Scanning the area he noticed his wayward friend engaged in a conversation with the pier's nose for news Mildred Bottigheimer. He rose to his feet and folded his arms. Murray was probably the only person in King Harbor who took anything Mildred had to say seriously. Nick laughed to himself remembering the time he and Cody "rescued" the woman from a mountain lion she claimed had invaded her houseboat. The mountain lion turned out to be nothing more than a stray tabby cat.
Nick watched as Murray nodded to Mildred and made a clumsy dash back to the MIMI.
"Nick!" Murray began excitedly. "Nick, they've got Cody!"
"Who's got Cody?"
"Quinlan's men," he answered. "Mildred says a dozen men took him away."
Nick was considering the source. "I'm sure that's not the case."
"But they've got him," Murray insisted.
Nick was about to argue the point some more when Annette, Cody's latest craze pulled up in her T-bird.
"You guys hear. Lt. Quinlan's got Cody. Two uniforms grabbed him while we were at Straightaway's," she said with the motor still humming.
Nick looked at Murray whose expression said, 'See I told you."
Nick and Murray rode in silence as Nick steered his vette to the King Harbor police department. Finally, Nick spoke. "A dozen men!"
"Now, Nick, the main point is that they picked up Cody. Mildred was right about that."
Nick was agitated. "Yeah, but how can you believe someone when most of what comes out of her mouth is a figment of her own imagination." He pulled up in front of the station, turned off the motor and didn't even bother to open the door to get out.
Murray marveled at how Nick could just jump from the car. "Boss! You'll have to teach me that," he said as he followed Nick into the building.
It was difficult for Murray to keep up with Nick as he stormed through the headquarters making his way to Quinlan's office, a path which unfortunately he knew too well. He burst through the office door ready for a verbal fight.
"Ryder and Bozinski," Quinlan said. "Join the party."
Cody was seated in a chair across from Quinlan's desk. He raised his left arm slightly to show his friends that he was handcuffed to the chair.
"What's going on here?" Nick demanded.
Quinlan rose from his seat and moved to Nick and Murray. "Get in here."
They looked to Cody who nodded. They then sat in two chairs that had been apparently readied for them.
Lt. Quinlan closed the door... and then locked it! Next he closed the blinds on the window. Returning to his desk he said," I'll bet you're wondering why I've called this little conference."
"The thought did enter my mind," Cody said sarcastically.
"Ours too," Murray added. "Why did you bring Cody in?"
"Well, I couldn't find you other two bozos. I figured if I grabbed Allen here you two wouldn't be far behind." Quinlan leaned back in his chair. "And bless me, I was right."
"So this is how you get your jollies?" Cody asked.
"As a matter of fact it is," Quinlan said in his usual tone. Then he softened unexpectedly. "But not this time. I need you guys."
The three exchanged a look.
"Professionally, that is," Quinlan continued.
"But you have the whole police force," Murray commented. "Why would you need us?"
"Yeah. And why go through all this?" Cody indicated his cuffed hand.
"I'm due to testify against J. David Marqland," Quinlan started out of nowhere. He had been convicted on two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Marqland was wealthly, powerful, and not without connections.
"And you want us to protect you?" Nick guessed.
Quinlan shook his head. "Nah. Yesterday evening Marqland's men nabbed my brother. They say if I testify they'll kill him."
The Riptide detectives reacted with surprise. They had never known Quinlan had a brother.
"But why this?" Cody asked again as he jerked on his handcuff.
"I can't have anyone suspect that I've hired you guys," Quinlan told them. "Look these thugs mean business. I need you to find my brother before I have to testify."
Nick rubbed his right temple. "And just when is that?"
"Two days," Quinlan told him.
"Well, that gives us all the time in the world," Nick muttered under his breath. "What if we refuse?"
"I'm not sure we can," Cody said again pulling on his handcuff.
"That's right. You can't," Quinlan confirmed. "And let's just say that if anything... I mean anything happens to my brother... I'm going to be very upset."
"So we've got a case?" Murray asked excitedly. "This is boss."
Quinlan chuckled at Murray's enthusiasm. "I'd rather think of it as some pro bono work for an old friend."
"In other words, you're not going to pay us," Cody said.
Quinlan smiled. "Not in other words. Those are the words."
"Then why should we help you?" Nick wanted to know.
"Simple, Ryder," Quinlan said sweetly. "So that I don't lock all three of you up for littering."
"He can't do that," Murray said innocently. "Can he do that?"
"I can do anything I want," Quinlan reminded them. Then his tone changed. "Please, guys. This is my brother."
The three relented. Quinlan rose and unlocked Cody's handcuff. "They are suppose to contact me tonight. I've arranged to have the calls come to me on my modular. I'll be there later. I figure the geek here can trace it... or something."
Cody rubbed his wrist as he stood. "Swell. An evening at the improv."
"Bye, Lt," Murray said. "Maybe we can order a pizza when you come..." Nick and Cody were steering him out the door.
Back on the Riptide Nick and Cody watched in fascination as Murray made adjustments to the Roboz and explained the complex procedure for turning the little robot into a high-tech phone tap and tracer.
Cody leaned to Nick. "Do you know what he's talking about?"
"I never know what he's talking about," Nick answered with more harshness than necessary. Then he turned to Murray. "Why even bother explaining it to us anyway?"
Murray looked wounded. "Because we're a team."
Nick folded his arms and clenched his jaw. He had been overly irritable since leaving Quinlan's office. "It won't make any difference anyway if he doesn't stay on the line long enough."
Murray continued despite Nick's attitude. "I have the Roboz programmed to..."
"Maybe Quinlan doesn't even have a brother," Nick interrupted.
Murray looked up from his tinkering. "Nick, that's a terrible thing to say."
"Yeah," Cody agreed. "Just because..."
"He's probably trying to make us look stupid. Some kind of King Harbor Candid Camera," Nick ranted. "If you two want to fall for it. That's your problem. Let me know when Alan Funt shows up." With that he went topside.
Cody watched his friend leave. Then he turned to Murray, not sure how to begin.
"Why's he acting so angry?" Murray was concerned.
Cody sat beside Murray. "You didn't know Nick has brother."
Murray's eyes widened. "No kidding! That's boss. How come he never mentioned it?"
"See Michael is two years younger than Nick." He paused not sure how to continue. "Nick figured that since he went to Nam that naturally Mike would follow suit." There was another pause. "He went to Canada. They had a huge falling out."
"Is he still in Canada?" Murray asked.
Cody shook his head. "He came back to the states when Carter made it possible. But Nick never got over it. Hasn't spoken to him since."
Murray was pensive. "His own brother." There was a long silence. "Shouldn't someone go up and talk to Nick?"
Cody patted Murray's arm. "I'll do it. You just keep doing what you're doing so we can close this case."
Cody found Nick leaning on the railing staring out at the water. Cody quietly joined him. He waited a moment before saying, "You know, you shouldn't take it out on Murray."
"You told him about Michael, didn't you?"
"I thought he should know."
Nick continued to gaze at the water.
Cody studied him for a while. "You know we all did what we thought we had to."
Nick faced his blonde partner. "I'll bet you didn't know that he's right here in Los Angeles. I've even picked up the phone several times. Never had the nerve to dial." Unexpectedly, even to Nick tears began to slide down his cheeks but he couldn't have stopped the flow if he tried. "So, I try to convince myself I still hate him."
Cody was sympathetic. "Man, you never hated him. If you hated him you wouldn't have been so hurt by his decision."
"I used to be so gung ho. Used to figure he had to be wrong." He paused to wipe his forearm across his eyes. "But sometimes I think what if he'd gone over. What if he'd gone over and gotten killed. It's like I would have lost my brother either way."
Cody gripped Nick's arm. "But you didn't lose him. The only thing stopping you from having a brother now is you."
Nick's response was halted by the arrival of Lt. Quinlan. He boarded saying, "Is this how you beach bums solve all your cases?"
The pair knew that some of Quinlan's demeanor was for the benefit of anyone who might be watching him. He spent an unnecessary amount of time hassling Nick and Cody. So his appearance on the Riptide spouting insults would not seem unusual. Cody played along. "What's the matter, Lt.? Run out of bag ladies to intimidate?"
"Very, funny, Allen," Quinlan remarked. "This is business. There was a report that you and Ryder have illegal firearms aboard this boat. I'm here to check it out." He gave a wink indicating that this was the ruse to get him into the salon.
Downstairs Murray was making the final adjustments to the Roboz. "Hi, Lt., " Murray said with a grin when he saw the three. "This is going to be so boss. I've got the Roboz set to hook up to your phone. Before you even answer the Roboz will be able to trace where the incoming call is from. Some day everyone will be able to have a unit like this attached to their phone and be able to know who's calling before they even pick it up."
"Kind of like a caller ID or something," Cody joked.
Quinlan handed Murray his bulky modular phone. "The only thing is you have to let it ring at least twice," he told them as he made the necessary connections.
Then the four waited. Quinlan paced. Finally, the phone rang.
"Remember, twice." Murray stopped an over anxious Quinlan from grabbing it on the first.
As the Lt. answered a message flashed across the screen on the Roboz: (213)555-6881.
"This is Quinlan. Yeah. Just rousting some ne'er do wells. [pause] Well, I want proof he's alive. [pause] Let me talk to him." Quinlan's whole personality changed. "Bobby, you okay?" He had to rush to say everything. "Look you hang in there. I love you." The line went dead.
Quinlan looked up to see Nick pinning him with a hard gaze. "What's with you Ryder? Never hear a man tell his brother he loves him before?"
Nick wanted to say something but opted to return topside.
"What's with him?"
"Let him be," Cody advised. "Hey, Mur, anything?" He nodded toward the Roboz.
"I'll have it in a minute."
At the railing of the Riptide Nick again turned to the water for solace. His brain was in another time.
"They really shipping you out tomorrow?" Michael Ryder asked his older brother.
"'Fraid so. But, hey, you knew it was coming." Damn it, Nick, this is the last conversation with your brother for some time. Don't blow it.
"I'm going to miss you, Nick."
"I'm going to miss you too. But I'll write," he offered.
Michael laughed slightly. "No you won't. You hate to write. Besides if they put you and Cody together you'll be in the brig the whole time."
"That's the navy."
"Whatever. You get the idea."
"Yeah." Nick took his brother by the arms and looked into his eyes. "I love you, Mikey."
"I know," Michael told him. "I love you too."
They wrapped their arms around each other and held. Nick turned his face to give his brother a kiss on the cheek, a gesture Michael immediately returned.
The sweet memory became overshadowed by another, not so sweet one almost two years later. Michael was packing for Canada. Nick could barely remember what was said but he could hear the sounds of angry words being exchanged and Nick had stormed out of the room without ever offering a proper good-bye.
Tears were again falling from Nick's eyes when Cody, Murray and Quinlan came from below.
Murray was aglow. "I knew it would work."
Nick sniffed as he snapped back to the present. "What?"
Cody clapped Nick on the arm. "It worked. That doodad of Murray's worked."
Nick managed a laugh through his tears. "They always do."
Quinlan folded his arms. "Well, are you lug nuts just going to stand there? Let's go kick some butt."
The Roboz had placed the location of the phone call as Silverman's Warehouse. Arriving in separate vehicles the group surveyed the area.
"We'll split up and check it out," Quinlan instructed. "Bozinski, you stay here. And if you see anyone or anything you blast the car horn."
"Right, Lt."
The other three made their way around the perimeter of the building. There was only one way in and through the window they spotted only two men guarding Bobby.
"I personally think they need something to do," Cody said. "Let's see if we can get one of them out here."
"What do you have in mind?" Nick was usually able to read Cody's thoughts.
"Just a little reverse hostage," he said with a grin. Then he began to yell and beat wildly on the metal garbage cans that lined the alley way by the warehouse. When one of the men came to investigate the racket Nick came behind him and put a gun to his head.
"Now, you're going to call to your friend in there," Nick informed him. "Tell him you need some help." When he hesitated Nick cocked his gun. With that there was immediate cooperation as the man yelled for his friend.
When the other man emerged from the building Cody grabbed him. Quinlan cuffed the two together. Handing Murray his other pair of cuffs he had him cuff the two to the handle of his car door.
Nick had entered the warehouse and emerged with a relieved looking young man.
Quinlan who was radioing for the police to come looked up. "Bobby," he said dropping the hand mic. He ran to him and took him in his arms.
Cody watched Nick take in the whole scene. He ambled up beside him. "Well, Kemo Sabe?"
Two hours later with Marqland's thugs behind bars, Cody asleep and Murray working to perfect his caller ID thingamajig Nick reached for the phone. He pressed the buttons quickly and waited. "Michael, Mikey... It's Nick," he said passed the lump in his throat. "Yeah...[pause] I love you, Mikey."