Title: CSI: Miami - Realisations
Author: D M Harper
Summary: Sometimes the things you really need in your life are right under your nose. A/U
Pairing: Calleigh Duquesne & Natalia Boa Vista
Rating: M for Mature readers.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of CSI: Miami they belong to creators Anna Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn & Anthony E. Zuiker. I only use them for the purposes of entertainment and do so for no financial gain. I do stake a claim on all original characters that make an appearance in this story. No copyright infringement is intended towards CBS Paramount Network Television or Jerry Bruckheimer Television.
Author's Note: Please be warned! Several chapters that follow deal with the subject of rape, it is part of the storyline and not intended to tantalise.
Chapter 1
Level 3 Crime Scene Investigator and Assistant Supervisor of the day shift, Calleigh Duquesne squinted at the photographs laid out in front of her on the glass table of the layout room and silently cursed. Looking up at the overhead lighting, the five foot three inched pocket rocket better known as "Bullet Girl", huffed then scowled at the blinking fluorescent tube.
Reaching for her Sanyo Pro-700 cell phone with the digitally modified larger screen, the blonde southern belle called maintenance. "Hello Charles, it's Calleigh Duquesne up on the second floor," she drawled in her Louisianan accent.
"Oh hey Miss Duquesne, what can I do for you today?"
The ballistics expert had learnt from an early age that being sweet and all sugary brought speedy results, especially since arriving at the Miami-Dade Police Crime Lab in 1997. "Oh Charles, the damn light in layout room two is simply driving me crazy. Darn thing is flashing on and off and making it near impossible for little ole me to concentrate."
"Well we can't have that Miss Duquesne, I'm on my way."
"You are such a darlin' Charles." She terminated the call with a wide smile planted on her tanned face. "Like bees to honey," she mumbled quietly.
"Hey Cal," said CSI Eric Delko as he entered the room. "Are you talking to yourself in here?"
"Oh hey Eric, no just cussing the damn lighting."
The tall dark haired man of Cuban and Russian descent in his mid-thirties, glanced upwards then back at the green eyed blonde, "Yeah, that's not a good problem to have to deal with when working a double shift."
"Tell me about it," complained Calleigh as she checked her watch. "I'm now into my eighteenth hour."
"Man that's tough. So why has H got you working so hard on this case?"
Mid-fifties Charlie Crandall entered the room carrying a ladder and two fluorescent tubes, "I'll have that light fixed for you in no time Miss Duquesne."
"Appreciate that Charles. How is that lovely wife of yours?"
"Ah she is just fine and thanks for asking."
"Buy you a cup of coffee while you wait?" offered Eric.
"No, but I wouldn't mind a tea."
The two CSIs walked to the break room and grabbed their drinks.
After taking a seat at the table, Eric reached over and clasped Calleigh's left hand. It was the first contact the dating couple had had in weeks.
The blonde pulled away and leered at the disappointment on the face of her colleague and friend, "Eric, we need to talk."
"What is it Cal?"
"I don't think our relationship is working."
"Why do you say that?"
"Let's face it; in the three months we've been together, I've seen you more times at work than in private."
Eric ran a hand over his close cropped hair, "I'm sorry, I've just had a lot going on."
"I know that and I really do understand, but I think we are better of as friends than lovers."
With a shake of his head, Eric asked, "So what are you saying?"
"As your friend, I think being in a relationship at the moment is the last thing you need. You have to sort yourself out."
"Has this got anything to do with me living at Hotel Deluca?"
"That and the fact you are keeping information from me as well as being angry all the time. You've become rather abrasive towards people and your friends are too scared to ask if you are okay in case you snap at them."
Eric went on the defensive straight away, "Yeah well having nearly been deported and finding out the identity of my real father kind of played with my head a little."
"I understand that Eric, but don't you think I deserve to hear that from you rather than be told second or third hand by the people I work with?"
"I'm really sorry Cal."
"I am too, but I deserve better from a partner."
"I know you do and can only promise to do better."
"Eric I'm getting too old to put up with being shut out. You have had more than your fair chances of doing better. I gave you enough hints this past month and I refuse to be nothing more than your booty call when it's convenient for you."
Lowering his head, Eric knew Calleigh had made up her mind and their relationship was at an end, "I realise it's my fault and I can only apologise."
"I'll always be your friend and love you like a family member, but I'll never be in love with you Eric. I want something completely different than what you have to offer."
With a shrug of his shoulders, Eric conceded, "I guess I just have too many personal issues to deal with."
"You do and I wish you nothing but good luck in finding your place."
"Thanks Cal and I'm sorry for messing you about."
"I'm old enough to make my own decisions Eric and I started a relationship with you when I should have known better."
"I understand." Eric stood then said, "Well I better get back to work then."
"Me too, I'll see you later."
Calleigh allowed Eric to dispose of his cup and leave before she cleaned her mug and returned it to the shelf. She felt no sadness in breaking up with him and had realised she had resolved herself to the fact their relationship was over weeks ago when Eric had kept the first of many secrets from her. Calleigh would have dissolved the union earlier, but Eric had been withdrawn the past three weeks and today had been the first time the pair had had a private moment together.
Returning to her work, Calleigh thought that since her arrival in Miami from Darnell Louisiana, her love life had been a series of one disaster after another. Concentrating on the crime scene photos from the murder of Councilman Shaw and his wife, Calleigh scanned for clues as to who carried out the hideous slayings.
Fifty year old Richard Shaw and his wife Selena, forty five, had both been tied up and gagged in their living room. Blonde, green eyed Selena had died first. Her ending was swift, a double edged blade through her jugular. Although the results of the autopsy weren't official yet, COD was clearly exsangunination.
From the positioning of the chair Richard was bound to, he was forced to witness his wife's killing. His own murder had been much slower, torturous in fact with over sixty stab wounds to his body. Fifty nine of the incisions were superficial, meant to cause pain, but the final thrust had been a fatal blow to the heart, severing the aorta.
Calleigh and Natalia Boa Vista had caught the case a little before 14:00 Wednesday and it was now 08:10 Thursday. Miami-Dade Crime Lab Supervisor Lieutenant Horatio Caine had pressure applied to him immediately from the powers that be to solve the case swiftly before the media got wind of it and the circus rolled into town. The blue eyed and red headed fifty year old had not been happy about the circumstances and had voiced his disconcert regards allowing his two CSIs to work longer than twenty four hours straight.
-0-
At 09:12 CSI Level 1 and DNA Analyst Natalia Boa Vista had a breakthrough. Samples of saliva lifted from the faces of both victims yielded a DNA sequence belonging to a female. The five foot seven and a half brunette of Puerto Rican and French heritage raced to layout room two and was disappointed to find it empty.
Withdrawing her phone from her belt, Natalia called Calleigh.
"Hey Talia," came the bubbly greeting.
"Hey Cal, I've got some news. Where are you?"
"I'm in my lab doing a little experiment."
"Okay, I'll be there in a few."
"All right," Calleigh returned her cell phone to the belt holder and forcibly stabbed a block of silicone in front of her with a hunting knife. Removing the blade, she then poured liquid plaster into the incision.
The blonde was retracting the hardened cast when the exotic, olive skinned Natalia walked into the room. Calleigh looked up at her and took off her safety glasses, "Watcha you got?"
Natalia grinned broadly, "Female DNA off the vics' faces."
A brilliant smile spread across Calleigh's features, "That's real good news."
"I also compared the samples to hair fibres retrieved off Richard Shaw's shirt lapels and it's a positive match to our mysterious brunette."
Calleigh frowned, "Not in the system then?"
"No, there was nothing on CODIS."
"Maybe Eric will have some luck matching fingerprints off the duct tape."
"Well at least we have more information then before we started," regaled Natalia enthusiastically.
Detective Sergeant Frank Tripp, 52 and sporting a shaved head joined the two women and drawled in his Texan accent, "Hey ladies, I got a lead on the Shaw murder."
"We do too, but you go first Frank," countered Natalia.
"It seems Richard Shaw had a mistress for a hobby."
Calleigh stopped typing into the keyboard, "Let me guess, she's a brunette?"
"How'd you know that?" asked Frank with a smirk.
Natalia quickly answered, "DNA and hair recovered from the vics matches a female structure with dark brown hair."
"Well we got a name to go along with that, a Linda Markham, 34, dark brown hair. She lives over in Bal Harbor and works in Shaw's office."
Calleigh's computer pinged and she looked at the screen, "And we have a match on the weapon used. A Double Death split blade hunting knife. The blade is six inches of stainless steel and overall length is eleven inches. It features an air injecting opening to deliver more damage on each thrust."
Tripp's cell trilled, "Excuse me ladies. Sergeant Tripp speaking ... you don't say? ... excellent, run it over to the Crime Lab A-SAP and well down." Closing the phone, he grinned at the two CSIs, "Wolfe and a uniform located a bloodied hunting knife in the storm drain four houses down from the Shaw residence."
"That's excellent news," remarked Calleigh.
"I think it's time to bring Miss Markham in for a little chat."
"I'll go update Horatio and wait for Ryan to return with the evidence," volunteered Natalia as she headed towards the exit.
"Looks like I am riding with you Frank," surmised Calleigh as she watched a white pants suited Natalia rush down the hall.
-0-
Frank and Calleigh ran into Eric as he exited his lab.
"Hey guys, just the people I was looking for," he said. "I've got a positive match on a print off the gaffer tape used."
"Linda Markham," chorused Tripp and Calleigh in unison.
Eric's brows arched, "Yeah that's her."
"I'll start the paperwork on an arrest warrant," offered Frank.
"I'll inform Horatio," suggested the blonde as she headed for the stairwell. "I'll fill you in on the way back Eric."
"Yeah no worries Cal," Eric responded before returning inside the lab.
Natalia spun around when Calleigh appeared in Horatio's doorway, "You look pleased with yourself."
"I am. Eric's got a print match on Linda Markham and Frank is organising the arrest warrant."
The brunette glanced at the grinning blonde dressed in black trousers and white dress shirt that was hanging loose from under a black sweater. "Oh good lord, do not go there Boa Vista, stay focused," she chided herself. "You haven't looked at her for three months, so don't start now."
"That's promising news," announced Horatio as he stood to his full six feet. "Let's go join Sergeant Tripp."
"I'll go wait for Ryan at Reception," suggested Natalia.
"Once the comparisons on the knife and paperwork are done ladies, you are both off the clock until Monday."
"Thanks Horatio," the two women replied.
"No ladies, thank you for your fine work."
-0-
It was past 15:00 when Calleigh submitted the last of her paperwork and secured all the collected and processed evidence. Knowing Natalia was still working in the DNA lab awaiting results on the knife Ryan had located, she made her way upstairs.
Natalia was slumped over the counter with her head resting on folded arms and sound asleep.
Calleigh took the time to appreciate how beautiful her friend was. Even though the pants suit was terribly crinkled, it couldn't take away from how striking the woman's features were. Calleigh inched closer and gently touched the brunette's left shoulder. "Hey sleepy head, time to go home," she cooed softly.
Dark brown eyes came to life, "Oh Cal, sorry I must have dozed off." Just then her computer sounded with a notification alert.
Both women turned to read what they already knew. The blood swabbed off the knife blade matched that of Richard and Selena Shaw.
"I need to print off the results then I'm done," advised Natalia in between yawns. "At least I had the opportunity to clear up all the outstanding analysis. Maxine can come into tomorrow and have nothing to do."
"Yeah, the only good thing to come out of working twenty five hours straight is the back log gets seen to while waiting for results."
Two hours earlier, Linda Markham had finally caved in under the weight of evidence indicating her guilt. Horatio and Frank had been patient and meticulous throughout the interview to be rewarded with a full confession in the presence of her lawyer. She admitted to snapping after Richard Shaw had failed to inform his wife of their affair that had been ongoing for the past five years.
When questioned as to why she killed Selena, Markham had remorselessly replied it was only fair she be punished for treating Richard like a dog. The only emotion Markham displayed was anger at having wasted five years listening to Richard's hollow promises. Prosecution of the case was handed over to a much appreciative Assistant State Attorney and Markham was booked, processed and held in custody for arraignment the following morning.
-0-
Natalia switched off the overhead lab lighting and secured the door. She nearly stumbled up the stairs while dropping off the reports to Horatio's office.
"Hey careful," said Calleigh as she reached out to steady her friend. "I don't think you are in any condition to drive home."
Natalia joked, "Honey, I'm in no fit state to walk."
Laughing, Calleigh offered, "Darlin', I'll drive you home."
Heading back down the stairs, Natalia turned to face the blonde, "I don't want to impose Cal."
"You're not Talia and your place is on the way to mine."
"Thanks because I really don't think I'd make it."
"What are friends for?"
"You're a good friend Miss Duquesne."
Calleigh smiled warmly, "So are you Miss Boa Vista, now let's go."
-0-