Detecitve Frank Tripp was not a happy man.

Not that he was unhappy in general---underneath his gruff exterior he was actually a pretty friendly and easygoing guy. But certain situations just got under his skin...and when that happened, he was about as much fun to be around as a polar bear in a sauna.

At that moment, he was surrounded by a hundred such situations----and all were named santa.

Ryan Wolfe strolled up, CSI kit in one hand, The kid was dressing well these days, Tripp noted----a sharp gray blazer, pinstriped green shirt underneath it open at the collar. "Hey Frank," ryan said "I didnt know the North pole was your jurisdiction."

"Okay, get it out of your system now," frank growled. "You wanna know how many santa jokes i've heard already?"

"hmmmmm,"ryan siad thoughfully. He looked past frank, at the milling crowd of santas behind the yellow crime-scene tape. "A sleighful, I'd say..."

"Yeah, well," frank said,"in anticipation of your next question, no, nobodys grandma got run over by a reindeer. The vic's back here."

Tripp led ryan around the side of the building to the parking lot. In one cornor there was a white pile, around 2 feet high, with a body-shaped outline c ut into it. At the base of the figure, a pair of black boots jutted out.

"Is that snow?" ryan asked, setting down his kit and opening it.

"Not exactly," tripp said, ' its pure cocain."

"Are you serious? Ryan asked skepticly, " that means..."

"the bank robbing was just a distraction,"frank sighed,"...this was the real show."

"so, ryan, what ever happend to that girl you were seeing?" Frank asked converstationaly.

"Huh," ryan asked looking up from the cocain he was now putting into evidence bags.

"That pretty girl you were with the other day...that FBI profiler."

"O, you mean Nicole?" ryan said looking back at the job at hand,"We're not doing so well at the moment frank."

"Not to be nosey ryan, but the last time I saw you two togather you looked to be on the verge of aloping." Frank laughed at his own joke.

Ryan smirked..."Ya, to be honest im not sure what happend really. She's on this new case...um, fransico gurrea's his name I think..."

"The sliter of womens throats," frank asked shocked, "that gurrea?"

"Sadly the very same...,"ryan stopped once again and looked up at frank,"I told her i didnt want her on this case, Frank. She thinks i dont think she can handle herself in the field. She took me saying that as an offense. I didnt mean it to be that way...I'm just...'

"Worried about her." frank finshed, "Understandable. She's a very pretty girl, ryan"

Ryan looked at the dead body of a would be santa clause...,"Frank? Is that a mask?" He reached down and took it off of the victim.

"Thats latex," frank said as he took it from ryan,"This cost a pretty penny im sure."

"OMG!," ryan yelled as he droped down next to the body, "Its emily! Frank its emily!"

Frank took out his cell and called horatio.

"Horatio," H answered.

"H..., frank began slowly,"we have a situatioin over here."

"A situation frank," H asked slowly, "What happened?"

"The body we found dressed as santa under the pile of coke is emily jones. Nicole's parter at quanico. The vics throats been slashed...just like the case they were working h. Ryan's been trying like crazy to get ahold of Nicole...No luck h. He thinks she's next."

"O, " H said

"Horatio?", Eric delko said, "You have a visitor. Aaron hutchner from quantico would like to speak to you."

H looked up momentaily shocked for words..."Frank, a mr hotchner has just came to speak to me. I think i already know what its about. Tell mr. wolfe to come back. I'm sending calleigh to finish up that scene." H hung up his phone and walked into the hallway where the Bau agent was located.