Night Owls

The nightlife was the thing in Vegas. It was a town of night. The casinos made the night seem like day and the sounds of people walking down the Strip and the familiar pings of the slots; it was all part of it. It was almost like how the musical Guys and Dolls was, except it was in New York. Even the ones who tried to save souls were out in force tonight.

The club Forsaken was in full swing that night to the point that the crowd was lining up outside the front doors. The bouncers were checking ID and the music was rocking with the band of the week playing their latest songs. People were dancing, drinking and doing whatever.

She had come for a good time since her friend had recommended it to her. Forsaken was the newest in clubs themed and catered to her group. She laughed as she took a pull of her drink that she had ordered until another was put in front of her. Looking up, the server said that the guy in the VIP section was paying.

He was cute in that dark and mysterious way. He had dark hair that was styled into that spike look that never really went out of style as long as it was on a guy that it looked good on. She walked up with her friend towards the VIP section and he motioned for them to have a seat. It looked like the night was looking up.

~0~0~

It was dark in that alley. Dumpsters and trash were spewed everywhere but that didn't matter. She felt her breath hitch as she fell. There was the burning sensation of having her knees scraped on the pavement. She grunted in pain and looked behind her. She wanted to scream but quickly got to her feet to continue running.

She rounded the corner and bumped into some crates, knocking them over. She hoped that would stop him. She ended up falling again and scraped her palms getting up. It was no use though. The dark figure was in front of her. She opened her mouth to scream but was punched in the face.

She fell to the ground and put a hand to where the strike hit. She was then grabbed by the guy from behind. She tried to scream but her mouth was covered and it was muffled. She struggled but was punched again and turned over. She looked up but no sound came out…

The flash of the bulb and the familiar click of a camera being used almost seemed to echo. Catherine Willows looked through the viewport and focused her lens per protocol and took more shots of the girl seemingly oblivious to the first rays of light that were showing. Another young woman dead in a city that seemed to swallow them whole.

"Her name is Nicole Kirkland, 25, lives in Pahrump and a secretary for a small real estate firm," Captain Jim Brass said. "Garbage man was coming to do the morning pick up and he finds her on top of the crates."

Catherine gave a slight nod as she finished taking pictures of the body. The girl looked like she had been tossed onto the crates after what looked like was strangulation. Her clothes looked like they had been removed and put back on like someone was in a hurry. She looked at the assistant coroner, "Time of death?"

"Based on lividity and rigor, I'd say about four hours ago," David replied. "I have petechial hemorrhaging in the eyes, indicative of suffocation and some defensive wounds."

Catherine nodded and looked at the body. She really didn't want to think about what this poor girl went through. She looked around and noted the blood spots and there was also some strange, unidentified liquid nearby.

"Hey, sorry I'm late Cath. Traffic," Nick Stokes said as he walked up with his kit in hand. He paused to glance at the body and had to do a double take. He noted the clothing and the makeup on the girl and made a slight look. He cleared his throat and said, "I'll start looking through the alley. Maybe we might find something."

Catherine looked up and noticed the look Nick was giving the body. She had the same reaction when she first saw the body on those crates. The hair color was different but it might as well have been someone they knew. She said, "Well I got blood, probably from the vic and this…" She swabbed the substance and capped it for processing, "I'll send this to Trace."

Nick nodded and started looking around. He found what looked like a trail of destruction. He could visualize the girl running through and into things. She was being chased by something or someone. "I think she was chased."

"Chased, raped and now she's dead," Catherine said.

Chapter 1

Nick photographed the blood spots on the pavement. The morning sun was starting to make its way up and gave indication what the typical day in Las Vegas was and it was going to be a hot one. It was somewhat of a bummer to get a call near the end of shift but crime really didn't adhere to any schedule. Still he had his A-game on.

Looking closer at the blood, he could also see what looked like skin on the pavement. He pulled a swab from his vest and swabbed it. He had backtracked the victim's run through the streets and found that she had come from the direction of an area that was not necessarily high crime but it wasn't exactly like it was a 'good' area either. The only businesses around were mom and pop places, liquor stores, and a couple of clubs.

Nick studied the area some more and noted something on the ground. It would have been easily missed if it had been night. Using his tweezers, he picked up what appeared to be a crucifix but it wasn't like the kind he had seen churchgoers or the gangs that wore them had. It was different in that he could make out a knot like pattern on it.

Looking down, he found that there was the accompanying chain with it. He collected it and bagged it. He was still kneeling as he looked up and down the alleyway. He could make out Catherine working closer to where the body had been found. He surmised that the girl had run a long way looking for someone that would help her. Sighing he continued his work hoping to find where this started and maybe they could get the SOB that did this.

Catherine continued to look around the area. This scene seemed so devoid of evidence since all they had were blood spots and the suspicious substance. She requested an SAE kit on the victim, rush, when David collected her to take to the morgue since she suspected that sexual assault might be a part of it. It certainly took her mind off the last one with the two gold diggers that poisoned their husbands but she knew sexual assault was just as serious as other crimes.

She glanced over at Nick and saw him processing more of the alleyway. He was going back to find out where this chase began. She could guess that this was bothering him a little bit just like it did her since they both knew that their friend and colleague Sage Parker dressed as a Goth… as far as the dog collars and leather wrist bands went and she had a taste for metal bands that made Greg happy; a complete contrast to the fact that Sage went to church every Sunday or Saturday depending on her schedule. Catherine would know since she had come into the lab carrying her Bible under her arm and her beat up satchel on her shoulder and sometimes she would be humming a tune that was suspiciously a church hymn.

Catherine sighed and continued to process the area, forgetting about Sage for the moment even though there were some questions she wanted to ask the CSI when she got the chance. Now she was looking for something that could help on this case. She moved over to a bunch of crates that were nearby and shined her Maglite over the area.

It had been hiding there and if she hadn't shone her light, she wouldn't have found it at all. The glint of the metal told Catherine that it was a weapon of sorts and not trash. Being careful, she reached in and slowly pulled out what was definitely a utility knife and there was blood on it.

There had been no indication that the victim had been stabbed. The only blood was from defensive wounds and from scraping her knees on the pavement. Still you couldn't afford to take chances. There could be the possibility that it was related or it could have caused the defensive wounds. Evidence was evidence.

Taking a swab of blood for DNA, she inspected it for other signs of possible evidence. Taking her powder from her kit, she dusted the handle. She got nothing and figured the attacker wore gloves. They still had the knife though so she bagged and tagged and continued to process until she found everything that was relevant to the case.

Nick had gotten to the end of the alleyway to the main street. He looked to the left and right and saw no signs of anywhere else to go. Looking around the area he found a little niche that was hidden from the street. He found a couple of partial shoe prints made from oily liquid nearby. He also found some torn clothing that looked like it came from the victim as well as clothing from the possible assailant.

It appeared that they were getting a little down and dirty here in the alley. Probably they came from somewhere nearby… Nick looked around. The area had a lot of those mom and pop places and a few liquor stores but the only thing that was prominent was a club across the street. Looking at it, Nick could see the scene play out…

Nicole Kirkland was coming out of the club, most likely a little intoxicated and with someone she had just met in the club. They decided to leave and have a little fun, maybe be a little dangerous about it. They cross the street and come to the alleyway where there is a convenient little niche to do their thing and that is where it went bad.

The guy suddenly changes, probably threatens her, grabs her throat maybe. Nicole fights back and in the process, tears her clothing and maybe his. She takes off running down the alley trying to get away. At one point the assailant catches up and tries to subdue her and rips off her necklace. She gets away and continues to run.

She runs until she gets to the service entrance for the trucks and thinks she is safe but she is not. The assailant grabs her, hits her and has his way with her. He strangles her, probably with his bare hands and left her on the pile of crates…

Nick shook his head at that. It was just wrong for something like that to happen. He called Catherine on his cell phone since he was a far distance away. Once he got her he said, "Hey Cath, I think I found where it started and I think I know where they met."

Sage stifled a yawn as she carried her kit in one hand and rubbed her eyes with the other. She couldn't help it and was dying for a cup of coffee but she had a scene to get to and according to Grissom he was tapped out. Well at least it was on the tail end of grave shift and days lucked out. Then again who wouldn't want a 425?

Detective O' Reilly was waiting for her outside a cabin house that looked like it had seen better days. He looked bored and was probably fighting off exhaustion. Sage had the feeling that it was the burly detective's turn to pull a double or accompany her on a case. She had joked with the detectives in the bullpen that it was a drawing to see who got to babysit the rookie CSI and they laughed it off.

Seeing the detective, Sage said, "Hey O' Reilly, they punishing you too?"

"If you mean by babysitting the newest member of the nerd squad, then yeah," the detective joked. "You look like you had a rough night."

"Something like that," Sage replied as she blinked away her tiredness. It was time to go to work now. "So what do we have? Dispatch said it was a 425?"

"That's right. The 425 is inside." O' Reilly led the way into the house since it had been cleared.

If coffee was a good wakeup, the smell that assaulted Sage's nose was just as good. Her eyes opened wide and she put a hand to her nose. She recognized the scent and it smelled fresh… very fresh. She held her nose and breathed through her mouth as she said, "Breathe through your mouth O' Reilly."

The detective was trying to do that. He had a handkerchief to his nose and trying not to gag at the smell. "House was like this."

"I don't think so. Where's the first officer?"

O' Reilly pointed in the direction of the kitchen. Sage followed the detective's finger and found the uni in the kitchen looking miserable. The smell was strongest in here. Definitely this is where the action happened. "Oh God," she let out as she looked at the uni. "Perry, when you cleared the house did you see anything suspicious? Something small?"

Officer Perry was still making a face. He nodded. "Yes. I was clearing the house and I came in here and it was in the middle of the room. I tried to leave slowly but…"

Sage made a face and nodded, getting the picture, "Perry, I suggest you have someone buy a lot of tomatoes and request time off." She looked at O' Reilly and said, "Skunk."

It was nearly impossible to work with the stench so powerful in there. Yet there was evidence that needed to be processed. Sage waited outside, breathing the fresh air and she could smell skunk. Oh God it reeks! She looked over at the detective who looked a little green. Putting her kit on the ground, she opened it and reached in for what she was looking for.

Taking a handkerchief from O' Reilly, she poured liquid from the bottle she had pulled out and put a slightly liberal dose on the handkerchief. She handed it back to the detective since she was going to go in and he was going to follow. At the look, she explained, "It's scented. It'll help keep your mind off the other smell."

O' Reilly nodded and took the proffered relief. "You seem to be prepared for just about anything aren't you Parker?"

"Learned a few tricks from Orleans PD," was all that Sage would offer. She held the bottle up to her nose and breathed it in before corking it. "Well time to get to processing the scene. I got evidence in that house."

"You're crazy you know that?"

"Stokes tells me that every other day," Sage replied with a grin as she went back into the cabin. It made sense to have the skunk around since they were near camping ground in the forest near Lake Mead. It was a sort of nice surprise to the day and a fairly good wake up call.

"Really?"

"Yeah him, Grissom… just about everybody," Sage replied as she stepped back into the cabin. The smell had dispersed a little since Perry was gone and replaced and the doors had been open. The windows were not touched since she hadn't done a walk through yet.

O' Reilly gave a shrug as he followed the CSI in. He thought she was a bit crazy for working in the stench like that but he had seen CSIs work worse. The last one involved a garbage hunt and the CSI smelled worse than the dumpster they were diving in. They followed the evidence. He took the lead inside and said, "Got a call that there was a disturbance here. The thing is the property is in receivership but kids come here to hang out."

"Isn't there a ghost story about the last owner dying and haunting the place?" Sage held up her light as she looked around.

"That's the one. Mostly the parents tell it to keep the kids in line."

"Yeah but you always get those few that decide to test those boundaries," Sage countered as she walked into what could be considered the living room. The place had a rustic and country house look to it so some of the walls looked a bit rough. There was some really faded wallpaper on the walls and remnants of pictures. Leaves were on the floor and not to mention the cobwebs all over the place. She gave a sniff and muttered, "Looks like the place hasn't been occupied in years."

"Owner died five years ago. Surviving family decided to sell. Didn't really care for the property at all."

"Leaving the perfect place to hang out I see," Sage replied as she noted the beer bottles and other junk that came from breaking in and having a party.

"Nothing a bored teenager would do," O' Reilly commented. He pointed into a smaller room, "This is where they found it."

They walked into a small room and as Sage shone her light on the wall, she noticed the spray of red on the walls. She could understand why the officer would call it in. It looked like someone had done a blood bath here and went on an all and out killing spree. She put her kit down in the middle of the room and began to look around by turning in a slow circle.

There was red everywhere along the wall. There were some disturbances but it looked like it could have been done over time. O' Reilly watched as Sage looked around and asked, "So what are you thinking? Murder?"

"Not really," Sage replied as she studied the wall. The spatter was what held her interest. She stepped closer until she was almost within close proximity. Looking at the spray she surmised, "Spray is not consistent with arterial spray. In fact it looks almost like those slasher films."

"How do you know that?"

"Hollywood has for years been trying to make more and more accurate blood sprays when they film. Like a poker game though, man-made versions always have tells." Sage pulled out a swab from her vest and rubbed some on the surface where the red spray was. Performing the phenol test, she got a negative. "And in this case, this is not blood. More likely red dye like they use for whatever. Probably some kids used it to decorate when they had their party."

"I guess that's a relief," O' Reilly said as he took a whiff of the treated handkerchief. He really didn't like the smell of the place and would have liked to have left but the rule was you never left a CSI on their own. "So case closed?"

Sage looked at the wall and then the rest of the room. She swung her light back and forth looking for anything else. "Looks like it might be code 4 but I want to check the whole place out. Just to be on the safe said." She looked up at the detective and gave a sweet smile. It was one she used on Brass a couple of times and watched as O "Reilly gave a sigh and prepared to dig in.

Sage continued to look around the room. She found remains of used candles. She found hot wax dripped into patterns on the floor. She took a look at the symbols and made a wry grin and shook her head. It seemed that the kids were only here messing around. They probably had a themed party since the climate of the house suggested it. She had seen a couple of places like this and not in a forensic capacity. She gave a slight chuckle remembering the conversation she had last night about her preference for dressing Goth.

That reminded her to ask Sara if she was sure that she wanted to go to that club she was telling her about. Ever since Sara had been told to get out more, she had sought Sage out hoping to do a couple of girl time things. It struck Sage as odd since she had never known Sara for doing that. Plus she was going out with the EMT Hank and that was getting out more. She did like Sara though and she recognized it as an attempt to possibly extend a friendship that was comfortable like what she had with Greg and the other techs in the lab.

It had started out when Sage decided to go to a western theme club and have fun with line dancing. Sara asked her what she was doing and if she could come. It had been rather an awkward moment and she wasn't sure if the CSI would like it but she took her to the club anyway. It actually turned out to be fun though a bit funny since Sara had never line danced before. Sage had been doing it since… well she knew that her grandfather and grandmother taught her and Cassie. It was natural. In the end Sara did a pretty good show.

It was one of those moments that had Sage wonder if she was losing her sanity but obeying Catherine's advice to not analyze everything to death, she decided to roll with it. So she tried not to be too surprised when Sara said she would come with her to the Goth club and hear the new band play. Seeing the room brought back memories of a couple of parties she had been too when she was in school and probably nothing to worry about.

"Satanists."

Sage looked back to where O 'Reilly was looking at a few symbols that had been created with melted wax. She corrected, "Actually they aren't Satanic. Satanism revolves around the acknowledgement that Satan is a deity. That on the ground is Celtic work and interestingly enough has a place with Gothics which aren't the same."

O' Reilly looked over in the direction of Sage as she moved to a smaller adjoining room of the cabin. "I take it that you know about that?"

"I'm a CSI. It's my job to know things," Sage replied quoting Grissom purposely, knowing that he had uttered it before in the burly detective's presence. She gave a wry grin since it was annoying to some people when the differences were pointed out. A couple of times she had shot down religious fanatics when she challenged precisely what she said and numerated the differences. It didn't quite put her in such understanding with her mother and her father was amused by it.

"Whatever."

Sage chuckled to herself and continued to walk through. She came into the room and heard the creak. It sounded different from the other creaks in the house and put pressure on the area again. When she added more weight, the floorboard snapped and her leg sunk a bit but she managed to retain her balance. She waved off O' Reilly, "I'm okay. Just a rotting floorboard."

She let the detective huff a bit as she pointed her light down. She could see something through the hole her foot made and she wanted to get a closer look. Getting down on her hands and knees, she tried to peer through and when she did, what she saw had her make a slight sound. She said, "O' Reilly, you might want to call the coroner's office."

O' Reilly walked over to see what she was looking at after giving a look at the walls in the other room. "What do you mean?"

Sage had grabbed the end that had broken and pried it loose to remove it. It had been a bit of work twisting the nail out but it revealed a good size hole. She shone her light down and it highlighted what was unmistakably a human head that was almost a skeleton. "Well I guess the 425 became a 419," she said as she looked at the ground and noted the bugs around.

A/N: Welcome to a new case and it looks like a fresh body and a decomp start the line up. Keep watching for more Night Owls...