Chapter Title: Notions (prologue)
Author: Sam
Story: Moral Judgments: 00 of 09
Series: SpeedBurn: 23
Characters: Don Flack, Stella Bonasera, Danny Messer, Det. Thacker, Mac Taylor, Aiden Burn, "Montana" Lindsey Monroe, Sheldon Hawkes, Det. John Scagnetti, OC's, with special guest appearance by "Speed" Tim Speedle from CSI: Miami.
Rating: M: violence, language
Summary: Flack deals with three victims and a missing suspect, Stella thinks Danny might be lying to her, and Aiden has to try to find a missing child while dealing with the Pratt case. Nothing's as easy as it seems in New York.
Spoiler: Yeah, seasons 1 – 2 of CSI: NY and seasons 1 – 4 of CSI: Miami.
Category: Crime-related; Drama; Science; AU
Setting: AU: SpeedBurn: New York City: Wednesday, September 28, 2005:
Disclaimer: CSI: NY was created by Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, and Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Alliance Atlantis Communications (2004-2007), Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Production (2004-2007), Alliance Atlantis Productions (2004-2007), CBS Paramount Network Television (2006-2009), CBS Productions (2004-2006), CBS Television Studios (2009-present), Clayton Entertainment, and Jerry Bruckheimer Television. CSI: Miami was created by Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, and Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Alliance Atlantis Communications (2002-2007), The American Travelers, CBS Paramount Network Television (2006-2009), CBS Productions (2002-2006), CBS Television Studios (2009-2012), Jerry Bruckheimer Television, and Touchstone Television (pilot only). I am in no way connected with these people, and I do not claim ownership of these characters, lands, or names. I have borrowed them to share a story, and most likely not a story any of them would have written, had they had the time or no. I am making no money from this and it is just for my entertainment and that of free entertainment to a select group. Thank you.
Distribution: Please ask first?
Note: In the SpeedBurn timeline series significant changes occur in various episodes, marking differences in each series. The initial drastically changed episodes are in chronological order: "Bait" (Without a Trace), "Reveille" (NCIS), "Lost Son" (CSI: Miami), "Bodies in Motion" (Crime Scene Investigation), "Summer in the City" (CSI: NY), and "In Name and Blood (In Birth and Death)" (Criminal Minds). Many episodes after those changed are also different. This story is number 23 in the grand scheme. Thank you.
Note: Mac's injuries and Speed's help in a New York case occurred during "Speed Trap". Stella's attack was in "Life Altering". Both stories are in the SpeedBurn time line.
Feedback: Yes, please, especially constructive.
xxx
New York City: Crime Lab: Wednesday, September 28, 2005:
Anger and despair warred equally in the dark-haired detective as she pushed back from the microscope. Aiden couldn't believe that there was absolutely no trace available, not even the smallest hair. Pratt would walk, like eighteen months ago, and this time no one could do anything.
True, he'd walked before but that was because the victim, Regina, had refused to testify. Having been allegedly raped a second time by the same suspect, Regina was more than willing to press charges and testify; however, this time there was no evidence to back up her claims. And the entire situation was eating at Aiden like no other case had before.
With unsteady hands Aiden lifted the small evidence bag, her initials clearly notated across the unbroken red evidence tape over the seal. The single hair inside contained Pratt's DNA and would definitely link him to this rape. There was one problem with the evidence she held, however . . . it was eighteen months old, like all other evidence related to this fresh case. Aiden had considered something no CSI should ever even play at thinking about and as a result had gone to the evidence locker to sign out the old evidence tied to Pratt and his repeat victim. Now, she sat looking at that single damning hair: a hair that could get the suspect put away where Aiden strongly felt he belonged but could also get her drummed out of law enforcement if she were caught planting it on the clothing from the fresh attack.
Reaching for the small blade to make the irrevocable step of slicing open the seal, Aiden hesitated. Slowly the troubled investigator drew her hand away from the blade, lowering the evidence in her other hand. One other choice remained . . . one person who might be able to give her advice. Aiden hadn't found anything on the pieces of evidence gathered, but she knew one Trace Expert who could seemingly pull evidence from thin air. He'd managed to draw blood and liquid evidence from Danny's clothes almost a year ago; evidence which had helped crack that case and put the killer away.
Still shaking, praying he could help though he was miles away, Aiden backed from the table and the evidence she'd nearly tampered with and drew off her gloves. With a deep, troubled sigh, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the phone number she'd gotten from him just a few days ago. A very long, tense moment passed and Aiden seriously considered hanging up and going with her not-so-sane previous plan, but a steady, quiet voice came over the line before she could put action to thought.
"Speedle."
Relief spread through the woman and she smiled at the image the voice conjured: a man with dark curls, teddy-bear cuteness, and a serious, intense, burning gaze. "Hey, Joe-Joe," she laughed then winced at how false the humor sounded.
"Hey, Aiden." Tim Speedle's voice was a pleasant balm. "I didn't expect to hear from you today." His tone sounded inviting despite the words.
Aiden responded, "I need some big advice, Joe."
"Got it. What's the problem?"
She liked how he always went straight to the point. Some people in the New York Crime Lab had thought him withdrawn and a bit unfeeling, but Aiden had understood him. He'd gone through hell, though it hadn't been until very recently that she'd know just what kind of hell, and he was not comfortable with opening up. Speed was honest, sometimes to the point of blunt rudeness, but Aiden could respect that in a CSI.
"I have a rape case. The victim was raped eighteen months ago but refused to testify. She was," Aiden paused to gather her anger and swallow then pushed on, "raped again, and she swears it was by the same guy. We have some evidence on him from the last case, but there's nothing this time."
"There's always evidence, Aiden," Speed sounded so certain, so calm that Aiden frowned and wondered if she'd made a mistake calling the Miami Trace Expert.
With a steadying breath she slowly enunciated, "well, this time he was very clever. There isn't any." Without giving him a chance to say anything she barreled on to the real reason she called. "Joe," she frowned as she realized she'd been calling him by the wrong name, "I mean, Tim."
"You can call me Joe; I don't mind." His voice sounded just as calm, just as withdrawn, as before and somehow Aiden found herself wondering if he really was as cold as the other New Yorkers thought him to be. His next words relieved her of that misconception. "So, you're tempted to take the evidence from the last case and use it for this one, right?"
She was surprised he didn't sound judgmental about such a drastic misuse of power. Cautiously she replied, "tempted but I didn't do it. Boy do I want to get this guy; I promised Regina. Pratt needs to be brought down."
"Been there." His matter-of-fact tone surprised her but she felt grateful. Tim Speedle, Miami's celebrated trace wiz had been to the point of wanting to plant evidence?
"What'd you do, Joe?"
She could hear Speed shift in his chair, it needed oiling, before he slowly answered her. "I went out and looked for more evidence. Unfortunately, it took another murder to get the guy but he was given the death penalty. I guess some would say it was worth the wait. Look, Aiden. Don't do it. Something like that would take you out of the picture and how many more Regina's can you help if you stay a CSI? There's always gonna be a Pratt out there to tempt you but don't give in. You're better than that."
"He'll walk, Joe . . . I can't stand that. And what do I tell Regina? Or the next girl?" Aiden took a trembling breath and continued in a shaky voice, "I'm starting to burn out, Joe. I want so much to help that this isn't the first time I've thought about tampering. What if next time I feel stronger about setting the guy up than calling for advice?" She leaned forward though Speed was hundreds of miles away in Miami. "Can I really trust myself?"
It took a very long moment before Speed responded and Aiden feared she'd truly sunk herself in her friend's eyes. When he did reply she was too surprised to comprehend right away.
"Get a second opinion."
"What?" confusion and surprise rang in that one word.
His voice was just as calm and controlled. "Get a second opinion, a second lab. Get permission from Mac to send the evidence down here, and I'll see what I can do." From almost anyone else the assumption that he could find evidence where she couldn't would have come off as blatant arrogance. Knowing what she did about his knowledge, Speed's comment came off as a Godsend.
"I . . ." she toyed with the idea. Would Mac really approve her sending the evidence to a second lab for another opinion?
"Hey, Aiden, the most he can do is say 'No,' right? But you won't know until you ask." When she didn't readily respond, he continued, "Look, it's almost the end of shift. Why don't you sleep on it tonight? Call me back tomorrow, either way. If he says 'No', we'll come up with something else, okay? It won't be the first time Miami and New York collaborated on a case to catch a serial offender."
Thankful for that soothing voice of reason, and a suggestion she hadn't thought of and might work, Aiden found herself smiling for the first time since being handed Regina's case. "Right. Thanks, Joe. I'll call tomorrow, okay?" After a brief pause, she quickly added, "We miss you up here, Joe."
Speed's soft, deep laughter reverberated even after they'd hung up. She might have been pretty much baby-sitting him while he'd served in New York the last year, after all Mac had thought he could be a security risk since Danny thought Speed looked like a Tanglewood Boy he used to know, but Aiden was glad she'd gotten to know the quiet man.
With a sigh, once more looking at the frustrating evidence, she gathered bags and vials together, along with the logs, and headed back to the evidence locker to sign it in for the night. Speed's advice of a night to sleep on it was sound and she would follow it.
xxx
Continued in Chapter One: Dawning Horror