"Hey, if you jump, you'll make my job easier!" Walter exclaimed as he stood on the bridge overlooking Miami River. He was much better at interrogating instead of negotiating, but he was giving it a go and it was obvious, Walter was not getting anywhere.
Then both his head and the jumper's turned to a commotion at the south end of the bridge. A young woman, bloodied and hysteric, dressed in her Miami Senior High School cheerleading uniform, was running up the south end of the bridge. Blood covered the "S" and "H" on the front of her uniform, but Walter could make out the "M" and she had streaks of blood trailing down one leg.
Walter saw her holding her side as she ran towards him. He took one last look at the jumper then turned to the young woman running towards him and he began running towards her. His six foot seven frame heavily beat a trail to her.
"Help me! Please!" The young high school teen yelled as they began to meet. "I've been shot and my boyfriend is dead in the car!" She continued as she pointed to her Honda Civic parked at the end of the bridge.
Once Walter reached her, he flashed his badge and leaned down and said, "Let me have a look ma'am," and removed her hand holding her side. He saw the hole in her uniform top and the blood pouring from the wound. Walter knew this was not good. The young woman was not going to last long if he did not get her to the hospital right away.
Walter did not even think when he scooped her up in his big arms and ran to his hummer. He sat her in the passenger seat and ran to the driver's and squealed wheels to Miami General.
"Stay with me ma'am! We're almost there!" Walter screamed.
"Hurry! I don't want to die!" The young cheerleader said as she held on to her blood soaked cheer top.
"That's not gonna happen. I promise," said Walter as he hurled the hummer into the emergency bay. As he slammed it into park, the young woman slumped to the dashboard, apparently unconscious.
Walter ran to the passenger side, pulled her out and ran through the emergency room doors.
"A little help here!" He yelled and a nurse opened the door and let him in to the trauma area.
The doctors and nurses then took over.
Walter sat with his head in his hands in the waiting room hoping to hear something from the doctor that took the young woman to surgery. Instead, he was startled by Horatio.
"Anything yet Walter?" Horatio asked.
Walter looked up then stood as he saw Horatio standing with a blonde beside him. Walter knew it was the young woman's mother.
"No, she's still in surgery," Walter answered as he looked at the woman beside Horatio.
She stepped in front of Horatio and up to Walter and said, "You're the officer that found my daughter, aren't you?"
"More like your daughter found me. I was just there, ma'am."
"Thanks for saving my baby, mister..."
"Walter, ma'am, just Walter," he answered, knowing he really did not save her daughter until he got word from the doctor she was out of surgery.
"Will you stay with me until she's out of surgery, Walter?"
"I wouldn't think of going anywhere else ma'am."
She smiled at Walter and then took a seat to wait for her daughter's news.
Walter stood by Horatio and asked, "The jumper H.?"
"Grounded."
"Really? Wow. I thought sure he would jump."
As Walter said the last word, the surgeon came through the waiting room door. Walter and Horatio turned as he took his doo rag off and ran his hands through his hair and said, "Officers, she..."
"Not us doctor. The mother," Horatio said and pointed to where she now stood and walked over to all three.
"Is Dorie okay doctor?" She asked.
"Ma'am, if this officer here," the surgeon said as he pointed to Walter, "Had not got her here when he did, your daughter would not have made it. The bullet penetrated her liver and spleen. We had to take part of her liver and remove her spleen. However, she will make a full recovery."
"Can I see her, doctor?"
"She's in recovery now. She'll be moved to a room soon. I'll have the nurse come get you when they do."
"Thank you doctor."
"No, thank him. He saved your daughter."
Walter smiled that teddy bear smile as the mother looked at him.
The doctor began to walk out of the waiting room, but Horatio followed behind him.
"Doctor, were you able to retrieve the bullet?"
"I knew you'd ask that lieutenant," he responded and reached into his scrub pocket, "You'll be wanting this," and held up a bottle that contained the fragmented round.
"Why thank you doc."
"No problem. Just get whoever did this to her."
"Oh, you can count on it."
Horatio walked into the waiting room and Walter was hugging Dorie's mother. He really hated to break up the moment, but there was work to be done.
"Walter, we have work to do."
"Go Walter. Find who shot my Dorie."
"Ma'am, we'll need to come back later and ask Dorie some questions."
"Yes lieutenant. Of course. Just bring Walter with you. I just know Dorie will want to see him again."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Horatio answered and smiled.
Walter glanced back at Dorie's mother as he and Horatio headed out to meet Calleigh at the lab.
"Well it was most definitely the bullet that killed him. This poor kid didn't even stand a chance. He died instantly," Tom said as he zipped up the body bag.
"Is the round still in him?" Natalia asked as she walked around the car snapping pictures.
"I think so. I'll know more when I get the body back to the lab."
"Horatio said this was the boyfriend right?" Eric asked as he took samples from the car.
"Yeah. Walter took the girlfriend to the hospital."
"This was clearly murder. They were definitely not having a spat and one turned on the other," Eric stated. "It seems they were engaging in another activity," he continued as he pulled a pair of panties from the back seat.
"Eric, those are the same color of the Miami Senior High cheerleading squad uniforms. Horatio said it was a cheerleader Walter saved."
"Yeah, well, I hope her mother didn't ask if she had on clean underwear when she got there. She would not like the answer," Eric said with a laugh.
Natalia just rolled her eyes.
"Aw, Horatio, you shouldn't have!" Calleigh said with a smile as he handed her the medical cup holding the slug that was removed from Dorie.
"We need something off of that Ms. Duquesne."
"Is this the slug removed from the girl?"
"It is."
"Wow, very lucky girl. It's a good thing that Walter happened to be nearby."
"Yes, Dorie would have died if he hadn't been. Now, we just need to find the suspect."
"Give me time, Horatio. I'll have something for you hopefully later."
"Sooner would be better Ms. Duquesne," Horatio said and walked out of her lab and met Walter walking in the hall.
"Walter, did you get Dorie's uniform from the nurse?"
"Yeah, she handed it to me before we walked out. I'm getting ready to process it now."
"Go over it with a fine tooth comb. I have a feeling Calleigh is not going to get anything from the slug."
"Well, if I don't have any luck, maybe Natalia and Eric will with the crime scene," Walter answered Horatio.
"Let's hope. If not, we will need to talk to Dorie when she is able to give us some information."
"I'm just waiting for that call to do so H. I left my number with the nurse to let me know when Dorie was coherent. Plus, I want to live up to the promise I made her mother."
"You will Walter. You will," Horatio said as his cell phone rang. He looked at the number, hit the button to answer it and said, "Dr. Loman?" He waited for Tom's response then said, "I'll be right down."
Horatio hurried down to the morgue. As soon as he was down there, Tom held up a glock.
"You have my attention Dr. Loman," Horatio said as he twirled his sunglasses in his fingers.
"Horatio, I found this inside the victim's pants. It was covering his, well, his 'personal' gun shall we say."
With a cautious look, Horatio pondered, "Now, how in the world did it get there?"
"I don't know, but I pulled this slug out of his chest also," Tom said as he held up an evidence bag containing the slug. "Pierced his heart. He died within seconds."
"Get both to Calleigh right away. I'm anxious now to see what she will find... If anything."
"Heading up now," Tom said and turned to the elevator.
Horatio stood there looking at the body of the boyfriend. He knew there was something missing. He also had that feeling that Calleigh would not find what they needed on the gun.
Horatio knew their only hope of truly finding out what happened was to ask Dorie. But then again, Horatio knew things could change with any kind of evidence.
"Hey," Eric yelled to Walter as he stepped into the lab, "You're missing a piece," and chunked the evidence bag holding the panties.
Walter looked at them, then back to Eric, and once again back to the panties and said, "You mean she didn't have these on when I rescued Dorie?"
"Obviously not. I found them in her car while processing it."
"Well, that explains why I didn't have them with the rest of her clothes. Maybe they will give us something to go on. Dorie's cheerleading uniform sure didn't offer up anything. And Tom just sent up the boyfriend's clothes and I haven't even started on them yet."
"I'll help you," said Eric and put on his lab coat.
Meanwhile, Natalia looked through the glass at Calleigh working hard. She entered and said, "Need a hand?"
"I can always use another pair," Calleigh answered and passed the gun over to Natalia.
"Where did this come from?" Natalia asked with a perplexed look.
"The boyfriend's body. Tom found it inside his pants covering a certain item of his body."
"Really? Well, neither one shot blanks!"
"Natalia!" Calleigh said with a laugh.
"It's true. Eric and I found DNA in the form of, well, you get the picture."
"Well, the boyfriend may have fired all his cylinders, but I have yet to prove the rounds came from that gun."
"Then let's just see if we can prove that gun was fired!" Natalia exclaimed and then laughed.
As Natalia examined the gun, she noticed the serial number had been ground off. She looked at Calleigh who had her eye into the microscope eyepiece. "Hey, Calleigh, did you notice the serial number has been removed?"
"No, I've been testing the ballistics on the two slugs. They match. The same gun fired these two rounds."
"I bet they came from this gun."
"Let me see," Calleigh said and hooked the gun to the holder to check the barrels twist. She looked through the lens and when she came back up, she looked at Natalia and said, "Call Horatio. We have a match."
"Any prints?"
"No, Horatio, the gun is clean," said Natalia.
"So we have the murder weapon, no prints, and nothing else."
"That may be the case with the gun and slugs, but me and Walter found foreign human hair on the boyfriend's clothes!" Eric came in with Walter in tow.
"Ms. Boa Vista, work your magic!"
Natalia immediately cut a piece of the hair and began the DNA processing. She never had a problem working under pressure, so it did not bother her that all of her CSI family watched. She'd be able to give them what they wanted in a matter of minutes once the DNA actuator was done spinning.
Then it dinged and the printer started. The process was over. Natalia went to the printer and picked up the results.
"Well, Ms. Boa Vista, what do we have?"
"A male contributor. Let's run it through CODIS and see what it finds."
"Hopefully the suspect," Horatio said as Natalia ran the findings through the system.
"It's got something. Look at this," Natalia said as she put the picture up on the monitor.
"Walter, isn't that..."
"The jumper. What the hell?" Walter said then his phone rang. He answered then said "Thank you."
"Walter?" Horatio said.
"Dorie's awake. I gotta go. Send that picture to my phone please," and as Walter began to race out of the lab, Horatio stopped him.
"Walter, tell her we will get him," Horatio said and pulled out his phone and dialed.
Walter just grinned that baby grin and disappeared as Horatio said, "Frank, Easton Reynolds, go get him."
Walter stood in the doorway of Dorie's hospital room. He looked at her laying there for a second then she turned her head and saw him.
Dorie smiled and quietly said as her mother looked on with a smile, "Come in. You are the officer that saved me. Thank you."
Walter walked over to Dorie's bedside and she stuck out her hand. Walter took it and held it as he said, "You're welcome honey."
"Your hand is so warm. Just like your body felt when you carried me into the hospital. Like a huge teddy bear!" Dorie spoke and began to turn red.
She wasn't the only one turning red. Walter was already two different shades.
"I thought you were out cold when I carried you inside. You remember that?"
"Walter, right?"
"That's right honey."
"Momma told me your name. I was hoping I was going to see you again. Yes, I remember you carrying me inside. You saved me Walter."
"Just doing my job," Walter said as Dorie squeezed his hand.
"Dorie, I need ask you some questions. It will help us find the person who did this to you and your boyfriend. Are you up to it?" Walter asked as his phone beeped a text message. He looked at it and what he had been thinking all along was true.
Dorie grimaced a little from the pain in her side, but managed to say, "Yes. I knew you'd have to do so."
"I'll just step out so you two can be alone," her mother said.
"No, mom, stay. I want you here," Dorie answered as she looked at her mother.
"Dorie, are you sure you want that? I'm gonna ask you some personal questions."
"Yes, I'm sure. It was bound to come out sooner or later. That text message you just got tells me you already know."
"You're very smart Dorie," Walter said and pulled up the photo of Easton Reynolds on his phone and asked, "Dorie, who is this man?" as he held it up to her so she could see.
Her mother looked as well and recognized Reynolds immediately.
"That's Coach Reynolds. He's the track coach and also the economics teacher at school."
"Why was he in your car today?"
Dorie looked around the hospital room and then to her mother and finally to Walter. She squeezed Walter's hand again; this time very hard. Walter did not flinch though.
Her mother stepped closer to the bed and took Dorie's other hand and said, "Dorie, answer Walter. I'm here for you. I doesn't matter what you are going to say."
"We were, um, having sex." Dorie answered and looked at her mother with a sullen face. Her mother patted her hand letting her know it was okay.
"How did your boyfriend end up there then?"
"Cooper found out a couple weeks ago about me and Coach Reynolds. I'm also on the track team and we had just ended practice. Coach Reynolds followed me into the shower. I guess we had been making too much noise. I heard the door open and I looked that way and there stood Cooper watching me and Coach Reynolds. What could I do?"
"This was not consensual was it Dorie?"
"No. God no. I had no choice. I had to do it if I wanted to pass Econ."
"Dorie, you didn't tell me you were failing honey."
"I didn't think I was. I knew I was having trouble, but not failing. I didn't know until Coach approached me. He told me that I was going to be kicked off the track team and from cheerleading. I asked him what I needed to do to bring my grade up and he told me there was no time for me to do so. It was too late. Then he took his hands and rubbed my face and told me there was only one way for me to save my starring spot on the track team. Walter, I am the best on the team, I had no choice. I had to do it to save my spot."
"I'm sure if we check with the school and see your grades, they were better than the coach lets on."
"If that's the case, I sold my body for no reason and Cooper lost his life for nothing. He was trying to save me, Walter." Dorie said and began to cry.
"Dorie, listen to me," Walter said, "Cooper lost his for that very reason. In a way, he did save you. Somehow you found me. If it had not been for him, that may have never happened."
Dorie smiled as Walter said that and his phone dinged once again with a picture text message. Walter opened it and snickered at what he saw.
"Look at this Dorie. It'll make you feel good," Walter announced and held his phone up to her so she could see the picture of Coach Easton Reynolds being led by Frank.
"You all got him. But Walter, you weren't there. You should have been there with them instead of here with me."
"Dorie, I couldn't think of any other place I'd rather be. Besides, I had him at one time and didn't know it. Actually, I was trying to save him when I chose to save you instead. He was trying to jump from the bridge when you came running up the end of it."
"Huh," Dorie let out sarcastically. "Too bad he didn't."
Walter laughed and watched Dorie shut her eyes to sleep.
But Walter did not go anywhere.
"Dorie Flanderson, Mr. Reynolds?"
Easton Reynolds leaned back in the chair and smiled slyly after Horatio said her name.
"Aw, so you know her."
"I'm not going to lie. Yes, I know her. Nice fresh tight piece of eighteen year old incision on that one!" Reynolds said and laughed.
"Mr. Reynolds, attempted murder and murder is no laughing matter."
"Okay, so I killed her boyfriend and tried to kill her. I thought I did, and then couldn't live with myself."
"So you hid the gun in the boyfriends' pants and decided to jump from a bridge."
"Yeah, and I was going to until that giant of a cop tried to stop me. You all would have never found me. The gun would have only proved it was used to shoot both of them. But when I saw Dorie running up the end of the bridge, I knew I couldn't jump. I had to have another try at her."
"Meaning?" Horatio asked.
"Oh come on lieutenant. I couldn't let her live after that."
"Frank, get him out of my sight!"
"With pleasure! Come on nimrod. Bars are all you are ever going to see from now on." Frank said as he jerked Reynolds up by the arm.
Horatio walked up to the window of Dorie's hospital room and looked at Walter still sitting there holding her hand. Dorie was sound asleep. She also had smile on her sleeping face.
Walter looked up and saw Horatio looking at the both of them. However, he did not let to go of Dorie's hand. He simply nodded his acknowledgement.
Horatio, holding his sunglasses in his fingers, smiled that smile of satisfaction, folded his sunglasses, and put them in his pocket.
One of his CSI's had made a new friend.