Obsessive Desire
Chapter 1
Frank was strolling over to his desk after getting back from a call out to a car crash. A small, larger than average woman with dark black, messy hair had walked in after Frank and glanced around. Frank slumped down into his chair as the woman walked over to him, fiddling with something small in her hands.
"I-I'm sorry to bother you sir." She said quietly as Frank turned around and looked at the woman.
"Is there something I can help you with, ma'am?" Frank asked as he placed his hands on his thighs and looked up at her.
"There's someone after me" she said as she looked up at Frank and Frank lowered his eyebrows.
"There's someone after you?" Frank asked and the woman nodded as she started fiddling with whatever she had in her hands more vigorously.
"I'm afraid that they're going to hurt me." She said as Frank studied her nervous behaviour.
"Take a seat." Frank said as he sat up and picked up a pen as he pulled a note-pad over to him.
"Can you give me any details?" Frank asked softly as he looked back at her. He saw her bottom lip quiver slightly before she spoke.
"Erm, there's a few of them and they wear suits mainly. They always carry needles around with them." She said quietly and Frank lowered his eyebrows as he tilted his head.
"Needles?" Frank questioned and she nodded. He raised his eyebrows as he nodded and then looked to his note-pad and jotted down the two pieces of information.
"Can you help me?" She asked and Frank nodded.
"We will do our best, ma'am." Frank assured her as he glanced down to her hands and saw it was a small glass marble that she was fiddling with. "Where are you living?" Frank questioned as he looked back up at her.
"I'm staying in a hotel at the moment; they kept appearing at my home." She said as she looked at him. "I'm too scared to go back to my house." She said and Frank nodded, he could understand. He studied the deep wrinkles in her face, mainly around her eyes, mouth and forehead.
"Okay, can you give me a name of the hotel? And your home address please." Frank asked as he put his pen to paper, ready to write the details down.
"Genever Hotel" she said and Frank nodded as he scribbled it down on the paper.
He glanced back up at her. "Can you give me details about these people, and your home address? Do you know why they're after you?" Frank questioned.
"I don't know, they just follow me everywhere, I had to get away. Please help me, I don't want to die." She pleaded Frank as she took hold of his sleeve, holding the marble in her other hand.
"Okay, I'll put a report in and I'll put police protection on you until we can figure this out, that sound okay?" Frank asked softly and she nodded with a small smile. He stood with her and held his hand out.
"Thank you" she said relieved as she moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Er… no problem?" Frank said as she looked up at him.
"Sorry, what's your name, ma'am?" Frank questioned as he turned back to his desk and picked his pen back up. He then put his pen back down. 'It'll be easier if I just type her name in, it'll save time I guess.' He thought to himself.
"Britney" she said as she looked into his eyes as he looked at her.
"Surname?" He asked as he typed Britney into the computer to file a report.
"Smith" she replied as she leant forwards on his chair and Frank nodded then typed it in. He asked her for the details again, but all she gave him was that they wore suits and had needles.
"Okay Miss Smith, there will be some officers waiting outside to escort you back to the hotel, they'll stand outside your door, is that okay?" Frank asked.
"Thank you so much" she smiled at him and he gave her a nod.
"Is there anything else I can do for you ma'am?" Frank asked softly.
"No thank you, you've done everything you can. Thank you." She smiled at him and he gave her another smile.
"It's been nice to meet you Miss Smith." Frank said as he stood and shook her hand. He sat down as she walked out. He looked down at his paper work and got on with it after inputting Britney's claim.
"Frank, have you found anything on our John Doe from this morning?" Horatio asked as he slowly strolled over to Frank.
"Sorry H, I've not had time yet. I've just had a woman come in claiming that she's being targeted by a few people." Frank said softly and Horatio nodded and waited for Frank's answer to his question.
"I'll ring you if I find anything." Frank said softly as Horatio nodded slowly and then glanced down to the marble on his desk.
"Thank you Frank" Horatio said as he turned and walked away whilst fiddling with his sunglasses. Frank nodded, but Horatio had already walked away, he was too busy trying to manage the large wad of paper that was sprawled across his desk.
"Horatio" Zoë called softly as she rushed over to him. He stopped in the middle of the lab and turned to her as she placed her hand on his back and then walked around him. She removed her hand from his back when she pulled the handbag back up to her shoulder from her elbow.
"I've got to go to the shop quickly Horatio, do you mind? I'll be 2 minutes." She asked him as she tilted her head at him.
"Is everything okay?" He asked, looking into her eyes, intensely, slightly concerned by her urgency.
"Yeah, I think I'm just about to start my period though and I don't have any tampons on me and there's none in the ladies. I didn't expect it to come on today, I only finished my pills yesterday morning." Zoë said as she looked up at him and kept hold of her handbag on her shoulder.
"You had one last month though? You usually only have them every 2 or 3 months, don't you?" Horatio asked quietly as he tilted his head and moved closer.
"Yeah, but I don't want to be on my period at our wedding, or on our honeymoon, so I'm having it early so we aren't interrupted." She smiled and Horatio nodded as he looked down at his sunglasses.
"Okay sweetheart." Horatio said softly as he looked back up at her.
"I'm sorry, I thought I told you?" She asked and Horatio shook his head as he gave her a quick, small smile.
"Oh well, it'll be over in a few days." She said softly and Horatio gave her a nod and then looked up at Walter as he approached them.
"Walter alert." Horatio whispered softly and she smiled.
"Everything okay?" Walter asked and Zoë nodded with a sweet smile.
"Just discussing my period." She said softly and Walter raised his eyebrows with a smug smile.
"I've grown immune to your games now, I think." Walter said, looking completely at ease.
"That wasn't a game, I was just letting Horatio know that I'm going to the shop for some tampons if you must know." She said softly and Walter's smile disappeared as he looked from Zoë to Horatio and then back to Zoë.
She turned back to Horatio and smoothed out one of the lapels on his jacket. "I'll be back soon." Horatio gave her a nod, he felt slightly embarrassed, he thought if he'd warned her that Walter was approaching, she'd keep quiet about their discussion. He didn't even know why he felt embarrassed about it. She flashed Walter a smile as he looked from the two of them again. She walked away and Horatio looked over in her direction, at the floor. He glanced to her as she boarded the lift and saw the smile she left him with.
"Does she have to be so open about her bodily functions?" Walter asked Horatio as he stepped back and began to fiddle with his sunglasses again.
"You did bring that on yourself…" Horatio said as he glanced over to Eric in the lab and then back to Walter who nodded with a sour looking face.
"I guess so, sorry H. Anyway, we need you to look at something." Walter said and Horatio nodded at him and then followed him through to the lab.
Zoë walked in with a smile and stood by Horatio.
"Okay?" Horatio asked and she nodded. Horatio left after Zoë took over as he needed to get on with some other work. Zoë walked into his office after shift had ended and they then went home together.
"Takeaway?" Horatio asked and she nodded as she looked over to him driving.
"You read my mind and I think we need to make a stop off at the shop, we're out of chocolate." She said softly and Horatio nodded with a small chuckle. They stopped at the shop and then the takeaway, then continued their journey home.
"I can't believe we're getting married in 2 months! She grinned and Horatio smiled, he could hear the pure excitement in her voice.
"Where shall we go for our honeymoon?" Zoë asked softly as she reached over to run her hand up his thigh.
"Where ever you'd like." Horatio smiled as he removed a hand from the wheel and placed it over hers on his thigh just as they pulled up on the drive and got out.
"You have to like it too." She said to him as they walked up the drive, hand in hand with a bag in their other hands.
"I'll love it wherever we go just as long as you're there with me."
She remained silent for a moment and thought about it. "How about the Seychelles?" Zoë asked.
"I've never been there." Horatio said as he opened the door after Zoë had put the code in.
"Neither, what do you think about it then?"
A smile appeared across his face. "I like the sound of it." Horatio grinned and Zoë smiled as they walked into the kitchen.
"Excellent! We'll get online later then and start looking?" Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded as he placed the takeaway on the island counter as Zoë put the chocolate they'd got away.
"How's Kaitlin getting on with everything?" Horatio asked softly as he began to unpack the food.
"She says that it's all going to plan, but I have no idea what she's doing. She refuses to tell me." Zoë said softly as she collected two plates, two glasses and cutlery. "She's obsessive about things like I am, so I know it'll all be fine. She will have to have everything perfect." Zoë added and Horatio nodded with a smile. "She says that there may be a couple of surprises…" Zoë raised her eyebrows at Horatio. He looked to her, curious himself as he lowered his eyebrows as he tilted his head. "Yeah, I'm curious too." Zoë chuckled as she filled two glasses of water and set them on the island counter.
"Has Joe found a place yet?" Horatio asked softly once his curiousness left.
"No, I was talking to him yesterday and he's still not found a place yet." Zoë said softly and Horatio nodded as they began to put the food on their plates.
After eating, they relaxed back on the sofa and weren't late to bed.
The next day, Britney returned to the lab and saw Eric. He looked up at her from the case he was reading and then stopped in front of her.
"Hi, can I help you with anything?" Eric asked softly as he closed the file and noticed that she was fiddling with something in her hands.
"Yeah, I was talking to an officer called Frank yesterday and was wondering if he was here?" She asked softly and Eric shook his head.
"Sorry, I'm afraid that he's out at the moment, can I give him a message or anything?" Eric asked softly as Walter walked over.
"Erm, it's just about a small problem." She said as she looked at Eric with her wide green eyes.
"Is it anything I can help with?" Eric asked, concerned.
"I don't know." She shrugged as she looked from Walter to Eric.
"Okay, well I'm happy to help. I'm Eric Delko, I'm a CSI here." He said as he shook her hand.
"Walter Simmons, I'm also a CSI." Walter said as he shook her hand and looked into her tired green eyes.
"Erm, well I filed a report yesterday about a couple of people harassing me, Frank put some police protection into place and well…" She said softly and then looked down and placed the marble in her pocket and looked at their shoes. Walter placed his hand on her arm and she looked up at him.
"You can talk to us." Walter said softly just as Frank began to walk over to them.
"I… er… I" she mumbled as she glanced back and saw Zoë and Horatio walking towards the break room, smiling at each other as Horatio had his hand placed on her back. She looked back to Walter, Eric and Frank as Frank spoke and then glanced back round to Zoë and Horatio when she heard Zoë chuckle.
"Is everything okay Britney?" Frank asked softly and her body fell to the floor.
"Woah" Walter said as all 3 of them kneeled down beside her and called her name out. Zoë had stopped to turn around to see what was going on when she heard the loud thud. She saw Eric, Walter and Frank crowding around the collapsed woman and quickly made her way over with Horatio following. He studied the woman but kept back as she was already crowded when Zoë crouched at her other side.
"Gentlemen, perhaps give the lady some space." Horatio asked softly as he placed a hand on his hip.
"What's her name?" Zoë asked the 3 men as they glanced from Horatio to her.
"Britney" Frank replied as he, Eric and Walter moved back a little, obeying Horatio, realising they were crowding her.
"Okay. Britney, can you hear me?" Zoë called loudly as she took the woman's pulse.
"Britney, open your eyes for me." Zoë called as she let go of the woman's wrist and then pinched her ear. She yelped and moved her head away from Zoë's hand, Zoë exhaled as she looked down at the woman as she looked up at Zoë with a frown.
"Everything okay?" Zoë questioned and the woman nodded as she glanced over to the 3 worried men.
"I'm Detective Chambers, can you sit up for me?" Zoë questioned and the woman sat up and all 3 men moved away more to give her room.
"How are you feeling?" Zoë questioned softly and the woman nodded.
"Okay." Zoë said as she looked up to Eric, Frank and Walter and saw their worried faces.
"Can you stand?" Zoë asked and the woman nodded again and then glanced around to Horatio. She looked at Horatio for a bit. Zoë stood with all 3 men, but Britney didn't.
"Britney?" Frank questioned and she looked back to Frank.
"Sorry" she said as she got up with the help of Frank. She turned and then looked at Horatio as he placed his hands on his hips.
"Are you okay ma'am?" Horatio questioned and she nodded at him, silently.
Horatio then nodded and glanced to the floor before his eyes rose to Zoë. "Zoë" Horatio said softly and she nodded at him with a sweet smile.
"I suggest you go home and get some rest." Zoë said before she walked over to Horatio. Britney nodded at her and then watched Horatio place his hand back on her back as they walked away.
"Are you okay Britney?" Frank asked as he placed his hand on her arm, gently.
"Yeah, sorry." She said as she looked up at him and he gave her a nod as she pulled the marble out from her pocket again and began to fiddle with it.
"Come on, I'll give you a lift back." Frank said softly and she nodded at him with a smile. She walked out with him and Eric and Walter looked at each other a little confused.
Zoë walked into the lab to meet both Eric and Walter 30 minutes later and they gave her a smile.
"Who was that woman?" Zoë asked softly as she pulled her lab coat on and a pair of gloves.
"We're not too sure, but she was asking for Frank." Eric said softly and Zoë nodded and then looked up at Horatio as he walked into the lab.
"We have a call out." Horatio said softly and they nodded and then walked out with him, having taken their lab coats off.
"Eric, do you want to take the AV hummer? I'm going to ride with Horatio." She said softly and he nodded. She handed him the keys as they parted ways and walked over to their hummers.
"That woman was just staring at you earlier, do you know her?" Zoë asked Horatio softly as they got into the hummer.