CSI Forever Online April Challenge
Topic: GSR at a crime scene
Prompts: a length of rope, a chicken, a stun gun, a deck of cards, fireworks, a broken mirror, a dead rat and cyanide.
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Gil climbed back up the stairs to the attic, having concluded his perimeter inspection and decided there was nothing probative either downstairs or outside the property, and that he would be of far more use helping Sara sift through the mountains of personal effects belonging to the man in Doc Robbins morgue. Approaching his destination he heard hysterical laughter, and paused, momentarily confused.
"Sara," he called, resuming his climb. He received no answer and frowned, reaching the summit and turning into the long, high ceilinged room. Windows ran down the western length and were prominent at the northern end; the views were beautiful, all rugged desert and mountains, dotted with scrubby trees and spiky plants. The real beauty of the room though was the oak beams, rising high above his head, and running the entire length of the building.
The same frenzied laughter caught his attention again, redirecting his focus to the woman who continually fascinated and stirred within him feelings he would never be able to quantify accurately with words.
"Sara," he repeated softly, but she didn't hear him. He approached, and felt uneasiness take root deep inside. She was seated on the floor, legs crossed in a tailor seat as she surveyed the deck of tarot cards spread out before her. Beyond the cards perched a chicken, its head cocked to the side as it studied her. In between bouts of mirth, she was talking to the chicken and gesticulating wildly, her words spoken so fast they ran together in an incomprehensible stream.
"Sara," he called again, raising his voice. She whirled and tried to stand at the same time; her movements so fast she tripped over her own feet and tumbled aside, crashing into a wall mirror. Slumped on the floor she raised her hands in delight as shards rained down around her.
"It's snowing," she cried in delight. "It's snowing in the desert Grissom!" She scrambled to her feet, twirling around like a school girl. Suddenly she let out a shriek, pointing behind him as she leapt backwards behind a crate. If he hadn't been so concerned by her behaviour, he would have been impressed by the sheer physicality of her movement. As it was, he was torn between going to her and investigating the cause of her distress.
Before he had the chance to make his mind up however, she had dashed out from behind the box and over to the wall behind him, moving with such speed he felt a wave of dizziness pass over him. Another shriek, followed by more incessant giggling as she pulled something toward her, and then brandished a dead rat by its tail, swinging it back and forth in front of him.
"Wow Grissom, do you see the shadow? It moves with the rat, like an aura! Can dead things have an aura? Maybe it isn't dead! It could just be stunned." She held the rat up to her ear, listening as though she might hear it breathing. "Nope," she sang, shaking her head, "not breathing." Her fingers groped for the neck, searching for a pulse. "No pulse, quick, call an ambulance. We need paramedics to resuscitate the rat; he might be able to tell us what happened." Abruptly she sank to her knees and placed the rat on the ground on its back; using two fingers she began rhythmic compressions of the chest, as though trying CPR.
"Sara, what are you doing? Are you feeling alright?" asked Grissom, who felt his chest go tight with concern. Sara had been fine earlier when he left her to go down and walk the perimeter, and she had been more than fine when they woke up that evening. They both had.
"I'm saving the rat Grissom," she explained seriously, glancing up at him and flashing him one of her dazzling smiles. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a length of rope dangling from the roof, tied high above them to one of the beams. He head snapped to the side to investigate. Abruptly her focus shifted; the rat forgotten she lunged for the rope, throwing herself forward and reaching out with both hands.
"No, Sara stop," cried Gil, frantically.
TBC