Title: CONFLICTION

Rating: T

Summary: Gil makes a return after being away, but no one seems to know why and his return causes tension between himself and Catherine,The team investigates the murder of a successful insurance broker. Grillows!

The sunset had just began to set as Tasha made her way into the kitchen. Looking at her watch she sighed at the fact that her husband was late again.

"Looks like it's dinner for one again." she whispered to herself as she pulled out a plate from the fridge. "Damn it Mark." she cursed as she scrolled through the contacts on her cell phone, and dialed his number.

"Babe.I'm sorry." he answered, assuming she was upset.

She ignored his apology."Again Mark?" she snapped. "I really am sick of this!"

"Babe." Mark whispered "I'm with a client. I promise I will be home by 7." Tasha didn't get a chance to respond before she heard the sound of the call being cut off.

"Mark!" the tone in her voice raised, but she knew he wasn't there.

"Whatever." she grumbled to herself as she put her plate into the microwave.

It wasn't but a second later when she thought she had heard the front door open.

"Mark?" she called out but was met with silence. "You're on your own for dinner!" she yelled into the empty hallway as she turned back to the microwave.

Before she could wrap her mind around what was happening, she felt a hand
grab hold of the ponytail her hair was in pulling her back.

.

"Day shift is maxed out and I couldn't get anyone to cover. I know you have Lindsey's graduation this afternoon." Ecklie pleaded his case as Catherine ducked under the tape and entered the home that was now a crime scene. "I will have you out of here as soon as I can. I was due in court half an hour ago."

"Where's Nicky?" she inquired.

Ecklie shrugged "Your guess is as good as mine." he paused " But Greg is on his way."

Catherine sighed "What do we have?"

Ecklie followed close behind Catherine as she approached the dead body. "The neighbor." he pointed toward an elderly women. "Came to have tea and found our vic dead."

The look on Catherine's face signified she had never seen such brutality. Blood covered a large are of the floor beneath the dead women. The walls surrounding them had be painted red with the victims blood. "There is no way she has any blood left in her body." Catherine spoke, directing her comment to no one in particular.

"Brutal." Conrad commented from behind her.

"Court." Catherine reminded him

"Right." Conrad responded and turned to leave.

Catherine stood watching the body that was laid out before her. Her mind involuntarily wandering to the horrific pain and suffering the victim must have endured.

"Sorry I'm late."

Catherine turned at the sound of the voice. "Nicky." she spoke his name accepting his apology. "I just got here myself." she spoke as she bent down next to the body."So senseless." she whispered to herself as she lifted the victim's stiff hand. "Defensive wounds and multiple stab wounds." she looked up at Nick as Greg entered the room. "She was fighting for her life."

Nick nodded " I will get started in the kitchen. It looks like the attack may have started there."

Catherine switched on her flashlight and followed him. Once in the kitchen she took note of the over turned kitchen table and the broken dinner plate. Fragments from the porcelain dish scattered the floor amidst the blood and the food that was the victim's dinner.

"The microwave is still open." Nick pointed out.

"He must have surprised her." Catherine spoke. " Maybe grabbed her from behind."

"I've got more blood." Nick bent down and took a small sample of the red droplets.

"She ran." Catherine pointed out as she made her way down the hall. The drops of blood are spaced.
"The attack continued in here."

Greg looked up at Catherine was now standing in the hallway between a bathroom and the master bedroom.

"My spidey sense." Greg continued. "Is telling me we have semen."

Catherine nodded as she leaned forward toward the bed. "He ripped the phone out of the wall." she bent down to take a photo. "And used the cord to kill her." Catherine paused as she took note of the blood on the bed. "She ran to the bedroom to call for help and she ended up giving her attacker the venue for rape." Catherine sighed as she continued looking around the room. A picture on the dresser caught her eye and she headed toward it. " Married." she paused turning to Greg who was bagging the bed sheets. "Where's Mr. Right?".

Almost as the words left her mouth she heard a commotion from outside.

"Speak of the devil?"

"My wife!" A tall man with brown hair raced toward the house screaming at the top of his lungs. "Tasha!"

As the officers on scene tried to stop him the man pushed them off. "What's going on?" he asked, not caring which person on his front lawn answered. "Tasha!...Tasha!"

Brass stopped the man from entering the home as Catherine came outside.

The man they knew now to be the deceased woman's husband fell to the ground at the mercy of the officers. "Tasha." he sobbed "What's happened?" He didn't wait for either Brass or Catherine to answer as he offered his own explanation.

"She's dead.?" He whispered. "He did it!" He looked up at them through labored breathing and tears. "He killed her!"

Catherine looked over at Brass who was returning his own look of confusion.

"Who?" Catherine asked.

Mr. Spencer tried to stand as the officers loosened their hold. "My..." he stuttered. "My...he...he..."

It was then that his eyes glazed over and he fell to the ground.

TBC