Basketball and Teddy bears
Chapter One
Youth of a Nation
In the break room the small night shift of the Las Vegas crime lab sat discussing their last big case. Catherine, lounged on the plush blue chair opposite Sara, munching on a bag of corn chips. They had just recently closed a case with a killer husband and a couple of abused kids. If there was anything as exciting as starting a new case, it was closing one. They were finally able to relax after so many weeks of hard work.
"So can anybody tell me why the bad guys always think that they can dodge science and facts?"
She took another jam doughnut from the box on the table next to her. Nick, sitting on the opposite side of the room, shook his head.
"I guess hope is one of those things that never die. Right up there with stupidity."
Nick sat at the dining table with his feet on the top of it, flashed a wide grin. Warrick had just walked into the room and catching the last past of Nick's comment, nodded in agreement. Sara pointed to the table holding the donuts and indicated to herself and the others.
"Grab a donut, we were just talking about that last case we had."
"At least we got him that is the main thing"
Grissom walked in and all heads turned to him. Not wanting their attention to wonder anymore then it needed to he got straight into business.
"I hope you are all well rested because you will need as much energy as you can possible get. OK Warrick, Nick and Catherine, you guys have a DB in the middle of the Nevada Dessert. Couple of hikers found a shallow grave. That is pretty much all the info Brass gave me. Oh also Brass can't meet you there so one of his minions will be there waiting for you." Catharine took the piece of paper with the information on it out of Grissom's hand and turned to the two guys.
"Let's roll"
With a small wave the trio left the room. Sara looked at Grissom questioningly
"And for us?"
"I needed you to help me with an accidental killing"
Grissom handed the papers to Sara who raised her eyebrows doubtfully.
"There is such a thing as an accidental killing?"
Grissom only offered a vague shrug and waited as she continued to read. Sara handed the papers back to him with a slight sigh.
"I would rather work with you then in the heat with those guys anyway. It's so dead out there"
Glancing at Grissom she grimaced slightly.
"No pun intended."
As Catherine, Warrick and Nick drove through the heat to their destination in the middle of nowhere; a comfortable silence falling between them, despite the thick and heavy air that they were breathing in. Even the AC felt like it was doing nothing to ease the trio's discomfort.
"Hey, what do you think Sara and Grissom have?"
Catherine shrugged her eyes flicking quickly to Nick's through the rearview mirror before going back on the road.
"Nothing as fun as this surely. Whatever it is, I'm just glad to see those two willing to share the same breathing space again. It's been a horrible last couple of months."
Warrick nodded, his fingers drumming on the dash.
"Agreed. The more they interact, the better it is for the rest of us. Now let's hope that this DB keeps us busy enough for them to have air time."
Nick pushed himself back into his seat, groaning.
"Don't say that Warrick. Last time you said that I did two double shifts. Now thanks to you, I am going to be getting double time."
Warrick flashed Nick a smile.
"Then you can buy Cath and me a beer."
Sara was flicking through the radio stations while she and Grissom drove to the murder scene, trying to find some decent music. Claiming defeat, she switched it off and settled for staring out of the window. Sara had respect for Grissom and his work but she wondered how he could function on such a sub-human level. His detachment can come across as cold and calculated. Which in a way it almost was. Sara knew that it was more of a protection mechanism then a general hate of people but even with this knowledge Sara still found herself almost pulling her hair out in frustration at how he carried into his social world, the little one he had anyway. She often found herself wondering if he even felt the way the rest of the team did, if his heart hurt when he saw a small shattered body lying on the slab, or a innocent child being exploited by the adults they should be able to trust. As much as she liked and admired Grissom, he still made her more confused then anything else she had ever encountered.
"So this accidental killing… who accidentally died?"
Grissom remained silent until he turned a tight curve in the road.
"An eight year girl was shot with her parent's gun. Supposedly self-inflicted. The gun is missing though"
Sara gave a short sarcastic laugh.
"Supposedly. That is the key word in that sentence. And if she did it herself, she couldn't exactly hide the gun now could she? What suspects do we have?"
Grissom concentrated on the road as he spoke.
"Parents were not in the house; babysitter was downstairs when it happened. So if we go by the first on the scene first suspect rule, we have just the babysitter."
Silence fell back over the car as Sara continued to look out of the window.
"What the hell is an eight year old kid doing with a gun?"
Grissom shrugged
"That is where we come in. We just need to remember to focus on the evidence, and forget our own views."
Sara shook her head.
"All my life I was encouraged to voice my views, make them known. Seems rather ironic that I choose the one job where it count's for nothing."
Grissom said nothing, knowing that Sara didn't really need or want an answer, choosing instead to let the silence fall again, turning his focus back on the road.
A young very fresh looking sergeant who introduced himself as Nathan Lawrence, met Catherine, Warrick and Nick at the crime scene. After the introductions, he led them to the DB, shook hands with them again and left again rather rapidly. Approaching the tape they all slipped on their latex gloves and carefully stepped under the yellow strip. Lying before them was a partially covered body. It had already started decomposing, encouraged by the heat and humidity that often hit this part of the desert. The hot rains that had struck there in the last couple of weeks had swept away a lot of the dirt that covered it. Nick had just started taking photos of the surrounding crime scene when he stopped suddenly.
"Guys, check out the cuts. They are really tidy."
He indicated with a latex finger to the woman's wrist. Cath and Warwick both turned to their tool kits each removing a set of soft nylon brushes. They slowly started brushing away the dirt while Nick continued to click away, until after a length of time the whole body was on show. The cuts were not just limited to her wrists but were also on her inner thigh and neck. Cath sat back and studied the body for a moment.
"Do you guys remember back to some of your medical classes?"
Nick and Warrick nodded somewhat impatiently.
"Do you remember what they used to do back in the days of knights and duels for medical practice?"
Nick nodded again and started listing things off on his fingers.
"Leeches, suction cups, bleedings-"
Catherine held up her hand.
"Bingo. This girl was bleed. Look at the cuts. They are all positioned near major arteries or main veins."
Cath sat back on her heels, her torch shining on the cuts that covered the women. The edges were neat and smooth, as Nick had pointed out. There was no obvious struggle or dirt upset near the women, but then again the rains had washed away 90 of the evidence.
"She wasn't killed here. There is no blood anywhere, and even if the rain had washed most of it away, the huge amount of blood loss would mean there would be something. Nick, could you take a soil sample? We may need some sort of blood sample and we have nothing aside from that."
Nick nodded, and shoveled little scoops of dirt from different areas into different sample containers labeling them carefully.
"It's time to solve this puzzle boy's."
Some time later Sara and Grissom pulled up the driveway that led to an immense house, in an incredible rich neighborhood. Sara took a deep breath as she prepared herself for what she knew would be a difficult case.
"You ok?"
Grissom studied her as she smiled tightly.
"Fine. This is what shooting rangers and strong liquor were invented for, right?"
They both exited the vehicle and took their field kits from the trunk. Jim Brass stood near by the garden path waiting for them.
"Hey guys, how's it going?"
Grissom answered with a shrug
"Considering the circumstances."
Nodding his understanding Brass got down to business as they made their way up the path.
"Ok so the story is that Stacie Johnson eight was shot. Now the weapon is nowhere near the body. We have looked around the best we could and we cannot find it anywhere. The baby-sitter was the only person in the house; the parents were at golf and a charity function, respectively."
Grissom looked at Brass
"Anything else?"
Brass looked at the paper in his hand.
"The babysitter is Carla Reid, been with the family for two years, she's sixteen."
They had now reached the front step; upon entering through front door they took in their very extensive surroundings. Immediately to their left was a lobby for coats and such, to their right was a large winding staircase, covered in a lush cream carpet going all the way up the staircase. Brass led them through the living room, which was covered in the same carpet as the staircase, and the furniture, which was plush red. The latest entertainment equipment, including a Playstation 2 with a selection of games that would make both Nick and Greg drool, was set out on what looked like a solid oak entertainment unit. They went down a long hallway, which lead to another set of stairs, which was once again covered in the cream carpet. Going up them two at a time they where then led to the little girl's room.
"Ok this is my cue to leave. I will be downstairs doing some interviews come down when your finished here and you can ask your questions."
"Thanks Brass"
Sara watched Brass exit before following Grissom into the room. It looked like a normal little girl's room with stuffed animals and posters of pop stars lining the walls. Stacie was lying on her back, her head tilted slightly to the side, eyes wide and vacant. Blood was pooled around her head like a crimson halo. The gunshot itself was small and neat just above her right eyebrow. Blood had splattered on her bedspread indicating where the initial shot was taken.
"Ok Sara you start taking primary photos before we move anything, then we can start putting the puzzle together".
Sara nodded dumbly, not quite bringing herself to talk thanks to the bile that was now rising in her throat. She never would have guessed that a gunshot, which she has seen millions of times before, would ever affect her like this. And she could simply not pull her eyes away from the girl; her small body looking like a dummy, not the little girl that was on the walls smiling in photos. The sickly sweet smell of the blood hung heavily in the air, lending gravity to the crime, allowing it to become a distinct reality. What a waste Sara thought to herself. She sensed Grissom watching her, turning slightly she looked at him expectantly
"Yes?"
Just that little word made the bile rise in her mouth, and she rushed quickly out of the room, found a sliding door leading to a patio outside, leant over with a lurch and emptied her stomach of what little she had eaten onto some lovely plants that had built a green wall around half of the house.
Feeling only a little better and a little dizzy, she sat down and took some deep breaths. Hearing footsteps behind her she became embarrassed when she recognized the light careful steps as Grissom's. Sitting quietly beside her, he handed over a cold glass of water and a sympathetic smile. As she drank she studied his features. With an almost constant frown on his face, wrinkle's, an endearing little twitch when he got really mad, hair that always looked slightly uncombed and a serious disposition, you could see every year that he had worked as a C.S.I on his face, the stress and strain etching a path all of it's own. Sara loved his eyes though. Blue, quite and wise. He was intelligent but not in a way that was in your face, it was more matter of fact. He was very closed off when it came to personal relationships though, something that Sara was trying to work on.
"You alright?"
Grissom's voice was concerned as he looked at her intently. She nodded slightly
"Must have eaten something bad at lunch"
Grissom stood up then indicated the house with his head
"Will you be alright with going back in there?"
Sara nodded more confidently then she felt and taking the hand he offered, she stood up, only to have her knees go all weak and give way slightly. Grabbing her around the waist and steadying her before she could fall and hit her head on the wooden deck area, Grissom was amazed as to how light she felt.
"Gives a new meaning to weak in the knees, doesn't it?"
Grissom voice was easy, his mouth betraying a slight smile. Holding Sara so close was making him feel dizzy, out of control. A feeling he hated, he needed to be in control. It was the only thing that made sense to him that wasn't science.
"You sure you ok?"
Sara looked at him and nodded regretfully slipping from his warm embrace
"I'm fine"
Grissom followed Sara as she made her way back into the house, giving himself a mental shake along the way.
Back at CSI headquarters, Catherine was about to go into the morgue to find out some information about the body found in the dessert. She had left Nick and Warrick back at the scene to do more processing while she had followed the body back and waited while the autopsy was preformed. That and she preferred the air-conditioned offices to the heavy desert air. Walking quickly down the slightly deserted halls leading to the coroners office, she wondered how Sara and Grissolm where doing on their new case.
"What you got for me on this wonderful evening Doc?"
The sarcasm was heavy in her voice as she swung the doors open and offered him a quick smile.
"You know I would not tolerate just anyone traipsing into my lab like that"
Doc Robbins had been there coroner for many years now and had formed a strong bond with the night shift.
"Yeah I know it's because I'm wonderful etc"
Catherine sighed with a slight wave of her hand, gracing Doc with a cheeky grin.
"And oh so modest to boot"
Doc gave Catherine a small quick smile and led her over to the body fridges.
"Right Miss wonderful, your victim here is Jessica Swaye an aspiring basketball player."
"Hold on, how did you know that?"
Doc shook his head.
"Cath, you should know that I like to get to know what my bodies do with their lives before they ended up on my table. For one her knees are slightly damaged and she has a missing tooth right out of the back of her mouth and the x-rays showed various jaw injuries which unless required from a form of abuse then she plays a sport and combined with her knees I put it down to Basketball."
Cath nodded
"Ok so you proved you earn your pitiful wage. What else you got for me?"
"Well I can tell you that her death was long and slow. She bled to death, which took hours but I noticed that your report said that there was only a little blood at the scene which means that whoever did this had a heck of a mess to clean"
Catherine nodded
"Remember though that the rain would have taken a lot of the blood away. I gave soil samples to Greg to see if the blood was absorbed though."
Doc smiled
"A murderer's friend and enemy. Mother nature."
He pointed at the wrists
"I discovered four main deep cuts on certain parts of the body. We have two on the wrist here, not much different from the cut a person wanting to commit suicide makes, except this is a lot deeper, almost to the bone that combined with the lack of hesitation marks indicates that someone else made the cuts in her wrists."
Catherine nodded mutely looking at both the marks on the wrists.
"Also there is a skull fracture, caused by what looks like a very flat wide object, a shovel maybe. But it looks like she was knocked out before they did any of this, so it's a small consolation for all of us"
Pointing to the side of the young girl's neck he urged Catherine closer.
"This cut here is the main one that caused the most blood loss. For one it is a faster flowing vein aside from the thigh, and for some reason they have cut it so deep, you can almost see her spine."
Pulling the sheet covering the rest of the torso down, he pointed to a deep cut on the inner thigh
"This is the last and final cut, but I can tell you this, the guy who did this used a scalpel. This job is far too neat to be anything else. He knew exactly what he was doing"
Taking a deep breath he leant over the body
"I can find no sign of a struggle, or any indication of sexual violation. She knew this person."
Doc pulled the sheet back over the body, and handed Catherine the report, and she smiled brightly at Doc.
"Thank you"
She turned on her heel and walked out of the room wondering if the guys were back yet.
After collecting all the evidence at the scene, Sara and Grissom headed back outside to help question the parents and babysitter. Approaching Amy and Richard Johnson, Sara took a deep breath and stuck out her hand
"Sara Sidle, CSI. Sorry for your loss"
Amy shook her hand, the skin decidingly cold and a little damp, while Richard who was sobbing openly, ignored it. Amy was a petite, dye job blonde with a very royal air about her. Dressed in a dark blue dress suit she screamed money with her clothes, hair and huge ring that sparkled on her left wedding finger. Richard Johnson on the other hand looked casual and definitely not a millionaire look in a white tennis shirt and jeans. Tall with salt and pepper hair, he looked more like the grandfather type rather then a father.
"It was a tragic accident that took our precious Stacie; I don't understand why all the police are here"
Mrs. Johnson spoke in a cold calculated voice, sounding like she was discussing a canceled social event not the death of her stepdaughter.
"Our job is to ensure that the evidence says the same as what you are saying."
Grissom said in voice just as cold, taking an instant dislike to the snobby women. Sara glanced at Mr. Johnson who had stopped sobbing and just stood with his head hanging down.
"Mr. Johnson, where were you when all this happened?"
Mr. Johnson looked at Sara his eyes cold and distant.
"What do you mean 'where was I'?"
Mr. Johnson took a step towards Sara
"Are you accusing me of doing something to my daughter?"
Amy Johnson was smiling as her husband advanced on Sara, making no move to stop him.
"No sir, I just need to ask these questions to establish an alibi for both you and your wife so that we can dismiss you as suspects."
Mr. Johnson took yet another step towards Sara, cracking his knuckles. Grissom took a step towards Mr. Johnson himself, placing his body in front of Sara, blocking Mr. Johnson.
"Mr. Johnson you need to calm down, step back and calm down"
Mr. Johnson kept advancing, ignoring Grissom. Grissom put a firm hand on the tall man's chest, pushing slightly.
"Your going to get yourself arrested if you do not back off right now"
Grissom continued to step forward, keeping his hand on the man's chest putting more distance between Sara and Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson slowly dropped his hands to his sides and stepped right back from both Grissom and Sara taking to his wife's side once again. Grissom turned to Sara and quietly asked if she was ok and with a nod she went to approach Mr. Johnson again, not quite ready to admit defeat.
"Mr. Johnson I know this is a upsetting time for you but I need to know where you where in order to clear you as a suspect"
Mr. Johnson started to grind his teeth
"You know nothing of how I feel"
He said in a dark menacing voice, shaking his head. Putting his head up again looked directly at Sara
"Please get off my property right now, before I lose my temper"
Sara shook her head
"I am afraid that this is a crime scene and until we collect all our evidence and finish our primary interviews, we are staying" Sara stood before Mr. Johnson with an air of defiance, knowing that what she was doing was right. They needed to prove who, if anyone killed this little girl. With speed that could only come from rage and grief, Mr. Johnson swung at Sara connecting with her eye and upper cheekbone, knocking her flat on her back, with a speed that allowed him to move before anyone could react. Before he could advance anymore, one of Brass's men had tackled him too the ground and was cuffing him.
"Bad move mate, really bad move. You are under arrest."
Grissom was busy helping Sara up, who was rubbing her head, which she had knocked bad enough to make the world spin slightly and give her the beginnings of a headache situated just behind her right eye.
"You ok?"
Grissom said as he led her to the front step.
"Yeah I am just fine. Good things always seem to happen to me"
Sara flashed Grissom a contemptuous look her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Stay here. I'll go and get the first aid kit"
Grissom jumped up and went to the back of the truck and returned carrying the red and white kit. Popping it open he retrieved an ice pack and some disprin.
"Put this over your face, and I'll get you a glass of water to take these with"
Sara shook her head and took the disprin swallowing them dry. Leaning against the pillar that welcomed guests by the front steps, Sara tried to distract herself from the pounding that was going on in her head and face.
"Wish I was quick enough to hit him back."
Sara closed her eyes as Grissom fussed over her face, turning her head gently here and there to check for bleeding, and then if her head hadn't hurt so much she would have laughed as Grissom pulled out his little torch and proceeded to check her eyes for damage.
"He should never have hit you, let alone you hit him back. He was upset, though I know that excuse means nothing."
Grissom's fingers had now moved to where she had whacked her head, searching for any bumps. Sara kept her eyes closed, enjoying the sensation, till a shock of pain made her gasp.
"Ok well we found the bump. It's not too big, but I think you should head back to headquarters"
Sara shook her head, she wanted to be here for the interviews and no amount of pain was going to stop her finding out what happened to this little girl. Grissom sighed, admitting defeat, knowing that there was no real point arguing with Sara her stubborn streak made for a one sided battle.
"At least sit here a while ok? I don't want a concussion on my shift"
Smiling slightly, Sara nodded slowly, not sure how far she could get away with it till the pain started up again. Grissom gathered up the first aid kit and took it back to the truck, then came and sat beside Sara again, who was opening and closing her jaw, glad to see it was unaffected by the blow.
"You sure you ok?"
Sara winced as she removed the ice from her face
"How bad is it?"
Whether it was the force of the blow or the size of the man that did it, the bruising had already started, with an ugly purple outline starting to show just where she was going to have the shiner, and it reached from the whole way around her eye to level with her right nostril. Her eye had already started to swell considerable as well.
"Actually I have seen worse,"
Grissom told the truth, he had seen worse, just not on a live body. Sara sighed.
"That bad huh?"
Placing the ice back on it she looked at Grissom.
"Do we know just how rich Mr. Johnson is?"
Grissom fished out the papers that Brass had given them from his pocket, and skimming them slowly, he found the info he wanted
"He is worth about 12 million, but he makes more and more everyday with stocks, bonds, and investments."
Sara nodded as much as her injured head would allow
"And who is set to gain the money when he passes on?"
Grissom glanced at the papers again
"Doesn't say, but I will take a guess and presume that it would be the dead little girl. Why?"
Sara looked thoughtfully at Grissom, the pounding in her head subsiding for a split second, as her train of thought distracted her from the pain.
"We have a motive of some sort at least"
When she said no further comment, Grissom didn't push the subject, instead he watched as the coroner's van pulled up, getting ready to take Stacie's body away for autopsy.
"Are you alright to continue the interviews? We just have the step mom and the babysitter left"
Sara stood up as quickly as her body would allow,
"Yep, I'll survive. I just look like I took on Mohammad Ali and lost"
Grinning broadly, she pointed to the front door
"Shall we?"
Grissom bowed slightly at her and walked through the massive entranceway, making his way through the house to the hallway, once there they separated, Sara going to the kitchen, while Grissom continued to the backyard.