My added characters: Amelia Stokeheart, Louis Renfield, Toby Geddes (DNA tech), Mark Sera (Level 3 CSI), Jack Dower (Level 2 CSI), Aria Keys
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April 1998
Wailing sirens filled the night air, red and blue lights fluttered across the ebony skyline. A woman, clutching a bundle to her chest ran through the desert, evading her inevitable capture. She stumbled into a dump site, and placed her bundle carefully into an old microwave box. Pulling some tattered fabric from one of the piles, she stuffed the box. The sirens were getting louder, the lights brighter. She ran, leaving behind regret and the only man she ever loved.
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~~CSI~~CSI~~CSI~~
"Cath, I think I found something." Nick shouted over the noise of the search and rescue helicopter, flying overhead. Catherine ran over and saw where Nick was pointing with his torch.
"You think this is where she stashed the drugs?"
Nick shrugged and knelt beside the box, he opened the flaps to reveal a bundle of fabric. Carefully, piece by piece, he removed loose fabric. Something within the box moved, causing the two to spring back, and Nick to reflexively draw his gun. Catherine moved some more of the fabric back and saw what was inside.
~~CSI~~CSI~~CSI~~
"Infant male, approximately five days old found in a trash dump site. Extremely dehydrated, mild pneumonia, lack of pupil response."
"Ok, Joey put him over there let's get fluids in him and some warm blankets." The on-call attending directed the paramedics, then turned to the CSIs. "We'll do our best to get him back to health. Any idea of identity, or know who the mother is?" both shook their heads. The attending nodded grimly, thanked them and rushed to treat the baby.
~~CSI~~CSI~~CSI~~
"Is the baby your's, Amelia?"
"What baby?" the cokehead spat
"The baby we found in that microwave box you put it in."
"No." She looked away. "I found it, dead. In the street, so I put it in the box to bury it. Would have done a better job if you pigs hadn't been smokin' me out."
"The kid was alive, or were you just too high to recognise it?"
"You said was, did I kill it?" she raised a brow, seemingly unaffected
"No. The kid's fighting for its life in hospital, a couple more hours you'd be facing a murder charge. So far, just neglect."
"What if I said I knew who birthed the kid?" she folded her arms, and leaned back in her chair.
"You know who the mother is?"
"For a price, sweetheart." She winked, dead-eyed
Brass snapped and slammed his fist on the table "The kid could have died, we need to know who the mother is so we can see if we can reunite them. I don't have time for your bullshit."
"Language, Jimmy-boy. Just so you know, I'm related to the kid, in some way. That's all you're getting 'til you give me something."
~~CSI~~CSI~~CSI~~
"I got a familial DNA match to a Louis Renfield. Guy's in the system for possession, couple of DUIs and an assault charge." Toby Geddes, the DNA tech said
"Well, Amelia Stokeheart says she's related to the baby." Nick replied
"Both are a match to the maternal side, but neither are themselves related." Toby continued, pushing his glasses up his face, an old habit, when finishing a report.
"Thanks, Toby, I'll be sure to tell Grissom."
~~CSI~~CSI~~CSI~~
The four CSIs gathered in the room (Catherine Willows, Gil Grissom, Jim Brass and Mark Sera) were reviewing the case facts. (Nick Stokes and Warrick Brown were in the field).
"So, we've got Amelia Stokeheart and Louis Renfield making up the maternal DNA profile. We need to find this kid's mother." Gil said, quietly, with a subtle trace of urgency.
"The dump site we found the baby at was two blocks from where Stokeheart was squatting." Catherine interjected, putting a collection of aerial maps on the table "What are the odds the baby came from one of the houses around?"
"So Stokeheart was squatting somewhere near relatives who had a baby." Jim summarised "Then she took the baby and left it in that box? Why?"
"Arguments." Mark spoke up, his eyes glassy. The other CSIs looked at him to continue "Stokeheart's file says she was in care for a few years, violent domestic situation, mother eventually got custody back after the father died from a meth overdose. A new baby can put a strain on a relationship, make arguments easier to happen. A simple flashback to the scared kid hiding in the closet would possibly provoke her to try to 'save' the kid."
A few glances between the other 3 "Makes sense." Catherine said "We just need to find Amelia's relatives, and hopefully the kid's parents."
At that moment, Jack Dower came through the door, with a bundle of papers. "I've got a possible ID for the kid's parents."
"Darren and Libby Holden, married for sixteen months, celebrated the birth of a baby boy just over a week ago, left him with a baby sitter for the weekend to go to LA. Came home six hours ago, reported the two missing." Catherine read aloud
"They went on vacation leaving their few day old baby with a sitter?" Mark raised a brow
"No, the reason they went there was for medical treatment. Darren has a brain stem tumour which he's getting specialised treatment for in LA."
"He can't get the treatment here?" Gil frowned
"No, it's a specialised private clinic, apparently it's his only chance of survival. They're also able to deal with the symptoms and side-effects. Apparently it's not just a sitter either. It is a specialised carer, who is especially trained to care for newborn infants."
"Obviously some people have the money to throw around." Mark muttered
"Possible motive for Stokeheart to take the baby." Gil stood up and wrote on the evidence board "Hide him, make some ransom demand, get the money, blow it all on coke."
"Well, Stokeheart was not the babysitter. But, it was someone connected to the family. Aria Keys. Gave them an extremely reduced rate. Sixty bucks for the whole weekend, plus any food she wanted, and somewhere to live."
"That's generous. From both parties. Maybe a few more Hamiltons would've meant the boy's safety." Jim scoffed
"Well, Keys is in the wind. Possibly an accomplice of Stokeheart?" Jack said "Or could be Stokeheart had an accomplice and whoever they are, took Keys."
"Well, I guess we'll have to let the evidence pave the way." Gil finished
~~CSI~~CSI~~CSI~~
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