," Jason said, moving forward, "and you seem to have some idea of the information Chelsea has accumulated ..." slowly sinking onto the couch next to his brother, "what do you think?"

"I haven't gone through everything, but what I have goes down a path to some nasty people," Jake said, shaking his head, "if what Chelsea has uncovered is all of it the root of all of this, our trafficking case, the singling out of Bev and Chelsea ... the ransacking of the office ... everything," Jake sighed, "it comes down to the worst possible root ..." he looked meaningfully at Jason, remaining silent until Jason's frown turned into realisation.

"You don't mean ..." Jason said, shifting on the couch.

"Yes, I do," Jake said, sighing, "they have been trying for years to get the waterways, the land, and ...." he paused as more information appeared from one of Chelsea's searches, "you were really thorough Chels," he said smiling at Chelsea, "the vector info on who could be part of their issues and living on our land came in ..." Jake sighed, closed his eyes and shook his head, "and its closer to home than we thought."

"Who is it? "Bevis asked, glancing at Chelsea as she silently continued sipping her wine and gazing into the fire, she was still off, but hopefully, Jake would include her, and things would change. Perhaps even stay his partner... but that may be too much to hope for.

"Our mother," Jake whispered, placing the laptop with a younger version of their mother on the table, "that is why they are trying it the way they are ... what are we going to do, Jason?"

Chelsea glanced at Jake as he stared at his brother, that was new, but then again, Jake knew there was more to the entire thing than any of them could see on their own. She waited for him to take back what he had said by stepping in and giving ideas and who would do what, but nothing came. Neither was he running to the door as usual; she found it enlightening but not something she should get hopeful about. It may take time, but history always repeats itself. She just had to wait.

"Who is the perpetrator?" Chelsea asked, her voice hushed in the lengthening silence.

"The Carbone family," Jake said, glancing between Bevis and Chelsea, "do you know them?"

"I don't," Bevis said, shaking her head, "Chels?"

"They are a huge crime family run by Alda' Toughness' Carbone." Chelsea said, sighing as she shifted and sipped her wine, "They are into everything that could be evil ... human trafficking, drugs, prostitution, murder ..." she shook her head, "... you name any kind of evil, and they are into it ..." frowning Chelsea looked at Jason, "why did they want your mother?"

"From what I know, Caroline had a stalker," Bevis said, "perhaps he worked for the Carbone family the same as Brad is," shrugging Bev glanced at Chelsea, "...what do you think?"

"It's possible, but nothing I've discovered or uncovered points in that direction," Chelsea sighed, "I'm waiting for other vectors to come in, but ..." she paused as Jake's phone dinged; he looked at it, closing his eyes and looking between Chelsea and Bevis, "what is it? Chelsea asked.

"Brad was bailed out," Jake said, shaking his head, "who would have that kind of pull?"

"The Carbones do," Chelsea said, "they literally have people everywhere. If they are still using Brad to get their merchandise and paying him good money ..." she hesitated, shaking her head, she shrugged, "...they would want him on the street."

"True," Jake said, frowning, "but that would mean they have a judge in their pocket as well."

"They have a lot of people in their pocket," Chelsea said, leaning forward and typing on her laptop, "I made a list a few years ago, and when new names of interest pop up, I add them," she said, turning her laptop toward the other three, "It makes quite a read ... hair-raising... but interesting."

Jason scanned the list glancing at Bevis, "There are a few names I recognise," he pointed out a few, "doesn't he work in the land and environment department."

Bevis looked at the name; pulling out her phone, she typed it in, scrolling through her findings, "Yes, specifically in the department of ancient documents. How did he get on their payroll?"

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"It can start small," Chelsea whispered, leaning against the empty chair, "or someone in the family could have pulled his sorry ass out of trouble somewhere in the past ... one never knows."

"How do you know so much about the family?" Jason asked, glancing at Jake before meeting Chelsea's tired gaze.

"Oh, its from years ago," Chelsea said, "a victim was killed in a paid hit ... the person who should have died continued to live, but I don't remember finding them ... I think they were placed in witness protection ... or some programme like that ... it was a long time ago," Chelsea sighed, "we found the guy who pulled the trigger, but when we went to make the arrest he was out of his mind with fear of the Carbone's he decided to commit suicide ..." Chelsea stood moving to the window watching the rain sluice.

"He killed himself?" Bevis whispered, horrified at what she was hearing.

"You could say that ..." Chelsea said, going silent.

"I'm not understanding," Bevis said, looking at Jake.

"Suicide by cop," Jake supplied, "they make the police or whoever the law enforcement officer sent to arrest them kill them shoot them by firing blindly at the person or group. "

"Oh my ..." Bevis whispered, "that is ..."

"Not something you want to live with ..." Chelsea whispered from her position at the window, "it was my bullet in his heart, even though others pulled the trigger as well."

"Oh, Chelsea," Bevis said, glancing at Jake's concerned expression to Chelsea's glazed eyes, "that is awful, but what are you going to do now? You have another chance of finishing off whatever and whoever is behind all this."

"No, Jake does," Chelsea said, looking out the window as rain sluiced down the panes of glass.

"What?" Bevis asked, frowning, "I'm sure he will have a part in it as it concerns his land and family, but this is your case ..." Bevis watched her friend's unmoving face as she walked toward her, "you can find closure for something that has clearly haunted you for many years."

"Haunted me? No," Chelsea turned to Bevis smiling, "never haunted me ..." she grimaced at the expression on Bevis' face, "Fine, it haunted me, it's not my case ..." she looked past Bevis meeting Jake's watchful expression, "...it has always been Jakes case."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, "Did you work on it?"

Chelsea shook her head and sipped her wine, "I was never permitted to," Chelsea said, looking at Jake, "I'll send you all the information. I'm sure you'll need it to follow whatever lead you find."

Kneeling at the coffee table, she turned the laptop toward her and started typing.

Jake leaned forward, "Chels, stop," he whispered, her hands stilled, her eyes darted to his, "You're not sending it ..."

"Do you want it sent somewhere else?" Chelsea interrupted him, her serious expression never leaving his face.

"I don't want you to send it anywhere," Jake said, clearing his throat, "I ... I want you to work the case with me."

"Why?" the question came without hesitation, and the silence that followed felt like a pistol aimed at his head.

"I want you to ..." he started, hesitating when her one eyebrow rose, "because I want you to work with me ... follow leads with me ... out there ..." he sighed, "I was wrong to attempt to protect you the way I did," clearing his throat again he glanced around, "you were right I do get ... narrow-minded in how things should happen and I shouldn't have ..." he waited for a response, none came, Chelsea simply stared at him, "I'm sorry for my previous behaviour please ... work the case with me."

Chelsea stared at him for three heartbeats before looking away, "Where are you going first?"

"You mean we..." Jake corrected her before continuing, "Chelsea, you may not believe me right now, but I'm not following any lead without you or your input."

"Fine, if you're going to push the pretence that far," Chelsea said, sighing, "what is your first move?"

"I have no idea," Jake said, frowning at her words but letting their implication go, "I was hoping you had a clue of what to do next."

The laptop dinged, drawing Chelsea's attention, "Oh dear, it's not just your mother they are after," Chelsea said, "it would seem one of the Calderone family members is a witness to a murder and is now married to one of the people under your protection on the land."

"Wow," Bevis said, "that could be why they want the paperwork null and voided anyway they can."

"It could be," Jason said, "or something totally different ... we need to look at every angle."

Jake remained silent momentarily, "Who is the family member?"

Chelsea typed away the laptop dinging a few times before Chelsea stilled, inhaled sharply and looked at Jake.

"Well?" Jake asked, waiting for a few heartbeats before Chelsea swallowed, ran the tip of her tongue over her lips and shook her head.

"Angelique Calderone," she whispered, not meeting Jake's gaze as she continued to type.

"Who is this ...." Bevis waved her hands in the air.

"Angelique Calderone," Jason said, finishing Bevis' sentence.

"Yeah ...her," Bevis said.

"The witness who went missing on a mass killing investigated by our department," Jake whispered, "how did she land up under our families protection?"

Chelsea's fingers continued to fly, coming to a halt, her mouth falling open, yet words didn't come out. Jake frowned at Chelsea's frozen expression. He knelt beside her and turned the laptop toward him, leaving her hands hanging just above the table.

"Oh my ..." he blinked, looking at his brother, "remember that best friend Mom always spoke of Jason."

"Yeah, Mom told some intense stories about her friend's family and how she missed her best friend," Jason said, looking puzzled, "but then they stopped a few years ago ... Mom never spoke of her best friend again. I wonder why?"

"It turns out Angelique is the best friend Mom always talked about ..." Jake spoke softly, "it was Mom who got her a place to live and hide on our land."